by the Ears in which 't is to be fear'd they meet but with too much Encouragement from the People on both sides The Second The Marechal of Villeroy sent a Trumpet to the Prince of Vaudemont to notifie to him that a Courier had pass'd through the Marechal of Catinat's Army the day before going to the French King with an Account of the Prince of Conti's Election to the Crown of Poland and that he had been proclaim'd King by the Cardinal Primate before the Courier came away from Warsaw The same day all our Artillery was drawn off from the Batteries upon the Retrenchment and paraded upon the Height near the Wind-mill of Ganshoren the Post where it had been before at our first coming to this Camp it was at first suppos'd that this bringing of the Artillery together was for a Feu de joye for the Duke of Saxony's Election to the Crown of Poland but it was brought from thence to incamp in the Rear of the Second Line two or three days after The Fourth in the Evening all the Artillery in the Marechals of Villeroy and Boufler's Armies being drawn up together in a Line upon a Height between them both toward Brussels it was thrice fir'd with as many rounds of Small-shot in both Armies for the News of the Prince of Conti's Election to be King of Poland and the same thing was done in all the other Armies of France by the King's Order The Fifth My Lord Portland went to the second Conference with the Marechal of Bouflers privately as before and it was held in the same place in the open Field several General Officers and others waited upon the Marechal of Bouflers to the place of Conference and the Marechal told My Lord Portland that if his Lordship would come attended with the Generals and other principal Officers of our Army they should be very Welcome Orders were given this Evening for all the Horses to Graze in the day-time thereby to spare Forrage which began now to grow very scarce about our Army The Horses belonging to the Infantry graz'd accordingly the next day before our Camp towards Zellich Releghem and Wemmel having a good Detachment to cover them of which the Marechal of Bouflers having Intelligence he came with about 30 Squadrons to disturb them and all our Graziers were forc'd to come back into the Camp without any considerable Loss but upon first notice on our side the Earl of Athlone was commanded out with about 20 Squadrons of Horse with orders not to ingage himself in any Action only to observe the French and shelter the Retreat of our Graziers Several Squadrons of the French Horse and ours came very near one another and drew up in Opposition a deep hollow way remaining between them and fac'd one another for a while the Trumpets and Kettle-drums making a very good Entertainment at the same time on both sides without any Disturbance but at last one of our Troopers or some body else fir'd a Shot or two from behind a Hedge which alarm'd the French and some of them fir'd again and kill'd two of our Troopers which broke up this kind of an Interview the French drew off and went their way and so did we The Tenth was held the third Conference between My Lord Portland and the Marechal of Bouflers in the open Field as before My Lord went attended this time by about twenty Persons of note from our Camp among whom were the Earl of Rivers Lieutenant General and the Earl of Essex Mr. Hill His Majesty's Envoy at Brussels and Treasurer of the Army and Mr. Stepney the King's Envoy to several Princes of Germany lately arriv'd from thence and several others The Marechal of Bouflers receiv'd them very kindly being presented to him by My Lord Portland and desir'd the Dukes of Roquelaure Luxembourg and Guiche-Grammont to entertain them in Conversation whilst he and My Lord should go aside to talk of Business The French Plenipotentiaries gave in at last their Project of a General Peace with the Allies this day the Affairs of Poland had not succeeded according to the Desires and Expectations of the French Court Monsieur de Pointy's Expedition had produc'd nothing remarkable but the Sacking of Carthagena and the Galleons were safe but Pointy himself seem'd not to be so now and the French were very apprehensive of his meeting with Admiral Nevil that had been sent from England to the West-Indies with a strong Squadron to observe him and there were several Reports at present in Europe which were not at all favourable to Pointy and the Parties concern'd were very much afraid that they should have no great Share in the Booty made at Carthagena and though Pointy should escape Nevil yet he had another Risk to run and that was his getting into Bresl As for the Siege of Barcelona this place was very obstinately defended by the Spaniards who had all the Forces they were Masters of Catalonia concern'd in the Defence by a Communication between the Town and the Army by the Fort of Monjouy and which within and without amounted to about 17000 Men whereas the French were not above 27 or 28000 strong and too weak to take up the Posts all about the Town but were forc'd to leave the Quarter of Monjouy open which serv'd for a Communication between the Besieged and the Spanish Army without where they had not then above six or seven thousand Men commanded by the Vice roy of Catalonia this made the Siege of Barcelona doubtful and there was no likelihood of taking the place as yet The French did not therefore think it convenient to delay the giving in of their Project any longer and it was deliver'd in this day in Congress to the Mediator consisting of three Heads according to the Tenour of the full Powers which the French Plenipotentiaries had of Treating with the Emperor and Empire the King of Spain the States General and their Allies and 37 Articles The French King by this Project offer'd chiefly in relation to the Empire either to restore Strasbourg in the Condition it was when taken or to give in exchange all the places he had in Brisgow and Alsatia on the right side of the Rhine as Brisack Fribourg c. and the Fort of Kell on the same side of the Rhine opposite to Strasbourg and likewise to restore Philipsbourg and all other places taken in the Palatinate or elsewhere in the Empire since the Treaty of Nimeguen and in case the Emperor and Empire accepted of the Equivalent for Strasbourg that then the Rhine should serve as a common Limit to Germany and France all above Philipsbourg and thereupon that the Emperor and Empire should have no Forts nor Fortifications from thence upon the left side of the Rhine nor the French upon the right side of it according to which Propositions if agreed to the New Town of Brisack on the left side of the Rhine the Bridge of Philipsbourg and the Work that covers it on the
high pole which Signal was to be taken upon the right and left from post to post Cannon being to be fir'd at the same time where they had it or a Volley of small shot from the Guard and the Towns of Ghendt Bruges and Newport were to take or give the Allarm by having such Lights upon their highest Steeples or Towers where there is always a Watch Night and Day and Firing of so many Guns This was the Contrivance of Monsieur Ivoy Quarter-Master General of the Dutch Army in Flanders and the Experiment of it being made one Night it was found that the Allarm was given from Newport to Ghendt which is fourteen Leagues by the Canals in less than an Hours time The same Method was taken between Ghendt Dendermond and Willebrook by Lights and Firing of Cannon from whence it was to be carried by the Guards upon the Canal to Brussels all which could be done in Two Hours time being the distance of 24 Leagues This was sufficient to cover all the Countrey behind the Canals and the Scheldt during the Winter and to hinder our being surpriz'd in any of those Quarters but the great difficulty was about Namur for the Winter was very hard and the Meuse shut up very early with a Violent Frost insomuch that there was no getting of Convoys into the place from Maestricht and Liege by Water and the Frosty Weather continuing very obstinate till the Moneth of March all the Waggons between Liege Maestricht and St. Tron were summon'd to carry a great quantity of Provisions and Ammunition into this place which was happily executed accordingly before the breaking of the Frost under a strong Escorte compos'd of Detachments from all the Garrisons thereabouts without any Opposition from the French but then as soon as the Rivers were open and 't is observable that this great and long Frost went away without a drop of Rain another great Convoy of all manner of Stores and Provisions was sent thither by Water from Maestricht of which Count de Guiscard Governour of Dinant having Notice he drew out several Detachments of the Garrisons of the Meuse to indeavour to intercept it with which he came into the Condros but our Generals upon the Meuse were so watchful that Count de Guiscard miss'd his design and Namur was sufficiently provided with all manner of Stores for the whole Summer This is an Abstract of the most material Transactions of the Winter and Spring being now coming on we were resolv'd if possibly to be before hand with the French in the Field as the onely means to hinder them from making any considerable progress in Flanders with the great and Numerous Armies they were now like to have against the Allies His Majesty being desirous to have his own Forces to act under him in Brabant with Prince Vaudemont and that the Elector with the Prince of Nassau Sarbruck should Command in Flanders with the Spanish and Bavarian Troops and those of the States whereupon Orders were sent to have the Quarters chang'd according to this disposition The Duke of Wirtemberg had then been visiting the Winter-quarters when being return'd to his Head-quarter at Ghendt the last day of February he met with an Order from the Prince to meet him at Antwerp the next day where a great Council of War was held the Prince of Vaudemont the Duke of Wirtemberg the Prince of Commercy who had come from Vienna to Brussels this Winter to Visit the Prince and Princess the Marquess de Bedmar and Mr. Hill being present and the King's pleasure was signified by the Prince about the disposition of the two Armies we were to have in the Field the following Campagne the Exchanging of Quarters accordingly and the providing of things necessary for the English in Brabant and the same for the Dutch in Flanders After this Conference the Prince and the Prince of Commercy with the Marquess de Bedmar went back to Brussels and the Duke of Wirtemberg to Ghendt where he was no sooner come but he met with another Order to go to Brussels being arriv'd the Second of March in this Town a great Council of War was held in the Electors Presence and the Routes and Quarters were settled for the exchanging of the Troops between Brabant and Flanders and Patents dispatch'd accordingly and Monsieur Ivoy who acted as Quarter-master General for the Army of Flanders was sent immediately that very night after the Resolutions taken in the Council of War to the Magistrates of Ghendt and Bruges to provide Bilanders Waggons and other things necessary for the March of the Troops In the mean while the two French Plenipotentiaries Monsieur de Harlay and the Count de Crecy being come from Paris by the way of Lisle and Courtray arrived at Ghendt the 3d. in order to prosecute their Voyage for Holland Our Guard at Bruges Porte took no notice of March them because they had not yet acknowledg'd His Majesty for King of England but oblig'd them to produce their Pass at the Gate before they came into the Town the Magistrates receiv'd them on their side with all the Joy and Civility possible and seeing that our Forces Quarter'd there could not give them the Compliment of a Guard upon their quarter a Detachment of Spaniards was sent out of the Citadel with Colours Commanded by a Captain for this purpose The next day they went to the Sas of Ghendt where they went on Board of the States Yachts sent thither to carry them by Water to Delft where their third Colleague Monsieur de Callieres expected them Every thing being ready for the March of the Troops according to the above mention'd Resolutions the English Foot began to move towards Brabant on the 6th of March The Regiments of Churchill Seymour Webb and Frederick Hamilton March'd from Ghendt to Louvain under the Command of Major General Churchill The two Battalions of the Royal Regiment and the Regiments of Fairfax and Ingoldesby March'd from Bruges to Brussels being Commanded by Brigadier Fairfax and those of Saunderson Tiffin and Ferguson from Ostend to Malines under the Command of Brigadier Tiffin and were exchang'd by the Regiments of Weed Dohna Sparre and Groningue Guards from Brussels to Ghendt Fagel Carles la Mothe and Schack being the Regiment of the late Major General Holle from Louvain to Bruges and from Malines to Ostend came the Hanover Guards the Hanover Regiment of Cinqvilles and that of Willekens All the English Regiments the Guards excepted were to leave two Companies per Battallion in the Quarters from whence they remov'd in Flanders and all the Dutch one in their Quarters in Brabant or Frontier of Holland to have by this means the Garrisons kept during the Summer by detach'd Companies and consequently more Battallions in the Field though the less strong but reduc'd by this Method as near as could be to the Strength and Complement of those of the French this likewise made the Dutch Regiments equal with
he had sent with him but the General Officers that attended him remain'd After great Civilities on both sides they withdrew apart to enter upon Business and My Lord Portland came back into our Camp in the Evening notwithstanding that his Lordship went this first time very privately yet it was the publick Discourse of the Camp the next day and the Opinions were divided about the Business some conjecturing one thing and some another but most agreed that this Conference had more Relation to the Affairs of Peace than War The 30th the King went to Dine in the Abbey of Dilleghem which is very pleasantly situated about two English Miles from Brussels in the way to Wemmel and was now almost a Mile in the Front of our Camp it is of the Order of St. Norbert or Premontré and stands upon an easie Ascent of a Hill with fine Walks and Woods Gardens and Fish ponds about it Colonel Webb's and Colonel Walter Collier's Regiments were order'd out to cover the Abbey and a Detachment of 200 Men of the Guards were sent here to do Duty about His Majesty's Person the King's Kitchin and Furniture had been sent in the Morning and the Army that was now full of the News of yesterdays Conference would have it that the Marechal of Villeroy met the King in this place but the King found his Quarter at Cockelberg too close being inviron'd with the Camp on one side and the Town on the other and His Majesty had once a mind to remove his Quarters to this place to have a better and a freer Air but it was too far out of our Camp and too much expos'd to hazard His Majesty's Person there and that Design was given over In the Evening the King rid the Tour in his Coach about the chief Streets of Brussels according to the Custom of the Nobility in these Countries and the next day His Majesty went to the Opera this gave very good hopes to those that were Well-wishers for Peace to see the King mind some Divertisements in the midst of a Campagne The first of July His Majesty had by an Express from the Hague July the News of the Elector of Saxony's being chosen King of Poland in the Dyet at Warsaw which came by a Courier at the Hague to the Sieur Bosen the Elector of Saxony's Plenipotentiary at the Congress for the Peace and which he communicated immediately to all the Ministers of the Allies who went to Complement him upon this occasion the Elector of Saxony had not publickly appear'd as a Candidate till the Meeting of the Dyet and that the French Party had carried their Point in the Election of a Marechal and the Prince of Conti and the Prince Royal eldest Son to the late King of Poland seem'd to be the only Competitors that stood fair for the Crown as for the Elector of Saxony he was not yet talk'd of and his Design seem'd hitherto to continue in the Emperor's Service and command his Armies in Hungary the Campagne following but when the French Party appear'd so great at the Meeting of the Dyet none but so Powerful a Prince as the Elector of Saxony who could offer such great Advantages to the Poles and make them Powerful by the joyning of those Dominions and the Electorate of Saxony under one Head as they are in Situation and recovering thereby the Ancient Limits of that Republick upon the Turks by the Siege of Caminieck I say none but so Powerful a Prince that could bring such Advantages along with him to the Poles could then frustrate the Designs of the French Party and oppose the Prince of Conti's Election Colonel Fleming was sent to the Dyet as the Elector of Saxony's Ambassador who declar'd his Master one of the Candidates and made very great Offers to the Republick and indeed greater than any one of the other Candidates could do he was soon countenanc'd by the Imperial Party and that the Religion which the Elector had hitherto profess'd might be no Obstacle to his Election he produc'd a Certificate of His Highnesses Abjuration of the Protestant Religion and of having receiv'd the Sacraments of Confession and Communion some time before from the Duke of Saxen-Zeits his Kinsman Bishop of Raab sign'd by the said Bishop and the Pope's Nuncio attested the Truth and Validity of the Certificate as knowing the Hand of the said Bishop * The Electors of Saxony were the first that receiv'd Luther's Reformation and it cannot be believ'd that the Pope's Nuncio would have made that step if the Pope had been so Neutral in that Affair before the Election as he pretends to be since The Elector of Saxony march'd at the same time with all the Forces he had in his Country being about 8000 Men into Silesia and came to Breslaw upon the Frontier of Poland to be as near Cracaw as he could to back his Pretentions When the day of the Election came the Standards of the Prince Royal's Party appear'd in the Field as if they were still resolv'd to stand by him and Saxony's and his being then divided the Majority appear'd on the French side which made the Cardinal Primate without any farther Poling proclaim the Prince of Conti the very first day of the Meeting for the Election the Prince Royal's Party seeing that it was in vain to struggle for him any farther and that if they did the French must carry the Election joyn'd that of the Elector of Saxony which now made them much Superior to the Prince of Conti's Faction and thereupon the Bishop of Cujavia proclaim'd the Elector of Saxony King of Poland in the Field and Sung Te Deum for it in the great Church of Warsaw which the Elector's Party had shut up against the Cardinal Primate who therefore Sung it in the Field and thus it came to a double Election about which I shall say no more than that this Crown will in all likelihood be us'd hereafter as a Bait to bring the most Powerful Princes of Germany over to the Church of Rome and thus at length ruin the Protestant Interest in the Empire where we see it daily grow weaker and weaker There is yet another Method of the Pope's to undermine the Protestant Religion in Germany which 't is not unfit to mention upon this occasion and that is the alluring of the Younger Brothers among the Protestant Princes who are but Poor with Money and Preferments to profess the Romish Religion and if the Elder Branches fail Rome gets this Advantage that they have a Prospect of succeeding This is sufficient to shew that next under God the Welfare of the Protestant Interest does depend from the Good Union of England and Holland and the Northern Crowns not only to Support it abroad but even to keep it up in their own Dominions This Good Union and Correspondence is most especially necessary between the two former and the Enemies of our Religion can hardly compass their Designs but in setting us together
him to have his Troops in a readiness till the coming up of the other Army which pass'd the Scheld the same day that Villeroy came to Leuse upon the Bridges made between Pottes and Canaffe and incamp'd between Fresnes and Brussenal within two Leagues of At h The Marquis de Crequi was left with a flying Camp at Celles upon the little River Laye which falls in the Scheld about Canaffe to keep in the Garrison of Audenarde from molesting the Convoys between the Scheld and the French Army and likewise to be in a readiness to reinforce Montrevel in case the Elector should attempt any thing to make a diversion either upon the Lines or Courtray The 7th Catinat's Army march'd from Fresnes and Brussenal and incamp'd about At h in order to form the Siege of that Place where at his first coming he allow'd all the Women of Quality and Nuns the liberty to come out and retire somewhere else during the Siege the Count de Roeux Governour of Ath's Lady and several other Ladies retir'd to Brussels where they were conducted in their Coaches by a Trumpet of the Marechal of Catinat's In order to this undertaking the Marechal of Bouflers had already pass'd the Sambre with his Army since the 4th and incamp'd at Fontaine l' Eveque whence he march'd on the 6th at the same time as the two other Marechals did towards At h and came nearer this place to cover the Siege towards Brabant and observe the Motions of Prince Vaudemont as the Marechal of Villeroy was to do towards Flanders and watch the Elector of Bavaria and incamp'd along River Haine near Binch between St. Vaast and Haine St. Pierre but Count Tallard with the Troops that had Rendezvouz'd about Mons incamp'd at Thieux between Mons and Soignies as an advanc'd body of Bouflers Army to secure the Camp of Cambron and hinder the Princes Army from coming to Soignies in order to march that way And thus having brought all the French Forces in the Field in this Countrey making up three large Armies commanded by three Marechals of France it will not be amiss to insert their several Lines of Battle here as the most proper place The Line of Battle for the Marechal of Villeroy's Army for the Year 1697. RIGHT WING First LINE Second LINE Monsieur de Rozen Lieutenant General Monsieur de Busca Lieutenant General Messieurs de Vandeuil and Bezons Major Generals Duc de Luxembourg Major General Brigades Regiments Squadrons  Davaray La Reine Drag Davaray 3 3 Romery Grenadiers a Cheval Noailles Duras Lorge Villeroy Gens d'Armes Chevaux Legers Mousquetaires Life-Guards 1 3 3 3 3 1 1 2 Prince Camille Villeroy Camille Anjou Cuirassiers 2 3 2 3  Squadrons  33 Brigades Regiments Squadrons  Berteuil Berteuil Hautefort Drag 3 3 Manderscheid Manderscheid Belporte Sully  3 3 2 Bissy Quadt La Tournelle Bissy  3 3 3  Squadrons  23  In all in the Right Wing Squadrons  56 Body of FOOT First LINE Second LINE Monsieur de Feuquieres and the D. of Berwick Lieutenant-Generals Messieurs d' Artagnan and Crequi Lieutenant Generals Messieurs d' Albergoti Renold and de Surville and the D. of Villeroy Major Generals Monsieur de Greder and Duc de Charrost Major Generals Brigades Regiments Battallions Blainville Champagne Greder Allemand 3 2 Puysegur Le Roy Lorraine 4 1 La Châtre Lionnois La Chatre Royal Italion 2 2 1 Saillant Guardes Francoises Guardes Suisses 4 3 Bligny Maulevrier Xaintonge Angoumois Santerre 2 1 1 1 Vibray Anjou Boulonois Hautefort Mouchy 1 1 1 1 Liancourt La Fere Bourbon Angoulesine Orleans La Mothe 1 1 1 1 1 Rochefort St. Second Couâquin Bourbonnois 2 2 1  Battallions 41 Brigades Regiments Battallions Dorrington Guards Ireland Vidame d' Amiens Montauban Auxerrois Artagnan 2 1 1 1 1 Mouroux Mouroux Lanoy Renel Choisinet De Sensay Destouches 1 1 1 1 1 1 Salisch Stouppa Surbeck Slaisch 4 4 4  Berry 1 Guébriant Royal Savoy L'Aigle La Landre Brocq Le Chev. de Ponts 1 1 1 1 1 Kercadot Damas Tresseson Thoui Bresse Provence 1 1 1 1 1  Battallions 35  In all 76 LEFT WING First LINE Second LINE Monsieur de Montrevel Lieutenant General The Marquis de Gassion Lieutenant General Monsieur d'Allegre Major General Monsieur de Rottenbourg Major General Brigades Regiments Squadrons Montfort Le Roy Berry D' Auvergne 3 2 3 Roquespine Roquespine Villequier Tournesort 3 2 2 Rohan Cossé Rohan Orleans Mestre de Camp Gen. 2 2 2 3 St Hermine St. Hermine Drag Fimarcon 3 3  Squadrons 30 Brigades Regiments Squadrons Dourches Dourches Barantin Fountaine 3 3 3 Vivans La Feronay Souatre Vivans 3 3 2  Dragoons   Gouffier 3  Squadrons 20  In the Left Wing Reserve 50  Royal Artillery 1  Bombardiers 1  Battallions 2 According to this Line of Battle the Marechal of Villeroy had 56 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons in his Right Wing and 50 in his Left in all 106 which at 120 per Squadron one with another makes 12720 Horse and Dragoons In the Body of Foot 76 Battallions and two in Reserve in all 78 which at 550 Men per Battallion amounts to 42900 Foot from whence the Sum Total of this Army arises to 55620 Men Horse Foot and Dragoons Next follows the Line of Battle for the Marechal of Bouflers Army The Line of Battle for the Marechal of Boufler's Army RIGHT WING First LINE Second LINE Count Tallard Lieutenant General Monsieur de Gassé Lieutenant-General Messieurs de Lanion and Phelipeaux Major Generals The Duke de Grammont Major General Brigades Regiments Squadrons Dragoons Mestre d'Camp Gen. Peizac Senneterre 3 3 3 Rassant Commissary General Rassant Chartres 3 3 2 Du Rozel Carabiniers 16  Squadrons 33 Brigades Regiments Squadrons Du Plessis Du Plessis Rennepont St. Pouange 3 3 2 Grignan Egmond Chatillon Grignan 3 3 2  Squadrons 16  In all 49 Body of FOOT First LINE Second LINE The Duke d' Elboeuf Lieutenant General Monsieur de Bressé Lieutenant General Messieurs de Solre and Dantin Major Generals Messieurs de Zurlaube and Surbec Major Generals Brigades Regiments Battallions Prince d' Epinoy Picardy Royal Comtois Cambresis 3 2 1 Brigades Regiments Battallions Montalan Royal La Force Lignieres Tulles 3 1 1 1 Chamilly Grancey Soissonnois Bourgogne Brie 1 2 1 1 Thury Du Maine Charolois De Lux Aunis 2 1 1 1 Cadrieux Beauvoisis Thoulouse Guiscard Bellisle 1 2 1 1 Thiange Languedoc Thiange Ponthieu 2 2 1 Boutigneux Limosin Tessé Montjoy d'Alsace Bernold d'Alsace 2 1 1 1 Belsenner Crussol Clare Ireland Nivernois 1 3 1 Chatillon Blaisois Foix Chartres Piemont 1 1 1 2  Battallions 41 Blecourt La Couronne Villefort Tournon Beuil 3 1 1 1 Labadie Condé Furstemburg Montenay d'Alanson 1 3 1 Courten Courten Monen 2 2 Parat Royal Roussillon Miromesnil Gournay 2 2 1 Graveson Royal Marine Steinville Serville Sejousac 2 1 1 1
Princê Buzeville Barville Noailles Dauphin 1 1 1 2  Battallions 36  In all 77 LEFT WING First LINE Second LINE Monsieur de Ximénes and the Count de Toulouse Lieutenant Generals The Duke de Roquelaure Lieutenant General Monsieurs de Pracontal and Crenan Major Generals Monsieur de Courtebonne Major General Brigades Regiments Squadrons Duras Royal Piemont Fiennes Dauphin Estranger Duras 3 3 2 3 Cheladet Noailles Toulouse Du Maine Bourbon Royal Estranger 3 2 2 2 3 Dragoons Frontenay Dauphin 3 3  Hussars 2  Squadrons 31 Brigades Regiments Squadrons Jeoffreville Jeoffreville Champlain Mornay 3 3 3 Chatelet Breuil Imecourt Chatelet 3 3 3  Reserve  Dragoons Du Heron Vateville Languedoc 3 3 3  Squadrons 27  In all 58  Royal Artillery 1 Battallion By this List it appears that the Marechal of Bouflers had 49 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons in his Right Wing and 58 in his Left and Reserve in all 107 which at 120 per Squadron makes 12840 Horse and Dragoons in his Army In the Body of Foot 77 Battallions and one of Artillery in the Reserve in all 78 which at 550 per Battallion amount to 42900 Foot all this joyn'd together makes the Total of the Marechal of Boufler's Army to consist of 55740 Men. None of the Princes of the Blood serv'd this Campagne except the Count de Toulouse the Prince of Conti stood Candidate for the Crown of Poland and therefore could not appear in the Field but at the Head of an Army The Dukes of Chartres Bourbon and Du Maine kept with the Court the whole Summer The Troops which compos'd the Army of the Lys consisted of the Regiments following which I could not get Marshal'd into a Line of Battle because this Army divided immediately after the General Rendezvous the main going with the Marechal of Catinat for the Siege of At h and the rest dividing part for the Guard of the Lines under the Count de Montrevel at Courtray and part with the Marquis de la Mothe Houdancourt about Ipres and Furnes A LIST of the Troops which did compose the Army of the Lys under the Command of the Marechal of Catinat Nota That the Regiments mark'd with an Asterism are those which march'd with Catinat and incamp'd within the Line of Circumvallation before At h the rest making up the Flying Camps under the Count de Montrevel and the Marquis de la Mothe FOOT FOOT HORSE * Navarre 3 Lostange 1 * Cravattes 3 * Poitou 2 Du Biez 1 * Royal Alemand 3 * Humieres 2 Valonze 1 La Reine 3 * Artois 1 * Denonville 1 * Condé 2 Orleans 2 Cherigny 1 * Molae 3 * Vermandois 2 Puy Normand 1 * Vaillac 3 * Royal Artillery 1 * Surlauben 2 * Furstemberg 3 * Tournesis 1 * Nice 1 Clermont 3 * La Marche 1 Monferrat 1 * Monroy 3 * Vexin 1 * Pery 1 * La Valiere 3 Luxembourg 1 Pezeu 1 * Rozen 3 * Catinat 1 Swissers Renold Greder 4 Dragoons  Limoges 1 4 * Colonel General 3 Agenois 1 * Lee Ireland 3 * Le Roy 3 * Bugey 1 Militia Arbouville Brulon 1 * Catinat 3 Leslandes 1 1 * Silly 3 Ximénes 1   * Marsan 3 * Fusiliers de Tessè 2 Battallions 25 Verue 3 Battallions 25 In all 50 Squadrons 49 The Marechal of Catinat's Army as it was upon the Lys before the Siege of At h consisted according to this account of 50 Battallions which at 550 per Battallion makes 27550 Foot and 49 Squadrons at 120 per Squadron amount to 5880 Horse and Dragoons which together makes the Sum of this Army to be 33430 Men from whence it appears that the three Armies of France design'd to act against His Majesty and the Allies in Flanders made no less than 144790 effective Men besides the flying Camp commanded by the Marquis de Harcourt with which he march'd from the Moselle to the Meuse and the Sambre which I could not get a List of but if computed at 6000 Men will make the French to have been at least 150000 strong this Campagne in Flanders I have seen a Letter from Paris wherein their Forces on this side were given out for no less than 168000 Men but I will charge them no higher than can fairly appear by their several Lines of Battle But now to return to Catinat's Army and the Siege of At h whereas this Marechal had march'd over the Scheld as it appears by the List now mention'd onely with 25 Battallions and 40 Squadrons he was reinforc'd from the Marechal of Villeroy's Army with the three intire Brigades of Salisch Bligny and Vlbray and the Regiments of Lorrain and Choisinet making together 24 Battallions the two Regiments of Horse of La Tournelle and Bissy and the Dragoons of Berteuil Hautefort and Gouffier consisting together of 15 Squadrons These being joyn'd with the Forces the Marechal of Catinat brought over the Scheld form'd the Siege of At h and took up the compass of the Line of Circumvallation according to the disposition following being divided into three General Quarters by three Bridges of Communication one upon the River of Irchonwelz the Second upon the Upper Dender and the Third upon the Lower Dender Between the River of Irchonwelz and the upper Dender was the Marechal of Catinat's quarter at Villers-St Amand of this repartition were the Count de Tessé the Chevalier de Tessé and the Marquis de Gassion Lieutenant Generals the Count de Marsin and Monsieur de Vilpion Major Generals with the Regiments of Horse of Bissy and La Tournelle Dragoons Marsan and Gouffier Foot Navarre Lee Artois Tournesis Vexin Pery Vermandois La Marche and Bugey Between the Upper and the Lower Dender were Posted the Marquis de Larrey and Monsieur de Bachevilliers Lieutenant Generals the Marquis de Clerambault and Monsieur de Greder Major Generals with the Regiments of Dragoons of the King 's and Hautefort Of Horse Royal Allemand Vaillao Furstemberg and Rozen Foot Poitou Surlauben Catinat Humieres Fuziliers of Tessé D'Enonville Maulevrier Xaintonge Angoumois and Santerre Between the Lower Dender and the River of Irchonwels being the Quarter towards Audenarde and Tournay were Posted the Marquis de Vins and Monsieur de Vauban Lieutenant Generals and Messieurs de Grancey Hautefort and Salisch Major Generals with the Regiments of Dragoons of the Colonel General Catinat and Berteuil Horse Cravates Molac Conde and La Valiere Foot Anjou Lorrain Boulonois Hautefort Mouchy Choisinet Surbeck Stouppa and Salisch a Battallion of Royal Artillery incamp'd with the Artillery The Marechal of Catinat having dispos'd his Troops thus in the Line of Circumvallation which they work'd with all diligence upon to finish them in five or six dayes 't was now the Marechals of Villeroy's and Bouflers Business to observe our two Armies and hinder them from pretending to raise this Siege Villeroy's Army therefore march'd on the 8th onely to come nearer At h and bring the Head-quarter at Lignes
day that we begun to work at this Line being the 19th two Battallions of the Duke of Holstein came up to the Camp from Germany and took their Post upon the Left of the Second Line near the Flanders porte The Hesse Troops Commanded by Velt-Marshal Count de Lippe came up to Diegom and the Hereditary Prince of Hesse came to Court to wait upon His Majesty The 20th the Hesse Troops march'd through Brussells to incamp without Halle porte before the Fort of Monterey being compos'd of Four Battallions viz. one of the Life Regiment one of Grenadiers and two of Blixen-croon and the Regiments of Horse of Spiegel and Garstenbroeck and those of Dragoons of the Prince of Hombourg and the Prince of Hesse making together Eight Squadrons so that we had now a reinforcement of 18 Battallions and 26 Squadrons from the Rhine and Five Battallions from England which were soon follow'd by Three more and Three Battallions of the Garrison of At h being in all 29 Battallions which having left no detach'd Companies but being full Regiments may be reckon'd at 600 men one with another amounting in all to 17400 Foot and 2900 Horse and Dragoons all which together made 20300 men Add this to the Sum of His Majesties and the Elector's Armies and it made the Allies about 125000 strong in the Field now in Flanders out of which our Army about Brussells consisted of no less than 99 Battallions and 175 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons being so posted that they in a manner invested the Town The Main of the Army incamp'd between the Senne and the Canal Eight Battallions of Hesse and Munster and Five of Anhalt's Brigade and 26 Squadrons of German Horse and Dragoons were on the other side of the Senne upon the Height before the Fort of Monterey under the Command of Velt-Marechal General Count de Lippe where they made a very good Line to cover the Town on that side almost in the same place with the Retrenchment as Prince Vaudemont made in the Year 1695 General Auerquerque incamp'd with the English Cavalry and Dragoons at Ever and Diegom on that side of Brussells which is towards Malines and Lonvain the Wood of Sogne cover'd the rest By this disposition if the Marechal of Bouflers had pass'd the Senne with his Army from the Camp of Halle to march towards Genap and Nivelle we had all the Troops incamp'd at Diegom and without the Fort of Monterey to joyn in one march about Wavre the first by Neer-Ische and the second through the Bois-de-Sogne which together would have made above 100 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons and 13 Battallions which could have been considerably reinforc'd with Infantry from the Garrison of Namur and the Army at Cockelberg and thus the next day we could have secur'd the Camp of Masy and cover'd this Important Place for it was the opinion of some People that the Marechal of Bouflers after the French had wedg'd our Army between the Senne and the Canal at Brussells would have march'd towards Namur to get between this Place and the Allies but as His Majesty had dispos'd his Army about Brussells we could reach the Camp of Masy as soon as Bouflers could come to the Plain of Fleury and thus cover at once both Namur and Brussells the first against the Marechal of Bouflers and the second against that of Villeroy and indeed as I have said it before if the Allies had had all the Troops in the Field in the beginning of the Campagne which they had now 't is a question whether the French could have Besieg'd even At h it self notwithstanding their 150000 Men. The Marquis de Harcourt who had march'd from Montroyal with his flying Camp towards the Low-Countreys on the 31th of May to observe the motions of the Troops which the Allies expected there from the Rhine pass'd the Meuse at Givet the 15th of June about the same time that the German Reinforcement was getting up to our Camp about Brussells the 16th he march'd to Phillipville from whence he was to pass the Sambre and joyn the Marechal of Bouflers who as well as the Marechal of Villeroy was now at a stand upon the Measures that had been taken by His Majesty in bringing off his Army with so much expedition and posting of it so strongly and conveniently about Brussells and the French seem'd at present to have no other design with these two Armies but to Forrage and waste all the Countrey along the Dender and between the Scheld and the Canal of Brussells As for the Marechal of Catinat we have left him incamp'd at Lignes where he came with his Army after the Siege of At h and that he had repair'd the Breaches and levell'd the Line of Circumvallation on the 9th Instant in order to march into Flanders The 12th this Army advanc'd towards the Scheld and came to incamp along the Ronne between Anvain and Cordes the Marechal of Catinat's Quarter being in the last of these places The 13th he march'd to come up close to the Scheld and the Head Quarter was at Herines all the Artillery and heavy Baggage was order'd to pass the Scheld this very Evening at the Bridge of Boats made since the Campagne between Pottes and Canaffe and the Army pass'd the River the next day upon this and another Bridge made for this occasion with Boats that were sent from Doway after the Siege of At h for the use of this Army which incamp'd this day about half way between the Lys and the Scheld The 15th the Marechal of Catinat march'd on towards the Lys and came to incamp at Vive St. Eloy where he was joyn'd the same day by the Forces that had been posted within the Lines of Courtray under the Command of Monsieur de Montrevel and this Army according to the French accounts consisted of 52 Battallions and 69 Squadrons but the Marechal of Catinat having sent back all the Reinforcements he had from the Marechal of Villeroy at the Siege of At h the most that he could have at the repassing of the Scheld must be but 25 Battallions and when joyn'd by Montrevel his Army could not well exceed Forty but whatever his Strength was at present he ventur'd to march with it close to the Elector's Army and came the 17th to incamp between Cruy's houtem and the Lys within a League and a half of Deinse his Right being at Nackeren and Left at Zulte upon this River where the General Quarter was so near the Marechal of Catinat incamp'd now to the Elector of Bavaria only the Lys remain'd between them This March of the Marechal of Catinat so near to Deinse oblig'd the Elector to look about him and this made his Electoral Highness call a Council of War upon these Motions of the French towards him to consult what was to be done in the present Conjuncture his Army consisted of about 43 Battallions including the Brigades of Holstein-Norburg and Ransaw that were incampd upon the Right
Scheld defend the Pays de Waes himself and General Heyden could have march'd from thence to joyn and reinforce the Elector at Rousselar But if only Montrevel joyn'd the Marechal of Catinat and Villeroy and Bouflers made no other Detachments from their Armies but for the Post of Grammont to seoure their Convoys it would be sufficient for the Prince to send a Brigade of Foot and two Regiments of Dragoons to guard the Scheld below Dendermond whilst General Heyden should provide for the Defence of it above between Dendermond and Ghendt where the passage of this River is most practicable but was at present in no great danger whilst the French were on the other side of the Dender towards the Canal of Brussels and the lower Scheld or otherwise if both the said Marechals should pass the Dender to get between Dendermond and Ghendt then all the Troops we had upon the Canal of Brussels were to pass the Scheld at Rupelmonde and reinforce General Heyden and other competent Detachments were to be made by the Prince to put that General in a Condition to hinder the joyn'd Marechals from attempting to pass the River This was the Disposition made between the Elector and the Prince at Brussels for the marching of the Army of Flanders to take the Camp of Rousselar According to this Resolution the Elector left Brussels the second of August August and came to Antwerp where he had order'd Don Bernardo de Quiros the Spanish Plenipotentiary Ambassador at the Congress of Ryswick for the Treaty of Peace to meet him there to conferr together about the Affairs relating to that Negociation The Third the Elector came to Ghendt and Don Bernardo de Quiros went back for the Hague and the same day our Flanders Army march'd in two Bodies in order to take the Camp of Rousselar the next the Spanish and Bavarian Troops which had remaind'd in the Camp of Nevel march'd to Thilt by Vinck and Arseel where they were joyn'd by the two Battallions of the Electoral Prince of Bavaria which had been all this while behind the Scheld and three more of the same Troops come some days before from the Rhine and incamp'd at Distelberg being a third Battallion of the Elector's Guards and two of Litsebourgh The Dutch Forces and Brandenbourg Horse which had continu'd at Nevel under the Command of Lieutenant Generals Opdam and Heyden and Major General Lindeboom march'd by Grammen and Wouterghem to Denterghem where the Prince of Nassau-Saarbruck joyn'd them with the Troops and Artillery he had with him at Heusen behind the Scheld and incamp'd with the Right at Roode Vierschaer and the Left at Vondeghem Denterghem which was the Prince of Nassau's Quarter remaining between the two Lines in the Body of Foot As for General Heyden he had the Guard of the Scheld committed to his care and the 18 Battallions of Brandenbourg Troops the Regiment of Dragoons and three Squadrons of that Elector's Horse under his command were posted according to this Disposition at Dendermond one Battallion from Dendermond to Appels-veer the Boors of the Pays de Waes were to keep Guard till the coming of the Brigade of Foot that was to be sent by the Prince the main Body upon the Heath of Berleer consisting of nine Battallions and the Horse and Dragoons was to take care of the Posts upon the River from Appels to Vtberg at Vtberg were posted two Battallions at Schellebelle upon the Height over against the Village two Battallions above Wetteren upon the Right two Battallions to guard the Scheld between Wetteren-Noort and Quatrecht and higher up towards Ghendt one Battallion upon the Heath of the Chateau d'Ansaut to guard as far as Claverken and from thence to Ghendt the Scheld was to be guarded by the Garrison of the Town all these Regiments had Orders to incamp double to make a larger Front thereby and the Boors of the Pays de Waes were commanded to have Men of the Country with Arms ready to secure any of the forementioned Posts in case all the Brandenbourg Forces should be oblig'd to joyn together by the Motions of the French to attempt the passage at any one particular place The Fourth The Elector's Army having incamp'd at Thilt and Denterghem the day before march'd to joyn together at Rousselar the Spaniards and Bavarians from Thilt by Pettem Ardoye and Baveren and the Dutch and Brandenbourghers from Denterghem by Mulenbeck Ingelmonster and Emelgem and so incamp'd all together in a Line of Battle with the Right at St. Thomas's Chappel between Rousselar and Hooghleede and the Left near the Bridge upon the High-way from Rousselar to Caecktem the Elector came this day to the Camp from Ghendt a good Escorte being left by the Army to attend His Highness along the way and both the Elector and Prince of Nassau-Sarbruck had their Quarters in the Town of Rousselar This Army consisted at present of 29 or 30 Battallions 18 having been left behind the Scheld two upon the Canal of Bruges being those of Fagel and Reinard four sent to Audenarde and one left in Dendermond The Marechal of Catinat whose business it was to observe the Motions of our Army in Flanders left Helchin upon the Scheld on the Seventh and not being able to hinder the Elector from taking the Camp of Rousselar he came on the Fourth to post himself behind the Lys the Foot between Menin and Comines and the Horse at Courtray to Forrage without the Lines And the Fifth Monsieur Montrevel detach'd eleven Battallions and a Regiment of Dragoons of his Body at Grammont to post themselves at Helchin there to be in a readiness to joyn Catinat upon occasion and the Brigade of Mouroux from Villeroy's Army and another from Bouflers were commanded to reinforce Montrevel and make up the Number he had sent to Helchin The Prince being oblig'd on his side to provide at present for the Safety of the Scheld and the Reinforcing of General Heyden upon occasion commanded on the third Major General Stewart to march with Tiffin's Brigade except Saunderson's Regiment by the Canal to Willobrook and so to Rupelmonde where he was to pass the Scheld in order to post himself in the Pays de Waes being to be reinforc'd in his March by Eppinger's and Lloyd's Dragoons The Fourth Major General Stewart came with the said Forces into the Neighbourhood of Dendermond where he dispos'd them Regiment by Regiment to incamp about the Villages near the Scheld his Quarter being at Berlcer and the Brandenbourg Troops remov'd from hence to Heusen where General Heyden incamp'd with the main Body but the rest of the Brandenbourgers remain'd posted as before The same day in the Morning was a Rencounter near the Wind mill of Releghem between Zellich and Wemmel of a Party of the French Life guards and Dragoons with one of Dutch Horse commanded by Colonel Balthuin of the Duke of Holstein-Pleon's Regiment where the French were worsted the Prince had been inform'd over-night that
have a great deal of Honour allow'd them upon this account 'T is true that they ransack'd all the Forts and Garrisons in Languedor and Provence whereby they got a Reinforcement of six or seven thousand Men to repair their Losses and were by this means almost as strong at the end of the Siege as at the beginning of it but if the number of Burghers that were in Barcelona who no doubt had a hand in the Defence of it be consider'd this will not very much lessen the Glory of taking of it I do not know the Situation of Barcelona yet it can hardly be imagin'd but if the Spaniards having no other place to defend to put a stop to the Progress of the French Conquests in a Country where they could not subsist with great Armies had made by times a good and strong Retrenchment on one side of Barcelona for to cover their Army and at the same time good Fortifications and Out-works on the other that if the French had besieg'd it in such a Posture of Defence Barcelona could have taken by them and even as Barcelona was if Spain had transported the Troops they had to spare in Italy since the Peace on that side it would have been an Attempt above their Power As to this last the Spaniards say that the Duke of Savoy kept still the Forces on foot he had during the War and therefore that they could not leave the Milane's open and expos'd to an arm'd Neighbour if it was so the Duke of Savoy has done in that a signal piece of Service to the French King as to the first the Spaniards pretend that the English and Dutch were to send a good Squadron to their Assistance and then that Barcelona would have been in no Danger for the French Army before this place could not subsist but by the Communication it had by Sea with Provence and Languedoc and the Sea-ports they were Masters of in Catalonia and if we had sent a Fleet in the Mediterranean at that time the French must not only have rais'd the Siege but the Army could not have got off but with very great difficulty Whatever reason the Spaniards might have to expect a Fleet from England and the States yet no Man can say that this does excuse them from acting their part in providing for the Safety of the Place and putting of it in a good Posture of Defence chiefly considering that we had already a Squadron of about twenty Men of War in the West-Indies to watch Pointy's Motions and protect the Galleons which must otherwise have fallen into the hands of the French and may be this was as much as England could do at that time considering our late Money Difficulties Notwithstanding the great Advantages which the French had over the Allies by this great Conquest and that the French Plenipotentiaries had given in their Project the Tenth of the foregoing Month in the very middle of this Siege and that no Relief could be expected for the Place but purely from the vigorous Defence of the Besieged yet this did not seem to hasten the Negociations amongst them at Ryswick Copies of this Project had been given to the Plenipotentiaries of the Empire Spain and Holland according to the Tenour of it and the Project as well as full Powers of the French being directed to treat with the Emperor and Empire the Empire had therefore in the Dyet at Ratisbonne made a Solemn Deputation to treat on the behalf of all the States and Princes of Germany with the French King in which among the Ecclesiastical Electors that of Mentz the Secular those of Bavaria Saxony and Brandenbourg and out of the College of Princes for the Catholicks the Arch bishop of Saltsburg the Great Master of the Teutonick Order the Bishops of Wortzburg Spire Constance Hildersheim Liege and Munster the Princes of the House of Austria Palatine and Newbourg c. and for the Protestants Brandenbourg for the Dutchy of Magdebourg Sweden for the Dutchies of Bremen and Deuxponts Saxen-Cobourg Saxen-Gotha Brandenbourg-Cullenbach Brunswick-Zell Brunswick-Wolfembuttle Hesse-Cassel Wirtemberg Holstein Anhalt and the Counts of Wetteravia out of the Imperial Towns for the Catholicks Cologne and Augsburg and for the Protestants Francfort and Nuremberg were appointed by their Plenipotentiaries at Ryswick to represent the whole Body of the German Empire and to treat in its Name with the French King's Ambassadors These having a Copy of the Project laid before them gave in their Answer to it wherein they insisted upon the full and entire Restitution of every thing as it had been establish'd in the Treaty of Westphalia reserving a Power to the Emperour and Empire of keeping a Garrison in the Town of Straisbourg for which they could not accept of an Equivalent neither could they allow the French King to keep Saar-Louis with the pretended District about it in the Dutchy or Lorrain but that the whole must be restor'd to that Duke This was the chief Substance of their Answer when at this time the French were pressing the Siege of Barcelona very hard that they had taken At h in Flanders and that Prince Lewis of Baden was still on the other side of the Rhine notwithstanding the Weakness of the French that way This Answer seem'd to raise great Obstacles to the forwarding of the Treaty if the Empire would insist upon it to the last and yet notwithstanding these Difficulties 't was about this time * The first Conference August the Sixth that they began to treat personally at Ryswick in the Mediatour's Chamber whereas hitherto the Conferences had been carried on in Writing by the Mediatour the Allies and the French keeping to their respective Apartments The Term given by the French in their Project was now drawing near but in the mean while 't is fit to see what the Armies were doing in the Field The two French Armies commanded by the Marechals of Villeroy and Bouflers were now advanc'd a great way from any of their Frontier Towns which made Convoys tedious and every thing but Forrage very scarce in their Camps and had it not been for the Conveniency of Water carriage from Tournay to Renay upon the Scheld and from Grammont to Alost by the Dender no Land carriage remaining but from the Scheld to Grammont and from Alost to the Armies which were just by it had been impossible for them to have subsisted where they were and the great Rains that fell about this time so broke the ways that the little Land-carriage they had became extreamly difficult and the Boats could hardly for the same reason be drawn by Horses If this made Provisions scarce and dear in the French Armies it created no less an Inconveniency for the bringing in of Forrage and they were forc'd at this time to cut down vast Quantities of Fascines for the repairing of the Ways and the making of Bridges over the Ditches being all fill'd with Water by the excessive Rains The 12th the two Brigades of Foot
Nassau-Saarbruck left the Camp to go to the Baths of Aix la Chappelle for his Health and Count d'Arco General of the Bavarians was left Commander in Chief of the Army Upon this going of the Prince of Nassau's to Aix la Chappelle My Lord of Athlone had once Orders to go and Command the Army in Flanders and was preparing to leave the Prince's Army for that purpose but how this came to be alter'd is what brings me to speak of the Affairs of our Army in Brabant The Marechals of Bouflers and Villeroy being now separated and march'd from the Neighbourhood of the Canal of Brussels a great deal of our Cavalry could be spar'd out of our Camp where there was hardly any Forrage to be had at present to go and subsist more conveniently some where else and therefore all the Cavalry upon English Pay being first joyn'd with the Dragoons that had been posted behind the Canal march'd on the 18th from Diegom to Wavre upon the Dyle for the Conveniency of Forrage but the Dutch Horse being left in this Camp were furnish'd with dry Forrage from the States Magazines in the Town Upon this March of our English Cavalry to Wavre the Prince of Tilly left Masy and pass'd the Meuse at Namur to incamp within the Retrenchment upon the Height of Ste Barbe there to subsist in the Condros and spare the Forrage on this side for our Cavalry The both the Duke of Ormond and the Prince of Hesse left the Army the first to go for England and thence to Ireland for his Domestick Affairs and the last into Germany and this day being the Term given in the French Project there was no other Discourse in the Camp but of Peace but how this came to fail is what I have given an account of just now The 24th the Prince gave Orders for all the Artillery and Baggage-Horses to be sent for from Grazing and for the Army to be ready to march upon Information that Bouflérs Army was upon the March towards the Plain of Fleury the said Marechal having left the Camp of Stanberg and the Neighbourhood of Grammont on the 22th to come to Enghien whereupon Count Tillard was left at Grammont with 18 Battallions and as many Squadrons for the Guard of the Convoys between the Scheld and Villeroy's Camp and of the Bread which was Bak'd in this Town for the use of the Armies The 23d the Marechal of Bouflers continu'd to march upon the Right and came to incamp at Soignies where he was joyn'd by the Marquis de Courtebonne and the ten Battallions under his Command which had been posted about Mons since Bouflers March towards Dendermond The French being got so far towards the Sambre alarm'd the Prince who as we have now said order'd all the Horses to be sent for from Grazing but did not get into the Camp till the 25th and the Artillery and heavy Baggage could not march till the next day towards Louvain Major General Stewart with Tiffin's Brigade was now upon his March from the Pays de Waes back to the Canal of Brussels who with the Body commanded by the Count de Noyelles upon this Canal was to joyn the Prince's Army at Louvain Our English Cavalry and Dragoons at Wavre were to march towards Namur who with the Prince of Tilly and the Garrison we had in the place might have cover'd it till the coming up of the Prince's Army The 26th the Artillery and heavy Baggage began to File off towards Louvain under the Escorte of a Colonel with 1000 Foot and the Army had Orders to follow the same way the next day to march thence towards the Mchaigne But Count Nassau Lieutenant General and Major General Erle were to be left at Brussels with 15 Battallions English and Dutch to incamp within the new Line which was now almost finish'd there to cover the Town The Prince had sent an Express to Loo to give His Majesty an account of the Marechal de Boufler's Motions and of his Resolutions thereupon but Namur being at present an Attempt not to be made by the French considering the Strength of the place with that of its Garrison and the Forces we had about it and the Backwardness of the Season and that besides it would put the Army to great Difficulties to march that way without any pressing Occasion and Boufler's Army being halted at Soignies where it was now Hutted and in no likelihood to stir from thence it was therefore thought convenient to countermand this March and it was accordingly countermanded the 27th for the English Infantry could not stir but with great Difficulty because they wanted Horses to carry their Baggage two Waggons had been allow'd each Battallion till the coming up to this Camp which had been hir'd by the King the beginning of the Campagne to supply the present Necessity but having been dismiss'd at the coming to this Ground only one could be had at present and if the Army had been oblig'd to march most of the Officers must have left all their Baggage behind them for very few had Horses to carry it and therefore not to put them to such a Hardship it was thought more Expedient to let the Foot remain where it was and that it would be sufficient to send the Dutch Cavalry and Dragoons being still in this Camp under the Command of the Earl of Athlone towards the Mehaigne These Agitations had stopt his Design to go and command the Army in Flanders in the absence of the Prince of Nassau Saarbruck and that thought was now quite laid aside to go and command the Army we were going to form towards the Mehaigne where besides all the Dutch Horse and Dragoons My Lord was to have Tiffin's Brigade from the Pays de Waes and the two Brigades of Belcastel and Oxensterne from the Canal making together sixteen Battallions which now could be spar'd from thence upon the Marching off of Villeroy towards Audenarde and Bouflers to Soignies and only one Battallion was left thereupon for the Guard of the Canal The 28th all these Regiments joyn'd together near Louvain under the Command of the Count de Noyelles Lieutenant General and Major General Stewart and incamp'd behind the Dyle about a League above the Town with the Left at Corbeck and the Right extending it self towards Neer-Ische but that of Colonel Saunderson was commanded to incamp with the Artillery at Louvain without Brussels-porte and the Detachment of the Prince's Army that cover'd it was order'd back to the Camp The 30th all the Horses belonging to the Infautry incamp'd at Cockelberg were remanded to Graze as before along the Dyle between Louvain and Malines and a Colonel with a Detachment of 1000 Foot was sent to Louvain to bring the Artillery back again to our Camp The same day My Lord Portland came from the Hague to Brussels in order to have another Conference with the Marechal of Bouflers as 't was suppos'd upon what had happen'd at Ryswick the 20th Instant and
Oudenbourg for the next day the Elector's Quarter was appointed at Ghistel upon the Right and the Prince of Nassau-Saarbruck's at Oudenbourg upon the Lost but in the Night they receiv'd Orders to go immediately and mark the Camp within the Retrenchment of St. André before Bruges for the Elector had receiv'd an Account this Evening that Catinat was marching to Rousselar in order to come and attack him whilst a Body of Villeroy's Army which had been detach'd under the Command of Monsieur de Surville to Countray should endeavour to cut off his March to Bruges this made the Elector resolve without any farther Ballancing to go and secure the Retrenchment of St. André with his Army upon which this Order was sent to the Quarter-Masters at Oudenbourg and the Army began to march at Ten of the Clock this Night and got the next Morning within the Retrenchments before Bruges not without some Confusion and Disorder though it prov'd afterwards but a false Alarm for Catinat was not yet stir'd from Becelar however 't is true that Surville was come to Courtray with the six Battallions and two Regiments of Dragoons above mentioned doubtless upon some Design This Retrenchment had been repair'd lately with no Alteration but the taking in of the Abbey of St. André and Gazoon'd that is fac'd with Turf both within and without and was now in a very good Condition the Elector took his Quarter during this Camp at Schipstal the Landing place from Ostend to Bruges and the Prince of Nassau's was mark'd at the Abbey of St. André The 29th the Marechal of Catinat's Army advanc'd from Becelar and came to incamp at Rousselar with the Right here and Left about Hooghleede but the Marechal himself went this day to Courtray to meet with the Marechal of Villeroy who had come there to conferr with him but it is probable that the Elector's March had broke their Measures for Villeroy return'd to his Army the next day and Monsieur de Surville was order'd back with the Body under his Command to Helchin The 30th in a general Forrage along the Scheld the Marechal of Villeroy took occasion to demolish an old Castle which the Spaniards had at Cavre upon that River situated upon a little Mount in the middle of it where they always kept a small Garrison of 30 or 40 Men detach'd from the Cittadel of Ghendt but had now been reinforc'd upon Villeroy's March towards the Scheld more to run upon Parties than for any Defence and all the Spaniards were made Prisoners The Marechal of Catinat who had come back the 29th from Courtray to the Army march'd upon the Left from Rousselar to Dixmuyde and incamp'd with his Right at Hantsame near Cortemarck and his Left at Esene towards that Town having the Brook of Hantsame before him and his head Quarter at Zarren where at his coming up to this Camp he was joyn'd by Monsieur de la Mothe with the Troops under his Command which had incamp'd all this while about Furnes and Ipres consisting of eleven or twelve Battallions and some Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons so that the Marechal of Catinat was now reckon'd near 60 Battallions strong and about 80 Squadrons But all the Waters having been let out at Newport upon his March hither the Water about this Camp was found too Brackish and Unwholsome and therefore on the 31th the Army pass'd the Brook of Hanisame to come more towards Torhout and Wynendale and incamp'd with the Left upon the Wood of Beest the Right at Werckene and the General Quarter at Waldesloo The Elector of Bavaria having put Bruges under cover as well as his Army by Incamping in the Retrenchment of St. André took care at the same time for the Defence of the Canals and Newport whereupon Lorne and Buchan's Regiments were order'd to guard the Canal of Newport the first at Laffine and the second at Snaeskirk and Soutlandt's was order'd from the Neighbourhood of Bruges back to Major General Fagel at Lombarzyde the Duke of Holstein-Ploen's Dragoons and the Battallions of Harsolt Marquet Dona and La Mothe were order'd at the coming to St. André Camp to go and post themselves behind the Canal of Bruges which with the Regiments of Fagel and Reinardt already there they were to guard all along to Ghendt The 29th His Highness went to Newport to see every thing thereabouts in a good Posture of Defence and at the same time order'd Major General Schlipenbach with four Squadrons of Dutch Horse two of Bavarian Cuirassiers and six of Brandenbourg to march that way with ten or twelve pieces of Cannon Brigadier Rantsaw was also sent to incamp with the Battallions of Willekens Rantsaw Obergen Schack and Weed behind the Canal of Ostend over against Plassendale the Waters were let out at Newport to overflow all the Country about it towards Furnes and Dixmuyde and a Garrison was put into the Chateau of Ghistel and the Elector having given his Orders at Newport came back the same day to the Camp at Schipstall near Bruges His Highness had been inform'd the day before that the Barrier upon the Line of Furnes had now been shut up two or three days together without suffering any Body either to go out or come in which gave some Apprehension for Newport but it was quickly known that it was for the Prince of Conti who was come Post to Dunkirk in order to imbark with his Retinue and about 1000 chosen Men and Volontiers on Board of a small Squadron of light Frigats commanded by the Chevalier Bant to Sail for Dant zick and endeavour to make good his Election to the Crown of Poland by the Cardinal Primate and his Party which since the Dyet at Warsaw had again been ratified by the Party in a Rokosz or Confederation of the Party met at the Cardinal's Summons which invited the Prince to come into Poland to take Possession of the Crown and protect his Friends but this Expedition was made too late when the Elector of Saxony was already Crown'd and had Possession of the Government which Conti's Party could not now deprive him of and thus that Expedition fail'd and the Prince of Conti after having remain'd a great while on Ship board in the Road of Dantzick was forc'd to come back without being able to attempt any thing The Third of September the Elector who had never been at Sea went to Blankenberg a little Borough inhabited by none but Fishermen Septemb. between Ostend and Sluys where he and his Retinue went on board of several Fishing-boats a little way out to Sea to try the Temper of this Element two or three Privateers were sent out at the same time to guard the Coast and the Elector had almost the Satisfaction of seeing a Sea Ingagement for they were pursued back into Ostena by some French Privateers which oblig'd His Highness after having been some few Hours at Sea to come back to Blankenberg and from thence return'd to the Camp The Sixth