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Subject Area: Political Theory
Subject Area: History
Topic: The English Revolution

Colonel Drummond to General Monck - Sir William Clarke, The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, vol. 3 [1899]

Edition used:

The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, Secretary to the Council of the Army, 1647-1649, and to General Monck and the Commanders of the Army in Scotland, 1651-1660, ed. C.H. Firth (London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1899). 4 vols.

Part of: The Clarke Papers. Selections from the Papers of William Clarke, 4 vols.

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Colonel Drummond to General Monck

My Lord,—

f. 104b.According to my owne engagement and my duty to your Lordshippe, I begin to acquitt my self of a parte of what lyeth on mee with an account of our affaires heere, that our line being ended, and our approaches advanced to the ffosse, the enemy resolved to releeve of the seidge; and upon consideracion of the weaknes of our lyne by reason of the sandie ground and of the vastnesse of it, it was thought most secure to give them batle, which was done yesterday being Friday the of June.1 Marshall de Turaine comanded our right wing, having some six thousand horse and two thousand foote of France; in the body and reserve wee had six or seaven thousand French and Switzes foote, and a thousand horse placed in some intervalles. The left wing was commanded by my Lord Embassadour Lockhart, having some five thousand English foote and two thousand horse in his first and second lynes; however hee resolved to charge upon the head of his owne regiment, whose carriage was such as I know that neither French nor English Diurnalls will let passe in silence, but without vanitie that regiment has done what I have never seene done before, for they charged and beate a Spanish regiment of a hill more steepe then any ascent of a breach that I have seene. Fenwick,2 the Generall’s Lieutenant Collonel, is wounded very dangerously; two captains kill’d; one Captain Johns3 that comanded the horse at Jamaica wounded and taken prisoner by the enemy by engaging two farre. Next Collonel Lilliston’s had the hardest pull, where there are thirtie or forty kill’d; after that Collonel Alsop’s. The other fowre regiments had noe losse almost at all. The Englishes have such reputacion in this army that nothing can bee more. The enemy was thus disposed. The Prince of Condee with five thousand horse was the left wing of the enemy against Marshall de Turaine, and comanded over him by Proutville and Colingie Lieutenant Generall. Against our bodie was two thousand horse and two thousand foote comanded by the Ducke of Yorke, who was accompanied by his younger brother, and where amongst other there was a Scotch regiment caled Midleton’s, comanded by Horrie, and the English comanded by Collonel Blake, and one composed of English, Scotch, and Irish, comanded by Musgarie1 (an Irish Lord which was as Lieutenant Collonel to the forsaid pretended Ducke), whereof the most part are in our hands except the forenamed persons, and who are all sent prisoners to France, except some few that have bin in our service before. Wee had for enemies upon our wing Don John of Austria with three thousand horse, and the Marques of Carracen with 3000 owld Spanish foote drawne out of the garisons. Our wing, being some two miles distant from the other, charged first, and soe fell in betwixt our right wing (or rather the enemies left wing) and the towne of Ferne that was their retreate, so that if the horse of our wing had persued soe vigorously as wee expected, the enemies left wing and the Prince had bin ours; but soe it was that most part of all their horse did escape, but the foot, who was but some five thousand, are all gone, whereof wee have about two thousand prisoner, but of officers of horse and foote wee have eight hundred. All those that are of the owld Spanish regiments of Flanders the King of France has taken them to put in prison in France; they would all willingly give their ramsome, but the King has ordered his Comisaries that are heere to pay their ramsoms to those that toke them, but hee will not part with them; and the reason is that the King of Spaine has not any Spanish now in Flanders that know the way of warre in Flanders now, [or] that have any reputacion of the country for making new leaveis, and that hee will hardley bee induced to trust the Nobillitie of the country with milletary commands. The Marques of Caraceene was once prisoner with us, but one of the French souldiers is gone with him after divers of our generall persons had spoke with him. Since that time at our returne to the campe wee toke a fort called Fort Lyon upon Mardicke side of the towne, where the Marques of Castlens,2 Lieutenant Generall to the horse and foote, is shott throw the body, and is curing now with small hopes of life. The prisoners tell us that before the army of the enemy tooke their resolucions to endeavour the releife of Dunkirke, that they had a Councell of warre or state at Ipre, where there was Charles Stuart and his brothers, Don John, Conde, and Caracene, and two of Lords States of Holland who sate with them. They did expect that the States was to have been with them by sea, but that this they think will stumble them, and it is somewhat probable, in so much that H[is] H[ighness] sent my Lord Montague thither yesternight with a recruit of shippes. Wee expect now shortly to have the towne, but that the Governor is more [stubborn] now than ever, that he may gaine time to his Master to recruit his armie, which occasions likewise our diligence. Having been with Marshall Tureine just now from my Lord Ambassadour, hee told mee that the King and Cardinall was to be here againe shortly. My Lord, this is all at present from,

Your Lordship’s most oblieged and
humble servant

Jo: Drummond.

Campe before
Dunkirke, June
1658.

Major Generall Morgan behaved himself gallantly in this action, and when the Marshall Turene’s wing of 16000 were worsted by the enemy, came uppe [at] a trott faster then the French gallopp, and defeated the enemy.

[1 ]Should be .

[2 ]Lieut.-Col. Roger Fenwick died of his wounds. Thurloe, vii. 156, 174, 215.

[3 ]Captain Henry Jones. Thurloe, vii. 156.

[1 ]I.e. Muskerry.

[2 ]Castelnau.