They marched from Shorncliffe on November 28; but in consequence of the continuance of easterly winds, did not embark from Deal until December 9. In this embarkation the Deal boat which was conveying Captain Glasse’s company on board H.M. ship ‘Grampus’ was swamped; but the men, after being in considerable danger, were all saved. Yet their dangers were not over; for on that or the next night the ‘Grampus,’ in which the Rifle companies were embarked, came into collision with the ‘Monarch.’ These dangers being overcome, the Riflemen disembarked at St. Martin’s dyck in the Island of Tholen on December 17; and made a night march to Wosmaer. On the next day they proceeded to Halteren, and thence to near Bergen-op-Zoom, near which they halted. At this time Bergen was partially invested, and the Riflemen were moved up on the 23rd close to the walls. But on the 24th they made a night march to Steenberghen; and on the next day proceeded to Oudenbosch. Here they halted some days; and on the 29th an attack was anticipated, but none took place.
Early in January 1814 a combined movement was arranged between Sir Thomas Graham and General Bülow, who commanded the Prussian force with which Graham’s was to co-operate, by which the French were to be dislodged from Hoogstraten, and a reconnaissance was to be made on Antwerp. Accordingly the Riflemen moved to Roosendael on January 9, and thence to Calmthout, where they arrived at daybreak on the 11th. The combined movement of the English and Prussians was to have taken place on the 12th; and on that day the enemy threatened an attack; but learning from their patrols that the Prussians were also approaching, they fell back, and being reinforced from the garrison, took up a position in front of Antwerp, their left resting on the village of Merxem, their right on Bergerhout. The Riflemen on the enemy retiring had advanced in pursuit to Capellen.
On the 13th they advanced towards Antwerp, and soon came up with the enemy’s rear, as they were retiring into the place. There was a smart skirmish; and the enemy were driven into Antwerp. The Riflemen distinguished themselves in this affair; and Sir Thomas Graham in his despatch particularly mentions ‘the rapid but orderly advance of the detachment of the 3rd Battalion of the Rifle Corps under Captain Fullerton’s command,’ with great praise.[141]
In this affair one Rifleman of the 3rd Battalion was killed, and one wounded.
On the 14th they fell back to Calmthout, and on the 15th marched to Eckeren, where they remained for some days. The Riflemen had suffered much from the extreme cold; and on January 26 it reached its maximum, the thermometer marking 13° of frost.
During the month of January the army under Sir Thomas Graham, which originally amounted to hardly 6,000 men, was increased by reinforcements of about 3,000 men. And at this time Major and Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron of the 1st Battalion arrived in Holland and took command of the detachments from the three Battalions.
As the French had 12,000 men in Antwerp under Carnot’s command, no regular siege could be attempted with this force and with the means at Graham’s disposal; it was resolved therefore to attempt to set fire to the enemy’s ships at Antwerp. With this object the troops were moved forward. And the Riflemen returned on January 30 from Eckeren to Calmthout; on the 31st marched to Braeschaet; and on February 1 advanced to Donk. On that evening the picquets had some fighting with those of the enemy. On the 2nd the enemy advanced to Merxem, which had been strengthened with field works, and the Riflemen had some hard fighting in and about that village, and at Schooten. Merxem was carried in gallant style; and Graham specially notes the conduct of ‘the detachments of the three Battalions of the Rifle Corps,’ under Colonel Cameron’s command, ‘for the distinguished manner in which they attacked the left and centre of the village, forcing the enemy from every stronghold.’[142]
On this day Lieutenant Wright of the 1st Battalion was returned as wounded;[143] as were Captain William Eeles, Lieutenants Ferguson and Fitzgerald of the 3rd Battalion. One bugler and 2 Riflemen of the 2nd Battalion were killed, and 6 wounded.[144]
The attempt to burn the ships in the Scheldt and in the docks was unsuccessful; for our mortars numbering only seventeen, two-thirds of which were Dutch or French ones found on the ramparts of Willemstadt (where part of the force had disembarked), were unserviceable, and unable to throw shells a sufficient distance. The enemy too nightly flooded the decks with water, which the intense frost converted into a thick coating of ice, which, at that range, helped to resist the shells thrown by the imperfect mortars. And the enemy were able at once to extinguish any fire among the shipping which might take place.
On the 3rd the Riflemen occupied the château of Merxem, where they remained until the 6th, when the partial investment of Antwerp and the attempt on the ships having been found a failure, they moved to Braeschaet. On the next day they were again moved forward to Donk to repel a sortie of the garrison, which having effected they returned to Braeschaet; and on the 9th fell back to Klein Zundert, and on the 15th to Loënhout.