Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
The Diary of Bonnivert, 1690 (Author: Gédéon Bonnivert)
entry 9
Next morning we were up at two of the clock, and we marched to gain a passage two miles of about five in the morning. The passage was a very steep hill, and a shallow river at the bottom that leaded into a very fine plain.30 As we came there we found a party of the enemy with four or five
pieces of artillery ready to receive us;31 but that did not daunt our men; they
went down briskly, notwithstanding their continual fire upon us. The
Grenadiers and Dragoons were first of the other side, and we soon followed
them; but the enemy made haste away with their cannon. We drew up in
battle as we came in the plain, and marched directly towards the place
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appointed for the battle.32 After some hours we saw the enemy coming down a turning between two hills, which we knew by the rising of the dust; and by and by they shew themselves in their best colours, for they drew up upon a line only, and our army was upon three. We looked upon one another who should come first; but at last, we seeing that their foot and baggage was running away, and that the king had engaged their right way, we marched towards them over ditches and trenches. They presently retired upon a mountain behind a little town called Duleek, where they fired three or four pieces at us. We killed abundance of their men, and pursued the rest till nine of the clock, that we overtaking them, and having too hotly pursued them, were almost upon them, when they facing about made as if they had been willing to receive us; but we having left our foot and cannon behind, and considering how late it was, made halt. They fired for an hour and half small shot very thick upon us, for they had hid partly in bushes. At last our cannon came and played smartly upon them, till the night coming they retired, and so did we, we laying in the plow'd lands, and had no tents. That day we lost Duke Schomberg and Dr. Walker, Governor of Londonderry. They were killed in forcing the passage. The king himself passed that way. Next day we stayed encamped in that place, and there was a popish gentleman's house plundered by us.