Battle of Ramillies their disastrous defeat at Blenheim in 1704, the next year brought the French some respite. The Duke of Marlborough had intended the 1705 campaign – an invasion of France through the Moselle valley – to complete the work of Blenheim and persuade King Louis XIV to make peace but the plan had been thwarted by friend and foe alike. The reluctance of his Dutch allies to see their frontiers denuded of troops for another gamble in Germany had denied Marlborough the initiative but of far greater importance was the Margrave of Baden’s pronouncement that he could not join the Duke
Charles O'Brien, 5th Viscount Clare 20 September 1703, the unit took part in the successful Battle of Hochstedt, better known as the Battle of Blenheim and a year later was involved with the unsuccessful battle on 13 August 1704, at the second Battle of Blenheim. Although Clare’s Regiment experienced ups and downs, they were always admired. Two months after Blenheim, Charles rose to the brevet rank of Marshal-de-Camp on 26 October 1704, and a year later Lord Clare was assigned to the Army of the Moselle under the Marshel de Villars. Clare’s Regiment fought in the disastrous Battle of Ramillies on 23 May 1706, where