The History of the 2nd Dragoons: "Royal Scots Greys"

In Short

This comprehensive history traces the Royal Scots Greys from their seventeenth-century origins in the Scottish Covenanter conflicts through Marlborough’s continental campaigns, the horrific charge at Waterloo, and the Boer War. Compiled from official military documents, personal letters, and campaign journals, the text illuminates the tactical evolution, daily routines, and sacrifices of one of Great Britain's most celebrated cavalry regiments. It stands as an enduring record of military heritage, combining granular administrative record-keeping with vivid first-hand accounts of historical conflict.

The Story

The narrative opens in seventeenth-century Scotland amid the religious and civil turmoil of the Covenanter uprisings. Clad in grey coats and bonnets, early dragoon patrols under commanders like General Dalziel enforce crown authority, hunting down rebels across muddy moorlands and tracking fugitives by horse trails in the morning dew. These early, localized skirmishes establish the foundational discipline and identity of the regiment, which soon formally incorporates into the British standing army as the Royal Regiment of Scots Dragoons.

As the eighteenth century dawns, the regiment transitions to continental warfare under the Duke of Marlborough. Campaign journals kept by embedded chaplains record the exact tactical dispositions, troop columns, and bloody engagements of the War of the Spanish Succession. At Blenheim and subsequent clashes across the Low Countries, the Greys secure a formidable reputation, overrunning French cavalry formations, capturing enemy standards, and enduring heavy casualties. The narrative details how post-war politics repeatedly contract the regiment's numbers during peacetime, reassigning soldiers to coast guard revenue duties in Kent and Sussex, only to rapidly expand them again whenever fresh continental tensions ignite.

By 1815, the regiment faces its most famous trial in the Napoleonic Wars. Private correspondence from officers stationed in miserable, flea-infested Flemish villages offers a grounded look at the anticipation preceding Waterloo. When battle arrives, three squadrons of the Greys charge into action under intense artillery fire. Though suffering catastrophic officer losses, they capture a French Imperial Eagle and shatter enemy formations. In the aftermath, cold official dispatches fail to capture the raw horror and triumph felt by the survivors who remain to march on Paris.

The closing movement shifts to the turn of the twentieth century, detailing the regiment's deployment to South Africa during the Boer War. Gone are the bright uniforms and classic cavalry charges; instead, long-form operational logs record grueling daily marches between isolated drifts, veldt fires, railway blockhouses, and sudden sniper engagements. The regiment swaps carbines for long rifles, conducting broad sweeping operations across the Transvaal. The record concludes with an exhaustive biographical register listing every officer and soldier who served, immortalizing centuries of individual duty.

How It Unfolds

The Scottish patrols Early dragoon detachments ride through the Scottish countryside in grey coats, tracking Covenanter rebels across rivers and hillsides. Officers interrogate local countrymen and launch midnight raids on remote farmhouses to capture fugitive leaders.

Marlborough's continental marches The regiment moves across Europe in massive troop columns alongside Danish, Prussian, and Imperial allies. Campaign journals document detailed battlefield formations near the Danube and fierce cavalry counter-charges that capture enemy colors.

Peacetime revenue duties Following continental treaties, the regiment is drastically reduced in size and posted across English coastal towns. Soldiers transition from open warfare to patrolling the shores of Kent and Sussex to enforce British revenue laws.

The Flemish encampment Officers write home from filthy, bug-infested Belgian villages prior to the 1815 campaign. They endure endless reviews by military commanders while waiting for unpaid wages and camp equipage.

The charge at Waterloo The Greys advance into massed French lines, suffering heavy casualties while capturing an Imperial Eagle standard. Surviving officers write detailed letters evaluating the tactical choices and losses of that bloody day.

The South African drives The regiment executes daily sweeps across the Transvaal, guarding railway lines and constructing blockhouses. Official logs document long, dusty marches, horse casualties, and sudden ambushes under pom-pom fire.

The People

General Dalziel A stern, relentless commander-in-chief who directs early Scottish operations against Covenanter rebels. He demands strict military discipline, issuing sudden commissions and orchestrating wide cavalry searches across the river Clyde.

John King A prominent Covenanter rebel who wears a distinctive white hat decorated with a large knot of ribbons. He evades pursuers across hills and river crossings before being captured asleep in an old house by dragoon officers.

F. C. Kinchant A dedicated young officer who writes home detailing the harsh realities of service before Waterloo. He struggles with unpaid London bills, poor exchange rates, and miserable quarters in Flemish peasant cottages.

Colonel Hamilton A brave cavalry leader who leads the regiment in grand style during the charge at Waterloo. He falls early in the action while guiding his three squadrons directly into the center of the conflict.

Sergeant Ewart A fearless soldier who distinguishes himself at Waterloo by engaging multiple French troopers in hand-to-hand combat. He cuts down an enemy officer and two soldiers to capture a French Imperial Eagle standard.

Major C. W. M. Feilden A resilient field commander during the Boer War operations who leads A Squadron through intense skirmishes in the Transvaal, eventually dying of wounds sustained while attempting to extricate his men from an unsupported attack.

In Its Own Voice

"With these Dragoons, clad in grey coats and bonnets, I made haste down the side of the river; and about midnight, after travelling twenty-four miles, I came to a church..."

— An early commander describing a night search for Covenanter fugitives along the Clyde.

"A pig-sty in England is a palace to my quarters. Hosts of lice, bugs, fleas, and filth of every description, abound in a most extraordinary degree in all the habitations of these dirty vagabonds."

— Lieutenant Kinchant complaining in a private letter about his living conditions in Flanders prior to Waterloo.

"No regiment could behave better than the Greys, Sergeant Ewart took an Eagle, and the Royals another, which I believe were all that were taken..."

— An officer reporting on the regiment's conduct and heavy losses following the Battle of Waterloo.

What It's Really About

Behind the official accounts of famous battles lies an examination of institutional continuity and the human cost of empire. The text contrasts the romantic myth of cavalry charges with the mundane, often miserable reality of military existence—unpaid wages, flea-infested quarters, and endless administrative routines. It explores how a regiment maintains its collective identity over centuries despite shifting technologies, changing global theaters, and the constant turnover of men. Ultimately, the book illustrates how military history is constructed not just by grand strategy, but through daily logs, muster rolls, private letters, and the individual sacrifices of ordinary soldiers forgotten by grand historical narratives.

Why Read It Today

Military historians, genealogists, and readers fascinated by British regimental traditions will find this text an invaluable primary resource. Reading it feels like sitting in a quiet archive with direct access to centuries of unedited military records, orders, and personal letters. It offers an unfiltered, authentic look at history as it was lived and recorded on the ground, far removed from polished modern retellings.

The book does present real reading difficulties that demand patience. Large portions consist of stark operational logs, daily march schedules, and extended alphabetical muster rolls. The prose alternates between dry administrative bullet points, eighteenth-century campaign diaries, and period correspondence complete with non-standard spelling and archaic military terms. Yet, for those willing to navigate these dense documentary sections, the reward is an uncommonly grounded picture of regimental life across three centuries of war.