wry, and that the Duke of Berwick (James's natural son)
was in possession of the town with a strong body of horse. But before
Schomberg could reach the place the Duke of Berwick had evacuated it,
leaving the town in flames. The Duke had fled with such haste that he
had left some of his baggage behind him, and thrown his cannon into
the river. Schomberg ordered his cavalry to advance rapidly upon
Dundalk, in order to prevent the town from sharing the same fate as
Newry. This forced march took the enemy by surprise. They suddenly
abandoned Dundalk, without burning it, and never paused until they had
reached the entrenched camp of King James.

The weather had now become cold, dreary, and rainy. Provisions were
scarcely to be had. The people of Dundalk were themselves starving.
Strong bodies of cavalry foraged the country, but were able to find
next to nothing in the shape of food for themselves, or corn for their
horses. The ships from England, laden with provisions which ought to
have arrived at Belfast, were forced back by contrary winds. Thus the
army was becoming rapidly famished. Disease soon made its appearance,
and carried off the men by hundreds. Schomberg's camp, outside
Dundalk, was situated by the side of a marsh--a most unwholesome
position; but the marsh protected him from the enemy, who were not far
off. The rain and snow continued; the men and the horses were
perpetually drenched; and scouring winds blew across the camp. Ague,
dysentery, and fever everywhere prevailed. Dalrymple has recorded that
of fifteen thousand men who belonged to Schomberg's army, not less
than eight thousand perished. Under these circumstances, the greatly
reduced force broke up from their cantonments and went into winter
quarters. Schomberg's cavalry regiment was stationed at Lurgan, then a
small village, which happily had not been burnt. De Pechels was one of
those who had been sick in camp, and was disabled from pursuing the
campaign further. After remaining for some weeks at Lurgan, he
obtained leave from the Duke of Schomberg to return to London. And
there, after the lapse of four years, he found and embraced his
beloved and noble wife.

De Pechels continued invalided, and was unable to rejoin the army of
King William. "After some stay in London," he says, in the memoir from
which the above extracts are made, "it was the King's pleasure to
exempt from further service certain officers specified by name, and to
assign them a pens