History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Vol. 1. Duncan Francis

marched to Madrid, which declared a second time for King Charles. Two months after, I was carried thither, and from thence ordered to Toledo to put that Artillery, &c., we had taken from the enemy in order; and after some days' stay was ordered to destroy the said Artillery, and march to joyn part of the Army in camp at St. Jonne, from whence we marched in the month of December, and joyned the whole Army near Villa Viciosa, where we fought a battle the 10th December with the loss of all our Artillery, and were obliged to retreat into the Kingdom of Arragon. I was wounded with a cannon-shot in my left leg, lost all my baggage, and was taken prisoner in the town of Siguenca.

      1711. "I obtained leave upon my parole to go to England, to be cured of my wound; and after my arrival had the good fortune to be exchanged for another Colonel belonging to the enemy.

      1713. "I made pleasure fireworks which were burnt on River Thames in the month of August, over against Whitehall, on the Thanksgiving Day for the Peace made at Utrecht.

      1715. "In the month of December I was ordered with a train of Artillery to Scotland, and arrived in the month of February in the Firth of Forth by Leith, where I was ordered by His Grace the Duke of Argyle to send the vessells with the Artillery to a place called Innerkithen till further orders, and to march with all the officers and Artillery people from Edinburgh to Stirling. At Stirling I was ordered by His Grace to take upon me the command of fifteen pieces of cannon ordered from Edinburgh, &c., for field service, which was in such confusion as cannot be expressed; part of which Artillery I brought so far as the town of Dundee, where I was ordered to bring the Train back again to Edinburgh by water.

      1716. "In the month of March I was ordered by General Cadogan, in His Grace the Duke of Argyle's absence, to send the vessells with the Artillery back again to London, and the Train people to march from thence. On our arrivall at London, I was ordered by the Board of Ordnance to lay before them tables and draughts of all natures of brass and iron cannon, mortars, &c., which was done accordingly and approved of. After the said draughts, two 24-pounder brass cannon were ordered to be cast by Mr. Bagley in his Foundry at Windmill Hill, at the casting of which I was ordered to be present. In the founding, the metal of one of the gunns blow'd into the air, burnt many of the spectators, of which seventeen dy'd out of twenty-five persons, and myself received four wounds.

      1717, 1718. "The Board came to a resolution to regulate what was wanting to compleat a compleat Artillery for sea and land service. I had an order to lay before them draughts of all natures of carriages, wheels, trucks, grapes, and matted shot, and all sorts of bombs both great and small for land and sea service, with a great many other things relating to an Artillery too tedious to mention, which they approved of. I likewise laid before the Board the ill-state of the Laboratory, which the Board order'd me to put in some better order, and to be at as little expence as possible, which I did accordingly.

      1719. "I was ordered on the expedition to Vigo, which place I bombarded with forty-six great and small mortars of my own projection, which answered their intended end, of which my Lord Cobham, and the rest of the generall officers can give a better account than myself, by which bombardment the Castle of Vigo was obliged in the month of October to surrender.

      1720 to 1722. "I attended the Service, as formerly, at all surveys, &c., relating to the Artillery till such time Colonel Armstrong was made Surveyor, after which time, notwithstanding His Majesty's signification to me for regulating the Artillery for sea and land service, I was never consulted in anything relating to the said service.

      "His late Majesty was graciously pleased to renew my old commission as Colonel, and to give me the command of the Regiment of Artillery established for His service, consisting of four companys."9

      DATE OF LIEUT. – GENERAL BORGARD'S COMMISSIONS, AND BY WHOM SIGNED.