of Pachecoes arriuall Being embarked we arriued at our towne of Flushing where we landed vnder our towne and marched to a Village named Southland three leagues from Flushing in the same Island Before this time Camfier reuolted also vnto the Prince of Orange by reason of their Gouernour Mounsieur de Rouse The Camisado giuen our troupes being lodged in South-land by Mounsieur de Beauoir and Don Rufello where our men defended themselues and ouerthrew the enemie most valiantly with our second siege of Tergoose where we were defeated shamefully by the negligence and ignorance of our Gouernour MOunsieur de Beauoir Gouernour of Middleburgh and don Rufello hearing of our arriuall in South-land belike Pacheco aduertized them that we had receiued greater losse then we did before Tergoose thinking our courage qualified prepared all their forces to defeat vs with a Camisado To doe it the more terribly they prepared a great number of haulters giuing them to their souldiers with a commandement to hang all the prisoners they should take The olde saying is true It is no surety to reckon without an host Being ready after directions giuen they salied out of Middleburgh some two thousand Spaniards and Wallons at the shutting of their gates and tooke the next way towards the sandy hils betwixt Flushing and Southland As God would certaine of the victualers discouering their march cut their Mares out of their Waggons by which meanes they recouered Southland an hower before the enemie arriued which next vnto the Almighties will saued all our troupes Hauing the alarme the enemies vanguarde was in sight which presently chargeth our guards making them to run into the Campe and to quite the sandy hils All their forces seconded with all speede very resolutely forcing our first and second troupes to runne into our place of armes which was neere vnto the other side of the towne in a church-yard and a large streete before it so as they wanne our artillery turning the same towards vs. But resolutely our Officers gathered a sufficient number of armed men into the Market-place who being ledde valiantly with braue Captains charged the enemy giuing them a retreit and defeat beyond our field-pieces Here they came againe with a fresh charge but our armed men re-encountred them at the push of Pike most valiantly in such sort that the Ensigne-bearers Philip Watkins Thomas Louet Iohn Hamon with diuers others brake their Ensigne-staues at the push of Pike So our men gaue the enemie a full ouerthrow driuing them cleane out of the Campe and following them in defeate halfe way to Middleburgh After our men hung a number of them with their owne haulters This piece of seruice was one of the best and worthiest encounters that our men had from that time to this hower in all their warres of the Lowe Countries The enemies were all ouerthrowne notwithstanding many escaped by reason of the ditches and narrow wayes especially the most of their Officers and leaders by reason of their horses and Tades Ours scaped not scot-free for wee had slaine and hurt about two hundred and fifty many of them Officers and amongst others the Captaines Bouser Bedes and Bostocke English besides Wallons and French which serued most valiantly But the chiefe praise next vnto God ought to bee giuen to the English Ensignes and armed men Captaine Walter Morgan serued very well who was ouerthrowne with a Musket shot in the head of the armed men All the rest did most valiantly Some will blame me for the naming of our owne losses but it is a shame for a souldier to write lesse then truth There can bee no braue encounter without men slaine on both sides True it is the fewer the better conduct but the more dyes the more honour to the fight This encounter so encouraged our men that Saras and Sir Humphrey resolued to returne to Tergoose After finishing their preparations and orders we landed at the same Village we did before in number aboue three thousand English French and Wallons for our troupes were encreased with Rowley and his garrison of Camfier Our second landing was in better order then the first by reason our ships attempted the Island in two places but all or the most part that carried souldiers were at the landing place The other being so many vessels in number approached the shore in such sort that the enemy durst not separate their forces to attempt both fearing that the other would cut betwixt them and the towne Being all on the shore we marched vnto a faire Village named Bifling some league from Tergoose where we lodged that night and the next day The second night at midnight we marched towards Tergoose before sixe of the clocke in the morning we were all within an English mile of the towne Finding the inconuenience of our last skirmish in the one place order was giuen to the companies of the Captaines Morgan Henrie Barnard and Vtran to march with all speed to attempt the fort which stoode on the head of the Hauen which entred into Tergoose And if the enemie would not quite their fort then to lodge on the one ditch betwixt them and the Towne where they stoode in battaile on the other ditch to see the effect of our attempting the fort Being hot in skirmish with the fort according to our direction a company of our men began to seek means to pass ouer the ditches to cut betwixt the fort and the towne There was also a way that passed throgh the medows frō the ditch where our battell stood whither Sir Humfrey and Saras sent many to second vs. The enemy perceiuing our resolution to lodge betwixt the fort the towne quitted the fort Notwithstanding York with most of C. Morgans cōpany re-encountred thē on the ditch in such sort that halfe of those who were in the fort were cut off before they could recouer the towne True it is the enemie had reason to quit the fort by reason they were not victualed but from hand to mouth neither was it worthy of any great munition because it could not endure any battery Being entred the suburbs Pacheco salied with great courage and skirmished in such sort that our first troupes were forced to stand for their fellows at which instant the enemy fired all or the most of the Salt-houses Our men being arriued close together we charged Pacheco forced their troupes to double their pases into their gates and withall lodged and placed our first guardes at a Chappell within eight score of the towne where we stayed and made good vntill all our troupes were lodged By reason of our small army we could not assure the one halfe of the towne for the garrison were eight hundred strong all naturall Spaniards commaunded by more expert leaders then our selues Yet hauing made our trenches and approaches wee landed sixe Pieces of
fiue other Cornets Launciers and Hergoletters Albaneseis and Wallons Count Arenbergue carried the Commission and marched before with Bracamount and other bands of footmen giuing charge to Count Meguen to follow him speedily with the rest Count Arenbergue being arriued within two leagues of Count Lodowick and vnderstanding his forces would haue staid from Count Meguen who would haue been with him that night The pride of Bracamount and diuers of his Spaniards was such as valuing Lodowicke and his forces as nothing they vrged Count Arenbergue with hainous words Insomuch that a number of the basest sort of the Spaniards began to call him cowardly traitour although Count Arenbergue was a valiant expert Captaine and onely would haue staied for more forces For he knew and all the world with him that Lodowicke was a most valiant obstinate executioner who alwaies directed his troupes to fight in good order and so resolutely that at an encounter with the French he and Count Maunsfelt made a discreet valiant retreit The Admirall and his Frenchmen being defeated Bracamount and his Spaniards vrged the Count to approach Lodowicke who was lodged in a Village by Groning hauing on both sides broad high waies both towards Groning and his enemies At the end of the lane towards the enemie there was a great heath with three high waies entring vnto it True it is Lodowickes companions were Germans but of the best sort for fiue hundred of his horsemen were Gentlemen that accompanied him and his brother Count Adolfe of Nassau for good will All his rest were a thousand horsemen which he led himselfe Count Arenbergue being approached Count Lodowickes quarters diuided his horsemen on both sides of his footmen which marched in one squadron conducted by Bracamount Hee placed some fiue hundred shot before his squadron the rest on both his sides Count Arembergue himselfe led the right wing of the horsemen his Lieutenant of Frizeland the left wing He commanded the Herguleters to march before the forlorne shot of his battell on foote and with some fiftie Herguleters to keep as nigh Lodowickes quarters as they could and to keepe centinell at the entrie of the lane into the plaine Count Lodowicks Curriers hauing discouered them at the Nuse Lodowicke aduanced out of the Village commanding two hundred reysters to displace Arenbergues Curriers and to stand in the mouth of the streight Lodowick came with all his forces placed his Lieuetenant Henrick Vausican with a squadron of Pikes some thirtie score in the plaine halfe of his shot on both sides of his squadron aduanced the two hundred reysters thirty score before his battaile placed his brother Count Adolfe with 600. Reysters on the right wing of his battaile and so many more with one of his best Captaines on the left wing the rest hee hid in two squadrons in both the out-lanes leauing in the middle lane a good squadron of pikes with some three hundred shot in the hedges on both sides He gaue charge to the two hundred Reysters to skirmish with all courage gaue directions to his brother to retire softly as the enemie approached himselfe standing with some seuen hundred of the best horsemen hidden in the right lane from the enemie and gaue order to the other wing to run through the pikes which stood in the middle mostlane who had directiōs to shift themselues ouer the hedge as though they were defeated His directions were no sooner giuen but Arenbergues Curriers and his were together by the eares and the Nassauians forced to retire vnder their battels of pikes Arenbergue aduanced with all speed both horse and foote Being neere Bracamount and his Spanish cryed to Count Arenbergue to charge withall Arenbergue and his Lieuetenant charged at once According to direction Count Adolfe retyred bringing Count Arenbergue who had by far the greatest wing on Count Lodowicke So did the other bring Arenbergues Lieuetenant through the lane where the pikes were Lodowicke giuing signe to his Reysters in the third lane to charge withall chargeth himselfe and found Count Arenbergue and his Lieutenant good cheape by reason they were out of order in running after Adolfes troupes His Lieuetenant Henrick Vausichan was broken by the Spanish and Wallons but at the sight of their horsemen which were in route their courage quailed in such sort that valiant Lodowicke ranne thorow them cheape In this place the Count of Arenbergue was slaine all or most of the Tertia de Sardinia slaine or taken prisoners with a number of Wallons and Geldreis Diuers Spanish Captaines escaped by recouering their horses which were led not farre from them So did diuers Wallons and many of their horsemen by reason Lodowicke executed the most of his furie on the Spanish footemen At the returne of the Spanish Captaines that escaped Duke D' alua executed them as I shewed in my discourse of their discipline for vrging their Generall to their ouerthrow Count Lodowicke assayes Groning and the Duke D' Alua ouerthrowes him at Dam in Frizeland AFter this Count Lodowicke ransacked Frizeland at his pleasure insomuch that he besieged the faire and rich Towne of Groning Duke D' Alua hearing this dispatched his Martiall otherwise called Master of the Campe generall Chiapin Vitelli with sufficient troupes of horsmen and footmen being ioyned with Count de Meguen to stop Lodowickes course Duke d' Alua vsed all diligence to gather his whole forces who marched with all speed after Vitelly Vitelly being arriued by Groning Lodowicke retired his siege into one quarter resoluing to giue Vitelly battaile to which end he sent his Trumpets to Vitelly to dare him a small riuer being betwixt both Vitelly kept the passages brake the bridges answered Count Lodowicke hee had no order to giue battaile but to discharge the Towne of Groning delaying the Count politickely and telling his messengers I will send vnto my Generall to obtaine his good will your Master may be assured hauing leaue a battaile will be my first businesse Duke d' Alua being arriued with his faire armie within a daies iourney of Vitelli Count Lodowicke retyred into Iemming a Village by Nuse-heile towards Emden breaking the bridges after him At the end of the Village towards the enemie he left Henrick Vausichan his Lieuetenant with all his infanterie being some eight thousand which were encreased by reason of his good successe at the last battaile This Iemming was a place enuironed with waters sauing two or three large wayes which came into it from Groning On euery way Count Lodowick made trenches placed strong guards ranged his horsemen in foure squadrons making what meanes he could to fill ditches to enlarge grounds to make waies for his horse to fight out of the high wayes in diuers of the meadowes towards Nuse-heile By reason of the streights his horsemen stood behinde the footmen in the great wayes Henrick Vausichan hauing intrenched himselfe reasonably strong with fiue thousand men to defend the place
speed to enclose Alkmer So did the Duke followe with the rest in all speed In the meane time the Prince and States of Holland had sent into the towne fiue or sixe expert Captains especially the Scottish men Smith and Cornelleys who entered the towne with some foure hundred souldiers The most of these Captaines had been in Harlem and saued the towne for a long time next vnto the Almighties will The vanguard being arriued they soone ingaged the towne so as none could either sally or enter Duke d' Alua being arriued with the rest prepared great pontons or bridges with other necessaries to plant his battry which hee could hardly doe by reason of the marish and wet rotten grounds whereon the towne stood Notwithstanding with his expert Captaines cunning Enginers he mounted eighteen peeces of Cannon with som six Culuerings in a marshie ground against reason impossible to be done as the defendants thought These peeces did beaâ—e crosse on two platformes a weak bulwarke and a Curtaine some eight score off Hauing no other flanke by reason the ground serued not they could not bring the battry within lesse then eight score wherefore their fury was the lesse To say troth all batteries ought to be placed within lesse then eight score if it be full seauen score it is very farre to doe any great hurt In case the defendants be in any great numbers within hauing store of earth to rampier and entrench themselues Notwithstanding I heard some of the best defendants in that towne say in their iudgements the feare of the people and of most of the souldiers within was such that had not the enemies enuironed the towne round about as they did but left any place voide the best of the defendants would haue quitted the place and shifted for themselues But beeing streightly enuironed and no waies to escape remembring their cruelty at Harlem they resolued to fight by reason the souldiers which had been in Harlem did importune the rest especially the Captaines who were assured to perish comming into their enemies hands After some 7000 shot the breach was reasonable as the assailants thought But in troth it was not for aboue foure foot of the ground of the rampier was nothing battered but falsely couered with the ruine of the parapet and the earth that fell from the highest parts of the breach Also they were faine to giue their assaults on Pontons such Engines which they had made against reason to aduenture men against a place defended with any valour For a breach be it made neuer so assaultable hauing many hands to defend it with any valour lightly is neuer entred In case they within be of any iudgement as I said before and hauing earth to entrench themselues But the fury of Duke d' Alua and his Commanders was such that they aduanced to the assault attempted it with great courage Being twice repulsed notwithstanding they aduanced the third time to their folly and deare costs For at those assaults they lost diuers of their best Captaines and at the least 1600 of their brauest souldiers The next day the raine fell in great aboundance in such sort that they raised their siege in few daies and lost diuers peeces of battry which they could not hale out of the marish At this towne did the famous Duke d' Alua lose the greatest credite that hee did in any place since hee carried armes which he had done sixty yeares For fifty yeares the least commandment hee had was Generall of the horsemen which place hee had in Germany when Charles the fift ouercame Duke Iohn Frederick of Saxony and his confederates But had the Duke marched streight to Delfs hauen and taken it Mayston-sluce when he marched to Alkmer which places were vnfortified to any purpose by all reason he had carried all Holland in a short time I am sure the most men of warre who knowe the seate of the Countrie will confesse no lesse then my selfe Mounsieur de Poyet surpriseth Gertrudenberg WHilest Duke d' Alua was busie about his enterprise of Alkmer Mounsieur de Poyet who had bin with Count Lodowick in Mounts being newly arriued out of France was chosen Lieutenant of the warre to the Prince of Orange Hauing conferrred with the Prince they gathered certaine Companies of English Scottish French Flemings at Dort in Holland which they embarked with petardes ladders and such Engines of warre Mounsieur de Poyet vsing great diligence landed his troupes in the night on the dike towards Seauenbrooke some halfe a league from the strong towne of Gertrudenberg in Brabant situated on the water side next vnto Dort After placing his troupes in order hee sent before him a valiant French Captaine named Malion accompanied with a dozen resolute souldiers amongst whom were two or three of the countrie souldiers who had been often in the towne and knew all the rampiers as well as the inhabitants theÌ„selues Whilest Malion spent som howr in discouering the place they meant to scale Mounsieur de Poyet aduanced his troupes towards the towne Beeing within a quarter of a league of the towne hee staied vntill about an houre before day Hauing conferred with Malion he deliuered vnto him some two hundred of his best souldiers giuing him charge to scale with all courage assuring him to second him with the rest Malion and his troupes entred the ditch of a small raueling ioyning vnto the rampier where hee placed his ladders After the passing of the round notwithstanding that the sentinels gaue the allarum Malion and his troupes recouered both raueling and rampier before any great troupe came to encounter him The garrison being gathered together in reasonable numbers charged Malion resolutely at the push of the pike but being seconded by Mounsieur de Poyet and his troupes they were quickly content to quitte the fury and also forced to runne into the market place whither the assailants followed them in the taile Notwithstanding being entred the market place the Gouernour with his fresh troupes turned vpon vs and gaue a hot charge at the push of the pike but our many hands soone ouercame them giuing them the retreit in rout Some took themselues into the towne-house which they kept a little while and then yeelded to haue their liues saued Diuers ran ouer the rampier towards Breda More then halfe were slaine The Gouernour with a few recouered his house which stood on the rampier out of which hee escaped ouer the wall vnto Breda leauing behinde him all that hee had sauing what hee carried vpon him Thus was the strong towne of Gertrudenberg surprised with lesse then 1200 men hauing in it at the least 600 souldiers besides Burgesses with the losse of foure and fifty persons of our side to the great griefe of Duke d' Alua not without reason For considering his losse and disgrace