One hundred thousand French advanced to attack thirty-five thousand British, and the Duke of York made a further retrograde movement. In October the army defended the passage of the Waal from the island of Bommel until it communicated with the Austrians on the left. The enemy constructed batteries before Nimeguen; a sortie was made on the 4th of November, in order to destroy the French works, and the Queen's Own light dragoons formed part of the force employed on this service. The infantry led on by Major-General De Burgh (afterwards Earl of Clanricarde), stormed the enemy's entrenchments in gallant style, when a dreadful carnage ensued, the French fighting with resolution, but the British proved irresistible with the bayonet: as the enemy fled from their works, the Seventh and other cavalry charged them in the rear and cut them down with great slaughter. "Here" (Captain Jones states in the Historical Journal) "the British performed prodigies of valour": a thousand opponents lay weltering on the plain and among the works; the troops were thanked in general orders for their services on this occasion.
1795
At length a severe frost enabled the enemy to advance in the beginning of 1795, across the rivers on the ice, and the British, being no longer capable of resisting the very superior numbers of their opponents, retired through Holland to Germany. During this retreat the troops endured very great hardship and privation from severe weather, and from the hostile spirit manifested by the Dutch, who had imbibed principles favourable to the French interest. The Seventh light dragoons were employed in covering the retrograde movements, and had occasional skirmishes with the enemy's leading corps. After their arrival in Germany, they occupied quarters of refreshment for several weeks; during the summer they were encamped on one of the plains of Westphalia; and in November returned to England.
On the decease of General Sir Henry Clinton, K.B., his Majesty conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on Major-General David Dundas, by commission dated the 26th of December, 1795.
1796
1797
1798
1799
The Queen's Own light dragoons occupied various quarters in England until the summer of 1799, when they were encamped near Windsor, and were reviewed by the King, who was pleased to express, in very gracious terms, his royal approbation of their appearance and field movements. In the mean time the British government had resolved to make, in connection with the Russians, an attempt to deliver Holland from the power of the French republic; and the Seventh embarked for this service at Ramsgate, in the beginning of September, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Henry Lord Paget, who was appointed to the command of the cavalry employed in this expedition, consisting of the Seventh, Eleventh, Fifteenth, and part of the Eighteenth light dragoons; the whole being under the orders of His Royal Highness the Duke of York.
On the advance of the army on the 19th of September, the Seventh were attached to the column under Lieut.-General de Hermann, which attacked the enemy at half-past three in the morning, and by eight gained possession of Bergen, a large village surrounded by extensive woods; but the Russians, overlooking the formidable resistance they were to meet with, had not preserved the necessary order, and they were driven back with the loss of many men, and Lieut.-Generals de Hermann and Tchertchekoff taken prisoners.
In the attack of the enemy's position on the 2nd of October, the Seventh formed part of the cavalry attached to the column commanded by Lieut.-General Sir Ralph Abercromby, which advanced along the beach to within a mile of Egmont-op-Zee, where a corps of French infantry was posted among the sand-hills, with a numerous body of cavalry and artillery on the beach. A sanguinary contest ensued, in which the heroic perseverance of the British was conspicuous. Late in the evening the enemy's cavalry made an attempt on the British horse artillery on the beach: but were charged with signal intrepidity by the light dragoons under Colonel Lord Paget, and driven with considerable loss nearly to the town. The British established themselves among the sand-hills, where they passed the night, and on the following day gained possession of Egmont-op-Zee[7]. The Seventh had two men and four horses killed on this occasion, and eleven men and twenty-five horses wounded.
Part of the regiment was engaged on the 6th of October, in driving the enemy from his position between Beverwyck and Wyck-op-Zee, which proved a sanguinary service; but the Seventh did not sustain any loss.
These gallant efforts were not seconded by the Dutch, and severe weather, with other causes, having rendered a retreat necessary, the Seventh under Lord Paget, covered the movement. Some skirmishing took place, and several pieces of cannon fell into the hands of the enemy, when his lordship led one squadron on to the charge with signal gallantry, and breaking in upon and repulsing a force six times more numerous than his own, retook the cannon and with them several pieces belonging to the enemy.