ritish about 1,000
men. Sir Ralph Abercromby, having become master of the point, or
peninsula, of the Helder, completed his landing, entrenched his advanced
posts toward the right, and occupied with his left the point of the
Helder, and the batteries there which had been evacuated. In these
positions he awaited the arrival of the second division, under the Duke
of York, the commander-in-chief, which remained in England until news
were received of the landing of the first on the coast of Holland. These
two divisions were composed of thirty battalions of infantry, of 600 men
each, 500 cavalry, and a fine train of artillery.[7] During this
campaign, Lieut.-Colonel Brock distinguished himself in command of his
regiment, which, on the 2d of October, in the battle of Egmont-op-Zee,
or Bergen, had Captain Archer and Ensign Ginn killed; and Major
Hutchinson, Captains Sharp and Robins, Lieutenant Urquhart and Ensign
Hill, wounded; Lieutenant Johnston missing, and supposed to be killed,
exclusive of nearly one hundred non-commissioned officers and privates
killed and wounded.[8] In this action, Lieut.-Colonel Brock was slightly
wounded, although his name does not appear in the returns; and his life
was in all probability preserved by his wearing, as the weather was very
cold, a stout cotton handkerchief over a thick black silk cravat, both
of which were perforated by a bullet, and which prevented its entering
his neck: the violence of the blow was, however, so great, as to stun
and dismount him. The following letter contains some interesting
particulars relative to this campaign, and the part taken in it by the
49th.

_Lieutenant-Colonel Brock, 49th regiment, to his brother, brevet
Lieutenant-Colonel John Brock, 81st regiment, at the Cape of Good Hope_.

"LONDON, November 26, 1799.

"I was pretty constant in my correspondence with you whilst the
regiment was quartered at Portsmouth, and no opportunity
offered from thence direct to the Cape without taking letters
and newspapers from either Savery or myself, and often from
both; but the very active and busy life I have passed since put
an end to all such communications. Knowing, however, that you
will be gratified in hearing from my own pen the various
incidents which have occurred since that time, I proceed to
give you the substance of them. You will have seen in the
public prints that the 49th embarked among the first regiments