Part 2 (1/2)

The two Regioons, were already on their March, which having join'd, we h _Louquebar_ This sure is the wildest Country in the _Highlands_, if not in the World I did not see one House in all our March; and their Oeconomy, if I may call it such, is much the same with that of the _Arabs_ or _Tartars_ Hutts, or Cabins of Trees and Trash, are their Places of Habitation; in which they dwell, till their half-horn'd Cattle have devour'd the Grass, and then reer than that Convenience invites them

In this March, or rather, if you please, o two on a Breast; and oftner, like Geeze in a String, one after another So that our very little Army had sometimes, or rather hlanders_, firing down upon us from their Summits all the Way Nor was it possible for our Men, or very rarely at least, to return their Favours with any Prospect of Success; for as they pop'd upon us always on a sudden, they never stay'd long enough to allow any of our Soldiers a Mark; or even tih to fire: And for our Men to march, or climb up those Mountains, which to theerous as it seem'd to us i Disadvantages, we arriv'd at _Inverlochy_, and there perfor a Fort on the same Spot where _Cromwell_ had rais'd one before And which was not a little remarkable, we had with us one _Hill_, a Colonel, who had been Governor in _Oliver's_ Tiain appointed Governor by General _Mackay_ Thus the Work on which ere sent being effected, we ain by the Way of _Gillycrancky_, where that ht the Year before

Soston_, afterwards Earl of _Tiviot_, having receiv'd Intelligence that the _Highlanders_ intended to fall down into the lower Countries, in a considerable Body, got together a Party of about five Hundred (the Dragoons, call'd the _Scotch Greys_, inclusive) hich he resolv'd, if possible, to give the

We left _Inverness_ the last Day of _April_, and encamp'd near a little Town call'd _Forrest_, the Place where, as Tradition still confidently avers, the Witches reeted him with their diabolical Auspices But this Story is so naturally display'd in a Play of the immortal _Shakespear_, that I need not descend here to any farther Particulars

Here Sir _Thon'd to encamp upon the _Spey_, near the Laird of _Grant's_ Castle Whereupon we began our March about Noon; and the next Day, about the Break thereof, we cahlanders_ by their Fires Sir _Thoht of it, issued his Orders for our fording the River, and falling upon thely perforood Order, Secrecy and Success, that _Cannon_ and _Balfour_, their Coed to make their Escape naked

They were about one Thousand in Number, of which were kill'd about three Hundred; we pursued theot up _Crowdale-Hill,_ where we lost theh is that Hill, that they, who perfectly knew it, assuredover it And to me, at that Instant of Time, they see from an Enemy

Near this there was an old Castle, call'd _Lethendy_, into which about Fifty of the there to defend theer to them, with an Offer of Mercy, if they would surrender: But they refus'd the profer'd Quarter, and fir'd upon our Men, killing two of our Grenadiers, and wounding another Duringlearnt to throw a Grenado, I took three or four in a Bag, and crept down by the Side of a Ditch, or dyke, to an old thatch'd House near the Castle, ih to throw thes answera Cover, I threw in a Grenado, which put the Eneood Success, falling short, and the Third burst as soon as it ell out ofthe Fourth in at a Window, it so increas'd the Confusion, which the first had put them into, that they immediately call'd out to me, upon their Parole of Safety, to coly I went up to the Door, which they had barricaded, and reat Stones; when they toldMercy I return'd to Sir _Tho hie they had desir'd hland_ Gentleh Voice, and broad _Scotch_, best to be heard and understood, order'd me back to tell 'em, _He would cut them all to Pieces, for their Murder of two of his Grenadiers, after his Proffer of Quarter_

I was returning full of theseafter me a little Distance from the rest of the Co 'eether in the Service of the _States_ in _Flanders_) _therefore tell thely carry'd back a Message toof it, without the least Hesitation, they thren the Barricado, open'd the Door, and out came one _Brody_, who, as he then told me, had had a Piece of his Nose taken off by one ofe, they all came out, and surrendered the; for which Reason we return'd to _Inverness_ with our Prisoners, and Boughs in our Hats; and the _Highlanders_ never held up their Heads so high after this Defeat

Upon this Success Sir _Tho a full Account of the whole Action In which being pleas'd to make mention of my Behaviour, with some Particularities, I had soon after a Coiadier _Tiffin_

My Con'd, and sent to iment lay in Garrison A few Days after I had been there, Admiral _Russel_ arriv'd with the Fleet, and anchor'd at St _hellen's_, where he remain'd about a Week On the 18th of _May_ the whole Fleet set Sail; and it beingthe Rounds very early, when I heard great shooting at Sea I went directly to acquaint the Governor, and told hi Fleets were actually engag'd, which indeed prov'd true; for that very Night a Pinnace, which caag'd the _French_ Ad and sharp Dispute, wasafter the, several other Expresses arriv'd, one after another, all agreeing in the Defeat of the _French_ Fleet, and in the Particulars of the burning their _Rising Sun_, together with ue_ All which Expresses were immediately forwarded to Court by Mr _Gibson_, our Governor

About two Months after this, our Regi to Order, shi+pp'd off on a Secret Expedition, under the Co to what Place ere going, or on what Design; no, not the Commander himself However, ere out at Sea, the General, according to Instructions, opening his Commission, ere soon put out of our Suspence, and inform'd, that our Orders were to attack _Dunkirk_ But as so grand a Secret to those concern'd in the Expedition, having been intrusted to a Female Politician on Land, it was soon discover'd to the Enemy; for which Reason our Orders were countermanded, before we reach'd the Place of Action, and our Forces receiv'd Directions to land at _Ostend_

Soon after this happen'd that memorable Battle at _Steenkirk_, which as very few at that Time could dive into the Reason of, and mistaken Accounts of it have pass'd for authentick, I willwas bold; and, as ht, bolder than was consistent with the Character of the wise Undertaker

Nevertheless, the _French_ having taken _Naht of a superior Ars were blown into such a dangerous Fer _Willia that ht appease the Murh spoke in the Senate, that it was not true, that his Forces at the Siege of _Namure_ exceeded those of the Ene of the _Mehaigne_, from the continual Rains, which obstructed the Relief he had designed for that iners made an ill Use of these false Topicks, to insinuate that he had no Mind to put an End to the War, he was resolv'd to evince the contrary, by shewing them that he was not afraid to venture his Life for the better obtaining as so ence that the Duke of _Luxehien_ (tho' he was sensible he e him; and that the many Thickets between the two Armies would frequently afford him new Difficulties) he resolv'd there to attack hie for the Horse; and there was no one difficulty that his Iination had drawn that was lessen'd by Experience; and yet so prosperous were his Ar, that our Troops had made themselves Masters of several Pieces of the Ene straiter, so strait as not to ad drawn up in Battalia, the Troops behind could not give ti'd, and the Cannon we had taken was forcibly left behind in order to e in the Onset; for though they had too fair an Opportunity, they did not think fit to pursue it; or, at least, did it very languidly However, the Malecontents at Ho as they had but a Battle for their Money, like true _Englishmen_, lost or won, they were contented

Several Causes, I ree, as they call'd it; So to lay it upon the _Dutch_; and alledge a Saying of one of their Generals, who receiving Orders to relieve solish_ and _Scotch_ that were over-power'd, was heard to say, _Da let 'em have their Bellies full_ But I should rather ireat Loss of so many of our bravest Officers at the very first Onset General _Mackay_, Colonel _Lanier_, the Earl of _Angus_, with both his Field-Officers, Sir _Robert Douglas_, Colonel _Hodges_, and h to put a very considerable Army into Confusion I relas_, that I should thinkhis Colours on the other Side the Hedge, in the Hands of the Enemy, he leap'd over, slew the Officer that had thee to his Co his Colours at the Expense of his Life Thus the _Scotch_ Commander improv'd upon the _Roman_ General; for the brave _Posthumius_ cast his Standard in the Middle of the Enelas_ retriev'd his from the Middle of the Enemy, without any assistance, and cast it back to his Soldiers to retain, after he had so bravely rescued it out of the Hands of the Eneiment receiv'd Orders to march to _Dix that Place While ere there, I had one Morning stedfastly fix'd e Water before me; when all on a sudden, in the Midst of a perfect Calitation in the Waters, that prodigiously surpriz'd me I was at the same Moment seiz'd with such a Giddiness in my Head, that, for a Minute or two, I was scarce sensible, and hadof an Earthquake before, which, as I soon after understood from others, this was; and it left, indeed, very apparent Marks of its Force in a great Rent in the Body of the great Church, which reht the intended Fortifications into some tolerable Order, we receiv'd a Coland_ And, upon our Landing, Directions met us to march for _Ipswich_, where we had our Quarters all that Winter From thence ere order'd up to _London_, to do Duty in the _Tower_ I had not been there long, before an Accident happen'd, as little to be accounted for, without a divine Providence, as some would make that Providence to be, that only can account for it

There was at that Time, as I was assur'd by my Lord _Lucas_, Constable of it, upwards of twenty Thousand Barrels of Gun-powder, in that they call the _White-Tower_, when all at once the ive way, or shrink, but fell flat down upon other Barrels of Powder, together with many of the same combustible Matter which had been placed upon it It was a Providence strangely neglected at that Tiht of since; But let any considerate Man consult the Consequences, if it had taken fire; perhaps to the Destruction of the whole City, or, at least, as far as the _Bridge_ and Parts adjacent Let his Thoughts proceed to examine, why, or how, in that precipitate Fall, not one Nail, nor one Piece of Iron, in that large Fabrick, should afford one little Spark to enflame that Mass of sulphurous Matter it was loaded with; and if he is at a loss to find a Providence, I fear his Friends will beBut the Battle of _Landen_ happening while our Regiment was here on Duty, ere soon remov'd to our Satisfaction from that pacifick Station, to onethat fatal Battle the Year preceding, na _William_ lay encamp'd at _Mont

St Andre_, an open Place, and much expos'd; while the _French_ were entrench'd up to their very Teeth, at _Vignareat Reflection to the Politicians of those Times, who could hardly allow, that if the Confederate Army suffer'd so much, as it really did in the Battle of _Landen_, it could consist with right Conduct to tee Objectors had forgot the well-known Courage of that brave Prince, and were as little capable of fathons The Enemy, who to their Sorrow had by Experience been es, was resolv'd to traverse both; for which Purpose they kept close within their Entrench he could no way draw them to a Battle, suddenly deca Marches, with a Design to pass the _French_ Lines at that Place

But notwithstanding our Arreat Surprize, we found the Eneave this the Nah our Ar, and the Enemy upon the Bow, sensible of the I it, by double horseing with their Foot, and by leaving their Weary and Weak in their Garrisons, and supplying their Places with fresh Men out of theh certain it is, that March cost 'em as many Men and Horses as a Battle However their Master, the _French_ King, was so pleas'd with their indefatigable and auspicious Diligence, that he wrote, with his own Hand, a Letter of Thanks to the Officers, for the great Zeal and Care they had taken to prevent the Confederate Ar _Williaave ih _Oudenard_, and then ecamp'd at _Rofendale_; after some little Stay at that Camp ere remov'd to the _Camerlins_, between _Newport_ and _Ostend_, oncethe Boors

We were now in the Year 1695 when the strong Fortress of _Namur_, taken by the _French_ in 1692 and since er, was invested by the Earl of _Athlone_ After very orous Attacks, with the Loss ofinto the Castle Into which soon after, notwithstanding all the Circuers, Mareschal _Bouflers_ found_Williae, Prince _Vaudeaem_, with about fifty Battallions, and as n to attack hiin'd no less, therefore he prepar'd accordingly, giving us Orders to fortify our Camp, as well as the little time we had for it would permit Those Orders were pursu'd; nevertheless, I must confess, it was beyond the Reach of ht of an Army so much superior to ours The Prince in the Whole could hardly muster thirty Thousand; and _Villeroy_ was known to value hi one Hundred Thousand effective Men However, the Prince provisionally sent away all our Baggage that very Morning to _Ghent_, and still made shew as if he resolv'd to defend himself to the last Extrean to surround us; and in their Motions for that Purpose, blew up little Bags of Gun-powder, to give the readier Notice how far they had aco plac'd on the Right, with one Hundred Men (where I found Monsieur _Montal_ endeavouring, if possible, to get behind us) I could easily observe, they had so far attain'd their Ai us, as to the very Fashi+on of a Horse's Shoe ThisEne behindoff so very artfully and privately, by that narrow Opening of the Horse-Shoe, that when the Enein'd us past a Possibility of Escape, our little Army at once, and of a sudden, was ready to disappear There was a large Wood on the Right of our Arh which lay the Road to _Ghent_, not broader than to admit of more than Four to march a breast Down this the Prince had slid his Forces, except to that very small Party which the Captain andup the Rear Nor did we stir till Captain _Collier_, then _Aid de Camp_ to his Brother, now Earl of _Portmore_, came with the Word of Command for us to draw off

When _Villeroy_ was told of our Retreat, he wasutterly i sensible of the Truth of it, he gave Orders for our Rear to be attack'd; but we kept fireing froht caantick Enemy with very inconsiderable Loss However, the _French_ fail'd not, in their customary Way, to express the Sense of their vexation, at this Disappointhbourhood round Thus Prince _Vaudemont_ acquir'd iven him; and it was not, I confess, the least Part of Satisfaction in Life, thatoff the Rear at that his glorious Retreat at _Arfeel_

However, in further Revenge of this political Chicane of the Prince of _Vaude _Williae from before _Na _Brussells_ In order to which he encamp'd at _Anderleck_, and then made his Approaches as near as was convenient to the Town