Preparations were made for this great undertaking with perseverance and judgment. It is recorded in history that the King of Sweden had in his service ten thousand English and Scots soldiers, well nurtured and experienced in war, in whom "he always principally confided, conferring on them the glory of every critical and trying adventure." Amongst these forces, COLONEL JOHN HEPBURN'S SCOTS REGIMENT appears to have held a distinguished character for gallantry on all occasions; and no troops appear to have been found better calculated for this important enterprise than the Scots, who proved brave, hardy, patient of fatigue and privation, frugal, obedient, and sober soldiers. In addition to the British troops already in his service, Gustavus afterwards entered into a treaty with the Marquis of Hamilton, who engaged to raise eight thousand English and Scots for the service of the Swedish monarch. When the King sailed with his main army for Pomerania, where he arrived towards the end of June, 1630, COLONEL HEPBURN'S REGIMENT was stationed under the renowned Chancellor Oxenstiern in Polish Prussia; but it was soon afterwards engaged in operations in Outer Pomerania; and was subsequently again stationed in Prussia, from whence it was suddenly ordered to _Rugenwald_, in consequence of the following extraordinary occurrence. One of the Scots regiments[16] in the service of Sweden, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Monro, having embarked from Pillau in the middle of August, in order to join the main army, was shipwrecked a short distance from _Rugenwald_ in Pomerania, which place was occupied by a garrison of Imperialists. These brave Scots, being cast ashore, drenched with wet, without ammunition, and having only their pikes and swords, and a few wet muskets, found themselves surrounded by garrisons of the enemy, and at a distance of eighty miles from the king and his army; yet, with astonishing resolution and courage, under such disadvantageous circumstances, they concealed themselves near the shore until night, and, having secretly procured a few dry muskets and some ammunition from a Pomeranian officer, they took the town by a midnight assault, and maintained themselves, fighting and skirmishing with the enemy, until COLONEL HEPBURN arrived with his regiment to their relief.[17] A Swedish army of eight thousand men was soon afterwards assembled near Rugenwald, and COLONEL HEPBURN'S REGIMENT, having been relieved from garrison duty, advanced to _Colberg_, and was engaged in the blockade of the town; a detachment of the regiment was also sharply engaged with a body of Imperialists which was advancing to relieve the place, but was defeated.[18] [Sidenote: 1631]