Count Schomberg and his Noblemen taking notice thereof; Major-General Morgan was much troubled, leaped upon the Point, and called out fifty to "take up the spades, pickaxes, and fascines, and follow him." But so it happened, that all [i.e., the 800] in the approaches leapt out after him; the enemy, in the meantime, firing as fast as they could.
Major-General Morgan, conceiving his loss in bringing them to their approaches would be greater than in carrying them forward, passed over a channel of water on which there was a bridge and a turnpike, and the soldiers crying out, "Fall on! Fall on!" he fell upon the Counterscarp, beat the enemy from it and three Redoubts: which caused them to capitulate; and, the next morning, to surrender the town, and receive a French garrison. So as the sudden reduction, thereof, gave Marshal Turenne an opportunity, afterwards, to march and relieve Ardres.
The next place, Marshal Turenne besieged, was Mardyke; taken, in twice eight and forty hours, by the English and French. After the taking thereof, Major-General Morgan was settled there; by the order of the French King and Oliver, with 2,000 English and 1,000 French, in order to the beleaguering Dunkirk, the next Spring. The rest of the English were quartered at Borborch [Bourbough].
For the space of four months, there was hardly a week wherein Major-General Morgan had not two or three alarms by the Spanish army. He answered to them all; and never went out of his clothes all the winter, except to change his shirt.
The next Spring [1658], Marshal Turenne beleaguered Dunkirk on the Newport side; and Major-General Morgan on the Mardyke side, with his Six Thousand English, and a Brigade of French Horse. He made a bridge over the canal betwixt that and Bergen, that there might be communication betwixt Marshal Turenne's camp and his.
When Dunkirk was close invested, Marshal Turenne sent a summons to the Governor, the Marquis de Leida, a great Captain, and brave defender of a siege: but the summons being answered with defiance, Marshal Turenne immediately broke ground; and carried on the approaches on his side, whilst the English did the same, on theirs. And it is observable, the English had two miles to march every day, upon relieving their approaches.
In this manner the approaches were carried on, both by the French and English, for the space of twelve nights: when the Marshal Turenne had intelligence that the Prince de Condé, the Duke of York [afterwards, James II.], Don John of Austria, and the Prince de Ligny were at the head of 30,000 horse and foot, with resolution to relieve Dunkirk.
Immediately upon this intelligence, Marshal Turenne and several Noblemen of France went to the King and Cardinal, at Mardyke; acquainted his Eminence therewith, and desired His Majesty and his Eminence the Cardinal to withdraw their persons into safety, and leave their orders.