was not so great. The prince of
Ysembourg, having collected the remains of his little army, took post at
Eimbeck, where he soon was reinforced, and found himself at the head of
twelve thousand men; but, in consequence of this advantage, the enemy
became masters of the Weser, and opened to themselves a free passage
into Westphalia.

GENERAL IMHOFF DEFEATS M. DE CHEVERT.

The progress of prince Ferdinand upon the Maese, had been retarded by a
long succession of heavy rains, which broke up the roads, and rendered
the country impassable; and now the certain information of this unlucky
check left him no alternative but a battle or a retreat across the
Rhine: the first was carefully avoided by the enemy; the latter
resolution, therefore, he found himself under a necessity to embrace. In
his present position he was hampered by the French army on one wing, on
the other by the fortress of Gueldres, the garrison of which had
been lately reinforced, as well as by divers other posts, capable of
obstructing the convoys and subsistence of the combined army; besides,
he had reason to apprehend, that the prince de Soubise would endeavour
to intercept the British troops in their march from Embden. Induced by
these considerations, he determined to repass the Rhine, after having
offered battle to the enemy, and made several motions for that purpose.
Finding them averse to an engagement, he made his dispositions for
forcing the strong pass of Waehtendonck, an island surrounded by Niers,
of very difficult approach, and situated exactly in his route to the
Rhine. This service was performed by the hereditary prince of Brunswick,
who, perceiving the enemy had drawn up the bridge, rushed into the river
at the head of his grenadiers, who drove them away with their bayonets,
and cleared the bridges for the passage of the army towards Rhinebergen.
At this place prince Ferdinand received intelligence that M. de Chevert,
reputed one of the best officers in the French service, had passed
the Lippe with fourteen battalions and several squadrons, to join
the garrison of Wesel, and fall upon lieutenant-general Imhoff, who
commanded a detached corps of the combined army at Meer, that he might
be at hand to guard the bridge which the prince had thrown over the
Rhine at Rees. His serene highness was extremely desirous of sending
succours to general Imhoff; but the troops were too much fatigued to
begin another march before morning; and the Rhine ha