When the army took the field to serve the campaign of 1695, the TWENTY-FIRST were left in garrison at Deinse, where some stores of provision were formed. King William undertook the siege of Namur, and the regiment was directed to join the covering army under the Prince of Vaudemont; but it subsequently returned to Deinse, of which place its colonel, Brigadier-General O'Farrell, was commandant. The French commander, Marshal Villeroy, detached a strong body of troops, under the Marquis of Feuqueres, to reduce the town of _Deinse_ where the NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS were stationed. This town was situate on the river Lys; it was only slightly fortified, and in many places there was only an entrenchment and some palisades as defensive works; eight pieces of cannon were the only ordnance in the town. Under these circumstances Brigadier-General O'Farrell considered it impossible to make a successful defence of the place, and he surrendered on the 21st of July without having fired a shot. The FUSILIERS became prisoners of war on this occasion. Brigadier-General O'Farrell was afterwards tried by a general court-martial, and cashiered: and King William conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on Colonel Robert Mackay, from a Scots corps, which was afterwards disbanded. After the surrender of Namur, the regiment rejoined the allied army, and was again stationed at Bruges. [Sidenote: 1696] From Bruges the regiment proceeded to the camp at Marykirk, and it served the campaign of 1696 with the army of Brabant: in the autumn it went into village cantonments. [Sidenote: 1697] In December, Colonel Robert Mackay died; and on the 1st of January, 1697, King William conferred the colonelcy of the regiment on Lieut.-Colonel Archibald Row, from the Sixteenth foot. Quitting its village quarters on the 13th of March, 1697, the regiment entered upon the operations of another campaign. While the troops were in the field, negotiations for a general peace commenced at Ryswick, and the treaty was signed in September. Thus the British monarch witnessed his efforts for the liberties of Europe, and for the preservation of the balance of power in Christendom, attended with success. The regiment returned to Scotland during the winter, and was stationed there during the remainder of King William's reign. [Sidenote: 1702] Queen Anne succeeded to the throne on the 8th of March, 1702; and the French monarch, having violated the conditions of existing treaties, by procuring the accession of his grandson, Philip, Duke of Anjou, to the throne of Spain, war was declared against France soon afterwards. At the commencement of hostilities the NORTH BRITISH FUSILIERS were selected to proceed on foreign service, and they embarked from Scotland for Holland, to serve with the allied army commanded by the Earl of Marlborough. The regiment did not join the army immediately on its arrival in Holland, but was stationed some time at Breda, and in September it marched towards Flanders.