Early in Easter week, a force of three thousand men, under Hohenlo and
Sir John Norris, was accordingly despatched by Leicester, with orders,
at every hazard, to throw reinforcements and provisions into the place.
They took possession, at once, of a stone sconce, called the Mill-Fort,
which was guarded by fifty men, mostly boors of the country. These were
nearly all hanged for "using malicious words," and for "railing against
Queen Elizabeth," and--a sufficient number of men being left to maintain
the fort--the whole relieving force marched with great difficulty--for
the river was rapidly rising, and flooding the country--along the right
bank of the Meuse, taking possession of Batenburg and Ravenstein castles,
as they went. A force of four or five hundred Englishmen was then pushed
forward to a point almost exactly opposite Grave, and within an English
mile of the head of the bridge constructed by the Spaniards. Here, in
the night of Easter Tuesday, they rapidly formed an entrenched camp, upon
the dyke along the river, and, although molested by some armed vessels,
succeeded in establishing themselves in a most important position.

On the morning of Easter Wednesday, April 16, Mansfeld, perceiving that
the enemy had thus stolen a march upon him, ordered one thousand picked
troops, all Spaniards, under Aquila, Casco and other veterans, to
assault this advanced post. A reserve of two thousand was placed in
readiness to support the attack. The Spaniards slowly crossed the
bridge, which was swaying very dangerously with the current, and then
charged the entrenched camp at a run. A quarrel between the different
regiments as to the right of precedence precipitated the attack, before
the reserve, consisting of some picked companies of Mondragon's veterans,
had been able to arrive. Coming in breathless and fatigued, the first
assailants were readily repulsed in their first onset. Aquila then
opportunely made his appearance, and the attack was renewed with great
vigour: The defenders of the camp yielded at the third charge and fled in