The first attack made by the main body of the expedition was on Ischia, a small island in the gulf of Naples, situate about six miles from the coast. The batteries for the defence of the shores of the island being turned by the British troops, were successively deserted by the enemy, and after a short resistance, the garrison of Ischia surrendered. The garrison of Procida, another island on the same coast, was also forced to surrender; and forty gun-boats were captured.
An attack was likewise made on the castle of Scylla, situate in a promontory in the straits of Messina, which separate Sicily from the Neapolitan territory. The Tenth regiment was selected to take part in this enterprise: having landed on the coast, it crossed the heights of Jovanni on the 14th of June, and proceeding through the mountains to the heights of Mela, immediately above the castle, bivouacked on the high grounds; at the same time the works were commenced for the attack. On the 29th of June a strong reinforcement of the enemy appeared, and the British troops were concentrated; but the French had so great an excess of numbers, that it was deemed necessary to withdraw. The stores were destroyed, the retreat effected, and the Tenth regiment was conveyed across the straits to the Messina side; having only sustained a loss of two men.
The diversion so far succeeded as to prevent Murat taking part in the war with Austria, and the troops returned to Sicily: the Tenth were stationed in the citadel of Messina until the 8th of July, when they were encamped along the coast near the Faro.
1810
During the summer of this year an expedition sailed from England against the coast of Holland, and Flushing, on the island of Walcheren, was captured. The second battalion of the Tenth embarked from Portsmouth on the 9th of November, and landed on the island of Walcheren on the 22nd of that month; but the climate proved very injurious to the health of the British soldiers, and the island was evacuated. The second battalion of the Tenth embarked from Flushing on the 10th of December, and on arriving in England it was ordered to Jersey, where it landed on the 17th of January, 1810.
From Jersey the second battalion embarked on the 10th of April, 1810, for Gibraltar, and arrived at that important fortress in eighteen days. The battalion remained at Gibraltar three months, then embarked for the island of Malta, and landed there on the 12th of August.
The first battalion remained on the coast of Sicily until November, when it marched into the citadel of Messina.
1811
After the decease of General the Honorable Henry Edward Fox, who held the command of the regiment sixteen years, the colonelcy was conferred on Major-General the Honorable Thomas Maitland, from the fourth West India regiment, by commission dated the 19th of July, 1811.
On the 22nd of August the second battalion embarked from Malta for the island of Sicily, and landed at Messina on the 27th of that month.