Yesterday, towards the Evening, we heard a A. C. great Blow, which we fuppos'd to be a Mine; 1707. half an Hour after, another Crack was heard; and at Midnight, fuch a Blaft, that the Ground 'fhook with it. This alarm'd the whole Army; I went to the Right, from whence the Noife came (having firft given Order to all the Cavalry under my Command to Saddle and Mount) and found that a great Detachment of the Enemy (as your High Mightineffes may fee by the fubjoin'd Lift) coming from Douay, had endeavour'd to break through at the Aperture of the Line of Circumvallation, on the High-way between Douay and Lifle, where the Palatine Horfe are encamp'd. Part of them having pafs'd, and our Men putting themselves in a Pofture to oppofe them, the Bags of Pewder, which moft of the French Horfe and Dragoons had behind them, of about 50 Pound Weight each, took Fire, which made a terrible Noife among them. The foremost of them, upon this Accident, rode full Gallop towards the Town; Nevertheless, before they could reach it, the fame Difafter befell 'em a fecond time, juft as they came up to the Barrier, which might, in all Probability, be occafion'd by the Horfes Shoes_ftriking upon the Pavement, or by the Sparks of the firft Fire that fell upon their Men, who were not aware of it. 'Tis faid, that, at least, an Hundred Men perifh'd, in this manner, near the Gate; and 'tis likely, this was the laft Noife we heard. Between 50 and 60 Troopers were kill'd upon the Place where they pafs'd the Line; and 'twas a dreadful Spectacle to fee the Way ftrew'd with dead Carcaffes, Horfes, Heads, Arms, and Legs, half burnt. The others who were behind, retir'd as fast as they could. I caus'd 'em to be purfu'd, but it was impoffible to overtake them. They found, however, upon the Road, for Two Leagues beyond the Camp, Sacks of Powder, Swords, Piftols, and loofe Powder, which fhews the Preci'pitation with which they made their Retreat. Our Heffian Huffars fet fire to a great many Sacks which they found in the Road, as they return'd from the Purfuit. We reckon, that about 300 Men got into the Town, but carry'd too little Powder 6 A. C. 1708. Powder with 'em, to ballance their Lofs. On the "other hand, 'tis plain, that Ammunition, which is fo neceffary for their Defence, begins to fall fhort in the Place. 6 Your High Mightineffes will, no doubt, have had direct Advice, of the Advantage which the Troops, lately arriv'd from England, fuftain'd by thofe Monf. Cadogan carried with him from the Army, have obtain'd near the Canal that goes from Oftend to Newport, over the Duke of Berwick's Troops that attack'd 'em. The great Convoy is 'arriv'd at Menin. I congratulate your High-Mightineffes upon both thefe Accounts; and am, with much Refpect, &c. From the Camp before Sign'd, Frederick, Prince of Heffe. "The Troops which endeavour'd to throw them'felves into Lille, in the Night between the 28th and 29th, were the Chevalier de Luxembourg, and ' under him Monf. de Tournefort; 400 Horfe for the Van; 252 Horfe-Grenadiers; 2 Squadrons of Dragoons; 2 of Burgundy; 1 of St. Agnan; 2 of Morteville; 2 of la Fontaine; I of Bretêche; 2 of Ternau; 2 of Forceaque. N. B. We have taken fome Officers, with about Twenty five Troopers. And had not One Man either kill'd or wounded on our fide. The very fame Day the French fet out from Douay, to attempt the throwing Ammunition into Lille, the Allies brought fafe to Rouffelaer their Great Convoy of Warlike Stores, and other Neceffaries, after one of the moft glorious and moft memorable. Actions that ftand recorded in Hiftory. Upon the News of the Arrival of the British Troops at Oftend, which gave the Confederate Generals fome Hopes of opening a Communication with that Town, a Council of War was held, wherein it was refolved to profecute the Siege; Prince Eugene faying, He would be refponfible for the Succefs, provided he were fupplied with Ammunition: Whereupon the Duke of Marlborough fent 700 Waggons, under a strong Guard veral De tachments Guard, to oftend; where the Dutch Commiffary, A. C. not having fo great a Quantity of Ammunition as 1708. was neceffary, borrowed fome Hundreds of Barrils of Powder of General Erle. On the other hand, his Grace, (who the 25th of September return'd to the Camp at Lanoy) having receiv'd Advice, That upon the British Troops taking Poft at Leffinghen, Count de la Motte had been reinforc'd with feveral Brigades of Horfe, and Foot, to intercept the Convoy: His Grace righly forefaw, That the Six The Duke of Battalions, and 800 Horfe, detach'd under Brigadier MarlboLandfbergh, and Ten Squadrons more under Bri- rough gadier Starkerbergh and Six Battalions under makes feGeneral Els, would not be fufficient to oppose the Enemy; and therefore Major General Webb, and to cover a Brigadier Count Naffau Woudenburgh, Son to Velt- great ConMarefchal d'Auverquerque, march'd the 26th, by voy from Break of Day, with Twelve Battalions more, to oftend. join the foremention'd Detachments on the Road between Menin and Oftend, with Orders to advance as far as Ichtegem, in the Country, call'd, The Frank of Bruges,. about four Leagues from Leffinghen; And, at the fame time, Major-General Cadogan march'd with another Detachment of Horfe and Foot, to meet the Convoy upon the paffing the Canal of Bruges. On the other hand, Lieuteant-General Erle was not idle: For being join'd by a Detachment, he drain'd the Water between Oftend and Newport, and built a Bridge over the Canal of Leffinghen; by which means he open'd a Communication with the Grand Army, towards which, the great Convoy began their March the 26th of September, in the Evening, and continued paffing the Canal the next Morning. Hereupon, a confiderable Party The French of the Enemy's Forces advanc'd to poft themselves repuls'd at at Oudenburgh, but found that Place poffefs'd by a Oudenftrong Detachment, whom they attack'd; but being burgh, repuls'd, with great Lofs, they retired to a confideSept. 27. rable Body under the Command of Count de la Motte, who march'd from Bruges, with Defign to intercept the Confederate Convoy. N. S. After that the Detachments which were fent to An Account cover the March of the Waggons from Oftend to of the Battle of Wynendale, written by Major-General Webb himself, who gain'd a memorable Victory there, Sept. 28. N. S. See the Plan. the A. C. 1708. 6 the Siege of Lille, had joined at Turout the 27th of September,GeneralWebb, (who,as EldeftMajor-Gen. commanded in Chief,) received Advice,that Major Savary, of the Regiment of Gethem, had poffeffed himself of the Poft at Oudenbourg; whereupon he fent 600 Grenadiers under the Command of Colonel Preston, a Battalion of Orkney's under the Command of Colonel Hamilton, with that of Fune, commanded by Colonel Voogt, the whole under the Direction of Brigadier Lansberg, to reinforce that Poft. The 28th, at 8 in the Morning, all the Horfe (under the Command of Major-General Cadogan) were ordered to Hoglede, to wait the Arrival of the Convoy there, except 150 Horse, which were fent the Night before, under the Command of Count Lottum, to Oudenbourg, with Orders to the Two Battalions, and 600 Grenadiers, to guard the Convoy to Cocklaer, and afterwards to rejoin the Foot at Turout. About Noon, Count Lottum returned to Turout, with Advice, that in his way to khtegem, he met with an advanced Guard of the Enemy, which he pushed into the Plain, where he obferved 16 Squadrons, mounting in great hafte, on the Alarm which their advanced Guard gave them; whereupon he thought it neceffary to return in all hafte, to give the General an Account of it. On this Advice, all the Foot, confifting of 22 Battalions, Count Lottum, with his 150 Horfe making the advanced Guard, with the Quarter-Mafters and Grenadiers that were not detached, were ordered to march immediately to gain 'the Village of Itchtegem, by the way of Wynendale. As foon as the advanced Guard got to Wynendale, they perceived the Enemy in the opening of the Plain; whereupon the Quarter-Mafters and Grenadiers were drawn up in order of Battel. MajorGeneral Webb, and Count Nafau Woudenbourg, at the Head of the 150 Horfe, advanced to reconnoitre the Enemy, giving Orders, at the fame time, to "the Foot to advance, and form themfelves as faft as poffible in the Plain. The 150 Horfe were left at the opening of the Plain, under the Command ' of Count Lottum, to amufe the Enemy; and to 'embarrass them the more, the Quarter-Mafters and Grenadiers were pofted in a Low Coppice on that |