King William III Prince of Orange arrived at the Boyne Valley on Monday 30th June 1690 and pitched camp at Tullyallen, on the high ground north of the river. His army composed of 45.000 troops, 35.000 Infantry and 10.000 Cavalry, they came from many different countries from northern Europe, English, Scots, Dutch, German, Danish, French Huguenots refugees from religious persecution in France, and English-Scots settlers in Ireland. James’s army under the command of L’Comte de Lauzun comprised of 35.000 troops 25.000 Infantry and 10.000 Cavalry. On arriving at the Boyne river William and some of his staff rode to the northern banks of the Boyne to get a closer look at the Jacobite army which opposed them, but as they studied the enemy positions unknown to them senior Jacobite Officers recognised William and ordered two cannons to take up concealed positions under cover on the south bank. As William and his entourage remounted the Jacobites opened fire wounding King William to the cheers of the Jacobite forces who thought hey had struck a fatal blow and immediately dispatched messengers to King Louis XIV of France and the pope informing them of King Williams death. Such was the concern that even his staff sitting on horseback beside him thought he had been killed fortunately this was not so, and they retired to safe ground where William dismounted and a field dressing was applied to the wound. Word quickly spread to his own troops that the King was dead, this was greeted with great shock and disbelief, only dispelled when they caught sight of the King riding back into camp the soldiers were reported to have cheered and shouted “God Save The King”. The opening shots of the battle were reportedly fired at approximately 8.00am on the 1st July. The open manoeuvre was to be a feint right flank attack at Rosnaree by Count Meinhard Schomberg, the son of Williams second-in-command Frederick Duke of Schomberg, to draw the Jacobite forces attention away from the main spearhead attack at the Oldbridge were Williams crack regiments would force a passage across. William himself would lead his Cavalry across the Boyne river on the left flank at Drybridge allowing him to swing.
