the Burying-place of St. Levinus a Scotch Man and sometimes Bishop of Ghendt a Martyr beheaded there as the Legend will have it and buried in this Church as we came up to our Ground in this Camp it being all high Trees and Inclosures a Party of about 100 French were surpriz'd Prisoners between our two Lines the Defiles being such here that one Line could not see the other The next day the Army march'd and pass'd the Scheld at Gavre a little Town belonging to the Count d' Egmont where he has an old ruinous Palace which gives him the Title of Prince of Gavre the other side of the Scheld between this River and the Lys is all close Ground full of Trees belonging to the Count d' Egmont which made such difficult Defiles that the Army cou'd march but very slowly this made the French before-hand with us in their passage of the Scheld between Audenarde and Tournay in this March before we came upon the Scheld we had a very fine prospect of the whole Province of Flanders which on the other side of the Scheld is all a perfect Level not as much as a Hill to be seen so that the Hills on the Brabant-side give a full view and prospect of it we had the Town of Audenarde and the Hills and Plains of Tournay upon our Left Ghendt upon our Right and before us all the Low Flanders which gave us such a Prospect that we cou'd see as far as Bruges and Antwerp this Night we encamp'd amongst the Woods between the Scheld and the Lys the King taking his Head-Quarter at Nassaret The Army march'd towards the Lys being now joyn'd by that Detachment as was made at Genap under the Command of Count Horn Master of the Dutch Artillery we had a very difficult March through the Defiles till we pass'd the Lys at Deynse which was very late in the Evening tho' but a short March by reason of the narrowness of the ways the Army encamp'd late at Night on the other side of the River the King took his Quarter at Grammen and the Elector of Bavaria in the Town of Deynse situated upon the Lys about three Leagues higher than Ghendt and gives the Title to the Marquess Deynse Colonel of a Walloon Regiment as we reliev'd at Damme The Saturday following we were joyn'd by three Regiments of Horse lately come from England viz. that as was Sir John Lanier's now Col. Lumley's my Lord of Athlone and Col. Schack's who then took their Post in the Line The Mareschal of Luxemburg marching as we did to observe our motions came about the same time with his Army to Harlebec where he encamp'd between that place and Courtray along the Lys Luxemburg made the more hast to cover Courtray a place which lies open all the Summer and which the French have hitherto pallisado'd and fortify'd every Winter for a Garrison and of which we might have otherwise possess'd ourselves and made it a Winter-Quarter for our Troops here Luxemburg lay ready likewise to cover Ipres or Dunkirk in case the Army had march'd that way The King order'd this day a Detachment of Six Regiments towards the Canal of Bruges five being English and Scotch viz. Bath Castleton Mackay Graham and Leven and the Sixth Major-General Wey's Regiment of Dutch commanded by Count d' Ohna this Detachment march'd accordingly towards the Canal of Bruges and pass'd it about half way between Bruges and Ghendt upon a Bridge of Boats and encamp'd the other side of the Canal under the Command of Brigadier Ramsey the next day the said Detachment continu'd their March towards Bruges and encamp'd within a quarter of a mile of that place about Katarina Port where they halted the next day to expect Lieutenant General Talmash who was detached the 22d of August O. S. Sept. 1. N. S. from the Army with five Battalions most English and Scotch viz. his own of Guards Second Battalion of Scotch Guards Col. Trelawney English Fuziliers commanded by Col. Fitz-Patrick and that Regiment as was Col. Hodges now Col. Stanley's who came up to Bruges by the same Road as Brigadier Ramsey's Detachment had march'd and encamp'd just under the Walls The same day the Dutch Regiment commanded by Count d' Ohna march'd through Bruges and joyn'd four Dutch Regiments of the Garrison of Bruges and Sluys who were put under the Command of Major-General Count de Noyelles who march'd the same day towards Newport This Day the aforesaid Detachment of ten English and Scotch Battalions under the Command of Lieutenant-General Talmash march'd through the Town of Bruges and so kept along the Canal of Ostend till they came to Placendael where we turn'd to the Left upon the Canal of Newport and so encamp'd at Oudembourg an old ruinous Town about half a League from Placendael where the Canal of Newport falls into that of Ostend and so goes on to Bruges there are still some ruinated Ramparts about the Abbey of St. Pierre in this old Town of the Order of St. Benoist where Lieutenant General Talmash took his Quarters for that Night This Detachment of ten Battalions from the King's Army under the Command of Lieutenant-General Talmash was sent to joyn the Duke of Leinster who on the 22d Aug. O. S. Sept. 1. N. S. came with the Transport-Ships under the Convoy of a Squadron of our Men of War into Ostend Harbour having on board fifteen Regiments viz. Selwyn Beaumont Hastings Sir David Collier Tiffeny West-Meath Brewer Venner Sir John Morgan Lloyd Beveridge Earl of Argyle La Meloniere Belcastel and Cambon these Troops as they landed march'd to Mariekirk about a League from Ostend towards Newport where they encamp'd some days to refresh themselves the Duke of Leinster at his landing order'd a Detachment of Colonel Lieutenant Colonel Major Officers and Men proportionable out of his Transport-Troops to keep Guard at all the Passes along the Canal from Placendael to Newport The Detachment under the Command of Lieutenant-General Talmash march'd from Oudenbourg along the Canal of Newport and so came to Newendam a square Fort within half a League of Newport where there is a Spanish Governor and a small Garrison detach'd from time to time from the Garrison of Newport Majer-General Count de Noyelles who was since Bruges still a days march before us enter'd this day into Furnes without any opposition with the five Dutch Regiments under his Command and took possession of the place This Town lies upon a Canal between Newport and Berg St Winnox within two Leagues of Newport three of Berg St. Winnox and about five from Dunkirk and in all the Wars between the two Crowns since Dunkirk and Berg have been in the French hands this Town has still serv'd for a Winter-Quarter to the French which in the Spring they still abandon'd to have their Garrison in the Field and return'd their Pallisades to Berg or Dunkirk and in the Winter they took care to fortifie it so as
overtake the Enemies Rear returned the same day to Halle We Forag'd this day and the Detachment was put under the Command of my Lord of Athlene who being informed that several of the Enemy lay in Ambuscade in a Wood to steal our Horses he ordered a Party to beat the Wood where Captain Rowland Maikenzy of that Regiment as was Sir Robert Dowglas's now my Lord George Hamilton's made Twenty Prisoners who begg'd very eernestly for Quarter though Orders had been to give none This day the Chevalier de Grandval Knight of Malta Bartholomew Lanier by Name born at Liniere in Picardy was Hang'd Drawn and Quarter'd according to the English Punishment for Traytors in the midst of our Camp for having conspir'd to assassinate the King with Du Mont and Levendael the first having discovered the business as we have said before to the Duke of Zell and the second to his Brother in Holland They were confronted as Witnesses of the Fact which Grandval himself confessed and own'd This Grandval had before kill'd the Mareschal de Humiere's Nephew in a Duel and as there is no mercy in France for such Men he was oblig'd to fly to the Duke of Savoy's Country for shelter where in the beginning of the War he took Service But Monsieur de Catenat finding this Grandval Serviceable to the Duke of Savoy represented it to the French King and desired him to give him his Pardon being assured under-hand that he would quit the Duke's Service if he had it Accordingly upon Catinat's Request Grandval had the Kings Pardon and thus left the Duke of Savoy and came to Catinat's Army where he was immediately preferr'd to be Major of Dragoons and Adjutant General Du Mont having been formerly an Officer in the States Service and disoblig'd I think cashier'd by our King he was resolved to attempt a Revenge by the assassinate of his Sacred Person accordingly he made the Motion to the then Marquess de Louvois and this was designed to be executed in 91. when the King was in the Field either upon the March of our Army or at some other time when the King rid abroad to view some Posts The Marquess de Louvous pitched upon this Grandval to bring the Assassin off who was to command a Detachment of some stout desperate Fellows for that purpose For Louvois thought this Man fit for the purpose since he had been so desperate as to fight a Duel contrary to the strictest Orders of the French King and in which there was no hopes of Mercy and also because he had been so much obliged by the French King in having his Pardon in a case in which the French King had never pardoned before and therefore he lay under some Obligation to undertake this honourable Employment But Du Mont and Grandval missing of their Design that Campaign and the Marquess de Louvois dying some time after it was laid by and Du Mont retired to Hanover Barbesieux however finding this Project in his Fathers Papers would not let it fall but sent for Grandval who accordingly entred into a new Negotiation with Du Mont by Letters at Hanover and took with him a third Associate Levendael at Paris and appointed their meeting to execute their Enterprize at Endhoven near Boisleduc I need not say any more Particulars I refer my self to the Factum printed in several Languages by Authority to let the World know so horrible a Villany and what the French Court will not attempt though it be never so base and unworthy to rid themselves of a powerful Enemy and far more base and horrible than those Designs laid against the Life of William I. Prince of Orange his Sacred Majesty's Glorious Ancestor as this was carried with a Hellish Secresie whereas the King of Spain had by a publick Proscription laid a Price upon the Prince's Life These Traytors were invited to this more than Hellish Conspiracy by the Prospect of vast Rewards promised them both by the late King and Barbesieux as has appeared by their own Confession and Grandval's own Letter to Mademoiselle Juré wherein he desired her to wait upon the Archbishop of Rheins to acquaint him that he had obeyed the Marquess de Barbesieux's Orders at the Expence of his Life My Lord of Athlone General of the Dutch Horse was President at the Council of War where he was Try'd assisted by Sgravenmoor Sir John Lanier and Talmash and Mackay Lieutenant Generals La Forest de Weede Noyelles Zobell Major Generals Churchill and Ramsey Brigadiers But the business of Steenkirk cut off two of the General Officers present at the Council of War before the passing of Sentence so that their Names are not Sign'd in it viz. Lanier and Mackay The Sentence was passed and read Monday the 11 th of August at the Camp at Lembeck and Executed the Wednesday following This day the Army decamp'd from Nostredame de Halle and marched to St. Quinten Lenneck a place remarkable only for the Retrenchments which remain there which Prince Waldeck caused to be made sometime before the Army's breaking up in 1690. and the next day we came to Ninove the first Town in Flanders scituated upon the River Dender which passing by Alost falls into the Scheld at Dendermond The French were at the same time encamp'd between Grammont in Dutch Geersberg and Lessines both upon the same River about two Leagues higher The King took his Quarter in the Abbey of the Town of the Order of Premonstre or St. Norbet and the Elector at a Gentlemans House not far from the Town The Kings Quarter lying something too open in this Camp in the Front of our Army all the English and Scotch Granadiers were order'd to encamp about the King's Quarters to cover it The day before this last March viz. the â—th the Second Battalion of the first Regiment of Guards my Lord Cutts's and the Prince of Hesse's Regiments were sent to Mecklen having suffer'd very much in the late Engagement Three Dutch Regiments who suffer'd at the same time were commanded towards Maestricht All the heavy Baggage of the Army was commanded towards Ghendt under the Convoy of Four Danish Battalions who had suffered at Steenkirk and were ordered there to quarter They were the Battalion of Danish Guards the Queens Prince Christians and the Finland Battalions This was in order to the Armies marching the next day towards the Scheld The Ways being difficult and the Defilés many the heavy Baggage was ordered to Ghendt The next day being St. Lewis's day the Army march'd from Ninove The French at the same time decamp'd from Grammont and Lessines to pass the Scheld as soon as we this being their Patron Saint and reckoned amongst them as a Fortunate day Our Left Flank laid very open all this day's March if they had pleased to attack it but they thought it not convenient and so we came and encamped in very close Grounds at St. Levinus Haltheim a pretty large Village and considerable chiefly for
to hold a Garrison for Winter-Quarters It is about the bigness of Ostend and has in it a Parish-Church a Collegiate Church of Secular Priests the Dean whereof is a French-man two Cloysters of Nuns one of Capucins and an Abbey of White Monks of Premonstré or the Order of St. Norbert and is in the Diocess of Ipres Lieutenant-General Talmash with the Detachment under his Command march'd from Newendam and came to Furnes in Dutch called Vuernes and encamp'd close by it and a day or two after the Boars that had been summon'd about Ghendt and Bruges with their Spades and Shoovels and other Instruments to remove the Earth and had been commanded hither began to work about the Fortifications being about 2 or 3000 Col. Cambon being Engineer nothing new was added to the Fortifications but only we renewed those Works as the French had ruin'd when they left it the beginning of this Campaigne The Duke of Leinster came likewise with the Transport-Troops and encamp'd at Oost Dunkirk about a Mile from Talmash's Detachment and at the same time he was joyn'd by a Detachment from the great Army of about thirty Squadrons of Horse under the Command of Brigadier Boncourt so that now we made a Body of about Sixteen thousand Men besides the Garrison of Furnes We made Detachments and Parties almost every Night towards Dunkirk but without meeting any of the Enemy's and assoon as we had put the Body of that place in a condition to hold an Assault pallisadoed it and cleans'd the Ditch we left the Boars to repair the rest of the Works under the cover of the Garrison we likewise left some Artillery to put upon the Ramparts and so march'd to Dixmuyde the Battalion of Guards Selwyn's and the Fuziliers and some other Regiments having been sent over Night to possess themselves of the place which was put per Interim under the Command of Brigadier Ramsey Upon our March the Fort of Knock fir'd three Pieces of Cannon suppos'd to give Notice to the French of our march that way This is a little square Fort scituated upon the River that comes to Dixmuyde about a League and a half and is very advantagiously posted upon a considerable Pass between Ipres Dixmuyde Furnes Berg and Dunkirk the Canals between Ipres and those places meeting all here so that the taking of this Fort would have cut off the Communication between Ipres Berg and Dunkirk and would have cover'd very much our Garrison of Dixmuyde which did lie now very open by the Neighbourhood of this Fort. 'T was suppos'd we had a Design to attack it since our Train of Artillery Mortar-pieces and other things necessary for an Attack were brought by Water from Newport to Dixmuyde and that my Lords Portland and Auverquerque were sent from the King to the Duke of Leinster here which looked like a Consultation about some considerable Enterprize Besides Col. Cambon our Engenier was sent to view the place under the Escorte of a good Detachment of Horse The Fort fir'd upon them with their Canon but without any loss on our side But the French upon our March this way soon made a considerable Detachment from their Army to cover this place who encamp'd close under the Fort. When we came to Dixmuyde we encamp'd just by it in two Lines having our Right at Caeskirk where the Duke of Leinster had his Quarter our Left upon the Town and our Rear cover'd by the River Tser upon which this Town is scituated and which falls into the Sea at Newport This Town since the growing Power of France has suffer'd many Revolutions it was first taken for the French as I have been told by some ancient People of the Town by the Mareschal de Rantzaw before the Siege of Dunkirk and surrendred afterwards by Treaty to the Spaniards It was then of a far larger Extent than 't is now For in the Wars of 1672. the Count de Monterey then Governour of the Spanish Netherlands caused the Out Parts of the Town to be pulled down to bring it in a more convenient Compass for a Fortification and for a place of Defence and so fortify'd it after the manner as we find it now But sometime after the Spanish Garrison finding themselves very weak and the Enemy not far from them they quitted the Place I was told by the Inhabitants that it was about that time as Luxembourg was besieged All this War the French have had it in their Hands making a Garrison of it every Winter which with Furnes pressed Newport very much the Garrison making their Incursions upon the Canals and sometimes to the very Gates of Bruges Every Summer as they took the Field they pull'd down their Pallisadoes and sent them by Water to Ipres This Town has in it a Parish Church in which there is a Dean and some Secular Canons a Cloister of Recollects and two Nunneries and is in the Diocess of Ipres Just out of Ipres Port was formerly a Nunnery of the Order of St. Bernard which the Count de Monterey caused to be pulled down when he brought the Town in the Precinct of that Fortification it has now and gave the Nuns another Cloyster in exchange for it in Bruges We felt an Earthquake which lasted about two Minutes and shook the Earth very violently it was felt at the same time all over Flanders in many parts of England and France and in other places of Europe We had it about Two of the Clock it caus'd a great Consternation in our new Garrison of Dixmuyde some thinking at first that the French had undermin'd several parts of the Town and were in Ambuscade going to blow them up The same day the Duke of Leinster caused the Army to intrench which was mark'd out by Col. Cambon our Left and Rear being cover'd by the Town and the River Our Retrenchments were drawn from the Bridge upon the River along the Front of the Army and round our Right Wing till they came to joyn the River again Boufflers marching towards the Knock this Precaution was taken in case he would have endeavour'd to interrupt our Fortification of Dixmuyde About as many Boors were immediately upon our coming employ'd to repair the Works of this place as we left at Furnes We did not find the Fortification of this Town so far ruin'd as at Furnes and followed in it as there those Works as the Ruines prescribed without altering or making any new We only made the Ditch next the Body of the place larger to make our Bastions of a better height This Town has five Bastions on that part as is expos'd to an Attack that is from the Windmil between Ipres port and tho River to the Gate as leads to Bruges The West side of the Town is cover'd by the River to which it joyns by a Causey-way that leads to it where it has a Bridge cover'd on the out-side by a good Bastion and the inside with a square Sconce both ditch'd and
Throne of England to this end he causes an Army to march towards the Coasts of Normandy pretending at first that it was to secure his Coasts from a Descent of which they spoke very much in England and for which they made some Preparations This Army consisted of between 16 and 20000 Men both French and Irish which encamp'd at the Hogue a little Village by the Sea-side between the Cape of Barfleur and the Bay of Caen. The French King to cover this Invasion as well as to help the transport of his Troops made all possible diligence to set out his Fleet to execute this great Design before ours and the Dutch Fleet cou'd be in a readiness to joyn which probably might have been if a contrary Wind had not kept Vice-Admiral Count D' Estrees in the Mediterranean twenty one days together with the Toulon Fleet. The French King therefore seeing that Tourville had already staid so long for the Toulon Fleet that the English and Dutch were ready to joyn order'd Admiral Count De Tourville to sail with what Fleet he had ready and to enter the Channel the Troops being embark'd in Normandy and he only expected to transport them over to England with this Order Tourville came into the Channel with Fifty four Men of War making strait to Normandy to joyn the Transport-ships In the mean while every body wonder'd to see the King so unconcerned at Loo and his Kingdoms so nearly threatned with an Invasion every body thought that His Majesty would not be so sollicitous for the Safety of the Low Countries but that he would at least go over for England and look after the preservation of his own which may be was the very thing the French King would have and which he more design'd in this Project than the Restauration of King James for 't is very plain that His Majesty's Presence and his English Troops in the Spanish Netherlands put a great stop to his Proceedings whereas in the other War when the English were not in the Alliance Cambray Valenciennes and St. Omer would be the work but of a Month's Campaigne but now his Conquests cannot go on so fast in a Country which he pretends of Right to belong to the Dauphiné However tho' His Majesty was at Loo yet his Cares were not from England in this dangerous Conjuncture but he sent my Lord Portland who in this Voyage was accompany'd by his Son-in-Law the Earl of Essex over to England with some Instructions to the Queen to prevent this intended Invasion about which Her Majesty had already taken very effectual Cares in setting out our Fleet with all speed in raising the Militia of the Country and seizing such Persons as were most liable to suspicion in this matter His Majesty on this side of the Water took the same care of the Dutch Fleet and order'd Colonel Selwyn's Beveridge's and Lloyd's Regiments to be sent back to England to reinforce our Army there and likewise countermanded several Regiments of Horse which His Majesty had order'd over for Flanders Thus by the Cares of Their Majesties in England and Holland the two Fleets joyn'd time enough to oppose the execution of the French King's Designs upon England and sooner than His Most Christian Majesty expected for not thinking that the English and Dutch could be so soon joyn'd he order'd Monsieur Tourville to fight and engage with our Fleet where-ever he met it if they offer'd to oppose his Undertaking in England with that Number of Men of War he had then along with him which he afterwards did accordingly and I think pretty well to the French King's Cost Things began now to look with a little better aspect in England and to promise the French King but little success in his Invasion the English and Dutch Fleets being joyn'd and being in a better Condition than ever to do business considering the number and bigness of our Men of War and the Seamen they had on Beard whereas Tourville was in our Channel with about Fifty Four Men of War which could give us but little reason to fear his Undertaking This was the Posture of Affairs about the opening of the Campaign the King having left Loo and pass'd by Breda came to Duffel where his Majesty tarried two or three Days and the Elector of Bavaria went there to wait upon the King and to Complement him upon his Arrival in the Spanish Netherlands as well as to confer upon the present State of Affairs But the French Army growing daily in Number about Mons and the French King being come to head his Army in Person oblig'd the King to hasten to Brussels to forward the Rendezvous of our Forces which gathered part between Anderleck and Dilbeck having Anderleck upon the Left and the other part between Dendermonde and Ghendt under the Command of Major General Zuylesteyn and after a March or two they were joyn'd by Lieutenant General Mackay who took the Command of them The King coming to Brussels lay one Night at his own House l'autel d'Orange a Palace belonging of old to the Counts of Nassaw and Princes of Orange not far from the Court and which his Majesty has of late bestow'd upon Prince Vaudemont The next Day the King took his Quarters at Coukelbergh a little Chateau or Castle without Flanders Port where his Majesty remained till the marching of the Army from Brussels The French at this time gave us by their Motions equal Reasons to suspect Charleroy and Namur as the Place before which they would set to form a Siege wherefore the Elector of Bavaria order'd the Counts of Thian and Brouay the first to Namur to assist the Prince of Brabançon the Governour and the other to do the same thing at Charleroy with the Governour of that Place The Army having left Anderleck march'd this day through Brussels to Deegham towards Louvain whilst Lieutenant General Mackay with about 16000 English and Dutch which had rendezvous'd about Dendermonde and Ghendt came up very near the Army in order to joyn it the next March the French at this time leaving us but little reason to doubt but that Namur was the place they intended to attack This Day the Army march'd and came pretty near Louvain the King taking his Quarters at Bethlehem-Abbey This Day we were likewise Joyn'd with the Forces under the Command of Lieutenant General Mackay they incamping in the Line with the rest of the Army His Majesty was inform'd in this place of a Design against his Life which tho' it had miscarried the Year before was again set on foot by the same Persons viz. one Grandval Levendael and Du Mont of which we shall give an Account when we come to speak of the Execution of Grandval at Hall-Camp he being the only one of the Three that suffer'd the Punishment due to so villanous an Attempt The Second merited the King's Pardon by his discovering of the Plot to one of his Relations in Holland who immediately gave an
Douglas himself and the Party that made him Prisoner and they came to Town between Three and Four in the Morning Sir Robert Douglas and the other two Prisoners being come to Mons were treated with a great deal of Civility the Governour coming himself to give them a Visit and took them afterwards with him in his Coach to Dinner after he had given them the Liberty both of their Swords and the Town but they could not make much use of the latter by reason they were so much taken up in the Civilities of the Governour Intendant and Major that they had scarce time to see it but yet they saw enough to find that the Garrison was not in that case as had been represented that there was but two Swisse Companies in the place and five or six French Regiments that it was true that whilst we were upon the Mehaigne the Garrison had been weak but re-inforc'd upon our March to Mellé Whilst we were in this Camp six or seven days before we left it our heavy Baggage which we had sent to Arschot from the Camp at Park came to us under the Convoy of a Detachment of Horse and Dragoons that had been sent for that purpose The Corps de Reserve was order'd to march to Genap to guard the Train of Artillery which was sent before because the ill Weather which continued hitherto had made the ways so bad that 't was impossible for the Army and Artillery to march in the same day The whole Army follow'd the next day and incamp'd in the little Plains of Genap a very difficult and therefore strong Ground by reason of the Woods that are upon the Right and Left and the Bois de Sogne in our Rear and the Ground itself very unequal by reason of the many little Hills that are in some places very steep as we had in this Camp the Bois de Sognes in our Rear so we had the little River Dyle in our Front which rising something higher than this place goes through Genap and so to Louvain and Macklen and at length falls into the Scheld The King had his Head-Quarter at Genap our Right reaching to the Castle of Bromel where the Elector had his Quarter and was flank'd by the Corps de Reserve which fac'd thus to the Duke of Bavaria's Quarter the Left of the Army reaching to Boutauneuf At the same time as the Army march'd from Mellé to Genap Baron Fleming with the Brandenburg Forces and Count Cerclaes of Tilly with those of Liege were sent back to pass the Meuse to cover the Paiis de Liege which now lies quite open to the Enemy since the taking of Namur however by the Junction of the Newbourg Troops and those of the Elector of Cologne which were sent to joyn Fleming the Bishop of Liege's Country hath been so far secur'd that the French have not been able to undertake any thing in it and that we have possess'd ourselves of all the Winter-Quarters there by which means we shall be able to put Huy the next Garrison upon the Meuse in a good posture of defence against the next Campaign This day His Majesty took a Review of the Fifteen English Battalions of the Army in the Elector of Bavaria's Presence with which his Electoral Highness as well as His Majesty seem'd to be very well satisfied The English Battalions were Two of the First Regiment of Guards One of the Second Two of the Dutch Guards Churchil's Trelawney's Fufileers Bath's Hodges's Fitz-Patricks Castleton's Earl's Cutt's and the Prince of Hesse's Sir Robert Douglas came likewise to the Camp this day having his Liberty by paying his Ransom as likewise Col. O Farrel and Captain Sterling having been but three days Prisoners if Gentlemen can be call'd so when they were treated with so much Civility by the Governour of Mons and the Intendant of the place The next day His Majesty review'd the Danes and other Forreign Forces upon the English Establishment This day a Detachment was order'd of ten Regiments and a proportionable number of Horse under the Command of Count Horne General of the Dutch Artillery who march'd to Brussels and from thence to the Pais d' Alost and so to Ghendt where he incamp'd for some time just out of the Town towards the Canal of Bruges till we came to the Scheld this motion was made as is suppos'd to secure the Forrage of this Country for the latter end of the Campaigne This day likewise in the afternoon His Majesty in the Elector's Presence review'd the Scotch Infantry which consisted of ten Battalions viz. Two of the Guards two of Sir Robert Douglass's Lieutenant-General Mackay's Sir Charles Graham's Col. O Farrel's Earl of Angus's Earl of Leven's and Col. Lawder's most of them appearing very strong and full After that the French King had made himself Master of the Castle of Namur Luxemburg who with the Army under his Command had observ'd us to hinder our doing any thing for its Relief pass'd the Sambre not only to consume the Forrage there but also because we lay between him and Mons and therefore it was necessary that he should pass the Sambre to get between Mons and us where after he had incamp'd some time at St. Gerard and some other place he repass'd the Sambre above Charleroy at Bussiere and came to Soignes not far from Mons. We being to forrage this day the French made a Detachment from their Army to molest our Forragers thô others say that it was Boufflers who with his Camp volant was going back to repass the Sambre to observe Fleming whatever it was an advanced Detachment of theirs of about forty Men falling unawares amongst part of our Detachment that covered the Forragers who thereupon were all taken Prisoners their Design was discover'd and the Forragers were all immediately order'd to return home empty most of them not having yet forrag'd and those that had had Orders to fling down their Trusses to remove the quicker out of the Enemies way Notice being given of this to His Majesty he immediately got on Horseback and order'd the Pickquet of the whole Army to be drawn out under Arms and to Rendezvous at the Hermitage on the other side of the River Dyle to be ready to second our Detachment that guarded our Forragers in case they had met with the Enemy but nothing else happening they return'd home The French Parties were indeed very busie this Camp because of the Woods that lay particularly upon our Right where they could come and shelter themselves so that very often we had Horses taken by them grazing just by our very Camp but once we having Notice that one of their Parties lay in a Wood just by our Right not far from the Elector of Bavaria's Quarters a Detachment was made from the Corps de Reserve to go and clear the Wood of them 't is very probable that they had all been taken Prisoners for when we had discover'd them and that
the loss of the day because the Ground was so streight and the Enemy had such Hedges Copses and little Woods to cover them that there was nothing to do for the Horse so that when the Van-Guard began to engage they had none but part of the Infantry interlined with the Left Wing of Horse to second them the Body of the Infantry being almost a Mile in the Rear however as soon as the Action began the King made all diligence possible to get the Infantry up ordering a Brigade to march up to the Wood and forming a Line of Battel in the Plain with that Infantry as could come up the Soldiers shew'd such eagerness to come to the Enemy that they ran to the Relief of those as were engag'd even so fast that they put themselves into some disorder which was the reason that they took more time to form their Battalions than was at that time convenient this was the case of those Battalions as were sent to the Wood to the Relief of our Van-Guard so that when they came up our Van-Guard and Infantry of the Left Wing being over-powr'd by the vast many Battalions of the Enemy as charg'd them successively one after another and lastly by the survening of Boufflers's fresh Troops they were forc'd to retreat in great disorder and to leave the Wood in which they had lodg'd themselves entirely to the Enemies possession The Baron of Pibrack's Regiment of Lunenburgers being in great disorder in the skirt of the Wood and the Baron their Colonel lying dangerously wounded upon the place which he got in rallying of his Regiment the Earl of Bath's one of the Regiments that was commanded towards the Wood the other English being Brigadier Churchil's was order'd by Prince Casimir of Nassaw to their Relief two Sergeants of this Regiment rescu'd the Colonel who lay wounded almost in the Enemies hand and brought him off in spight of their fire upon these Orders of Prince Casimir of Nassaw Sir Bevil Granville who commanded the Earl of Bath's Regiment march'd up to the Relief of this Lunenburg Regiment bearing the Enemies fire before he suffer'd any Platton of his Battalion to discharge once by which method the Regiment lodg'd itself in the Trench or deep way that lay upon the skirt of the Wood which it maintain'd till it was commanded off again by the same Prince of Nassaw The King having form'd a Line of as many Battalions as cou'd come up in this little Plain the Enemy upon their Right and our Left of the Wood as wefac'd planted a Battery of about ten Pieces of Cannon to put them in disorder by their fire we at the same time brought another against it and thus continued firing one upon another for a considerable time What mischief we did to the Enemy by our Cannon then I cannot tell but theirs kill'd several of our Soldiers some in the Regiment of Fuzileers and some in the Battalion of the Second Regiment of Guards but the most considerable loss we sustain'd by it was Col. Hodges who was shot with a Cannon-ball at the Head of his Regiment of which he soon after dy'd There was likewise a Skirmish between some of the French and some of our Battalions between the Wood and that Farm which was fir'd by the Enemy but it did not last long what Regiments they were I cannot tell but I suppose they were some of the Dutch interlin'd in the Left Wing of Horse commanded by Brigadier Fagel The Van Guard being thus disorder'd for want of a timely Relief which was occasion'd by the narrowness of the Ground and consequently beaten out of their Post in the Wood Luxemburg being likewise joyn'd by the Marquess of Boufflers's fresh Troops who came time enough to compleat the Defeat of our Van-Guard with his Dragoons and besides the Night drawing on the King order'd the Army to retreat which was done with admirable Order for tho' the French did follow us for some time yet they did not fire a shot such was the order of our Retreat that they did not dare venture upon it the English Grenadiers brought up the Rear and whenever the French mov'd towards us they fac'd to the Right about and presented themselves to the Enemy then the Enemy would halt and so our Rear-Guard then march'd on this halting and facing and then marching continu'd for some time till the Night put an end to the Enemies farther motion And thus the Army came back to Halle on Munday Morning about Three of the Clock We lost in this Action several Pieces of Cannon some taken by the Enemy and some we could not bring off the Horses being tired we likewise blew up some of our Powder-Waggons in the Retreat which we could not bring off some having their Carriages broken and others their Horses tir'd The English lost two Colours and the Dutch likewise some we had about Two thousand Men kill'd and about Three thousand wounded in which number we comprehend the Prisoners taken by the French disabled by their Wounds to come off being about 8 or 900. Of the English and Scotch twelve Battalions engag'd viz. The Second Battalion of the First Regiment of Guards the First Battalion of Sir Robert Douglass's Col. Fitz-Patricks and Col. O Farrel's in the Van-Guard Cutts Hesse Mackay Graham Angus Leven and Lauder interlin'd in the Left-Wing of Horse Of the Body of the Infantry the Earl of Bath's Of the Danes Battalion of Guards the Queen's Battalion Prince Christians and the Finland Battalion Of the Dutch Waldeck Fagel Noyelles Torsey L'Fcluse Nassaw commanded by Colonel Goz. Lunenburgers in the States Service Boisdavid and Pibrac besides Epingers and Fitzhardings Dragoons and the Horse Granadiers who charg'd on Foot Officers killed of Note were Lieutenant General Mackay Sir John Lanier Lieutenant General of Horse mortally wounded who died few days after at Brussels Sir Robert Douglas Earl of Angus Colonel Hodges my Lord Mountjoy who had been two or three years in Prison in France and came upon his Liberty to serve the King as a Voluntier he was killed with a Canon Ball at the Head of Colonel Godfrey's Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Fullerton Foxon Hawley Wacup and Hamilton Major Carre of Angus's Regiment wounded mortally and died soon after Chief Officers wounded my Lord Cutts Colonel Mackay Lieutenant Colonel Eaton Courthop Major Fox of Fitzpatrick's Prisoners of Note Colonel Lauder Lieutenant Colonel Eaton Bristol and Courthop Several Officers of the Danes killed wounded and some Prisoners whose Names I cannot Insert As likewise of the Dutch Lietenant General Tetteau wounded Colonel Goz Commandant of Prince Casimir of Nassaws Guards and Colonel Moor Commandant of Torsey's Regiment both killed This is an Impartial Account of the Business of that Day of which the French notwithstanding their Te-Deum have no great reason to brag All as Impartial Men can say of their Advantage is that we attack'd them in their own Camp and that they repuls'd us though with the greater Loss both of