During the early part of the siege of Namur, the FIFTEENTH foot, commanded by their colonel, Sir James Lesley, were in garrison at _Dixmude_, a fortress of very little strength, under Major-General Ellemberg, a foreign officer. On the 15th of July, this place was invested by a strong division of the French army, under General de Montal, who commenced the siege with vigour. Major-General Ellemberg failed to make that spirited opposition to the enemy which the circumstances of the case called for: he appeared to view the progress of the besieging army with apathy; and eventually called a council of war, to which he advanced several reasons why the town could not be defended, and proposed to capitulate to save the garrison, which was agreed to by the majority of the council of war, although opposed by others. When the soldiers were informed they were to become prisoners of war, they became enraged at not being permitted to defend the place, many of them broke their arms to pieces, and some tore their regimental colours from the staves, that they might not be delivered to the enemy. D'Auvergne states, in his history of this campaign,--'The body of the garrison had the same heart and soul with their comrades which did such wonders before Namur;' but the soldiers were delivered into the power of the enemy against their will. The soldiers of the FIFTEENTH were sent prisoners to Ypres; the conditions of the cartel were afterwards violated by the enemy; the British were sent to Arras, Bethune, Bouchain, &c., the officers were placed in close confinement, and attempts were made to induce the men to enter the French service. When the castle of Namur surrendered, the garrison was permitted to march out with the honors of war; but Marshal Boufflers was arrested, and detained until the British and other soldiers of the allied army, kept prisoners contrary to the cartel, were released. This produced the desired effect; the FIFTEENTH rejoined the army, and marched into quarters at the town of Damme, where they received new arms and equipment. All the officers concerned in the surrender of Dixmude, were tried by a general court-martial: Major-General Ellemberg was sentenced to be beheaded, and executed at Ghent on the 20th of November. Colonel Sir James Lesley, and several other officers were cashiered. King William conferred the colonelcy of the FIFTEENTH regiment on Colonel Emanuel Howe, from captain and lieut.-colonel in the first foot guards. [Sidenote: 1696] After passing several months at Damme, and receiving a detachment of recruits from England, the regiment marched, early in 1696, to Bruges, where it was left in garrison when the army took the field. On the 20th of May, it marched out of Bruges, and pitched its tents along the banks of the canal, where it was posted several weeks.