Siege of Puigcerda, 1678

The Siege of Puigcerda
Le Tellier, Marquis de Louvois, Secretary of War
to Germain Michel Camus de Beaulieu, Intendant in Roussillon

1 May 1678

I have already had the honour of informing you that a trench had been opened at the siege of Puigcerda on the night of 29-30 April. The two de Sault battalions with de Gassion, lieutenant-general, and de Sant-André, brigadier, have opened that trench and made about 400 feet of progress. Five soldiers have been carried away by cannon, and one wounded. Le Chevalier du Poroy, captain in de Sault's regiment was severely wounded in the head by a sliver of stone while performing the duties of major in that regiment. d'Audiffredy, captain in de Sault's regiment, had a cannon-ball strike the top of his boots and pass between his legs without any harm, and de Beaufort, a lieutenant in de Bardonnache's company, had his cloak taken away by a canon shot.

One of the enemy's sentinels surrendered this morning at 5 AM. He assures us that there are no more than 150 horse inside and 1400 or 1500 infantry, of whom the majority are in no condition to serve. The sentinel tells us that the inhabitants have closed their doors and don't want to give the soldiers anything except some bread every couple of days; the governor is working on the walls on the side we're attacking, but it's worthless-all the palisades are empty and they're ready to surrender once the artillery begins....

The Marechal-Duke de Noailles is very impatient to have his canon. We're working as hard as we can, but in a region like this, you can't produce them from nothing. It should be said to des Fontaines' credit that he's working as hard as anyone could....