In May 175, they were stationed at the Isle of Wight, after the British allies, the Prussians, asked them to come. They were to raid small areas of France and to put off pirates from raiding. They were also to distract the French Imperial Army to help the Prussians who were hard pressed at the time.
The 68th were sent to the French Coast on 7 August in the Bay of Urevillie. The troops left on 16 August. They were sent to Lunaire bay on the 3rd of September. They were defeated by a concentrated French force and were forced to retreat. It is believed the British lost up to 1500 men (killed or captured). Many of the injured died on the journey back to England due to infection on the ships.
When they landed in England, the 68th had to provide 173 men to the 61st Regiment Of Foot. They therefore had few men left and searched the countryside for new recruits. In March 1760, the 68th was forced to send 600 men to the West Indies. That left the 68th with only 58 rankers.
Very little happened until July 1763, when the regiment was shipped to Ireland.
On 2 June 1974, the regiment left Ireland with 250 privates. They and arrived at Antigua on 21 June. Eight years passed until six companies from the 68th were sent to fight rebellious Caribs in St. Vincent.
In March 1773. the regiment went back to Britain. In May 1774, they went to Scotland and Fort George. In December 1775, they returned to Ireland. The regiment spent seven and a half years in Ireland.
In 1779. one of its former officers, James Hackman, was hanged for the murder of Martha Ray.
The 68th left Ireland for Portsmouth in September with 793 men. News of the Peace of Paris caused some in the regiment to rebel.
After guarding prisoners of war, in October the regiment was sent to Jersey and Guernsey. It left and went to Britain in June 1784. It left for Gibraltar in early October 1785.
The 68th's stay in Gibraltar was uneventful. The regiment was sent to the islands of Martinique, Saint Lucia and Grenada, where they fought runaway slaves. They returned to Britain in September.
In late November, the two battalions separately went to the West Indies. They arrived in 1801 between between late January and March, to be put on Martinique, Barbados, The Saints and Dominica. The Treaty of Amiens was signed in 1802. They went back to St Lucia and Martinique to the French. However war broke out again in May 1803. In June, the 68th was sent to retake St. Lucia. In February 1805, having lost 500 dead and 170 injured, the 68th returned to England. The regiment was moved to St. Vincent, and in April to Antigua.
The 68th regiment spent the winter in Ripon. By December 1807, they received recruits and other soldiers that helped to bring the numbers of soldiers to 436. They stayed in Yorkshire. While in Hull, they were told to become a light infantry regiment.
Walcheren was invaded by an army of nearly 40,000 men in 15 brigades. This was an attempt to destroy a French fleet and to turn Napoleon's attention from Austria to them. They landed on 30 July. On 1 August, with the 85th Regiment Of Foot, they pursued their opponents to the walls of Flushing, which fell after the siege on 15 August. The regiment left in December to go to Deal.
In February 1811, while three companies were in civilians houses, some officers and soldiers attacked some townspeople who were insulting them. This resulted in the court-martial, of the officers, and two Lieutenants becoming "prisoners of the civil power". In June 1811, the regiment was sent to Portugal.
The 68th landed in Lisbon on 27 June. By 17 July, it joined the 7th Division. For the rest of the year, the regiment marched around Northern Portugal and Spain. As the march progressed, so did the number of sick men. Up to 25 men died every month throughout 1812. Despite regular reinforcements arriving, the regiment never had more than 300 men fit for active duty. In January 1812, the regiment deployed with the 7th Division as a reserve whilst the army captured Cuidad Ridrigo. On 16 March, it was a reserve for the capture of Badajoz. However they were not needed in either case and didn't get into any combat.
On 2 June, the regiment marched with the 7th Division into Spain. They held a position near Salamanca. The regiment was later reinforced with a company of Brunswick Oels. The regiment was then ordered to defend the village of Moresco. They barricaded all entrances to the village and fought off French attacks until nightfall.
Early on 22 July, the 68th and 2nd Cacadores fought with French Voltiguers. They later held the hill until they were relieved by the 95th Regiment in the afternoon. The 68th marched with the 7th Brigade in the battle. It was a defeat for the French. On 12 August, the 68th and 51st were the first regiments to march into Madrid. On 13 August, the 68th, 51st and Chasseurs Britanniques attacked fortified buildings holding up to 200 French troops who surrendered the next day. In September, Wellington's army besieged Burgos whilst the 68th were at Olmos covering the attackers.
The regiment went into winter quarters at Paços de Baixo and Paços de Cima in December. Due to its weakened state with only 235 men fit for duty and 247 sick, it was briefly threatened with being combined with another weak regiment into a Provisional Battalion. However, by April 1813 it had 429 men fit with only 97 sick.
They began the march into Spain in early May.
Wellington arrived in the area of Vitoria on 20 June. The 7th division, with the 3rd formed the left centre column of the attack the next day. They moved south across the River Zadorra. After advancing east, they came under heavy cannon and musket fire:
They took shelter in a ditch 200 yards from the French guns. While the commander of the Column hesitated, Vandeleur's brigade arrived, they both advanced forward. That night they camped.
In July 1813, the British advanced to Pyrenees. Most of the French army retreated back to France to be organized by Soult. Soult launched 2 assaults on Spain on 25 July. After marching between Pamplona and Mt Achiola the regiment, with the Inglis's brigade, attacked the French on a hill near Urroz. With the help of Chasseurs Britanniques, they pushed the French from the hill. On 2 August, the 7th Division, with the 4th and part of the Light Division, attacked the weak centre of the remains of Soult's Corps. At the end of the month, Soult tried to take back San Sebastian. When they learned of the failure of the main attack, the French retired.
In October, Wellington crossed into France. On 10 November, he attacked the position Soult had been building defences in for 3 months. The 68th and the brigade took a number of forts, at Sare and met some resistance from the French. Col. Inglis wrote 'The 68th made the attack with its usual vivacity...'. As the army went into winter quarters, the regiment had only 197 men.
By the start of the next offensive in February 1814, they had 258 Soldiers.
The 7th Division advanced across the Nive and took positions South of the Adour, to turn Soult's attention from Wellington's main effort to them. On 27 February, the division reached Orthez after crossing the River. They attacked Soult's right, behind the 4th Division. The 68th, 82nd and the Chasseurs Britanniques charged the 4th Division, and forced them out.
On 8 March, the 4th and 7th Divisions went north. They entered Bordeaux on 12 March. They stayed there for the rest of the month near the French troops. Napoleon abdicated on 12 April. The Regiment went back to Ireland arriving on the 26th.
While in Malta, in February 1854, the regiment was sent to war.
On 7 August, the Regiment, with fewer than 900 men, went to Bekios bay on Bosporus. They arrived there on 12 August. They were sent to Varna on 1 September. They were sent near Eupatoria in the Crimea on 14 September. Two companies from the 68th were sent to escort Lord Raglan.