Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-10-05
THE QUEENS REGIMENT.

His tory of the Command of Which VIC
toria Has Been Made Colonel.
A sketch OF the history of the First
Guard Dragons is given in the September
number of the Nineteenth Century by Col
| onel Lonsdale Hale. The regiment, to-
gether with two Others OF similar char
acter, was formed in 1916 by King
Frederick William the Third, from the
| three national cavalry regiments, in place
OF the existing light cavalry regiment, in
order, as the King said, mot only to give
| to the provinces to " hich they owe their
origin, a fresh proof OF my kindly feelings
toward them, and which they deserve, but
also to testify my satifaction with the
spirit shown by the Light Guard Cavalry
Regiment during the war" The three regi-
nients thus organized were the Guard
Lancers, the Guard Dragons and the
Gu ard Hussars. The men and horses were
selected with special care, those of the for
mer who had received the Iron Cross being
first chosen, and ths preference then given
to any who had served during the war.
The Dragon Regiment did no fighting until
1866, but from the first it was always re-
garded AZ an admirable school Tor soldier
ing and was q special favorite with the SOW
ereign.
For two years it was commanded by the
late Prince Frederick Charles, in 1S47 by
Prince Waldemar of Prussia, and in 1854
the late Emperor was attached to it ior the
purpose OF receiving training in cavalry
duties. At the time Of the reorganization
of bo Gormon army n 1850 a. second
guard dragoon regiment was formed, the
old one being given the title OF First Guard
Dragons. The latter received its baptism
| OF fire at Koniggratz where it distinguished
itself by furiously charging the Austrian
Lancer regiment of the Emperor Alexander.
But the fame of the First Guard Dragon
regiment rests chiefly upon it's brilliant
achievement at Mars-la-Tour in 1870. At
| one stage of the great battle at that point,
! on August 18th. the fate of the right wing
I of Prince Frederick Charles army hung for
1 a time in the balance. The Fourth French
| corps had driven back with terrible slaugh.
I ter that portion OF the German line opposed
| to it, and two infantry regiments following
1 up the attack were forcing the Germans,
l DELL nell into the valleys from which they
| had issued during the day. The situation
was most critical, when, as q last resort,
word was sent to Count Won Brandenburg
IL, VINO was IN COmubuO VA oho AAAAN "
4 Brigade of the Grand Calvary division, to
charge the French with his brigade. he
| answered that the First Guard Dragon
l regiment was the only part OF his brigade
| with him, and that he could not hope to
| succeed against the unbroken masses OF
| French infantry unless left to choose the
moment for the charge. The reply OF the
/ general was: "Your regiment may, it il
| true, not succeed, but if it delays the
/ enemy for ten minutes, and falls even to
the last man, it will have fulfilled it's task
and it's duty" The count thereupon gave
the order, and the regiment, after gallopine
| a short distance parallel to the enemy's
line, turned sharply. and under heavy
fire uf infantry from the front and
/ OF mitrailleuses from the left
flank, threw itself headlong upon
the advancing masses. 1t penetrated
the hostile line, throwing it into confusion
with the result that it retired to the old posi-.
tion, and the day was saved. But OF the
First Dragoon's fve-sixths OF the of1cers, q
third of the men and half Of the horses were
killed and wounded. Of the former the
only unharmed survivors were three Sec
/ ond Lieutenants. The Colonel was NOR
tally wounded, and the second in command
and the three squadron leaders killed. Al
the survivors gathered together alter the
charge, the Colonel greeting them with a
cheer for the King, sank from bis horse
and a few hours later was dead. In 1872
the Emperor, when inspecting the regi
ment, said: "If this attack had not beer
made, who knows whether we might have
been here" It was g. brilliant feat, worthy
TO be classed with the famous charge o
the Light Brigade at Balaklava, and il
making Her Majesty chief OF the First
Guard Dragons, the Emperor William hai
done her as great honor rs he has TIT
| regiment.