A. C. danado, 256; Don Juan Pedrofche, 152; the Mar1706. quis de Taracloufa, 228; and that of Don Diego d'Avila, 220; befides a Detachment of 750 Men, with the Baggage, in all 3282 Men, without including the Officers; the whole commanded by Don Miguel de Guafco, Marefchal de Camp, and Don Diego d'Avila, Brigadier. Thefe Troops were in very good condition, well Cloath'd, and well Arm'd; and twas a great Stroke, thus to ruin, in fo little a time, and with fuch inconfiderable Lofs, the third part of the whole Spanish Infantry. However, it must be own'd in their Favour, that 'twas not poffible for them, either to defend the Breach, or to make any Retrenchment or Coupure behind it; for the Batteries of the Allies, both of Cannon and Mortars were fo well ferv'd,that in 3 days time, they either kill'd or difabled 500 Men of the Garrifon. They found in the Place 47 pieces of Brafs Cannon; 17 pieces of Iron; 5000 Muskets, or Fire-Locks, 200 Quintals, or Barrels of Gunpowder; 1800 Boxes of fmall Shot; 1500 great Shot; fix Mortars, 800 Bombs, 3000 Moyes of Flower, (being 10000 Pound weight;) 4000 Moyes of Rye; 200 Pipes of Wine; 150 Pipes of Oyl; 12000 new entire Suits for Soldiers, defign'd for the Spanish Army; and above 200 cropt Horfes. The 19th the Marquis de Fronteira march'd Moraleja with the Body under his Command to Moraleja, Surrenders at Difere- which he caufed to be attack'd by the Conde de Soura. The Garrifon, confifting of 400 Men, under a French Governor, defended themselves, and made a great Fire for two days, but the third they furrendred Prifoners of War. The next day, being the 23d day of April, Coria furrendred to Don Juan d'Atayde, whereupon the Marquis de Fronteira march'd to take poffeffion of that Town, and fecure the Magazines; and arrived there juft in the time that Monfieur Feoffreville was advancing that way with 12 Squadrons, in order to deftroy the Ovens and Stores the Enemy had in the Place.

tion.

As alfo
Coria.

Before the main Army left Alcantara, the Earl of Galway publish'd the following Manifefto:

Henry

A. C.

Henry Earl of Galway, Baron of Portarlinton, Ge- 1706. neral of the Forces of the moft Serene Lady, the Queen of Great Britain.

IT being undeniably true, that in the whole Pro-The Earl of 'grefs of this War, the moft Serene Queen of Galway's "Great Britain, my Mistress, and her Allies, are fo Manifefto. 'far from being Enemies to Spain, that they have fent their Troops and Fleets for no other purpofe, than to aflift the good Spaniards to fhake off the Yoke and Domination of France; and to place on the Throne of Spain, his moft Excellent Majefty "King Charles III. To the end therefore, that the Spaniards themselves may have the Glory to cooperate in fo honourable an Undertaking, as is the. Establishing the Liberty and Felicity of their Native Country, the faid moft Serené Queen has been pleas'd to command Me to declare a-new Her Royal Pleasure, that I fhould, in Her Name, fuccour and fupport them: Accordingly by thefe Prefents, 'I declare and publifh, That all the Generals, 'Commanders, Officers and Soldiers of the Spaniards, of whatfoever Degree they may be, that will leave the Service of the Duke of Anjou, and give all due Obedience to his Catholick Majefty King Charles III. on their repairing to Me, (the aforefaid, Earl of Galway,) fhall be maintain'd in the Service of his Catholick Majefty, in the fame Pofts, Honours and Degrees, which they had before, without Exception of Perfons; and that from the fame Hour they fhall be paid and maintain'd punctually, according to the Pay they before enjoy'd, out of 'the Treafury, which for thefe Glorious Ends, the < faid moft Serene Queen has caus'd to be remitted to my Order. 'Tis to be hop'd there will be no Spaniards of Reputation, that will not make ufe of fo favourable an Occafion of having the Honour to free their Country from Slavery truly ignominious, and of gaining the peculiar Efteem of their 'Lawful Monarch, King Charles III. Dated at Alcantara, April 20. 1706.

The March of the Portugueze and Confederates into Spain, ftruck a great Confternation at Madrid,

where

A. C. where the Duke of Anjou's Confort having Summon'd the Magiftrates of that Capital City, the re1706 pair'd to their Affembly, and made to them the following Speech :

The Dut

chefs of Anjou's Speech to the Magi Strates of

Madrid.

Sent for you hither, and appear my felf to tell you, what Diftrefs the State is in. I cannot conceal it from you, while the King is expofing his Life for your Defence. Heaven bleffes his Arms in Catalonia, and we hope that Rebellious Province will fhortly be reduced. Affairs do not go fo well in Eftramadura: The Portugueze advance; Will you tamely fee fuch Enemies approach you? 'Do you not think of exerting your utmost Efforts to make them repent their Audacioufnefs? The Prefervation of the Monarchy, is now the Point in Queftion: You ought, in this preffing Neceffity, to fhew your Loyalty and Zeal, by facrificing your All for the King, for Me, and for your Selves. "Powerful and fpeedy Succours are requifite. I am "the first Queen that appeared in this Place on fuch an Occafion. When I give you fuch extraordinary Marks of Affection, I well deferve you should do fomething for me, and defend me.

But this Speech was not able to ftir the flegmatick Humours of the Spaniards, or put them befides their flow cautious Measures.

The 20th the Confederate Army pafs'd the Tags over the Bridge at Alcantara, and came to encamp at Pedras Alves. The Duke of Berwick perceiving, that they bent their March towards Coria and Placentia, pals'd the Tagus, at the Bridge of Canaveral, and drew eight Battalions and twelve pieces of Cannon out of Badajox, ordering them to march to the Bridge of Almaras, and caufing them to be reinforc'd by the Battalion of Chaves, and fome Militia. He came himself the 24th to Placentia, with his Cayalry; and the fame day the Confederate Army arriv'd at Coria, an Epifcopal City furrounded with pretty good Walls. All the Country round about, and the Inhabitants of the Mountain of Gara, which abounds with Wine, Oyl and Cattle, came in to fubmit; but nothing was exacted from them, but that they should remain Faithfuil to King Charles III. which they readily promis'd. The Army broke up

from

from Coria the 26th, and went to encamp in a fine A. C. Plain on the Road to Placentia, near the Banks of 1706. the River Alagon. The 27th they moved to Gallileo, a little Town, fituate on an Eminence, with pretty good Walls, and a Caftle belonging to the Conde of that Name. Before they came to this Place, they detach'd 600 Horfe to furprize a Guard, which the Enemy kept upon them to obferve their Motions; but, upon fight of this Detachment, the Guard retired, and only fome few of them were made Prifo

ners.

The 28th the Confederate Army moved, and encamp'd at Placentia, where the chief Care of the Ge nerals was to caufe Provifions to be gather'd in, Corn ground, and Ovens erected, the Enemy having detroy'd their Magazines of Corn, Meal and Oates; and the Bishop, the Corregidor, and fome of the chief Inhabitants, left the Place, and follow'd the Duke of Berwick.

Here a Council of War was held, about the further Operations of the Campaign: All the Fo reign Generals were unanimoufly of Opinion, to proceed directly towards Madrid; but the Portu gueze Generals fhew'd fome Reluctancy to advance fo far into Spain, without having more certain Accounts of the condition of King Charles's Affairs, particularly of the Siege of Barcelona. However, the Duke of Berwick being but four Leagues from thence, intrenching himself before the Fords of the River Tietar, with all the Troops he had been able to affemble, it was unanimoufly refolv'd to march and fight him, if he continued Fortifying that Camp. Accordingly, on the 1ft of May, they broke up from before Placentia, and march'd directly to La Venta Mazagona. As foon as the Enemy perceiv'd the Motions of the Confederate Army, they caus'd their Baggage, and afterwards their Foot to march off. Their Cavalry retired next, in good order, leaving behind them a Rear-Guard, and fome Dra goons on Foot in the Intrenchments. As foon as the Allies came near the Tietar, the Portugueze Infantry,' which forded over that River, drove the Enemy from that Poft, with a great deal of Gallantry: But, tho' the Cavalry pafs'd the fame River with great diligence, yet they could not come up with the Enemy,

him to march to Madrid.

.

A. C. The 10th of May, Don Jofeph Belvis, a Gentlemari of one of the beft Families in Valencia, arriv'd in the 1705. Camp. He was difpatch'd by the Earl of PeterThe Earl of borough to the Earl of Galway, with Letters imporPeterbo- ting, That the Enemy had form'd the Siege of rough Barcelona, wherein they met with great DifficulSends an ties; and which, in all appearance, would draw Exprefs to into length; That his Lord/hip (the Earl of Peterthe Earl of borough) with a confiderable Body of Regular ForGalway,ces and Miquelets, had poffeffed himfelf of the defiring Poft of Martorel; That if the Enemy, as 'twas very probable, were oblig'd to raife the Siege, by the Arrival of the Confederate Fleet, it would be 'impoffible for them to retreat thro' Arragon, but would be oblig'd to fetch a great Compafs thro' France: Wherefore he defired my Lord Galway, to march directly to Madrid, where he would be join'd, affoon as poffible, by all the Forces that were on that Side. This Important Meffage made Meffage but a flight Impreffion on the Portugueze, who makes but having, fix'd their Refolution, had fent already little Im- their Waggons and Carriages towards Ciudad Ro preffion on the Portu drigo. The Inhabitants of Frueillo and Caferes fent to make their Submiffion to King Charles, and promis'd to furnish the Allies with fome Quantities of Provifions; but neither did this Offer make any Alteration in the Meafures already taken: And indeed the true Reafon that prevail'd moft with those two Cities to make that Compliment was, because their Communication with their Ice-Houfes, was cut off; a forcible Argument in Spain, during the Summer, for People to fubmit almoft to any Conditions.

But this

gueze.

L

The 11th of May, the Army began its March to return to Venta Mafagona: And on that very day the Enemy were railing the Siege of Barcelona to retire into France, fo that two Armies, which were near 150 Leagues diftant from one another, retreated each to their own Country, out of the mutual Fear they had of their Enemy; and yet, which is no lefs remarkable, those two Armies met again two Months after near Madrid. The 12th the Allies encamp'd at Placentia, and exacted nothing either from that City, or from the Inhabitants of any other Place, being fhy of Exafperating the Country People, who began to take up Arms, and attack the Stragglers.

The