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READING HALLTHE DOORS OF WISDOM |
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ANNALS OF WAR
1708.
1. WAR IN THE NETHERLANDS.—2. BATTLE OF OUDENARDE.—3.
CONSEQUENCES OF THE VICTORY.—4. THE SIEGE OF LILLE. MARLBOROUGH AND EUGENE
AGAINST BOUFLERS, VENDOME, AND BERWICK. —5. MARLBOROUGH RECOVERS GHENT.—6. THE
WAR IN ITALY.—7- THE WAR IN SPAIN. CAPTURE OF MINORCA.—8. NAVAL WAR.—9. THE WAR
BETWEEN CHARLES XII. AND PETER I.—10. DEATH AND CHARACTER OF MARSHAL OVERKIRK.
1. War in the Netherlands.
Before the opening of this campaign a daring attempt
was made by an imperialist officer to carry off the Dauphin from Paris. The
scheme very nearly succeeded, but they only captured the King’s equerry instead
of his grandson.
The Duke of Marlborough was met at the Hague early in
April by Prince Eugene, the grand pensionary, and the deputies from the States
General; and, having concerted together the plans for this year’s campaign,
Eugene went to Vienna, to bring up reinforcements, and Marlborough took the
field.
Not discouraged by the failure of his attempt on
Scotland, the French King resolved to improve the advantages he had gained on
the continent during the last campaign, and assembled a prodigious army in the
Netherlands, amounting, it is said, to 100,000 men. The Elector of Bavaria, who
had held the chief command, was removed into Germany upon a pretence, in order
to make way for the Duke of Burgundy, the grandson of the King, who was to hold
it with the Duke de Vendôme. The Pretender (the Chevalier de St. George, as he
was called) not having succeeded in invading Scotland, was with the French
army, to serve against his countrymen and their allies. The French commanders
formed a plan of campaign no less bold than judicious. They meditated the
surprise of Ghent, which commanded the course of the Lys and the Scheldt, and
of Bruges, the centre of all the principal water communications; and, finally,
their plan embraced the reduction of Oudenarde, a town incapable of any
protracted resistance, but a most convenient place of arms for the operations
on either side. The first part of the design conceived by the French commanders
was no less successfully executed than judiciously planned. Having diverted the
attention of Marlborough by some feint on the side of Louvain, they suddenly
broke up their camp on the 4th of July, and at dawn on the 5th, Brigadiers La
Faille and Grimaldi with a small party appeared before Ghent. By the negligence
or treachery of the watch, a small number of soldiers were suffered to gain admission
as deserters, and found means to amuse the guard till another party arrived and
secured the gate. The other gates were obtained with the same facility; and La
Faille, who was well known to the inhabitants, assembled the magistrates and
burghers, and readily obtained their submission. A small garrison of 300 men
still held the citadel, which he instantly invested. Six hours after this
surprise Count de la Motte appeared before Bruges, which surrendered on the
first summons. Major-General Murray, who had been posted at Manekirk with a
detachment, was no sooner apprised of these movements, than he hastened before
Ghent and arrived in time to have saved the place, had he not been refused
admission by the burghers. He had, therefore, no resource left, but to retire
and leave the citadel to its fate. Marlborough receiving prompt intelligence of
these proceedings broke up from Terbank on the morning of the 5th and advanced
towards the Dender; but the alertness of the French baffled his design. The
same night they crossed the river near Ninove in several columns, and placing
the Dender between the armies, marched down the stream, and took post at Alost
to cover Ghent on one side and threaten Brussels on the other. The allies,
therefore, marched on the 6th to Asche, within a league of Alost. The loss of
Ghent and Bruges had struck consternation at Brussels, and this movement was
intended to pacify the alarm excited by it. Happily at this moment Prince
Eugene arrived in the camp of the allies, having outstript his cavalry at Maastricht. The first question he made to his old comrade was,
“Are you going to fig?” “I only wait for your troops,” replied the Duke. “Oh,
don’t do that,” said the Prince, or the French “ (some 100,000 strong) will get
away.” The citadel of Ghent surrendered on the 8th, and on the 9th the French
sent detachments to invest Oudenarde. To cover the siege they prepared to
occupy the strong camp at Lessines on the Dender. The allies could not allow
this to be effected without an interruption, and accordingly at two on the same
morning Marlborough broke up from Asche, and sending four battalions to
Brussels to quiet their alarms, he moved in four columns with the cavalry on
his flanks, so that before break of day he reached Herfelingen,
five leagues from Asche, where he halted and encamped. Four hours after Cadogan
was sent forward with eight battalions and as many squadrons, to throw bridges
over the Dender and post himself at Lessines. Marlborough and Eugene followed
him the next day and found him already posted beyond the Dender, over which he
had thrown bridges. Cadogan had crossed his army by them and taken post behind
the stream which joins the river at that place. The French commanders little
expected this bold movement of the Duke, which placed him between them and
their frontier. Foiled, therefore, in their design on Lessines, they relinquished
their intention of investing Oudenarde, and directed their march to Gavre,
where they threw bridges over the Scheldt and prepared to cross it on the 10th.
Marlborough, informed of these hesitations and
changes, and aware that an army under a divided command and crossing a river
loses much of its order and discipline, pushed forward immediately to the
Scheldt to come in contact with the enemy. At dawn of this same day (the 11th)
Cadogan and Rantzau were detached with a strong force of sixteen battalions and
eight squadrons, and with thirty-two pieces of artillery to throw bridges over
the Scheldt, near Oudenarde, and were followed in a few hours by the whole army.
Cadogan reached the Scheldt, between Oudenarde and the abbey of Eaneme at
half-past ten, and completed his bridges about two in the afternoon. Two
leagues below, the French were at the same time also crossing the river at
Gavre. The French advanced guard, under the Marquis de Biron, had already
passed over, and were detached to collect forage, not dreaming that the allied
army were so near them. Cadogan proceeding to reconnoitre, descried several
squadrons of the enemy as well as their foraging parties, and immediately sent
the cavalry to attack them, who drove them towards Synghem,
where they came up with M. de Biron with twelve squadrons. That general
immediately drove Cadogan back to the windmill of Eyne, on a height just
overlooking the river, whence he saw a considerable number of the allied
squadrons in position and more crossing by the bridges. Biron immediately sent
back word of this to the Duke de Vendôme, who happened to be at table, on which
occasions he received disagreeable news with especial disgust; he would not now
believe that the allies had crossed the Scheldt until the Lieutenant-General
declared he had himself seen them, when the Marshal rose from the table and
hastened to the field. Eugene and the Duke had felt alarm lest Cadogan might be
overpowered before they could arrive to support him, and they pressed forward
at the head of a column of Prussian cavalry, and reached the bridges just as
the Marquis de Biron was reconnoitring them. Vendôme hastening to join him at
the windmill, observed the clouds of dust which marked the course of march of
the distant columns, and instantly judged that there was sufficient time to
attack the confederates before the main army could come up; and to secure the
plain of Heurne, on which he was standing, he ordered up Pfeffer with seven
battalions to occupy the village, and the cavalry to draw up near the windmill
of Eyne. He then went to advise the Duke of Burgundy to bring up the whole
army. Startled at this sudden necessity, the Duke hesitated and halted at
Gavre. He even purposed to march back to Ghent, but Vendôme told him it was now
too late, for that in half an hour he would have the whole allied army upon
him. “Why then did you stop me?” said the poor Duke. “To attack the enemy,”
replied Vendôme. Meanwhile Pfeffer mistaking the village of Eyne for the
village of Heurne advanced and occupied the former place, where the cavalry
were also drawn up. Marlborough perceived that these troops were isolated from
the main body of the French army, and he ordered Cadogan with twelve battalions
and Rantzau with the cavalry to attack. This was in fact the commencement of…
2. The Battle of Oudenarde,
… for although the armies on neither side were in
position, but were both crossing the river Scheldt at two opposite points, and
although it was already three o’clock in the day, and the allied army had
already marched fifteen miles, and had been in motion since two in the morning,
yet the Duke and the Prince were both eager to engage. Major-General Grimaldi
with the French King’s household troops received orders to dislodge Rantzau
from the eminence on which he was posted, but before they could get forward to
do so Brigadier Sabine, at the head of four English battalions, led the attack
against him; a sharp conflict ensued, but the enemy were soon forced, and three
entire battalions with a brigadier were made prisoners. Rantzau with his
cavalry rushed after the fugitives, who were overtaken, routed, and driven
across the Norken in the sight of their own army, which was now forming on the
other side. The electoral Prince of Hanover (who was afterwards George II)
charged at the head of a squadron on this occasion, and had a horse shot under
him. Count Luschky, another volunteer of distinction,
was killed by his side. Vendôme, who saw the attack, rode up to Grimaldi and
asked him why he had been so imprudent
as to engage thus unsupported?”; he replied, “By the orders of the Duke of
Burgundy.” The French troops were furious at this defeat in their sight, and
were now clamorous to be led against the enemy to revenge it.
It is not easy to describe clearly the ground on which
the battle, which now began, was fought. The surface of the country, along this
portion of the Scheldt, consists of low hills and bold undulations. The banks
of the river are flat and marshy. The bolder uplands are here denominated “couters,” which are in general wholly cultivated with corn.
Approaching the field of battle from Gavre, a “couter,”
having a stream called the Norken running parallel, and below it, is crossed by
the Grande Chauss´re, from Oudenarde to Ghent, and
forms a good position to defend. In the valley, on the opposite bank of the
rivulet, is the village of Mullem, and the “couter” on this bank of the Norken is divided into two by a
stream that runs from Marolem and the windmill of
Royegem to Eyne. The ‘‘Bosen Couter,” extending at right angles to those
north-west from Oudenarde, form the higher ground, from which both these
rivulets take their rise, and on this are situated the castle of Bevere and the
village of Oycke, the farm of Banlancy, and the
hamlets of Barwaen and Schaerken.
The whole field of battle is about four miles square.
The French army were drawn up behind the Norken in two
lines, occupying the village of Mullem in front, and
well defended on their flanks; and had they remained firm in this position it
is doubtful whether the confederate forces, after their long march, could have
ventured on an attack the same evening. It was already four o’clock in the
afternoon and the allies were not formed—but the French were now as clamorous
to attack, as they had previously been desirous to remain on the defensive. The
Duke of Burgundy and Marshal Vendôme differing on this, as on every step that
was taken in the battle, Vendôme advised an attack with the left wing. “Que faites-vous?”, said the Duke. “Je vous le défend,
il y a un ravin et un marais impracticable.” The Marshal had just passed over the ground, and knew it was otherwise,
but turned away out of respect, although with deep indignation. The left wing
of the French remained in position near the high road, and an invaluable hour
was lost in making other movements. Marlborough observed the right wing and
centre of the enemy now defiling along his front, and conjectured they would
advance to the line of the rivulet near Groenvelde.
Two battalions of the allies who had passed the river were already posted in
hedges near this place. The whole front column of the allied centre wing,
consisting entirely of British, formed rapidly on the height of Bevere to
support this village. At this moment thirty battalions of the enemy’s right
debouched, as had been expected, and attacked the four battalions at Groenvelde. This small force disputed for some time the
edge of the streamlet, till the Duke of Argyle with twenty battalions and some
cannon hasted up to their support. A heavy conflict of musketry ensued, each
battalion being engaged separately in the fields and enclosures which border
the rivulet. At length the French drove back the British, who reformed on the
Bosen Couter, between Barwaen and Schaerken,
But Count Lottum with the second column of infantry
now came up, and at six o’clock advanced in his turn, recovered the lost
ground, and drove the enemy back across the rivulet. As the troops moved up
from the bridges, Count Lottum closed in upon the
right. The Duke of Marlborough had requested Prince Eugene to take charge of
this flank, which now extended as far as the Heurne village on the extreme
right and turned back along the rivulet from Groenvelde on his left. A force consisting of sixty battalions was now in position here
under Eugene. Cadogan had been driven after a stout resistance from Herlehem, to the high road that led through Mullem, but Prince Eugene came up to his support in good
order and broke the line of the advancing enemy. General Natzmer at the head of
the Prussian gens d’armes and cuirassiers then
charged through the enemy’s line up to the mill of Royegem. Here he was checked
by the advance of the French household squadrons, and after losing half his men
the general escaped with difficulty by leaping over a broad ditch, and had to
bring back his men as fast as he could; but this inroad created an immense
alarm amidst the enemy’s troops.
Marlborough’s vigilant eye now discerned that the
enemy had neglected to occupy the commanding ground of the Bosen Couter, above
the sources of the rivulets by the village of Oycke,
and thinking that his right wing might be turned and cut off from the main body
by a flank march, he requested Marshal Overkirk, who had just come up into
position, to execute this bold and decisive measure with twenty battalions of
the Dutch and Danes, and nearly all the cavalry of the left. The veteran,
unmindful of age and fatigue, after his long march of the morning, obeyed with
equal alacrity and spirit; and finding no enemy on the summit, he sent the
young Prince of Orange, accompanied by General Oxenstiern, down the heights
overlooking Marolem, who penetrated the defile in
two lines, supported by twelve squadrons of Danes under Tilly, and came upon
the enemy under the hill occupied by the mill of Oycke.
Here they encountered and routed the French grenadiers, evidently dismayed by
so unexpected an attack on their rear.
Meanwhile the Duke had continued to gain ground with
his left wing, and at length established his line between Barwaen and Banlancy, overlooking the rivulet, and thus came up on the right hand of
the Dutch advance, and reached the hamlet of Diepenbeck: they then pushed their
left shoulders forward by the mill of Royegem towards Mullem.
Cut off from their own army, the French right wing slackened in their
resistance, and were at length broken and driven back on their centre. Vendome
made a personal effort to avert the fate of the army by dismounting his horse
and leading the infantry from Mullein to the rescue of their companions. But
his exertions were unavailing. Happily for the French darkness enveloped the
contending hosts, and their position was no longer discernible but by the fire
of musketry, which rolled in a narrowing circle around the devoted army. For
Eugene now brought up his right wing from Heurne, and the Prince of Orange
appeared on the heights in the French rear, leaving to the British cavalry to
keep the enemy’s horse in check, thrown altogether out of the action by the
defile of the Norken in their front.
Vendome perceived that the day was lost, and proposed
to the Duke of Burgundy and a crowd of panic-struck generals to take advantage
of the night to stand among the troops; but finding that he could neither
persuade the reason nor allay the fears of the multitude, he consented to a
retreat. The word was no sooner given than generals, officers, and privates,
horse and foot, hurried off the field in the utmost disorder. With difficulty
Marshal Vendôme, calling to officers by name and conjuring them to maintain the
honour of their country, collected together some twenty-five squadrons and
battalions, and with these he covered the flight of the crowd in person. He
posted some grenadiers to the right and left of the Grande Chaussée, which
effectually kept off the allied cavalry, and he reached Ghent in safety. Here
the commanders assembled in a room at the inn called La Pomme d’Or, to
deliberate on what was to be done. The Duke of Burgundy was about to offer his
opinion, when the Marshal Vendôme, peevish from his misfortunes, stopped him
abruptly, saying, “Souvenez vous que vous n’êtes venu à l’attaque qu’à condition de m’obéir.” All
were astonished at this insolence towards a Prince of the blood, but the Duke
had sufficient command of himself to hold his peace. Vendôme then declared that
the battle was not lost, and that they ought to renew the action in the
morning. No one spoke, but officers coming in from all quarters pronounced the
army destroyed, and the confusion extreme. Vendôme then lost all patience, and
saying, “Well then we must retreat,” turned to the Duke of Burgundy and added,
“It is what you have long wished to do.” The Marshal then left the council and
turned into his quarters, where he put himself to bed to recover his fatigue,
and remained there for thirty hours, without making the slightest arrangement
to collect his dispersed army.
On the field the battle still raged; a dropping fire
mingled with the shouts of men, showed that the work of death was not ended. In
the obscurity the advance parties of the allied right, and some of the Prince
of Orange’s men from the left, met on the heights in the French rear, when they
exchanged several volleys; but happily the error was soon discovered, and a
stop put to this useless butchery.
The allies remained impatiently on the field of battle
in the dark waiting for the dawn. Favoured by the obscurity, many of the enemy
slipped unperceived through the intervals in the lines of the allies, and
directed their flight towards the French position: a considerable number
wandered to the posts of the allies and were captured. Prince Eugene availed
himself of an expedient to rally the prisoners; he ordered several drummers to
beat the French retreat, and sent about some refugee French officers to cry out
“À moi Picardie,” “À moi Champagne,” “À moi Pigmont.”
The troops flocked to the summons; and he says he obtained by this means 7000
prisoners. A prodigious number of wounded of different nations lay all around
on the field, and the first exertions were made at the break of day, by order
of the Duke, to collect the survivors, and bestow on all without distinction
the care and relief which circumstances would permit. It is a great
characteristic of Marlborough, that he was always most thoughtful for the wounded;
and it is believed that owing to his example camp hospitals were first
established.
The French army when it took the field consisted of
nearly 100,000 men, that is to say, 124 battalions and 197 squadrons.
Marlborough’s army commenced the campaign with 112 battalions and 180 squadrons
and 113 pieces of artillery. The allies are stated to have lost in the action
3000 killed and wounded. The enemy’s loss was enormous, and for a moment
paralyzed the whole French force in the low countries, but many fugitives
returned to their colours. The cause of so signal a defeat was, without any
question, the want of concord that existed between the French commanders, which
not only rendered their movements irresolute and undecided, but created much insubordination
among both officers and soldiers. From the rapidity of the march, this
memorable battle was fought with little aid from artillery on either side, and
little allusion is made in published accounts to artillery in the field, or
artillery captured, although it could scarcely have been got away. There is no
doubt whatever that Marlborough forced an engagement at immense risk, by
fighting after a march of fifteen miles, and with a broad river to cross. He
says of himself, “I did give them too much advantage, but I resolved to
endeavour by u all means a battle, thinking nothing else so good for my Queen
and my country.” On the 19th he writes, “We have this day returned our solemn
thanks to God for the good success He has given us.”
One of the suite of the pious Duke of Burgundy said to
Vendôme, after the defeat, “It is all owing to this, that you never go to
mass.” “Bah!” replied the Marshal, “do you think that Marlborough goes oftener
than I do?”
3. Consequences of the Victory.
The confederate army rested two days on the field of
battle, and on the 14th marched to Pont d’Espières,
where they passed the Lys and levelled the French lines between Ypres and
Warneton. The Duke de Berwick had been recalled from the Rhine to Vendôme’s army, but heard of the battle on the 12th, and
could not get further than Mons before he heard of the defeat. He advanced to
Tournay, where he picked up about 9000 fugitives, whom he united to his army,
and set himself forthwith to replenish the frontier garrisons from which Vendôme
had withdrawn troops, to maintain his superiority above the enemy in the
field—a vicious expedient, as had been seen after Ramillies, where the loss of
a battle was followed by the loss of the whole of Flanders, from insufficient
garrisons. The corps brought up by Berwick consisted of thirty-four battalions
and fifty-five squadrons, and by rallying round it the remains of the Duke of
Burgundy’s army, it soon amounted altogether to nearly 100,000 men. These
troops now took part in a camp commanding the navigation of the Scheldt and the
Lys: but it was rightly judged, that though the allies were between the French
army and Paris, yet Marlborough would scarcely advance into France with such an
army in the field. Marlborough, however, strongly urged a forced march upon the
capital, but for once Eugene was on the prudent side against him. The
generalissimo, therefore, set to work to raise contributions for the next
enterprise he contemplated, which was to enter the French territory and to
attempt
4. The Siege of Lille. Marlborough and Eugene against
Bouflers, Vendôme, and Berwick.
This fortress was regarded as the strongest town in
Flanders, and had been strengthened by all the skill and genius of the great
engineer, Vauban. It was provided with all necessary store of ammunition, and a
garrison of twenty-eight battalions, and three regiments of dragoons of the
best troops in France, amounting to 15,000 men, commanded by Marshal Bouflers
in person. To attempt to take it was regarded by the enemy as a project of
rashness And inconsiderate self-sufficiency. The French army was now extended
along the Scheldt, so that all the communication with Antwerp and Sas-de-Gand,
where the allies had their magazines, being now cut off, they were obliged to
bring their convoys from Ostend, along a narrow causeway, exposed to an army as
numerous as that with which they now sat down, on the 13th of August, before
Lille. Prince Eugene was entrusted with the conduct of the siege, and invested
the city on one side, and the Prince of Orange on the other; while the Duke of
Marlborough encamped at Heschemont to cover the
siege, “and threw up lines of circumvallation both to protect the besieging and
covering armies.” The trenches were opened on the 22nd of August, and the
operations carried on with that alacrity which is always inspired by victory
and success. The Dukes of Burgundy and Vendôme being now joined by Marshal
Berwick, resolved, if possible, to relieve the place. Their united force
amounted to 140 battalions and 250 squadrons, and on the 2nd of September they
arrived at Tournay, and crossed the Scheldt, and on the 4th they were in face
of the covering army at Avelin and Ennevelin. Here
the Marshals differed in the advice they gave to the Duke of Burgundy, as to
attacking Marlborough, and the Duke accordingly referred the matter to the King
at Paris, who sent M. de Chamillard to the army with his orders; he arrived in
the camp on the 9th.
Marlborough and Eugene wished to level their trenches
and unite in attacking the French army, who were placed in a very bad position,
but the Dutch deputies opposed this desire. It afterwards appeared that Berwick
apprehended such an attack, and thought it would have been fatal to the French
army. In the mean time they obtained a lodgement on the covered way of the
place on the 7th9 after an obstinate action, in which they lost 1000 men. The
Prince asked for an armistice, after these assaults, to enable them to bury
their dead, but the old Marshal refused, lest the opportunity should be taken
by some of the engineers to reconnoitre the works.
M. de Chamillard was shaken by the different arguments
laid before him, and again begged to refer the decision to the King at Paris;
but, at fist, the orders communicated were—Not to attack the covering army of
the siege, but to cut off all convoys that might attempt to arrive; without
which Marlborough could not make himself master of Lille. Notwithstanding all
hindrances, the convoys found their way from Brussels to the allied camp; but
to prevent those arriving from Ostend, the Governor of Nieuport was directed to open the sluices to render the way more difficult. Thus they
cut off all communication between the besiegers and what is termed, in modern
military phrase, their base of operations.
Count de la Motte made an attempt to surprise
Brussels, but found it too well on its guard. The Duke de Vendôme even thought
of besieging it. In the meantime, whilst they were thinking of these measures,
6000 men from England disembarked at Ostend, and established themselves at Leffingeen, where they intrenched themselves. On the 21st
of September Eugene had a severe affair with the besieged, in which he was
wounded in the left eye with a musketshot, and
obliged to withdraw, so that the whole command of the siege and covering army
now rested on Marlborough. On the 23rd the besieged made a lodgement on the
counterscarp, having stormed the Tenaille. Bouflers had found means to inform
the Duke de Vendôme that he was getting short of powder, and accordingly a body
of horse was detached on the 28th under the Chevalier de Luxembourg, each
dragoon carrying a bag of forty pounds of gunpowder upon the crupper. They
were, however, discovered in passing through the camp and pursued to the
barrier of the town, into which, nevertheless, about 300 obtained admittance;
but a great number were killed, and some miserably destroyed by the explosion
of the gunpowder they carried. The next attempt of the French general was to
intercept a convoy from Ostend, coming with the troops who had set out on their
march under General Erie. On the 27th of September Count de la Motte collected
22,000 men to intercept this convoy, which consisted of 700 waggons; to protect
it, 10,000 men were collected under the command of Major-General Webb. This
officer made such an admirable disposition of his force by the wood of Wynendale, and received the enemy with so close a fire,
that the attacking troops gave way and fled, leaving 6000 on the field of
battle. This fight lasted two hours, and cost the allies 900 men, but was the
most honourable exploit performed during the whole war. During the action the
convoy filed off, forcing its way through the enemy’s forces, got to Menin on
the following day, and thence reached the confederate camp, where it arrived
safe on the 30th. Had it been taken, the siege must have been raised.
Marlborough sent a detachment forward to meet it, or De la Motte thought he had
done so, and was afraid to pursue lest he might be overwhelmed with a superior
force. The Duke de Vendôme, finding himself so badly served by his
subordinates, repaired himself to Bruges on the 2nd of October, and let in the
water upon the lands about Nieuport and Leffingeen to such an extent, that the whole country was
inundated. Marlborough, judging that Vendôme with his fifty battalions and
sixty squadrons would now be shut up amidst these floods, marched by Rousselaer to attack him with sixty battalions and 100
squadrons, but the Marshal, who had already the waters in his camp, saw his
danger and retired. On his retreat, Marlborough repaired to Leflingeen to see if he could make sure of his communications, but the French, with a
fleet of gun-boats, under Langeson, had possession of
the inundations. The English general, however, defeated this device by bringing
the stores up in flat-bottomed boats to Leffingeen,
and thence conveying them on carriages with high wheels to the camp. Cadogan
distinguished himself on this service, but he had some difficulty in getting up
a quantity of gunpowder and supplies he found there. Vendôme accordingly
determined to possess himself of Leffingeen, but was
obliged to undertake a regular siege of it, which was difficult, in consequence
of the narrow dyke on which it was situated. De la Motte and Puygion then made a disposition to storm it, which they
succeeded in doing on the 25th of October, when 1200 English and Dutch were
taken prisoners, with Colonel Caulfield and sixty officers. In the meantime, on
the 24th, the town of Lille capitulated; and Bouflers retired into the citadel
with the remains of the garrison, amounting to 6000 men. Negotiations were
entered into to occupy the citadel, but the Marshal was so extravagant in his
demands, that they came to nothing.
Hostilities were renewed on the 29th of this month,
when the trenches were opened against the citadel, during the night, and Lord
Stair was detached to scour the country between Fumes and Dixmude,
to supply corn for the army. The French chieftains were, as usual, at variance
with each other as to the course they should now pursue; and reference was made
to the King, who again sent M. de Chamillard to the head-quarters at Saulsoy, where they all met in council on the 2nd of
November. Vendôme was for attacking Marlborough at once: Berwick opposed it,
and the minister thought they had better secure their position behind the
Scheldt until the surrender of the citadel. Chamillard saw the inconvenience of
such divided councils, and recommended the King to recall the Duke de Berwick,
who accordingly left the army on the 14th and repaired to the army of the
Rhine, which he joined at Strasburg on the 22nd.
The Duke de Vendôme did not however despair of saving
Lille, and accordingly the Elector of Bavaria was called back from Germany to
undertake the siege of Brussels with 15,000 men. He accordingly sat down before
the place on the 22nd of November and made an attempt to storm it, but was
repulsed by the garrison, consisting of 7000 men, under General Pascal
Marlborough and Eugene no sooner understood the danger to which Brussels was
exposed than they marched with the covering army to relieve the city. They
crossed the Scheldt on the 25th in the face of the formidable works raised by
the French, but abandoned by them with precipitation, to the surprise of the
confederates, who had calculated upon attacking them. On their approach the
Elector retired from Brussels, leaving behind him his siege train and even his
sick, and Marlborough entered on the 29th,to the great joy of the inhabitants.
Prince Eugene immediately returned to Lille; and the Duke posted himself at
Oudenarde to maintain his communication with the Prince. The siege was now
pushed on, and lodgements were effected and batteries opened against the
citadel; terms were again offered to Bouflers, and after a most unusual
provision conceded to the high respect and admiration for the French
Marshal—that the terms should first be sent to the Duke of Burgundy for his
approbation—he capitulated on the 10th of December. It was said that the allies
lost in this Biege as many as 17,000 killed and wounded. Of the garrison there
were 5000 placed hors de combat.
5. Marlborough recovers Ghent.
The French generals never dreamed that the allies
would attempt any thing of consequence after the reduction of Lille,
considering the advanced period of the year, and, therefore, the Marshals
returned to Paris after having distributed their army in winter-quarters. But
their indefatigable antagonists were determined to strike another blow before
their forces separated. Accordingly Marlborough, who had deeply felt the loss
of Ghent, determined to make an attempt for its recovery, and invested it on
all sides on the 18th. The garrison was very strong, consisting of 18,000
combatants, and the governor had been ordered by Vendome to defend this
important stronghold to the last extremity. The trenches were opened on the
24th, and on the 25th the garrison made a sortie, which was repulsed. Ou the
28th the fire began with so much vigour from the breaching and mortar batteries
that at noon the governor, Count de la Motte, sent a flag of truce to offer to
capitulate, if not relieved before the 2nd of January, when the town and
citadel were taken possession of by the Duke of Argyle, with six British
battalions. Thirty battalions and sixteen squadrons laid down their arms. Then
the enemy abandoned Bruges, Plassendael, and Leffingeen; and Marlborough and Eugene repaired to Holland,
leaving the confederate army under the command of the Count de Tilly. The
French King was confounded and dismayed at these conquests in the Netherlands,
nevertheless he abruptly declined a negotiation which Marlborough endeavoured
to open through the Duke de Berwick. The allies, on the other hand, owed much
of their success in Flanders in this campaign, partly to the boldness of their
enterprises, and partly to the division amongst their opponents. They had some
narrow escapes at Wynendale and Ghent, from both of
which they were saved by the incapacity of De la Motte; had they miscarried at
either the army might have been ruined. It has been doubted whether the siege
of Lille did not impair the success of the war in other places. In this great
enterprise, spirit and perseverance made amends for want of foresight, which
was flagrant on the side of the confederates in the preparations required for
such an undertaking. Indeed their success may be in a great measure attributed
to the improvidence and misconduct of the besieged. Marlborough had doubtless
put the keystone to the arch of his glory in this campaign, by defeating one of
their best generals sight and in defiance of him, the great masterpiece of
Vauban, commanded by the most venerated Marshal of France. He had also the
wonderful good sense to decline the magnificent offer of the government of the
province he had recovered, with an appointment of 60,OOM. a year for life.
Marshal de Bouflers, on the other hand, acquired great glory in France by his
defence of Lille. It was thought a gallant thing for a man of his age and
position to throw himself into the chief city of his government, and the King
in consequence loaded him with every honour.
6. War in Italy.
On the side of Dauphiné, in spite of all the vigilance
of Marshal Villars, the Duke of Savoy made himself master of several important
fortresses; so that by the end of the campaign he had secured a barrier to his
own frontiers, and opened a way into the French provinces, by obtaining
possession of Exilles. He moreover had made a favourable diversion in favour of
King Charles, by obliging the enemy to send a strong detachment from Roussillon
to the assistance of Villars.
7. War in Spain. Capture of Minorca.
The campaign in Catalonia was productive of one event
that was deemed a great blow to the Bourbon King. Count Stahremberg, a veteran
of considerable reputation, but of slow and phlegmatic temperament, and rather
a scrupulous observer of military rules than a man gifted with a natural genius
for war, was sent by the Emperor to command the forces of his brother. He
arrived at Barcelona with some imperialist troops out of Italy, on the last day
of April, in the ships commanded by Admiral Leake; but they did not land in
time to prevent the Duke of Orleans from besieging and taking Tortosa on the
11th of July, and Denia and Alicante afterwards. A handful of troops under the
command of the Marquis d’Alconzal embarked with Leake
and set sail for Cagliari, which they summoned to declare for King Charles. On
the viceroy’s hesitation the city was bombarded, and the inhabitants compelled
him to surrender, so that the whole Island of Sardinia acknowledged Charles as
Sovereign. The greater part of the garrison enlisted in his service, and a
large quantity of corn and provisions was transported to Catalonia. General
Stanhope had planned the conquest of Minorca, and concerted with the Admiral
the measures necessary to put his scheme into execution. He obtained from Count
Stahremberg a few battalions of Spaniards, Italians, and Portuguese, with a
fine brigade of British artillery, and about 800 marines. With these, and
accompanied by Brigadier Wade and Colonel Petit, an engineer of great
reputation, he effected a landing on the island on the 25th of August, and
immediately erected batteries against St. Philip, the fortress of Port Mahon.
The batteries in a little time demolished the four towers that served as
outworks, and made a breach in the outward wall. The garrison consisted of 1000
Spaniards and 600 French marines, under Colonel la Jonquière ; and so
resolutely was the siege conducted, that it was thought by the garrison that
the besiegers must be at least 10,000 men. Numbers of the inhabitants had in
truth heartily given their assistance, and General Stanhope ordered a number of
arrows to be shot into the place, to which papers were affixed in Spanish and
French, containing all sorts of threats if they did not surrender before the
batteries opened. Brigadier Wade, at the head of the grenadiers, stormed a redoubt
with such extraordinary valour that, two or three days afterwards, they beat a
parley and on the 30th of September capitulated. The Spanish governor was so
mortified, when he learned the small number of the besiegers, that when he
returned to Spain he killed himself by throwing himself out of a window, and La
Jonquière and the French officers incurred their master’s high displeasure.
Stanhope then proceeded to Fort Fornelles, the
garrison of which surrendered themselves prisoners to Admiral Leake, and thus
the glorious harbour of Mahon, together with the whole Island of Minorca, fell
quietly into the hands of the English. General Stanhope appointed Colonel Petit
governor of Fort St. Philip and deputy-governor of the island; and leaving his
important conquest, returned to Spain, where an unsuccessful attempt to
surprise Tortosa finished the campaign.
8. Naval War.
The British fleet, under Admiral Leake, not only
contributed to these enterprises, but fulfilled Cromwell’s ancient threat that
England would make her cannon heard within the walls of the Vatican. The
Emperor had forbidden the Viceroy of Naples, Count Daun, to remit any money to
Rome, which the Pope resented, and began to raise an army and devise a plan for
forming a league amongst the princes and states of Italy for their mutual
defence against the Austrians. Elated with the promises of France, Clement set
the Emperor at defiance; he refused an audience to his ambassador; and his
troops having surprised a body of the imperial troops, he ordered them to be
cut to pieces with great barbarity. The Duke of Savoy having ended his
campaign, his troops were ordered to march into the papal territories. They
drove the forces of his Holiness before them to Bologna, which capitulated, and
they even threatened to enter Rome itself. In the meantime the British fleet
appeared at Civita Vecchia and threatened to lay it low, in revenge for the
assistance or countenance given by the Pope to the Pretender’s expedition to
Scotland. Then the Pope’s courage failed him—he disbanded his new levies and
received the Marquis de Prie on the part of the
empire, granted the investiture of Naples to the Emperor, and consented to
recognize the Archduke Charles as King of Spain. Leake, however, took and
destroyed many French and Italian vessels on that coast, and gave some timely
aid to Count Daun.
During the course of this year, the English merchants
did not sustain any considerable losses; the cruisers were judiciously
stationed, and the trade was regularly supplied with convoys. The sailors had
been looking for an opportunity of capturing “a plate fleet” and it was
afforded them in the month of May this year, when Commodore Wager, with four
British men-of-war, attacked seventeen Spanish galleons as they were creeping
along the shore from Carthagena to Porto Bello. The battle began at sunset, and
soon after dark the Spanish admiral’s ship blew up with a tremendous explosion.
The rear-admiral struck at about two in the morning, and a cargo of precious
metal, valued at three million pieces of eight, was obtained by the victors.
The commodore’s share of the prize-money was valued at 100,000l. Several
galleons with the vice-admiral escaped by running behind a dangerous shoal off
Carthagena, and more property was destroyed than taken. Had the officers of the
squadron done their duty, the whole fleet would have fallen into their hands,
and two of the captains were in consequence tried by a court-martial and
dismissed the service.
9. War between Charles XII and Peter I.
In Poland Charles XII pursued his campaign against the
Czar. The two Sovereigns were so near each other at Grodno, that the Czar only
quitted the town when the King of Sweden entered on the other side, having
crossed the Niemen, two leagues from it, with only 600 guards. Peter learning
the small force that accompanied the King, tried to surprise him in Grodno, but
failed. On the 25th of June the King arrived at Borislaw Beresino.
Here the Czar had formed an intrenched camp to prevent the Swedes from crossing
the liver. Having made a feint of forcing the passage, Charles ascended the
stream about three leagues, threw a bridge across it, and passing 3000 men, at
once fell upon the camp, from which the enemy fled without waiting for him.
They retired to the Borysthenes, whither Charles followed. He found 20.000 men
behind a marsh near a place called Holozin, which
could only be reached by passing a river. Without waiting for his infantry the
King threw himself into the stream at the head of his guards, with the water up
to his shoulders, and sending his cavalry to take the enemy in flank, he fell
upon the Russian force on every side, and totally dispersed them. Of all the
battles he ever fought this was thought the most glorious; he had shared great
dangers, and he evinced some ability in his arrangements. The Swedes struck a
medal to commemorate the victory in which they applauded him for his conquest,
not only over hosts of enemies, but every natural obstacle. He now entered the
Russian empire, and Peter made him propositions of peace, but he replied, “I
will treat with the Czar at Moscow”. “If the King thinks himself an Alexander,”
rejoined Peter, “he shall not find me a Darius.”
On the 22nd of September the King attacked a corps of
10,000 men and 6000 Calmuck-Tartars at Smolensko. He
drove back the enemy, but, advancing through some hollow ways where the Tartars
concealed themselves, they came upon the King, and killed two aids-de-camp who
were about his person, and his Majesty’s horse was killed under him. Charles
continued to fight on foot with five officers that were still about him, having
killed more than twelve men with his own hand, without receiving a wound. At
length a Swedish colonel, with a single company, came to his assistance, and
disengaged the King, who immediately mounted a fresh horse and pursued the
Russians for two leagues further. Moscow, about 100 French leagues from Smolensko, was now open to him. He had, however,
outstripped his troops, and was implored to await here the arrival of Löwenhaupt
with 15,000 men, but to the astonishment of all, Charles would not wait, but
quitting the road that led to the imperial capital, set himself in march
southwards towards the Ukraine, a country of the Cossacks. The celebrated
Mazeppa was at this time Hetman or prince of this country. His story was a
remarkable one. He was by birth a Pole, and had been page to John Casimir.
Having been detected in an intrigue with the wife of a Polish gentleman, the
insulted husband had bound him naked to the back of a wild horse, and set him
to find his way where he could. The horse brought him to his own land in the
Ukraine, where he was found, half dead, and taken and nourished. He established
himself afterwards in the country, and having a superior intelligence he became
at length a chief amongst them. Over the Czar’s cups he had been called
traitor, and he had determined to revenge himself; he therefore communicated
with, and now sought out, Charles, whom he met near the river Desna. Mazeppa
promised to assist him with 30,000 men, and with every kind of supply and
money. The Swedish army accordingly was directed into the Ukraine, and this
accidental encounter changed the march of Charles XII, and eventually all his
fortunes.
Peter discovered the Hetman’s intrigue, and determined
to obstruct his designs. The Russians fell upon his Cossacks, took his friends
in arms, reduced his towns to ashes, and pillaged the money and provisions he
had collected for Charles. Accordingly, after twelve days’ march, when the
Swedes had consumed the supplies they had brought with them, and expected to
meet the Cossacks at the place they had appointed for a rendezvous, they were
disappointed at finding the Russians there before them. Charles, however, as
usual, at once resolved to attack, and, crossing the river, (which he was
obliged to do with cords,) he put to flight the 8000 men he found there, and
continued his march, uncertain what course to take, and even doubting the faith
of his new friend Mazeppa after such an apparent violation of his engagements.
At length he found him with about 6000 men, and a few horse-loads of gold and
silver; and still relying on his intelligence and knowledge of the country, and
on the attachment of these Cossacks, and burning with rage against their
destroyers, he sent Löwenhaupt directions where to find him, who was moving
onward with his reinforcement of 15,000 men, and the supplies, of which he had
8000 cart-loads, obtained with the money he had raised in Lithuania. It
happened, however, that just as the Swedish general with this detachment had
reached the junction of the Punca and Sossa, on the
7th of October, at the town of Lesno, the Czar
appeared at the head of 40.000 men. Löwenhaupt, in the confidence of his
national superiority, disdained to render the disproportion of his strength
less unfavourable by having recourse to intrenchments, and without hesitation
attacked his enemy with the troops he had with him. At the first charge the
Swedes laid low 1500 Muscovites, and they fled on all sides. But Peter, rushing
amongst them, ordered his rearguard to shoot himself or any man that would fly,
and, assisted by Menschikoff and Galitzin, rallied
his troops. The Swedish general, intent on joining his master, passed on
without further regarding him, but the next day Peter again attacked him as he
was crossing a marsh. The soldiers turned, and for two hours fought hand to
hand, but though the Russians fell in numbers they would not retire, and the
victory remained undecided. At four o’clock the Czar received reinforcements,
and, for a third time, the fight was renewed and continued till nightfall with
equal fury and bitterness. At length numbers prevailed. The Swedes were broken,
overcome, and driven amongst their baggage; still they did not yield ground. Löwenhaupt
had yet 9000 men whom he brought into line as readily as the first day he
fought; he retired, however, a few miles to a better position, after having
nailed some of his guns and burned some of his waggons. The Russians advanced
again, and attacked the Swedes for the fifth time. Löwenhaupt lost half of his
men, but saved the rest; and, after fighting five combats against 40,000 men,
he passed the river Sossa at night, refusing the offers of terms which had been
made him. He at length arrived at the camp of his master, with the honour of
having well defended himself, but with neither army nor supplies. Thus the King
of Sweden found himself at the beginning of the memorable winter of 1709, in
the midst of a strange country belonging to his enemy, without provisions,
without any communication with Poland, and having nothing to trust to, but his
own invincible courage.
10. Death and Character of Marshal Overkirk.
This distinguished Dutch commander died this year in
the allied camp at Rousselaer. He was a most gallant
and faithful soldier, a warm friend, and an ardent admirer of Marlborough.
Above all foolish jealousy and natural prejudice, he gave that cordial support
to his great leader, which ensured unanimity throughout the inferior ranks, and
did not a little contribute to success.
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