10th or Prince of Wales’s Own Light Dragoons

Scott's Manual Exercises

These four engravings by Edmund Scott show the dismounted uniform of the 10th Light Dragoons, but sadly the date is in question. According to the Index to British Military Costume Prints 1500-1914 published by the Army Museums Ogilby Trust (1972) the artist Edmund Scott published a set of 10 prints of Manual Exercises and Costumes on 12 Aug 1797. The figures are mostly Guardsmen or Militiamen, but the 10th Light Dragoons is not mentioned. It is generally acknowledged that the figures are by Scott but books that refer to these prints date them as 1787. Scott may well have published these separately from the 10 prints, and may well have sketched the dragoons some years previously. The badge on the right side of the helmet clearly identifies them as 10th Light Dragoons, and the rank chevrons on the sergeant’s arm agree with the Stubbs painting of 1793. They also have pale turbans which dates them before 1794, as yellow turbans and plumes were replaced by dark blue turbans and white over red plumes in 1794.
The sergeant holds his musket or carbine in the order arms position. The private in the top right picture is at shoulder arms; the lower left picture has a private at the port arms and the figure at bottom right holds his weapon out en garde. They all have their braided jackets and shell jackets. The most significant feature is the white ammunition pouch on the front of the waist-belt. This is unusual and does not agree with the Stubbs dismounted figures. They also wear black gaiters that button all the way up to the knee instead of the Stubbs ankle gaiters. The shoulder belts appear to have a belt-plate at the crossing point. They are wider than in the Stubbs painting and the top right figure shows the large spring clip on his right hip. The belt on his right shoulder is for the bayonet and sword but there is no sign of the sword on any of the figures. 10LD Scott4.jpg

Regimental Details | Uniforms