Page "Battle of Ramillies" Paragraph 13

The following day, at 01: 00, Marlborough dispatched Cadogan, his Quartermaster-General, with an advanced guard to reconnoitre the same dry ground that Villeroi ’ s army was now heading, country that was well known to the Duke from previous campaigns.

Two hours later the Duke followed with the main body: 74 battalions, 123 squadrons, 90 pieces of artillery and 20 mortars, totalling 62, 000 troops.

At about 08: 00, after Cadogan had just passed Merdorp, his force made brief contact with a party of French hussars gathering forage on the edge of the plateau of Jandrenouille.

After a brief exchange of shots the French retired and Cadogan's dragoons pressed forward.

With a short lift in the mist, Cadogan soon discovered the smartly ordered lines of Villeroi ’ s advance guard some four miles ( 6 km ) off ; a galloper hastened back to warn Marlborough.

Two hours later the Duke, accompanied by the Dutch field commander Field Marshal Overkirk, General Daniel Dopff, and the Allied staff, rode up to Cadogan where on the horizon to the westward he could discern the massed ranks of the French army deploying for battle along the four mile ( 6. 4 km ) front.

Marlborough later told Bishop Burnet that, ‘ the French army looked the best of any he had ever seen ’.