Corkenhatch must be Cockenhatch, near Barkway.
J. H. L.
Battle of Villers en Couché (Vol. viii., pp. 8. 127.).—An authoritative record of this action may be found in—
"An Historical Journal of the British Campaign on the Continent, in the year 1794; with the Retreat through Holland, in the year 1795. By Captain L. T. Jones, of the 14th regiment. Dedicated, by permission, to his Royal Highness Field Marshal the Duke of York. Printed for the Author. Birmingham, 1797."
The list of subscribers contains about a hundred names. There is a copy of it in the British Museum. The one now before me is rendered more valuable by copious marginal notes, evidently written by the author, which are at the service of your correspondents. They furnish the following extraordinary instance of personal bravery:
"The same officer of this corps (3rd dragoon guards), who bore off the corpse of General Mansell, relates some particulars in the action of the 24th, under Gen. Otto:—that a man of the name of Barnes, who had been unfortunately reduced from a serjeant to the ranks, had bravely advanced, doing execution on the enemy, till his retreat was foreclosed, and he was seen engaged with five French dragoons at once; all of these he fairly cut down, when nine more came upon him, whom he faced and fairly kept at bay, till one of them got behind him, and shot the brave fellow in the head."
In reference to the action of the 26th, Captain Jones observes:
"It is not possible to describe the bravery of the army on that day, nearly the whole of the British cavalry were engaged, and gained immortal honour."
The Duke of York's address to the army, published on the 28th of April, thus concludes:
"His Royal Highness has, at all times, had the highest confidence in the courage of the British troops in general, and he trusts that the cavalry will now be convinced that whenever they attack with the firmness, velocity, and order which they showed on this occasion, no number of the enemy (we have to deal with) can resist them."