Page:The Wentworth Papers 1715-1739.djvu/21

 Thomas in the regiment of horse commanded by Lord Colchester, afterwards Earl Rivers ; the commission was signed by the Prince of Orange on December 31, 1688, before he was declared king. His elder brother William, who had been very active in the Revolution, and had been recom- mended to the notice of the prince and of Marshal Schomberg, had a troop in this regiment. Very soon after his appoint- ment the young cornet was sent into the Highlands with the expedition against Dundee, in which service he suffered great fatigues, the detachment being unprovided with tents and many other necessaries. " After having been marched back- wards and forwards for several months, and having been in many engagements with the enemy, he was sent by General Mackay in charge of the sick and wounded upon less ex- hausting duties, it being wondered at, particularly by the general, that so young a man was capable of bearing such fatigues." The regiment was soon afterwards ordered to Flanders, and served in all the campaigns in that country till the Peace of Ryswick in 1697. In August, 1692, before the battle of Steinkirk, Wentworth was in the detachment forming the vanguard, which marched all night and came close to the French camp, the soldiers of which were quiet in their tents ; he saw them in confusion and surprise turn out, mount their horses, and form their line of battle. Unfor- tunately the main body of William's army was left far behind, and the detachment was ordered to halt for its approach, which was not for many hours afterwards. This delay caused the king to meet with a severe repulse from the French. The vanguard charged the enemy several times, and Wentworth's squadron was reduced from 250 to 43 men; in the struggle he received a contusion on his ankle from a spent ball, which lamed him for some time. The same vanguard made the rear guard to the army in their retreat, and did not get into camp till break of day next morning. " Dompre, the lieu- refer the reader to Lord Macaulay's History for more picturesque details of the campaigns in which Wentworth bore his part ; as well as for the description of the magnificent embassy of Lord Portland to Paris, which was Lord Raby's first introduction to diplomatic life.

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