The Dutch general had, long before he received the letter, been informed
of what had taken place, and had also learned that the English division
had struck their tents, and were drawn up under arms. To allow them to
depart would be to entail certain ruin upon the campaign, and he felt
that it was more than probable that the course Hamilton and his officers
had taken would be upheld by a military court in England, and that public
opinion would condemn the execution of an officer, taken in fair fight.
He therefore wrote a letter to General Hamilton, saying that he regretted
to find that he had been acting under a misapprehension, for he had
understood that the person claiming to be an Irish officer was in fact a
spy, and that he had severely reprimanded Colonel Hanau for his refusal
to delay the execution until the fact had been explained to him. Far from
feeling in any way aggrieved that General Hamilton had interfered to
prevent such a mistake from taking place, he felt much obliged to him for
what he had done, as the execution of an Irish officer taken in war
would, in every way, have been a most unfortunate circumstance.
General Hamilton showed the letter to the colonels of the various
regiments in the division, and these agreed that, as General Ginckle was
evidently desirous that the matter should go no further, it would be as
well to order the tents to be again pitched, and for the troops to resume
their ordinary duties.
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