When the fighting in the wood of Taisniere, where the ROYALS were engaged, had assumed the character of a series of skirmishes, a most sanguinary conflict was raging in other parts of the field, particularly in the centre, where the Prince of Orange led the Dutch infantry against the enemy's treble entrenchments, and at the points of attack allotted to the Germans. Eventually the enemy's position was broken, and a conflict of cavalry ensued, in which the allies proved victorious. Meanwhile the ROYALS, and other corps engaged in the woods, continued to gain ground, and the French were forced to retreat. The allies captured a number of prisoners, colours, standards, and cannon; but this victory was purchased at an immense expense of human life, especially of Germans and Dutch. The ROYALS having fought a great part of the day in the wood, where the men were partly covered by the trees, the regiment did not sustain a very severe loss. Lieutenant Haley and a few private men were killed; and Lieutenants J. Stratton, Dixon, and W. Stratton, were wounded[91]. The victory at Malplaquet was followed by the siege and capture of _Mons_, which was terminated by the surrender of the garrison on the 20th of October. The ROYALS formed part of the covering army during the siege, and afterwards marched back to Ghent. [Sidenote: 1710] The regiment having passed the winter in its former quarters, quitted Ghent on the 14th of April, 1710, and directing its march towards the frontiers of France, arrived at the rendezvous of the army, in the vicinity of Tournay, on the 19th of that month. The allies, by a forced march, succeeded in passing the French lines at Pont-a-Verdun without opposition, and invested _Douay_. The ROYALS formed part of the covering army during the siege. The French army advanced and menaced the allies with an attack, but retreated after a sharp cannonade, and Douay surrendered on the 27th of June. After the capture of Douay, the ROYALS marched in the direction of Aubigny, and formed part of the covering army encamped at Villers-Brulin during the siege of _Bethune_. This place having surrendered on the 28th of August, the ROYALS were afterwards detached from the main army, and sent under the command of the Prince of Anhault, to besiege the town of _Aire_, which is situated on the banks of the river Lys. The governor of this place made a vigorous defence; and the regiment was sharply engaged several times in carrying on the attacks and storming the outworks, and had a number of men killed and wounded. The garrison having surrendered on the 9th of November, the regiment afterwards marched back to its former winter-quarters at Ghent, where it arrived on the 23rd of November. [Sidenote: 1711]