there were 180 Hussars besides a large detachment of dragoons just before us in a wood, and that they were inform'd by a deserter that three thousand foot with seven field pieces were posted between us and Ghent, upon which intelligence we were very glad to go to the right about and return to Bruges till we could have some other intelligence. Sir James Campbell had sent on the other side of the canal a party of a hundred foot, an hundred dragoons, and fourteen or fifteen hussars, to meet us, and upon hearing of our retreat they came on to this town, but were obliged to stop by the way for about half-an-hour to engage with the hussars, tho' the canal was betwixt them. None of our men were hurt, but they killed three or four of the hussars, and this morning the party that were sent out from hence have brought in two hussars and a trumpeter prisoners, all which confirms the march of the French infantry from towards Menin in order to intercept our march, but they say they believe they return to-day.

This affair will possibly grow into a story by the time it reaches England, so that I thought it was right to send you an account of it. Mr. Wentworth will be blamed by some people for not keeping on the side of the canal farthest from the enemy, as the other party had done the day before, but his reasons were that as the baggage was to go by water, that any small party would have been able to have seiz'd that unless we were between the canal and the enemy, and he imagin'd that if any considerable body had march'd from the French army that Mr. Wade or Sir James Campbell would have known it, and sent an account of it. But, however, as our march was interrupted and we might all have been cut off, he will not escape without being censured. General Sinclair came yesterday evening from Ostend with the last of the horse, and we hope to march to-morrow morning on the safe side of the canal to Ghent. The bridges are taken up to prevent the enemy's crossing upon us, and we are supplied with waggons instead of boats to carry our baggage. An express was sent last night to Sir James Campbell to let him know what had happen'd, and we only wait for an answer from him before our march is absolutely fix'd, for we have already orders to load the waggons and be in readiness to march at four o'clock to-morrow morning. We hear our army is moved towards Oudenarde, and that the French are attacking Menin, but that they have hitherto met with more resistance than was expected."

LORD GEORGE SACKVILLE to the DUKE OF DORSET.

1744, June 2, N.S., Wednesday. Ghent.-"The post is just going out, and I have only time to tell you that we are all safe arriv'd at Ghent. The garrison here was in great pain for us, and General Campbell march'd out to our relief the day we had liked to have been demolish'd, with six companies of grenadiers and 300 dismounted dragoons, but he was not strong enough to venture on

Evidently a mistake for June 3 i.e. May 23, old style) which was Wednesday. June 2 n.s. would be the same date as the last letter.

the same side of the river with the enemy. Our army lies near Oudenarde along the Scheld, but I am afraid it is not strong enough to attempt to raise the siege of Menin. The Austrians have not above three thousand men in the field, and the Dutch about eleven thousand. The Hanoverians are in great favour with us, and the English encamp and do duty with them without the least dispute, so Mr. Wade was in the right to say that the reconciling of the troops was the least difficulty he apprehended when he accepted the command.".

Postscript." The French infantry retired yesterday afternoon, and they report so differently about their numbers that it is impossible to be sure of them, for to-day we were told there were fifteen thousand of them."

LORD GEORGE SACKVILLE to the DUKE OF DORSET.

1744, June [6-]17 N.S. "From the Camp at Berlinghen [Beirleghem]."We still remain in this camp, and altho' there is another mark'd out nearer to Oudenarde, yet I do not find that we are likely to make any use of it, unless the enemy may give occasion to it by any motions that way. The batteries are all ready and we are told that this day the King is to go to Ipres and that the siege will begin. The Comte de Saxe, with about twelve thousand men, remains near Coutray (sic), and parties from his army are often seen near the bridges we have made over the Scheld, and yesterday we were so alarm'd that the guard there was reinforc'd with three hundred men from the pickett, but I have not heard whether any enemy appear'd.

"We are in great hopes of soon seeing more troops arrive from England and Holland, that we may have an opportunity of making the French a visit, and not be any longer obliged to a river and an enclosed country for our safety. The Blues have shown their desire of fighting this campaign by picking a quarrel with Ligonier's regiment. It began with boxing but ended in drawing their broadswords, and four or five of the Blues are so hurt that I am afraid they will be able to give no further marks of their courage this year. Unluckily for them the quarrel was national, and they engaged too far before they reflected that their regiment had been lately compleated by draughts from Nevil's, who to a man prefer'd the honour of their native country to that of a regiment they have so newly been incorporated into, that they all turn'd on Ligonier's side, and used the Blues in such a manner as will teach them for the future not to put themselves in competition with their superiors. It is really very lucky it ended in the disabling only of four or five men. The picketts were turn'd out and dispers'd them, and some few were made prisoners, and I hope will be punnished. Both sides say the other was the aggressor. The truth I believe is that the Blues reflected a little too severely on our country, and that Ligoniers had not temper to bear it and so return'd blows instead of words.

"We go on in the old scheme of dry forrage, so there will be another fine bill of extraordinarys. I cannot conceive what they

21250

T

mean by it, for the country is very well able to supply the army with green forrage, and if we think to make them our well wishers by good usage we shall only when it is too late find that we are mistaken, for they hate and detest us for a parcel of damn'd hereticks, and for their own sakes would be willing to-morrow to put themselves under the protection of the French. I cannot help every day looking with surprise on the good agreement of the English and Hanoverians. They get drunk very comfortably together, and talk and sing a vast deal without understanding one syllable of what they say to one another."

INSTRUCTIONS from the DUKE OF CUMBERLAND for COLONEL LORD GEORGE SACKVILLE.

1748, [April 21-] May 2 N.S. Head Quarters at Hellinrouck. -"You will proceed with your pass and with a French trumpet and an English drum, and on your arrival at the first French post, you will, in case you should be stop'd, send the trumpet forward with the pass to inform the Marshal of Saxe of your arrival at their posts charged with a letter from me. As soon as you shall arrive at the Marshal of Saxe's quarters, you will deliver him the letter you are charg'd with for him, desiring at the same time that he will consent to your going into Maestrecht, which, if he agrees to, you will immediately do, and deliver the letter you are charg'd with to the Commandant, Monsieur d'Aylva, or to the commanding officer, whom you will desire to open it in case of any accident hapned (sic) to the other.

"You will represent to him that as the preliminarys for a peace are already sign'd, and that in consequence a cessation of arms has been agreed to, with an exception to the siege of Maestrecht, I am thereby deprived of the means of being able to second the bravery of their defence, and that it is therefore my advice that he accepts an honorable capitulation in order to save the lives of so many brave men, and in case that cannot be obtain'd, I need prescribe no rule of conduct to an officer who has already shewn so much gallantry and conduct. You will have copies of my letters to the Marshal of Saxe and to Monsieur d'Aylva. Signed, William.”

LORD GEORGE SACKVILLE to the DUKE OF DORSET.

1748, [April 25-] May 6. From the Camp at Hellenrect.— "We thought to have march'd from hence five days agoe, but the accounts from Aix-la-Chapelle, I suppose, made the Duke alter his resolution. As the preliminarys were sign'd, and a cessation of arms agreed to by the respective ministers at Aix, excepting what related to the siege of Maestritch, his Royal Highness thought proper to honour me with his commands to go to the Comte de Saxe in hopes of settling those affairs, and at the same time to endeavour to obtain an honourable capitulation for the garrison at Maestritch. Upon my arrival there I found Monsieur de Saxe not at all pleased with what Monsieur St. Severin had done, and

said, as he had no orders from his court to agree to a cessation of arms and hostilitys, he must wait the return of a courier before he could give a positive answer to what His Royal Highness propos'd, but at the same time he said that if he should have orders to conform himself to what had been settled at Aix, the scheme laid down by the Duke was void of objection and what he would readily agree to. He then deliberated about my being admitted into Maestritch, and the granting an honourable capitulation to the garrison. This took up a good deal of time, and Mr. de Lowendal was sent for and consulted, but I was present. They then call'd in a third person and I retired, and in about half-anhour he told me he consented to what His Royal Highness desired, and I might go and deliver my dispatches to the Governor. Dinner was then upon the table, and the Marechal before he sate down sent an aide-de-camp to stop all his batteries from firing, as an English officer had business with the Governor. This was communicated to the town, but they had not the same politeness, so that it was near five o'clock before I could contrive to get in without running the risk of being kill'd. At my arrival the batteries from the town were all silenc'd, and the Governor made excuses, and said the thing was misunderstood. I deliver'd my dispatches to him, and I never saw a man more perplex'd. He saw the preliminarys were sign'd, and that the town must be taken, that honourable terms were offer'd to him, yet as he could still hold it out for six or seven days, and that he had no order from the Prince of Orange to capitulate, he was afraid he could not consent to it consistent with his honour and reputation. The Generals were then assembled and they all seem'd of opinion that they could not capitulate, and wanted eight or ten days to send to the Hague. I knew that proposal would have been rejected with scorn, from the difficulty the Comte de Saxe had made in giving any terms, as he was sure of having them prisoners of war in six or seven days. I then said that I thought that it could be no reflection upon their reputation if they capitulated to march out with military honours upon the day the cessation of arms and hostilitys was proclaimed at the head of the respective armys. They all joined in with this proposition and desired I would set down and draw up the capitulation, which I did, and they sign'd it, and Major-General Graham was sent with me to the Marechal to see if he would consent to it. But he was far from approving of it, and talk'd of the cessation of arms as if he might not so soon have orders to comply with it. Much conversation follow'd, in which the Duke says by my report to him that I did very right; and, when I almost despaired of any good arising from it, the Comte de Saxe consented to a cessation of arms for forty-eight hours, and permitted General Graham to go to the Prince of Orange for instructions. I do not doubt but that upon his return the town will surrender, even if hostilities are not to cease, as there are twenty battallions in garrison there, and surely it is more material for us to save twenty battallions than to employ the French five or six days longer, in which time they might probably lose two thousand men. Upon my coming away, the Marechal

told me he would not stand for five or six hours, so that I suppose he will wait the return of Graham from the Prince of Orange, and indeed I had more expectations from the orders that might be sent in that time from Paris than in the probability of Graham's

return.

"You may imagine that I thought myself greatly honour'd in being thus distinguished by the Duke, but I own I was frighten'd when I found so many unexpected difficultys, and that instead of carrying a letter and receiving an answer I was obliged to become a negociator. However, I had the good fortune to do nothing that H.R.H. disapproved of, and indeed he was pleas'd to say much more to me than I deserved. Tho' I was there but one day, I saw so many new and diverting scenes that it will furnish me with materials for conversation for some time. The ridiculous figure I must have made in riding blindfolded for above half a league in the French camp, the remarks of the soldiers upon me, my being unblinded at the head-quarters in a court fill'd with French officers, before I recover'd my eye-sight carried into a great room where the Marechal stood at his levee, my being obliged to introduce myself, and then retiring immediately with him and beginning upon business: these sort of things when they are over are entertaining to relate, tho' when they happen one does not feel quite so pleasant under. The Marechal made excuses about my being blinded, and the officer was not a little abused by the whole court. We are now waiting with great impatience for the ratification of the preliminarys from Paris. I should imagine Mr. St. Severin is not a man to sign what his instructions will not justify, so that I should hope that M. de Saxe, great as he is, will not have influence enough to get him disavow'd."

X.-CHERBOURG AND ST. MALO, 1758.

THE FIRST EXPEDITION TO CHERBOURG.

1758, May 21.-"A plan of the order of Battle." Duke of Marlborough, General, Lord G. Sackville, Lieut.-General. Evidently drawn up in view of the expedition of June, 1758.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ATTACK ON CHERBOURG.

[1758, May 31 ?]-"The first Battallion of Guards and the Grenadiers of the Brigade to be embarked by eleven o'clock at night in the flatt bottom boats. They are to land in the center of the Bay between the Forts Homette and Querqueville. As soon as they can be formed, the companys in the four center boats march directly forward, possess themselves of the battery in their front, nail up the cannon and then return and take post for protecting the boats. The companys of the eight boats upon the right are to attack Querqueville Fort, and when they have nailed up the cannon, they are to join the center companys at the boats. The companys in the eight boats upon the left, among which the Grenadiers are to be, are to attack the