In the mean time King William was carrying on the siege of Namur, and when the citadel was surrendered, he permitted the garrison to march out with the honors of war, but ordered Marshal Boufflers to be arrested, and detained, until the regiments made prisoners by the French at Dixmude, and detained contrary to the cartel, were delivered up.
This produced the desired effect—the Twelfth, and other corps in prison, were liberated, and rejoined the army, and the necessary arms, equipments, and clothing, were procured as speedily as possible, to enable the regiment to resume its duties; it was afterwards placed in garrison at Malines.
A general court-martial assembled for the trial of the officers who delivered up Dixmude and its garrison to the enemy; Major-General Ellemberg was sentenced to be beheaded, and executed at Ghent on the 20th of November; Colonels Graham, Leslie, and the Dutch Colonel Aüer were cashiered; Colonel Brewer of the Twelfth foot, and the other commanding officers, who remonstrated against the surrender of the town, were acquitted.
1696
The French monarch made preparations for the invasion of England in favour of King James, and in the spring of 1696, several regiments were withdrawn from Flanders, when the Twelfth marched from Malines to Ostend and Bruges; but the enemy did not venture to put to sea, and the regiment was not required to embark for England.
On the 28th of May, the regiment joined the troops encamped between Ghent and Bruges; it was formed in brigade with the first battalion of the royals, the fifteenth, and Collingwood's (afterwards disbanded) regiments, under Brigadier-General the Earl of Orkney, and served the campaign of this year with the army of Flanders, under the Prince of Vaudemont. The troops of that army were encamped behind the Bruges canal, nearly all the summer, to cover Ghent, Bruges, and the maritime towns of Flanders: in the autumn the regiment was ordered to occupy quarters in the town of Bruges.
1697
In the spring of 1697, the English regiments were ordered to proceed to Brabant, to join the army commanded by King William in person; the Twelfth foot were, however, detained in Flanders until the Brandenburg troops arrived, when they marched to Brabant, and served under the King during the remainder of the campaign. They were formed in brigade with a battalion of the first royals, and the fifth, Collier's and Lauder's (afterwards disbanded) regiments, commanded by the Earl of Orkney.
The regiment was encamped before Brussels, when the war was terminated by the treaty of Ryswick, and King William saw his efforts, to prevent the aggrandizement of France by conquest, attended with complete success. During the winter the regiment returned to England.
1698
1699