The Recreated Hussars

In 1998 we approached the well known historical illustrator, consultant and re-enactor, Jeffrey Burn, to see if he was interested in forming a unit of Jacobite cavalry. Jeffrey runs the Border Warfare Society from his home at Old Buittle Tower near Dalbeattie in the Scottish Borders, a group which primarily recreates the Border Reivers of the 16^th/17^th centuries. Their reputation for historical accuracy and horsemanship is unrivalled in British re-enactment cavalry, so they seemed ideal to get on board. Without too much persuasion Jeffrey and his group have now equipped as Bagot’s Hussars. They can now field 9 fully equipped riders – correct down to the saddlery, (the high standards can be seen from a photograph of Jeffrey equipped as a Bagot’s officer below) as well as a couple of dismounted Hussars to indicate the fact that such a unit was short of actual horses. They have practised extensively in period cavalry tactics, even down to the trumpet calls of the period. Although based primarily at Buittle, we hope over the next year to get the unit out to more events throughout the country.

History

The original unit of Bagot’s Hussars was raised for the Prince in 1745 by John Murray of Broughton as a light cavalry unit. It rapidly developed a bad reputation within the army for its poor quality and dedication to looting. In Aberdeenshire they gained a particular reputation, leading to Lord George Murray saying about them:

It was therefore handed over by Charles Edward Stuart to the command of an Irish professional soldier, Major John Bagot, who soon put it into a better fighting trim. The Hussars were used for scouting duties, and gained a grudging respect from the Government cavalry after a sharp engagement at the battle of Clifton Moor in December 1745 when Bagot’s were engaged as part of the retreat north. One Lancashire Jacobite, John Daniel admiringly described them thus:

‘A braver set of fellows it would be very hard to find; many of them having mounted themselves on horses they had taken from the enemy. Their Commander was a wise, courageous virtuous man, and behaved himself in his station to the admiration of all, regulating his corps with such order as to make distant from us, have more fear of them than almost the whole army. In fine, he was of infinite service to the Prince, as also were his horse; for their conduct was daring, and their courage was steeled, and few of them were, who would have scrupled to go, if possible to hell’s gates to fetch away the keys.’

They similarly were at Falkirk and Culloden, when what few of them still had horses by this stage were placed behind the right flank.

Like most Jacobite cavalry units, Bagot’s was small in size (never more than between 60 and 80 in strength), and often chronically short of horses.

There is little in the way of contemporary illustration of them, other than the Penicuik sketches reproduced below. They are described as wearing fur bonnets with red bags and short tartan coats.

Hussars as a form of light cavalry began to appear in the late 17^th century in European armies, initially in the Austrian army – the idea of the distinctive and rather gaudy uniform with fur bonnets was said to have been adapted from a traditional shepherd’s costume from within the Austrian empire. Hussars were traditionally used for scouting duties, although they also developed a reputation for dash and elan when in combat.

Arguably Bagot’s were the first Hussars raised in the British isles, although on the government side the Duke of Cumberland did have his own personal bodyguard of a dozen or so Hussars fitted out at his expense.

If you would like more details on Bagot’s Hussars you can e-mail Jeffrey Burn directly at: jjburn@buittle7.freeserve.co.uk