The approach of the army towards the Maese alarmed the French, and they raised the siege of the citadel of Liege and retired. On the 4th of July the first battalion of the Royal Regiment was detached, with other forces under General Schultz and Lieut.-General the Earl of Orkney, to besiege Huy, which had been captured by the French during the absence of the army up the Moselle. On the 6th a battery of twelve cannon and six mortars opened a sharp fire upon Fort Picard; and during the afternoon of the same day the troops forced the covered-way and reared their ladders against the walls, when the French quitted this fort and also Fort Rouge, and fled to the castle. On the 10th the batteries were brought to bear on the castle and on Fort Joseph, and on the following day the garrison surrendered.
Meanwhile the French army, commanded by Marshal Villeroy and the Elector of Bavaria, having taken refuge behind their fortified lines, the Duke of Marlborough had formed a scheme for forcing these stupendous barriers, and the first battalion of the Royal Regiment rejoined the army in time to take part in this splendid enterprise. The lines were menaced by a detachment on the south of the Mehaine, which drew the greater part of the French army to that quarter; and during the night of the 17th of July the allied army marched to its right, and at four o'clock on the following morning the leading regiments approached the works at Neer-Hespen and Helixem. Both battalions of the Royal Regiment were in the leading division. Their advance was concealed by a thick fog, and under the cover of this obscurity one column cleared the village of Neer-Winden and Neer-Hespen, another gained the bridge and village of Helixem, and a third carried the castle of Wange, which commanded the passage over the Little Gheet. Then rushing through the inclosures and marshy grounds, the troops forded the river, and crowded over the defences with an ardour which overcame all opposition. The French guards were surprised and overpowered, and a detachment of dragoons fled in a panic. Thus the lines were forced; the pioneers were instantly set to work, and in a short time a passage was made for the cavalry. While this was in progress, the Marquis d'Allegre advanced with twenty battalions of infantry, and fifty squadrons of cavalry, and opened a sharp cannonade; but his advance was retarded by a hollow way, which gave time for more troops to pass the lines; and eventually his forces were attacked and defeated, and the allies took many prisoners, and also captured a number of standards and colours. Speaking of this action, the Duke of Marlborough observes in a letter published in his memoirs,—"It is impossible to say too much good of the troops that were with me, for never men fought better."
The enemy made a precipitate retreat, and took up a position behind the river Dyle. The Duke of Marlborough advanced with the design of passing the river, but was prevented by heavy rains. On the 21st of July, a small body of French troops passed the Dyle, when the first battalion of the Royal Regiment was ordered forward, and a slight skirmish ensued. The French fled to their lines, and a few companies of the Royals pursuing too far, were fired upon from the works, and had one captain killed and several men wounded. Major General Wood was also wounded.
The Royal Regiment was subsequently engaged in several manœuvres; but the designs of the British commander were frustrated by the inactivity and want of co-operation on the part of the Dutch generals. The French lines were demolished in the autumn; and a detachment was sent to invest a small town and fortress on the Scheldt, called Sandlivet, which surrendered on the 29th of October. In the early part of November the regiment marched back to Holland, and was placed in garrison for the winter.
1706
The Royal Regiment again took the field in May, 1706, and proceeding to the province of Limburg, arrived at the general rendezvous of the army at Bilsen, near Tongres, on the 19th of that month. Advancing from Bilsen, the army proceeded in the direction of Mont St. André; and on Whit-Sunday, the 23rd of May, as the troops were on the march, the enemy's army, commanded by Marshal Villeroy and the Elector of Bavaria, was discovered forming in order of battle in the position of Mont St. André, with their centre at the village of Ramilies, which was occupied by a considerable body of troops.
The allied army, diverging into the open plain of Jandrinœuil, formed line, and advanced against the enemy. The Royal Regiment, having its post near the right of the first line, formed on the heights of Foulz; then descending, with several other British, Dutch, and German corps, into the low grounds near the river, menaced the villages of Autreglise and Offuz with an attack. This movement occasioned the enemy to weaken his centre to support his left flank, when the duke of Marlborough made a powerful attack on the enemy's centre and right. The Royals were spectators of the fight for above an hour; at length a critical period in the engagement arrived, and the regiment was brought forward. The veterans of Schellenberg and Blenheim fought like men resolved to die rather than lose their reputation; and the French, Spaniards, and Bavarians, were overthrown and driven from the field with a terrible slaughter. The fugitives were pursued many miles, and an immense number of prisoners, with cannon, standards, and colours, was captured. Thus a complete and decisive victory was gained over an army of superior numbers in less than three hours.
The wreck of the French army continued its precipitate flight to Louvain, and immediately afterwards abandoned that city, and also Brussels. The States of Brabant, and the magistrates of Brussels, renounced their allegiance to the Duke of Anjou. The principal towns of Brabant, and several others in Flanders, were immediately delivered up, and others surrendered on being summoned, or in a few days afterwards. Dendermond held out, and was blockaded in the early part of June; and Ostend was afterwards besieged by a detachment from the main army, and surrendered on the 6th of July. Menin was besieged on the 25th of July, and surrendered in August; and Dendermond was delivered up in the early part of September. During these sieges the Royals continued to form part of the covering army; but after the surrender of Dendermond, one battalion of the regiment was detached under Marshal d'Auverquerque and Lieut.-General Ingoldsby, to besiege Aeth, a town and fortress on the river Dender. This place was invested on the 16th of September: the several attacks were carried on with vigour, and the garrison surrendered on the 3rd of October. The capture of Aeth was the last important event of this glorious campaign: and in the early part of November the Royal Regiment marched into garrison at Ghent.
1707
Here the regiment passed the succeeding winter and spring, and again took the field on the 16th of May, 1707, when the first battalion was formed in brigade with the Foot Guards and the regiments of Godfrey and Sabine (now 16th and 23rd), commanded by Brigadier-General Meredith; and the second battalion with the regiments of Webb, Ingoldsby, and Tatton, (now 8th, 18th, and 24th), and Temple's (since disbanded), under the command of Brigadier General Sir Richard Temple, afterwards Viscount Cobham. The opposing armies, however, passed the campaign in manœuvring, and observing each other's movements; the French avoided a general engagement; and in October the Royals returned to Ghent.