stillon, he took post secretly and
hurried away back to Tortosa to see after reinforcements. He still
doubted whether the Spanish troops, which the king had promised should
be at his disposal for the campaign in Valencia, had got into motion,
and in case they had not done so he determined to post to Colonel Wills
and bring up that officer with his brigade.

At Vinaroz he found that the Spanish troops had already entered
Valencia, and that some of the militia of that province and of Catalonia
were also in motion to join him. He therefore concentrated his little
force at Castillon, to which place he returned as rapidly as he had
left it. When it was assembled it consisted of a thousand horse and two
thousand infantry, being one English and three Spanish battalions of
regulars. Besides these were about three hundred armed peasants, whom
the earl thought it better not to join with his army, and therefore
quartered them at Almenara.

Although he had accomplished marvels, there was yet much to do. The Duke
of Arcos had succeeded the Conde de las Torres in the chief command, the
latter having been superseded after his signal failures. The duke had
ten thousand men placed under his orders, of whom some thirty-five
hundred were in possession of the strong town of Murviedro, which
covered the approach to Valencia, while with the main body he marched
upon Valencia and commenced the siege of that city. The magistrates,
knowing that they could expect but little mercy should the town be
taken, made vigorous preparations for defense, and dispatched some
messengers to Peterborough imploring him to come to their assistance. He
was now in readiness to do so, and on the 1st of February marched from
Castillon with his army.

Having unlimited powers, the earl, before starting, presented to his two
aides de camp commissions as captains, as a reward for the services they
had rendered.

Although so inferior in numbers the little army advanced toward Valencia
with an absolute confidence of victory. The successes gained by their
leader with a handful of cavalry over an army of seven thousand men had
been so astounding that his troops believed him capable of effecting
anything that he undertook. They had seen him ride off from San Matteo
with his little body of horse upon what seemed an impossible enterprise;
they had met him again after having conquered half a province; and if he
had accomplished this with such scanty means, what was not pos