17th Light Dragoons Officer’s Bell Top
Shako
Pictured here is a Regency era (1811-1820) officer’s shako
with a large silver skull over crossed bones badge of the 17th Light
Dragoons. The origin of the 17th
Light Dragoons can be traced back to the British victory over French forces at Quebec, Canada,
on September 13, 1759. During the battle
the British General Wolfe was mortally wounded but before dying he directed
Colonel Hale to return to England
with news of the British victory at Quebec. For bringing good news to England, the King rewarded Hale with land in Canada and the authority to raise a regiment of
light dragoons from his home county
of Hertfordshire. This regiment became the 17th
Light Dragoons. During the American War
for Independence the 17th
participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Long
Island campaign before being detached to Tarleton’s Legion that
was fighting in the southern
colonies.
The 17th suffered heavy casualties at the Battle of Cowpens. The Battle of Cowpens inspired the climatic battle
to Mel Gibson’s movie The Patriot and
the villain, Colonel William Tavington, played by Jason Isaacs was “based” on Banastre
Tarleton. The British lost the American
War for Independence
and it was Captain Stapleton of the 17th who delivered the finial
British notice of the end to hostilities to General Washington. Beginning in 1789 the 17th
participated in 8 years of operations against the French in the West Indies and
later suffered a humiliating defeat in an expedition to South
America. Next came 8 years of service in India where the 17th
provided protection to East India Company interests. In 1822 the 17th Light Dragoons
were re-designated Lancers. As the 17th
Lancers the regiment continued to make military history, but that is a story
for another day.
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