36
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.
long held it. Rcfentmcnt had no. more power to perfuadc him to aft with rigour, in the adverfe turn of the l-'rench affairs, than the pride of conqueft had in their profpcrity. When he had orders to evacuate the place, there were very coniider- able magazines of corn and fo- rage, amafled for the ufe of the army ; he had full time to burn them, and he had precedents enough to have judified the adion; but he left the whole in the hands of the magillrates, to be gratuitoufly dif- tributed to the poor: he employed all his vigilance to prevent the Icaft diforder among ft his troops, and was himfelf the laft man that marched out of the town. This behaviour, which did fo much ho- nour to his name and country, has made his memory for ever dear to the Hanoverians, drew tears of love and gratitudjs from his ene- mies, and aclinowledgmejits from the generous Prince againll whom iie ferved.
The French through extreme dif- liculties marched towards the Rhine in three columns. The feveral fcat- tcred bodies, which had united at Munfter, formed the right. The body which came from Paderborn, and which was commanded by the Prince of Clermont in perfon, marched in the middle. The forces vyhich had occupied Heflc, were on the left. In this order they reached the Rhine, which they all palll'd, except a body under Count Cler- mont, who ftill remained at Wefel, and refolved to maintain that poll. The French army which about four months before had paflcd the Rhine in numbers, and in a conditicn to
make the moll powerful enemies tremble, without any adverfe ftroke of war whatfoever, by a fate almoft unparalleled, now repaffed it like fugitives, in a condition the moll- deplorable, reduced to lefs than half their original number, and clofcly purfued by the enemy, which they had obhged to lay down their arms.
The fame ill fortune, and the fame defpair of their affairs, fol- lowed them every where. On the arrival of a fmall Englifh fqua- dron, commanded by Commodore Holmes, before Embden, and their taking an advantageous fitu- ..^ , ation, which cut off the com- ^ ^ munication between the town and the mouth of the river Ems ; the French garrifon, confilling of near 4000 men, "' immediately evacuated the place. As foon as Mr. Holmes difcovered their defsgn, and that they were tranfporting their artiler)' and bag- gage up the river, he ordered out a few armed boats to purfue them. Thefe took fome of the enemies vellels, in which were the fon of an officer of diftinftion, and a con- fiderable fum of money. The Com- modore without delay rellored the fon to his father, and offered to re- turn the money, on receiving the officer's word of honour, that it was his private property. This af- fair is. mentioned, not only to do jullice to the judicious conduft by which a place of fo much confide- ration was fo calily carried, but alfo to that generofity of fpirit, which fo nobly diftinguifhes almoll all thofo, who hold any rank in our fervrce.
CHAP.
