On the 17th of October the battalion marched to Chippewa, and engaged the enemy at Cook's Mills, drove the Americans from their post, without sustaining any loss. Shortly afterwards the battalion proceeded to Fort Niagara, where it was stationed during the remainder of the year.
2nd Batt.
In April, 1814, the left wing of the 2nd battalion in the East Indies marched to Bellary; at the same time the right wing, forming part of the force in the southern Mahratta country, quitted the field, and joined the left wing at Bellary in May. Soon afterwards the battalion proceeded to Hyderabad, where it remained until the beginning of November, when it received orders to proceed to Ellichpoor, to join the field force under the command of Brigadier-General Doveton, and was subsequently employed against a barbarous people called the Pindarees, who infested the British territory in India at this period, and committed dreadful ravages wherever they appeared.
3rd Batt.
The 3rd battalion was employed in the spring of 1814 in the blockade of the strong fortress of Bayonne, in France; while a great part of the allied British, Spanish, and Portuguese army, which had passed the Pyrenees mountains, advanced up the country.
4th Batt.
In the meantime the Dutch had made an energetic struggle to free themselves from the power of Napoleon, and a strong party had declared in favour of the Prince of Orange. A British force was sent to Holland under the orders of Lieut.-General Sir Thomas Graham, afterwards Lord Lynedoch, and the 4th battalion of the Royal Scots was ordered from the north of Germany to join the troops in Holland. The battalion accordingly commenced its march from Lubeck on the 17th January, 1814, and encountered many difficulties, from the inclemency of the weather. While traversing the forest of Shrieverdinghen, 120 men were lost in a snow storm; much extreme suffering occurred during the journey; and on the 2nd of March the men went into cantonments at Rozendalh. After halting six days the battalion was ordered to join the force destined to make an attempt on the strong fortress of Bergen-op-Zoom; and was selected to form part of the 4th column of attack; at the same time its flank companies were detached to join another column. The attack was made about ten o'clock on the night of the 8th of March. The Royal Scots succeeded in crossing the Zoom, and forced an entrance by the water-port. Having gained possession of the ramparts round the water-port gate, the battalion was exposed to a heavy fire of grape and musketry from two howitzers, and a strong detachment of French marines, stationed near the arsenal: two companies were detached to keep the enemy in check, and were relieved every two hours by two other companies of the battalion. These companies were actively engaged in this service from eleven o'clock until daylight; when the enemy made a furious attack in strong columns, which bore down all before them. The two detached companies of the Royal Scots were attacked by a host of combatants, and driven in. A heavy fire of grape was opened upon the battalion from the guns of the arsenal; and it was forced to retire by the water-port gate, when a detached battery opened upon it. Being thus placed between two fires, with a high palisade on one side, and the Zoom filled with the tide on the other, the battalion was unfortunately obliged to surrender. The colours were first sunk in the river Zoom by Lieutenant and Adjutant Galbraith: the battalion then surrendered, on condition that the officers and men should not serve against the French until exchanged. The failure of the coup-de-main on Bergen-op-Zoom occasioned an immense sacrifice of gallant men. Of the Royal Scots, Captains M'Nicol, Edward Wetherall, and Purvis, Lieutenant Mills, 1 serjeant, and 36 rank and file, were killed; Lieutenants Robertson, Stoyte, Midgley, and Stewart, 7 serjeants, 1 drummer, and 63 rank and file, wounded.
On the following day the battalion marched out of Bergen-op-Zoom, and on the 8th of April it embarked for England: on the 21st it arrived at Hilsea barracks, where it was supplied with clothing and equipments, and on the 6th of May it embarked on board the Diomede and Leopard (two sixty-fours, armed en-flute), and sailed for Canada.
3rd Batt.
Meanwhile the success of the arms of the allied sovereigns in various parts of Europe had been followed by the abdication of Bonaparte, and the restoration of the Bourbon dynasty to the throne of France. This event occurred in April, 1814, at which time the 3rd battalion of the Royal Scots was employed in the blockade of Bayonne. The French commandant in this fortress, not believing the statement of Bonaparte's abdication to be true, made a sortie with the garrison on the morning of the 14th of April, and gained a temporary advantage; but was afterwards repulsed. Major-General Hay,[124] Lieut.-Colonel of the Royal Scots, was killed at the first onset; the battalion also had 5 rank and file killed; Captain Buckley, Lieutenant Macdonnell, 1 serjeant, 1 drummer, and 32 rank and file, wounded; also a few private men missing.