"In considering the consequences of this eventful day, we cannot but applaud the foresight of Marlborough, who before the opening of the campaign had so earnestly pressed for a powerful augmentation of troops. He was conscious that the French were prepared to make their final effort in the Netherlands, and that he should have to contend with a far greater force than he had yet encountered. The battle proved that his calculations were well founded, and that an additional number of 10,000 men on that eventful day would have more contributed to the advancement of peace, than all the efforts of the ablest negotiators in Europe. The Allies, indeed, remained masters of the field; but the laurels of their two great commanders were deeply tinged with blood, and the result of the campaign was far from being commensurate with the sacrifice of so many valuable lives." Of the springing valour displayed by the enemy on the day of Malplaquet there can be no question, and a distinguished French officer wrote to a correspondent at the time:-- "The Eugenes and Marlboroughs ought to be well satisfied with us during that day; since till then they had not met with resistance worthy of them. They may say, with justice, that nothing can stand before them; and, indeed, what shall be able to stem the rapid course of these two heroes, if an army of 100,000 of the best troops, posted between two woods trebly entrenched, and performing their duty as well as any brave men could do, were not able to stop them for one day? Will you not then own with me, that they surpass all the heroes of former ages?" Early in 1710 the regiment was joined by a remount of 100 men and horses from Scotland, and marching from its cantonments, encamped on high ground near Tournay. In the afternoon of April 20th it was again on the march, and formed part of the First Division of the Allied Army which forced the enemy's fortified lines at Pont-à-Vendin on the 21st, and encamped at night on the plain of Lens; and afterwards helping in covering the siege of Douay, a strong town on the river Scarpe, and finally was stationed at Pont-à-Nache. While here, the Duke of Marlborough, by special commission from Queen Anne, invested its Colonel--the Earl of Stair--with the Order of the Thistle. On May 10th the enemy made a sudden sally from Fort Scarpe to take the bread waggons going to the Allies; but reaching Pont-à-Nache, their career was suddenly stopped by a squadron of the Greys, and two squadrons of the Royal Irish Dragoons, who came sweeping up the plain at full gallop, and routing the enemy in an instant, chased them with heavy loss under the cannon of the fort. Lieutenant-Colonel Caldwell, of the Royal Irish Dragoons, who commanded the three squadrons, was wounded in the pursuit.