4.66 LIEUT.-GENERAL THOMAS DYNELEY, ©.B., R.A. 
regiment of Nassau, came up and wished to pass through them ; this 
the infantry refused, but finding the cavalry seemed determined, 
they fired two or three muskets and came down to the charge; the 
leading squadron immediately formed and charged them. General 
D’ Armagnac immediately rode up and separated them, but not until 
several men had been killed and wounded. He instantly sent both 
regiments out on picquet, the cavalry to our rear, the infantry to the 
front; this you may suppose was rather against our escape, but we 
had made up our minds to go off, and that was enough. Well, having 
dined, I sent Morgan‘out to get a little straw for our bed, which we 
made and laid down our blankets and placed each of our helmets at 
the head. This being done, we wished each other well, agreeing we 
were to meet about 80 yards in front of the artillery park. I must tell 
you that the sun had gone down, but the moon was not up, and there 
was a sort of mist between both. He then went to the right and I to 
the left, walking unconcernedly through everybody until I came about 
10 yards to the front, when a soldier called out to me to knowif I 
knew where the cavalry were. I said “No” and he gave me a blessing 
to himself and went on; and I proceeded and joined Morgan. 
Now, Dora, give this scrawl over to Miss Kate, and let her help 
me with the difficulty of my escape, which she must do by setting 
us off running arm in arm as hard as we could go over the 
ploughed ground, which we kept up for nearly 500 yards, when Morgan 
discovered two vedettes about 50 yards ahead of us. We threw our- 
selves down upon our faces directly; after lying there a few seconds we 
discovered one of the vedettes to be only a clod of earth, and the other 
had passed on. Up we got and ran on again as long as we could go, 
crossing a ditch full of rushes up to our knees in mud; this we thought 
a pretty good check for any cavalry that might come in pursuit of us. 
We then made a stop, when we heard the cavalry bugle sound the 
“turn-out,” and off we set again until we could scarce run any longer, 
when Morgan said ‘I hear them galloping.” At this time I could run 
no longer, but he pulled me along for about 300 yards further, when we 
listened again the poor fellow said: “I beg your pardon, sir, it was 
only my heart beating that I heard.” We then went on gently until we 
came to the hill and, having got half up it, we crept into a bush about 
three feet high,and remained there the whole of that night. “Morgan got 
a good nap, but I was afraid to shut more than one eye at a time, fearing 
from the state my mind was in I might talk in my sleep. 
Day appearing on the morning of the 17th, we saw the troops marching 
off, having heard the drums beating to arms for near two hours before. 
The whole of the troops, baggage, etc. having marched, we were 
rather astonished to hear the drums still beating, and about an hour 
after this we saw their rear-guard of cavalry come along the road and 
form up outside the town, from which we were at least four miles dis- 
tant. Shortly after the remaining infantry marched out and the 
whole cavalry followed. We still lay there about an hour longer 
when we saw a peasant going past. I sent Morgan down to speak to 
him and he turned out to be a miserable little fan-maker whom the 
French had taken on by way of a guide. He was at first frightened 
