with all the horse and four battalions; and as soon as our vanguard ap-
peared the enemy quitted the fort, and retired over the Moselle, after
throwing much provisions and ammunition into the river. An advanced
corps took some prisoners, and prevented any mischief which they intended
to execute, had they not been surprised by the celerity of this march."

From a letter of Cardonnel we learn also that the enemy
were not inattentive to this movement, and would undoubt-
edly have baffled a less active and vigilant commander. ^*

"October 31. -- It was very lucky that my lord duke hastened his
march, for on the same day Monsieur D'Allegre came with a detachment
of horse within two leagues of Treves, having ordered a good body of
troops to follow him, but on notice of our being here, he immediately
retired."

Possessed of so important a place as Treves, the duke
collected 6000 of the neighbouring peasantry to repair and
strengthen the fortifications, and posted the cavalry at Con-
marbruck to cover the operation. Having settled the dis-
tribution of winter quarters in the vicinity, he proceeded
towards Traerbach, which was occupied by a French garrison
of 600 men. Arriving at Berncastel the 3d of November,
he was joined by the twelve Dutch battalions drawn from the
Meuse. After surveying the environs of Traerbach, and
giving the necessary directions to the prince of Hesse for
the siege of the place, he returned with equal expedition to
the camp at Cron Weissemburg. Thus, in the short space
of twenty-one days, he accomplished an arduous and highly
important undertaking, the result of which may be best
described in his own simple though expressive language:
"I reckon," he writes to Godolphin, "this campaign is well
over, since the winter quarters are settled on the Moselle,
which I think will give France as much uneasiness as any
thing that has been done this summer."

In fact, the original view of Marlborough was to have be-
sieged Saar Louis, which would have materially facilitated
his intended invasion of France; but as the protracted
defence of Landau frustrated this design, he adopted the
most efficient measures to secure the advantages he had
gained. He placed a garrison in Treves, under the com-
mand of the Count de Noyalles, occupied Saarbruck, and

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