ORDERS FOR REFORMING ARMY IN NORMANDY [4TH DEC,
how many bands of 100 (allowing JO dead pays) can be made of
the whole number And because this cannot be done without
cassmg some of the bands, he shall, for an example, cass his own
band of 200, and also the bands of those leceiving special allow-
ance as officers of the army or colonels of legiments , also the
bands which are weakest
He shall take special care to preserve the oidnancc and muni-
tion from water, and to recover, if he can, such as have fled away
from the Queen's service If they are apprehended m France
they should be hanged as they deserve, and pioclamation made
that any who presume to come over to England will be hanged
up whensoever he shall be apprehended
$th December AN UNSUCCESSFUL AMBUSCADE AT ROUIN
From Rouen it is reported that the commandcis taking at
heart the ill success of a recent skirmish m which two brave
soldiers had been killed and their bodies lost, planned to lay an
ambuscade on the 3oth November Captain Barton with 24
shot hid in the cellar of a house pulled down near the ditch and
town port, Captain Henry Power in another place with 16
pikes, and some shot of Monsieur Hallard Mountmorcncy on
the other side of the port This ambush being laid before day,
about 8 o'clock the enemy opened the ports and came to the
usual place of the court of guard, which was some six or eight
score paces from the port
After they had been there a while and set out their sentinels,
Sir Roger Williams and the choicest of the gentlemen being in
the trenches, caused some musketeers to shoot at their sentinels
and sent other shot to beat them in As the skiimish grew
warm, our men according to directions retreated to bring the
enemy more within danger of the ambuscade, then the sign
was given, which was the throwing up of a hat with feathers of
Sir Thomas Baskerville But this was not observed by Captain
Barton, who should first have discovered himself, so that our
men were fain to call and cry, which caused the enemy to suspect
and to retreat as fast as their legs could carry them to the port
Captain Barton, for want of better speed than they fell short of
them, but some four or six were said to have fallen, and our men
had the spoil of the court of guard, some cloaks and weapons
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