The ROYAL FUSILIERS joined the Dutch army at Tongres, and served the campaign of this year under Prince Waldeck. On the 25th of August a piquet under Colonel Hodges was attacked by the French forces under Marshal de Humières near _Walcourt_, and a sharp action ensued, in which the English infantry evinced firmness and intrepidity. The French were defeated with the loss of two thousand men killed and wounded; and King William, writing to the Earl of Marlborough on this subject, observed,--"I am very happy that my troops behaved so well at Walcourt. It is to you that this advantage is principally owing."[9] In a few days after this event King William conferred the colonelcy of the ROYAL FUSILIERS, which had been vacant some time, in consequence of the removal of Lord Dartmouth for adhering to the interests of King James, on the EARL OF MARLBOROUGH, who held also the colonelcy of the third troop of life guards. [Sidenote: 1690] Before the following campaign the regiment returned to England, where it was stationed while King William was in Ireland, endeavouring to rescue that country from the power of King James, who had proceeded thither with a body of troops from France. King William having defeated the Irish forces and their French allies at the Boyne, besieged Limerick. "During the time His Majesty was before the town, it was proposed by the Earl of Nottingham to My Lord Marlborough, and afterwards approved of in council, as very advantageous to their Majesties' affairs, to send a party from England, who, joining with a detachment from the King's army, might reduce the two important garrisons of _Cork_ and _Kinsale_, and arrangements were made accordingly; but not being ready so soon as was designed, His Majesty, upon his return to England, sent the EARL OF MARLBOROUGH, with his own regiment of FUSILIERS, Brigadier Trelawny's (now fourth), Princess Anne's (eight), Colonel Hastings' (thirteenth), Colonel Hales', Sir David Collier's, Colonel Fitzpatrick's, one hundred of the Duke of Bolton's, two hundred of Monmouth's under Major Johnston, with Lord Torrington's and Lord Pembroke's marine regiments, to undertake this service."[10] Arriving at _Cork_ roads on the 21st of September, the fleet entered the harbour on the following day, and the co-operation of part of the army on shore having been secured, the ROYAL FUSILIERS and other corps landed and commenced the siege. A breach having been made, the ROYAL FUSILIERS and three other English regiments, commanded by Brigadier-General Churchill, and a body of Danes, passed the river wading up to the arm-pits to the east marsh, in order to storm the wall on that side. The grenadiers led the attack; but before they gained the breach, the Irish hung out a white flag, and agreed to surrender; the garrison, consisting of six regiments, became prisoners of war.