44 A. C. fet out from Rouffelaer, under a Guard of Eight 1708 Battalions, to fecure fuch Pofts as they should think convenient, to facilitate the March of the Army; which the 8th, at Break of Day, mov'd by the Left, and advanc'd to the Heath of Wynendale, where they halted for fome time, till his Grace had the Confirmation of the Advice he receiv'd in the Morning, That the Duke of Vendofme, on Intelligence of the March of the Allies, decamp'd before Break of Day, with all imaginable Precipitation, from Oudenburgh, and pafs'd the Canal of Bruges near that City, having firft given Orders for cutting the Dykes in feveral Places. Hereupon, the Duke of Marlborough did not think fit to march further, and The Duke order'd the Army to encamp with the Right at of Marl Torout, and the Left at Itchtegem; having, at the borough fame time, fent part of the Cavalry back to Roufreturns to felaer, to be nearer the Siege. The 9th, in the Rouffe Morning, his Grace return'd, with the rest of the laer. O&. Troops, to Rousselaer, where the Army incamp'd in 9. N. S. the fame Manner as Two Days before; but all the The Eletto- Infantry of the Second Line, commanded by Count ral Prince Lottum, General of the Pruffians march'd to Morfelle, to of Hano- be near the Siege. The fame Day,the Electoral Prince ver leaves of Hanover, being fent for Home, and there being on the Army. Probability of any Action, wherein he might give furO&.9.N.S. ther Proofs of his Martial Spirit, took his Leave of *O&. 12. N. S. the Duke of Marlborough; came that Afternoon to Oftend, with the Dutch Regiment of Vanderbeck, that join'd General Erle at Raverfein; and on the 13th in the Morning, embark'd for Zealand, in his Way to Hanover. On the roth, upon Advice, That the Enemy were drawing more of their Troops from the Scheld, towards Ghent and Bruges, taking the Troops nearest to thofe Places, which were reimplac'd from the Left, near Tournay, the Duke of Marlborough fent Orders to Count Lottum to rejoin the Army,with the Troops under his Command, which he did accordingly, the 11th. That Morning,his Grace went to Menin, where he was met by Prince Eugene of Savoy from the Siege; and having held there a long Conference with his Highnefs, and the States Field-Deputies, return'd in the Evening to Rouffelaer. The next Day,upon Intelligence,That a great Convoy of Warlike Stores and Provifions lately arrived at the Inun dation Quantities of Ammu at Oftend,from Great-Britain and Holland, was ready A. C. to fet out for the Army, his Grace fent Major- 1708. General Cadogan with 8 Battalions, and 9 Squadrons, to Cocklaer, in order to affift in the Bringing of it over the Inundation, and for the Security of its March forward; And, at the fame Time, Brigadier Grumkow, with Five Battalions more, was order'd to Cortemarque, to be at hand to join him, in cafe of Neceflity. The Enemy having drowned the Country on the other Side of the Canal of New- Maj. Gen. port, it was not without great Hazard and Difficul- Cadogan ty, that about Five Hundred Barrels of Powder affifts in were carried over, in Boats provided for that Pur-geting over pofe at Oftend, to fuch Places where the Waggons from the Army waited to transport it to the Camp. On the 14th of October, N. S. this Convoy pafs'd by great Rouffelaer, in its Way to Menin and Lille; and, the next Day, Major-General Cadogan fent an Officer nition and to acquaint the Duke of Marlborough, that he had Provifions. taken Poft with his Detachment at Cocklaer, expecting a new Supply of Ammunition over the drown'd Country. Upon this Advice, the Duke of Marlborough immediately order'd Lieutenant-General Fagel, with 12 Battalions, and 20 Squadrons, to poft himself at Cortemarque, to fuftain Major-General Cadogan; And his Grace, being at the fame time inform'd, That the Duke of Vendofme defign'd to intercept that Convoy, order'd his Army to be in a Readiness to march at an Hour's Warning. The next Day, fome Tranfports arrived at Oftend O&. from Great-Britain, with the Regiments of Hill and Mackartney, and about 400 Soldiers, belonging to other Regiments, which had been left fick at Portfmouth; And, upon Information, That the Enemy made fome Motions, as if they defign'd to attack either the Confederate Troops at Leffinghen, or the Camp at Raverfein, General Erle fent a Reinforcement to Leffinghen; removed his Forces nearer Fort Albert; and pofted fome of his Men on the Downs, that the Enemy might not fend fome Horfe, at Low-Water, to attack him in the Rear, while the Infantry fhould attack him in Front. On the other Hand, the French confidering of what Importance it was to hinder the fending of Wake Stores from Oftend to the Siege, fent Six * K4 * N. S. Hafl A. C. Half-Gallies, from Newport, on the Canal of that 1708. Name, by means whereof they erected a Battery on an Ifland made by the breaking down of the Dyke, from whence they made a great Fire, both upon a Redoubt which the Allies had caft up at Leffinghen, and on the Boats that carried over Ammunition and Provifions. Notwithstanding this new Obftacle, Major General Cadogan got over the Inundation a farther Supply of near 1600 Barrels of Powder, and Abundance of Brandy, Salt, and other Provifions for the Sutlers of the Army; of which he gave himself an Account to the Duke of Marlborough, the 19th of October; acquainting his Grace at the fame Time, That by Reason of the Waters being rifen much higher by the SpringTides, and of the Precautions taken by the Enemy, the Communication with Leffinghen and Ofend, would, for the future, be more difficult, if not "O. 18. entirely loft. The day * before the Duke of Marlborough went to Mcnin to confer with Prince Eugene Monfieur and the States Field Deputies; during which Ind'Auver. terview, Monfieur d'Auverquerque, Velt-Marefchal of the Troops of the States-General, expired, as he had liv'd, like aHeroe, in his Quarters at Rouffelaer, in the 67th Year of his Age; worn out with his former Fatigues, and his late Indifpofition, and very much lamented, as well on Account of his great Abilities to discharge that high Truft, as the extraordinary Zeal he ever fhew'd for the Intereft of his Native Country, and the Common Caufe, and his Generofity and Difinterestedness; Having always Count Tilover-look'd his private Advantage, as much as he ly takes upon him regarded the Publick's. By his Death, the Comthe Command of the Dutch Troops fell of Courfe, provifio mand of nally, on the Count de Tilly, as the Eldeft Genethe Dutch ral in their High-Mightineffes Service. N. S. querque dies. O&. 18. N. S. His Cha racter. Troops. The Duke of Vendofme cbferving, with no fmall Mortification, that notwithstanding the great Inundation he had made by cutting down the Dikes, Major General Cadogan, favour'd by the Troops at Leffinghen, had found means to fetch over great Quantities of Ammunition and Provifions, bent his Efforts against that Village, refolving to make himself Master of it, at any Rate. In order to that, they advanc'd, on the 18th of October, N. S. with N. S. with defign to attack the Troops that fup- A. C. ported thofe in Leffinghen, but finding General 1708. Erle strongly posted, and ready to give them a warm Reception, they retired, and began to draw Lines round that Village, and to befiege it as much in form, as if it were a fortified Town. They took Poft, at the fame Time, on the Cawley on this fide the Canal; and thereby ftreighten'd LieutenantColonel Rapin, of Dormer's Regiment, who with 150 English, and as many Dutch, of the Regiment of Vanderbeck, commanded in the Redoubt of Slip, an advanced Poft, on the other Side of the Canal, which used to be reliev'd every 48 Hours; but which was now furrounded, both by the Enemy and the Waters, in fuch a Manner, that there was no other Way left to fend thither either Men or Provifions, but by the Dike of the Canal leading to Leffinghen, which was very much exposed to the Enemy's Fire. The Lieutenant Colonel having Lieut. Cofound Means to acquaint General Erle with the lonel RaExtremities he was reduced to, for want of Provi- pin makes fions, and the imminent Danger he was in of ha- a handsom ving his Retreat entirely cut off, receiv'd Orders to Retreat retire to Leffinghen, if he could do it without too from the great Hazard; which he perform'd, accordingly, by Redoubt of the Favour of the Night, and of an Entrenchment he had made on the Dike, with all his Men, Tents, Tools, and Ammunition, after he had maintain'd himself at Slip, for four Days; Nor, was he difcover'd by the Enemy, till he was out of their Reach. At his Arrival at Leffinghen, in his way to the Camp, he was told by Major Hemert, who commanded the Dutch Regiment of Vanderback, and an English Major, That they expected to be attack'd by Break of Day: Whereupon, Lieutenant-Colonel Rapin thought fit, for the Good of the Service, to remain in that Poft, to aflift the two Majors; and difpatch'd an Officer to General Erle, to acquaint him He takes with his fafe Retreat from Slip, and the Reasons on upon him which he continued at Leffinghen, till further Di- the Comrections. The General not only approv'd his mand of Conduct, but highly commended his Good-Will, at Leffinand withall, fent him Orders to take upon him the ghen, in Command of all the English, whofe Number was Conjun&ion augmented to 500 Men; And, at the fame time di- with Major rected Hemert. Slip. the Troops A. C. rected him, both in Confideration of Major He1708. mert's Commanding an intire Regiment, and of his Poft in Age and Experience, not to ftart any Difficulties about Command, but to join with him in all things for the Good of the Service; and the State Deputies then at Oftend, having given the like Directions to Major Hemert, the two Commanders acted with all the Harmony imaginable during the 8 Days they were together. It were as ridiculous to give a particular Account of this petty Siege, as it was inglo The French rious for the French to make a formal Attack aattack that gainft fuch a weak Poft, while the great Siege of the most important of all their Frontiers was carrying on; and therefore I fhall only take notice of a few Paffages. The Enemy having erected Five Batteries, one of which fired a whole Day with Red-hot Bullets, against the Houfes wherein about 400 Barrels of Powder, the Remainder of the last Convoy, were lodg'd; the two Commanders, to prevent Mischief, order'd the faid Ammunition to be drown'd, preferving only as much as was ne¬ ceffary for the Defence of that Post On Saturday the 20th of October, upon Intelligence, That the Duke of Vendofme was to be that Night in the Trenches, it was refolv'd to attack the Enemy on the other Side of the Canal; and Fifty Dutch Grenadiers of the Regiment of Caris, commanded by Captain Clare, a French Gentleman, and as many Grenadiers of the Regiment of Vanderbeck, comanded by Captain Moore, the whole fupported by 200 English, were detach'd for that Purpofe. Four Grenadiers, who march'd before and pretended to be Deferters, amufed the Enemy's advanc'd Guard; till the others coming up, they drove the French both from that Poft, and their first Intrenchment; purfued them into the fecond, and feized their Battery, where they continued for fome Time; But being unprovided with neceffary Tools to nail up the Cannon, they contented themfelves with throwing them from the Batteries, and fpoiling the Carriages. In this brisk Action, Captain Clare, who commanded in Chief, was kill'd, and Captain Moor receiv'd a mortal Wound through the Body with a Bayonet, befides which Two Subalterns were wounded, and 15 private Men kill'd on |