REGIMENT. 



guards fucceeded that body under the fame denomination 

 which was raifed by Charles II., foon after the relloration, 

 tlie privates of whom were taken from the cavalier gentle- 

 men, who had adopted the profeflion of arms, and followed 

 the fortunes of his father during the civil wars. As they 

 were for the molt part men of family, they pollelTed certain 

 privileges, fimilar to thofe of the houfhold troops in France, 

 after whom they were modelled ; and thefe privileges were 

 continued long after the time when they ceafed to be coni- 

 pofed of the lame clafs of men; It was, therefore, found 

 neceflary to reduce the privates, and to form a new corps, 

 compofed almoll entirely of recruits under the old officers, 

 and to place them nearly on the fame footing with the relt 

 of the cavalry ; referving for them, however, the advantages 

 arifing out of a higher pay, and an exemption from flop- 

 pages on the part of the privates, whofe clothing is fur- 

 nifhed by government. The life-guards claim the privilege, 

 that their officers are not liable to be tried by any court- 

 martial, unlefs the members are compofed of their own 

 regiment, or of officers of the other houfliold troops. The 

 firlt regiment of lite-guards, confilling of very line men, 

 about 6 feet high at an average, was formed in 1788. The 

 uniform is fcarlet, faced with blue, and gold lace. The 

 commiflioned officers are a colonel, one lieutenant-colonel, 

 one fupernumerary lieutenant-colonel, two majors, five cap- 

 tains, fix lieutenants, one adjutant and lieutenant, five cor- 

 nets, one furgeon, and one veterinary furgeon. The non- 

 commiffioned officers confiit of quarter-mafters and corporals. 

 The privates are about 260 in number. Their quarters are 

 permanent at Knightfbndge barracks. The fecond regi- 

 ment is on the fame footing with the firft, and of the fame 

 eftablifliment. The average height of the men is 5 feet 

 lly inches ; the horfes are from l6 to 18 hands high, of a 

 black colour, with long tails. In this regiment, as well as 

 the other, there are five troops';- each troop confifling of 

 one captain, one lieutenant, one cornet, one quarter-mailer, 

 three corporals, 49 privates, including a farrier, and one 

 trumpeter. Each regiment has one kettle drummer. The 

 officers ufually ride bay-horfes ; the kettle drununers and 

 trumpeters, grey. There are two " gold-flicks," one ap- 

 pertaining to each regiment : their duty is to attend alter- 

 nately every month on his majelty. See I.if.-GvARDH. 



A body of foot-guards was not regularly organized on 

 the prefent plan till after the refioratior.. The regiment of 

 general Monk, created duke of Albemarle, was, in com- 

 pliment to him, retained on the ellablifnment, when moll of 

 the other troops were difbanded. This regiment had been 

 » raifed about ten years before the period alluded to, at Cold- 

 flream, in Scotland ; and from this circumflance it affunied 

 the name, which it has borne ever fince. The year 1660 

 ntay thus be confidered as the era of the formation of the 

 foot-guards ; and though other regiments were added, the 

 Coldfiream had the priority. The guards pofl'ei's many pe- 

 culiar honours and privileges : they have precedency of all 

 others ; their officers poflefs a higher rank in the army ; and 

 without expence to themfelves, when o". guard at St. 

 James, they have a plentiful table kept for them by the 

 public, and voted annually in the extraordinaries of the 

 army. The king's perfon, the royal family, the Tower, 

 and, in times of danger, the bank of England, are in a par- 

 ticular manner under their proteftion. Their uniforms are 

 royal, with blue facings, and their pay fuperior to that of 

 the marching regiments. See Fool-GvARDS. 



The corps, denominated the royal regiment of horfe- 



guards, blue, commonly called Oxford blues, derives its 



appellatisn from the noble family of Oxford, who was its 



firft colonel in i66i. This regiment has diftinguifhed itfclf 



Vol. XXIX. 



on a variety of occafions. The follov/iiig circnmflancci ar 

 peculiar to this corps. It is the only regiment, denominated 

 " horfe," at prefent on the Britifh eilablifhment. Tlie prcj- 

 motions, that of colonel excepted, are reflricted to the regi- 

 ment. The quarter-mailers' commillions are (igncd by the 

 king, fo that they are properly termed commillion-oflicers ; 

 whereas in all the other cavalry, or dragoon regiments, 

 quarter-mafters are only warrant-officers. The average 

 height of the men is 5 feet 105 inches. Tiic uniform of the 

 officers is blue, faced with fcarlet, gold lace, aud biitl 

 lining ; of the privates, blue, with plain red lappets, very 

 broad buff crofs-belts, and gloves of the fame colour. The 

 troopers' horfes are black, with long tails. The torp:, 

 confifls of nine troops ; and to each troop belong four com- 

 miffioned officers, five non-commiffioncd officers, and 54 prl- 

 vate men : there are, befides, the colonel, one lieutenani- 

 colonel, pne major, an adjutant, a regimental furgeon and 

 affiilant, and a veterinary furgeon. See Horfi-GvAiiDH. 



The eilablifhment of a royal regiment of artillery took 

 place early in the Jail century ; the firft commifTion of co- 

 lonel having been ill'ued, as it is faid, in the firft year of the 

 reign of George II. In a Ihort time, the number of com- 

 panies was augmented from four to eight. The uniform 

 was blue, turned up with red ; and waiftcoats and breeches 

 of the colour of the facings were then worn by the officers. 

 The artillery take the right of foot on all parades, and like- 

 wife of dragoons, when difmounted. Each battalion coii- 

 fifts of one colonel commandant, one ditto en-fecond, one 

 firft heutenant-colonel, two fecond lieutenant-colonels, one 

 major, ten captains, ten captain-lieutenants, thirty lieu- 

 tenants, one adjutant, one quarter-matter, one furgeon, and 

 one alfiflant furgeon. The eftablifhment of each company 

 is 120 rank and file. The ftandard height of the men is 

 5 feet 9 inches, and upwards. The uniform of the officers 

 is blue, faced with fcarlet, gold epaulets, no lace, white 

 waillcoat and breeches, boots, yellow breaflplate on a white 

 buff fhoulder-belt. The uniform of the privates is blue, 

 with red cuffs and collar, no facings, yellow lace, and but- 

 tons impreflcd with the ordnance arms. The ferjeants wear 

 frogged gold lace. The arms of the officers and ferjeants 

 arc yellow-hilted fwords ; of the corporals, bombardiers, 

 and privates, carbine and bayonet. The horfe artillery have 

 fwords and piftols. The officers rife in a regular gradation 

 by feniority. See Artillery. 



The firfl or royal regiment of foot claims a high degree 

 of antiquity. It is undoubtedly the oldeft regiment in the 

 fervice. It is faid to have been the body-guard of the 

 Scottifli kings, whence it has derived its name of the royal 

 Scots, and to have been put upon the Englifh eftabUfhment 

 in i6'?3. The fii-ft colonel was nominated during the reign 

 of Charles I. ; but on the fatal ifTue of the civil wars to that 

 monarch, this corps feems to have been difbanded. At the 

 reftoration of Charles II., this regiment was re-eftablifhed. 

 It confifts of two battalions, both commanded by the fame 

 colonel : in every other rcfpedl they are confidered as fepa- 

 rate corps. The uniform of the officers is fcarlet, faced 

 with blue, gold lace embroidered ; that of the private fol- 

 diers red, faced with blue and white lace. 



The fecond, or queen's royal regiment of foot, was raifed 

 in the year 1661. The regiment being royal, the facings 

 for the whole are blue ; the lace for the privates v/hite, \vith 

 a blue ftripe. 



The third regiment of foot, called the " Buffs," was put 

 upon the regular eftablifhment of the army in the year 1665. 

 It was denominated the " Buffs," from being the firft whofe 

 accoutrements were made of leather prepared from the buf- 

 falo, after the manner of fhamois. The waiftcoats, breeches, 

 4 I and 



