1706
After passing the winter in garrison in Holland, the regiment again took the field in May, 1706, and had the honour to serve at the battle of Ramilies, where the forces of France, Spain, and Bavaria sustained a decisive overthrow. This battle occurred on Whitsunday, the 23rd of May. On the morning of that day, the allied army was advancing in the direction of Mont St. André; when the forces of the enemy were discovered in position, with their centre at the village of Ramilies, which was occupied by a numerous body of troops. Having complete reliance on the valour of his soldiers, the English general commenced the action, and in three hours the numerous legions of the enemy were overthrown, and driven from the field with a terrible slaughter. Many prisoners, with cannon, standards, and colours, were captured on this occasion.
The wreck of the French army fled to Louvain, and immediately afterwards abandoned that city and also Brussels. The States of Brabant, and the magistrates of Brussels, renounced their allegiance to King Philip. The principal towns of Brabant, and several places in Flanders, were immediately delivered up, and others surrendered on being summoned, or in a few days afterwards. Ostend, Menin, Dendermond, and Aeth were captured. Towns which had resisted numerous armies for months and years, and provinces disputed for ages, were the conquest of a summer. After sharing in these splendid achievements, the regiment was placed in garrison in Flanders.
1707
During the campaign of 1707, the services of the regiment were limited to marching, and occupying various encampments. No general engagement or siege occurred.
1708
In the spring of 1708 the regiment was called from its winter quarters in Flanders, in consequence of the King of France having fitted out a fleet, and embarked troops at Dunkirk, for the purpose of making a descent on the British coast, in favour of the Pretender. The Fifteenth, and several other regiments, marched from Ghent on the 8th of March, 1708, embarked at Ostend on the 15th, and arrived in England on the 21st; but the French fleet, with the Pretender on board, having been chased from the British shores by the English navy, the regiment returned to Flanders: it landed at Ostend on the 20th of April, and proceeded in boats, along the canal, to Ghent.
Leaving its quarters towards the end of May, the regiment joined the allied army, and was engaged in the active operations which followed. The French gained possession of Ghent and Bruges by treachery.
On the 11th of July, the regiment passed the Scheldt, on a pontoon bridge, between Oudenarde and the abbey of Eename, and engaged the French troops under the Duke of Burgundy and Marshal Vendome, in the fields and open grounds beyond the river. A fierce conflict of musketry ensued; and charge succeeded charge until the shades of evening gathered over the scene, and the progress of the conflict could only be discerned by the flashes of musketry, which pointed out the ground on which the battle raged. The French were forced from their position; part of their army was separated, and nearly destroyed; but it was preserved from complete annihilation by the darkness of the night.
This victory prepared the way for additional conquests; and the Fifteenth foot formed part of the covering army during the siege of the important fortress of Lisle, the capital of French Flanders, which was defended by fifteen thousand men under Marshal Boufflers. The regiment was in position when the united French forces advanced to raise the siege, but were frustrated by the superior tactics of the Duke of Marlborough. The grenadier company of the regiment joined the besieging army, and took part in the attacks on the town.