The British monarch had, in the mean time, engaged in a war with Louis XIV., and on His Majesty's return to England, after the termination of the campaign of 1693, the two Scots regiments of dragoons (Livingstone's, now Second, or the Scots' Greys, and CUNNINGHAM'S, now SEVENTH HUSSARS) were selected to proceed on foreign service.
CUNNINGHAM'S dragoons commenced their march from Scotland in February, 1694, and on arriving at Berwick they were placed on the English establishment; at the same time exertions were made to complete an augmentation of two troops, and of ten additional men and horses to each of the six old troops. The augmentation troops left Scotland in the spring, and the six old troops continued their march southward until they arrived at London, where the eight troops were united in May, and the whole embarked at Greenwich for the Netherlands.
The regiment, commanded by its colonel, Robert Cunningham, landed at Williamstadt, in North Brabant, on the 31st of May; advanced up the country to the vicinity of Arschot, and was reviewed by King William on the 16th of June, together with Livingstone's regiment: and the hardy and warlike appearance of the Scots troopers elicited the commendations of His Majesty, and of the British and foreign general officers present at the review.
After several marches the regiment was encamped at Mont St. André, where an army of eighty-eight thousand men of several nations was assembled under the command of the British monarch, and CUNNINGHAM'S dragoons were formed in brigade with Eppinger's (foreign), Essex's (now fourth), and Wynne's (late fifth), regiments of dragoons, under the orders of Brigadier-General Wynne. No general engagement occurred; and after taking part in the operations of a toilsome campaign, the regiment went into cantonments for the winter among the Flemish peasantry, in the villages between Ghent and Sas van Ghent.
From its winter quarters, the regiment marched in April, 1695, to Dixmude, in West Flanders; it joined the army in May, at the camp at Arseele, and was formed in brigade with Dopf's (Dutch) dragoons under Brigadier-General Wynne.
In the beginning of June, the army advanced to Becelaer. On the 14th of that month five hundred dragoons (among whom was a large detachment from CUNNINGHAM'S regiment) under the command of the Earl of Portland and Brigadier-General Wynne, left the camp with the view of intercepting a numerous French force, which was moving quietly across the country to attack the bread-waggons of the confederate army, on their way from Bruges to the camp. On arriving at _Moorsleede_, the French detachment was found in the village, with the streets barricaded with waggons and implements of husbandry. The dragoons instantly dismounted and attacked the barricades with signal gallantry, CUNNINGHAM'S men evincing true Scottish heroism; and in a few moments the French gave way and fled, leaving a number of killed and wounded behind them, and one captain and thirty men prisoners. Count de Soissons, brother of Prince Eugene of Savoy, served as a volunteer on this occasion, and expressed, in the strongest terms, his admiration of the valour of the dragoons. Lieutenant Webb, and several men were killed; Captains Collins and Holgate were wounded. Brigadier-General Wynne, who commanded the brigade of which CUNNINGHAM'S dragoons formed part, received a severe wound of which he afterwards died.