Earl of Dalhousie’s Regiment of Horse
Active | 1639 |
1643 to 1647 | |
1648 | |
Country | Scotland |
Allegiance | Covenanter |
Conflicts | First Bishops' War |
First Civil War | |
Second Civil War | |
Type | Horse |
Colonel | Earl of Dalhousie |
Lord Ramsay | |
Area Raised | Various |
Flag Colour | |
Flag Design | |
Field Armies | Leslie 1639 |
Leven 1643-4 | |
Argyll 1644 | |
Leslie 1645 | |
Hamilton 1648 |
Covenanter Regiment of Horse serving in the First Bishops' War then raised anew for service in England, forming part of Leven’s army, later returning to Scotland to campaign against Montrose. Raised again in 1648, they fought on the Preston campaign
Service History
1639
- March: Raised in Midlothian
- March: Depart Edinburgh for the Border
- Join Leslie’s army at Dun’s Law
- June: Standoff at Dun’s Law
- June: Disbanded following the Treaty of Birks
1643
- November: Raised from Berwickshire, Haddington, Edinburgh, Linlithgow and Stirling
1644
- February: Skirmish at Ovingham
- April to July: Siege of York
- 2nd July: Battle of Marston Moor
- July: Siege of York
- July to September: Siege of Newcastle
- September: Return to Scotland
- October: Battle of Fyvie
1645
- Quartered around Buchan, Aberdeenshire
- March to July: Siege of Carlisle
- June: Skirmish at Carlisle
- July to August: Siege of Hereford
- 13th September: Battle of Philiphaugh - est. 330 men
- November: In Stirlingshire
- December: Mustered at Leith
- Stirling Garrison
1646
- January: Quarter in Yorkshire, detachment at siege of Newark
- August to February 1647: Quarter in East Lothian
1647
- February: Disbanded apart from one troop given to Lt Col Sir Mungo Murray as part of the Scots New Model Army
1648
- May: Dalhousie commissioned Colonel of Edinburgh horse
- July: Preston campaign
- August: Battle of Winwick Pass
- August: Ramsay captured at Warrington
Notes
A history of the unit is shown in Edward M. Furgol’s A Regimental History of the Covenanting Armies 1639-1651 Edinburgh, 1990. ISBN 0 85976 194 0
Although mustering 324 men, the regiment only had 84 horses fit for service by December 1645. Spalding commented that the regiment had fallen apart while based in Aberdeenshire.
In 1648 Dalhousie was only nominally Colonel and his son Lord Ramsay led the regiment to Preston.
Flags & Equipment
In December 1645 the regiment mustered at Leith only possessed 69 pairs of pistols.
Notable Officers
A list of officers is shown in Stuart Reid's Scots Armies of the 17th Century 1. The Army of the Covenant 1639-1651 Partizan Press 1998 ISBN 094652550
Earl of Dalhousie
Lord Ramsay
George Ramsey, eldest son of Dalhousie, he commanded the regiment in the field during the Second Civil War.
Strength
- March 1639: 600 troopers
- February 1644: 6 troops
- First Civil War: 7 troops
- March 1645: 321 troopers
- December 1645: 324 men but only 84 horses fit for service, plus 49 men on detached service in England
- May 1648: Originally to be 80 horse in one troop, probably then expanded to a regiment of between 180 and 240