Greetings all,

On 21 December 1809, it is said, the 15th King's Light Dragoons first heard a song composed by a soldier of the regiment to celebrate the anniversary of their celebrated charge against a body of French cavalry at Sahagun a year before, during Moore's march to Burgos.

I shall spare you the full text of the 'Sahagun song, a version which can be found here (all eleven verses- spoilers ): <http://www.pns1814.co.uk/Sahagun.htm>
It is, we are told, still sung every year on Sahagun Day and other occasions by men of the descendant regiment, The Light Dragoons (formed in 1992 from the 13/18th Hussars & 15/19th Hussars).

Recently, my attention was drawn to a press cutting from 1801 that shows the final lines of the song:

"With a full flowing bowl now "we’ll drink and we’ll sing,
'Success to the Fifteenth; and 'God Save the King.'

- in the form of: "Success to the Regiment and God save the King!"

were being sung by men of another cavalry regiment, seven years before Sahagun, which suggests that the Sahagun song was adapted from a standard drinking song.

The customary avenues of online enquiry have cast no further light on this. I wondered if anyone interested in British cavalry regiments, or drinking songs, might be familiar with an original dating from the late C18th.

The melody would appear to go something like this:<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otXwm5Z-Lug>

Cordially.

JF