Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A fine Army Gold Medal awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel James Hugonin, 4th Dragoons, a distinguished officer who led the left squadron of the regiment in Le Marchant’s brilliant charge of the Heavy Brigade at Salamanca, which broke through three lines of French infantry, and commanded the regiment at the battle of Toulouse; remarkably, he was one of three Hugonins each of whom commanded the 4th Dragoons

£15000-20000

Provenance: Hamilton-Smith Collection 1927.

The record of the Hugonin family is probably unique in the British army. Three Hugonins, James, Francis and James John, who each commanded the 4th Dragoons in his turn, gave the regiment eighty-nine years of continuous service, from 1747 to 1836; their total service amounting to a hundred and thirty-five years. The influence on the regiment of the three Hugonins, grandfather, father and son, was considerable.

The father of James Hugonin came from Vevey in Switzerland. He married an English lady, a Mrs Theobold, and settled at Nurstead House, Buriton, near Petersfield. His son James was commissioned into the regiment as a Cornet in 1747, at the age of eighteen, became Lieutenant-Colonel in 1775, and commanded the regiment for fifteen years, making a total of forty-three years’ service. He left the regiment on promotion to Major-General.

James Hugonin’s only son Francis received his commission as Cornet in 1768, was promoted Captain in 1775, on the same day his father became Lieutenant-Colonel, and himself became Lieutenant-Colonel of the regiment in 1794. Francis was in command for nine years until he left on promotion to Major-General, but he returned to the regiment in 1808 as Colonel, and held the appointment until his death in 1836, at the age of eighty-five, a total of sixty-three years with the regiment.

The third Hugonin, James John was born at Blandford, Dorset, on 13 June 1782, the only surviving son of Francis. He was commissioned into the regiment in April 1795 at the age of thirteen, when his father was in command, and was promoted Lieutenant on 30 September the same year. He was promoted to Captain in June 1803, and acted as Aide-de-Camp to his father, General Hugonin, on the Staff of the Sussex District, in 1809. He went with the 4th Dragoons to the Peninsula in April 1809 and was present with Fane’s brigade of heavy cavalry (3rd Dragoon Guards and 4th Dragoons) at the battle of Talavera. He was also present with the two squadrons of the 4th Dragoons at Busaco, the only cavalry in the line of battle but not actually engaged. Hugonin appears to have been recalled to England in January 1811, but returned to Spain in July and was promoted to Major in December 1811.

In February 1812 the cavalry was reorganized and the 4th Dragoons joined the 5th Dragoon Guards and the 3rd Dragoons under Major-General John Le Marchant, a man of great determination and vigour. Le Marchant was very proud of his brigade and wrote to his brother in May 1812: ‘I am exceedingly pleased with my Brigade, being perfectly satisfied that no cavalry of double its numbers could stand before it.’ General Picton was moved to observe, ‘I always feel easy when General Le Marchant’s men are between me and the enemy; they do their duty and can be trusted; and I heartily wish the rest were like them.’

At Salamanca, the French division which was preparing to attack the advanced brigade of the British 3rd Division hastily formed square, and Le Marchant gave the order for the regiments to form line to their front. Then the trumpets sounded the Charge, and the whole line broke into the gallop and crashed down on the French. When the first line of the enemy was scattered, Le Marchant rallied his brigade, and led them forward against a second, and then, getting ever deeper into the French positions, against a third, which made a brave attempt to withstand the furious charge. They held their fire until the dragoons were only ten yards from them, and then fired a tremendous volley. Many saddles were emptied but the dragoons could not be stopped and, after a desperate fight with sword against bayonet, the French were broken and fled to a nearby wood, where they were savagely hunted. One squadron of the 4th Dragoons, led by Lord Edward Somerset, came upon a French battery, charged it and captured five guns.

After the third line of infantry had been broken Major Hugonin, who was commanding the left squadron of the regiment, had his horse shot under him. He was a sufferer from gout, and wore boot and spur on one foot only, with a large cloth “shoe” on the other, so without his horse he was helpless. He stood, sword in one hand, cursing his ill-fortune until a trooper came up, dismounted and helped the Major into the saddle. The trooper made his way back on foot while Major Hugonin galloped forward, seeking more Frenchmen.

The brigade continued its triumphant advance, seeking the enemy wherever he could be found. Le Marchant was always in the lead and himself killed six or seven men. In the final phase of the charge, with half a squadron of the 4th Dragoons at his heels, he found a body of infantry re-forming in front of a wood. Instantly he charged and sent them flying into the shelter of the trees. But as he galloped after them he fell from his horse, shot in the groin and his spine broken, killed at the moment of victory. Le Marchant’s magnificent charge had made victory certain. It had been witnessed by Wellington himself, who turned exultantly to Sir Stapleton Cotton, commanding the cavalry: ‘By God, Cotton, I never saw anything so beautiful in all my life: the day is yours!’

In December 1812 Hugonin was appointed Brigade Major to the 1st Cavalry Brigade, now commanded by Major-General William Ponsonby of the 5th Dragoon Guards. At the battle of Vittoria, although placed in the centre of the line, Ponsonby’s brigade was not called upon for any action during the day. But, while the French were now out of Spain, the campaign was not yet over. Ponsonby’s brigade was given the duty of covering the siege of Pampeluna and was afterwards on garrison duty between that place and St Sebastian, thus missing the fighting in the passes of the Pyrenees and the pursuit of Marshal Soult into France. But the regiment was not to miss the end, for in February 1814 the brigade marched along the main road through Irun to St Jean de Luz, and joined the main army at Aire on 14 March. Six days later the brigade was engaged with the enemy at the crossing of the Garonne, and on Easter Sunday, 10th April, it took its place in the line of battle at Toulouse.

In the temporary absence of Colonel Dalbiac, Major Hugonin commanded the regiment at the battle of Toulouse. The Spanish infantry was given the honour of attacking the centre of Soult’s position, with Ponsonby’s cavalry in support. They were thrown back, but, in the words of Canon, the Heavy Brigade, ‘by its firm countenance enabled them, after having been thrown into some confusion, to re-form their ranks.’ The brigade then saved the Portuguese guns from being captured by the enemy. The 4th Dragoons had two men and five horses killed at Toulouse, and two officers, six men and thirty-one horses were wounded. Major Hugonin was given the commanding officer’s gold medal.

Upon the regiment being ordered to India in January 1821, Hugonin retired with the rank of Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel, after twenty-six years’ service; his father, of course, was still Colonel of the regiment. He died at his residence, Nurstead House, Buriton, near Petersfield, on 30 January 1854, and is buried in the family crypt in Buriton Church.

It should be noted that only 35 Small Gold Medals were awarded to cavalry regiments, of which more than half are held by museums and yet others still in possession of the families