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The Dragoon
It is a nice thought, not well supported, that the name dragoon comes from "dragon" and refers to the idea of a man on horse back carrying lighted match. Match being the glowing length of saltpetre impregnated string used to ignite the black powder that fires the musket.
What is more certain is that dragoons were infantry who travelled between battles on horseback for speed of movement and were armed with sword and matchlock (or firelock when they could get one). They dismounted to fight (horse holder being the favoured occupation during battle) and could be demoted to mere musketeers or reverted to dragoons depending on the supply of horses and required speed of troop movement. Yet they were under the command of the cavalry and certainly at Naseby, Okey's regiment charged with the Horse.
All of which meant, along with the poor quality of their horses "the use therefore being but to expedite his march" that dragoons were thought less glamorous than cavalry in spite of a hankering for "bucket top" riding boots.
