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Officers of the Fleet, particularly to your worthy Admiral Shovel, assuring your Majesty that he has assisted me in this Expedition with an inconceiveable Readiness and Application, and that no Admiral will be ever better able to render me greater Satisfaction, than he has done. During the Siege of Barcelona, some of your Majesty’s Ships, with the Assistance of the Troops of the Country, have reduced the Town of Tarragona, and the Officers are made Prisoners of War. The Town of Girone has been taken at the same time by Surprize, by the Troops of the Country. The Town of Lerida has submitted, as also that of Tortosa upon the Ebro; so that we have taken all the Places of Catalonia, except Roses. Some Places in Arragon near Sarragosa have declar’d for me, and the Garrison of the Castle of Denia in Velencia have maintain’d their Post, and repuls’d the Enemy; 400 of the Enemies Cavalry have entred into our Service, and a great Number of their Infantry have deserted.
This, Madam., is the State that your Arms, and the Inclination of the People have put my Affairs in. It is unnecessary to tell you, what stops the Course of these Conquests; it is not the Season of the Year, nor the Enemy; these are no Obstacles to your Troops, who desire nothing more than to act under the Conduct that your Majesty has appointed them. The taking of Barcelona with so small a number of Troops is very remarkable; and what has been done in this Seige is almost without Example; That with 7 or 8000 Men of your Troops, and 200 Miquelets, we should surround and invest a Place, that 30000 French could not block up.
After a March of 13 Hours, the Troops climb’d up the Rocks and Precipices, to attack a Fortification stronger than the Place, which the Earl of Peterborow’s has sent you a Plan of: Two Generals with the Grenadiers attack’d it Sword in Hand. In which Action the
