The immense numbers which the enemy was enabled to bring forward, at length forced the allies to retreat from the Austrian Netherlands to the United Provinces; and during this retrograde movement the SEVENTH were frequently engaged in out-post duty, in covering the retiring army, and in numerous rencounters with detachments of French cavalry. Tn August the army was encamped near _Breda_, on a large plain bestrewed with the vestiges of war, to give the Dutch an opportunity of putting the fortress in a state of defence. While at this camp, a piquet of the SEVENTH and Sixteenth light dragoons surprised one of the enemy's out-guards. The French dragoons fled at the first onset; and many of them forsook their horses to escape across walls and other fences where mounted troopers could not pursue them; seven men were, however, made prisoners, and forty horses were captured. One hundred thousand French advanced to attack thirty-five thousand British, and the Duke of York made a further retrograde movement. In October the army defended the passage of the Waal from the island of Bommel until it communicated with the Austrians on the left. The enemy constructed batteries before _Nimeguen_; a sortie was made on the 4th of November, in order to destroy the French works, and the QUEEN'S OWN light dragoons formed part of the force employed on this service. The infantry led on by Major-General De Burgh (afterwards Earl of Clanricarde), stormed the enemy's entrenchments in gallant style, when a dreadful carnage ensued, the French fighting with resolution, but the British proved irresistible with the bayonet: as the enemy fled from their works, the SEVENTH and other cavalry charged them in the rear and cut them down with great slaughter. "Here" (Captain Jones states in the Historical Journal) "the British performed prodigies of valour": a thousand opponents lay weltering on the plain and among the works; the troops were thanked in general orders for their services on this occasion. [Sidenote: 1795] 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.