Regiment Galloping c1875

The 20th Hussars are shown at full gallop on a field day near Aldershot. Spectators would have been thrilled at the sight of hundreds of soldiers thundering over the countryside in neat ranks. The commanding officer at the time was Lieut-Colonel Charles McClintock Cotton who leads the regiment in this painting by Orlando Norie. Cotton was at the battle of Maharajpoor in 1843 so one of his medals would be the Gwalior Star. It looks as if he has turned them at right angles because the ranks in the background are facing the other way. The trumpeter follows the CO and we can see that he has a black leather sabretache. This indicates that the rank and file all carried that item at this stage. Colonel Cotton is in review order with gold kit and dress sabretache. His saddle is covered with a leopard-skin edged with crimson scallop-shaped cloth, and a blue valise behind. They all have knee boots and breeches which they must have been issued with in 1872 when they returned to England from India.

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