I Send this to give Your Grace an Account of a Fight I had yesterday with the Enemy at Cavan . On Munday at four a Clock in the Afternoon , I left this place , with a Detachment of 700 Foot , and 300 Horse and Dragoons ; I passed the River about Twelve at Night , within two Miles of Ballibays , where were two of the Enemies Scouts , who gave the Signal of our Motion , by firing several Musquets down the River , and making a Fire on a high Hill . I carried all my Men over about One a Clock , and intended to be at Cavan an hour before day ; but the Miles were so much lorger than I expected , and the way so dirty , and the difficulties so many , that I got not thither until half an hour after Day break ; and when I came there , I found what I did not expect : The Duke of Berwick who came there the Night before with 2500 Men , with which , and the Men of the Garrison , made a Body of 4000 Men ; all drawn up in very good Order before the Town , and near the Fort. As soon as I disposed my Men as the Ground would give me leave , I Charged them , and after an Hours Dispute , we beat the in all out of the Field into the Fort : The Duke had his Horse shot under him , and be in the Thigh . Coll. O Riely , who was Governour of the Town , was killed on the place , with two Lieutenant-Collonels , one a French-man , the other one Geogbagan an Irish-man , in great esteem with them . Most of our M●n unhappily fell on the Plunder , both on the Field , and in the Town , so that we were in the greatest confusion imaginable , which the Enemy seeing from the Fort , made a very strong Sally upon us , and came on so briskly , that I thought all had been loss : I went with all the speed I could to a place where I had placed some Detatchments of Foot , at the beginning of the fight , who had not been engaged at all , and as Providence had ordered , found them all there , being about 250 ; with those , and about 80 Horse and Dragoons , I opposed the Enemy , whom I judged to be about 1500 ; and about the same time , seeing it impossible to get our Men out of the Town , I sent an Officer with a Party of Horse , and ordered him to Fire the Town , which was immediatly done , and by that means the Soldiers were forced to quit it , and having joyned those that were Fighting , we drove , the Enemy like Sheep into the Fort ; which being a strong place , and full of Men , and our Men Fatigued with Marching all Night , I did not think fit to Attacque it .

In this first Action , those that were Engaged , behaved themselves very well ; it was very unfortunate to us , that the Soldiers falling on the Plunder , put me udder a necessity of burning the Town ; for there was as much provision in it as would have served this Garis ; on Six Months , all the Houses being full of Bread , Meal , and Wheat , and vast quantities of Oats and Beans . The Prisoners give an Account , That the D. of Berwick was to Command a Body at Cavan of 10000 Men , which were to be made up out of a Detatchment out of the whole Army ; and the first place he was to Attacquc was this : which was to be done this day . This , I believe , was the Army Your Grace had so frequent intelligence of ; But I suppose the neck of the Design is now quite broke , we having destroyed all their Provisions both for Horse and Man : And what , I believe , is a greater loss to them ( we having blown up ) their Ammunition which was in Town . As soon as my Men are refreshed , I 'le have another bout with them for the Fort , which , I believe , they will quite of themselves , for they have no Provisions or Cover for their Men ; and I do not see bow they can well keep it , now the Town is destroy'd .

I have receiv'd your Grace's Instructions about the Fortifications and Garison , which shall be carefully observed ; I prefume Your Grace will send another Engineer , for Cap , Blood was shot yesterday in the Side , and I do not know how long it will be before he will be in a condition to go abroad .

I do not find we have lost above Twenty Men , and I think the Enemy lost not above Two or Three Hundred Men. Our greatest lost fell on my Regiment ; for my Major , and two of the best Captains I had , were killed ; That is , Capt. Armstrong , and Cap. Mayo . We have taken of the Enemy , Prisoners , four Captains , five Lieutenants , two Ensigns , and a Quarter-master .