The six troops of English horse were raised by Major-General the EARL OF OSSORY, Lieutenant-Colonel SIR JOHN LANIER,[10] Captains ROBERT PULTENEY, JOHN COY,[11] CHARLES NEDBY, and THOMAS LANGSTON:[12] the three last-named officers having been captains in the Duke of Monmouth's regiment of horse, which was disbanded only a few months before, their troops were speedily completed with disciplined men who had served in that regiment; and the demand for cavalry at Tangier being urgent, they were furnished with horses and equipment from the life guards,[13] and arrived at Tangier in the early part of September: at the same time the three troops of Spanish horse arrived from Gibraltar. The cavalry at Tangier now consisted of seven efficient troops of cuirassiers, who were engaged in a sally on the 12th of September, when the Moorish horsemen were driven from under the walls, and several outworks were recovered from the barbarians. Another sally was made on the 21st of the same month, and on the following day the English cuirassiers had a sharp skirmish with the Moorish lancers, and had eight men killed and twenty wounded. An attack was made on the enemy's lines on the 24th of September, when the governor, SIR PALMES FAIRBORNE, was mortally wounded. On the 27th of September, the garrison, amounting to about 4000 men, issued from the fortress and attacked the Moorish army of about 15,000 men in its intrenched camp with signal gallantry. So eager were the troopers to engage their adversaries that a dispute occurred between the English and Spanish horse, each claiming the honour of charging first: the subject was referred to the lieutenant-governor, Colonel Sackville, who gave the Spaniards the precedence on this occasion, because they fought as auxiliaries. The Moors, having a great superiority of numbers, stood their ground resolutely for some time; and the thunder of cannon, the roll of musketry, the clash of arms, the loud shouts of the British, the cries of the Africans, produced an awful scene of carnage and confusion. The English horse stood in column of troops until the first intrenchment was carried, and a space levelled for the cavalry to pass, when they filed through the aperture and rushed at speed upon the dark masses of barbarians, who were broken, trampled down, and pursued with a dreadful slaughter; while the musketeers, pikemen, and grenadiers followed, shouting as the dismayed Africans fell in succession beneath the sabres of the English and Spanish troopers. Many of the Moors faced about and confronted their pursuers; numerous single combats took place, and the vicinity of the camp was covered with slain. Captain NEDBY'S troop of English horse particularly distinguished itself, and captured a splendid Moorish colour of curious workmanship. The Spaniards also captured a colour, Dumbarton's Scots another, and a fourth was taken by a battalion of marines and seamen from the fleet.[14]