town, and securing a
retreat in case of being repulsed. When they were within two miles of
Zierenberg, and in sight of the fires of the enemy's grand guard, the
grenadiers of Maxwell, the regiment of Kinsley, and the Highlanders,
advanced by three separate roads, and marched in profound silence: at
length the noise of their feet alarmed the French, who began to fire,
when the grenadiers proceeded at a round pace with unloaded firelocks,
pushed the piquets, slew the guard at the gate, and rushing into the
town, drove everything before them with incredible impetuosity. The
attack was so sudden, and the surprise so great, that the French had not
time to assemble in any considerable number; but they began to fire
from the windows; and in so doing, exasperated the allied troops,
who, bursting into the houses, slaughtered them without mercy. Having
remained in the place from two to three in the morning, they retreated
with about four hundred prisoners, including forty officers, and brought
off two pieces of artillery. This nocturnal adventure, in which the
British troops displayed equal courage and activity, was achieved with
very little loss; but after all, it deserves no other appellation
than that of a partisan exploit; for it was attended with no sort of
advantage to the allied army.

Considering the superiority of the French army, we cannot account for
the little progress made by the duke de Broglio, who, according to our
conception, might either have given battle to the allies with the utmost
probability of success, or penetrated into the heart of Hanover, the
conquest of which seemed to be the principal object of the French
ministry. Instead of striking an important stroke, he retired from
Immenhausen towards Cassel, where he fortified his camp as if he had
thought himself in danger of being attacked; and the war was carried on
by small detachments. Major Bulow, being sent with a strong party from
the camp of the allied army at Buline, surprised the town of Marburg,
destroyed the French ovens, and brought off a considerable quantity of
stores and baggage, with some prisoners. He met with the same success
at Butzback, where he surprised and took two companies belonging to the
regiment of Baugrave, and retired with this body to Franckenberg, where
he joined colonel Forsen. On the twelfth day of September they made a
movement towards Franckenau; and M. de Stainville, who was posted with a
body of French troops at Merdenh