Folios 113-118. Letter dated at Lisburn form the Duke of Schomberg to the King. I...

Folios 113-118. Letter dated at Lisburn form the Duke of Schomberg to the King. I hope this will find Harboard, before he starts. Learning that the enemy had assembled 5,000 or 6,000 strong at Cavan, to attack our troops at Claunish (Clones), and Armagh, I shall go there tomorrow with some of the horse of my regiment and some dragoons. I am afraid that the country will yield little means of support. Lord Shrewsbury's letter directs me to give Grafton one of the regiments serving at Londonderry or Enniskillen; only Weiss's is vacant, for which Lord Charlemont is applying to you; the lieutenant-colonel of it is his brother. I saw the regiments of Meath and Kingston mustered yesterday, in which were a great many Irish, taken during the last few days. All the colonels and superior officers have sent word to England, that most of their soldiers were dead; now they do not deny that many of their soldiers have rejoined their regiments. Amongst others, there is Lord Lisburn, who had stated that he had not 150 (?) soldiers left and now has 627. I do not think you will find the Irish recruits satisfactory. Kirke told me that the most part of these in his regiment had deserted on his arrival. I told you how Cromwell furnished himself with recruits; he drew a third or a fourth of the best and most disciplined regiments in England. It would do good to a battalion of our English guards if they could see 'la guerre pendant une campaigne'. Majors-General Kirke and Lanier complain of Monsieur de Scravenmoer for saying he had order to command them: they hope that his command may be only of 'les corps de éstrangers'. Lanier and Kirke are his seniors in service, the former in France and the latter at Tangier. I hope Harboard will tell you of the trouble I have daily with the masters of the merchant ships and small warships. I am surprised at the Admiralty not sending a Commissioner here to put matters straight. Remarks on Harboard's proposed departure for England leaving the soldiers without money, and its ill effects. Postscript. I have received a letter from Monsieur de l'Estang, in which he tells me you have ordered him to send me six reformed officers, but he has not sent me an order for Harboard to pay them. Two are so old that they are fit to be sent back; the others are men of service. Some will be fit to put into the English regiments, and I have put in to these as many as the English colonels have asked me for. Complains of the condition of the arms supplied.