Lieutenant d' Aneau kill'd in Seymour's Lieutenant Campbel kill'd in Columbine's Captain Cummins kill'd Lieutenant Twinhoe wounded in the Fusiliers Captain Groves and Lieutenant Rainsford wounded in Tidcomb's Lieutenant Sowell wounded in Stanley's Lieutenant Mordant kill'd in Ingoldsby's Captain Parry kill'd in Saunderson's Lieutenant Midlemore kill'd in Maitland's Lieutenant Arthurs wounded All these were Officers of Grenadeers There were yet some others of the same whose Names I could not get The Loss of the Four Regiments concern'd in the Attack was as follows In Colonel Courthop's Regiment the Colonel Captain Coot and Lieutenant Evans kill'd Sir Matthew Bridges Lieutenant-Colonel who now has the Regiment wounded Captains Wolf and du Bourguay Lieutenants Disbordes and Ash Ensigns Foncebran Eyres and Denis with 101 Soldiers kill'd and 149 wounded In Colonel Friderick Hamilton's Regiment Lieutenant-Colonel Ormsby Captains Purefoy Pinsent and Carteret Lieutenants Fitsmorris and Ramme Ensigns Fettyplace Blunt Baker and Hayter kill'd Captain John Southwel and Ensign Lister dead of their Wounds Colonel Friderick Hamilton Captains Kane du Roure Seymour and William Southwel Lieutenants la Planche Brereton Hybert Arphaxad Râ—leston Ensigns John Gifford Ormsby and Blackney wounded Soldiers kill'd 86 wounded 185. In Colonel Mackay's Regiment Captain Catenberg Ensign Macdoâ—gal kill'd Major Cunningham Captains Cunningham Mackenzy Camerone and Bruce Lieutenants Macleod Monro Dickson and Wilson Ensigns Neil Macleod Monro John Macleod Macdonald Gordon and Martyn wounded Sergeants and Soldiers kill'd 73. wounded 166. In Colonel Buchan's Regiment Captains Johnston Baily and Wear Lieutenant Bailly kill'd Lieutenant-Colonel Guilliams Captains Dalham Cassin and Orach Lieutenants Levingston and Windram Ensigns Gordon Lesley and Urguhart wounded Soldiers and Sergeants kill'd 65 wounded 140. The Loss in these 4 Regiments of Officers and Soldiers kill'd and wounded being join'd together amounts to 1028. besides the Grenadiers which I 'm sure had near 300 kill'd and wounded So that the whole Loss of His Majesty's Forces concern'd in this Action amounted to about 1400 Men tho' most Prints that speak of this Business make the whole Loss of the Allies to come to little more than this 'T is true that the other Forces concern'd in the Attacks of the Cohorne and Casotte did not suffer near so much as we did or rather their Loss was but inconsiderable except the Dutch and Bavarians employ'd in the Attack of the Breach of the Cohorne under Major-General Rivera who had many both Officers and Soldiers kill'd and wounded and if the Loss of all the rest of the Allies put together be suppos'd equal to that we sustain'd we must have had in all kill'd and wounded in this Action near 3000 Men. We had a great many Voluntiers to signalize themselves in this Occasion If I could have got a List of all these worthy Gentlemen I would have mention'd them in this Place What Loss the Enemies sustain'd particularly in this Attack is not known no more than in any of the others but we need not doubt but such an Attack which lasted so long and where our Bombs play'd at the same time incessantly in their Works must destroy them a great many Men. This Night 30th Major-General Arnheim had the Trenches with the Prince of Anhalt Brigadier We work'd all Night to strengthen and fortifie the great Lodgment we had made the Day before To return to the two Armies in presence of one another the one to endeavour to relieve the Besieged and the other to cover the Besiegers Villeroy had been the Day before to visit our Posts at St. Denis and though he began then to apprehend the great Difficulty there was to attack us in our strong Posts and the apparent Hazard of a Battel yet to endeavour all Ways possible to relieve the Place he order'd the Army in the Morning 20th to march upon the Left towards Perwys to try a Passage at the Springs of the Mehaigne the Country being more open thereabouts The King who expected this Motion of the Enemies order'd in the Morning our Cavalry of the Right under the Command of Velt-Marechal Fleming and Count d' Arco with Lumley's Brigade to march on upon the Right towards the Mehaigne The Hesse Troops made the same Motion and they all encamp'd with a Wood upon their Right their Left towards the Village of Du and that of Ypigny's before them Lieutenant-General la Forest was detach'd at the same time with 20 Squadrons of Horse to Taviers and Bonef upon the Mehaigne to observe the Enemies March who came early in the Afternoon to their Camp near the Mehaigne Lieutenant-General la Forest continu'd in his Post till the Left Wing of the Enemies Horse which upon this March had the Van of the Army was come up to the Ground which extended it self along the River between Ramelies and Harlue and Taviers upon the Mehaigne As soon as the Left Wing was come up they detach'd about 40 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons to beat us out of the Post of Bonef But la Forest who was here posted had Orders not to dispute it but only to observe the Enemies March and abandon it the Enemies being so near and so much superior to him in number this occasion'd some disorder in his Retreat The Detachment of Dopf and Eppinger's Dragoons that had been posted in some Hedges to make good our Retreat were forc'd out of it and the Enemies having gain'd the Pass endeavour'd to flank our Horse which march'd off in two Columns and to surround them with their Line of Squadrons However after some Skirmishes on both sides our Cavalry made their Retreat good Major Crowther commanded a Squadron of Brigadier Lumley's Regiment in this occasion with which he fac'd about in the Retreat and with some others skirmish'd with the Enemies The French expected that this would bring both Armies to a Battel and the Princes of the Blood put themselves at the Head of the Cavalry to shew a good Example in so important an Action The Duke du Maine had a Horse kill'd under him the Marquis de Villequier was dangerously wounded On our side the Major of Eppinger's Dragoons was kill'd and Lieutenant Alexander of Brigadier Lumley's Regiment was made Prisoner and we lost about 10 Horses The French made much of this inconsiderable Success an Express was immediately dispatch'd to give an Account of it to Court They had already broke in upon our Right Wing of Horse and nothing less was expected by the next Courier than the Defeat and Rout of our Army and the Relief of Namur nay the thing was thought so sure that 't was immediately communicated to Foreign Ministers as 't is credibly reported This also contributed very much to the Oppression of our Dixmuyde and Deinse Prisoners who were now very ill treated and abused though afterwards the Pretext was for Reprisal of their Sick and Wounded in the Town of Namur which they pretended were not well us'd among us Some of the most hot-Headed of our National Enemies abroad would then tell the Soldiers
turn out upon call Prince Vaudemont tho' very much indispos'd came by Three of the Clock in the Morning in his Coach and stood at the Head of the English Guards notwithstanding that he had kept his Bed Three or Four Days before and had then a Feaver upon him the whole Army turn'd out an Hour before Day We form'd our Battalions and Squadrons in a readiness and the King came at the same time to see us in a posture of defence and went in Prince Vaudemont's Coach to conferr with him upon the present Conjuncture The Weather was very thick and foggy so that we could hardly see 50 Yards before us but we had Out-guards all along beyond our Retrenchments to prevent any surprize nevertheless we were very much concern'd at the unseasonableness of the Fog tho' 't was as inconvenient to the Enemy as to us In the Morning the Brigade of Guards was commanded to the Right at St. Denis under the Command of Major General Churchil to form a Reserve and sustain the Eight Regiments that had been posted here under Brigadier Fitspatrick which were all fresh and had not been concern'd in the Siege of Namur This was the most convenient Passage in our Camp and 't was expected that the most vigorous Attack of the Enemies would be here therefore there was a great deal of Care taken to fortifie all the Avenues and Church-yard of this Village The Brigade of Guards continu'd the Retrenchment from the Village within the Hedges and a marshy bottom by which they continu'd it to the Hesse Retrenchment And we had now provided so well for the defence of this Passage that we had no great Apprehension of the Enemies coming here The Hessians had made very good Batteries upon their Retrenchments cover'd with Gabions from whence they commanded the whole Plain There was another Passage to the Left of St. Denis about an English Mile before our Right Wing of Horse which we retrench'd and fortify'd and Sir David Collier was posted here with his Brigade and some Artillery We retrench'd all the Rising Ground within Masy and Golsines and so to the Woods we had upon our Right This was the Posture of our Camp this Day The Enemies had made several Motions the Night before and this Morning sending several Bodies sometimes to their Right and sometimes to their Left and their whole Camp was under Arms most part of the Night before and this whole Day About Noon the Weather began to clear up upon which Villeroy advanc'd to St. Denis to observe our Posts and our Army We had barricaded the way through the Wood with several Trees we had cut down and the Boughs being thick and green and there being a large Barn hard by he came by this way through the Wood and took the opportunity of this Cover to come up close to this Retrenchment As soon as he was perceiv'd all our Men within the Retrenchment took the Alarm and stood to their Arms expecting it to be the Van-guard of the Enemies Army The King was at Dinner in his Tent which was pitch'd hard by for that purpose who immediately got on Horse-back to observe the Enemy But Villeroy finding himself discover'd retir'd immediately having seen enough to convince him that 't was not fit to meddle with us here The Day being pass'd without any Action and the Time pressing for now we began to wait in our Camp the King thought it not convenient to deferr the Assault of the Breaches of the Terra nova and Cohorne any longer wherefore a Detachment was made this Evening 19th of 36 Grenadiers per Company out of those Regiments of His Majesty's Forces which had not been concern'd in the Siege and 18 out of those that had been employ'd in it The Grenadiers of the Brigade of Guards were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Evans Captain of Grenadiers in the first Battalion and the rest by Colonel Epping Colonel of one of the Danish Battalions But before I proceed to give an Account of this Assault it is necessary to continue the Affairs of the Siege to this time The 15th as we have said it before we took the Half-moon of the Sambre which would otherwise have flank'd our Trenches if we had not beat the Enemies from it and likewise our Assault upon the Breach of Terra nova The 16th being Masters of this Half-moon we began to work at a Pattery of 10 Pieces of Cannon upon the Left of our inferiour Trench between it and the Half-moon which fir'd upon the inward Face of the small Bastion at the Foot of the descending Courtin of Terra nova Our Batteries from the Town could only fire upon the outward Face towards the Sambre and besides this Battery firing more perpendicular upon the Breach of Terra nova had yet a better effect than those from the Town Captain Hart of Colonel Courthop's Regiment was killed this Day in the Trenches In the Evening his Majesty left the Siege to put himself at the Head of the Army upon Villeroy's Approach Major-General Lindeboom reliev'd the Trenches this Night with the Prince of Holstein Norbourg Brigadier and Colonel Mackay of our Forces This Night we advanc'd our Trenches between the side of the Cohorne and the Sambre The Descent of the Hill from the Cohorne to the Sambre being steep this gave the Enemies opportunity to make use of a Machine to hinder our Work they fill'd some Casks with Powder Bombs and Grenades with a Fuzee at each end of the Cask which they tumbl'd down the Hill upon our Men but the Bombs and Grenades being too heavy in the Casks for the Powder caus'd an unequal Motion of the Machine which hinder'd its Effect for it could not roul down strait but inclin'd either to the Right or to the Left and if it fell per chance among our Workmen they only open'd to the Right and Left and let it run down the Hill tho' at first it put them into some disorder but the Machine made more Noise than Mischief The 17th early in the Morning our Battery of 10 Pieces of Cannon upon the Left of our inferior Trench began to play with very good success and contributed very much to level the Breach of the Terra nova for a more easie Assault By this time most of the Enemies Cannon were dismounted except some great Pieces upon the Cavalier of Terra nova which could not bear low enough upon us that attack'd from the bottom of the Hill and so did us no harm but their Drakes were still troublesome which being light they could easily draw up and down where they were most convenient for them In the Afternoon we discover'd a Party of the Enemies of 20 Troopers from the Garrison of Dinant which had posted themselves in Ambuscade just by our Line of Circumvallation towards the Meuse where a Detachment of the Elector's Guards were posted who attack'd them killing 6 of the Enemy and made the Lieutenant Prisoner and 7 more of his Party
Country than I have to my Labour and Expences I should never concern my self with these Matters Five Campagnes to One that should affect a studious and quiet Life is enough to put him out of conceit with War or giving an Account of it God continue the Success of His Majesty's Arms that our Enemies may be soon reduc'd to such Just and Reasonable Terms as may produce a speedy and solid Peace Amen â‚ The Style of this Account is the Julian or Old Style observ'd in England ADVERTISEMENT THE Engraving of the Plan of the Siege of Namur has retarded the Publishing of this Book for some time THE HISTORY OF THE Last Campagne IN FLANDERS 1695. THE Issue of the last Year's Campagne left the Scale of War beginning to incline favourably on our side for though the Enemies at first seem'd to command the Field and that their Army domineerâ—d to the very Gates of Maestricht yet at last they had much ado to cover the Conquer'd Flanders from an Invasion and were forced to leave Huy open to a Siege and suffer it quietly to fall in our hands when it was so convenient a Post for Liege and an Out-work not only necessary for its safety but that likewise gave us the liberty of the Meuse to the very Gates of Namur to form an attempt on that side when ever we should have the Superiority of the Field therefore whatever the Enemies may have boasted of their precipitate Marches the last year to cover their Towns in Flanders and to maintain their Frontier at Courtray yet what we did then open'd the way to the Great and Glorious Undertaking of this happy and successful Campagne This would be a very strange and surprizing turn to a Man that should know no more of the Affairs of this War thaâ— what he has read in the Flourishes of the French Panegyrists or that has been us'd hitherto to the frequent Musick of Te Deums for several Successes pretended to be due to the Justice of an ambitious aggresser's Cause When we loâ—t the Battle of Landen nothing less according to their accounts could be expected than the loss of the Spanish Netherlands and 't was the French Kings own expression That there was nothing but what he might expect from such a Victory and nothing but what we ought to fear after such a Defeat †Letter to sing the Te Deum And yet it is from the loss of this very Battle that we must date the declining of our victorious Enemies greatness The following Campagne they found themselves uncapable to pursue their so much boasted Success and to act offensively by the considerable increase of our Strength And in this the Success of the War has appeared signally of our side and we ought always to thank God for â—o extraordinary a Blessing This variety of Events in the Affairs of War ought to teach us at the expence of our Enemies not to be arrogant nor insulting in Success but still to be thankful to God to keep within the bounds of Moderation and not to suffer our selves to be transported to such Extravagancies which now upon this happy turn of the Scale of War render the flattering and insolent Writings of our Enemies ridiculous to the meaner and the most ordinary Reader If the Counsels of our Enemies during the precedent Winter-Quarters were still contriving some new designs to advance their Conquests they became so sensible the last Winter of the Increase of the Allies Strength and Power that far from projecting any new Attempts upon our Frontiers they began very early to provide for the defence and security of their own they found what shifts they were put to the last Campagne to cover their Conquests in Flanders from an Invasion and if they succeeded in the defence of it yet the undertaking made them jealous of our further designs against their Frontier of this side this made them resolve to leave no way open if possible to any attempt against them in this Countrey which bordering upon the Sea a Conquest here would be so much the more dangerous that it may draw the reduction of Dunkirk after it or at least it would expose it to the hazard of a Siege which of all their places in the Low-Countries is the most important for them to maintain The way was open from the Water of Ipre to the Lys and as for their Old Line from the Lys to the Scheld they found it of a troublesome length and difficult to keep and that it did not sufficiently cover their Countrey so long as Courtray lay exposed to us The Lys and the Scheld incline very much to one another in this place which makes the distance between these two Rivers half less than it is between Menin and Pont d' Espiers and therefore as for this reason it was so much the easier to deâ—end so likewise it was very necessary for the Safety of Courtray which though weak of Scituation yet could not be attack'd as long as they kept a Line here For this reason the Enemies resolv'd to make a new Line between the Lys and the Scheld which should begin at St. John's Porte at Courtray and should terminate â—t self on the Scheld between Bossu and Avelghem and likewise to make another from Ipre to Comines upon the Lys thereby to shelter their pais conquis from any design Accordingly about the middle of March last they summoned the Boors of all the Countrey round about to rendezvouz at Ipre and Courtray and being all ready towards the latter end of the Month the Mareschal de Bouflers who reâ—ided at Lisle as Governour of the French Flandâ—rs drew out all the Frontier Garrisons to cover the Pioneers whilst they should work at the new Line and incamp'd with them at Belleghem near Courtray where he had his head Quarters Upon this Motion of the Enemies our Garrisons had orders to be ready to march and the Duke of Holstein Ploen with the Duke of Wirtemberg waited upon the Elector at Brussels where they held a Council of War and resolv'd that a Detachment of Five Hundred Men out of every Battallion in Garrison in Flanders Brussels Malines Louvain and the Neighbouring Dutch Garrisons should be drawn out to form a Camp between Deinse and Ghent in order to oppose if possible this new work of the Enemies The Garrison of Malines Louvain and others the most remote march'd the first of April towards the General Rendezvouz and the Elector left Brussels attended by the Prince de Vaudemont the Dukes of Holstein Ploen and Wirtembergh and came to Ghent the 4th to put himself at the head of the Army In the mean time the Garrisons of Ghent and Bruges with the Regiments of Mackay and Graham from Ostend and Lorne from Damme march'd and by the 6th they were all at the General Rendezvouz between Deinse and Ghent commanded by the Elector of Bavaria who took his Quarters at Oydonck and the Duke of Holstein Ploen who took his at
Nevel our Right reach'd towards the Abbey of Drongen and our left was at Deinse and our whole Army consisted of about Seventy Battallions being a Detachment of Five Hundred Men aâ— Battallion so that our Strength was computed to be about 35000 Foot The Garrisons of the Meuse did not stir nor those in Holland but the Garrison of Dixmuyde and those quarter'd in or about Newport had orders to be ready to march being reinforced with the Regiments of St. Amand and Soutlandt from Sluys The Cavalry drew out 30 Men of a Troop from the same Garrisons so that our Army at Deinse consisted of near Fifty Thousand Men but the Season was yet so early that the Ground produc'd no Forrage which was so much the more retarded by reason of the rigour of the precedent Winter and the Troops were subsisted with dry Forrage from the Magazines of Ghent Whether 't was to make a diversion to oblige the Enemies to draw off some of their Forces from the defence of their new Lines to facilitate the forcing of them by our Army at Deinse or whether we were jealous of Dixmuyde that the Enemies might have some design upon it whilst the main Body of our Army was Incamp'd near Deinse I cannot determine but whil'st the Enemy were working very busily at their New Lines a Train of Artillery was sent from Ghent to Bruges with an Escort of Five Hundred Dragoons April which was followed the next day with all sorts of Ammunitions Convoy'd by Five Hundred Dragoons more and the â—est of our English and Scots Dragoons which had been quarter'd in the Winter between Ghent and Sasvan-Ghent marched the same way some days after and went to Dixmuyde where the Forces Quarter'd in the Camerlings Ambacht or Countrey about the Canal of Newport had orders to repair upon a Minutes warning with the Regiments of St. Amand and Soutlandt that had marched from Sluys to Newport But the Enemies who were resolv'd not to be interrupted in their Work but to bring it to perfection order'd all their Garrisons in Flanders to draw out and the Brigade of Foot-Guards both French and Swissers marched with all expedition from Paris to joyn the Army near Courtray so that at the same time that we form'd our Army near Deinse they had their Main Body with the Mareschal de Bouflers at Belleghem and sufficient Detachments to cover the Kenoque and the New Line they were making between Ipre and Comines upon the Lys. Of our â—ide we made a Bridge upon the Lys below Deynse to pass that River in case the forcing of the Enemies Work should be judg'd â—eâ—sible But because 't was now the beginning of the Spring and that it was very dangerous to hazard a Battle which at the best must ruine our Army though we should succeed in beating the Enemy from their Work and hinder it from any other Action of the Campagne but if beaten and repuls'd then the Enemies would have remain'd Masters of the Field with the advantage of a whole Campagne before them For this reason 't was not judg'd safe for the Interest of the Allyes to hazard a Battle to endeavour to force the Enemies Work but to remain incamp'd at Deinse whil'st the Enemies should keep the Field to cover our own Garrisons which Reasons were sent to and approv'd of by the King who was still in England expecting the Conclusion of the Sessions of the Parliament in order to pass the Sea and put himself at the Head of his Army Thus the Enemies were suffered to go on quietly with their Work which they advanc'd with all Expedition having above Twenty Thousand Pioniers imploy'd which they had summoned from the Chatellenies of Lisle Ipre and Courtray and from the Paiis d' Artois and having succeeded in this Work they thought they had provided effectually for their defence and reckon'd that this advantage wouâ—d draw the whole success of the following Campagne after it and considering that their design was to act Defensively they made as much of this Affair as if they had got a Victory or had taken some considerable Town because they suppos'd that what they had done contributed in spight of our attempts to their Wishes and Designs For now they had a very strong barriere from Dinant to the Sea every where cover'd either with a River or a Line which being provided with good Troops we must either force the passage of a River or their Lines to get into their Countrey Namur clos'd up the Meuse and the Sambre from Thuin on the Sambre to the Haine they had another Line to cover the Countrey between Mons and Maubâ—uge which River running by Mons falls into the Scheld at Condé The Scheld from Condé to Bossu between Audenard and Tournay is a very good defence which Nature has provided for the Enemies Countrey on the other side and their New Line which they have made this year Incloses all their Countrey from the Scheld to the Lys at Courtray From Comines upon the Lys they have continued their Line to Ipre and from Ipre they have a Canal which goes by the Kenoque to Furnes and so to Dunkirk fortified with good Redoubts and Forts from place to place So that if we consider the strength of the Enemies Barriers and the weakness of our Frontiers it must very much add to the Honour and Glory of a Conquest of our side and we need not much wonder at the Enemies Conquests whilst we have acted defensively and have been so considerably inferiour to them in Number in some of the foregoing Campagnes The Marquis de la Valette Lieutenant General who Commanded the Old Lines being dead of an Apoplexy the last Winter at Courtray the French King gave the Command of the New Lines to the Count de la Mothe Mareschal de Camp which they have made so much stronger than the lâ—st that they have not the Conveniencies of Water to fill the â—ossé for which reason they have made the Ditch so much the larger and the Breast-work equal to standing Fortifications with Redoubts â—alissâ—ded and Stockaded as well as the Angles Saillants or â—oints of the Line which flank it As soon as the Enemies had brought this work to some perfection they began to dismiss their Troops back into Quarters except such a Number as should be necessary for the defence of their Lines with orders to be ready at first warning and it being so early in the Year that our Forces could not subsist but at the Charges of dry Forrage all the Cavalry was sent back into Quarters and the Infantry of the Neighbouring Garrisons The Elector left the Field as soon as there appeared no probability of attempting the Enemies Line and went for Brussels the 16th together with the Prince de Vaudemont The Duke of Holstein Ploen return'd to Malines and Maestricht the 23th and the 25th the Garrisons of Ghent Bruges Ostend and Dendermond were sent back to their respective Quarters till we should take
we were in some trouble and pain at this time about Prince Vaudemont For the Marechal de Villeroy who had advanced as far as the Scheld at Pottes and Escanaffe expecting Orders to have march'd to the relief of Namur or to undertake some Siâ—ege for a Diversion received Orders to repass the Lys to attack Prince Vaudemont in his Camp at Woutergâ—em which if it had succeeded would have been an effectual way to raise the Siege of Namur 'T is a very easie thing to find Miscarriages and Faults in ill Success and when an Enemy has come to the worse by taking wrong measures t is no hard matter to tell how he might have done better The Attempt upon Prince Vaudemont was doubtful for either Villeroy may come to the worse or the Prince may retreat But if whilst Villeroy was advanced as far as the Scheld the French King had undertaken the Siege of At h or Ardenard one of these two places must of necessity have fallen into his Hands whilst we were besieging Namur or we must have raised the Siege to have hindred it However whether it was that the Enemies who had no other designs but to act defensively had not prepar'd themselves for a Siege or whatever other reason there was for it Villâ—roy easâ—d us of the Jealousie we were in for At h and Aâ—denarde and received orders to repass the Lys For this end he made his Army as strong us possibly he could and order'd Monsieur de Ximenes Lieutenant-General and Pracontal Major-General who were near Mâ—ns with a good Detachment of Horse to come and join him Being reinforced with these Troops he ordered Bridges to be made upon the Lys the 2d at night at Vive St. Eloy where he pass'd that River the 3d. and encam'd at St. Barbon Montal at the same time had Orders to march with the Body under his command from the Neighbourhood of Kenoque towards Thielt Prince Vaudemont being informed of this motion of the Enemy's made a movement of his Camp at Wonterghem to bring his Right more to the Rear to take up the rising Ground of Arseel which he thought more defensible This was the third in the Evening the Prince ordered then Retrenchments to be made upon the Left towards VVacken and the Lys and the 4th the Army retrench'd and fortified upon the Right all the rising Ground of Arseel and the Regiments of Strathnaver and George Hamilton with Brigadier O Farrel came from Deinse to the Camp to reinforce our Army the Garrison being supplyed by Detachments Prince Vaudemont had then about fifty Battallions and fifty one Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons and with these Forces he was then resolved to expect the Marechal de Villeroy and to venture the issue of a Battle in his Retrenchments which he had made very strong though Villeroy had near the double of his number and that Prince Vaudemont had not above 36000 men Whilst we were working at our Retrenchments at Arseel the French Army commanded by the Marechal de Villeroy was marching in the morning towards our Camp with their Left upon our Right near Caneghem and their Right towards our Left at Beâ—â—â—ghem and VVacken We had a Dutch Major posted with two hundred Foot at Inghelmonster upon the River Mandel the Castle or Gentleman's House was pallâ—saded and moted from whence he interrupted the Enemy's march for some time who had a Colomne to march by this place His Post being strong and palissaded he would not surrender till they brought Cannon against him and then he surrender'd himself and Detachment Prisoners of War Some of the French Officers would have had him made an Example for pretending to hinder the march of a Royal Army with a handful of men but on the contrary the Marechal of Villeroy approved of his Courage and Bravery and was pleas'd to applaud it The Mareschal de Villeroy came early enough in presence of our Army that day to have attack'd it and to have decided the Fate of our Army by a Battle But whether it was that he found our Camp strongly fortified and that he would not then hazard it or that he had orders to stay till Montal bad taken the Posts in the Rear of our Right between Arseel and VVirk to attack us there and that he thought it more sure and expedient to stay till then He remained in presence of our Army that Evening expecting to have attack'd the Pâ—ince very early the next morning and in a manner to have caught him in a Net by invironing him upon the Right Prince Vaudemont was informed of this motion of Monsieur de Montal's Our Army was then posted in the Retrenchment expecting the Enemy and though Montal had already pass'd Thielt and was drawing near to Caneghem Prince Vaudemont chang'd Resolution and thought it very hazardous to venture a Battle which promis'd the total ruin of his Army and then though the time was urgent and pressing he immediately with a most admirable Judgment resolv'd upon and contrivâ—d a Retreat The Prince had very wisely provided for such an Accident in the morning by ordering all the Baggage to load immediately and to march by Deinse to Gâ—ent that it might not embarrass the motions of the Army The Prince order'd first the Cannon to be drawn off the Batteries and to march towards Deinse which was done so secretly that the Enemies did not perceive it He had wisely ordered the Artillery to be moving from Battery to Battery all the Afternoon so that when it went clear off the Enemies thought it had been but the ordinary motion After the two Lines of Foot march'd upon the Left along the Retrenchment To cover this march of the Foot the Prince ordered a Body of Horse to come and post in the Retrenchment as 't was quitted by the Foot The Foot march'd with their Pikes and Colours trailing to conceal their march neither did the Enemies perceive this motion till the Cavalry mounted again and abandon'd the Retrenchment and then the Infantry was already got in the bottom between Arseel and VVouterghem marching towards Deinse At the same time that the Foot were filing off from the Retrenchment the Prince ordered Monsieur d Auverquerque with the Right Wing of Horse interlinâ—d with Colliers's Brigade of Foot to make a Line facing towards Caneghem extending himself from the Windmill of Arseel towards Winck This motion was to make Montal believe that this Line was design'd to oppose his Attempt upon the Rear of our Right but his secret Orders were to march off by Winck to Nevel and so to Ghent At the same time that the Foot marchâ—d by Wouterghem and Deinse my Lord Rochford who was posted with the Left Wing of Horse and two Battallions towards the Lys made the Reer Guard towards the Left with a Line of Foot upon one side and three Squadrons of Eppinger upon the other All this was so contriv'd by the Prince from the Right to the Left that the Army disappear'd all at
Fusiliers Tidcomb c. The fire continued till past nine of the Clock and both the Regiments that mounted and dismounted the Trenches remained to make good the Attack My Lord Cutts had the Trenches the night before with the Regiments of Tidcomb Stanley and Collingwood and did not dismount till the whole Attack was over where he hazarded himself very freely as he does upon all occasions of Service Brigadier Fitz-patrick being to mount the Trenches with the Regiments of Lauder Ingoldesby Saunderson and Maitland and Brigadier Frisheim with the Dutch relieved the Posts which had been gained The Guards come off about mid-night and marched back to the Camp at Temploux where they came very early in the morning after having gained a very great Reputation in the Attack For whereas they were only to to gain the outer covered way by the disposition of the Attack yet they beat the Enemies from all the Retrenchments they had upon this Hill and pursued them among their Forts down the Hill to the very Porte de Fer where most of them were killed at the very Palissade but several of our Men that had advanced so far were made Prisoners among the rest Lieutenant-Colonels Pierce and Morrison Captains of the second Regiment of English Guards Ensign Atkins of the same Regiment and Ensign Ross of the Scots Guards and several Soldiers Major-General Ramsay who had the conduct of this Attack had his Horse wounded under him with a Musket-shot and his Servant's Horse was killed just by him with a Cannon-ball which came very thick from the Castle which fir'd over the Town here He had the thanks of the King for this great Success who was present in the whole Action and the Compliments of the chief Generals and Prince Vaudemont writ him a Letter of Congratulation upon this occasion If the English did such considerable Actions in this Attack the Dutch were not idle upon the Left but at the same Signal with ours they marched out of their Trenches and attacked the Left of the Enemies Retrenchments towards the Meuse Major-General Salisch commanded the Trenches this night and the Attack of this side with the Regiments of the Trenches and those that were to mount in all 7 or 8 Battallions The Enemies Fire was more opiniatre of this side than it had been upon the Right of our Attack which caused a considerable slaughter among the Dutch Regiments but in spight of their resistance they gained the Work and beat the Enemies from their Renchments The Regiments of Salisch and another Dutch Oxensten and Braha of the Swedes suffered very much in this Action for which reason the two first were sent to Garrison in Maestricht and the two last to Huy and four other Pattallions were sent from Maestricht to take up their place in the Line of Circumvallation being the Regiments of Du Thiel Anhalt d'Essau and if I am not mistaken two Swiss Battallions of Lochman The Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Regiment of Salisch was killed and the Major wounded with several other Officers killed and wounded of which I have not seen a particular account As for our own loss I shall here insert as exact an account of it as possibly I can In the Brigade of Guards who were most concerned in this Action we had 177 Soldiers killed and 366 wounded 41 missing supposed Prisoners In the first Regiment of the English Guards they had Officers killed Lieutenant-Colonel Robinson who commanded the second Battallion Captains Montague and Hide and Ensign Cavendish Lieutenant-Colonel Davis and Captain Vpcot dead of their Wounds Wounded Lieutenant-Colonel How Captains Evans Etheridge Newton Jane and Amstin Ensigns Clerk St. Denuis and Desaulnais In the second Regiment of English Guards killed Captain Weston and Ensign Holmes Ensign Whiterong dead of his Wounds Wounded Colonel Matthews Lieutenant-Colonel of the Regiment Lieutenant-Colonels Edgworth Jones and Pierce and Captain Markham Ensigns Hill and Miller and Adjutant Wyvil Prisoners Lieutenant-Colonels Pierce and Morrison and Ensign Atkins In the Dutch Guards killed Captain Hooghwitz and Adjutant Verhoop wounded Lieutenant-Colonels Gaudecker Hutzler and Pagnies Captains Tilly and Boisroux and Ensign Windeseim In the Scots Guards killed Captain St. Clair Ensign Borthwick dead of his Wounds Ensign Ross Prisoner and dead since of his Wounds Wounded Lieutenant-Colonel John Hamilton Captain Southerland and Ensign Iyster I shall add to those Lieutenant-Colonel Hume Commandant of my Lord Lornes Regiment Son to the â—arl of Argyle then in Garrison in Dixmuyde who came a Voluntier to see the Siege he waited upon Major-General Ramsay in this Occasion and received a Wound in the Shoulder of which he died since at Liâ—ge Of my â—ord George Hamilton's or the Royal Regiment kill'd Captain anderson Lieutenant Penfather and Ensign Cokbourn Captain Dixon dead of his Wounds My Lord George Hamilton received a Contusion upon the Elbow and Captain Hamilton and Ensigns Carre and Vernal were wounded In Selwyn's Regiment Lieutenant Gyles and Hamilton were wounded one with the Grenadâ—ers and the other with the Workmen In Trelawney â—s Captain Sely was wounded with the Workmen In Tidcomb's Regiment which had the Trenches Lieutenant Rivasson killed dead of their Wounds Captain Carew and Ensign â—errot Wounded Captains Pope Jackson and Forbes and Ensign Cormack In Collingwood's Regiment Lieutenant Lee wounded In Colonel Ingoldesby's one of those that mounted the â—renches this night killed Captain Hamilton and Lieutenant Jassaâ—t In Saunderson's Lieutenant Swain klled wounded Captain Knight and Lieutenant Bernard In Maitland's killed Captain Melvil with the Workmen and Lieutenant Arrot with the Grenadiers Captain Gordon of the Grenadiers wounded I have not seen the List of Lauder's As for our loss among the Soldiers it was generally computed that we had in all in the English and Dutch Attacks about 500 men killed and about 1200 wounded and that our whole Loss Officers and Soldiers put out of Battle amounted to near 1800 men at most and this was the only assault where we had any considerable loss before the Town The Enemies had their choicest Troops for the defence of these Retrenchments upon the Hill and as soon as they perceived that we designed an attack upon this place they ordered a great body of Foot and their best Dragoons to march out of the Town and to reinforce their Post upon the Hill we could see them march very easily from the King's Quarter So that reinforcement and all they had 8 or 9 Regiments of foot besides Dragoons within the retrenchments 'T is certain that we made a very great slaughter among them when once our Soldiers got in and pursued them they lay very thick in the pits and up and down their retrenchments but because the Besieged always conceal their losses as much as they can we could not get a perfect account of it but 't is very reasonable to think that their loss was not much inferiour to ours They had a Brigadier killâ—d in this occasion the Count de Maulivrier and two Colonels the
Arms was continued till the next day with Moutal's consent All this night the Enemies contrary to the Articles of the Cessation work'd on with their Trenches which they advanced close to the Glacis where the next morning they had a good Battery ready to tear the Rampart in pieces if we had not capitulated Our Soldiers were not suffer'd to fire to hinder the Enemies Work though it was a notorious Breach and infraction of the Cessation The next morning Montal still refusing any Terms but those of Prisoners of War according to the Orders he preâ—â—tended to have from the French King it was at last agreed upon and the Capitulation signed that morning 18 which consisted of the Articles following First That the Governour Field-Officers and all the other Officers and Soldiers of the Regiments in Garrison in the said place of Dixmuyde without exception of any Nation shall be Prisoners of War and shall be treated according to the Cartel made in the beginning of this present War II. That the Besieged shall deliver up the Rousselar Porte an hour after the signing of the Capitulation III. That the Regiments which composed the said Garrison shall draw up upon the Market-place and the other side of the Town in the Counterscarp without Bruges Porte and the several Regiments drawn up in Battallian shall lay down their Arms and march clear off the Ground and the Officers shall only have their Swords IV. That during the disarming of the Garrison neither the Officers nor Soldiers of the said Garrison shall be plundered or insulted by any Soldiers belonging to his Most Christian Christian Majesty upon any pretext whatever V. That before all this be done the Equipages and Baggage of all the Officers as well of the Hospital and Artillery as others shall have liberty to be transported out of Bruges Porte upon Waggons or by the Canal for such as shall go by Water to be safely convoy'd by his Christian Majesty's Troops as near to Newport as the Conductor of the Baggage shall think fit giving security for the return of the said Escorte VI. That an Officer shall be appointed by the Governour to conduct the said Baggage towards Newport which Officer shall return with the Escorte to joyn the Garrison in such a Town as his Most Christian Majesty shall appoint for the Prison of the Regiment to which he shall belong VII That all the Domesticks shall go along with and lead the Baggage though they have Soldiers Accoutrements on which shall not exceed two Soldiers a Company besides the Officers Livery-Servants who are not comprised in this Proviso and this shall be performed upon Honour VIII That the Officers shall have along with them as many Horses as they please IX That the Sick and Wounded shall have Boats to carry them to Newport but at the same time shall be comprised in the List of the Prisoners of War and that the Doctors and Surgeons shall remain with them to dress and take care of them which shall be done at the Most Christian King's Charges as long as he shall retain them X. That no Regiments of the Garrison shall be dispersed but Officers shall be allowed and kept protionably with every number of Soldiers XI That the Garrison shall not be sent out of the Country conquer'd in Flanders since the Year 1672. XII That the Garrison shall not march above five Leagues a day and when they march it shall be at his Most Christian Majesty's Expences XIII That Bread shall be given to the Soldiers during their Imprisonment XIV That the Prisoners for Contributions the Waggoners and Conductors shall be set at liberty and the Deputies which command them as soon as the Waggons of which the Garrison has occasion for the transporting of the Baggage shall be returned XV. That the Officers shall have the Towns where they are sent for their Prison upon their Word of Honour XVI That as for the Dragoons in the Garrison they shall be comprised in the present Treaty as well as the Regiments of Foot and shall deliver up their Arms Standards and Horses except the Officers Signed the 28th of July N. S. Montal. These are the Articles upon which the Garrison of Dixmuyde was surrender'd to the French which setting aside the liberty of the Baggage which should never be put in competition with the King's Service but should rather be undervalued for it are such as any Regiment could have in the open Field and which some Regiments actually had in the very Plains of Fleury after the loss of that Battle where being form'd into square Battallions and resolved otherwise to defend themselves they had the Terms of Prisoners of War given them though surrounded with the Enemies Horse This Treatment surpriz'd very much all the Officers and Soldiers of the Garrison who had hitherto been promised Honourable Terms to march out of the Garrison with their Arms they conceived such indignation at the news of it that several Soldiers broke their Arms to pieces even before the Enemy and wished that since they were made Prisoners of War they had sold their Liberty to the French as dear as possibly they could by a vigorous resistance As soon as the Capitulation was sign'd the French took possession of the Rousselar Port and were really Masters of the place before a great part of the Garrison knew any thing of the signing a Capitulation and the French Soldiers crowded in the place before it had been evacuated by our Garrison According to the Capitulation the Regiments drew out in Battallion and marched clear off their Arms which they left with their Colours except my Lord Lorne's Regiment which tore off the Colours from the Staff rather than suffer them to be a Trophy to the Enemy A great many Soldiers had broke their Arms to pieces and the rest the French took possession of and sent the Colours taken to be put up in Nostre Dame's Church in Paris The Garrison was at first sent to Ipre but was afterwards disposed without any regard to the Capitulation in several Towns in the Pays Conquis Some to Arras others to Bethune Bouchain Cambray and Doway And whereas it was expresly agreed in the Articles That no Soldiers should be sent Prisoners into any Town without the Pays Conquis since the Year 1672 yet they were sent to Arras and Doway both which places were conquered before that and some as far as Bethune in the Borders of Picardy But this is not the only Article in which the French violated the publick Faith of Capitulations There is hardly one which they observed they would not in several places suffer the Officers to come near the Soldiers that they may be debauch'd with more ease from our Service by the late Kingâ—s Officers A little before the taking of Namur they put the Officers in close imprisonment And whereas by the Cartel all Prisoners are reclaimable within a Fortnight after they are taken and that 't was expresly capitulated the Garrison
to terrifie them That they must not expect to be treated as Prisoners of War but as Rebels But this was making a Triumph before the Victory as it prov'd to their Confusion The King being inform'd of the Enemies March upon their Left towards Perwys order'd the Army to march upon the Right at the same time that our Besiegers were engag'd in the Assault against the Castle and Outworks The King took his Quarter this Day at a Gentleman's House call'd Ostin near the Village of Du. The Brigade of Guards being now in the Reserve encamp'd upon the Right of the King's Quarter in a third Line near the Hesse Troops Our Body of Foot encamp'd within the Retrenchment of Du and our Cavalry encamp'd behind them to sustain the Foot in the defence of the Retrenchments We abandon'd the perpendicular Retrenchment at Bossire between Masy and Gemblours Livingston's Dragoons with the Regiment of Foot of Holstein Ploen was left to guard the Post of Masy my Lord George Hamilton Brigadier was left to guard the Retrenchment of Golsines with three Battalions This was made upon the quitting of the Retrenchment of Bossire leaving Golsines Prince Vaudemont's Quarter before it who was Quarter'd at Ostin in the same House with His Majesty Brigadier Fitspatrick continu'd with his Eight Battalions at St. Denis We had a good Body of Horse posted at Ypignies before our Right At our coming to this Ground we saw the Enemies encamp'd with their Left near the Mehaigne between Ramelies and Taviers and their Right stretching towards Orbais with Perwys before them and Malevre in their Rear At Night we continu'd our Retrenchment from Du to the Wood upon our Right to be defended by the Hesse Troops and some of the Body of Foot The 21st we continu'd our Fire against the Castle with the usual Fury to make all Things ready for another Assault We began to apply the Miner to the Breach of the Cohorne for our Cannon firing from the Town and the other side of the River up the Hill could only break down the upper part of the Work whilst the Foot of it remain'd entire under the Shot of our Cannon and besides having gain'd the Counterscarp of this Work our Cannon could not play against the Cohorne without doing harm to our own Men And this I suppose was the Reason why we design'd in the last Attack to carry the Counterscarp and Breach all at once At Night Major-General Lindeboom mounted the Trenches with Brigadier Dedem The same Day the Maréchal de Villeroy pass'd the Mehaigne with a good Body of Horse and advanc'd as far as Ypignies The grand Guard we had here retreated to the Camp upon his Approach their Orders being not to engage The Maréchal de Villeroy left the main of his Body of Horse and rid on full speed with two Squadrons of Hussars whose Horses are very fleet and fit for such a purpose close to our Retrenchments upon our Right to view our Works and to observe our Camp He continued here wheeling sometime to the Right and sometime to the Left near a little Hedge that cover'd him We brought down some Pieces of Cannon to fire upon him which as soon as he perceiv'd it he rid off full speed with his two Squadrons under the shelter of a Wood we had before the Hesse Retrenchment At the same time that we brought down our Cannon we drew up several Regiments of Foot within our Line expecting the Enemies but no Action happen'd only some pickeering as they term it that is when single Men detach themselves voluntarily from both sides to meet and fire upon one another and then retire to their several Bodies again The Maréchal de Villeroy having observ'd the Posture of our Camp and our strong Retrenchments rid back again full speed with his Hussars to the main Body of Horse he had left at the heighth of Ypignies We detach'd some Squadrons after him the grand Mousquetaires of Brandenbourgh being one of them but without any other Action than the former Pickeering Villeroy having found us so well posted in this Place would yet try to find out a Passage for the Relief of Namur between our Right and the Meuse and therefore he went with his Detachment of Hussars towards the Village of Verderin where there is another narrow Plain upon the skirt of a thick Wood which from hence continues to the Meuse The Dragoons of Dopf and Eppinger were posted here where they made a Retrenchment and the Cavalry of the Right was commanded this Day with Lumley's Brigade to join these Dragoons for the Defence of this Post with Collier's Brigade which hitherto had continu'd in the little Retrenchment in the Wood between St. Denis and Golsines Thus Villeroy found all the Passages guarded before the Town from the Sambre where the River of Masy falls into it by all these Villages we have mention'd round to the Meuse below Namur at our Bridge of Communication making with Woods Rivulets and Retrenchments a kind of an outer Line of Circumvallation near Twelve English Miles in length And this was thought a better Defence than to have disputed the Passage of the Mehaigne to the Enemies when they came to Perwys Although Villeroy had now lost all Hopes of doing any thing for the Relief of the Castle for he found that he could not attack us without hazarding the Loss of his whole Army and that ours was in a good Condition and strongly posted and indeed our Strength was such that I believe had not the Siege of the Castle depended upon the Issue of a Battel we should hardly have put a Spade in the Ground to have made a Retrenchment yet the Enemies Presence at Perwys was very inconvenient to our Army which was now shut up in a kind of a Line of Circumvallation where Forage was very scarce They had cut off all Communication with Brussels and Louvain from whence we had our Provisions They were now Masters of the River-side between Namur and Liege so that we could have nothing from thence by Water but must be brought by Land on the Dinant side through a difficult Country But the Maréchal de Villeroy had secur'd his Communication with Charleroy and Mons by leaving the Marquis de Harcourt with a small Army near Fleury From whence it appears that if the French had not left the Castle to the last Extremity before they came to Relieve it it might have prov'd of a very dangerous Consequence to our Army which would have been in a manner depriv'd of Subsistance for Man and Horse But they must bombard Brussels first and so they came too late and I cannot imagine the Reason of this Proceeding unless they believ'd all the Reports of our Losses publish'd in the Paris Gazette and so to let the Siege run on to shatter our Army and then to come at last with their Army to give the finishing Stroke to our Ruine If they say their Rhine Detachment was not yet come up