Battle of Bergen ( 1799 ) The Battle of Bergen , also called the " Battle of Bergen - Binnen " , was fought on 19 September 1799 , and resulted in a French - Dutch victory under General Brune and General Daendels against the Russians and British under the Duke of York who had landed in North Holland . The battlefield is marked by the Russisch Monument ( 1902 ) . Order of battle . The Duke of York landed on 15 September , and assumed the command of the army , which now amounted to about 30 , 000 men with 1 , 200 light cavalry . At this period the Allies possessed a superiority of force with which it was decided to strike a decisive blow as early as possible . The Dutch , numbering 12 , 000 , were in a strong position around Langedijk , somewhat in advance of the French , who , by drawing in all detachments , had raised their field strength to 10 , 000 men , who were positioned in Alkmaar , Bergen , Schoorl , and Egmond aan Zee . On 19 September the forces , under the Duke of York , formed in four columns , moved forward from Schagerbrug . The left column , commanded by Sir Ralph Abercromby , consisted of : Two squadrons 18th Light Dragoons . < br > Major - General the Earl of Chatham ’ s 7th Brigade ( 4th and 31st Foot ) . < br > Major - General Sir John Moore ’ s 4th Brigade ( 2 / 1st , 25th , 49th , 79th and 92nd Foot ) . < br > Major - General the Earl of Cavan ’ s 6th Brigade ( 1 / 20th , 2 / 20th and 63rd Foot ) . < br > Colonel Macdonald ' s Reserve : < br > The right column , commanded by Lieutenant - General Johann Hermann von Fersen , consisted of : Two squadrons 7th Light Dragoons . < br > Russian forces < br > Advance Guard : General Southoff < br > St . Petersburg Grenadier Regiment ( 1 battalion ) < br > 1st Division : General Jerepsoff < br > 1st Brigade : Colonel Count Fersen ( Jerepsoff Musketeer Regiment ( 1 ) , Fersen Musketeer Regiment ( 2 ) ) < br > 2nd Brigade : Colonel Dubianski ( Combined Grenadiers ( 3 ) ) < br > 2nd Division : Generallieutenant Ivan Essen < br > 1st Brigade : Generalmajor Sedmoratsky ( Sedmoratzky Musketeer Regiment ( 2 ) Combined Grenadiers ( 1 ) ) < br > 2nd Brigade : Generalmajor L . d ' Arbanov ( d ' Arbénief ) ( d ' Arbanov Musketeer Regiment ( 2 ) Combined Grenadiers ( 1 ) ) < br > 3rd Division : Generalmajor Emme ( Emme Infantry Regiment ( 2 ) , Combined Grenadiers ( 2 ) ) < br > Artillery < br > Kaptzevitch Artillery Regiment < br > Cavalry < br > Gladki & Shladoff Hussar Regiments ( 4 squadrons ) < br > Don & Ural Cossacks ( 6 squadrons ) < br > Major - General Manners ’ 9th Brigade ( 1 / 9th , 2 / 9th and 56th Foot ) . The left - centre column , commanded by Lieutenant - General Sir James Pulteney , was composed of : Two squadrons 11th Light Dragoons . < br > Major - General George Don ’ s 5th Brigade ( 1 / 7th , 2 / 17th , 1 / 40th and 2 / 40th Foot ) . < br > Major - General Eyre Coote ’ s 3rd Brigade ( 2nd , 27th , 29th and 85th Foot ) . The right - centre column , under Lieutenant - General Dundas , consisted of : Two squadrons 11th Light Dragoons . < br > Major - General D ' Oyley ' s 1st Guards Brigade ( 3 / 1st Foot Guards and combined Guards grenadier companies ) . < br > Major - General Harry Burrard ' s 2nd Brigade ( 1st battalions of the Coldstream and 3rd Foot Guards ) . < br > Major - General H . R . H . Prince William ’ s 8th Brigade ( 1 / 5th , 2 / 5th and 2 / 35th Foot ) . Battle plan and terrain . The British and Russian commanders noticed that the Republicans had left their right uncovered , and a very strong position unoccupied . This would have been difficult to correct if the attack on that flank had been vigorously carried out . They had also left Amsterdam undefended on the only side by which it was accessible . The plan of operations was as follows : The left column was to turn the enemy ’ s right , on the Zuiderzee ; the right was to drive the enemy from the heights of Camperduin , and to seize Bergen ; the right - centre had to force the position at Warmenhuizen and Schoorldam , and to cooperate with the right column ; while the left - centre had to obtain possession of Oudkarspel , on the main road leading to Alkmaar . The enemy ’ s left was advantageously posted on the high sand hills which extend from the sea , in front of Petten , to the town of Bergen . The ground over which the centre columns had to move was intersected every three or four hundred yards by broad , deep , wet ditches and canals . The bridges across the few roads leading to the points of attack were destroyed , and obstacles had been carefully arranged . Action . Contrary to all reasonable expectations , the force under Sir Ralph Abercromby took no direct part in this action ; consequently the allied troops engaged amounted to no more than between 15 , 000 to 18 , 000 men . The corps under Sir Ralph Abercromby began their march on the evening of 18 September , but his advance was delayed by the bad state of the roads , and he arrived at Hoorn many hours later than was expected . The objectives that would have been gained by this column would have had a material effect on the result of the whole expedition , and could only be attempted while the Duke of York possessed the superior force . The battle was commenced by Russian forces , which had by 8 am , September 19 , obtained possession of Bergen . In vain did they expect support from their British allies , which had not even lined up for the battle , because the British and Russian commanders had neglected to synchronize their clocks . As a result Russian forces were rapidly encircled by the French , Hermann was made prisoner and his second - in - command Jerepsoff killed , while their troops were forced back through Bergen to Schoorl , which they also had to abandon . This village was retaken by Major - General Manners ’ Brigade , which was then reinforced by two battalions of Russians , by Major - General D ’ Oyley ’ s Brigade of Guards , and by the 35th Regiment , under Prince William . The action was renewed by these troops , who in their turn repulsed the enemy ; but a lack of ammunition and the exhausted state of the corps engaged in that part of the field obliged them to retire on Petten and the Zijpe Canal . The column under Lieutenant - General Dundas attacked the village of Warmenhuizen at dawn , where the enemy , with a large force of artillery , was strongly positioned . Three battalions of Russians , under Major - General Sedmoratsky , moving from Krabbendam , gallantly stormed the left of the village , with the 1st Regiment of Guards entering it on the right at the same time . The Grenadier battalion of Guards , the 3rd Regiment of Guards and the 2nd battalion 5th Regiment which had been previously detached to march upon Schoorldam to keep up the communication with Sir James Pulteney , were joined by the remainder of the column , which , after taking Warmenhuizen , had been reinforced by the 1st battalion 5th Regiment , and the whole moved forward and seized the village . They held it under artillery fire until the conclusion of the action . The left - centre column , though opposed by the bulk of the Batavian army , under General Daendels , had overcome all opposition and taken possession of Oudkarspel , thus securing the direct line of advance on Alkmaar . Sir Ralph Abercromby had equally well accomplished his task by capturing the town of Hoorn , on the coast of the Zuiderzee , and placing himself in a favourable position for completing the turning movement . However , in consequence of the partial failure on the right , it was considered necessary to recall all the troops and re - occupy the former position . The strength of the column which attacked Bergen would have been more than sufficient if it had been employed correctly . This column was numerically superior to the enemy , but it moved in mass in an intersected country , did not cover its flanks , and its operations having , contrary to order , been commenced long before daylight , its fire was probably more destructive to itself than to the enemy . That the other columns were not too weak for their tasks is shown by their having taken and held , until recalled , the points against which they had been directed . Losses . The losses on both sides were considerable : British : 6 officers , 2 sergeants , 109 rank - and - file killed ; 43 officers , 20 sergeants , 2 drummers , 345 rank - and - file , wounded ; 22 sergeants , 5 drummers , 463 rank - and - file , missing . < br > Russians : 1 , 741 non - commissioned officers , rank - and - file , and 44 officers , killed or captured . 1 , 225 , including 49 officers , wounded . < br > Republicans : 3 , 000 prisoners , including 60 officers . 16 guns taken . Aftermath . The newly appointed Russian Commander - in - Chief , Mikhail Kutuzov , who was rushing from St . Petersburg to assume command of Russian forces , learned about the debacle at Hamburg and , deeming the campaign to be doomed , promptly returned to Russia . The Republicans re - occupied all the positions from which they had been driven , and their general line of defence was now covered on the right by inundations , the only roads across which were covered by field works . The space between Alkmaar and the Zuiderzee was thus rendered defensible by small numbers , and Amsterdam was secured on the land side . The remainder of the army , which had been reinforced , was concentrated between the Langedijk and the sea , and the post of Oudkarspel was strengthened by additional works , and by inundations . Schoorldam and Koedijk were also fortified . The next major engagement took place at Castricum on 6 October . The above text is an extract from an article compiled by the British Army ' s " Intelligence branch of the Quartermaster - General ' s department " in 1884 .