13th Dragoons

Richard Munden

Richard Munden came from a Navy family. His great-grandfather held the valuable leasehold of the horse ferry at Chelsea. Munden's father, Sir Richard, gained fame and fortune by capturing the island of St. Helena from the Dutch and seizing 3 very richly laden Dutch East Indiamen. His uncle, Sir John Munden was not so fortunate. He was a Rear-Admiral commanding a squadron ordered to intercept a French squadron going from Rochelle to Corunna. He failed and was court-martialled. Although he was acquitted a public outcry caused the government to discharge him from the Navy.
Our Richard Munden was born a few months after his father died in 1680. His first commission was as a Captain in the 1st Foot Guards in April 1702, but he may have served before that in the Netherlands under William III. At the battle of Schellenberg, in July 1704, he led 80 men of his regiment in the near suicidal attack on the fortress. He and only 20 of his men survived. Munden is said to have found five bullet holes in his hat at the end of the day. In April 1706 he was given command of Lord Lovelace's newly raised Regiment of Foot and was Colonel of it by 1708. In 1711, the regiment was part of a force under General Stanhope in Spain. They were defeated and captured at Brigheuga. The following year the regiment was disbanded and Munden went on half pay. In 1715 as we have seen, he was given command of the 13th Dragoons, then called Munden's Dragoons. He commanded the regiment from 22nd July 1715 until November 1722 when he was transferred to the colonelcy of the 8th Dragoons. By this time he was a Major-General. He died on 20th September 1725.

13th Dragoons: Colonels | Regimental details