COL. ANSTRUTHER THOMSON 85 



CHAPTER Vn. 



13TH LIGHT DRAGOONS. 



I JOINED the 13th Light Dragoons at Hampton 

 Court on 21st January, 1842. Billy Gore (Lord 

 Harlech) joined at the same time. He came from an 

 infantry regiment, and was much chaffed, as they said 

 he gave the word of command, " Fix bayonets ! " 

 My troop was billeted at Colnbrook, and a squadron 

 at Slough. 



The regiment was sent from Canterbury to do the 

 escort for the King of Prussia, who had come over to 

 be godfather to the Prince of Wales. The regiment 

 had just returned from India and were a very untidy 

 lot (the horses were all four years old and most of 

 them had sore backs). They had abominable shakos 

 with broad tops and oilskin covers, that looked like 

 black band-boxes ; blue jackets with buff facings, red 

 and yellow girdles, blue overalls with two buff stripes, 

 Wellington boots and long hair. The best thing they 

 had was " Sammy stone," a soft green stone which 

 they brought from India, wonderfully good stuff to 

 polish steel. They had marched up from Canterbury. 



Our Colonel (Brunton) had been in an infantry 

 regiment in the Peninsula. He was a fine old 

 soldier, and a most amiable agreeable gentleman ; a 



