16th April 1747 – Evening. Pont de la Ciutat al Mar . Victory! The good Lord has seen fit to grant the forces of Grennoisse a great victory over those of Granprix. I write this from the east side of Pont de la Ciutat al Mar overlooking our massed camp outside the walls of Pescadrix as the Generals discuss terms. The west bank of the town is in the hands of the enemy who had attacked us this day, troops from the Gelderstaadian Koffee Alliance and from Sehrkleinreich They are now our ‘allies’ having cast aside their former allegiance as soon as the battle was seen to be against them. No one here trusts them, for if they have broken an oath once they surely will have no qualms to do so again.
Although the true victory today took place to the east before the walls of Pescadrix, the cavalry of Lord Drumcharry, the Gateway and the Legion must take credit for the crushing of the enemy and the forcing of the bridges. The enemy had withdrawn in the night but as the sun rose we were faced with massed infantry and cavalry defending the main bridge, the elite of Duke Zigors army, the Guardia Ducal and the now reformed Carabineros Ducal. Cannon to the west rained shot upon the Legion behind their entrenchments causing much damage as the enemy infantry and cavalry advanced. But the Count Belisarius and our mascot Ganymede stood firm with us, while the Burger looked on from the balcony of a nearby house, giving us all courage.
A ragged mass of militia approached the foothills to the northwest only to be held at bay by a few of the Gateway Grenzers, or maybe it was the sheep they were afraid of, for this mass of ‘troops’ were only to advance once we began to withdraw across the bridges and the victory was near won, there being little chance of them then engaging with us.
But it was cavalry who were to have the glory this day. First the Legion Uhlans moved to cross the main bridge. They were faced and charged by the Carabineros Ducal and fell back, leading the enemy cavalry on to the massed muskets of the Darien musketeers who wreaked much havoc upon them. When the Carabineros finally retired the Uhlans again charged across the bridge, this time into the face of the Guardia Ducal! It was a valiant but futile charge but once again I was witness to an event. We again heard the savage whooping cries as Captain Ewald’s war party emerged from the surrounding buildings, having secreted themselves there in the night, and fell upon the flank of the Guards. It was however to be to no avail. Against such odds they left many fine warriors dead and the Uhlans too were forced back across the bridge. But these actions had bought time. The cavalry of first Lord Drumcharry and then the Gateway Alliance, streamed across the smaller northern bridge and descended upon the enemy in two great charges. First the Darien troopers swept aside not one , not two but three battalions of the enemy, now in disarray. Before they could recover, the Gateway cavalry charged down upon the remaining men, sweeping all before them! It was a glorious vision and one I will remember for many years.
I was lucky to witness this, though, as from our sturdy positions we of the Legion musketeers were driven back first by the cannon to our front, then as the enemy ships drew close to shore were battered by broadside after broadside. Our valiant light troops slowed the enemy advance and as the bridges were finally cleared and both the Legion and Darien troops move to join the attack across the river, they held the enemy at bay until the battle was won. I must pay tribute to the gunners of the Legion battalion guns, who stayed at their posts to the last, covering their retiring comrades, as hundreds of the enemy descended upon them. An action that maybe the gunners of Duke Zigor could take lesson from.
It was then that I witnessed a strange event. The Boleyn Regiment, a fine body of men who had joined us in the attack on the town yesterday, instead of marching across the bridges, to the ‘sound of the guns’, marched up into the hills to their front and deployed there to face the reluctant militia, who had yet to make any threatening moves. As I began myself to cross the bridge I cast a glance across my left shoulder only to see the same regiment marching back down the hill again! It was a fine display of manoeuvre across difficult ground but I still wonder to what cause? At camp this night I already hear Legion veterans singing:
The Grand Regiment Bolyn
Had near one thousand men
They marched right up to the top of the hill
And they marched right down again.
And when they were up they were up
And when they were down they were down
And when they were only half way up
They were neither up nor down!
As I crossed the bridge I could see clear through the town to the fields before Pescadrix and I witnessed the troops of the Grand Duke of Brunswick sweep all before them and a glorious charge by the their massed cavalry, that surpassed even those of my comrades, as enemy foot were again swept away in panic and disorder. This being one of many heroic events executed by our troops this day, that brought about the defeat of our massed enemies on all fronts. The battle was won. Granprix was defeated.
19th April 1747 – It is now three days since the great victory. The negotiations are still ongoing and we have yet to hear when we will have transport to return home. There is much talk of new campaigns. Apparently when so many mercenary troops are gathered together then word spreads as to who is recruiting and for where. Major Huffington has received word of further unrest in the Colonies and talks of recruiting his own legion and calling on the veterans of the Brittannic Army. The Burgrave has set off for Altefritzenburg already, no doubt to carry word of the victory. My father already talks of a campaign in the lands to the South and East, something he claims will bring him the riches needed to retire from the Legion and settle down. I hope and pray I have many more campaigns ahead of me and the opportunity to recount them with honour in the pages of this Journal.