After leaving its village cantonments in the early part of April 1697, the regiment was encamped at Bois-Seigneur-Isaac; it was afterwards employed in operations in Brabant, and on the 27th of May it formed part of a detachment of seven squadrons, commanded by Major-General de Bay, sent from the camp at Promelles towards Binche and Herlaymonte-Capelle. When on the march, the advance-guard, consisting of a squadron of the QUEEN'S, commanded by Colonel Lloyd, encountered a squadron of French carabineers, whom the dragoons overthrew and put to flight, killing and wounding many men, and taking an officer and seventeen soldiers prisoners. The regiment was subsequently employed in covering Brussels, until the treaty of Ryswick restored peace to Europe; when it left the Netherlands and returned to England. In the following year the establishment was reduced to six troops--286 private men. [Sidenote: 1702] The regiment remained in England until the summer of 1702, when, war having been declared against France and Spain, an expedition, commanded by the Duke of Ormond, was sent against _Cadiz_, and a detachment of the QUEEN'S dragoons, consisting of three field-officers, three captains, four lieutenants, five cornets, three staff-officers, five quarter-masters, five serjeants, fourteen corporals, eight drummers, and one hundred and eighty-six private men[15], was embarked for this service. A landing was effected on the coast of Spain, near Cadiz, on the 15th of August; on the following day Rota, a town on the north side of the bay seven miles from Cadiz, was taken, and on the 21st, Port St. Mary's, situate at the mouth of the river Guadalete, was captured. The QUEEN'S dragoons, being the only cavalry with the expedition, were almost constantly employed on piquet and outpost duty. On the 25th of August the army encamped at _Santa Victoria_, and in the early part of September the attack of the Matagorda was commenced. 'On the 5th of September a squadron of Spanish horse made bold to attack a small party of the QUEEN'S dragoons, who behaved themselves so gallantly, that they put the enemy to flight, having wounded and taken an officer and two men with their horses, and on our side we had a cornet and a private man killed, and a lieutenant taken, whom the Spaniards, against all the laws of nations and arms, most barbarously cut in pieces[16].' Cadiz was found better prepared for a siege than had been expected, and the troops were re-embarked. A successful attack was afterwards made on the fort of Vigo in Galicia, and a rich fleet was captured in the harbour, for which the QUEEN'S dragoons received 187_l._ 3_s._ 4_d._ prize money[17]. [Sidenote: 1703] On the 31st of December, 1703, Brigadier-General (afterwards LORD) CARPENTER, was appointed to the colonelcy of the QUEEN'S DRAGOONS, by purchase[18], in succession to Major-General Lloyd. [Sidenote: 1706]