to his camp; and being apprised that the advance of the enemy's cavalry had appeared on the high ground near Philipsburg, he detached the English and Danish horse to support the palatines. On the 7th the English and Danish foot, with the Dutch, Luneburgers, and Hessians, succes- sively filed over; and the ensuing day the reunion of the whole army was completed by the junction of the imperial horse. At the same time the margrave, who had taken the route of Aschaffenburg, arrived at the camp. Writing to Godolphin from Spire, September 8th, Marl- borough details these operations, and declares his resolution to give the enemy battle if they should venture to oppose his advance: -- "Fearing the French might take this camp, we were obliged to pass the Rhine and take it yesterday, although we had not above half our troops with us, which made us be all the day on horseback, as also the greatest part of this day, the French being within three leagues of us. But this afternoon we are joined by the rest of our troops, so that we shall march to-morrow, in hopes to pass the river Queich the next day. If the enemy will let us pass that river, we have it in our power to be. siege Landau. I hope and think they will not defend it, though they have drawn all their forces together, in order to hinder our passage. We shall have 92 battalions and 181 squadrons; but above one-half of our battalions are extremely weak, so that if we come to action I intend to make the 14 English battalions but 7, and to do the same thing to the Danes and Hessians, which will bring our battalions to 78."
As Villeroy, with the remains of the Gallo-bavarian army, had established himself on the Queich, and was actively employed in fortifying a position so advantageous for the defence of Landau, the allied generals concluded that he had taken the resolution of opposing their progress. They there- fore broke up on the 9th, and advanced towards the pass of Belheim. The enemy were, however, too discouraged to await an attack, and hastily fell back to Langencandel. The bridges which they had partly broken down, were repaired for the passage of the infantry, and the horse traversing the stream by the fords, the confederates encamped the same evening between Offenbach and Belheim, on the very ground previously occupied by Villeroy. Marlborough and Eugene resuming their march on the 10th, the enemy, who had lain all night under arms, with- drew in confusion behind the Lauter, and finally continued -219- |