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Won By the Sword : a tale of the Thirty Years' War by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty
page 268 of 448 (59%)
the regiment reached Epernay, they heard that Turenne had withdrawn
his troops from the Rhine, where the Imperialists had already gone
into winter quarters, and had stationed them in the various towns
of Lorraine. His headquarters were at Nancy. Turenne greeted him
warmly upon his arrival.

"Matters have been going on slowly since I saw you in Paris. I
have been too weak to fight the Bavarians, who fortunately were
too undecided to attack me. Could they but have made up their minds
to throw in their fortune with Austria, they might have overrun
all Lorraine, for aught I could have done to withstand them. The
troopers were without horses, the infantry almost without clothes,
and as the court was unable to send me any remittances I have been
forced to borrow money upon my own estates for the public service,
and have mounted five thousand horse and enrolled three thousand
foot and am still sustaining them. However, I hear from Mazarin
that he will in a week send off a large convoy of treasure, which
will be welcome indeed, for I am nearly at the end of my resources.
Some of my troops are quartered in the town, but the most part
are among the mountains, where they trouble the inhabitants less
and have small temptations towards rioting and excesses. Which
would you rather?"

"I would much rather go into the country, marshal; my regiment is
in good condition now, but to stay in quarters in a town is bad
for discipline."

"So be it. You might make your headquarters at the village of Saline;
there are no other troops within thirty miles of it. On arriving
there you will make inquiries as to the supplies to be obtained
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