He saw distinguished service during the War of the Spanish Succession. As a captain, he led the forlorn hope of the 1st Foot Guards at the Battle of Schellenberg in 1704, and was one of the few to survive that bloody assault. Shortly thereafter, he helped lead another furious assault at the Battle of Blenheim and lost his left arm. On 25 August 1704, he was made colonel of the Scots Fuzileers in place of Brigadier Archibald Rowe, killed in the attack at Blenheim. On 26 June 1706 he exchanged regiments with Sampson de Lalo, then colonel of the 28th regiment, but resumed the colonelcy of the Scots Fuzileers in 1709 when de Lalo was killed at the Battle of Malplaquet.