I sent to the king for some dragoons, and gave him account of what I
observed of the enemy, and that I judged them to be 1000 men; for I
could not particularly see their numbers. Accordingly the king ordered
500 dragoons to attack the bridge, commanded by a major; the enemy had
200 musketeers placed on the bridge, their barricade served them for
a breastwork on the front, and the low walls on the bridge served
to secure their flanks. Two bodies of their foot were placed on the
opposite banks of the river, and a reserve stood in the highway on the
rear. The number of their men could not have been better ordered, and
they wanted not courage answerable to the conduct of the party. They
were commanded by one Bennet, a resolute officer, who stood in the
front of his men on the bridge with a pike in his hand.
Before we began to fall on, the king ordered to view the river, to see
if it was nowhere passable, or any boat to be had; but the river being
not fordable, and the boats all secured on the other side, the attack
was resolved on, and the dragoons fell on with extraordinary bravery.
The foot defended themselves obstinately, and beat off our dragoons
twice, and though Bennet was killed upon the spot, and after him his
lieutenant, yet their officers relieving them with fresh men, they
would certainly have beat us all off, had not a venturous fellow, one
of our dragoons, thrown himself into the river, swam over, and, in the
midst of a shower of musket-bullets, cut the rope which tied a great
flat-bottom boat, and brought her over.
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