At length a severe frost enabled the enemy to advance in the beginning of 1795, across the rivers on the ice, and the British, being no longer capable of resisting the very superior numbers of their opponents, retired through Holland to Germany. During this retreat the troops endured very great hardship and privation from severe weather, and from the hostile spirit manifested by the Dutch, who had imbibed principles favourable to the French interest. The SEVENTH light dragoons were employed in covering the retrograde movements, and had occasional skirmishes with the enemy's leading corps. After their arrival in Germany, they occupied quarters of refreshment for several weeks; during the summer they were encamped on one of the plains of Westphalia; and in November returned to England.
On the decease of General Sir Henry Clinton, K.B., his Majesty conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on Major-General David Dundas, by commission dated the 26th of December, 1795.
The QUEEN'S OWN light dragoons occupied various quarters in England until the summer of 1799, when they were encamped near Windsor, and were reviewed by the King, who was pleased to express, in very gracious terms, his royal approbation of their appearance and field movements. In the mean time the British government had resolved to make, in connection with the Russians, an attempt to deliver Holland from the power of the French republic; and the SEVENTH embarked for this service at Ramsgate, in the beginning of September, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel HENRY LORD PAGET, who was appointed to the command of the cavalry employed in this expedition, consisting of the SEVENTH, Eleventh, Fifteenth, and part of the Eighteenth light dragoons; the whole being under the orders of His Royal Highness the Duke of York.
On the advance of the army on the 19th of September, the SEVENTH were attached to the column under Lieut.-General de Hermann, which attacked the enemy at half-past three in the morning, and by eight gained possession of _Bergen_, a large village surrounded by extensive woods; but the Russians, overlooking the formidable resistance they were to meet with, had not preserved the necessary order, and they were driven back with the loss of many men, and Lieut.-Generals de Hermann and Tchertchekoff taken prisoners.