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READING HALLTHE DOORS OF WISDOM |
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ANNALS OF WAR
1705.
I. WAR IN THE LOW COUNTRIES.—2. MARLBOROUGH FORCES THE
FRENCH LINES. 3. OFFERS BATTLE NEAR WATERLOO.—4. WAR IN ITALY. 5. WAR
IN SPAIN. 6. THE EARL OF PETERBOROUGH TAKES BARCELONA.—7. CATALONIA AND
VALENCIA DECLARE FOR KING CHARLES. 8. WAR IN HUNGARY.—9. WAR IN
SCANDINAVIA.—10. NAVAL WAR.
1. War in the Low Countries.
Early in March the Duke of Marlborough left England
for Holland, It had been determined that the seat of war should be this year
upon the Moselle, where preparations had been made, and magazines of all sorts
had been formed at Treves. He calculated on being able to act with 90,000 men.
Having concerted with the States General and the allied generals the necessary
measures for opening the campaign, he set out early in April for Maestricht. He
was to be confronted this year by Marshal Villars, almost the only real soldier
left in a high command by the French King, and who if not a great strategist
was far superior to Villeroy and the other generals, who were the mere nominees
of Madame de Maintenon and the Jesuit party. Villars, indeed, was a first rate
general and a dashing and resolute soldier.
In the month of May Marlborough went to Radstadt to
visit the Margrave of Baden, who was, or pretended to be, in bad health. The
Prince was induced to promise that he would march with a large detachment
towards the Saar and Moselle to act in concert with the Duke, and that he would
leave a sufficient number of troops under General Thungen for the security of the lines of Lauterberg and
Stollhofen. The confederate army, on the faith of this promise, passed the
Moselle and Saar in the middle of June and encamped at Elft in sight of the enemy, who retired with great precipitation and intrenched
themselves in the neighbourhood of Coningsmacheren.
The Duke’s design was to besiege Saar Louis within the French frontier. But the
Margrave failed in the performance of his engagement. He feigned himself ill
and repaired to the baths; but the worst suspicion was, that he had been
corrupted by the French, for he was thought to be jealous of Marlborough, and
apprehending that the entire glory of what might happen would accrue to the
Duke, chose rather to defeat his whole design than that the English general
should carry away the honour of the campaign. The Duke finding himself in
consequence obliged to retreat, Bent in a note with a trumpet to Marshal
Villars to apologize for decamping. “Do me the “justice,” said he,“to believe that my defeat is entirely owing to the
“failure of the Prince of Baden, but that my esteem for you is still greater
than my resentment for his conduct.”
2. Marlborough forces the French Lines.
Intelligence however of an alarming character had, in
truth, induced the Duke to change the scene of operations. Marshal Villeroy
determined to take advantage of his superiority on the side of the Netherlands,
and to put General Overkirk on the defensive, had invested Huy and carried on
his operations so vigorously, that he took it in a few days, and had now
advanced to the reduction of Liège. On the 18th indeed he had actually begun
his works before the citadel. Marshal Overkirk cautiously kept within his lines,
for he was unable to keep the field. Marlborough was no sooner informed of all
these circumstances, than he resolved to return to the Netherlands. He set his
troops in motion on the 19th of June, and marched with such expedition that he
passed the Maese on the 1st of July. On the Duke’s approach, Villeroy abandoned
his enterprise at Liege and retired within his lines along the Mehaigne.
Marlborough then united himself with Overkirk and recaptured Huy on the 12th of
July. The English general now resolved to strike some blow of importance that
should atone for his disappointment on the Moselle, and sent General Hompesch
to the States with a proposal for attacking the French lines. The enemy had 100
battalions and 160 squadrons. The allied army did not exceed 50,000 men. In
order to divide attention, Overkirk made a feigned movement and passed the
Mehaigne on the 17th, as if he intended to attack the lines about Meffelen. The
stratagem suceeded. The French weakened the other
parts, and Marlborough began to march on the night of the 17th—18th of July, in
order to force a passage through the lines at Heylissem, Wauge, Neerhespen, and Oostmalen. These posts were taken with little difficulty,
but before the Duke could bring up his infantry the enemy advanced with fifty
squadrons and twenty battalions, and began to fire from eight pieces of cannon
(they are said to have been formed with triple barrels) which did considerable
execution. The Duke perceiving that they were continually reinforced, ordered
Baron Hompesch to make a charge of cavalry, which soon broke and dispersed
their horse. These, however, rallied and again advanced, sustained by their
infantry, but after a warm and short engagement the French horse were defeated
with the loss of some guns. The infantry seeing themselves abandoned in the
plain, retreated in great disorder between the villages of Heylissem and Golsteven, where they were joined by the rest of
their army, and formed again in order of battle. The Duke now ordered all his
troops to enter the French lines, and extended his right towards the Great
Geete and Tirlemont, where the enemy had left a battalion which surrendered at
discretion. In this action the confederates took the Marquis d’Alegre, commanding-in-chief, two lieutenants-general, one
major-general, and two brigadiers, with many officers, and a great many
soldiers, prisoners; besides colours, kettle drums, and ten pieces of cannon.
In the fight, as the Duke advanced to the charge at the head of several
squadrons, a Bavarian officer rode up to attack him, but raising himself in his
stirrups to strike at greater advantage, lost his balance, fell from his horse,
and was immediately slain. This wing of the army thus defeated was now formed
into a square by M. de Caraman and retreated in spite of all opposition by the
defile of Noduwez.
The Elector of Bavaria and Marshal Villeroy retired by
Jodoigne and passed the Geete and the Deule with great expedition, and took
possession of the strong camp at Parck, against the height of Louvain. The
enemy moved so quick that Marlborough took prisoners 1200 men marching through
the plain of Parck, who could not keep up with the retiring army. He was
encamped with his right at the abbey of Vliersbeck, and his left before
Bierbeck, under the cannon of Louvain. He sent a detachment to attack some posts
on the Deule, which had been left slenderly guarded, but though it passed the
river and repulsed the enemy, yet for want of timely support it was obliged to
repass it and retire. The capture of these lines was celebrated at London,
Vienna, and the Hague with great rejoicing, and Marlborough’s glory was greatly
increased by it.
3. Offers Battle near Waterloo.
On the 15th of August the Duke came to Corbais and
continued his march on Genappe and Fischermont. On the 17 the General Domprè
took the post of Waterloo. On the 18th the confederate army were drawn up in
order of battle before the enemy, who extended from Overische,
near the wood of Soignies to Neerische, with the
little river Ische in their front, so as to cover Brussels and Louvain.
Marlborough had now got the French forces into a position where he might have
annihilated them, and proposed to attack them immediately, before they should
have recovered themselves from their consternation—and Overkirk approved of the
design ; but it was opposed by Schlangenberg and
other Dutch officers, so that the Dutch fielddeputies refused to let their troops act. The Duke being thus obliged to relinquish the
scheme, wrote to the States Genera), complaining of their having withdrawn the
confidence which they had reposed in him while he acted in Germany. The letter
having been published at the Hague, excited murmurs among the Dutch people, and
the English nation was so incensed at the presumption of the deputies, that the
Earl of Pembroke, lord president of the council, was sent as envoy
extraordinary to Holland, with instructions to demand satisfaction. The States,
however, anticipated his journey by making submission to the Duke and removing Schlangenberg from his command. The confederate army in the
meanwhile returned to Corbais, from whence it marched to camp at Periwitz. The
town of Sout-Leeuwe, situated in the middle of a
morass, which constituted the chief defence of the French lines, was taken by a
detachment under General Dedem, and the Duke ordered the lines from this place
to the Mehaigne to be levelled, and the town of Tirlemont to be dismantled.
Then passing the Demer he encamped at Aerschot on the
19th of September. On the 24th of October the Count de Noyelles invested Sanvliet, which surrendered before the end of the month,
and Marlborough closed the campaign, repairing to Vienna to arrange that for
the next year. He was received with great distinction by the Emperor and
created Prince of Mildenheim.
4. War in Italy.
Nothing of any importance occurred on the Upper Rhine
between the Margrave and Villars. The latter passed the Rhine and took Homburg
on the 6th of August, but the allies obliged him to repass that river and
forced the French lines at Hagenau. In Italy the French were rather regaining
the ascendancy. Prince Eugene was now on that side of the Alps with a weak army
and a dispirited colleague in the Duke of Savoy; and on the 16th of August a
battle was fought at Cassano between Prince Eugene and the Duke de Vendôme with
dubious success, in which the Prince was wounded. The Duke de Feuillade reduced
Chiusa and invested Nice, which after an obstinate defence surrendered on
December the 9th. All the considerable places belonging to the Duke of Savoy,
excepting Coni and Turin, were now in the hands of the enemy, and bis little
army was reduced to 12,000 men, which he could hardly support. Pressed on all
sides to submit to the necessity of affairs, he, nevertheless, adhered to the
alliance with surprising fortitude.
6. War in Spain.
The campaign in Portugal opened advantageously for the
allies. A great error had been committed by the Bourbon King in sending back to
France the Duke de Berwick, who was indisputably superior to those who
succeeded him. The young Queen was asked why they did not retain a man who had
all the qualities of a great general, and she replied, “C’est un grand diable d’Anglais sec, qui va toujours droit devant lui.” More might have been
done for King Charles but for the dissensions and jealousies of the generals—namely,
the Earl of Galway, who commanded the English; Fagel, who commanded the Dutch;
and Las Minas, who commanded the Portuguese. The allies commenced the campaign
by invading Spain from the different frontiers of Beira and Alemtejo. Galway
took Valencia and Alcantara by assault in May. Alburquerque surrendered upon
articles. Las Minas reduced the town of Salvatierra, plundered and burned Sarca, but retired from Penamacor at the approach of the enemy. A new army, however, took the field from England
this year, commanded by the most daring and brilliant soldier of the day, the
witty, eccentric, and unscrupulous Earl of Peterborough. He sailed from
Portsmouth with Sir Cloudesly Shovel in May with 5000 men, and took King
Charles on board at Lisbon, (as he passed), entertaining his Majesty and his
suite most munificently at his own private cost on the voyage from the Tagus.
Here they were joined by Sir John Leake and the Dutch Admiral Allemonde. In a council of war they determined to put to
sea with forty-eight ships-of-the-line, which should be stationed between Cape Spartel and the Bay of Cadiz, in order to prevent the
junction of the Toulon and Brest squadrons. The Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt
arriving from Gibraltar, assured King Charles that Catalonia and Valencia were
attached to his Majesty’s interest, and the King, being weary of Portugal, resolved
to accompany the Earl of Peterborough to Barcelona. He accordingly embarked
with him on board the “Ranelagh,” and the fleet sailed on the 28th of
July—Galway having reinforced them with two regiments of English dragoons, and
the Prince of Hesse with the English guards from Gibraltar. On the 11th of
August they anchored in the Bay of Altea, where the Earl of Peterborough
published a manifesto in the Spanish language, which had such an effect, that
on all sides, from the villages and the mountains, hundreds acknowledged King
Charles as their lawful Sovereign. They seized the town of Denia for his
service, and sent thither a garrison of 400 men under General Ramos. Finding
the disposition of the inhabitants so good, and knowing that insurrections
against the Bourbon King had broken out in other quarters, Peterborough, with
his characteristic daring, proposed making a forced march inland, and setting
the Austrian on his throne at Madrid, which capital he was confident he could
carry by a coup de main. His project was overruled; but it may be doubted
whether it would not have been easier to march and take Madrid than to lay
siege to Barcelona, garrisoned by 5000 men, under the Duke de Popoli. This was
now proposed by the Prince of Darmstadt, who joined in the expedition as a
volunteer, and it was approved by the Earl and Sir Cloudesly Shovel. Some of
the generals serving under Peterborough were of opinion that the attempt amounted
to madness, and they were confirmed that the man was mad, when, throwing off
all routine and military pedantry, the Earl determined to attack the castle
before taking the town. At Barcelona, nevertheless, they disembarked on the
22nd of August, and immediately invested the city, but fur three weeks no
serious impression could be made by the besiegers. Peterborough had observed
that if he could only take the strong fort of Monjuich,
which commanded the town, the town itself must fall; and he resolved to try it
while his men were fresh and vigorous, and free from those casualties and
miseries which inevitably attend protracted sieges. Accordingly he took a near
view of the castle in person, discovered enough to convince him that the
garrison in it was neither strong nor vigilant, and communicated his design to
no one but to the Prince of Hesse.
6. The Earl of Peterborough takes Barcelona.
Having re-embarked some of his troops in order to
impress the Spaniards with the belief that he had given up his enterprise, and
was on the point of sailing away, the Earl suddenly ordered about 1400 men
under arms on the night of the 3rd of September, and sent them by two different
by-roads to fall upon the castle. The first body he led in person, having the
Prince of Hesse-Darmstadt and 800 men with him. The second body was led by
General Stanhope. About daybreak Peterborough, with no artillery but a few
small field pieces and mortars, fell upon the castle, and established himself
on the outworks; but in the attack his friend the Prince received a shot in
the body and expired soon after. Stanhope, mistaking his way, did not come up
for some time, and the Spanish governor made a fierce sally, hoping to sweep
the assailants before him down the hill. But Peterborough and his brave
associates kept their ground, and the Spaniards thinking them more numerous
than they were, wheeled round and retired within the castle. Stanhope now came
up, and they threw a few bomb-shells into the fort, one of which fortunately
fell into the magazine, and blew it up; causing the death of the governor and
some of the best officers, on which the fort surrendered without delay.
This great point being gained, the English general
erected his batteries against the town, with the help of the miquelets and
seamen. The bomb-ketches fired with such execution that the Governor Velasco
agreed to surrender the town if not relieved within four days. During this
interval, some of the troops found means to climb over the ramparts into the
town, where they began to commit the most barbarous excesses. The viceroy of
the province, the Duke de Popoli, complained to Peterborough. “They must be the
troops of the Prince of Hesse,” replied the Earl; “allow me to enter the city
with my English forces, and I will oblige the Germans to retire, save the city
from ruin, and come back again to finish the terms of the capitulation.”
Velasco accordingly admitted Peterborough with his troops, and these drove out
the Germans and Catalonians, who were committing such horrors, and obliged them
to quit the plunder they had taken. By accident the Earl was enabled to rescue
the Duchess de Popoli from the hands of the brutish soldiers, and restored the
fair lady to her lord. Having appeased the tumult and dispelled and calmed the
alarm of the citizens, Peterborough returned to his former station, leaving the
inhabitants of Barcelona amazed at such an instance of magnanimity and
moderation in a people, whom they had been taught to consider as heretics and
barbarians. In a few days the governor capitulated, and on the 4th of October
King Charles entered the city in triumph. His Majesty writing to Queen Anne on
the occasion, says, “Your Majesty’s troops behaved with a discipline “and
generosity beyond example.”
7. Catalonia and Valencia declare for King Charles.
Immediately after this remarkable achievement, the
whole of Catalonia declared for King Charles, with the exception of Rosas. It
was now determined in a council of war that the King and the Earl should
continue in Catalonia with the land forces; that Sir Cloudesly Shovel should
return to England; that twenty-five English and fifteen Dutch ships-of-war
should winter at Lisbon, under the command of Leake and Wassenaer; and that
four English and two Dutch frigates should remain at Barcelona. Velasco was sent,
with the garrison, prisoners to Malaga; the rest engaged to enter the service
of Charles : the Count de Ceifuentes secured many
towns for King Charles, and Don Raphael Nevat, revolting with his whole
regiment of horse from King Philip, joined General Ramos at Denia, and these
chiefs made themselves masters of several places in the kingdom of Valencia.
Flushed with such unexpected success, they marched against the city of
Valencia, which they surprised, making prisoner of the Marquis de Villa Garcia,
the viceroy, at the same time.
The enemy, however, sent a body of 6000 men under
Count de las Torres to invest San Matheo, garrisoned by 500 miquelets under
Colonel Jones. Peterborough marched thither with 1000 infantry and 200
dragoons, and by means of feigned intelligence artfully conveyed to the Count,
induced that general to abandon the siege with precipitation. The Earl
afterwards took possession of Nules, and raising
troops and purchasing horses, he assembled a little army of ten squadrons of
horse, four battalions of regular troops, and about 3000 militia; and receiving
intelligence that sixteen twenty -four-pounders were shipped off for Alicante,
he intercepted them all with stores and ammunition enough for a siege. He then
marched to Molviedro, which surrendered to him, and
entered Valencia, where the inhabitants expressed uncommon marks of joy at his
arrival in their city, and he made his residence there some time.
The whole of this campaign is like a piece of romance;
for by it the Earl of Peterborough indisputably gave to the military history of
his country one of its most sparkling episodes. The officers who were with him
could scarcely credit what he had done with such insufficient means, even when
they saw the work achieved, and the Spaniards said the Earl had a devil in him,
and could only have accomplished it by the aid of necromancy. King Charles
wrote a letter with his own hand to the Queen of England containing a
circumstantial detail of his affairs, with the warmest expressions of
acknowledgment and the highest encomiums on the Earl of Peterborough.
The Marshal de Tessé, after
vainly endeavouring to retake Gibraltar, turned the siege into a blockade and
withdrew the greater part of his forces.
Towards the end of September the Earl of Galway, on
the other side of the peninsula, invested Badajoz, but losing his hand by a
cannon-ball, he was obliged to be carried off the field, leaving the conduct of
the siege to the Dutch General Fagel. The general encountered, however, a very
strong resistance, and the Marshal de Tessé found
means to throw in considerable reinforcements. No assistance appearing to be
derived from the Portuguese General Las Minas, the allies were constrained to
give up the siege and retire into Portugal. Colonel Wills and General Conyngham
had a considerable action near San Istivda, in which D’Asfeld was repulsed; but General Conyngham was killed in
the action.
8. Wan in Hungary.
During this year the war continued to rage in Hungary
with various success. Ragotski, though frequently
worsted, appeared still in arms, and ravaged the country, which became a scene
of misery and desolation.
9. War in Scandinavia.
In Sweden the Swedish General Reinschild obtained a
complete victory over the Saxon troops of King Augustus with 6000 or 7000
Russians under General Schulenberg at Frauenstadt, on the 12th of February. But
it was not much of a fight, as it did not last more than a quarter of an hour,
for although the dispositions of the general were excellent, the Russians and
Saxons fled without firing a shot. Amongst the prisoners, however, was an
entire French regiment, which had been taken by the Saxons after the battle of
Blenheim, and which had entered the service of King Augustus under M. de
Joyeuse, who was here killed.
10. Naval War.
The only misfortune that attended the English arms in
the course of this year was the capture of the Baltic fleet homeward bound,
with their convoy of three ships-of-war, which were taken by the Dunkirk
squadron, under the command of Count de Forbin; the
Count de St. Paul was killed in the engagement. After Jean Bart, De Forbin was counted the best seaman in France at this
juncture. Duguay-Trouin also with his squadron captured the “Elizabeth,” 72,
British man-of-war, but afterwards lost the greater part of his own ships,
which were taken by the English cruisers.
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