Maurice arrives in front of the place…

Maurice arrives in front of the place on July 1, and sends two thirds of his force across the Yser River to blockade it from the West.

That night, while he is making preparations for a regular siege, he receives news that the Archduke is close at hand with a field army.

He knows he is cut off from his base; so he orders his cousin Ernst Casimir (Ernst Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz) with a force to delay the advancing Spanish while he is bringing the best part of the army to cross again the Yser and rejoin the rest of the army to face the Archduke.

He has no option left but to present battle or risk a potentially disastrous retreat by sea.

Ernst Casimir commands the Edmonds regiment (Scottish) and the Van der Noot regiment (Dutch) together with four cornets of cavalry and two guns.

He is ordered to seize the Leffinghen bridge, but when he arrives he finds that the enemy is already in possession of it.

Ernst deploys his force behind a ditch, hoping to fight a delaying action, but the Spaniards are already in great strength across the bridge and charge, piercing his center.

The infantry is routed at once and the cavalry flees in panic: the Scots are killed almost to a man and the Dutch fare only slightly better, taking refuge in Ostend.

For all purposes, Ernst's command has ceased to exist.