He served in the West Indies and North America before being promoted a captain in the Coldstream Guards in 1783.
[2] In 1792 he was promoted captain and lieutenant-colonel and went with the Guards Brigade as part of the 1793 Flanders Campaign under General Lake.
He was present at the actions of Caesar's Camp, Famars, and Lincelles, and at the battles of Hondschoote, Lannoy, Turcoing, and Tournay, remaining with his corps throughout the campaign.
[1] He was present with the Guards during the Irish Rebellion of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, and commanded the 1st Battalion, Coldstream Guards in the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland of 1799 and at the defeat at Bergen in September of that year.
In 1800 he was in Egypt in command of a brigade of cavalry and was promoted major-general on New Year's Day, 1801.