de Starembergh marched also to the Bridge being followed by the Baggage and encamped in a very advantageous Post where they could not well be forced by the Enemy the Cavalry of oâ—e Left Wing advanced up an Hill and those of the Right into a Plain near Rossava And that the Enemy might think their Design only was to secure the Passage of the Infantry one part of the Horse were ordered to dismount Whereas while this was doing Colonel de St Croix with some hundreds of Horse together with the Counts of Chakey Deak and Buduani with the Hungarians Rascians and Hussars getting before the Cavalry through a Valley wherein they could not be discovered flew with full speed upon the Enemy and were seconded by the Cavalry who had opportunity during the Shock to mount again The Turks retired slowly thinking to draw the Christians into a Wood behind which they had planted 10000 Men Tho' when they found themselves charged by all the Imperial Cavalry they fell into some Disorder and were pursued by the left Wing to a narrow Place where they made an Halt But when the Prince of Baden and General Veterani came up with the Regiments of the right Wing they retreated in Confusion to another Wood where they were pursued for an Hour and an half till they came into a Plain Here it was the Christians drew themselves up in good Order of Battel and fell upon the rallied Turks with that resolute Bravery that above 400 of their best Horse were defeated upon the Place and a great number of Prisoners taken among whom was the Commander of the Janisaries together with 12 Coronets and some Kettle-Drums The Hungarians and Hussars pursued them a considerable way killed a great Number and got a very large Booty because the Fliers threw away their Baggage and their Arms that they might the readier make their Escape The Cavalry returned the same day to attack the other Party of the Turks before they could join the Fugitives To this end 500 Foot were detach'd to make themselves Masters of a narrow Lanc at the Entrance of a thick Wood about an Hour and an halfs March long into which there was but one Way to enter and beyond it the Enemies Army was encamped in a large Plain They quickly beat off 3000 Janisaries and some Horse that lay concealed to hinder the Imperialists from gaining it which however was not done without some loss on both sides There they stayed till the 30th where all their Infantry came to encamp in a Plain beyond the Wood by the Favour of a thick Mist having a Wood behind them to the Right another Wood that ran out as far as the Morave and the River it self on the Left The Prince of Baden who had rejoyn'd the Foot the Evening before ordered the Horse to re-pass the River and post themselves in the same place where the Infantry had encamped the Night before leaving on the other side no more than 7 Squadrons of Hungarians and Rascians and some Horse and Dragoons a foot to guard the Baggage As soon as the Mist cleared up the Turks appeared drawn up in Battel-array and the Prince had hardly time enough to range the second Line of his Foot behind the first before the Turks both Horse and Foot advanced upon him notwithstanding whole Peals of Cannon and Showers of small Shot poured in upon them The Conflict lasted about 2 Hours during which time both sides kept continually firing but General Castelli having got out of the Wood with his Dragoons the Enemy no sooner heard the Trumpets and Kettle-Drums of the first Squadron but they began to retreat into another Wood and thereby gave the Imperialists an opportunity to plant their Horse behind their Infantry It fortunately happened at the same time that a Bavariâ—n who had been taken at the Siege of Buda having made his Escape discovered that there was another Plain behind the Wood to which the Enemy retreated where theâ— lay entrench'd Upon this Count Staremberg having first view'd the Road within the Wood and finding it broad enough and withal that it was not above 500 Paces long and that the Turks lay in their Entrenchments that were as so many Fortresses for them the Prince commanded him thither with 300 Men a Battalion of his own and one of Staremberg's and was followed by a good body of Infantry With these he bravely drave the Enemy from their 1 st Entrenchment who thereupon retreated to their second about 100 Paces further and environed with a Moat full of Water that was not accessible on that side However they continued firing from one Entrenchment unto another for above an hour and an half so that many Soldiers were lost here by the Germans together with 4 Captains and a great many men wounded While this was in agitation the first Entrenchment was levell'd for a Post for the Cavalry and then Picolomini who had the Command of the Vanguard that day advanced both with the Horse and Foot in good Order to the second Entrenchment Count Palsi in the mean time advanced cross the Woods with his Heydukes and making an hideous Noise with his Trumpets to terrifie the Enemy as if there had been some considerable Body that was coming to attack their Rear This Stratagem took so well that as soon as they heard the Noise of the Trumpets and Kettle-Drums and saw Picolomini moving towards them notwithstanding all their Vollies of small Shot they retreated athwart another thick Wood into their Camp being pursued by the Imperialists though the ways were very narrow But when they came into open ground Colonel Zand was sent with a Regiment to fall on their Rear being followed by all the Horse Regiment by Regiment Zand with his own Regiment and that of Serau drave the Infidels from the Wood and forced them into their Camp which was upon an Hill near Patochin and then staid till other Troops came up with him But a great Shower falling at that time and the Night coming on he fell upon the Enemy now under great Consternation with those 2 Regiments only put them to the Rout and forced them to quit their Camp of which the Christians became Masters and where they sound 105 Pieces of Cannon 3 Mortars several Bombs a great quantity of Ammunition Provision Waggons Camels Oxen Bufalo's Tents and other Riches Some of the Enemy escaped to Jagodin others to Krakolovez being pursu'd still by the Hungarians who kill'd divers of them and found some Pieces of Cannon and other Arms in the Mountains Though the number of the Slain was not so considerable in these Onsets yet the Advantage therein as well as in the great Booty the Imperialists got was manifestly on their side every way which will yet farther appear by the succeeding Actions of this Campaign I am loth to make any interruption in this Place in the rest of the Successes of the Imperial Arms and the rather since it has not been my Custom upon other
the Clock and the General finding it necessary to have that Ford and the other ways that lead to the Right of the Irish Army as the most proper means to attack them ordered Cunningham's Dragoons at the Ditch to advance toward a Party of the Enemy posted on the other side who thereupon with another Body that sustained them all retired behind a Hill nearer their Camp where was posted a greater Body who being assisted with other fresh Parties obliged the English Dragoons to retreat So that the General ordered Eppinger's Dragoons to get between those Bodies and their Camp but this was discovered by the Enemy who had the Advantage in pouring in so many Men upon the English that they would still have been too hard for the Dragoons had they not been seconded by the Earl of Portland's Horse who behaved themselves here with great Bravery tho' not without considerable Loss But what was at first only a Skirmish had by this time engaged a considerable Body on both sides yet the Enemy in a while retired and this brought the Generals together to deliberate whether it were not best to defer the Battle till next Morning which was agreed on so far that their Tents were ordered to be sent for but when they perceived the Enemy to be in some Disorder by what had already hapned they resolved not to delay the Attack least the Enemy should march off in the Night and so afford no more Opportunities Wherefore by the Advice of Major-General Mackay a Person of great Judgment and long Experience in the Art of War it was agreed to prosecute the Battle on the Enemy's Right thereby proposing to draw part of their Strength from Aghrim Castle near unto which their main Body was posted that so the Right Wing of the English might have the easier Passage over to attack their Left and then the whole English Army might have the Opportunity to engage which was otherwise impossible and this Advice had its desired end About half an Hour after 4 in the Afternoon a Party of the English Left Wing moved towards the Enemy and by 5 the Battle began afresh The Ditches were strongly guarded by Irish Musketeers and their Horse advantageously posted to sustain them And here the Irish behaved themselves like Men of another Nation defending their Posts with great Obstinacy for they would not stir from one side till the English put their Pieces over at the other and then having Lines of Communication from one Ditch to another they would presently post themselves and flank the English which occasion'd a great firing on both sides and continued on the Left almost an Hour and an half before the Right Wing of the Army and the Center bega◠to engage except with their Cannon which play'd all this while on both sides In the mean time the English Army advanced in as good Order as they could And now Major-General Mackay and the rest observing the Enemy draw of several Bodies of Horse and Foot from the Left and move towards their Right where our Men pressed them very hard They laid hold of that Advantage and ordered the Foot 〈◊〉 march over the Bog which fronted the Enemy's main Battle The Regiments of Earl Herbert Creighton and Brewer going over at the narrowest Place where the Hedges on the Enemy's side ran furthest into the Bog they had Orders to marc◠to the lowest of the Ditches adjoyning to the side of the Bog and there to post themselves till the Horse could come abou◠by Aghrim Castle and sustain them and till the other Foot had marched over the Bog below where it was broader and were sustained by Foulk's and Brigadier Stewart's Regiments Earl's and the other 3 Regiments advanced over the Bog most of them passing up to the middle in Mud and Water and upon their near Approach to the Ditches received th◠Enemy's Fire but that did not hinder them to march on 〈◊〉 the Enemy's lowest Hedge and to beat the Irish from thence who however did not retreat far but posted themselves i◠the next Ditches which the English seeing and disdaining to suffer their Lodging so near them they beat them from thenc◠also and so from Hedge to Hedge till they were got very near their main Body But the Irish had so well order'd th◠matter that they had made an easie Passage for their Horse among all those Hedges and Ditches by which means they poured in great Numbers both of Horse and Foot upon the English which Colonel Earl observing he encouraged his Men by advancing before them and saying There was no way to come off but to be Brave Yet now being both flanked and fronted besides being exposed to all the Enemy's Shot from the adjacent Ditches the English were forced to quit their Ground and retire to the Bog again with the loss of a great many Men and among others the brave Colonels Earl and Herbert the former after twice taking and retaking got free at last tho' not without being wounded but the latter as was said was barbarously murthered after Quarter given by the Irish when they saw he was also like to be rescued While this was doing here Colonel St. Johns Colonel Tiffin the Lord George Hambleton the French in English Service and several other Regiments were marching over below upon the Bog while the Irish lay so close in their Ditches that several were doubtful whether they had any Men at that Place or no But no sooner were the French and the rest got within about 20 Yards of the Ditches but the Irish fired most furiously upon them which the other sustained with intrepidy and still pressed forwards tho' they could scarce see one another for Smoak And now the Battle seemed so doubtful for some time that a By-stander would rather have given it on the Irish side for they had driven the English Foot in the Center so far back that they were almost got into a Line with the great Guns planted near the Bog which the English had no benefit of in that Conjuncture because of the Mixture of the Irish with their own Men. You hear little all this while of Horse but now we are to tell you that Major-General Ruvigni's Regiment of French and Sir John Lanier's being both posted on the Right were afterwards part of them drawn to the Left where they did very good Service and the Right Wing of English Horse were in the mean time making the best of their way to succour the Foot For they saw their Danger and that indeed all was at hazard because of the difficulty of the Pass in pressing and tumbling over a very dangerous Place and that among Showers of Bullets from a Body of the Enemy's Dragoons and Foot that were posted conveniently under a Covert-place by the Irish to obstruct the others Passage However the Horse bravely surmounting all these Difficulties lodged themselves at last in a dry Ditch in the Throng of the Enemy's Shot from Aghrim Castle and some old
had to Ships there or else that those they had would quickly be swallowed up by the French Fleet which they hourly expected But tho' the Siege was carried on with great Vigour and that in the interiâ— the Irish quitted several small places daily in the Country and Brigadier Levison routed several of their Parties in the County of Kerry and that the Cannon and Bombs did very great Execution upon their Camp and within the Town yet on the 17th of Sept. it was hotly disputed in a Council of War whether they should go on with the Siege or march over the River to destroy all the Enemies Forage in the County of Clare and then make a Blockade and it was so far carried for the latter that an Engineer was ordered to go with a Guard towards Kilmalock and fortifie that Place But before he got out of the Camp he was countermanded and a great many Palisado's brought to Mackay's Fort as if the Army intended to Winter there On the 19th it was resolved to pass the River with a Party either to prosecute the Siege or at least to burn the Forage And that same day a Battery was raised between Ireton's Fort and the old Church to flank the Irish in case of a Sally from St. John's Gate and Four Mortars were brought from the great Battery to Mackay's Fort that place being judged the fittest for bombarding since the whole Town lay in a Line from thence and Orders were given in case of an Allarm from the Irish Troops without that every Regiment should stand to the Posts assign'd them for that end But the Irish declined to hazzard any thing On the 20th most of the heavy Cannon that were not drawn off were now sent on Ship-board and I remember very well upon the News of this in England most intelligent Persons were of Opinion the Town would not be taken this Year tho' the News of Sligo's being surrendred to the Earl of Granard came confirmed at the same time But the General was indefatigable in his business For on the 22d he march'd with most of the Horse and Dragoous over the Bridge of Boats they had laid into the County of Clare leaving Mackay and Talmash to command on this side And all that Morning the Enemy continually fired upon them from several Batteries but without any great Harm In the Afternoon a Party of Colonel Matthews Dragoons was attack'd by a stronger Party of the Enemy till being sustained by a greater Force between whom continued some small firings till about 4 a Clock when the Foot came up which made the Irish retire till they were got under their Cannon Then all the English Granadiers sustained by 4 Regiments of Foot were commanded to advance and attack the Works that covered Thumond-Bridge being one Fort to the Right above a Musket-shot from the Bridge and another to the Left somewhat nearer besides several other natural Fortifications wherein the Enemy had posted a Detachment of about 200 Men between whom and the English there was a hot Dispute at first and their Cannon playing from the King's Castle and 2 or 3 more Batteries as also their small Shot from the Walls made the Attack seem very hazardous and the English were ordered not to approach so nigh the Town as they did However the Irish being now pressed upon by the Granadiers they quitted their first Posts and then were reinforced by another Detachment from the Town But all this could not do their business For the English Granadiers were so forward and despised all Danger to that degree that they put the whole Body to flight and pursued them so close that a French Major who commanded at Thumond-Gate fearing the English would enter the Town with the other ordered the Draw-bridge to be plucked up and left the whole Party to the Mercy of the English who shewed them little for all of them were either killed or taken except about 120 who got into the Town before the Bridge was drawn up There were also many of them drowned Hereupon the English lodged themselves within 10 yards of the Bridge notwithstanding an high Tower that stood near the end of the Bridge next to them and the Irish finding now all Communication cut off between them and their Horse and despairing of the French Succours began to think of giving up the Town whereof the English in general had no great Hopes who however push'd on the Siege next day being the 23d of Sept. with much â—ury and notwithstanding it proved very rainy yet the Guns and Mortars ceased not to play upon the Town nor the Enemy to fire more furiously than they had done for some time before But towards Night the Rain began to cease and both Storms ended together For about 6 the Enemy beat a Parley on both sides the Town and next day in the Morning Lieutenant-General Sarsfield and Major-General Waughup came out to the General and desired a Cessation of Arms might be continued for 3 Days till they could send to their Horse who then were encamped towards Clare in order to their being included in the general Capitulation which they then proposed which was agreed to and thereupon the Prisoners in the Town were released On the 29th Sarsfield and Waughup dined with the General and then it was agreed Hostages should be exchanged in order to a further Treaty which was done accordingly And next day the Irish sent out their Proposals but in such extravagant Terms that the General was so far from granting them that he returned Answer That tho' he was a Stranger to the Laws of England yet he understood that those things they insisted upon were so far contradictory to them and so dishonourable to himself that he could not grant any such thing And thereupon ordered a new Battery immediately to be raised but upon the Request of the Irish he sent them in 12 Articles which proved to be the Sum of the Capitulation for Sarsfield and others came on the 29th to the General and after long Debate agreed upon Articles not only for the Surrender of Limerick but all other Forts and Castles in the Kingdom then in possession of the Irish So that they were signed Oct. 3d by both Parties They consisted of two parts Civil and Military the first being signed by the Lords Justices and General but the latter on our Part only by the General and both here follow I. THE Roman-Catholicks of this Kingdom shall enjoy such Privileges in the Exercise of their Religion as are consistent with the Laws of Ireland or as they did enjoy in the Reign of King Charles the II And their Majesties as soon as their Affairs will permit them to Summon a Parliament in this Kingdom will endeavour to procure the said Roman-Catholicks such farther Security in that Particular as may preserve them from any Disturbance upon the Account of their said Religion II. ALL the Inhabitants or Residents of Limerick or any other Garrison now in Possession of the
Enemies from the Hedges so far that in this Hedge-fighting their firing was generally Muzzle to Muzzle we on the one side and the Enemy on the other But to return to our Army As soon as they were come to the Head of the Defile it was order'd to halt particularly our Left Wing of Horse that the Foot that were interlin'd with them which were most English and Scotch and which I have before mentioned might march up thro' the Horse they were obliged to this Halt tho' it was 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 shewed such eagerness to come to the Enemy that they ran to the Relief of those that were engaged 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 that 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-powered by the vast many Battalions of the Enemy as charged them successively one after another and lastly by the survening of Boufflers's fresh Troops they were forced to retreat in great Disorder and to leave the Wood in which they had lodged themselves entirely to the Enemies Possession The Baron of Pibrack's Regiment of Lunemburgers 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 ordered by Prince Casimir of Nassau to their Relief two Sergeants of this Regiment rescued the Colonel who lay wounded almost in the Enemies Hand and brought him off in spite of their Fire Upon these Orders of Prince Casimir of Nassau Sir Bevil Granville who commanded the Earl of Bath's Regiment march'd up to the Relief of this Lunemburg Regiment bearing the Enemies Fire before he suffered any Plattoon of his Battalion to discharge once by which Method the Regiment lodg'd it self 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 said Prince of Nassau The King having formed a Line of as many Battalions as could come up in this little Plain the Enemy upon their Right and our Left of the Wood as we fac'd planted a Battery of about 10 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 a considerable time What Mischief our Men did to the Enemy by our Cannon then I cannot tell but theirs killed 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 sustained by it was Col. Hodges who was shot with a Cannon-ball at the Head of his Regiment of which he soon after died There was likewise a Skirmish between some of the French and some of our Battalions between the Wood and that Farm which was fired by the Enemy but it did not last long what Regiments they were I cannot tell but 't is supposed they were some of the Dutch interlined in the Left Wing of Horse commanded by Brigadier Fagel The Van-guard being thus disordered for want of a timely Relief which was occasioned by the narrowness of the Ground and consequently beaten out of their Post in the Wood Luxemburg being likewise join'd by the Marquess of Boufflers's fresh Troops who came â—ime enough to compleat the Defeat of our Van-guard with his Dragoons and besides the Night drawing on the King ordered his Army to retreat which was done with admirable Order for tho' the French did follow â—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 Granadiers brought up the Rear and when-ever the French moved 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 marched on This halting and facing and then marching continued for some time till the Night put an end to the Enemies farther Motion And thus the Army came back to Hall on Monday Morning about Three 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 tired The English lost two Colours and the Dutch likewise some We had about 2000 Men killed and about 3000 wounded in which number we comprehend the Prisoners taken by the French disabled by their Wounds to come off being about 8 or 900. Here it was that brave General Mackay Sir John Lanier and divers other gallant Officers lost their Lives and surely the French notwithstanding their Te Deum for this pretended Victory had nothing to boast of since their Loss according to the Confession of divers of their Officers rather exceeded that of the Confederates and they had not come of so cheap neither had it not been for the Chevalier de Millevoix one of the Elector's Domesticks his having given and endeavoured to give further Intelligence to the Mareschal de Luxemburg of the King's Motion and Designs for which he was fairly hanged upon a Tree on the Right Wing of Horse And now this Business is over it is time we should come to the Particulars of Granvalle's forementioned Conspiracy as published in that time by Authority and it was briefly thus Upon the 11th of Aug. the Sieur de Granvale was brought to his Tryal before a Court Martial at Lembeck for the horrid Conspiracy by him entred into against the Life of his Majesty of Great Britain Where it appeared by Informations intercepted Letters and other Authentick Pieces that some of the greatest Ministers in the French Court had laid a Design to assassinate his Majesty of Great Britain and made Choice of Bartholomew Liniere Sieur de Granvale for their Instrument to manage the Enterprize and find out fit Persons to assist him To this purpose Granvale understanding that one Anthony
and 4 Senators to the French Court to make their humble Submissions But while the French Monarch was thus triumphing over the little republick of Genoa the Campaign was not in Hungary the general Rendesvouz of the Imperial Army was upon on the 20th of May at Schlesia upon the Waag from whence they moved and Encamped the 30th of the same Month near Schenowitz and from thence by several Marches and Halts by Monday the Fifth of June they came within â—aif a Mile of Neuheusel having as 't was thought a design to Attack the place but being informed on the 10th that the Garrisons of Pest and Budae consisted only of 8000 Men and that there was no more Force besides there save 2 or 3 Thousand Tartars that Encamped near the place and that even the whole Turkish Army between Buda and Esseck consisted of no more than 17000 Men and that there was not any Discourse of a greater Number they ordered thereupon a Bridge of Boats to be made at Cran which the Army marched over and so joined General Mercy and Collonel Heusler who had several Regiments of Horse under their Command and some Foot and the Duke on the 14th after having sent 500 Men under Count Sâ—â—rum before went directly to Vicegrade which was a Turkish Pass and a strong Mountainous Fortress on the Danube where his Artillery arrived next Day he ordered the place to be Attackt at which the Enemy put out a Red Flag for a Signal of Defiance having sent all their Women and Children before with the best of their Effects to Buda However the Infantry posted themselves immediately under the Walls of the Town against whose Walls and Pallisadoes they fired 12 pieces of Canon on the 16th all the day long and in the Evening stormed it which the Enemy not enduring were forced to flee to the Castle and adjacent Mountains but they found no security there neither For the Castle was so Bombed next day that about Noon they began to Capitulate but it happened so that the Conditions could not be agreed on that day because of a flying Report that came from Gran That Baron Halliwell had been worsted by the Enemy which made the Duke with some Horse immediately move that way But upon Confusion of Reports he thought fit to send the Prince of Baden with some Squadrons thither who upon his Arrival found the Action already over which hapned briefly thus The Turks upon their approach to Graâ— about Noon appeared and sounded an Allarm Whereupon General Halliwel who was much mistaken as to their Number went and posted himself upon the left Hand betwixt the two Mountains in a straight Pass with about 500 Horse and gave at the same time Orders to the Lieutenant Collonel of Sax Lauemburg to advance through the Passage and put himself in order Things being thus effected the General from an Hill where he had posted his Men found contrary to expectation the Enemy much stronger than he had thought drawn up in the form of an half Moon and advancing with a design to inclose him which made him think of retiring but it proved too late for he was here killed though Lieutenant Collonel Rabâ—â—â— did all he could to relieve him falling upon the Enemy with great Fury whom he drove back and pursued above 5 Miles from the Place to an advantageous Post where they rallied and in this Action came off with a greater Loss than the Christians From Vicegrade the Duke of Lorain directed his March by the Way of Gran and Barkan towards Waisen sending Colonel Hâ—uster before with 500 Horse to view the Posture of the Enemy who on Monday the 26th brought Intelligence that the Turks were advancing towards Waisen in the hollow Way Whereupon the Duke continued his March and next Day arrived in the Plains of Waisen where the Enemy being about 15000 strong appeared drawn up in Battallia Their right Wing flanked with Janizaries stood upon the Mountain but their left drew towards the City which made the Duke put himself immediately into a Posture of Defence flanking the Cavalry with the Infantry This was hardly done when the Enemy discharged 5 Pieces of Cannon they had with great Fury several times upon the Imperialists right Wing but without any Damage so that they quitted that Station and fell briskly upon the left but were soon beaten back in great Disorder and Confusion towards the right where they were so warmly plied with the German Cannon that they immediately retired the Horse towards Pest and as many of the Foot as saved themselves into the City having lost in all about 1000 and among them one Basha but with very little loss to the Germans especially since the Duke of Lorain escaped so well though so narrowly for his Horse was shot through the Neck during the Engagement The Consequence of this Success was after the firing of some Cannon the Surrender of Waisen upon Discretion From hence the Army marched towards Pest after having garrisoned the other Place with 2000 Foot 500 Curassiers and 300 Dragoons On Monday the 10th of July the whole Army got over the Danube and encamped at a Place called St. Andrew their Left Wing being secured by the Danube and their Right by an unaccessible Mountain and right against them a broad and long Marsh But for all this the Enemy not only advanced towards Noon but divided themselves into 2 Wings and leaving the great Marsh in the middle fell with great Noise and Fury upon the Germans whose Cavalry thereupon a little advanced upon their Left Wing but were immediately ordered back by the Duke's Commands In the mean time the Turks had beaten back the Christians Watch but the Prince of Salm who commanded the Rear-guard stoutly opposed them and being reinforced with a Battallion of Infantry and with some Pieces of Cannon from the Duke he utterly routed and pursued them near upon 2 Miles when the Turks rallied again and fell with great Fury upon the Right Wing tho' a continued 〈◊〉 from 20 Pieces of Cannon which the Germans had planted quickly drove them back to the Tops of the Mountains where they thought to secure themselves But 〈◊〉 Bastemburg Battallion who had before hid themselves in the Bushes of those Mountains did so â—epper them with their Shot that the foremost were constrained to quit them Saddles and the hindermost to seek for shelter among the Bushes from whence they were beaten down headlong by another Battallion into the Valley where they were again extremly gauled by the Germans Cannon and being forced to retire to their Right Wing which by this time had put themselves into some Order they fell with their whole Power upon the Christians Left who bravely opposed them and upon their retreat were intercepted by Sâ—affeâ—berg's Regiment and a Party of Dragoons who had posted themselves on the Right-hand of the Marsh and divers of them slain Upon this they fled to a Mountain where their Artillery was planted and tarried
March 25th had Arms and Ammunition brought them by Captain James Hamilton and who demeaned themselves with the greatest Bravery that ever Men did under their forlorn Circumstances It would be too tedious to enter upon the Particulars of the Siege of Derry and how much they baffled the Irish Army almost in all their Encounters with them I shall only observe that Major Baker whom they chose Governour after Colonel Lundy had play'd the Rogue and was turn'd out and Mr. Walker the Minister who was entrusted with the Stores behaved themselves beyond expectation and so did Colonel Mecklenburg who succeeded Governour after Baker's Death and will with the rest of their brave Officers and Soldiers be for ever remembred by all true Englishmen with the greatest deference and respect as they themselves will have occasion while they live with indignation to think of Lundy's baseness in preventing the Relief sent them of two Regiments under Colonel Richards and Colonel Gunningham who returned back out of the Lough of Derry without doing any thing and were both broke for their pains Yet for all this misfortune neither a formidable Enemy without nor a more terrible one that had crept within their Walls viz. Famine which daily swept away multitudes of the Garison could bring them to yield but they outbraved all till the long-delay'd Succors at last under the Command of Major-General Kirk arrived in the Lough But alas they were now in worse plight than before for like Tantalus they had the sight of the desired Fruit but could not reach to eat for whether through the crossness of the Winds as was given out or for some other base ends the Ships lay at least two Months in the Lough before the Dartmouth Frigat at last forced her way and got to the Town which was followed with the raising of the Siege which happened on July 31th This was no small mortification to the Irish who met with as bad Success in another Enterprise of theirs against the Iniskillingers For but the day before about 6000 of them being upon their March under the Command of Major-General Mackarty an experienced Officer among them the Iniskillingers advanced near 20 miles to meet them and at a place called Newton Butler fought and routed them took Mackarty Prisoner and kill'd and drowned nigh 3000 of them though themselves were not above 2000 in all and lost not above 20 Men with about 50 wounded While these things were doing in Ireland the King gave out Commissions in England for raising 18 Regiments of Foot and 5 of Horse for the Irish Service with that Success that the Levies were almost all compleat in 6 weeks and in July most of them were commanded for Chester in order to be shipped off for Ireland On Thursday August 8th being about 10000 Men Horse and Foot and Duke Schomberg for their General they were embarked at Highlake but by contrary Winds were detained there till the 12th when the Wind coming fair the Bonadventure Frigat Captain Hopson Commander and Commodore fired a Gun and put his Light in the Main Top-mast Shrouds as a Signal for sailing They were about 90 Vessels in all of all sorts and were under fail by 6 in the morning steering directly toward Carrigfergus and on the 13th in the Afternoon arrived in that Bay where the Army presently landed and after the General had sent out several Parties to discover the Posture of the Enemy and to scour the Country he marched the Army to Belfast and on Wednesday May 20th and the day following senâ— several Regiments towards Carrigfergus with some Cannon and Mortars which took up their Posts about the Town Upon this the Enemy beat a Parly and sent out their Propositions which the Duke rejected and so order'd the Town to be attack'd Whereupon the Trenches were drawn and the Mortars and Cannons play'd furiously upon the Town and the Half-moon that was to the right of the Castle which made the Besieged on Friday the 23d to desire another Parley but the General would not allow them to march out with the usual Ensigns of Honour and so they broke off and the Siege was carried on with great Vigour Next day Colonel Richards the Engineer being wounded in the Trenches the night before was carried to Belfast when one Mr. Spring making his Escape out of the Town acquainted the Duke that all the Soldiers lay continually on the Walls so that the Bombs only plagued the Protestants in the Town as also that Mackarty Moor and Owen Mackarty were the only 2 that hindred the Surrender of the Town and that they resolved if he stormed the Place to retire into the Castle and had to that end laid up Stores of Provision there but that they were straitned Sunday the 25th and the day following the Siege went on and the Guns had made considerable Breaches which the Irish after other shifts had â—ailed them thought to make good by driving a great number of Cattel on the top of them and which whilst we killed them there with our firing they covered with Earth Stone and other Rubbish so that at last after the refusal of another Parley which they desired of the Duke they hung out a white Flag and sent their Proposals that were finally agreed to and they were to march out with their Arms and some Baggage and to be conducted to the next Irish Garison which was Newry Colonel Wharton at the Parley lay before the Breach with his Regiment and was ready to enter when the Duke sent to command his Men to forbear firing which with some difficulty they agreed to The Articles were scarce agreed on when Mackarty-Moor was got into the Duke's Kitchin in the Camp which made the Duke smile and forbear inviting him to Dinner saying If he had staid like a Soldier with his Men he would have sent to him but if he would go and eat with Servants in a Kitchin let him be doing Sir William Russel a Captain in Colonel Coy's Regiment who was appointed to guard the Irish Garison to Newry had much ado to secure them from the Rage of the Country People whom before they had plundered and things went so far that the Duke himself was forced to ride with his Pistol in his hand among the Irish and Scots to hinder them to murder them But when that was over he march'd the same day which was the 28th to Belfast and 2 days after his own French Regiment of Horse consisting of 500 Men joined the Army which on Saturday the last of August was muster'd being as follows Horse my Lord Devenshire's Regiment my Lord Delamere's Colonel Coy's Duke Schomberg's and Colonel Levison's Dragoons Foot one Batallion of Blew Dutch Carelsoon's White Dâ—tch Colonel Beaumont Colonel Wharton Lord Drogheda Lord Lisburn Lord Meath Lord Râ—scommon Lord Lovelace Lord Kingston Duke of Norfolk Colonel Herbert Sir Edward Deering Sir Thomas Gower Colonel Earl La Millieneir Du Cambon and La Callimot The
Scotland the whole Party would not seem thereby to be discouraged especially those in England who thought it a very opportune Season while the King was absent to attempt something considerable to the Advantage of their Cause And therefore having timely concerted Matters with their Friends on the other side of the Water it was so agreed That while part of the French Fleet should bear up into the Thames to favour and assist the Designs of those that were in London who were very numerous by the flocking of a great many of the Conspirators from all Parts of the Country thither they were to have made an Insurrection in several Places at once Certain Persons were to have taken upon them the Administration of Affairs till the Return of King James who was to leave the Command of his Army to his Generals and hasten with all Speed into England The other part of the French Fleet having joyned their Gallies was to have landed 8000 Men at Torbay with Arms for a greater Number after which the Gallies and Men of War were to Sail into the Irish Sea to hinder the Return of King William and his Forces Their Party in Scotland was to have revolted at the same time in several Parts of that Kingdom But however the Matter was in reality the whole Contrivance seems to have been founded upon a Presumption if not Assurance of the English Fleet being first beaten by the French of which whether they had any foresight otherwise than from the inequality of the Strength which was considerably at this time to the Advantage of France I am not able to unriddle Yet the Conspiracy by the timous Discovery of it proved a vain Contrivance tho' the Grounds upon which the Formation thereof seemed to depend proved but too successful For all the French Fleet having entred the Channel as before concerted they veered some time upon the English Coast as expecting the Effect of the Conspiracy which was to have broken out the 18th of June of which the Queen had no sooner notice but she sent the Earl of Torrington who was Admiral Orders to fight the Enemy what-ever befel him as knowing they could have no good Design by coming so near us But how dishonourable soever this Action seemed to be to the English Nation yet there was one Circumstance that attended it that was somewhat favourable For the People generally were possess'd with an Opinion of the English Seamens Courage and Bravery above those of the French and many with so high a Conceit of the Admiral that Commanded them that it was some days before they could be brought to be perswaded of the Truth of what had happened And their Concern about it even then was much alleviated by the good News we had of his Majesty's Success in Ireland at the Battle at the Boyne which was fought the day after and of which by and by But we must first return where we left off in Ireland and that was to the Army going from Dundalk into their Winter Quarters and take a short View of the State of things there till the King's Arrival Dundalk Camp was not the only the Place that proved fatal to our Army in Ireland for they died in great numbers both Officers and Souldiers after they got into Quarters and among the former Colonel Langston departed this Life of a Fever at Lisburn and my Lord Hewet and the Lord Roscommon of the same Distemper at Chester So that about the beginning of the new Year several Regiments were broke into others and the Officers continued at half Pay till Provision could be made for them in other Regiments whilst others went over into England for Recruits However Sickness by degrees abating about the beginning of Febr. they found both Men and Horses such as survived in pretty good Heart when the General being informed that the Enemy were drawing down some Forces towards Dundalk and that they had laid in great Store of Corn Hay and other Provisions with a Design from thence to disturb our Frontier Garrisons sent a considerable Body of Horse and Foot that way himself following them on the 11th towards Drummore in order to wait the Enemies Motion But the Irish designs at this time lay another way For while the Duke was upon this Expedition there was Notice given Colonel Woolsâ—ey that they had a Design to fall upon Belturbet which he had taken from them a little before and that to that end a considerable number of them were advanced to Cavan and more to follow who thereupon marched diligently from Belturbet with 700 Foot and 300 Horse and Dragoons in the Evening towards them as thinking to surprize them next Morning ealry they being not above 8 Miles off But he met with so many Difficulties in his March that instead of being before day light at the Place he designed it was not only half an hour after break of day before he came in sight of it but also the Enemy had got notice of his coming So that instead of surprizing them he might well have been surprized himself For the first thing he saw was a Body of the Enemy drawn up in good Order and might consist of about 4000 Men but there being no retreating now either with Honour or Safety the Colonel was resolved to stand stoutly to it and therefore having first told his Men the Advantages of being brave and the inevitable Ruin of the whole Party if they proved otherwise and thereupon finding them very compliant to his Desire he sent a Party of Iniskilling Dragoons towards the Enemy who were presently charged by a great Body of their Horse and beat back past the Front of their own Foot who were so enraged at them that some of Major General Kirk's Men and Colonel Wharton's fired upon them and killed 7 or 8 of the number but some of the Enemies Horse pursued them so far that many of them were killed by our Foot as they endeavoured to get off By this time the Body of the Party was advanced near the Irish who were posted upon the top of a rising Ground not far from the Town and who as our Men advanced up the Hill fired a whole Volley upon them and then set up an Huzza but scarce killed a Man their Shot flying over them Our Men however went on till they came within Pistol-shot and then fired which so galled the Irish that they immediately retired towards the Town and entred into a Fort they had there and from whence they sallied and made a very fierce Attack upon the English who had too speedily fallen to Plunder But Woolsley having 250 Foot and about 80 Horse for a Reserve the Enemy were beat off again their Horse flying quite beyond the Town and the Foot retiring to the Fort again The Soldiers got good store of Shoes and other things in the Place but their Ammunition was blown up and their Provisions destroy'd for the Colonel was forced to set the Town on
there was an Hill to the E. of the Enemy's Camp and N. from the Town he went thither to view their Camp which he found to be all along the River in two lines and where he had a long Discourse with the Prince Duke Scomberg Duke of Ormond Count Solms Major General Scravenmoor my Lord Sidney and other great Officers who were all curious in making their observations upon the Enemy and Scravenmoor said they were Vne pettite Armee for they could not reckon above 46 Regiments that lay incamped but the King answered that they might have a great many Men in the Town that there was also an Hill to the S. W. beyond which part of their Army might lie incamped and that possibly they did not shew all their Numbers however he said he was resolved to see very soon what they were From hence the King rid on to the Pass at the old Bridge and stood upon the side of the Bank within Musket-shot of the Ford there to make his further observations on the Enemy's Posture and Camp and in some time after rid about 200 Paces up the River nigh the West of all the Enemy's Camp Whilst his Army was marching in he alighted and sat him down upon a rising Ground where he refreshed himself for about an hour during which time some of the Irish with long Guns came down and shot at our Dragoons who went down to the River to drink and some of our went down to return the Complement to the former And 't was farther observed that a Party of about 40 Horse advancing very slowly stood upon a plowed Field over-against the King for near half an Hour and brought 2 Field-pieces with them which they dropt by an Hedge on the said Ground as was afterwards known though our Men did not then discover them and one of which when the King was mounted they fired It killed 2 Horses and a Man about a 100 Yards above where the King was which was no sooner done but immediately came a 2d which had almost been fatal to one of the greatest Lives upon Earth for the Ball having first grazed on the Bank of the River did in its first rising slant upon the King's Right-shoulder took out a Piece of his Coat and tore the Skin and Flesh and afterwards broke the Head of a Gentleman's Pistol My Lord Conningsby no sooner saw his Majesty struck but he rid up and clapt his Handkerchief upon the Place but the King himself took little notice and kept on his pace saying only There was no necessity the Bullet should have come nearer though the Enemy continued firing who when they saw their shot somewhat disturb our Horse they set up a most prodigious shout all over the Camp as if the King 's whole Army had been ruin'd and drew down several Squadrons of their Horse upon a Plain towards the River but in such a Place as they knew it was not possible for the English to come at them Yet when our Guns came up which was about 3 that Afternoon and begun to play they withdrew their Squadrons into their Camp The King about 9 at Night having called a Council of War declared he was resolved to pass the River next Day which Duke Scomberg at first opposed but finding the King positive he advised that part of the Army should be sent that Night about 12 towards Slane-bridge and to pass the River thereabouts and so get between the Enemy and the Pass at Duleek but this Advice was not taken Then they fell into a Debate about getting good and trusty Guides when my Lord George Hamilton who was by immediately brought 4 or 5 of his Irish Iniskilling Officers who knew the Fords very well and took upon them to guide the Army next day and here it was concluded how the Army should march and who should command at the different Posts which were ordered in this manner Lieutenant General Douglas was to command the right Wing of Foot and Count Sâ—homberg the Horse who were to march on early toward Slane-bridge and other Fords up the River to flank the Enemy or get between the Enemy's Camp and Drogheda whilst in the mean time a body of Foot forced their way at the Pass at Old-bridge But while this was doing on our side the Enemy were not idâ—e for they also called a Council of War wherein Lieutenant General Hambleton advised to send a Party of Dragoons to a Ford that was below the Town of Drogheda which the English either knew not of or else did not regard and all the rest being 8 Regiments with their whole left Line towards the Bridge of Slane but King James said he would send 50 Dragoons up the River which put Hamilton into a great Amazement considering the Importance of the Place to be defended Towards the close of the Evening the Cannon ceased on both sides and the King gave Orders that every Soldier should be provided with a good Stock of Ammunition and all to be ready at break of day to march at a minute's Warning with every Man a green Bough or Sprig in his Hat to distinguish him from the Enemy who wore pieces of Paper on their Hats The Word that Night being Westminster he rid in Person about 12 at Night with Torches quite through the Army At last Tuesday the 1st of July came which proved to be a very clear Day as if the Sun it self had a mind to see what the Event would be when about 6 in the Morning Lieutenant General Douglas march'd towards the Right with the Foot and Count Scomberg with the Horse which being observed by the Enemy they drew out their Horse and Foot towards the left to oppose us The Right Wing at first were ordered to pass all at Slane but upon better Information several Regiments were ordered to go over at other Fords between the Camp and that place When the Horse approach'd the River they found a Regiment of the Enemies Dragoons posted on the other side who fired upon them and then thought to have retreated to their main Body but before they could do that they were flanked in a Lane and about 70 of their Number slain which was almost all the Opposition they meâ— with in passing the River that way But when they advanced forwards they found the Enemy drawn up in 2 Lines Whereupon the English drew up in 2 Lines also being 24 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons and but six Batallions of â—oot which being too few Douâ—las sent for more and in the mean time according to my Lord Portland's Advice the Horse and Foot were mix'd Squadron with Batallion for their greater Security However more Foot coming up this Figure was altered and all the Horse drawn to the Right by which they out-flanked the Enemy considerably They found the Ground very difficult to pass by reason of a great Bog and some Ditches that were in the way but the Horse moving to the Right and the Foot taking
his Boot but did all that the greatest of Captains could do upon this Occasion he chose the Field drew up his Army gave out his general Orders where-ever he was in Person and demeaned himself throughout with that Gallantry Resolution and Presence of Mind so peculiar to himself and was such a Poise for the Inclination of the Battel to his own side that even his very Enemies confess'd That if we changed Kings with them they would fight the Battel over again with us For the late King during most of the time stood with some Squadrons of Horse upon the Hill called Dunmore and when the Officer that commanded saw from thence how ill it went with their Friends below and as it was said moved his Master that they might go down and help them His answer was What will you leave me alone and so march'd off to Duleek and from thence in great haste to Dublin where the first News was That the English General was kill'd and the Prince of Orange as they called him taken Prisoner But of this they were quickly undeceived My Lady Tyrconnell when he got into the Castle asked him what he would have for Supper who told her what a Breakfast he had had which made him have but little Stomach for his Supper And next Morning after having told the Citizens that he was necessitated to yield to Force and some such Stuff and that they were become a Prey to the Conqueror but that he should not cease to labour their Deliverance as long as he liued he posted away for Waterford where he arrived the same day taking care to have the Bridges broken down behind him for fear of being pursued and where he went on board a Vessel called The Count de Isauzun that was ready to receive him But the Sieâ—r Foran Chief of the Squadron meeting him at Sea obliged him to go on board one of his Frigats for his quicker Passage and so he got once more into France In the mean time the English Army rested the next day after the Battel to refresh themselves while 5 Battalions of Foot and 4 Squadrons of Horse were detatch'd under the Command of Mounsieur Melonier to take in Drogheda the Governour whereof received the first Summons very indifferently but at last considering better of it and believing now the Irish Army to have been totally routed he laid hold of the Offers made him and the Garrison march'd out of the place with their Baggage only leaving their Arms behind them King James had no sooner left Dublin but the Protestants took Possession of it and the Duke of Ormâ—nd whom the King sent thither found Captain Farloâ— Governour who but two days before had been Prisoner and the King himself with his Army arrived at Finglass within 2 Miles of the City on the 5th of July from whence he went next day to St. Patrick's Church but returned after Dinner to the Camp where 2 days after he set out his Declaration to the Irish assuring all under such a Quality of his Protection and then divided the Army going himself with the greatest part of it beyond Dublin in order to march Westward sending at the same time Lieutenant General Douglass with 3 Regiments of Horse 2 of Dragoons and 10 of Foot towards Athlone which is 50 Miles N. of Dublin He having sent out a Party while on his March to get Intelligence besides a great Prey of Cattle which they brought from the Enemies Quarters they also took two Spies with Letters from Athlone one of which was to advise one Tute to defend an Island nigh Mullingar in which he had store of Horses and several things of Value And in another which was from an Officer in Athlone to his Father in the Country There was Information given That the Earl of Tyrconnell the Duke of Berwick and several great Officers were come to Limerick with a good Body of Horse and that their Army would be there in 2 or 3 days so that they would make either a Hog or a Dog on 't as he express'd it That the Dauphin was landed in England with a great Army That the French had beat the English and Dutch Fleets That Duke Schomberg was dead and it was said the Prince of Orange was so too That their King was gone for France but it was no great matter said he where he was for they were better without him which shews they had no great Opinion of him And after the Letter was sealed he writ on the out-side Just now we have an Accout by a Gentleman that is come from Dubâ—in That Orange is certainly dead so that all will be well again From Mullingar Douglass conntinued his March and July 17th reached Athlone Incamping within a quarter of a Mile of the Town from whence he sent a Drum to summon it But old Colonel Grace the Governour fired a Pistol at him and sent word Those were the Terms he was for The Place was strong by Nature and Art and our Force not very considerable for that Enterprise however they contrived some Batteries and planted 2 Field-pieces which did the Enemies Guns some Damageâ— and an 150 Men out of each Regiment were ordered to make and carry Fascines And about the 19th they had a Battery of 6 Guns finish'd nigh the Bridge-end which plaid upon the Castle and made a small Breach towards the top But the Train was too small for the Enterprise However the firing continued on both sides but the Misfortune of Mr. Nelson the best Gunner being killed with a small Shot and the News that Sarssield was was advancing with 15000 Men to raise the Siege made the General to send all his sick and wounded Men towards Mullingar and next day in the he Evening called all the Colonels to a Council of War where he told the Necessity of raising the Siege especially since he had but very little Bread all the while and that there was some Reason to believe the Irish Army would cut off his Communication from Dublin So that there were Orders given to be ready to march at 12 that Night when the Baggage was sent away and at break of day the 25th the Army followed having lost about 30 Men before the Town but their number was diminished thro' other Distasters at least 3 or 400. The King in the mean time moving Westward as we informed you reach'd Kill-Kullen-Bridge July 11thâ— and being himself that Morning passing by the Ness and seeing a Soldier robbing a poor Woman he was so much inraged at it that he beat him first with his Cane and gave Orders that he and divers others guilty of the like Disobedienceâ— should be hanged the Munday following But tho' some People were so Audacious as to put an ill Construction upon this Action of the King 's yet it had so good an Effect upon that part of the Army that the Country was secured from any Violence done by the Soldiers during that whole March to
days and after several Councils of War it was at last resolved to attack the Enemies Rear thereby to hinder their Communication with Pignerol from whence they had their Provision in case they staid at Mons where they then lay encamp'd Wherefore the Duke July 17th decam'd from Catalarga and encamped about 3 quarters of a League from the Enemy And the next day the French decamped also by break of day and by 9 appear'd a Body of 400 Horse about a quarter of a League from the Army which obliged the Duke to draw up his Army in Battel-aray But Monsieur Catinat had no other Design in making his Horse advance than to secure the March of the rest of his Forces which moved on to encamp on the River Pitana yet he sent in the mean time a considerable Party to make themselves Masters of Carignan but by accident there was a Party of the Piedmont-Army posted there which being seconded by the Vaudois and the Country People prevented the Enemy from coming into the Town The Duke of Savoy also on his part considering the Advantageousness of the Post and being fearful lest the French should make a second Attempt next Morning he sent 3 Regiments of Foot and 5 Squadrons of Horse to re-inforce the Town commanded by the Marquiss of Pianezze who arrived there the next Morning an hour before day and he had hardly possess'd all the Posts with his Men before a Detachment which he ordered to post themselves upon a Bridge close by Carignan over which the Enemy was to pass met the Van-guard of the French consisting of 3000 Foot and 2000 Horse who were advancing in order to make themselves Masters of Carignan and who charged the Piedmontois with such a vigorous Resolution that the Marquess de Pianezze was forced to sustain the Party with fresh Supplies In the mean time the Duke who foresaw what would come to pass had ordered 2 Batallians of Foot of the Left Wing of his Army and nearest to Carignan to go to the Relief of the Marquess of Pianezze with the Count de Louvigniez and the Marquess of Parelle at the Head of them who by the time that they were come within a Mile of Carignan found the Fight was begun Whereupon the Marquiss de la Parelle entred the Town with one of the Batallions while the Count de Louvigniez posted the other in an advantageous Place The Duke in the mean time had drawn up his Army in Battalia and was advancing towards Carignan with an Intention to give the Enemy Battel in case they continued their Resolutions to make themselves Masters of the Post The Marquess of Parelle had arrived just in the nick of time as the Piedmontois had quitted the Bridge but finding themselves re-inforced they resumed Courage again which when the French perceived the whole Army coming down upon them made them retire in some Confusion after they had lost Monsieur de Savon a very good Officer with a considerable number of Soldiers The Fight being thus ended there were all the necessary Orders given for the Preservation and Fortifying of that Post and then the Duke encamped very near the Enemy This Repulse of the French at Carignan was followed by a more considerable Blow on the side of the Vallies of Piedmont where the Vaudois joining with the French Exiles were resolved to beat the Enemy out of the Vallies and the City of Lucern of which they had at the beginning made themselves Masters To this purpose having on the 18th of Aug. joined themselves with the Marquess de Parelle the Duke of Savoy's Lieutenant-General who had about 3000 of the Piedmont-Militia with him at the Place called Babian they resolved upon the Enterprize tho' de Parelle was called away to the Duke of Savoy's Army presently and most of the Militia disbanded Wherefore Monsieur de Loches after having viewed the Posture of the Enemy whom he found to be above 3000 Foot and 6 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons commanded by Monsieur de Feuquieres and were encamped within the Walls of Lucern which they had demolished Breast-high and had posted 400 Men in the â—ort of St. Michael that was hard by he detached 200 Vaudois under 3 Captains that had with them 3â— Granadiers who passed by Lucern over the old Bridge and joined the Troops of Monsieur Arnauld the Minister that lay at Bad commanded by the Chevalier Verulli sent to them by the Duke of Savoy But upon the appearance of the Enemies Cavalry on the side of Babian Monsieur de Loâ—hes retired as fast as he could after he had given Orders to Arâ—â—uld to give notice of what had passed In the mean time while the Vaudois appeared almost at the same time under a rising-Ground having the Enemy in Front ready to receive them and Verulli being re-inforced with 200 Men more they set upon the Enemy altogether and after half an hours Dispute carried St. Michael's Fort after they had been once beaten out of it and not contenting themselves with that Advantage they pursued the Enemy within Carbine-shot of Lucern and then retreated into the Wood which put the Enemy into a Non-plus that they durst not attack that handful of Men for fear of an Ambuscade In the mean time a Messenger was dispatch'd to the Marquess of Parelle who coming next Morning to Babian with 800 of the Milita he advanced towards Lucern which the Enemy had quitted after they had burnt some Houses But the Marquess met their main Body at the joining of the two ways that came from Lucern and put the Militia at first to Skirmish with them but they were soon scared with seeing some of their number fall and fled as far as the Bridge yet the Vaudois coming up fell briskly upon the Enemy and forced them to retire in Disorder having killed several both Officers and Soldiers and pursued them with a great deal of Fury tho' they made several Halts till they came to Briqueras where putting their Horse and Dragoons to cover the Town and lodging their Infantry in the Castle they made a stand But the Vaudois attacking the Town in 3 several Places and the Castle in 5 they killed a great number of French Officers that obstinately defended the Place and at last carried both Town and Castle and pursued the Enemy as far as Mission and all this with the Loss only of 48 Soldiers and about 9 Officers but that of the French amounted to at least 1200 and among them several considerable Officers besides the wounded which were carried on 17 Waggons to Pignerol However the Duke of Savoy or his Vaudois might be elated with this Success Monsieur Catinat gave them quickly Occasion to change their Note For after he had taken Cavours a small Town upon the left of Pignerol he advanced Aug. 17th towards the City of Salusses of whose march when when the Duke of Savoy was informed he passed the Po with his Army as well to secure the Place
Prisoners notwithstanding some small Detachments sent to their Relief who could do no good against such an unequal Number and the Loss of this Regiment was not only confirmed the same Day by an Adjutant of Caprara's Regiment who made his Escape but that the Recruits of the Regiments of Hoffkirken and Caprara had fallen under the same Misfortune and that all the Baggage Women Wagons and led Horses were lost with 200 Wagon Load of Provision and 1200 Oxen that drew them In the mean time they perceived that the Enemies Army lay posted along the Danube upon rising Grounds much more advantageous than those possest by the Christians and that they were at work to fortifie them and to cut off the Christians Communication with Peter-Waradin The Prince of Baden saw plainly he had a desperate Game to play and that he must either force the Turks in their Entrenchments or perish in a Station where there were no Provisions to be had from any other place whereupon the former was resolved on and to be the next Day which was the 19th of Aug. at what time all things were ordered in the following manner Duke Christian of Holstein who was on that part of the Right Wing next the Danube with his own Regiment and that of Neuburg was to make himself Master of the rising Ground that separated the Imperial Army from the Enemy and by that means to open a way for the Body of the Army and these were to be seconded by 20 Battalions under the Command of General Souches and Camp-Mareschal Staremburg and the Army which followed in order of Battle had orders to extend it self as much as possible from the Danube to the Plain while the Left Wing had orders to march through the Plain and attack the Enemy in Flank and Rear and this was to be the principal Attack because the Turks had posted almost all their Janizaries and planted all their Cannon upon the rising Ground against the Right Wing of the Christians having nothing to secure their Flanks but only some Wagons bound together and lying almost open in the Rear It was very difficult for the Germans to approach them because of the Hills Vallies and Miry Ways which they were to cross and tho' they had decamped very early in the Morning the Attack was not begun by the Right Wing till 3 in the Afternoon and they labour'd hard to carry the Trenches But in regard the Left Wing which was to fetch a great Compass through very bad ways required a considerable time to get near the Enemy those of the Infidels who perceived it had leasure to advance with their Horse and with the same design to fall upon the Imperialists in the Rear In the mean time the 2 Battalions of the Right Wing attack'd the Entrenchments and advanced where the greatest number of Janizaries were drawn up in very good order of Battle and very strongly entrenched having a wide Moat before them defended with good Redoubts 100 Paces one from another with which the Imperialists were strangely surprized who knew how little time the Turks had to do it But however all this could not hinder them from bravely advancing to the Trenches at what time some of the Granadiers went down into the Moat crossed it and got up to the very Trenches But all this was attended with much Loss for besides the playing of the Enemies great and small Shot continually upon them the Janizaries came also 3 times out of their Trenches with their Scymeters in their Hands and fell with extraordinary Fury upon the Imperial Foot that were almost tired and suffocated with the Fire and Smoak Holstein and Newburg's Regiments of Horse and 2 or 3 others suffered very much thro' the continual Firing of the Cannon of the Janizaries And at the same time all the Left Wing of the Enemies Cavalry fell upon the Right Wing of the Christians and very rudely handled the Regiments of Caprara Serau and Beck that were the first exposed to their Fury At that time the Prince of Baden seeing them in some disorder and perceiving his Left Wing was got at some distance from the Enemy advanced with some Troops that had not yet fought and flew with that Vigor upon the Infidels that he forced them to give Ground whereby a stop was put to the Fury of the Enemies Left Wing for a while But they resuming fresh Courage fell again upon the Regiments of Caprara and Serau whom they drave upon the Battalions of Beck and Kaunisch who were by that means utterly ruined before they had time to make their first Discharge upon their Adversaries yet the Troops of the second Line that began already to totter being supported by two Regiments more took fresh Courage and all things were well again in that Wing Now the Prince of Baden whose design was only to amuse the Enemy on that side and whose principal drift was to charge them in Flank and Rear seeing all things well restored in the Right Wing hastned with other Generals to the Left and being arrived at the Turks Camp ordered the Hungarians and Rascians to the number of 5000 to break in who presently overthrew all before them making a most dreadful Slaughter of the Infidels and this was the beginning of the Turks ruin For the Hungarians and Rascians being seconded by the Regiment of Hoffkirk and 4 or 5 more that composed the Left Wing the Spahi's and Janizaries defended themselves well for a time but at last were utterly defeated the Spahi's brake thro' the Battle of the Imperialists and the 2 Lines of their Horse received the bloody effects of all their Shot But the Janizaries who stood a little longer fled some one way some another Night only putting an end to the Slaughter However they continued the pursuit next Day and the Days following and killed a great number that hid themselves in the Bogs among the Rushes and in other by-places And the immediate consequence of this Defeat was the Imperialists possessing themselves of the Field of Battle of all the Tents Cannon and all the Baggage and of all the Enemies Ammunition and Provision The Mony also for the Payment of the Soldiers fell into the Germans Hands but that proved to be no great Purchase for they found the greatest part of the Coin they made use of was Copper But for all that the Booty must certainly be very great though at the same time it cost the Christians dear For besides the advantage of their Camp it is past all doubt that the Infidels never fought with so much Obstinacy and Courage as at this time there being not a Battalion or Squadron that was not oblig'd to Fight nor an Officer that was not in the thickest of the Action and forced to discharge his Pistols several times like the meanest private Soldier The Loss on both sides is almost incredible the Conquerors themselves owning they had about 7000 killed and wounded in all and among them a great number of
to have attacked them successfully considering the rout of their Cavalry but therein they were prevented by the approach of Night Next Day which was the 22d the Elector sent a numerous Detachment to observe the Enemies posture who gave an account of their being strongly posted between two Morasses that secured the Wings of their Army and that they had planted several Cannon before them and that the avenues of those Morasses were almost inaccessible Whereupon it was concluded in a Council of War that the Imperialists should retreat 3000 Paces towards the Mountains in hopes to draw the Turks out of their Entrenchments which was done next Day in order of Battle On the 24th the Enemies appeared with a great part of their Army but drew a new and third line so speedily that it was finished before the Germans could fall upon them so that there was no more done that Day but Cannonading one anothers Camps On the 24th the Imperialists made some little motion and fell down into a Plain having a River behind them in hopes to draw the Enemy out of their Retrenchments yet that would not do neither But upon the 25th the Imperialists had advice upon the return of their advanced Guards that the Infidels began to appear and were fetchâ—ing a compass to fall upon the right Wing being covered by a thick Wood which was in part cut through and separated the Enemy from that right Wing about a Leagues distance It was thought at first to have been only some Detachment but the Imperial Generals coming out with some Horse upon the Discovery found it to be the whole Ottoman Army marching in a full Body towards them and this was confirmed by a Prisoner that was taken immediately after Upon this the Imperial Army was ranged in Order of Battle with a Design to go and meet the Enemy but they made so much speed that before the Germans â—uld cross the Woods the Turks had posted themselves upon one Line between the Imperialists and Temeswaer having a Wood behind them a tripple Range of Cannon in Front their-Right Wing opposite to the Imperialists Left and having a Morass upon their own Left Wing which was the Reason the Imperialists could not press so close upon them as they wished However Six Battalions were commanded out who entred the Wood about Five in the Afternoon to charge the Turâ— in Flank being seconded by two Regiments of Dragoons while the Body of the Army advanced at the same time through the Wood. The Ottomans finding themselves very much annoyed drew out their Horse and detach'd againâ—â— the Body of the Imperial Army that advanced in two Columns Twelve Thousand Senderbeegli's on Horseback being a sort of People that usually run upon the hottest of the 〈◊〉 and fight like Madmen in hopes of great Rewards which the Sultans are wont to give them after the Battle is over These Men after they had forced the Calthorps of the Imperialists broke into the first Line so that two Battalions were constrained to give way to their Fury but they were sooâ— after repulsed by some sent out for that purpose and the Line was again closed by the same Battalions In the meaâ— time the six first Battalions fell upon the Janizaries behind the Barricade of Waggons and that with so much resolute Bravery that they drove them from thence But the Jaâ—â—saries fired so thick upon them besides that they were attacked in Flank with so much Fury by the Ottomon Horse thâ— they were forced to retire The two Regiments of Drâ—goons that were to second them had at the same time begun to charge those Horse with good Success But the Jâ—nisaries coming to their Succour the Encounter was so rude that several Officers on both sides were slain and some wounded and the said two Regiments of Dragoons being constrained to retire were pursued by the Ottomans with greâ—â— Slaughter But then General Heidersheim coming up with 〈◊〉 fresh Regiment of Horse drove the Enemy within their baâ—ricado'd Waggons There that gallant Commander whâ— had been engaged in this War every Campaigne from thâ— beginning of it had the Misfortune to receive a dangerouâ— Wound which forced him to leave the Battle and of whiâ—â— he died after While both Parties were thus contending on this side thâ— Enemies Cavalry poured in upon some of the Imperial Regiments on the other and having first put them to the Rout broke in upon the Second Line but they were stopped short by the Infantry till the first Line was Closed again by some Regiments of Horse that were sent for from the other side upon which the same Regiments vigorously Repressed the Enemy but were hindred as was said from pursuing them by some unknown Order However some other Regiments of Horse pursued them with extraordinary Courage even to their Barricades Upon this there was some Foot immediately detached away not only to supply the place which the Regiments of Horse had left void in the first Line but to second them and to endeavour both together to force the Enemies Waggon-Barricades But the Janisaries fired so furiously upon the Imperialists that they obliged them to Retire and being pursued by the Turks the Retreat was so hasty that another Regiment of Horse was quite put out of order But then the Regiment of Caprara's coming in seasonably to their Relief Charged the Enemy in Flank and drove them back again to their Barricades with so much loss and confusion that the Grand Seignior who Commanded a Reserve of about 3000 Men in Person at a little distance behind the Barricades had much adoe to stop the Run-a-ways and to prevent his other Troops from forsaking the said Barricade But Night coming on it was not thought convenient to Attack them in their Barricades However the Elector kept the Army upon the Field of Battle at their Arms all Night and offered the Sultan Battle next Day which the other declined and so ended this Battle than which there has not been any one Fought with more Resolution and Bravery on both sides in this Age and it seemed to have been like a drawn Battle The Loss in all appearance was not very different for the Christians did not make the Enemies loss to exceed 4000 Men and when they themselves on the other Hand have owned their's to have been about 3000 some small Deduction for Partiallity will make it very near the same But tho neither side had any great reason to boast of its Advantage this Campaign from this Battle yet the Success Count Barthiani Governour of Croatia had in the mean time by the Taking of the strong Castle of Vranogratz and the Fort of Tuderaw altered the case in favour of the Germans For the Reduction both of the one and the other freed the Emperor's Territories from several Incursions of the Infidels that way which very much annoy'd the Inhabitants of those Parts We have but little to say of the Venetians this Year there being nothing done in the
rest were hasting to pass it All this while the Imperialists could not imagine that the Infantry could stay alone on this side the River because that the Night before they had done no more than only begun to make a second Retrenchment according to the Report of the Bassa and other Prisoners This obliged Prince Eugenius to advance with the Cavalry and some Artillery within an Hours March of Zenta receiving divers Confirmations in his March of what had been reported The Prince being come to the Place before-mentioned staid there for the Foot which being arrived he drew up the Army in Battle-Array the Right Wing was secured by the Theysse the Left was extended as far as the Men could take up any Ground the Left Flank was reinforced with a Second Line In this Order he made a Halt till 3 of the Clock and half an hour past at what time the Army marched in Battle-Array Being come near Zenta they could perceive but Two Thousand of the Enemies Horse The Van Courriers also reported That they viewed the Turks Bridge over which Troops were continually passing insomuch that there was a great deal of Confusion upon the Bridge Upon which Prince Eugenius took three Regigiments of Dragoons out of both the Wings and two more out of the second Line of the Flank with some Pieces of Cannon and putting himself at the Head of that Detachment advanced towards the Enemy with all the Speed he could giving Order for the rest of the Army to follow him in order of Battle All this while the Enemy's Horse made over the Bridge as fast as they could so that the Prince could easily perceive the Confusion that was upon the Bridge there being a World of Baggage still on this side Being thus advanced within Cannon-shot of the Enemy's Detachments the Turks began to play upon the Imperialists with their great Guns which the Christians answered while the Army still advanced and the six Regiments which had been detached were ordered to their Stations in the Army In this Order the Army advanced within half Cannon-shot of the Enemy's Entrenchments there remaining no more than two Hours of Day-light The Right Wing was then as it were lin'd by the River together with some Regiments of the Flank of the Left at what time they perceiv'd the Enemy's Horse were endeavouring to slide between them and the River and so fall upon that Wing but they found that impossible In the mean time they planted some Pieces of Cannon upon that Wing with which they plaid continually against the Bridge and the same Order was observed in the Right Wing and immediately after the Fight began on every side I have already told you that the Turkish Cavalry endeavour'd to slip between the River and the Left Wing which the Imperialists perceiving and observing that there was a Space of Ground between 30 and 40 Paces broad between the Enemy and the River from whence they might fall upon the Enemy's Rear they planted some Cannon there with all speed and ordered the Enemy to be attack'd by the Infantry of the Flank and the Left Wing some time before the main Body and the Foot of the Right Wing could do it This succeeded 〈◊〉 notwithstanding the thick Fire of the Enemy with their great Guns laden with Cartouches and the continual Vollies of their Small-shot so that the Infantry of the Left Wing broke in upon them and then the Army as well Horse as Foot fell on at the same Instant that the Enemy was already in some Disorder by reason of those who had already fallen upon their Backs There were two Entrenchments one behind another besides a Barricado of Waggons and they were so good that it is not easie to apprehend how the Foot could force them The Victors passed them both in half an Hours time during which there was nothing but Fire and Smoak on both sides The Horse also advanced at the same time with the Infantry to the Moat of the Entrenchment where they stood the Enemy's Fire and charged in the same manner as the Foot which perhaps was hardly ever seen before So soon as the Infantry of the Left Wing had broken into the Entrenchments all the Army acted together with equal Force nor was it possible to restrain the Soldiers One part of the Cavalry alighted from their Horses and passed the Moat over the slain Enemy In the mean time the Germans of the Left Wing and Flank cut off the Turks way to the Bridge whence followed a most horrible Slaughter as well within the Entrenchments as upon the Bridge and in the River into which they threw themselves to escape the Imperialists For the Soldiers were so eager after Blood that they gave Quarter to no Body neither Bassa's nor Officers tho' they promised large Ransoms Hence it came to pass that so few Prisoners were taken and those only such as were found among the Slain or in the Barks that composed the Bridge By those it was understood that all the Turkish Infantry was in the Fight there being not any on the other side of the River but about 2000 Men for the Grand Seignior's Guard Whence it may be concluded That the Foot were all destroy'd and that several Thousands were slain The Fight ended with the Day nor can we sufficiently set forth the Valour and Courage of the Generals the Officers and Soldiers from the highest to the lowest but principally the Skill and Dexterity of Prince Eugenius is to be extolled who tho' much inferiour to the Enemy knew so well how to watch his Opportunity that he made himself equal to him in some sort by falling upon him at a time that but one part of his Army could fight the other being on the other side of the River and not able to succour those that were distress'd All the Imperialists retreated out of the Trenches after two Hours within Night and spent the rest of it as well as they could However it were so order'd that the greatest Number was posted along the Theysse but it was impossible to rally them all again under their proper Colours Some were appointed to Guard the Bridge beyond which was set an advanced Guard The next day being the 12th a Camp was marked out for the Army and it was found that the Action was much more advantageous than it was thought as well for the Number of the Slain as the Number of great Guns the vast quantities of Bombs Carcasses Granadoes Ammunition and Provision besides great and small Cattle by reason of the Enemy's Camp beyond the River which was half a League wide and which the Turks had quitted The Fugitives reported That the Grand Seignior fled in great Consternation to Temeswaer In their Camp were found all their Tents with that of the Grand Seignior's himself several Camels and other Beasts heavy Artillery Bombs Carcasses and other Ammunition besides a prodigious quantity of Provision and about 6000 Waggons on both sides the River and some Men
were detach'd to go and make themselves Masters of this Booty But as it usually happens in such Hurries the Ammunition took Fire that Day beyond the Bridge as it had done the Night before on this side the Bridge so that a good part of it was consumed with a great quantity of Victuals and other Booty In the Morning a Transilvanian Commissary brought the Grand Seignior's Seal a curious Piece of Workmanship which never happened before in any Battle that had been fought during this War Which confirm'd what the Prisoners and Fugitives reported That the Grand Visier was kill'd because he is bound always to carry the Seal about his Neck In the mean time the Hussars and some other Troops of the Army pursued the Enemy for above 4 or 5 Leagues together from the Place where the Battle was fought who found store of Booty by the way and some lazy Turks whom they took Prisoners The same day Colonel Gleckelsberg was sent out in pursuit of the Infidels with 600 Horse and to pick up what Booty and Prisoners he could He pursued the flying Enemy as far as Aranga within half a Mile of Temeswaer and after his return with a considerable Booty which he met with all along the Road he confirm'd what had been reported of the Grand Seignior's Consternation and of the small number of Foot that was left him As for the Loss which the Turks sustained it augmented every day by new Relations the last of which gave an Account That besides the Grand Visier and the Aga of the Janisaries there were 27 Bassa's slain upon the Spot above 20000 Men killed and about 10 or 12000 drowned in the Theysse 6000 wounded and several taken Prisoners The Booty consisted of 6000 Waggons laden with Ammunition and Provision 6000 Camels 6000 Horses 12000 Oxen and a very great number of other Spoils with 160 Pieces of Cannon among which there were 70 of a larger Size for Artillery 500 Drums and as many Colours 74 Pair of Kettle-Drums the Grand Seignior's Tent valued at about 4000 Florins and a Coach or Chariot with Six Horses wherein were 10 Women of the Sultan's Seraglio It was said that the whole Booty amounted to several Millions This Victory was so much the more Glorious because it was gained with so little Loss to the Imperialists A loss so small that it is a rare thing to read of so great a Battle fought and wun with so little Effusion of Blood on the Victors Side some Regiments not loosing above 1 2 or 3 others not above 14 15 or 29 at most But how Glorious soever this Action was there was this unhappiness that did attend it that it was so late in the Year that the Germans could go upon no considerable Undertaking and follow the Blow So that all they did the remainder of the Campaign was to make an Incursion into Bosnia from whence they returned with a considerable Booty So we shall leave them and being so near will take a step into Poland and see how their Affairs stood there before we return to prosecute the remaining Negotiations of the Peace We have hinted before that the Elector of Saxony was chosen King of Poland as much contrary to most Men's Expectations as the Change of his Religion was thereupon And that for all this the Prince of Conti his Competitor's Expedition thither who was in like manner proclaimed King was at length undertaken However Saxony was by much before-hand with him for besides other Paces made the Baron de Fleming as early as July 13th in his Master's Name signed the Pacta Conventa the same being done also by a great Number of the Senators and Principal of the Nobility The Articles were these I. THE Kingdom of Poland shall be always preserv'd in its Right of Electing a Sovereign King so that it may never become Hereditary II. No King shall be elected who shall not be devoted to the Roman Catholick Church and who shall not take an Oath constantly to persevere in her Communion III. Liberty of Conscience shall be preserv'd inviolably in its full Strength and Vigour and as for the Greek Religion that shall be taken into Consideration after the Coronation IV. No Presents shall be taken from those who shall sue for any Offices or Starâ—sties V. The Queen not to intermeddle with Affairs of Government VI. As to the Administration of the Military Affairs the Presidents of Vladistaus IV. and John 〈◊〉 to be follow'd VII Alliances shall be renew'd VIII Endeavours shall be us'd to recover the Vkraine and to conclude a perpetual Peace with the Muscovites IX The Revenues in Money shall not be employ'd to the particular Benefit of the King nor shall any Money be Coin'd without the Consent of the Republick X. No Foreign Forces shall be brought into the Kingdom without the knowledge of the Republick XI None shall be employ'd in Embassies but Gentlemen of good Fortunes XII No body shall purchase the Right of Naturalization but such as have done the Republick important Services XIII No body shall be admitted to any Preferment in the Royal Houshold unless he have first serv'd the Crown XIV Nor shall any Person by the Connivance of the Senators enjoy any petty Revenues of the Crown without the Consent of the Republick XV. No Person shall enjoy two considerable Offices at one time such as are those of the Mareschal and General but they who now enjoy any Offices shall continue in the Exercise of 'em and enjoy the Revenues of 'em without any Defalcation XVI The accustom'd Order in the Administration of Justice shall be preserv'd without any alteration XVII The King when he has re-taken Caminiec shall cause it to be fortify'd at his own Charges but after that the Republick shall keep the said Fortifications in Repair XVIII The Court and the King's Guards shall consist of the Natives of the Kingdom XIX If the King has a desire to Marry he shall advise with the Senators about the Choice of a Wife and if he takes a Foreigner she shall not have above six Foreigners in her Service at Court XX. Only the Latin and Polish Languages shall be made use of for the King's Letters and Orders XXI The Laws call'd Pacta Henricea shall be observ'd in the Judgments call'd Postcurialia and when any Difficulty shall arise Judgment shall be given with the Counsellors Assessors XXII The Differences which are in the shall be determin'd with all speed that may be XXIII That no new Custom or Novelty shall be admitted in the Order of the King's Table but that the ancient Custom shall be exactly observ'd XXIV Places becoming vacant in the Intervals of Dyets shall be supply'd in six Weeks XXV The Militia shall be so regulated at the Dyet of the Coronation that is to come that there shall be no need of Foreign Troops and Military Discipline shall be exactly observ'd XXVI That the Salt shall be tax'd and shar'd out in all the Palatinates according to the
there all Night and next Day marched in all haste towards Buda after a considerable Loss while the Imperialists in the mean time pitched their Camp within a Mile of the said City in a large Plain and rested there till the 12th of the same Month and on the 12th invested the Place The Germans for the 3 following Days continued to raisâ— Batteries and make their Approaches and on the 18th the Camp was changed part of the Infantry and Cavalry being detached over the Mountains to besiege the Town on thâ— side when a strong Party of the Enemy appeared on the Eminence towards Alba Regalis which the Duke resolved to attack But they intended to assault the Germans Approacheâ— while the Besieged made 4 furious Sallies and beat the Germans on the Danube side even to the Powder-Mill but therâ— were at last every where repulsed and drove into the City The Imperialists the next Day attack'd the Lower Towâ— in 2 different places with that resolute Braverâ— that they eâ—tirely carried it and that with the Loss but of 10 Men the Enemies amounting at least to 200 but the Place having dâ—ring the Assault been fired both by the Turks and Christianâ— thoughâ— the Flame increased not much at first yet a Wind aâ—â—sing in the Night it reduced it almost to Ashes On the 20th the Besiegers begun to raise a Battery on the Right hand of the Upper City upon Gerrard's Mount and towardâ— Evening possest themselves of that Block-house which thâ— Turks had abandoned and the Day following they continue their Battery with much Application when at Night 〈◊〉 't was resolved the Duke of Lorain should go and see out the Enemy who were Encamped about Four Milâ— of concerning which and the Victory that ensued taâ— the Account from the Duke 's own LETTER to the Empâ—ror IT having pleased Almighty God to give Your Imperial Majesty Yesterday being the Feast of St. Mary Magdalen a great and signal Victory I could not omit sending this Express Count Charles de Magni Colonel of Dragoons to give your Imperial Majesty an Account of it with all the Circumstances that have accompanied this great Action Upon the Advice we received on the 21st Instant we were resolved to leave all the Infantry and what Horse was necessary before Buda and with the rest of the Cavalry and 1000 Musqueteers commanded by the Count de Aversburg and 1500 Hussars commanded by Count John Esterhasi to go and meet the Enemy who were encamped 2 German Miles beyond Buda near Hanschabets We marched all Night and by Break of Day were within half a Mile of the Enemies Camp who might easily see and observe us being very well intrenched They came out of their Camp being about 20000 strong put themselves into Battalia and made a shew for some time of attacking us in our Flank but we did our part to hinder their Design and so the Fight begun and God blessing your Majesty's Arms we put the Enemy into Confusion they fled and we followed them very close and became Masters of their whole Camp as at the Raising of the Siege of Vienna of all their Tents Baggage Artillery and all their Riches 4000 of the Turks were slain upon the Place and a great many wounded beside those that were killed wounded or taken Prisoners in the Pursuit we having sent the Hungarians and the Poles after them The Turks had with them 1000 Janizaries who were all cut off We have taken the great Standard of Mahomei which the Sultâ—n gives to the Grand Visier when he takes upon him the general Command of the Army and the Pavilion of the Turkish Officer who is known by the Title of the Serasquier and commanded in Chief this Army in the Absence of the Grand Vifier This Victory through the Almighty Hand of God may be said to be compleat and entire and gives us a Prospect of being in few Days Masters of the Town and Castle of Buda Prince Lewis of Baden Nephew to Prince Herman of Buden pursued the Enemy above 2 Hours at the Head of the Regiments of the Prince of Sâ—â—oy and of General Goiz And it was he that took the Enemies Cannon The faithful Hungarians and Prince 〈…〉 Poles followed them likewise a great way We cannot sufficiently commend the Gourage of our Cavalry and we may say to your Majesty that all the Officers have behaved themselves extreamly well and have out-done what could be expected from them We must truly own that the Count de Caprara Mareschal de Camp General Prince Louis of Baden the Prince de Salm and all the Officers of the Imperial Army have very much contributed to the Glory of this Day We have caused Te Deum to be sung for this Victory And for the rest we refer it to Count Magni to give your Imperial Majesty a more particular Account of what passed CHARLES Duke of Lorain But tho' this Success did considerably heighten the Courage of the Besiegers yet it did at not all abate the Resolution of the Garrison to defend so important a Place to the last Extremity and therefore tho' the former attacked it every way with all the Resolution imaginable yet the other obstinately persisted to repulse them by frequent Sallies and making new Intrenchments and other Defences behind the Works that were ruined by the Imperialists Cannon And this continued for the Remainder of July the whole Month of Aug. and to the 11th of Sept. when the Duke of Bavaria with his Auxiliary Forces arrived in the Camp who taking up their Post on the Left-hand of the Bridge immediately raised a Battery against the Castle and the Elector on the 13th sent a Corporal of his who understood the Turkish Language with a Summons in Turkish and in Latin in his Imperial Majesty's Name to surrender the Town giving him a Captive Turk for a Guide The Basha ordered the Messenger 15 Ducats and told him That he had no need to give up the Town being provided with all Things necessary for its Defence Whereupon the Bavarians fell furiously on and advanced the Siege very much on their side but the Germans succeeded not so well And this continued for several Days when on Monday the 25th of Sept. the Enemy made a more vigorous Sallâ— than they had done at any time before while the Serasquieâ— who had a good Army without used all his Endeavours at the same time to put some Troops into the City over the Hill on the Left of Weissemberg and notwithstanding the great Efforts made by the Christians to repulse them they succeeded so well as to get 600 Men into the Place Now the Siege began to be fainter and fainter and the Besieged appeared every Day more vigorous than other And so Things continued almost for a Month longer when the Garrison made 3 great Sallies on the 24th and 25th of Oct. with so much Resolution that they killed abundance of the Christians and ruined several of their Works the Bavarians were forced
were to be left to continue the Siege and they being almost finished by the 5th of August he began his March that Day We shall at present follow the Duke of Lorrain in his March and give you an Account of the Issue of it and then return to Newheusell Aug. 8 he passed the Danube near Comorra and next Day reached to Dotis otherwise called Thasa from whence his Highness with the Elector of Bavaria advanced towards the Enemy with a design to Attack them in their Camp before Gran if they came not out to fight them As they approached nearer they understood how vigorously the Turks pushed on the Siege of Gran and the brave Resistance the Garrison continued to make On the 14th a Renagado Polander who had for some time served the Turks came into the Imperial Camp and inform'd the Duke of Lorrain that the Turks believing the Imperialists not above 20000 strong had resolved to Attack them Upon which Information the Duke who was encamped with the Army near a Morass which covered the Turks resolved to retire that very Night an Hours March thereby to confirm the Enemy in their Opinion of the weakness of the Christian Forces which being effected in very good Order the Turks without losing any time passed the Morass thinking to surprize the Imperialists in their Retreat But they were strangely mistaken for they found them drawn up in very good Order Yet they fell on with their usual Shouts and charged the Right Wing commanded by the Elector of Bavaria and afterwards the Left Wing where the Duke of Lorrain was in Person and likewise endeavoured to flank them but they were beaten off with the greatest Bravery imaginable With this being somewhat discouraged but much more in that they found themselves deceived in the Account they had of the Strength of the Imperialists they began to fall into great Disorder which was very much encreased by the Discharge of 30 Pieces of Cannon laden with Small-shot with which the Imperial Troops opening they fired upon them and made a great Slaughter And at the second Discharge they fled being pursued by the first Line of the Christians and a great many illustrious Voluntiers who on this Occasion gave great Proofs of their Courage While they repassed the Defiles on the side of the Morass the Imperial Troops followed them very close and cutting in pieces all that opposed them they entred their Camp and made themselves Masters of it where they took all their Tents Baggage and Artillory the latter consisting of 23 Pieces of Cannon and 4 Mortars the Enemy at the same time fleeing towards Buda while the Hungarians and Croats with a Detachment of Cuirassiers and Dragoons commanded by the Baron de Merci the Count de Stirum and Colonel Heusler were sent in pursuit of them This Victory was so much the more signal and advantageous to the Imperialists in that tho' there were 4000 Janisaries and 2000 Spahi's of the Enemy slain yet it did not cost the former above 100 Men and among them no Person of Note But Vicegrade had unhappily fallen into the Turks Hands before this for while the Serasquier was engaged in the Siege of Gran before which he lost near 3000 Men he had sâ—nt before the Duke came up a Detachment of 12000 to Attack it having then only a Garrison of 300 Christians who yet made a very brave Defence till at length the Enemy having made a Breach with their Cannon and Mines they Capitulated to march out with their Arms and Baggage to the Danube where they Embarked and were conducted by Water to the Imperial Army 5 while the Enemy thought fit to demolish the Place But this was nothing in comparison of the aforesaid Victory or the Taking of Newheusel that followed which happened after this manner The Besiegers having made their Approaches by Galleries Cannon and Mines so far that a Breach was made at one of the Bastions which was so broad that 3 Men might enter a breast General Caprara and the Duke of Croy having called a Council of War thereupon resolved to give a general Assault the next Day being Aug. 19 and sent their Commands into all Quarters to provide accordingly So that first having sprung 3 Mines about the said Bastion and Curtain which tho' they had not the desired Effect so as to ruin some Retrenchments of the Besieged yet they so far benefited the Christians as to facilitate the Assault by opening a Gap 12 Foot wide and of a pretty easie Assent Hereupon they immediately fired upon the Town from all Quarters which put the Turks within into such a Consternation that for a Time scarce a Man durst appear so that laying hold of the Opportunity whilst they played also with their Bombs and Carcasses upon the Besieged the Count of Scherffenburg was the first that entred the Place on the Right side of the Bastion The Sieur Ronimel at the same time pushing in at the new Breacheâ— a little on the Left General Dumont who commanded the Lunemburghers vigorously backing the Assault This Vigour of the Christians brought the Besieged to set up two white Flags upon their Retrenchments but the former were now so eager that there was no bridling of them so that they immediately mounted the new Retrenchments and after a little Opposition the Imperialists rushed all into the Town putting all they found to the Sword Hassan the Basha was brought desperately wounded to General Caprara and about 10 Officers more were Saved Besides the great quantity of Ammunitition and Provisions they found there they had also 75 pieces of Cannon which Cannon they had all dismounted save 6. Of this Success the Duke of Lorrain was advertised as he was upon his March from Gran with an Intention to put the finishing Hand to it himself which made him alter his Motion and go in quest of the Enemies Army who rallied about Buda and whom he could not draw to a second Engagement during the rest of the Campaign However he had done in Hungary so much already that the Serasquier thought fit towards the latter end of August to send an Aga to his Highness who after having kissed his Hands and lifted them up to his Forehead presented to him a large Letter wrapped up in a piece of Crimson Sattin of which this is an exact Translation TO Our good Friend the Duke of Lorain present Generalissimus of the Emperor of the Germans Greeting We make known as a good Friend that Achmet Deschelebi formerly Defrerdo which is as much as to say Commissary of the Timarriotes of the Fortress of Neuheusel having represented to Vâ— your Friend in case We desire a Negotiation of â—eace We ought to send Letters to which you might give Credit For this Cause these Presents have been written and sent unto You. And as We your Friend desire hereby for the Service of the Creatures of God that means may be found to restore the Tranquility of the Subjects on
a Regiment of Curassiers and one of Dragoons and moved up the Drave towards the Fort which the Imperialists had over that River near Siclos near unto which he arrived July 1 sending at the same time some Detachments out to scowr the Fields and discover the Posture of the Enemy of whom they could get no certain Intelligence Yet the Duke failed in his Expectation of passing the River there also which was so overflown that there was no Possibility of it So that he sent Troops up along the same to try if there was no other place where he might do it and resolved that in case it was impossible to imploy his Army in the Siege of Sigeth But the Time spun out to the 5th of the Month when General Dunwald who came from the other side of the River with between 〈◊〉 and 4000 Men Horse and Foot was ordered by the Duke to post the Heydukes upon the Hills in order to facilitate the Passage of the Troops while in the mean time 9 Bridges were finished that had been ordered to be laid over Morasses So that on the 6th some Companies of Foot and Dragoons were wasted over in Boats with Orders to incamp on the other side of the Drave and there to intrench themselves which they did with great Diligence being â—assisted therein mightily with 1200 Peasants brought thither for that Purpose And notwithstanding the variety of different Reports that were spread concerning the Enemies Army the whole Army Horse and Foot together with their Artillery and Baggage passed the Drave by the 13th when the Elector of Bavaria came into the Camp having left his Troops some Leagues of which got up towards the Evening and then a Review was taken of the Army which was found to be 55000 Men. From the foresaid Place the Army marched towards the Enemy and on their Way heard divers uncertain Reports concerning their Number Strength and Design but they moved on and the Elector of Bavaria who Commanded the Van guard did on the 17th place himself at the Head of some Squadrons and 2 Battallions with some Dragoons and 2 Field-Pieces in Battel Array as well as the Ground would admit in a Plain interlain with Wood and faced on the other side with a Morass and in this Posture found 3000 of the Enemies Horse advantageously posted at the Entrance of the Defiles whom he charged with that Bravery that they quitted their Post which 2 of his Battallions took possession of The Army at the same time moving forwards through the Defiles the Duke of Lorrain lead the Van on the 18th and after very great Difficulty from the Badness of the Ways and Firings of the Enemies Detachments who killed a great many of the Christians they were by the 20th draws up in Battel Array in the Form of an Half-Moon about half a League from the Turkish Camp The Duke of Lorrain did all that was possible to draw the Turks to a Battel and sent several Detachments to skirmish to the very Head of their Retrenchments but all to no Purpose So that the Christians perceived by the Enemies Countenance they were not disposed to fight tho' they made great use of their Ordinance all the while But it was not thought at all expedient to attack them there seeing they were so strongly intrenched and that since the coming up of the Grand Visier their Number was computed to be near 80000 Men. â—esides all which the Christians beginning to want Forage Provisions and Ammunition it was resolved after 24 Hours stay in a Council of War to decamp from thence which was done on the 21st and the Retreat made in very good Order the Turks not concerning themselves much to hinder it only they contented themselves vigorously to change a Guard that had been out off if the Elector of Bavania at the Head of a Neuburg Squadron had not succoured them so that the Army on the 23d repassed the Drave but had like to have perished first For some Traytors holding Intelligence with the Grand Visier had undertaken to cut the Cables that held the Bridges but the Design was happily discovered and one of the Officers seiz'd and immediately Empaled his wicked Accomplishes having by their Flight escaped the Punishment So that in short the Army by the 29th was got near to Mahatz where they were reinforced with the Swabian Troops amounting to 8000 Men which enabled the Duke besides a Detachment sent under Veterani to reinforce the Blockade of Agâ—ia and another towards Croatia to send a strong Body of 8000 Men under General Dunwald to cover Syclos and Five Churches while himself with the main Army designed to direct his March towards Felixmarton But that Resolution was quickly changed upon his receiving Information on the 31st That the Grand Visier had the Night before passed the Bridges near Esseck with his whole Army who spent Aug. 1 in intrenching themselves which yet did not hinder the Duke to advance towards them to engage them if possible to a Battel and to give that gallant Man his due he neglected nothing on his part that might induce them to it though with little appearance of Success Till at last being vex'd with the Loss of Time he resolved to make the Army fall back as well to get at some distance from a Wood whence the Tartars disturbed his Foragers as to induce once more the Grand Visier to quit his Camp and to follow him This Retreat was done on the 8th but without Success neither which put the Imperialists upon making a shew as if they would take away the Garrisons of Syclos and Five Churches and abandon those Places and accordingly they continued a slow March that way And thus Things continued to the 12th when the Grand Visier possibly at last presuming that the Christians declined Fighting caused the greatest part of his Troops to advance and about 2 in the Afternoon 10000 Spahi's and 5000 Janizaries were seen directly to march upon the Left Wing of the Imperialists where the Duke of Bavaria with Prince Lewis of Baden Commanded They were led on by some Bodies of Horse whose Charge General Dunwald vigorously stood the Brunt of after which he retreated upon the first Line when in a Moment after a Body of Janizaries posted themselves upon a rising Ground with some Pieces of Cannon laden with Chain-shot which fired upon the Left of the Imperialists to endeavour to put them into Disorder This and the advancing of the 10000 Spahi's made the Duke of Bavaria to order the Front of the Left Wing to be enlarged according as he perceived that of the Enemy to do which yet could not hinder Time enough the Regiments of Savoy and Commercy to be attacked both in Front and Flank with extraordinary Fury who stood as firmly to it till the Elector hasted thither to assist them where he received a slight Wound by a Bullet in his Hand But while Things passed thus on the Left the Duke of Lorain had formed
Artillery Horses were most of them yet at Chester and therefore the Duke ordered the greatest part of the Train to be shipt and the Fleet to sail with them and all other Necessaries to Carlingford Bay while in the mean time the Duke marched the Army beyond Lisburn and so onwards through Hilsborough and encamped at Drummore where Hamilton had routed the Northern Protestants The day following they continued their March to Lougbbrilane where the Iniskilling Horse and Dragoons joined and were ordered to be an Advance Guard to the Army But before they could reach Newry the Irish Troops had deserted and burnt it yet the General finding an old square Tower in it left standing he garrison'd it with 50 Men and from hence they advanced to Dundalk and encamp'd about a mile North of the Town in a low moist ground having the Town and the River towards the W. between them and the Enemy the Sea towards the S. the Newry Mountains to the E. and to the N. Hills and Bogs intermixt The bad Weather constant Marches and scarcity of Provisions made our Men already begin to faint but here they met with some refreshment of Mutton and were on the 8th joined by Major General Kirk's Sir John Hanmor's and Brigadier Stuart's Regiments But the Fleet with the Train c. failing to come up to Carlingford-Bay as directed was a great Discouragement as well as Disappointment to them for several days and so much the more that the General had intelligence by an Engineer that deserted the Enemy that their Army consisting of about 20000 Men was at Drogheda but 16 Miles from Dundalk where the Duke halted and whereof when the General de Rosne heard he said he was sure the Duke wanted something and therefore advised them to make what haste they could to get their Forces in a readiness some part of which in a day or 2 after moved towards Ardee a small Town between Drogheda and Dundalk They continued somewhat in an uncertain Posture till the 20th when in the morning the General had an Account that the Enemy advanced towards him and that a Party of 2000 Foot and 1500 Horse were gone beyond the Mountains to attack the Pass at Newry and fall into their Rear but tho' a Party of the Enemies Horse appear'd in the sight of their Camp and that they had several Battalions of Foot drawn up in order near to theirs yet they retired upon the advancing of a Party of Horse against them and the other Detachment hearing my Lord Hewet's Horse and Sir Henry Inglesby's Foot were marching to the Camp and then in Newry they wheeled off towards Sligo But the day following the Enemy display'd their Standard Royal and all drew out both Horse and Foot having along with them a very handsome Train of Artillery and a great Body of their Horse advanced towards our Armies Out-works Several of the English Officers were for fighting and would have the Duke send for the Horse home that were a forraging but his Answer was Let them alone we will see what they will do and notwithstanding he saw them advance within Cannon-shot of his Trenches yet he said still he saw no sign of their designing to fight only once when he saw them draw their Army into two Lines he sent Lieutenant-General Douglas to the Camp to order all the Foot to stand to their Arms and sent to the Horse that upon firing 3 Pieces of Cannon they should return to the Camp but till then go on with their foraging and in the mean time alighted off of his Horse and sat him down on a little Hill seeming as if he sleeped but no doubt his Thoughts were wakeful enough and busie about the present Posture of his Affairs Douglas had no sooner given the Orders but the Soldiers with the greatest chearfulness in the world stood to their Arms and several that had not stirred out of their Tents for a week together now readily handled their Muskets being glad to think they had an opportunity to beat the Enemy for they never supposed otherwise and so to march towards them from that sad place which was already very uneasie to them but in some time the Enemy drew off and so the matter ended much to the dissatisfaction of the English Soldiers In a day or two after this there was a dangerous Conspiracy discovered among some of the French Regiments and first 4 Soldiers and a Drummer then 16 more were apprehended about some of whom several Letters were found as one to Monsieur d' Avaux and as was said one to the late King written by one duâ— Plessey now a private Soldier in M. Gambon's Regiment but formerly a Captain of Horse in France from whence he fled for Murther and by which it did appear he had for some time corresponded with the Enemy And a further Enquiry being made into the Matter there was about 200 Men all Papists out of the 3 French Regiments that were secured disarmed and sent for England under a Guard and 6 only of the principal Conspirators of whom dâ—Plessey was one were hanged upon a pair of Gallows erected near the Camp But though the Duke was very wary of engaging the Irish Army because of their Strength and Numbers it was not so with the Iniskilliners for on Friday the 27th came News into the Camp that Colonel Lloyd with about 1000 Iniskillingers had defeated a Body of the Irish that were marching towards Sligo consisting of about 5000 Men killing 700 of them and taking O Kelly their Commander and 40 other Officers Prisoners besides a great Booty of 8000 head of Cattle with the inconsiderable loss of 14 Men. With this News the General was so taken that he ordered all the Iniskillin Horse and Foot in the Camp to draw out and complemented them so far as to ride all along their Line with his Hat off then ordered the Dutch Guards and the Iniskillin Foot to draw into a Line to the Right of the Works at the West-End of the Town where they made 3 running Firings which were answered by the Iniskillin Horse from their Camp and by the great Guns upon the Works as also from the Ships that lay at the Mouth of the River But this success was some time after much abated by the loss of Sligo and James's Town to the Irish for Colonel Sarsfield marching with a considerable Body of Men that way those of James's Town not thinking it tenable quitted it and marched to Sligo losing some of their Party and killing some of the Irish in their Retreat Next day Sarsfield with his Army came before Sligo which made Colonel Russel retreat to Ballishannon and to advise the Foot also to quit the place But for all this a French Captain with a detach'd Party of Granadiers that had been sent from the main Army and Colonel Lloyd with the Iniskilliners staid in the Town and from thence retreated to the two Forts at the end of it Lloyd
into one and the French Man whose Name was de S. Sanvem with his Granadiers into the other But though Colonel Lloyd went away that Night with the loss of many of his Men in his Retreat yet the French Captain having carried in some Provision and finding 3 Barrels of Powder in the Fort stood bravely to it The Nights were then dark and he fearing the Enemy might make their approaches to the Fort undiscovered got a great many Fir-deals and dipping the Ends of them in Tar they made such a light when set on fire and hung over the Wall that he discovered the Enemy coming towards them with an Engine they call a Sow but having killed the Engineer and 2 or 3 more the rest retired and he burnt the Engine Day no sooner appeared but the Enemy were forced to quit a small Field-piece they had planted in the Street they were so plied with shot from the Fort by the English who presently after made a sally and killed divers of them But at last their Provision being spent and there being little or no Water in the Fort they surrendred it upon honourable Terms and at their marching over the Bridge Colonel Sarsfield stood with a Purse of Guinea's and profered every Man that would serve the late King Horse and Arms with 5 Guinea's advance yet they all made answer They would never fight for Papists exept one who the very next day after he had got Horse Arms and the Gold brought all off with him But how disadvantageous soever the loss of the fore-mentioned Places were like to prove to the English Army they felt yet a more sensible Blow within themselves by the Death of a great many brave Officers and Soldiers Among the former was Sir Edward Deering a gallant Gentleman and much lamented in the Army by all that knew him and a Person who as he contributed more than any Man in the County of Kent towards bringing about our happy Revolution so he left a good Fortune in England purely to serve the King in this Expedition as did 3 more of his Brothers whereof one of them John Deering died since at Trangâ—dee and was a very ingenious young Gentleman Here died also soon after him Colonel Henry Wharton Brother to the now Lord Wharton a brisk bold Man and had a Regiment which would have followed him any where and being withal a comely and handsome Person he was truly much bemoaned by all that knew him and so was Sir Thomas Gower a young Gentleman of pregnant Parts and C. Hungerford a hopeful young Gentleman and of a considerable Fortune who with a great many other brave Officers were swept away by Death in this unhappy Camp And for the common Soldiers there perished in and about Dundalk at least 1700. and there were about 1970 sick Men shipp'd off at Carlingford and Dundalk to be transported to Belfast but of them not above 1100 came ashoar the rest dying at Sea Nay the Mortality was so great that several Ships had all the Men in them dead and no body to look after them whilst they lay in Carrigfergus Bay and all this besides some thousands that died in the great Hospital at Belfast that Winter So that upon a modest Computation of the whole there was nigh one half of the Army that was transported over lost We will at present leave the surviving part in their Winter Quarters whither they marched the beginning of Nov. and see how the Campaigns have passed abroad of which we were unwilling to take any notice hitherto that they might not interfere with the more immediate Affairs of Britain whereof we have now given you the relation The Confederate Army this Year in Flanders was commanded by Prince Waldeck as that of France was by the Mareschal de Humieres between whom there passed very little of moment till about the middle of Aug. when the Prince decamping from Fountain Eveque passed the Sambre and fell into the Enemies Country and having taken up his Camp at Thit-Chateau the French encamped so near him that the Out-guards were not above half an hours march from one another The Mareschal on the 25th hearing that a great number of Dutch Horse were out a foraging attempted to surprize them to which end he made a motion with his whole Army which some days before had been reinforced with 6000 Men. The Prince had no sooner notice hereof but he fired some Pieces of Cannon to give his Foragers notice as had been agreed upon before However that did not prevent their being vigorously charged by the French who took some of them and their Van-guard advancing attack'd the Village of Forge where 800 Foot were posted to secure the Foragers being commanded by the English Colonel Hodges Lieutenant Colonel Goes and the Major of the Regiment of Hesse who for above two hours defended themselves gallantly but had been overpowered by multitude had not Râ—â— Major General of the Cavalry who was sent to bring back the Lieutenant Generals Webbenum Marleborough and d' Hubi come with their Horse timely to their succour With that reinforcement they made a retreating Fight against the main of the whole French Army that came pouring in upon them till they came to a rising Ground near Walcourt where they joined a Battalion of Lunemburgers which had been reinforced by another of Colonel Hales The French attack'd the Town with great resolution which lasted an hour and an half during which time Prince Waldeck ordered Lieutenant General Alva to march with 3 Regiments to their relief the same being also followed by the Guards of the Body and 2 English Regiments commanded by the Lord of Marleborough while Major General Slaugeburg advanced almost at the same time with some other Regiments of Foot to the other side of the Town all which Motions when the French perceived they retreated in great haste and some disorder leaving some Cannon and Ammunition with many Men slain behind them but they could not be pursued because of the hilliness of the Ground which without doubt hindred their coming to a general Battel and which in all probability would not have been to the Advantage of the French since the Dutch and other Forces were never more eager to have fought it out than at that time However they kept their Post all that night as a token of their Victory It was said the French had near 2000 killed and wounded in this Encounter though they would never acknowledge near so many among whom were reckoned a good many Officers The greatest loss on the Confederates side were some of the Foragers killed and more taken Prisoners in the first Action so that the number of the slain did not amount to above 300 but this was minced of which the chiefest were Lieutenant-Colonel Grimes of the English the Major of the Dragoons of Zell one Captain and some inferiour Officers And thus ended this Campaign in Flanders without any other memorable Action saving that the Spaniards demolished
way towards the introducing the Popish Religion into the Nation they took especial care to prevent the like for the future by Enacting in concurrence with the Royal Authority That the Kings and Queens of England should be obliged at their coming to the Crown to take the Test in the first Parliament that should be called at the beginning of their Reign and in the Bill of Succession added a Clause That if any King or Queen of England should embrace the Roman Catholick Religion or Marry with a Roman Catholick Prince or Princess their Subjects should be absolved from their Oaths of Allegiance They also annull'd the pretended Parliament in Ireland and also ordained That all those who should take up Arms against the King after the 24th of Feb. or should hold Correspondence with his Enemies should be guilty of high Treason And granted the King 2 Shillings in the Pound upon Land with the necessary Clauses and Restrictions and appropriated Part of the Mony for Payment of the Seamen and setting out the Fleet. After this being prorogued to the 12th of Apr. they were by Proclamation dissolved upon the 6th of Febr. and the King by the same Proclamation called a Parliament to meet on the 30th of March to whom he delivered himself to this Effect That being resolved to omit nothing on his Part that might contribute to the Peace and Prosperity of the Nation and to that end believing his Presence absolutely necessary in Ireland for the Reducing of that Kingdom he had called them together to desire their Assistance that he might be in a Capacity to carry on the War there with Speed and Vigour To which purpose he desired them to hasten the settling of the Revenues of the Crown and that he might have a Fund in the mean time settled upon the Credit whereof he might raise Mony for the present Exigences of the Nation Then he recommended to them the passing of an Act of Oblivion such as he had ordered to be drawn up for the preventing the loss of time usually spent in Deliberations of that kind and wherein but few were excepted that his Subjects might see he had no other Intentions but such as were conformable to the Laws of the Land and to leave those without Excuse that should go about to disturb the Government in his Absence And lastly recommended to them the Vnion with Scotland and then informed them That he intended during his Absence to leave the Administration of the Government in the Hands of the Queen and desired them to prepare an Act to that Purpose concluding with an earnest Desire that they would be as speedy in the Dispatch of Business as possibly they could in regard his Expedition into Ireland would not admit of any long Session The Parliament went roundly to work upon this Speech of the King 's yet so that it took up some time before they could bring all their Matters to bear But at length the Act of Oblivion after many Difficulties removed and so long desired by the King was approved and past so was another for putting the Administration of the Government into the Queen's Hands not only during the King's Absence in Ireland but when-ever his Affairs should call him out of the Kingdom They also found out Ways to raise the Subsidies that were granted settled the Revenues and divers Persons did in the mean time advance Money for the King 's present Occasions and that nothing might happen to the Prejudice of the Government while the King was absent the Deputy-Lieutenants of the Counties were authorized to raise the Militia in case of necessity and all Roman Catholicks ordered to repair to their places of Abode and not to stir above 5 Miles from thence without leave and all that held any Imployment in the State tho' never so inconsiderable to swear Fidelity to the King and Queen Thus Matters being brought to a good Conclusion his Majesty after returning them his Thanks Prorogued them to the 17th of June and then hasted for Ireland where he arrived on the 14th of the same Month and where at present we shall leave him and see what was doing nearer home The Rebels in Scotland under the Command of Colonel Cannon tho' not otherwise considerable for their Strength then by the unaccessible Places they possess'd in the Highlands yet continued still in a Body and took their Opportunity to make frequent Incursions into the Low-lands to plunder and spoil more like a Company of Banditti than Regular Troops over whom the Government there however kept a vigilant Eye and detected some Correspondence held between them and other Persons in Edenburg and elsewhere who before pretended to be Friends but it ended in the close Confinement of them Yet notwithstanding all this they could not prevent them from receiving some Succour from without For King James notwithstanding the Delay of the French Succours which did not arrive in Ireland before the 4th of March yet built so very much upon them that tho' he had neither Ammunition nor Provision to spare he caused in the mean time two Frigats to be rigged up at Dublin laden with Cloaths Arms and Ammunition and sent them away to his Friends in Scotland having besides on Board them Colonel Buchan Colonel Wauhup and about 40 Commission-Officers more who had all the good Luck to get safe into the Isle of Mull. With this Reinforcement they were so incouraged that sometime after that they adventured to the number of 1500 to march as far as Strathspag in the County of Murray which Sir Thomas Levingstone no sooner understood and being unwilling to give them any Opportunity for a farther Accession of Strength in being joyned with other Malecontents but he took along with him 800 Foot 6 Troops of Dragoons and 2 Troops of Horse and fell upon them so suddenly that the Horse and Dragoons entring their Camp put them into such an immediate Confusion that they betook themselves to flight leaving between 4 and 500 of their Number slain upon the Spot an 100 taken Prisoners and among them 4 Captains 3 Lieutenants and 2 Ensigns nor had any of them escaped had not a thick Mist fell in the height of the Execution This was no sooner done but Sir Thomas advanced to the Castle of Lethirgdey commanded by Colonel Buchan's Nephew and having lodged a Mine under it quickly brought the Garrison to surrender at Discretion Neither was Major Ferguson less successful in the Isle of Mull where he landed and destroy'd several Places belonging to the Enemy forcing them to desert the Castle of Dewart and betake themselves to the Hills Nor yet was the Blow given them by the Scotch Parliament of less Importance for besides their Passing an Act to restore the Presbyterian Ministers that were thrust from their Churches since the 1st of Jan. 1661. they made another declaring all those Rebels that were actually in Arms against the King and Queen But notwithstanding the ill Success of the Jacobites in
the Bog so scared the Enemy that they retreated in great haste towards Duleek which was no sooner observed by Count Scomberg but he fell in among their Foot with his Horse and killed a great many The King who knew not the disadvantages of the Ground but computing the time when he thought his Right Wing might well get over ordered his Foot to attack the Pass at Old Bridge During all this time a great part of the Enemies Army were marching towards Slane and though our Cannon plaid upon them all the while yet they kept their Order The Blue Dutch Guards being to the Right were the first that took the River at Old Bridge they beat a March all the while till they got to the River side and then the Drums ceasing in they went some 8 or 10 a-brest and found themselves almost up to the middle presently in the Stream The Enemy who had lined the Houses Hedges and Breast works on the other side did not fire till our Men were got towards the midst of the River and then a whole Peal of Shot came from all Quarters upon them yet there was but one only observed to fall He that was foremost was a Lieutenant of Granadiers who as he got footing on the other side drew up 2 Files of Men and then stoop'd and they briskly fired over him at the next Hedge which made the Irish quit it with which the other were discouraged and so all of them left their Posts and were followed by a Volley of Shot from our Men advancing upon them The Irish Foot ran scattering into the next Field and before the Dutch could get well over they were charged very bravely by a Squadron of Irish Horse yet they were quickly beat off again But by this time there appeared a great many Battalions and Squadrons of the Enemies all of a sudden from behind the little Hills that were there However the Dutch stood stoutly to it as did also 2 French Regiments and Colonel St. Johns who passed the River about the same time as the other had done a little lower For tho' Lieutenant General Hamilton who commanded at the Pass advanced with a Party of Foot to the very River and himself and some others went into it giving Orders at the same time that my Lord Antrim's Regiment and some more should go and flank Sir John Hanmer's and Count Nassau's Regiments who were also passing about 200 Yards still further Yet neither would his Men stand the brunt nor could the other be perswaded to come within the smell of Hanmâ—r's However â—â—s Hamilton retreated a Squadron of their Horse charged our French so bravely that about 40 of them broke quite thro' Monsieur La Calimot's Regiment and wounded himself mortally But they hapned to over-do their Work at this time for being obliged either to go back the same way or else to pass thro' the Village and so to wheel to the Left to recover their own Men they chose the latter but were so paid off by some of the Dutch and Inniskilling Foot that not above 6 or 8 of them got beyond the Village most of their Horses stragling up and down the Fields The Dutch and the rest of our Foot advanced all this while so that the Irish Foot quitted a second Hedge they were perswaded to rally to when another Body of Horse came down upon the Dutch who neglected the Hedges and met them bravely in the open Field but kept so cloâ—e that it was impossible to break them And as the Enemy came on begun to fire by Platoons and both flanked and fronted them and so killed a great many of them before they drew off yet not without some loss to themselves By this time some of the French and Inniskilliners were got into the Field from whence the Irish had disturbed our Troops with their Cannon the Day before who obliged a fresh Squadron of Horse that was coming down upon the Dutch to retreat with considerable Loss All our Horse went over to the Right and Left except one Squadron of Danes who passed the River whilâ—t our Foot were engaged and advancing to the Front Hambleton sent out 60 Horse who charged the Danes so vigorously that they retreated much faster than they went on some of them never looking behind them till they had crossed the River again The want of Horse was so apparent in this place that the very Countrey People cried out Horse Horse which might have proved a fatal Mistake for the Word going towards the Right and they mistaking it for Halt stopt the Right Wing for near half an Hour for that time well spent might have done great Service This and the Irish breaking thro' the French Regiment hapned much at a time which was thought was the Occasion of the Duke of Schomberg's going over so unseasonably For in this Hurry he was killed near the little Village beyond the River He received a mortal Wound thro' his Neck and was cut in two places over the Head besides and fell down from his Horse without speaking one Word Captain Foubert being also shot in the Arm as he was getting him off Dr. Walker likewise met with his Death's Wound near the same place and was immediately stripp'd for the Sâ—otâ—h-Irish that followed the Camp were got thro' already and took off most of the Plunder This Action bâ—gan about a Quarter past 10 and was so hot for above an Hour that a great many old Soldiers said They never saw brisker Work But then the Irish retreated to a rising Ground and there drew up again in Order desâ—gning to renew the Charge Whilst this lasted at the Pass the Left Wing of our Horse consisting of Danes Dutch with Colonel Wolsley's Horse and Dragoons passed the River at a very difficult and unusual Place whilst the Danish Foot with my Lord Cuts and some others went over a little above them The King during all these Transactions was almost every where before the Action began he rid between his own Army and theirs with one only Dragoon and had ordered every thing in all other Places as well as might be before he passed the River which he did with the Left Wing of Horse and that with as much difficulty as any other whatever For his Horse was bogged on the other side and himself forced to alight till a Gentleman helped him to get his Horse out But as soon as the Men were got upon the other Bank and put into order he drew his Sword which yet was troublesome to him his Arm being stiff with the Wound he had received before and march'd at the Head of them towards the Enemy who were coming on again in good order upon our Foot that had now got over the Pass and were advancing bravely towards the Irish tho' they were double their Number But when theâ—e 2. Bodies had got almost within Musket-shot of one another the Enemy espy'd the Left Wing of our Horse moving towards them at which they
made a sudden halt faced about and retreated up the Hill again to a little Village called Dunmore about half a Mile from the Pass Our Men marching in good order came up with them at this Village when the Irish faced abont and charged with so much briskness that our Horse was forced to give ground tho' the King was with them Hereupon the King rid to the Iniskillingers and asked what they would do for him and advanced before them Their Officer telling his Men who it was and what Honour was done them At the Head of these Men the King received the Enemies Fire and then wheeling to the left that his own Men might have liberty to advance and fire they erroneously retired after him above a 100 Yards which made the King move to the Left to put himself at the Head of some Dutch Troops that were advancing while in the mean time the Iniskillingers growing sensible of their Mistake went on again to the Charge and did good Service Some of Duke Sâ—homberg's Horse were here also and behaved themselves well taking one or two of the Enemies Standards while another Party commanded by Lieutenant General Cinkle now the Renowned Earl of Athlone charge in a Lane to the Left but the Irish proved too many for them there and so they were obliged to retreat This being observed by a Party of Sir Albert Cunningham's Dragoons and another of Colonel Levison's the Officers ordered the Men to alight and line an Hedge as also an old House that flanked the Lane from whence they poured in their Shot upon the Enemy Lieutenant General Ginkle continued in the Rear of his Men being heartily vexed at their retreating and was in some Danger by our own Dragoons For the Enemy being close upon him they could not well distinguish However the Dragoons did a piece of excellent Service in this Place by stopping the Enemy who came up very boldly and our Horse having the Opportunity of Rallying here as they did to the Right the Enemy after near half an hours sharp Dispute were bear back again from this place and a great many of them killed On the other side Lieutenant General Hambleton finding that his Foot did not answer his Expectation he put himself at the Head of the Horse which being defeated by ours he was wounded on the Head and taken Prisoner When he was brought to the King he was pleased to ask him Whether the Irish would fight any more Yes said he an 't â—please â—your Majesty upon my Honour I believe they will for they have a good Body of Horse still When he named his Honour the King looked a little aside at him and repeated once or twice Your Honour intimating That what he assumed upon his Honour was not to be believed since he had forfeited that before by siding with the Earl of Tyrconnell And this was all the Rebuke he gave him for his breach of Trust Now you are to understand that while all this happened on this side our Men on the Right were making the best of their way over the Hedges and Bogs towards Duleek and as they advanced the Enemy drew off till they had heard what had happened at the Pass and then they mended their pace yet they could not make so much haste but that several of them were killed especially among the Foot upon whom a Party of our Horse broke in but they presently scattered among the Corn and Hedges till they got beyond a great Ditch which our Horse could not pass But tho' when they got over the Pass they drew up and fired their great Guns upon our Men who did the like on their side as being not able easily to come at them with their small Shot yet their Confusion was so great that they left a great many Arms with a Quantity of Ammunition in the Village of Duleek and indeed all the Country over Yet our Men were so â—illy as to blow up the Powder where-ever they found it and few or none of the Enemy escaped that fell into their Hands for they shot them like Hares among the Corn and in the Hedges as they found them on their March Of all the Irish Commanders none seemed to have been more active and vigilant and done better Service that day than Lieutenant General Hambleton whom at last we took Prisoner as above-noted But the Irish Foot were the first that ran while the Count de Lauzun's Horse and some Swiss which he had with him and which were the best Men in the late King's Army no way derogated from the good Opinion which was generally conceived of their Valour but stood to it till they saw themselves abandoned by the other and then retreated in very good order But the Irish made so much haste that tho' our Foot pursued them above 4 Miles beyond the place of Battel yet they could not overtake them no more than some of the Horse who continued the Pursuit till Night and then returned to the place where the Foot made an Halt and where they remained at their Arms all Night The Enemies whole Loss in this Battel was generally computed at 1500 Men and of them some considerable Persons as the Lord Dungan the Lord Carling ford and Sir Neal O Neal c. But one thing was observable that day that most of their Horsemen who charged so desperately were drunk with Brandy each Man having that Morning received half a Pint to his Share But it 's like the Foot had not so large a Proportion or at least did not deserve it so well And on our side fell near 400 which in it self was inconsiderable and not worth speaking had not the Renowned Duke Schomberg been of the Number a Person whom his very Enemies called a brave Man and a great General He was certainly a Person of the best Education in the World and knew Men and Things beyond most of his Time appearing courteous and civil to all and yet had something always that looked so great in him that commanded Respect from Men of all Stations and Qualities As to his Person he was of a middle Stature Fair-complexion'd a very sound hardy Man of his Age and sat an Horse incomparably well and as he loved always to be neat in his Cloaths so was he ever pleasant in his Conversation and tho' he was 82 Years old when he died yet when he came to be embowelled his Heart Entrails and Brain were as sound and fresh as if he had been an Youth of 20 so that it is probable he might have lived many Years longer if Divine Providence had not otherwise ordered it And as Monsieur â—allimot had followed that Great Man in all his Fortunes while alive so he did in his Death for he died of his Wounds soon after him As for the King himself he received no manner of hurt through God's Providence in the Action tho' he was in all the height of it only a Cannon-ball carried away a piece of
cover the Duke's Foot The same Afternoon Major-General Tetteau with a Party of a 1000 Men having drawn down some Cannon to the Fair Hill resolved to attack one or both of the new Forts and new Shannon-Castle But the Enemy no sooner perceived his Men posted in order to that Design then they set fire to the Suburbs between him and them and so deserting both the Forts and Castle retired in haste into the City Which our Men no sooner saw but they possessed themselves of Shannon-Castle planted some Guns thereon and from thence plaid both upon the Fort and Town Major General Scravenmore was come at the same time with his Horse and took up his Quarters at Kill-Abbey On the 26th the Duke of Wirtemberg with his Danes and another Detatchment of Dutch and French Foot came and encamped on the North-side of the Town and the Enemy the day following having deserted their Works at the Cat-fort without a Blow struck our Forces took possession of it and having planted a Battery there they threw both their Bombs into the City and pâ—aid their Guns upon the Fort from the Friars Garden and another Battery above the Fort near the Abbey Having moreover got a Church into our possession Scravenmore ordered a Party of Men into it and laid Boards cross the Beams for them to stand upon who from thence did very good Service in galling the Irish within the Fort All which together with another Battery made by Red-Abbey which plaid against the City-wall and made a Breach therein brought the Besieged to move for a Treaty Whereupon a Truce was granted till next Morning when the Besieged not accepting the Conditions that were proposed the Cannon began to play again very furiously and made a considerable Breach and when any of the Enemy appeared on the Wall near it they were rased off by the small Ordnance from the Cat And lest the Enemy might make their Escape thro' the Marsh there were 40 Men placed the Night before in the Brick-Yard near Kill-Abbey to prevent it On the same Day in the Afternoon the Danes from the N. and 4 Regiments of English from the S. under Brigadier Churchill passed the River up to the Arm-pits into the E. Marsh in order to storm the Breach that was made there in the City-Wall The Granadiers under my Lord Colchester led the Van and march'd forward tho' all the while exposed to the Enemies fire with them march'd also the Duke of Grafton my Lord O Brian Collonel Granville and a great many more as Volunteers The Van immediately posted themselves under the Bank of the Marsh which seemed to be a Counterscarp to the City-Wall In which Approach the Duke of Grafton received a mortal Wound on the point of his Shoulder The Salamander also and another Vessel came up with the Morning-Tide and lay at the end of the Marsh directly before the City-Wall plaid their Cannon at the Breach and threw Bombs likewise into the City All this being hot Work made the Irish beat a Parley and Colonel Makilicut who commanded in the Place sent the Earl of â—yrone and Colonel Ricaut to agree the Capitulation who concluded That the Garrison consisting of about 4000 Men should be all Prisoners of War as well Officers as Soldiers That the Old Fort should be delivered up within an Hour and 2 Gates of the City the next Day That all the Protestant Prisoners should be forthwith released That all the Arms as well of the Soldiers as Inhabitants should be secured and that there should be an exact Account delivered up of the Warlike Ammunitions and Provisions in the Magazines Matters being thus happily terminated in relation to Cork the very same Afternoon a Party of about 500 Hoâ—se was sent under the Command of Brigadier Villars to infâ—st Kingsale upon whose Approach the Irish quitted the Town set it on fire and retired into the Old Fort and on the 1st of Oct. the Earl of Marlborough advanced as far as Five-Mile-Bridge and next day reach'd the Town of Kingsale then in Possession of his own Men who quenched the Fire and that Evening posted his Troops toward the New Fort as Major-General Tettau with 800 Men next Morning early passed the River in Boats and stormed the Fort with very good Success For several Barrels of Powder at the same time accidentally taking fire blew up nigh 40 of the Enemy whereupon the rest flying into an old Castle in the midst of the Fort were a great many of them killed before they could get thither and all that made resistance as the English scaled the Walls were cut to pieces so that of 450 Men in the Fort about 200 were blown up and killed and the rest submitting to Mercy were made Prisoners My Lord having gained the Old Fort resolved to make as quick Work as he could with the new one which was far the more considerable of the two For the Weather was now grown very bad and Provisions scarce and withal the Men began to be sickly which made him judge it the best way to attack the Place briskly However he sent the Governour a Summons to surrender who returned answer It would be time enough to talk of that a Month hence Whereupon the Cannon being planted they began to batter the Place two ways and upon the 9th day of the Month the Men got near the Counterscarp on the 12th in the Morning 6 Pieces of Cannon were mounted at the Danes Attack which was to the Left and 2 Mortars at the English which fired all Day and the Mortars continued all Night and more Guns were planted on the English Battery the two succeeding Days for the Danes on their side had made a pretty large Breach Then they sprung a Mine with very good Success and were preparing for another Being now become Masters of the Counterscarp the Cannon plaid the 15th all the Morning long and every thing was now ready to lay the Galleries over the Ditch when the Enemy beat a Parley about surrendring the Fort which being done the Articles were agreed to and signed By them the middle Bastion was to be delivered up next Morning and the Garrison being above 1200 Men to march out the day after with their Arms and Baggage and to be conducted to Limerick There were about 200 Men killed and wounded in the several Attacks our Men made but there were some Amends made to the Survivors at least some of them For besides a very considerable Magazine there was great Plenty of all kinds of Provisions in the Fort and good Liquor of all sorts With this successful Expedition we shall end the Affairs of Ireland for this Year there being no other Action of considerable Moment performed there but only observe that all Leinster was reduced under the King's Obedience by taking of these two Towns which was no small Advantage to his Interest considering that Province is the most Southern of all Ireland and consequently the nearest to France
Forces of his Catholick Majesty and his Royal Highness shall be joyned together both submitting to Military Discipline without committing any Disorders And both Allies shall give Orders to their Victuallers to repair to the Army and sell their Provisions at a moderate Price 15. And because the present Alliance is only defensive 't is declared That when the Army of France shall begin to commit Hostility either in the Territories of Milan or those of his Royal Highness it shall be then changed into an Offensive Alliance And in case that Pignerol and Casal shall be taken from the French the first shall be remitted into the Hands of his Royal Highness the other shall belong to his Catholick Majesty by Right of Conquest yet so as no way to prejudice the Right and Possession which his Royal Highness has taken of Monferrat by Vertue of the Treaty of Chierasco And in case there shall be any thing won from the Enemy in any Place where his Royal Highness has any particular Right it shall be parted in Halves by reason of the great Damages which his Royal Highness suffers from the Enemies Army that lies in his Countrey having put off the March which they had designed to make an Invasion into Milan to which the Territories of his Highness serves as a Bulwark being nevertheless burthen'd by an unexpressible Charge of the French Army And in regard the Count of Fuensalida takes Charge of his Catholick Majesties Army which is kept in Pay for the Delivery and Defence of Milan he is also obliged to assign Winter-Quarters in the Territories of Milan to the Troops of his Royal Highness and to put them into such a Condition that they may be fit for Service the next Campaign The Manner and Form being concerted between his Royal Highness and his Eminence in Person or between their Ministers as also the Number of well-disciplined Men his Excellency having all the while Power to agree for Money for the Winter-Quarters except Forage The Ratification on both sides to be made by the Count of Fuensalida in two Months and by the Count of Brandisso in six Weeks Concluded at Milan June 3d. 1690. Sign'd the Count of Fuensalida Count Charles Emanuel de Brandisso I shall not now enter upon the particular Consequences of these Alliances as having some things nearer home first to observe And here I cannot but note That as the Enemies of France increased so she seemed equally or rather more to increase in Power being very formidable this Year by Sea of which we have already instanced the Particulars and no whitinferior by Land as will manifestly appear in the Course of this Discourse and of which the Confederates especially on Flanders and the Lower Rhine-side seemed to be sensible And therefore they concerted their matters thus That the Army of the States should oppose in Flanders that of France commanded by the Duke of Luxemburg while the Elector of Brandenburg should upon the Banks of the Moselle withstand the Forces commanded by the Marquess de Boufflers But the French according to their usual forwardness having taken the Field betimes the States Troops were constrain'd to draw out of their Garrisons to attend the Enemy before those of Brandenburg were come to the Posts assigned them which gave Boufflers an opportunity to encamp between the Sambre and the Meuse from whence he could joyn the Duke of Luxemburg whenever there was occasion for it The Dutch Generals under these Circumstances were obliged to encamp at the Pieton the most advantageous Post of all Flanders and there to stay till the Brandenburg-Army took the Field and thereby cause the Enemy to divide their Forces But while they lay at Pieton they understood that the Duke of Luxemberg drew near the Sambre with a Design to cross that River between Namur and Charleroy in order to waste the Spanish Countries and put them under Contribution Which News so allarm'd the Spaniards that tho' they could do little of themselves yet they pressed the Dutch extreamly to oppose the French Intentions wherein they the more easily prevailed since Prince Waldeck was of himself disposed to it out of the Consideration he had of what Importance it was to keep the French beyond the Sambre and therefore he decamped from the Pieton June 3d N. S. and detatch'd the Count of Berlo the same day with a Detachment of 1500 Horse to observe whether the Enemy endeavour'd to pass the Sambre or no who was followed by the Count of Flodorp with 4 or 5 Regiments of Cavalry to assist him or make good his Retreat the Count of Webennum being also posted on this side a narrow Lane which was to be passed thro' before they could come at the Enemy Berlo being advanced as far as the Village of Fleuri found that a good part of the French Army had already passed the Sambre and posted themselves against the Village which they kept to their Backs of all which Prince Waldeck who was posted between Mellin and Fleuri was instantly informed Now the Enemy having notice of Berlo's Approach marched directly towards him while the Duke of Luxemberg presently dispatch'd away several Troops privately thro' By-ways to fall upon him in the Rear which made Berlo send for more Succours and chiefly of Foot but instead of sending him more Force they gave him Orders to retreat Yet he receiving not those Orders till he was almost environed on every side he was obliged to put himself in a Condition to defend a narrow Lane which he had possess'd before by his Dragoons The Enemy charged him very vigorously and there he lost his life as did also Major Castleman and some other Officers The Count of Flodorp was also advanced too far to retreat without fighting and the Cavalry indeed stood stoutly to it but being oppress'd with Numbers they were forced to retreat to Monsieur Webbenum who commanded the 3d Detachment and was posted on the other side of an Hedge Some Squadrons of the Enemy that pursued Flodorp ventured thro' the Hedge after him but they were so vigorously repulsed that they were constrained to make more haste back again When this was done all this Body of Horse joyned the Army which was drawn up in Battel-aray not far off And thus ended the Work of that Day The whole Army stood in order of Battle all that Night and the next Morning they understood by a Deserter that the Duke of Luxemburg was resolved to fight But 2 Spies that made it their Trade to be double ones reported presently after that Luxemburgh was repassing the Sambre And in this uncertainty Prince Waldeck continued till 8 in the Morning when the French were drawn up in Battle-aray that there was a necessity of engaging The States Army consisted of about 25000 Men in regard the Spanish Forces and others who should have reinforced them were not yet come up so that the Prince could not make above 2 Lines that extended from Fleuri to St. Arnaud The
being at Steenkirk and his Left at Enghein he took his Quarters at Hove According to Orders the 6 Battalions paraded at the Head of Prince Waldeck's Regiment and the Detachment of 17 Men per Battalion of Churchil's Brigade and received the Command of Prince Wirtemberg and very early in the Morning the whole Army followed them makign their way to the Enemies Camp thro' nothing but Defiles being close Ground all the way and no other way but such as was made by our Detachment for that purpose the Baggage being left behind by order at the Camp at Hall About 9 or 10 in the Morning our Van-guard came to the advanced Posts of the Enemy the Mareschal of Luxemburg as the Paris Account gives it having been informed of our Design by Monsieur Tracey who commanded a Detachment of Horse that Night between the Enemies Camp and Ours had taken care to possess himself of the most considerable Posts in the Defiles But notwithstanding this our Van-guard oblig'd the Enemy to retreat from them all till they came to a little Wood just upon the Right of the Enemies Camp except a small Guard in a Village upon the Left of our Columns almost a League from the Enemies Camp who upon the march of our Army were all made Prisoners of War their number being about 30 Men and an Officer Between 10 and 11 in the Morning our advanc'd Guards under the Command of the Prince of Wirtemberg lodged themselves in the Wood that fronted the Right of the Enemies Army the Danes and the Battalion of Guards taking their Post upon the Left in the Wood and Sir Robert Douglas Fitz-patrick's and O Farrel's upon the Right of them On the other side of the Wood was the Enemies Camp a little Valley remaining between and a great many Hedges which the Enemy resolved to maintain with all Vigour possible tho' they yielded so easily their advanced Posts Prince Wirtemberg planted upon a little Rising on the Left of the Wood a Battery of Cannon which began to play about 11 and another upon the Right by Sir Robert Douglas his Battalion Captain Macrackan of the same Regiment who afterwards was killed pointed a Cannon from his Battery so successfully that it put a whole Battalion of the Enemies in disorder sweeping almost an entire Rank before it Whilst Prince Wirtemberg was playing upon the Enemy with these Batteries of Cannon the Army marched up to the Head of the Defile about half an English Mile from the Wood where it opened in a little Plain upon our Right not above half a League over which terminated upon the Right of the Wood where our Van-guard was and at the Right of our Army upon several Rows of high Trees which seemed planted in great order as if 't was the Avenue of some Person of Quality's House which being towards Enghein makes my Author suppose that they might belong to the Duke of Arschot's House where those famous Gardens be as are said to be the Pattern of Versailles Thro' these strait before us on the other side of the Plain they could see the French Infantry drawn up in two Lines and making towards their Right to defend the Post upon the Wood. Upon the Right of this Plain not far from these Groves and Rows of Trees there was a pretty considerable Farm which soon after the Engagement was set on fire by the Enemy to cover as 't is said several of their Battalions by the Smoak who were ordered this way and was afterwards engag'd with Fagâ—l's Brigade between this House and the Wood where our advanc'd Guard was posted From the Head of our Defile upon the Left of the Plain there went for almost half a Mile in length a deep hallow way with high Trees and Hedges upon the Banks of it which reach'd as far as the Wood where the Van-guard was posted and where it branched it self in 2 other deep ways one going thro' the Wood upon the Left to the Danes Attack and to that of the Guards one almost streight forwards and the other upon the right going along the out-side of the Wood between these two last was the Place where Sir Robert Douglas Col. Fitz-patrick's and O Farrel's Regiments were posted On the other side of the deep Way as went from the Head of our Defile to the Post where was our Van-guard went several narrow Fields which lay between it all along and a part of the Wood which reach'd as far as our advanc'd Guards to our Defiles When the Army was come up to the Head of these Defiles and just entring into the small Plains they were ordered to halt except the English Life-guards and Horse and Dragoons which were commanded upon the Right Skirts of the Wood where was our Van-guard and my Lord Cutts's Lieutenant-General Mackay's Sir Charles Graham's and Earl of Angus's Regiments which being interlin'd with the English Horse were commanded at the same time to the out-side of the Wood on this side of that way as branch'd upon the Right which made the Figure of the Arch of a Circle as the Skirts of the Wood did here before us These 4 Regiments were posted here to be ready to second the Attack of our Van-guard Prince of Hesse's Col. Louder's and Earl of Leven's Regiments who were also interlin'd with the Left Wing of Horse were likewise posted upon the side of the Wood. Things being thus dispos'd and our Army continuing in their Halt Prince Wirtemberg after he had connonaded for above 2 Hours begun the Attack with the Danes upon the Right which was immediately follow'd by the other 4 English Regiments as compos'd our Van-guard and seconded by Cutts Mackay Angus Graham Lauder the Prince of Hesse and Leven's Regiments Certainly never was a more dreadful and at the same time bolder firing heard which for the space of 2 Hours seem'd to be a continued Thunder and equalled the noise even of the loudest Claps our Van-guard behaved themselves in this Engagement to such wonder and admiration that tho' they received the Charge of several Battalions of the Enemies one after another yet they made them retreat almost into their very Camp so far that the second Battalion of the first Regiment of Guards possess'd themselves of a Battery of the Enemies Cannon which the Enemy were oblig'd to quit by the Vigour of our Charge and Colonel Wacup who commanded the Battalion and who behav'd himself extreamly well on this Occasion plac'd a Serjeant and Guard upon it but the French having cut off the Traces and taken away the Horses we could not bring them off but were obliged afterwards to leave them Sir R. Douglas with his first Battalion charg'd several of the Enemies and beat them from 3 several Hedges and had made himself Master of the 4th where going thro' a Gap to get on the other side he was unfortunately killed upon the Spot all the other Regiments performing equal Wonder and behaved themselves with the same Bravery and beating the
Lordships on the 3d instant That the Infantry of his Royal Highness's Army marched on the 2d from before Pignerol to join the Cavalry which they did the same day at Marsiglia after having blown up the Fort of St. Bridget and set fire at Piscina to all the Bombs and Ammunition which they could not carry away The Army was presently drawn up in Battalia The Marquess de Leganez commanded the Left Wing composed of the King of Spain's Troops as well Horse as Foot and of the Regiments of Commerci Taff and Scrutenbagh commanded by the Prince de Commerci His Royal Highness and under him the Count de Caprara commanded the Right Wing which was covered by the rest of his Imperial Majesty's and his Royal Highness's Cavalry In the Right Wing and the Corps de Battaille was posted the Foot of his said Imperial Majesty of his Majesty of Great Britain and of his Royal Highness The Corps de Battaille was commanded by Prince Eugene of Savoy who had under him the Marquess de la Parelle and the Count de las Torres The Army being disposed in this order march'd on Saturday the 3d into the Neighbourhood of Orbassan from whence we perceived the Enemies Army towards the Hills between Orbassan and Piosasque The Enemy seeing us thus advanced made a shew of moving to us in order of Battel but the Night coming on the two Armies marched off to a greater distance from each other to suffer the Troops to repose themselves At Midnight we sent away all the Baggage and put our selves into a Posture to receive the Enemy who we perceived by the Ground their Army took up were much more numerous than we At break of day the Enemy advanced towards us making use of the Advantage they had in the Ground which was full of Woods and Vineyards They threw some Dragoons into the Village of Piosasque situate upon a Hill to cover their Right Wing and began to play all their Artillery upon our Left Wing which did us some Damage But our Cannon being likewise very well posted and well served did great execution among their Cavalry About half an hour after Eight they fell upon our Left Wing with about 20000 men without firing a Shot having their Bagonets at the end of their Fusils and their Swords in their Hands but they were repulsed and driven back with great vigour They renewed their Attack and took in Front and Flank the Neapolitan and Milaneze Horse who after having courageously withstood the Fury of the Enemy were at last over-powered by their Numbers and pushed upon the German Horse who being thereby put into disorder and being at the same time charged by the little Gendermerie were no longer able to keep their Ground and fell upon the Infantry which was put also into Disorder The second Line being brought on to repulse the Enemy while the first Line rallied the Horse gave way by which means the said second Line not being able to withstand the Efforts of the Enemy was obliged to give ground likewise But while things passed thus in our Left Wing the Enemy were thrice repulsed with great loss by our Corps de Battaille and our Right Wing and we had all along the Advantage on that side until the Enemies Horse which had made our Left Wing give way attack'd our Infantry behind and in Flank who had no longer any Horse to cover them on their Left and were at the same time attack'd by the Enemies Foot Our Troops resisted them with extra-ordinary Courage made their Cavalry give way by the means of our Cannon which was employed to very good purpose and repulsed them with a great Effusion of Blood This Resistance and Effort of our Horse in the Right Wing quite disheartned the Enemy but they being 10000 Men stronger than we and receiving a farther Reinforcement attacked our Troops anew So that being environed by their Cavalry and very much fatigued and without hopes of being succoured by our Horse we were obliged to retire at Four in the Afternoon leaving the place of Battle to the Enemy with 10 or 12 Field-pieces the rest being saved Orders were given for our Troops to rally at Moncalier where in the Evening most of the Foot passed the Po. Last Night and this Day a great many Soldiers came hither the Enemy did not make the least shew of pursuing us All the Troops fought very well and the Action was very sharp on both sides The Troops of his Majesty of Great Britain which were in the Corps de Battaille did particularly distinguish themselves and the Duke of Schomberg who commanded them fought on foot at the head of his own Regiment and would not take any other command The Count de las Torres desired him after the Enemies third Attack to take upon him the Command and cause a Retreat to be made by the Foot of the Corps de Battaille and the Right Wing which had not yet sustained any great damage but the Duke of Schomberg told him That it was necessary first to have his Royal Highness's Order and until it came they would bear the Enemies Fire adding That he found things were gone so far that they must now overcome or die The Valour of the said Duke is to be greatly admired he had the Misfortune to be wounded in the Thigh one of his Serants who waited upon him in his Chamber saved his Life for he seeing the Duke fall run to him and called for Quarter but before he could be heard was killed upon the Spot The Duke at the same time was taken Prisoner but Monsieur Catinat sent him back upon his Parole and he arrived here this Day I had already desired a Trumpet of his Royal Highness who came hither yesterday about 5 in the Evening to go and demand him I cannot yet exactly tell your Lordships how many are killed on our side 'T is thought that the Spanish Troops have sustained the greatest loss The Regiments of his Majesty of Great Britain have likewise suffered very much and there is not a Third of them left Of the Regiment of Schomberg 18 Officers are taken many of which are mortally wounded and of the others proportionably We have yet no News of Collonel Montauban l'Isle Marais Lieutenant-Collonel is taken Prisoner The Baron de Viskoute Lieutenant-Collonel of the Regiment of Schomberg is also taken and wounded De Loches Lieutenant-Collonel is kill'd or taken with several Captains There are 3 or 4 Captains of the Regiment of Miremont killed Collonel Monbrun has 4 dangerous Wounds his Major is killed and his Lieutenant-Collonel is killed or Prisoner Of the Troops of his Royal Highness the Marquiss de la Suse Lieutenant of his Life-Guards is killed the Count de Chalaus Collonel of the Regiment of Mondovi is likewise killed Of the Troops of his Imperial Majesty the Prince de Comerci is wounded in the Shoulder and the Son of the Count de Palfi killed The Enemies loss is at
each with 15 Men promising in his Majesty's Name Advancement to the Serjeants and Rewards to the private Men if they did their Duty to go upon the Forlorn Hope These were to be followed by the Granadiers of the Guards under the Command of Colonel Evans and those by the rest of the Granadeers designed for the Attack of the Breach making in all 700 under the Command of a Colonel 300 Granadeers were ordered to Attack the Line of Communication Colonel Courthop and Colonel Mackay's Regiments were ordered to sustain those that attack'd the Breach Colonel Hamilton and Colonel Buchan's Regiments were to make the Reserve And that this might be the better performed it was ordered that the Regiments of Mackay Hamilton and Buchan which were placed at the Abby of Salsen should immediately after the Signal given march to the Place of Action and draw up behind the Regiment of Courthop there to receive further Orders About Noon or soon after the Attack was begun the English marching out of the Trenches drew up under the Enemies Fire and notwithstanding they had 900 Paces march before they came to the Breach exposed all the way to the Enemies great and small Shot which fired sorely upon their Flank all the way they went on with a great deal of Firmness and Resolution Immediately after the Granadeers followed Colonel Courthop's Regiment with Drums beating and Colours flying The beginning of this Attack looked very hopeful but the 3 Regiments at Salsen not marching so soon as was intended either by a Failure of or Mistake in the Signal the English Troops that were already engaged were over-power'd by the Numbers of the Enemy And that which contributed to their Misfortune was the Count de Rivera's being shot dead upon the Spot the Count de Marsilly who commanded the 600 Men that were to attack the Line of Communication next Cohorne with his Lieutenant Colonel being both immediately shot dead Colonel Courthop being likewise shot-dead and his Lieutenant Colonel Sir Matthew Bridges desperately wounded most of the Officers of the Granadiers being killed or wounded particularly Captain Mitchel of the Guards shot dead and Colonel Evans desperately wounded my Lord Cutts receiving a Shot in his Head which disabled him for some time the Count de Mercie Colonel Windsor Colonel Stanhop Mr. Thompson and several other Gentlemen who went Voluntiers with my Lord Cutts in this Action being wounded and totally disabled And Count Rivera's Attack not beginning quite so soon as was intended by Reason of the aforesaid Mistake of the Signal all the Fire of that part of the Cohorne which was next the Terra Nova fell upon the English which had been otherwise employed if every thing had succeeded as was intended After some time the 3 Regiments from Salsen arrived but things were then in such a Posture that they were forced to begin a new Attack instead of sustaining that already begun for Count Nugent and Monsieur L' Abadie were by this time come down by Order of the Mareschal de Boufflers as we were afterwards informed by the French Commanders into the Space which is between the Cohorne and Terra Nova with 1200 Foot and Dragoons of the French King's Houshold and with these Troops they charged our Forces in Flank and Rear which were already in the middle of 6 different Fires The Battalions from Salsen tho' they came too late to do us the Service intended did not want their Share of Suffering as appeared by the List of their killed and wounded Officers and Soldiers By this time my Lord Cutts being dressed of his Wounds and come to himself finding the Affair of the Terra Nova not possible to be retriev'd and observing the Bavarians upon Count Rivera's Attack engaged in a very hot Fire who notwithstanding Count Rivera was kill'd and the Prince of Holstein Norburg Brigadier wounded and that most of the Officers of the Bavarian Guards were killed or wounded had fixed themselves upon the outermost Retrenchment of the Point of the Cohorne next to the Sambre and maintain'd the Post with a great deal of Obstinacy but could not gain any more Ground He ordered 200 Men to be detached out of such as were resolved to carry the Point or die by it upon Promise of distinguishing Rewards to such as should do any extraordinary Action and ordering those to be sustained by the Regiment of Mackay and that the other English Forces should rally and come after as soon as they could he resolving to bend his whole Force to make good the Bavarian Attack And as soon as he was come to the Place of Action he detached Lieutenant Cockle of Mackay's Regiment with a Party of chosen Men with the following Orders That he should attack the Face of the saillant Angle next to the Breach Sword in Hand without firing a Shot that he should pass the Pallisadoes and enter the cover'd Way That if he could not maintain the Post he should make the best Retreat he could with his Men but that he should lodge himself if he found any Place capable of it with a Promise in his Majesty's Name of a distinguishing Reward if they succeeded and out-liv'd it At the same time he commanded the Ensigns of Mackay's Regiment to march straight to the Pallisadoes and plant their Colours upon them with Promises of suitable Rewards All this succeeded so well that Lieutenant Cockle entring the Pallisadoes beat the Enemy from the cover'd Way and lodg'd himself in a Battery of theirs having first turn'd their Cannon upon them for which his Majesty has since Rewarded him with Advancement and Money Whilst Colonel Mackay's Ensigns were advancing to the Pallisadoes the Bavarians renewed their Attack with undaunted Vigour tho' as was said before most of their Officers were killed and wounded and so this Post was made good The Elector of Bavaria expos'd himself to a Degree not to be imagin'd going from place to place to observe what pass'd and give such Orders as he thought fit several Persons being killed and wounded very near him he gave away Handfuls of Gold to the English Soldiers as well as his own saying many kind things of the Bravery both of the Officers and Soldiers No Gentleman ever fell more generally lamented than Colonel Courthop did on this Occasion giving all possible Hopes of an extraordinary Man in the Military Art if he had lived Colonel Windsor Colonel Stanhop the Count de Mercy Mr. Tomson eldest Son to my Lord Tomson and other Gentlemen of Note before-mention'd behaved themselves on this Occasion with all the Bravery it was possible for Men to shew And many other remarkable Actions were done by several of the English and Scotch too many to set down here Having gained the cover'd Way before the Breach of the Cohorne and the inferiour Angle saillant or Point towards the Sambre and our Troops being fatigued by so long an Assault and the Enemies Resistance we contented our selves to make a Lodgment here without any farther
fire to get his Men out in the time of the Sally as not knowing what might happen The Enemy's Loss in that Action was considerable and so much the more advantageous to the English in that it broke the Neck of a Design the Irish had of drawing together a Body of 10000 Men at Cavan to fall upon Belturbet and other Places and gave Colonel Woolsley about the beginning of Apr. an opportunity to take the Castle of Killishandra with whose Services the General was very well pleased who upon that sent him a Battalion of Danes that were lately landed in Ireland to reinforce him at Belturbet About the same time Sir John Lanier with a Party of a 1000 Horse Foot and Dragoons made an Attempt upon Dundalk took Bedloe Castle and the Ensign that Commanded there and brought from beyond the Town and about it about 1500 Cows and Oxen. The Ensign was carried to Lisburn and brought before the General into his Garden where he commonly used to walk before Dinner who before he asked him any Questions gave him a pretty Caution to be sincere in his Answers saying You have a Commission and for that Reason if not otherwise you are a Gentleman This obliges you to speak Truth which if you do not I can know it by examining other Prisoners and then I shall have no good Opinion of you But for all this and what-ever else he told him afterward in private he could get little or nothing out of him that was Material But King James did not seem to be so sensibly concerned at these Disadvantages so remote from him in the North as he was at the loss of the only Man of War I think he had in his Possession and of which though in it self no such considerable Action as might merit a room in this Treatise Yet there are some Circumstances belonging to it that are engaging enough and will not permit me to pass it over in silence Sir Clovesly Shovell being about the 12th of Apr. arrived at Belfast as Convoy to divers Ships that carried over Necessaries for the Army and there having Intelligence of a Frigat that lay at Anchor in the Bay of Dublin he set sail on the 18th being Good-Friday to the Mouth of the said Bay And there leaving the Monk and some other great Ships he took the Monmouth-Yatch and one or two more with several long Boats and went up to Polley where the Frigat lay being one half of the Scotch Fleet that was taken in the Channel the preceding Year carrying 16 Guns and 4 Pattereroes King James when he was advertised of it said It was some of his Loyal Subjects of England that were returning to their Duty and Allegiance But he was quickly convinced of his Mistake when he saw them draw near the Ship and heard the firing and therefore he rid out towards Rings-End where a vast croud of People of all sorts gathered together and several Regiments were drawn out to kill if it were possible those bold Fellows at Sea who durst upon such a good day perform so wicked a Deed as they phrased it Captain Bennet who Commanded the Frigat run her a ground and after several firings when they saw a Fire-ship coming in which Sir Clouvesly had given the signal for the Men who were about 40 of which they lost 6 or 7 in the Action quitted her and our Men took her but in her going off one of her Hoys run aground and was dry when the Tide was gone out tho' the rest of the Boats were not a far off being full of armed Men and a Frenchman of K. James his Guards coming nigh the Boats to fire his Pistols in a bravado had his Horse shot under him and was forced to fling away his Jack-boots to run away in his Stockings to save himself leaving his Saddle and Accouterments to some of the English Seamen who would go ashoar to fetch them off King James went back much concerned at the Adventure and 't was reported he should say That all the Protestants in Ireland were of Cromwell ' s breed and deserved to have their Throats cut which if true argued no great Stock of Discretion in him however all the Protestants that walked that way during the Action were secured in Prison and only two of them made their Escape to the English Boats But to return again to the Affairs of the North there was but little more of any moment done there before the King's Arrival besides the taking of the Castle of Charlemont a â—trong place both by Nature and Art as being seated upon a piece of Ground in the middle of a Bay and only accessible by two ways which the Irish had partly broke down but what was designed by the Irish for its relief and security proved the loss of it For Mack-Mahon with a Detachment of between 4 and 500 Men having in the Night got over the Bogs into the Place with Ammunition and some small Quantities of Provision Monsieur Davesant Cambon's Lieutenant Collonel having notice of it and that they designed to return in a small time divided his Men into 3 parts When the 3d Night after their going in they were marching out again near to Captain la Carry's Post who had 40 Men with him He let their Van pass him and then fired upon their main Body killing 8 of them with an Officer and forcing the rest into Charlemont who for hast left 110 Muskets 6 Halbards some Drumms and several other things behind them the same ill success they met with in the other Attempts then made But when the Blockade was re-inforced from the General who some said knew of Mack-Mahou's going in and ordered them to suffer him to pass that their stay might bring the Garrison the sooner low and so be forced to surrender The Irish made no further Attempt to escape but it had almost been as well for them to have fallen into the Hands of the English as to be beat back as they were For old Teague O Regan the Governour was so angry with them for it that he swore If they could not get out they should have no entertainment nor lodging within And he was as good as his Word for they were forced to make little Huts in the dry Ditch within the Palisadoes and upon the Counterscarp few or none of them being permitted to go within the Gates of the Castle so that between the one and the other the poor Fellows were in a miserable plight The General being resolved to possess himself of the Place sent several Regiments that way who encamped almost round it having some time before sent old Teague a summons to surrender but he was then very surly and bid the Messenger tell his Master from old Teague O Regan That he was an old Knave and by St. Patrick he should not have the Town at all At which Answer the Duke only smiled saying He would give Teague greater reasons to be angry in a short time and
this time the German Succours to the number of 8000 good Soldiers with the Elector of Bavaria at the Head of them were come which made Catinat who before pretended no less than to besiege Turin it self to repass the Po with his Army and send Expresses to Court to send him some Re-inforcement while the Marquess de Hoquincourt in the mean time besieged and took the Town of Montmelian the Duke of Savoy thinking to relieve it in vain But the Castle required a greater Strength to master it yet of this by and by We shall now see what the Duke of Savoy did after so great a Re-inforcement from Germany They laboured all they could to engage Catinat to a Battel but he as industriously declined it So that at last the Confederates finding it would not do they passed the Po near Carde and on the 27th of Sept. Prince Eugine of Savoy invested Carmagnola and by the 3d of Oct. the Trenches were opened and 26 great Cannon and 8 Mortars arrived from Turin Three several Attacks being raised the same day between which were Lines of Communication made on the 4th from thence to the 7th the Siege was carried vigorously on when they began to throw Bombs into the Town and at the same time received Advice That Catinat after having quitted Fossano Savillana and Saluces was retreated towards Pignerol but on the 8th the Garrison beat a Parley and the Capitulation was signed the next Morning upon honourable Terms I have given an account before how the French possest themselves of this Place but I did not mention that the Articles upon which it was given up to them were not performed with the Fidelity they ought to have been for the French took from the Vaudois that were in Garrison their Cannon Arms and Baggage and threatned to detain them Prisoners if they did not give up what was demanded of them without Resistance But for this the other resolved to be now revenged upon them and therefore they way-laid the French upon the Road and assailed them with extraordinary Courage taking away their Arms and a good part of their Baggage which the Germans observing they thought it much better to be doing also than looking on and so they compleatly gleaned the poor French of what the Vaudois had left them Of this tho' Monsieur Catinat made heavy Complaint yet all the Answer given him was That they were truly sorry it should so happen but that he himself had set them the first Example however that for the future they would take care to prevent any such Disorders All this together with the Vaudois the very next day after the Surrender of Carmagnala beating 3000 of the French that were detached to do Mischief into the Vallies and killing about 500 of his Men made the French General very uneasie However this did not hinder the Council of France from resolving upon the Reduction of the Fortrâ—ss of Montmelian whether Monsieur Catinat was ordered to repair to take the Command of the Army upon him which arrived before the Place on the 16th of Nov. and after a most vigorous Siege wherein they were to Conflict as well with the Rigour of the Season as the desperate Defence of the Garrison it was at last surrendred to them upon the 22d of Dec. upon honourable Terms and by it they became now entire Masters of all the Dutchy of Savoy the French King all this while being caressing the States of Italy by his Embassador the Count of Rebenac for fear the Apprehensions of the Danger they might be in because of the success of his Arms might move them to close in with the Confederates and thereby encrease the number of his Enemies who as they stood might prove too many for him Now 't is time for us to leave Italy and see what has been doing in Hungary The 2 last Years were as different in Success to the two contending Parties as perhaps ever was known and the Turks no doubt were now big with Expectations and possibly had hopes to regain all their Losses by another Campaign for which they had made very great Preparations neither was the Emperor on his part backward therein but engaging the Prince of Baden to Command the Army he pretty late in the Summer joined the same near Peter-Waradin from whence he decamped with a Resolution to march towards the Enemy who lay about Semlin on this side the Save and whose Cavalry on the 10th of Aug. shewed themselves in the Morning drawn up in a Line a little from the Imperial Army But this was only an Amusement they having no intention to fight For tho' the Prince came very near the Turkish Camp on the 12th and did all he could to provoke them they would not stir out of it but he did not at all think it adviseable to attack them there since they were invironed with a broad deep Moat defended with good Redoubts and a 150 Pieces of Cannon mounted upon Batteries and therefore he retreated a little to tempt them to come forth and so much the rather because they were forced to go as far as Salankemen for the Provisions that were sent to the Army which could not come any further by Water because the Turks were more numerous in Saicks upon the River from that place than the Christians were And in effect the Prince was not mistaken in his Conceptions for the Turks thinking the Christians were fled sent some Troops to fall upon the Rear which they did all the while the Army march'd who still continued in motion on the 17th tho' it was so misty that they could hardly discern one another But as soon as it cleared up they heard the Turkish Drums and found their whole Army was marching towards them yet because the winding of the Danube hindered the sight of the Enemy in that part only in the flank the Christians made a motion to secure the Saicks that lay at Salankemen and to have them to that purpose in Front and tho' the Army was posted well yet upon the 18th Orders were given to retire into a more advantageous Post and to possess all the rising Ground about Salankemen But while this was doing and by that time that it was day they discovered upon the right hand a considerable Body of Turks marching in order of Battle upon the right Road to Peter-Waradin with a design to prevent the Christians from making themselves Masters of the first Hillocks near Salankemen and their Vessels and Saicks at the same time near unto those of the Christians with a design to seize them and 3 or 4000 Horse engaged with the Left Wing along the Danube skirmishing all day but still retiring when the Christians made any shew of resistance while Buquo's Regiment of Dragoons that in the mean time was detach'd to convoy 200 Wagons that came from Peter-Waradin was surrounded by a considerable Body of the Enemy and after long resistance were almost all cut in Pieces and made