The regiment performed much hard service on out-post duty during the following winter.

1794

On the 16th of April, 1794, the regiment advanced to the heights above Cateau, where it was reviewed by the emperor of Germany, and on the succeeding day, supported the attack of the infantry and artillery on Prémont, Vaux, &c.

When the siege of Landrécies was undertaken, the Queen's Own formed part of the covering army encamped at Cateau. At day-break, on the 26th of April, while a thick fog covered the fields and villages near the British camp, a few pistol-shots in front gave indication that the advance-posts were engaged, and soon afterwards the piquets were seen retiring before crowds of French, whose movements were partly concealed by the fog. The Seventh were speedily mounted and formed in front of their camp-ground; the cannonade became louder and louder, and the fog clearing, the duke of York detached the cavalry of the right wing to turn the enemy's left flank, while the Seventh and Eleventh light dragoons' and two squadrons of Archduke Ferdinand's hussars, supported by several other corps, moved forward to reconnoitre the French column advancing from Prémont and Marets. Encountering their opponents in the plain of St. Celian, the Seventh and Eleventh light dragoons raised a loud shout and dashed furiously against the adverse ranks of war, while the German hussars joined gallantly in the charge, and the enemy was overthrown and pursued with dreadful carnage. The Seventh were distinguished for their heroic ardour and contempt of danger, and Lieutenant O'Laughlin eminently signalized himself. Twelve hundred Frenchmen fell in the charge and pursuit, and ten pieces of cannon, with eleven tumbrils filled with ammunition, were captured, exclusive of those taken by the remainder of the army. A writer who was present at this engagement (Robert Brown of the Coldstream guards), states in his Journal, published in 1795, "the Seventh and Eleventh light dragoons performed prodigies of valour on our left." The Duke of York observed in general orders, after complimenting several other corps, "Nor is the determined gallantry with which the Seventh and Eleventh light dragoons attacked the enemy on the left (notwithstanding their numbers), less worthy of every commendation." The loss of the regiment on this occasion was one man and seven horses killed, nineteen men and six horses wounded.

After the fall of Landrécies, the regiment proceeded by forced marches to the vicinity of Tournay; and on the 10th of May, when the French attacked the British position with thirty thousand men, it had another opportunity of signalizing itself. The enemy having failed in his attempt to turn the British left, directed his efforts against the centre. A favourable opportunity presenting itself, sixteen British and two Austrian squadrons were detached, under Lieut.-General Harcourt, against the enemy's right, and by a determined charge broke the French columns. A second charge proved decisive; the French were defeated, and the British troops were thanked in general orders for their excellent conduct. The Seventh had six horses killed; four men and four horses wounded; and two horses missing.

A general attack having been resolved upon, with the view of compelling the French to evacuate Flanders, the Queen's Own light dragoons were selected to take part in this enterprise, and were attached to one of the columns, under His Royal Highness the Duke of York, which advanced at an early hour on the morning of the 17th of May, to the vicinity of Lannoy, where the troops halted a short period, until a thick fog cleared off, when they resumed their march. Arriving at Roubaix, the place was gallantly captured, and the troops reposed a few hours in the town. As the sun was declining in the western horizon, and the shades of evening were gathering over the provinces of Flanders, Lieut.-General Abercromby received orders to attack a village two miles distant, called Mouvaux, which was situated on a rising ground, surrounded by palisades and entrenchments, protected by flanking redoubts, and defended by a strong body of republican troops. This enterprise was undertaken with cheerful alacrity; the flank battalion of the foot guards stormed the works, and the Seventh light dragoons, led by Lieut.-Colonel William Osborne, (a most gallant officer, who had been twenty years in the regiment[6]), made a detour round the village, followed by the Fifteenth light dragoons, under Lieut.-Colonel Churchill. As the French soldiers began to give way before the furious onset of the foot guards, and issuing from among the houses, attempted to escape by the rear of the village, they were charged by the two cavalry regiments with the most distinguished bravery. The Seventh were in front on this occasion; arriving at a chevaux-de-frise, a few men of the regiment dismounted, and, though exposed to a sharp fire of musketry, cleared a space for the troops to pass, when the two regiments rushed with terrific violence upon the French infantry, broke their ranks, and cut them down with a dreadful slaughter, capturing three guns. When the two regiments returned from the pursuit, the evening was far advanced, and they passed the night in the village.

The Austrians having failed in several of their points of attack, the enemy was enabled to bring nearly his whole force against the daring Britons who had thus attacked his position; and the morning of the 18th of May was ushered in by a tremendous cannonade. Multitudes of French cavalry, infantry, and artillery, appeared advancing in every direction; and by nine o'clock, Lieut.-General Abercromby found the few men he had with him nearly surrounded by crowds of opponents; at the same time he received orders from the Duke of York to retire to the heights behind Roubaix. He fell back fighting; and as he passed through the town, his rear was pressed by hosts of enemies, who followed, shouting and assailing the British with grape and musketry. From Roubaix the division proceeded towards Lannoy; being beset by superior numbers, the soldiers had to dispute every foot of ground, and to keep up a running fight. The Seventh and Fifteenth light dragoons were constantly engaged on the flanks and in the rear. Lannoy being found occupied by the French, the British division took to the fields, passing over hedges and ditches, constantly fighting crowds of opponents, the light cavalry evincing the most noble ardour and intrepidity; and the Seventh thus exhibiting, under accumulated disasters and difficulties, the innate bravery of Britons, and the great value of light cavalry. One of the foot guards who was present (Browne), observes in his Journal, "Our British light cavalry which were with us (the Seventh, Fifteenth, and Sixteenth) performed wonders of valour, charging the enemy with unexampled courage whenever they approached; it was no uncommon thing to see one of them attack three of the French dragoons at once, in order to rescue the prisoners they were carrying off. It was owing to their bravery that so few prisoners were taken; they also retook numbers from the enemy. As soon as we reached the village of Templeuve, we halted and formed; and from thence marched to our former position, behind the village of Blandin. Our loss proved to be very inconsiderable to what might have been expected, for it was rather to be wondered at that one of us escaped." The loss of the Seventh was, four horses killed; six men and ten horses wounded; and fifteen men and thirty-two horses prisoners of war and missing. The conduct of the British on this trying occasion was highly commended by the Emperor of Germany; and the Duke of York expressed his approbation of the valour and firmness of the corps engaged.

The troops returned to their former position in front of Tournay, where the British were attacked on the 22nd of May; they repulsed their opponents, who were forced to retire with the loss of seven pieces of artillery. The loss of the Seventh on this occasion was limited to one troop horse.

The immense numbers which the enemy was enabled to bring forward, at length forced the allies to retreat from the Austrian Netherlands to the United Provinces; and during this retrograde movement the Seventh were frequently engaged in out-post duty, in covering the retiring army, and in numerous rencounters with detachments of French cavalry.

Tn August the army was encamped near Breda, on a large plain bestrewed with the vestiges of war, to give the Dutch an opportunity of putting the fortress in a state of defence. While at this camp, a piquet of the Seventh and Sixteenth light dragoons surprised one of the enemy's out-guards. The French dragoons fled at the first onset; and many of them forsook their horses to escape across walls and other fences where mounted troopers could not pursue them; seven men were, however, made prisoners, and forty horses were captured.