On the 27th of February the battle of Orthes was fought; the Fourteenth shared in the operations of the troops under Sir Rowland Hill, and passing the stream above Orthes, advanced towards the great road to St. Sever, thus operating against the enemy's left. The French were overpowered and driven from the field; the Fourteenth light dragoons earned another inscription, the word 'Orthes,' for their guidons and appointments, and Colonel Hervey was rewarded with another honorary distinction.
The French fell back in disorder, the Fourteenth followed the enemy; crossed the Adour on the 1st of March, and, continuing the pursuit, were engaged, on the following day, at Aire, from whence the French were driven by the troops under Sir Rowland Hill. Serjeant Vernor, and privates Craig and Rose, distinguished themselves on this occasion.
A party, favourable to the house of Bourbon, was known to exist in this part of France, and Marshal Soult sent a body of troops to Pau on the night of the 7th of March, to arrest the nobles who had assembled to welcome the arrival of the Duke D'Angouleme; but Major-General Fane had arrived at Pau with a brigade of infantry and two regiments of cavalry, and defeated the enemy's design. The Fourteenth light dragoons, with two guns attached, made a strong patrol to Pau on the 7th of March, and on the following day fell in with the French detachment, and Captain Townsend and four private soldiers were taken prisoners.
Some offensive movements were made by the enemy on the 13th and 14th of March, and General Pierre Soult proceeded with three regiments of cavalry to Clarac, on the Pau road, to intercept the communication with that town, and to menace the right flank of the allies. The piquet of the Fourteenth at Clarac, repulsed the enemy on the morning of 14th of March, but Captain Babington was taken prisoner. In the evening the piquet under Captain Badcock was attacked by the whole of the fifth regiment of chasseurs and being reinforced by a squadron under Captain Milles, kept its ground until another squadron arrived under Captain Anderson, when the French were repulsed with loss. Captain Milles was rewarded with the brevet rank of Major.
On the 16th of March the regiment repulsed an attack of the enemy in front of Castel Paget. On the 18th at daylight, the army was in movement; the French right was turned by the valley of the Adour, and their out-posts driven back upon Lembege: the leading squadron of the Fourteenth, under Captain Anderson, was engaged with the French on the Lembege road, and Lieutenant Lyons was killed.
A squadron of the regiment, under Captain Milles, was attached to Lieut.-General Stewart's division, and was engaged, on the 19th of March, near Vic Bigorre; on the 20th the regiment took part in the affair at Tarbes, and assumed the out-post duty in the evening; and it was in advance during the march of the army towards Toulouse on the 22nd of that month.
The Fourteenth light dragoons had the honor of serving at the battle of Toulouse on the 10th of April; they were attached to the troops under Lieut.-General Sir Rowland Hill, and took part in the operations by which the French army was driven from its ground. Hostilities were soon afterwards terminated; Napoleon Buonaparte abdicated the throne of France, and the Bourbon dynasty was restored.
Thus terminated, with glory to the British arms, a war in which the Fourteenth, the Duchess of York's Own Regiment of Light Dragoons, had acquired a high reputation; it had become justly celebrated for the excellent esprit-de-corps which pervaded the ranks, and especially for the superior style in which the officers and soldiers had, during several years, performed the duties of piquets, patrols, videttes, and other services which devolve upon a corps employed in the out-post duty.
At the termination of the contest, the regiment marched into quarters at Monte Marsan, where the reputation it had acquired occasioned it to be selected from among the other cavalry corps of the army, to take part in the contest between Great Britain and the United States of North America. The regiment marched to Bourdeaux in May, and being there reviewed by Major-General Lord Dalhousie, was complimented on its appearance and efficiency; but the order for its embarkation for America was countermanded.
The regiment marched from Bourdeaux to Calais, where it embarked for England, and landing at Dover on the 17th of July, proceeded from thence to the vicinity of London. It was reviewed on Hounslow Heath, by His Royal Highness the Duke of York, who complimented Colonel Hervey on the appearance and efficiency of the several troops, adding, "They appear as if they had never been on service." After the review the regiment joined the depôt at Weymouth.