us, we land in all haste, being allmost two thousand foote of severall Nati∣ons, English, Scots, Dutch, and French: all about equall strongth; we threw dice for the Avangard, who should fall on first, concluding those threw most should have the leading, and so successively to second one ano∣ther, having throwne sixes, the honour of the Avangarde or leading fell on me and mine; the English falling next unto us, having put our selves in order, and dealt out Amunition, recommending the successe to the Lord, by our preacher Mr. William Forbesse, companion of our dangers, and having di∣rected Ensigne Allane to recognosse or spie the best advantage, being reti∣red, I commanded Captaine Lievetenant Carre with fifty musketiers to a broken house, that flancked on the Skonce, giving him orders to give fire from thence on their backs, as we marched to them in front, and in case of their retreate to the Towne, to cut off their passage, or at least to march in with them. Thus done, I gave charge to my musketiers that no man should give fire till I commanded, but to follow their Leaders still in good order. The ground we were to advance on to the Skonce, was plaine as pavement; the Skonce not being high, our resolution was to storme with∣out giving fire, and as we advanced those of the Skonce did give three seve∣rall salvees of musket thundring amongst us, whereof some felt the smart, and Captaine Mac-kenyee was favourably shot in the legge, and I more fa∣vourably in the hilt of my sword, which afterwards I gave to Mac-kenyee. The most hurt was done to the English marching after us, led then by Cap∣taine Chamberlaine, a worthy and a valorous gentleman.
[ C] In this time we were advanceing, our musketiers commanded by Carre, giving fire on their flancks wany were hurt, and the Captaine shot in the Arme seeing us give no fire, but marching hard to storme, he quit the Skonce and retired to the Towne, and enters the Port before us, shutting us out, and leaving a few hurt men behind him; we brake downe the Stacket, and the Towne not walled, we entred the broade side, and follow the enemy to the mar∣ket-place, thinking he would fight us there. But he retired into the Church, and shutting the doores defends the Church, shooting out he did us great hurt: our Souldiers not having forgotten their cruelty used at Bre∣denberg, resolved to give no quarters, and with a huge great ladder and the force of men we ran-forced the doore and entred. I thinking to get the Offi∣cers prisoners, entred withall, but could not finde them: incontinent per∣ceiving a great quantity of powder spread a thwart the Church, fearing the blowing up of the powder, I commanded every man upon paine of death to retire, the word not well spoken, the powder blew up, blowing the top of the Church, above a hundred were killed, and a number burnt piti∣fully, and I with Lievetenant David Monro standing behinde me, was al∣so pittifully burnt: the blast past, Captaine Chamberlaine entring, findes the Officers, and gives them quarters as his prisoners: of the souldiers few or none of two hundred and fifty escaped. The Towne was plundered, and his Majesty fearing the coming of the enemies Horsemen before our retyring, we got orders every man to shippe againe as we might best.