A Copy of Coll. Wosely's Letter, to his Grace Duke Schonberg.  
Licenced, February 28. 1690.  
May it please your Grace,  
I Send this to give Your Grace an Account of a Fight I had yesterday with the Enemy at Cavan. On Monday at four a Clock in the Afternoon, I left this place, with a Detachment of 700 Foot, and 300 Horse and Dragoons; I passed the River about Twelve at Night, within two Miles of Ballibays, where were two of the Enemy's Scouts, who gave the Signal of our Motion, by firing several Muskets down the River, and making a Fire on a high Hill. I carried all my Men over about One a Clock, and intended to be at Cavan an hour before day; but the Miles were so much lorger than I expected, and the way so dirty, and the difficulties so many, that I got not thither until half an hour after Day break; and when I came there, I found what I did not expect: The Duke of Berwick who came there the Night before with 2500 Men, with which, and the Men of the Garrison, made a Body of 4000 Men; all drawn up in very good Order before the Town, and near the Fort. As soon as I disposed my Men as the Ground would give me leave, I Charged them, and after an Hours Dispute, we beat the in all out of the Field into the Fort: The Duke had his Horse shot under him, and be in the Thigh. Coll. O Riely, who was Governor of the Town, was killed on the place, with two lieutenant-colonels, one a Frenchman, the other one Geogbagan an Irishman, in great esteem with them. Most of our M●n unhappily fell on the Plunder, both on the Field, and in the Town, so that we were in the greatest confusion imaginable, which the Enemy seeing from the Fort, made a very strong Sally upon us, and came on so briskly, that I thought all had been loss: I went with all the speed I could to a place where I had placed some Detatchments of Foot, at the beginning of the fight, who had not been engaged at all, and as Providence had ordered, found them all there, being about 250; with those, and about 80 Horse and Dragoons, I opposed the Enemy, whom I judged to be about 1500; and about the same time, seeing it impossible to get our Men out of the Town, I sent an Officer with a Party of Horse, and ordered him to Fire the Town, which was immediately done, and by that means the Soldiers were forced to quit it, and having joined those that were Fight, we drove, the Enemy like Sheep into the Fort; which being a strong place, and full of Men, and our Men Fatigued with Marching all Night, I did not think fit to Attack it.  
In this first Action, those that were Engaged, behaved themselves very well; it was very unfortunate to us, that the Soldiers falling on the Plunder, put me udder a necessity of burning the Town; for there was as much provision in it as would have served this Garis; on Six Months, all the Houses being full of Bread, Meal, and Wheat, and vast quantities of Oats and Beans. The Prisoners give an Account, That the D. of Berwick was to Command a Body at Cavan of 10000 Men, which were to be made up out of a Detatchment out of the whole Army; and the first place he was to Attacquc was this: which was to be done this day. This, I believe, was the Army Your Grace had so frequent intelligence of; But I suppose the neck of the Design is now quite broke, we having destroyed all their Provisions both for Horse and Man: And what, I believe, is a greater loss to them (we having blown up) their Ammunition which was in Town. As soon as my Men are refreshed, I'll have another bout with them for the Fort, which, I believe, they will quite of themselves, for they have no Provisions or Cover for their Men; and I do not see bow they can well keep it, now the Town is destroyed.  
I have received your Grace's Instructions about the Fortifications and Garrison, which shall be carefully observed; I prefume Your Grace will send another Engineer, for Cap, Blood was shot yesterday in the Side, and I do not know how long it will be before he will be in a condition to go abroad.  
I do not find we have lost above Twenty Men, and I think the Enemy lost not above Two or Three Hundred Men. Our greatest lost fell on my Regiment; for my Major, and two of the best Captains I had, were killed; That is, Capt. Armstrong, and Cap. Mayo. We have taken of the Enemy, Prisoners, four Captains, five Lieutenants, two Ensigns, and a Quartermaster.   

Printed at London, and reprinted at Edinburgh, 1690.