Briefwisseling en aantekeningen. Deel 1

CX.
Willem Bentinck aan de gravin van Portland.

[B.M., Eg. 1713]

Den Haag, 14 Mei 1745.

Last Tuesday the 11. of this month N.S. our army attacked the French with design to force 'em to raise the siege of Tournay, but were repulsed, and forced to retire with loss²⁾. Among a good many officers of distinction on our side, Mr. Charles de Boetselaer, whom you saw last in England, is killed by a Canon bullet. Several of our regiments have done very ill, others perfectly well. The English and Hanoverians have done admirably. The Duke of Cumberl(an)d has behaved as well as his best friends could wish, and has shone as much as is possible for anybody to do, always in the thickest of the fire, encouraging, leading on, with the greatest intrepidity. He has had the good luck to escape without any other accident than a horse shot under him ... I have three cousins all Bentincks in the army, who have all three had the good luck to be with those who did well, and have come off safe tho' they stood their ground in the middle of a violent fire for several hours.

2) Bekend als slag bij Fontenoy.