1745
Quitting its cantonments in April, 1745, the regiment marched, with the army commanded by His Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland, to the relief of Tournay, which fortress was besieged by a numerous French army, which took up a position near the village of Fontenoy. The enemy had a great superiority of numbers; but the Duke of Cumberland, trusting to the innate bravery of his troops, resolved to hazard a general engagement on the 11th of May, when the ROYAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS had their valour and endurance put to a severe test, and they proved themselves not unworthy successors of the gallant officers and soldiers who triumphed at Blenheim and Ramilies under the great Duke of Marlborough.
Soon after nine o'clock the British infantry advanced in the face of a heavy fire of grape and musketry, and by a gallant charge broke through the French lines; but the Dutch failed to carry the village of Fontenoy, and a brigade under Brigadier-General Ingoldsby did not capture the battery it was appointed to attack; the troops, which had forced the enemy's centre, were thus exposed to so severe a cross fire, that they were ordered to retire. A second attack was made; British valour and intrepidity were again triumphant; but the failure of the Dutch a second time, produced disastrous results, and the British regiments, which had carried the enemy's entrenchments, and forced the centre, were nearly annihilated by a destructive cross fire. The ROYAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS suffered severely on this occasion. The Duke of Cumberland afterwards ordered a retreat, and the army withdrew from the field of battle to Aeth.
Lieutenants Campbell, Houston, and Serjeant, of the regiment, were killed; Major Colville, Captains Latan, Olivant, and Knatchbull, Lieutenants Maxwell, Colville, Ballenden, Macgaken, and Townsend, wounded; Captain Sandilands, Lieutenant Stuart, and Quarter-Master Stewart prisoners; eleven serjeants and two hundred and fifty-nine rank and file killed, wounded, and prisoners.
The severe loss which the regiment had experienced occasioned it to be placed in garrison at Ostend. This place was besieged by a numerous French force; and the garrison defended their post some time; but the works were not in repair, the stores were defective, and the garrison not sufficiently numerous: under these circumstances the governor surrendered, on condition that the garrison should join the allied army.
While the regiment was in Flanders, Charles Edward, eldest son of the Pretender, arrived in Scotland, and being joined by a number of Highland clans, he made a desperate attempt to overturn the existing government, and establish his father's authority in the kingdom. The ROYAL NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS were ordered to return to England; they arrived in the river Thames on the 4th of November, and after landing, marched northward: the efficiency of the regiment was increased by a body of fine recruits enlisted in Scotland.
1746
The regiment arrived at Edinburgh in January, 1746, and advanced with the army commanded by the Duke of Cumberland, towards Stirling, when the young Pretender raised the siege of Stirling castle and made a precipitate retreat. The pursuit was retarded by severe weather; but the army continued its advance when the season permitted, and on the 16th of April encountered the clans on Culloden moor. The regiment was in the front line on this occasion, and took part in repulsing the attacks of the Highlanders, and in driving them from the field of battle with great slaughter. This victory proved decisive, and the rebellion was suppressed.
The loss of the regiment was limited to seven private soldiers killed and wounded. It was encamped a short time at Inverness, and afterwards removed to Glasgow.