The army having been assembled near Amiens, passed the Somme on the 18th of May, 1638; DOUGLAS' REGIMENT, forming part of the division under Lieutenant-General Hallier, passed the river at Abbeville, marched from thence to Doullens, and, after taking part in the capture of several small forts, was engaged in the siege of _St. Omer_, a place of great strength, and provided with a good garrison. The trenches were opened on the night between the 29th and 30th of June. On the 12th of July three hundred of the garrison issued out of the town to attack the men in the trenches, and encountering a party of DOUGLAS' SCOTS, a fierce combat ensued, and the Spaniards were driven back with the loss of many men killed and taken prisoners; the enemy also lost a strong post which they had held until that time.[39] A Spanish force, however, advanced to the relief of the garrison, and having succeeded in throwing succours into the town, the siege was raised by the French. After quitting the vicinity of St. Omer, the regiment was engaged in the siege of _Renty_, a small town on the river Aa. The army appeared before this place on the 1st of August, and on the 9th the garrison surrendered. The next service in which the troops were employed was the siege of _Catelet_, a town of Picardy, which the Spaniards had captured in 1636; and this place was taken by storm on the 14th of September. [Sidenote: 1639] Having passed the winter in quarters in Picardy, DOUGLAS' REGIMENT marched in the early part of May, 1639, to the rendezvous of the army at Doullens, and served this year against the Spaniards, forming part of the army commanded by General Meilleraie. The French commander marched first towards Aire, but after reconnoitering the defences of this place, he proceeded to _Hesdin_,--a town situated amongst marshes on the little river Canche, where he arrived on the 19th of May, and commenced the siege of the place with great vigour. Louis XIII. visited the camp, that his presence might animate the soldiers in their attacks; and, the garrison having surrendered on the 29th of June, the King was so well pleased with the manner in which this siege had been conducted, that he presented General Meilleraie with the baton of a Marshal of France; the ceremony was performed in the breach he had made in the fortress, and the King commanded _Te Deum_ to be sung in the principal church of the town.[40] After repairing the works, the army advanced against the Spanish forces under the Marquis de Fuentes; and DOUGLAS' REGIMENT took part in a sharp skirmish near the village of _St. Nicholas_, on which occasion four pieces of cannon were captured from the Spaniards. [Sidenote: 1640] [Sidenote: 1641] [Sidenote: 1642]