The 13th they encamped at Galliftéo, and the 14th A. C. at Coria. 1706. The Court of Portugal, upon the Complaints of the Foreign Minifters and Generals, that the Pertugueze Generals would go no further, had fent Orders to the Marquis das Minas to act in Concert with my Lord Galway, and, at leaft, to continue near Almaras, if the Army could, by any means, fubfift there, till the Iffue of the Affairs in Catalonia fhould be known: After which, if the fame was favourable, his Portugueze Majefty ordered the Army to march directly to Madrid: But thefe Orders could not take place, by reafon the Provifions and Carriages had been fent another way, and therefore it was refolv d to purfue the Delign upon Ciudad-Rodrigo. The Marquis de Montandre was commanded with Five Battalions and fome Cavalry to poffefs himself of the Paffes of the Mountain, called Robradillo. The 17th the Army incamped at Cadabalfo. The 18th they went over the Mountain, and incamped at Martiago, where they found a great difference between the Climate of the Old and New Caftile; for they had felt a great Heat at Placentia and Almaras, whereas they had very cool Weather as foon as they had paffed the Mountain. The 20th they paffed the Agueda, and incamped within half a League of Ciudad Ciudad-Rodrigs, which Place they invefted the next! Rodrigo invefted, Day, Colonel Carles having the Direction of the May 21. Siege. Don Juan Manuel with four Battalions made. S. himfelf Master of the Suburbs, which done, they rais'd a Battery of 12 Pieces of Cannon, but tho' that Battery play'd on the very foot of the Wall, yet the fame was built with fo hard Stone, that they And fur could not make any confiderable Breach in 48 rendred Hours. However, contrary to their Expectation May 26, the Town furrendred the 26th, the Regiment of. S. Afturia being allowed to march out upon condition Upon intel not to bear Arms for a year together, and 3000 Men,ligence of of the Militia of Burges and Valladolid, giving up the Raifing their Arms, and fwearing never to ferve again a-of the Siege gainst the Allies. The Garrifon marched out thef Barce27th, on which Day the Allies received the joyful, the News of the Railing of the Siege of Barcelona, queze rewhereupon it was unanimoufly refolved to march folve to towards Madrid. Accordingly they made all the March to neceffary Madrid. u Portu A neceffary Preparations for that March, and took Provifions for 24 Days. They decamped from Ciudad-Rodrigo on the 3d of June, and arrived the 7th at Salamanca, from whence the Duke of Berwick was` retired towards the Pafs of Guadarama; having deftroy'd as much Meal and Corn as his Men could come at, but neverthelefs the Confederates found there fufficient Quantities to fupply what their Army confum'd. They fent a Detachment to take Poffeffion of Alva de Tormes: put a Garrison in the Caftle: And on the 12th left Salamanca, and march'd towards the Pafs of Guadarama, through a very fine Champain-Country; the Army obferving pretty good Difcipline. But here we must take Notice, that by reafon of the Garrifons they had left in feveral Places, they had no more than 20 Portugueze Battalions; and that, through the great Defertion among them, the Army, which at the beginning of the Campaign, was above two and twenty thousand Men ftrong, was now reduced to 15 or 14 Thoufand; for the Portugueze Soldiers, being very irregularly paid in the Field, many of them return'd Home very freely, and those who remained with their Regiments, either lived upon Ammunition-Bread, or what they could get from the Country. The Confederates paffed through Peneranda, a pretty Town inhabited by very rich Merchants, who before the War managed all the WoollenTrade at Bill with Engend and Helland, and who appeared to be very much in the Intereft of the Ailies The City of Segovia, the chief Staple for Woo! in Sprin, fent Deputies to make their Submition to King Charles, whereupon a Hundred Men were put into the Cattle. The 17th the Army incamped at Villa Carteri, where they erected the Ovens, and a Magazine under the Guard of one Battalion. The 18th they incamped at Efpinal, where Deputies from the Ef curial came to fubmit. They intercepted fome of the Enemies Couriers, and by the Letters about 'em learn'd the most joyful News of the great Victory guin'd by the Duke of Marlborough at Ramillies, and ar in general the Spaniards look'd upon the Duke Ejo as undone. That Prince, after his ill Suc fore Barcelona, was come with great Diligence, by by the way of France to Navarre, and from thence A. C. to Madrid: But when he faw that the Portugueze 1706: marched directly towards that Capital City, he re-in folv'd to retire from thence, to meet the French June 6. Troops that were returning through Navarre; and order'd most of his Troops which were difperfed throughout all Spain, to come and join him. The Conde de las Torres left Valencia, and brought up Twelve or Thirteen hundred Horfe, with which, and other additional Forces, the Duke of Berwick had, in a Body, about Five thoufand five hundred Horfe, and Seventeen Battalions. The Duke of Anjou, two or three Days before he left Madrid, call'd together all the Grandees, and the reftof the Nobility, and acquainted them, That he was refolv'd again to take the Field, defiring, That they would accompany him; but they excufed themselves, and most of them retired to their Country Houfes, to expect the unravelling of this intricate Affair, without declaring for either Party. However, he obliged most of the Officers of the Tribunals to follow his Confort, who went to Bur gos, and caufed moft of the Goods, belonging to the Crown, to be carried into Navarre. The French; before their Departure, deftroy'd most of the Things they could not carry away, especially Provisions and Corn, and did all that was poible to diftrefs the Portugueze Army, upon their Arrival at Madrid. They would fain have oblig'd the Militia to follow the Duke of Anjou, who fet out from thence the 2ift, but they could not perfuade 'em to it, fo that the only Gamme they had now to play, was to haften the March of their Troops from France, and, by all means, to hinder the Conjunction of the Portugeze, and their Allies, with the Confederate Troops from Catalonia and Valentia. The moft ufeful Man the Duke of Anjou had in his Service was Don Francifco Ronquillo, who had been a long time Corregidor at Madrid. That Minister had taken great care to place in the Magiftracy of the most confiderable Towns, Perfons entirely devoted to him; and having fent up and down Reformed Officers to command the Peafants of Caftile, who had been oblig'd to take up Arms, they were Mafters of all the Paffes: The A. C. 1706 The 23d of June, the Portugueze Army paffed the Mountain at the Puerto de Guadarama, and incamped near the Village of that Name, within a League and a half of the Efcurial. The 24th the Army incamped at Nueftra Signora de Ratamal, and the fame Day a Detachment of Horfe, which was fent to Madrid, oblig'd that City to come to Obedience. The City of The next Day the Alguazil Mayor, with three other Madrid Deputies came from the Corregidor of that City to fends Depu-make their Submiflion in form, and all the Nobility ties to make and Perfons of Note, either came in Perfon, or fent their Sub- to affure the Confederates of their Devotion to the miffion. Houfe of Auftria: But none diftinguish'd themselves more than the Conde de Galba, Brother to the Duke of Infantado, who publickly efpoused the Interest of King Charles III. June 25. N. S. The Lord Galway Upon the Army's Arrival near Nucftra Signora de Ratamal, my Lord Galway receiv'd Letters from King Charles and Count Noyelles, who faid they referred themselves to the Bearers, from whom his Lordship from King learnt, That they had left King Charles at Barcelona, Charles. and that my Lord Peterborough had embarked the In receives Letters fantry for Valencia, where the King was to join him with all the Cavalry, and then march towards Madrid. The Portugueze feemed very much to wonder that no Army was yet marching that way to join them; however they comforted themfelves with the Hopes that Six Thoufand Foot and Two Thousand Horfe, which they thought would join them with the King would fooner come up, than the Troops which had retreated from before Barcelone would be able to reinforce the Duke of Berwick. The 27th. the Allies incamped near Madrid on the Banks of the Manfa nares, where most of the Citizens and Perfons of Diftinction came to fee them, looking upon them as their Deliverers; fo that this Camp feemed rather one of thofe Incampments, which are made for Di verfion in time of Peace, than the Camp of an Ar my compofed of Portugueze, English and Dutch, whom the French had reprefented in fuch odious Colours to the Spaniards. The Confederate Generals preffed the Corregidor to caufe King Charles to be proclaimed in form, but found the Performing of that Ceremony made a great many People uncafic. They faid frank ly, ly, that they thought the Portugueze Army more nu- A. C. merous, than it was in reality, and that the great 1706. Opinion that was entertain'd of it, in Madrid, was very much abated fince they had feen it; that it was uncertain when it fhould be reinforced by the King and the English Troops; that they were well inform'd that the French Forces, that return'd from Catalonia, began to arrive in Navarre; that those Troops were not ruin'd after the Raifing of the Siege of Barcelona, as 'twas reported, because they had not been purfu'd in their Retreat; and laftly, that the Allies fhould thereby ingage the City of Madrid to make a step, in which they fhould not be able to maintain 'em. However this Ceremony was thought abfolutely neceffary for Reputation's fake; For the Confederates made no doubt, but that affoon as this Proclamation fhould be known, all the Troops that were in Catalonia and Valencia would march to join them, with all diligence, and that the King himself would not lofe one moment in repairing to his Ca pital City. The Corregidor demanded fome Days to make, as he pretended, the neceffary Preparations for that Ceremony, but in effect to receive Orders from Don Francifco Ronquillo, who, in all likelihood, gave him leave to perform it, that he might keep his Place, wherein he was very ufeful to his Defigns. Hereupon, it was propofed among the Generals, to appoint another Corregidor, but befides that the Perfon, who was in that Office, had a good Character amongst the Partifans of the Houfe of Auftria, it was very uncertain whether another fhould be better affected to the Intereft of King Charles; and they could fhew no Power from his Majefty to make a step of that Nature according to Law, fo that the Confequences of it might have been dangerous. Toledo and other The Proclamation was perform'd with Ap-x. Charles plaufe, and there appear'd great Joy in the Faces of all Proclaim'd the People. The fame had likewilè a great Influence Madrid. throughout the Country, for it occafion'd the Sub-, million of feveral Towns, of which Toledo was the first; and Cardinal Porto Carrero himfelf, wrote to places dithe Marquis das Minas, and the Conde de la Corfana, clare for affuring them, in exprefs Terms, of his Obedience to him. King Charles III. Hereupon the Conde Atalaya, Nephew 11 2 |