Editing Isaac Brock (section)

===First command===
Brock purchased the rank of [[Lieutenant-Colonel (United Kingdom)|lieutenant-colonel]] for £3,000 in October 1797.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=14059|pages=1023–1024|date=24 October 1797}}</ref> He served as the acting [[commanding officer]] of the 49th Foot for several months, and officially assumed command of the regiment on 22 March 1798 with the retirement of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Keppel.{{sfn|Riley|2011}}

[[File:Landing Calantsoog.jpg|thumb|''Landing of the English Troops at Calantsoog'' by Dirk Langendyck, 1799]]In 1799, during the [[War of the Second Coalition]], the 49th Foot was assigned to the [[Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland|Anglo-Russian expedition]] against the [[Batavian Republic]]. The 49th Foot were attached to Major General [[John Moore (British soldier)|John Moore's]] 4th Brigade, part of the [[Division (military)|division]] commanded by Lieutenant General Sir [[Ralph Abercromby]]. The expedition faced minimal opposition when they landed at [[Callantsoog]], south of [[Den Helder]] on 27 August. Brock first saw combat when the 49th Foot helped fend off a French attack on 10 September. On 19 September, the 4th Brigade captured [[Hoorn]] without a shot but withdrew from the city shortly thereafter.{{sfn|Riley|2011}}

On 2 October, the 49th Foot was actively involved in heavy combat at the [[Battle of Alkmaar (1799)|Battle of Alkmaar]]. During the battle, the 4th Brigade served as the vanguard of a column that steadily proceeded south along the beach from [[Petten]] towards [[Egmond aan Zee]]. As it advanced, the column was increasing harassed by French [[sharpshooter]]s hiding in patches of thick scrub. Eventually, the French blocked the advance by taking up a strong position in the sand dunes overlooking the beach. Moore's brigade was ordered to dislodge the French from their position with a bayonet charge.{{sfn|Riley|2011}} In a letter to his brother Brock wrote that he "ordered a charge, which I assure you was executed with the greatest gallantry, though not in the greatest order, as the nature of the ground admitted of none."<ref name=Tupper13>[[#refTupper1847|Tupper (1847)]] p. 13</ref>

The engagement continued for several hours until the French finally gave way and the British were able to push forward. By the end of the day the 49th Foot had suffered 33 killed including 2 officers, 56 wounded, and 24 missing. Brock himself was injured during the fighting when he was hit in the throat by a spent [[musket]] ball. His neck cloth prevented a possibly fatal injury.{{sfn|Riley|2011}} Brock wrote, "I got knocked down shortly after the enemy began to retreat, but never quitted the field, and returned to my duty in less than half an hour."<ref name=Tupper13/>

[[File:Nelson Forcing the Passage of the Sound, 30 March 1801, prior to the Battle of Copenhagen RMG BHC0522.tiff|thumb|''Nelson Forcing the Passage of the Sound, 30 March 1801, prior to the Battle of Copenhagen'' by Robert Dodd.]]

The 49th Foot returned to Great Britain at the end of October, and garrisoned Jersey for several months beginning in July 1800. Early in 1801, the regiment was chosen to act as marines for a naval expedition against Denmark. The 49th Foot was tasked with assaulting the forts at [[Copenhagen]], however, the outcome of the [[Battle of Copenhagen (1801)|naval battle]] made such action unnecessary. Brock sailed aboard the 74-gun [[HMS Ganges (1782)|''HMS Ganges'']] commanded by Captain [[Thomas Fremantle (admiral)|Thomas Fremantle]], with the rest of the regiment distributed on seven other ships. One of these ships, [[HMS Monarch (1765)|''HMS Monarch'']], suffered the highest number of fatalities during the battle, including eight members of the 49th Foot.{{sfn|Riley|2011}}