St. George's Volunteers charging down Bond Street, after clearing the ring in Hyde Park, and storming the dunghill at Marybone

Gillray, James, 1756-1815 · March 1, 1797

Three grotesque and ill-matched soldiers charge rapidly and fiercely down the pavement. Their bayonets threaten three women who flee in terror, only legs, petticoats, and an upraised arm being visible on the extreme right. One soldier, very thin and ragged, wears a busby, the next, who is fat, wears a huge cocked hat with a damaged brim, the third, who is small, wears a peaked helmet with a spiky plume. The uniform coats with epaulettes are worn over frilled shirts and ragged breeches. Behind the three march others of the company, wearing busbies, and holding their muskets against their shoulders. In the background, shop-windows are freely sketched. In the title 'down Bond Street' has been etched above the French, made conspicuous by being scored through (BM). / A satire on the volunteering mania of this period, when the country was threatened with so many dangers. The volunteer regiments of the West End performed their maneuvers in Hyde Park, and the scene of their peaceful campaigns extended to Marylebone and the surrounding districts. The St. George's Volunteers formed the first metropolitan corps, commanded by the then well-known Captain Foster (Wright/Evans).