In July, 1812, the battalion was removed from Ashford to Deal, and afterwards proceeded to the Tower of London.
1813
While quartered in the Tower of London, in 1813, the battalion was augmented to ten companies, consisting of forty-five serjeants, twenty-two drummers, and eight hundred rank and file. The battalion proceeded to Colchester in April.
The dreadful disasters experienced by the French in their retreat from Russia, combined with the successes obtained over the forces of Napoleon in the Peninsula by the allies under the Marquis of Wellington, caused the separation of Prussia and other states from the interest of France, and a treaty of alliance and subsidy was concluded between Great Britain and Sweden, in which it was stipulated that a Swedish army, commanded by the Crown Prince,[14] should join the Allies.
On the 25th of May, 1813, the battalion, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel William George (afterwards Lord) Harris, embarked on a particular service at Harwich, but subsequently joined the expedition to Stralsund, in Swedish Pomerania, under the command of Major-General Samuel Gibbs, and landed at that town on the 7th of August.
From Stralsund the SEVENTY-THIRD proceeded to join the allied forces under the command of Lieut.-General Count Wallmoden, who engaged, and completely defeated, the enemy on the plains of Gorde, on the 16th of September, 1813. The SEVENTY-THIRD was the only British battalion in the action.[15]
The battalion was afterwards ordered to join the British forces, then in the north of Germany, under the command of Major-General Samuel Gibbs, at Rostock, and subsequently embarked for England at Warnemunde on the 2nd of November, but on arriving at Yarmouth the battalion was ordered, without landing, to join the army in Holland under General Sir Thomas Graham, afterwards Lord Lynedoch: the battalion arrived at Williamstadt on the 18th of December.
1814
The Prussian General, Bulow, having requested that the British would make a forward movement upon Antwerp, to favour his operations, the battalion accordingly marched to the attack of that place, which was bombarded by the British forces on the 13th of January, 1814; and again from the 2nd until the 6th of February, for the purpose of destroying the French fleet lying there.
In the attack on the village of Merxem on the 2nd of February, 1814, where the enemy was strongly posted, Lieutenant John McConnell, and Lieutenant and Adjutant Thomas Frederick James were wounded, the former severely. A volunteer, named J. Simpson, was also dangerously wounded. This youth was about sixteen years of age, and was attached to the light company. Soon after the action commenced, and in the course of a few minutes, he was shot through both his legs, before which a bullet had lodged in the butt of his firelock. His military career was short, as he died of his wounds in a few days.