General Elphinstone died in the spring of 1794, when the colonelcy of the regiment was conferred on Major-General Gerard Lake, from lieut.-colonel in the first foot guards.
Taking the field in April of this year, the regiment was engaged in the operations by which the enemy was driven from his positions at Vaux, Prémont, Marets, &c., on the 17th of that month, when the Duke of York expressed in general orders the sense he entertained of the bravery and conduct of the troops engaged.
The regiment was subsequently employed in covering the siege of Landrécies; it was in line on the 26th of April, when the attack of the French on the British position at Cateau was repulsed; and after the surrender of Landrécies, the regiment marched to the vicinity of Tournay.
On the 10th of May the position near Tournay was attacked, and the French were repulsed with severe loss.
A combined attack on the posts occupied by the French army was made on the 17th of May; when the FOURTEENTH, THIRTY-SEVENTH, and FIFTY-THIRD regiments, forming the second brigade, under Major-General Fox,[7] were attached to the column under the Duke of York's immediate command, which captured Lannoy, Roubaix, and Mouveaux; and the three regiments were afterwards posted on the main road from Lisle to Roubaix. Meanwhile the failure of the other columns of the allied army had left the British troops exposed to the whole weight and power of the enemy's overwhelming numbers, and early on the 18th of May the fourteenth, thirty-seventh, and FIFTY-THIRD regiments were attacked by a numerous force. A historian of that campaign states,—"Major-General Fox, with the fourteenth, thirty-seventh, and FIFTY-THIRD regiments, was engaged with the whole of the column which had marched from Lisle, and the different corps, which had driven back the rest of the army, fell upon his flanks and rear. Perhaps there is not on record a single instance of greater gallantry and more soldier-like conduct than was exhibited on that occasion by these three regiments. At length Major-General Fox, finding that the whole army had left him, began to think of retreating; to effect which it was necessary to get possession of the causeway leading to Leers, and before that could be accomplished, he was obliged to charge several battalions of the enemy, who were astonished that such a handful of men should presume to give them battle, and expected every moment that they would lay down their arms; but with a degree of intrepidity that words cannot describe, and is, indeed, scarcely conceivable, they gained the wished-for point; then forming with such regularity that the enemy could not assail them, they secured their retreat towards Leers, and the next morning joined General Otto's column. This brigade, which consisted of only eleven hundred and twenty men, left in the field five hundred and thirty-three."[8]
The FIFTY-THIRD regiment had Lieutenant John Rhind, eight serjeants, two drummers, and one hundred and ninety-one rank and file killed and missing; Major Thomas Scott, Captain Thomas Brisbane, Ensign E. Pierce, one serjeant, and fourteen rank and file wounded.[9]
Resuming its post in front of Tournay, the regiment was in line on the 22nd of May, when a numerous French army attacked the position occupied by the allies. The right wing of the army being pressed by the enemy, Major-General Fox's brigade was detached to its support. Speaking of the FOURTEENTH, THIRTY-SEVENTH, and FIFTY-THIRD regiments on this occasion, the Duke of York stated in his despatch, "Nothing could exceed the spirit and gallantry with which they conducted themselves, particularly in the storming of the village of Pontéchin, which they forced with the bayonet. The enemy immediately began to retreat." In general orders it was stated, "His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief desires to express his particular thanks to Major-General Fox; to the fourteenth regiment, under the command of Major Ramsey; to the thirty-seventh regiment, commanded by Captain Lightburne; to the FIFTY-THIRD regiment, commanded by Major Wiseman; and to the detachment of artillery that was attached to them, under the command of Captain Trotter, for their intrepidity and good conduct, which reflects the greatest honor upon themselves, at the same time that it was highly instrumental in deciding the important victory of the 22nd instant."
In Jones's Journal it is stated:—"There never was a better opportunity of putting British valour to the test; nor could there be anything more conspicuous than the proof they gave of what highly disciplined soldiers, well led on, may be brought to do. It appears almost impossible; but it is a fact, that a single British brigade, less than six hundred men, on that great day absolutely won the battle; for had they not come up, the allies would have been beaten."