46} 
other heavy incumbrances. Fatally 
for the Dutch, the Maes and the 
Waal were, by the twenty-seventh, 
ecome bridges of ice, over, which 
the French transported an immense 
body of troops, whose operations 
extended from their right to their 
left, near forty miles. The allied 
army was too much reduced, through 
illness and other causes, to oppose 
themeffe€tually. They carried all 
the posts in the isle of Bommel, 
and forced the lines of Breda, mak- 
ing sixteen hundred prisoners, and 
taking one hundred and twenty 
pieces of cannon, with a_ large 
quantity of baggage. The French 
were now masters of the north side 
of the Waal, and menaced the 
towns of Culenberg and Gorcum, 
neither of which was able to stand 
an attack. It was determined in 
order to preserve them, to compel 
the enemy to re-pass the Waal. 
About eight thousand of the British 
troops marched against them on the 
thirtieth of December, under the 
command of general Dundas. The 
French were posted at Thuyl; to 
arrive at which place it was neces- 
sary to take a road flanked by a 
number of batteries, planted on the 
isle of Bommel, and the place it- 
self was surrounded. with a strong 
abbatis. All these obstacles were 
surmounted, and notwithstanding 
their great superiority in numbers, 
the French were forced from all 
their posts, and obliged to re-cross 
the Waal, with a considerable loss 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1705. 
of men and several pieces of cannon. 
But this advantage, though very 
honourable to the conduét and bra- 
very of the British officers and sol- 
diers, was of very little service to the 
common cause. ‘The strength of 
France was so enormous, that the 
whole country was overpowered by 
it, and resistance was evidently im. 
praéticable. 
To this forlorn situation of public 
affairs, other discouragements were 
added. If reports may be credited, 
the treatment of thesick and wound- 
ed in the British army, at this time, 
was scandalous in the highest degree. 
They were totally unprovided with 
the requisites indispensable in their 
condition: they had neither medi- 
cines nor able surgeons to attend 
them; and often wanted food, co- 
-vering, and proper places to receive 
them. This excited the more com- 
plaint and indignation, that it was 
well known throughout the army, 
with how much hberality govern- 
ment had provided forall their wants, 
and that a variety of those com- 
forts, needed by the soldiery, had 
been supplied by private subscrip- 
tions throughout the kingdom. It 
was notorious, that, whenever an 
unfortunate man was sent to the 
hospital, he generally perished 
through negleé&, unskilfulness, or 
misery. The medical board, as weil 
as the commissaries, whose duty it 
was to look into those things, became 
objects of great hatred and indig- 
nation.* : 
In 
" The following is reported by an eye witness, whose veracity and accuracy we 
find to be well atiested: 
v 
(Jan. 21, 1795}, ‘Our (the British) hospitals, which were so lately crowded, are 
for the present considerably thinned. Removing the sick in waggons without clothing 
sufficient to keep them warm in this rigerous season, has sent some hundreds to their 
eternalhome; and the shameful neglect that prevails through all that department, 
makes our hospitals mere slaughter houses. Without covering, without attendance, and 
even 
