Browne. Cust. succeeded, although with great loss and difficulty, in 1 the ground they had taken. The first column, under General Abercromby, r Egmont-op-Zee without difficulty; but there it found force of all arms, under General Vandamme, drawn line of battle. The engagement which followed wa longed and bloody. Sir Ralph was at last successfu his advantage was short-lived, for reinforcements from Alkmaar in such numbers that it required all tl of the English General, and all the undaunted cou his men, to prevent his left from being broken befor put an end to the engagement. It was at this tin the Chestnut Troop received its baptism of fire. B oversight on the part of the General, or possibly ov ignorance as to the powers of this new weaponArtillery,-Major Judgson's Troop had been advanc dangerous distance, and left with an inadequate General Vandamme observed this, and, placing himsel: head of his Cavalry, swept down upon the guns. Th which followed was an exciting one. Taken by surpr gunners did not loose their presence of mind, but fired i advancing cavalry until they were in their midst; an with any weapons they could lay hands on, they str with the troopers, who, in immense numbers, surr them, and sabred them at their guns. According account, two only of the guns were carried off cavalry when they retired; according to another, the were captured. Be it as it may, the prize was not le undisputed, for Lord Paget, placing himself at the 1 the 15th Light Dragoons-now the 15th (King's) 1 --charged the enemy's cavalry, pursuing them for mile; and, assisted by the explosion of one of the limbers, succeeded in recovering all the guns. The calculated to create a friendly sympathy between the nut Troop and the gallant Regiment which proved so a godfather to it at this its christening, and is on talked over by the camp-fire in days coming on. order which was issued after the battle, Major Gazette,' received special mention. "In the severe action on this day London, His Royal Highness expressed his thanks to Lieutenant- 24 Oct. "Colonels Whitworth and Smith, who commanded the 1799. Artillery of reserve, and to Major Judgson, of the Horse Artillery. Captain Nicholls was wounded in this action, "and is since dead." 66 Although the Allies had not driven the enemy back as far as they had hoped, they nevertheless occupied the ground on which the French General had taken up his position at the commencement of the battle. The loss to the British was severe, 1300 having been killed and wounded, including 100 officers. Another attempt was made by the Allies on the 7th October to drive the enemy back, and to escape from the position in which they had been cramped since the commencement of the campaign; but, although they defeated with severe loss the troops to whom they found themselves immediately opposed, the cordon beyond still hopelessly surrounded them. As there was no symptom of a popular rising in the country on their behalf, and as reinforcements were daily reaching the French, the Duke of York decided on opening negotiations with a view to the evacuation of Holland by the Allies. These were ultimately successful; and the only beneficial result of this campaign, which survived the negotiations, was the retention of the Dutch fleet by the English. The conclusion of the Artillery share in this campaign had an element of the ludicrous in it. In the old letterbooks, deposited in the Royal Artillery Record Office, is the following one, showing the pitiable way in which poor General Farrington, who had left with all the pomp and circumstance of war, returned to his home. Writing from Blackheath, he says:-" After a very fatiguing voyage and To D. A. journey, I am this moment arrived at my own house. Nov. 5, "Trotter, Smith, Terrott, Robe, Maclean, Lieut. Knox, and 1799. "Dr. Jameson, came over passengers with me, and will be "at Woolwich this night, or to-morrow morning. The want "of horses keeps them back, and my anxiety of mind to 66 General, Return dated "arrive as early as possible led me to accept a passa "post-chaise; but I have a melancholy tale to unfold 66 ship in which we came passengers, mistaking the e "into Yarmouth Harbour, ran on the sands, on whi "struck with such violence as, with the first sh "unship her rudder, and stave in her bottom; but, v "ful to tell, after keeping us in a most distressed st "an hour, she passed the sands with 4 feet of water hold, and, by the exertion of the boats of the every soul on board was saved-about 70 in n "and in about half an hour the ship sank in 10 "fathoms of water. The cargo, such as guns, sh "shells, may be saved; the ammunition, of "destroyed; and we are all reduced to our shi "only; everything else lost. It has been a most "dential escape, and sincerely ought we to offer prayers for His mercy. 66 "I am too unwell to wait upon Lord Howe, nor things to see him in; but if you could ride ove "to-morrow, I will tell you all I can respecting t "barkation of the Artillery horses, &c., for I have "paper left." 66 While sympathising with the ill-fated General, the cannot refrain from anathematising the blundering who mistook the entrance to Yarmouth Harbour, a thus the cause of papers being lost which would de have been priceless to the compiler of a narrative Artillery share in the campaign of 1799. The following return of the losses of the Royal A Woolwich, exclusive of the Driver Corps, in this campaig rendered by the Deputy-Adjutant-General to the B Ordnance : 5 Dec. 1799. Killed, and died of their wounds. Prisoners and Missing. 25 of all ran 21 15 Lawson's MSS. on deposited THE CHAPTER VI. EGYPT. THE history of the Regiment in 1800 and 1801 main interest in the operations of the English in Egypt. In these, so glorious in a military point o so effective in a national,-for they were the main instr in bringing about the Peace of Amiens-the Artille finds much to interest him, and much of which he n justly proud. It is fortunate for the purpose of this history th officer who commanded the Artillery in Egypt pla Brig. Gen. record many most interesting details which the historian would have certainly overlooked, and whose Egypt, duction in these pages will give a far more graphic sk in the R. A the difficulties which were encountered than could be Library. by the most skilful writer who had not himself been a witness. The unpretending account of the means a to overcome the difficulties cannot fail also to inspi officer, who may find himself in a similar position, resolution to yield to no obstacles. The reader will remember that in the year 1800 the a French army stationed in Egypt, which, although r from its original numbers, was yet too strong to be ove by the Turks. England resolved to reinforce the T army by means of an expedition from England, the m part of which was to be commanded by Sir R. Abercr the naval, by Admiral Lord Keith. The Artillery Expedition was placed under the command of Colonel L who, after much importunity, obtained from the Di York the rank of Brigadier-General. Officers of hi standing had obtained that rank to command briga Infantry on the Expedition; and Colonel Macleod, alt |