46 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.
received an account which difcon- certed all his meafures.
The I)uke de Broglio fupported by the corps of the Prince de Sou- bife, with a much fuperior force, attacked and defeated the July 23. j^ejian army of feyen thoufand men near Sangerfhaufcn. This opened to them the pofllfiiou of the Wefer. They might aft in Wellphalia, on which fide foever they pleafed, and it was to be feared, that if they availed them- felves of the advantages they had, they might be able to intercept the Britifh troops. Thefe troops having been landed at Embden, were now on their march under the command of the Duke of Marlborough to reinforce the allied army. The Prince in this fituatjon of affairs, had no option left but an engage- ment with the French army, cr a retreat over the Rhine. The for- mer was not eafy to compafs, as the French induftrioufly declined a battle, and it became extrem.ely dangerous to remain long in a po- fuion with the enemies army on bis left, and the flrovig fortrefs of Gucldre on his right. In this fi- tuadon his fubfiflence became every day more difRcult. To repafs the Rhine had its difficulties too; the roads which led to that river were rendered almoft impaffable by the hedvy rains; the river itfelf was fo fwelled with them, that the bridge at Rces had been for fome time ufelefs.
Thefe difagrceable circumftances of the allied army did not efcape the penetration of Monfieur de Clievert, one of the ableft com- manders among the French. He formed a plan upon them, which if it had fucceeded, mud have put the allies into the greateft perplexity. This general had fome
time before pafTed the Rhine, with an intention of making him-, felf mafler of DufTt-ldorp, and he had prepared all things with great ability for that enterprize. The rains unufually heavy for that fea- fon, and fome other crofs acci- dent?, had fruflrated his iiuentions. But perceiving that the fame acci- dents which defeated his defign, proved alio unfavourable to the enemy, he refolved to turn his dlf- appointmcnt into an advantage, and from the ruins of his firfl projtt^t |
to build another of yet greater im- portance. Baron Imhoffwas polled to the right of the Rhine, in a Urong fituation near Meer. He was to cover the bridge at Rees; to fccure a confiderable magazine ; and to keep open communication between Jk the Englifn reinforcements and the "^ main army. The plan of Mon- fieur Clievert v/as to diHodge Im- hofF, to burn the bridge at R.ees, - to make hi.mfelf mailer of .the magazine, and to render the junc- tion of the Engiidi " troops with the Hanoverians impradicable. To execute this judicious fcheme, ^ he united feveral detachments from the garrifon of Wefel, to a confiderable corps which he in- tended to have employed in the fiege of DufTeldorp. The whole made near 1 2, ceo men. The troops under Imhoff were but fix battalions, and four fquadrons, hardly 30CO in all.
When that general was ap- prifed of the defigns and motions of the French, he faw it was in vain to expeft fuccours from the army of Prince Ferdinand. The fwel! of the river had rendered all relief impofhble ; all his hopes were therefore in his own genius and the bravery of his troops. He confidercd that though the
poll
