Page:The deplorable history of the Catalans, from their first engaging in the war, to the time of their reduction. (1714).djvu/54

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he should send any one secretly to Prince Tserclaes, or whether he should acquaint the Field-Marshal with the Affair? The greatest part of the Officers gave their Opinion, That it was necessary to acquaint the General with it; that it was against all the Regulations of War, to receive Letters from the Enemy, without communicating them to the Commander in Chief; and that they could not, at that time, look upon the French otherwise than as Enemies. So the Field-Marshal being informed of the Matter, said the Brigadier might send a Drummer, who on the 8th returned with the above-mentioned Order. The 9th in the Morning, the Field-Marshal held a Council of War with the Generals and chief Officers of the several Troops, to acquaint them with the thing, that they might settle Measures for the future. Some Hours after, Lieutenant-General Koningseck was dispatched to Barcelona, to give an Account of this Occurence to the Queen to whom it seemed very strange that such an Order should be conveyed privately, and even by the Enemy, while the British Minister, who in Person resided with her, had so much Consideration for Her Majesty, as to acquaint Her with it in a proper manner. Brigadier Price went the same Day to Barcelona, to confer with Admiral Jennings, and returned to the Army the 15th, to regulate the March of his Troops. In the mean while the Field-Marshal had sent the 9th at Night a Lieutenant Colonel with 500 Imperial Foot to Terragona, where the English had a Batallion; and the 15th, Lieutenant-General Surmani marched thither with a Spanish Squadron of Nebot, to command there; and to take sure Possession of the Place. The 16th the English Brigadier represented to the Field-Marshal, That he could not consent that the English