The regiment was reviewed at Tanjore, by Major-General Floyd, who expressed in orders to Colonel Aston, the officers, and soldiers, 'the satisfaction he received on inspecting the eight companies of the TWELFTH regiment of infantry at the station;' and added--'In the masterly hands of their commanding officer, there is every reason to expect that His Majesty's TWELFTH regiment of infantry will, whenever called upon, be ready and disposed to renew in the east the glories of Minden and Gibraltar.' Preparatory to the grand enterprise of driving the English out of India, General Bonaparte was sent with a French army to Egypt; many French officers and men were introduced into the army of Tippoo Sultan, and other measures were adopted calculated to forward the design. Under these circumstances the Governor-General of India, Lord Mornington, deemed it necessary to assemble a body of troops on the coast of Coromandel, and to engage the Nizam of the Deccan to furnish an auxiliary force. The TWELFTH regiment marched from the fortress of Tanjore, on the 22nd of July, to join the army assembling under the orders of Lieut.-General Harris. [Sidenote: 1799] On the 1st of January, 1799, the regiment joined the camp of the army advancing towards Mysore, and negociations having failed, the troops penetrated the territory of Tippoo Sultan in the beginning of March. The TWELFTH, seventy-fourth, and Scots brigade, formed the first brigade of infantry under Major-General Baird. During the night of the 7th of March, the regiment was employed, under Major-General Baird, in an attempt to surprise the camp of a body of the enemy's cavalry, but the Mysoreans obtained information of the design and made a precipitate retreat. On the following day, the light company of the TWELFTH, commanded by Captain Woodhall, took possession of _Neldroog_ without opposition. The British advanced direct upon the capital of the Mysore country, _Seringapatam_,[19] and Tippoo endeavoured to harass the march by skirmishes, and impede the progress of the troops by burning villages and laying waste the country. The regiment having entered upon active warfare, the Commanding Officer issued the following order:--'As the TWELFTH regiment, from having the honour to be the eldest King's regiment with the army, is more liable to be called on for immediate service than other corps, the Commanding Officer expects the Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Private Men, will be ready, night or day, to turn out at the shortest notice, and to parade under arms without noise or confusion. On all sudden alarms the light infantry is instantly to accoutre without waiting for orders, and to be in readiness to march whenever their services may be required.'