Before morning, some five thousand of the troops from Diepenbeck
had marched into the camp, in good order and with their arms, and
as soon as it was daylight the whole force started for Ghent. With
deep regret, Desmond had learned from the marshal, before lying
down, that none of his comrades had returned; and as they had not
reached Diepenbeck, he felt sure that they were either killed or
prisoners.

"D'Eyncourt will, of course, be treated as a prisoner of war; but
if the identity of O'Sullivan or O'Neil is proved with the
officers of that name who escaped from Newgate, it is likely to go
hard with him."

After repulsing the cavalry sent in pursuit, the army marched away
unmolested, being joined as they went by large numbers of
fugitives, who had made their way through the allied lines in
small parties. Marlborough's army remained on the ground they had
won, collecting and caring for the wounded of both armies.

Two days later, Berwick's corps joined Vendome, and that of Eugene
marched into Marlborough's camp. In spite of the loss that he had
suffered at Oudenarde, this reinforcement raised Vendome's army to
over one hundred and ten thousand men, which was about the same
force as Marlborough had under his command.

After Eugene had joined him, standing as he did between Vendome's
army and Paris, Marlborough proposed that the enemy's fortresses
should be neglected, and that the army should march directly on
Paris. The movement might have been attended with success, but was
of so daring a description that even Eugene opposed it, while the