belonging to the first of those two Places to which the King of Poland readily consented While they were preparing to put this Design in Execution Prince Lewis of Baden joyn'd the Army with the Duke of Bavaria's Infantry which Reinforcement giving them fresh Life and Courage they began to cross the Waag The Cavalry encamp'd the same day upon the Banks of that same Arm of the Danaw staying for those other Troops which had not yet passed the River The Duke also waited for the Infantry to the end the Army might march in a Body toward Barcam and perform some remarkable Atchievement And he reckon'd upon it that the next day which was the 8th the whole Army wou'd be ready to set forward in regard Count Starembergh who Commanded the Infantry had Orders to joyn the Army that day But the King of Poland anticipated tâ—e Time for he sent word that he was alreaâ—â— upon his March to Attack the Place which they had agreed to Assail and therefore dâ—â—â—'d him to follow with all expedition Which alteration of the K. of Poland's Resolution did not a little surprize the Duke and tho' he prepar'd himself to March nevertheless he sent before the Count de Dunewald to the King to let him know the Necessity of staying for the Infantry and the Danger they should bring themselves into by seperating their Forces when they were so near the Armies both of the Turks and Male-Contents and almost at the Gates of their strong Holds But the Count found the King already on Horseback who gave him this Answer That being assured that the Detachement of the Turks toward Barcam was not considerable he saw no Inconvenience that could happen by continuing his March So that the Duke perceiving the King's Resolution was constrain'd to follow leaving only a Regiment of Croats to attend the Foot But the King of Poland was sooner advanc'd within an Hours March of Barcam but he was informed by some of the first Troops of his Vanguard that some Squadrons of the Enemy appear'd Upon which he ordered a Detachement to repel them which was vigorously done while the Turkish Cavalry gave ground but being seconded by a greater Number the Polish Troops that fell on first were repulsed themselves to whose relief the King at the same time sent some other Squadrons And now the Fight being equal he advanced himself with all his Horse But then it was that the Body of the Enemies Cavalry to the Number of between Seven and Eight Thousand Men which till then lay cover'd behind a great Hill appeared when the King least dreamt of their being so near So that before the Polanders could put themselves into Order of Battel they were Charged so briskly both in Front and Flank that they were constrain'd to fly and leave behind them their Baggage and some Colours The Duke of Lorrain being informed that the Enemy was Engaged with the Polanders hasten'd to their Aid But he soon found upon his Arrival that the Polish Horse were utterly Broken and that the Turks pursued them close at the Heels The first thing therefore that he did was to range the foremost of the Imperial Troops which he had no sooner done but he advanced toward the Enemy and his appearance put them into such a Consternation that they immediately betook themselves to flight and retir'd under the Guns of Barcam The King of Poland was so far advanced and in many places so openly exposed on purpose to encourage his Men by his own Example that for some time 't was thought he had been taken by the Infidels for he was one of the last that retreated and that a long time too after the Duke of Lorrain had routed the Ottoman Troops And indeed such was the Terror that still continued among the Polanders notwithstanding their Fortunate Rescue that the Presence of the King who was thought to have been taken Prisoner could not quite recover 'em out of the Amaze they were in The Losses they had sustain'd and the Hazards they had run had so terrified their Senses that the Principal Officers of the Army began to perswade the King to alter his Design of Attacking Barcam and to bethink himself of taking up his Winter Quarters Upon which the Duke of Lorrain who had some Intimation what Counsel the King had given him presently hasten'd to his Quarters where the Reasons he alleadged for the easie making themselves Masters of that Fort were so prevalent and convincing that a Resolution was taken to Attack the Fort and to that purpose to March the next day But the same Night his Majesty of Poland having received Intelligence that the Turkish Detachement had been reinforced by some Bodies Commanded by the Bassa's of Aleppo and other Places and fearing that those Troops were followed by the rest of the Ottoman Army began to deliberate anew upon the Enterprize so lately resolv'd upon Till the Duke having made it manifestly appear to him that the Enemies whole Army could not possibly be arrived before Barcam and that though it were yet there was no reason for that to alter the Design they determined at last to Attack it and march'd toward the Enemy at the Head of both Armies Nor did the Turks who were Drawn up in a Plain stay till they were Attackt themselves but briskly gave the first Charge upon the Left Wing of the Polanders with so much Bravery that the whole Wing began to give ground But the Duke of Lorrain having quitted his Lines to fly to their Succor rallied them with so much speed and bring himself at the Head of some German Horse fell upon the Enemy with that fury that being well seconded by the Polanders he put them to a total Rout and Count de Dunewald having Orders to pursue them they were chac'd to the Gates of Barcam with a Loss far greater than that which the Grand Visier sustain'd at Vienna For besides the dreadful Slaughter of the Turks in the Battel one of the Bridges over which the Fugitives crouded to get into the Fort falling down with the weight of the Throng an infinite Number were Drowned in the Danaw This Opportunity was too favourable not to make the best of it immediately Therefore the Christian Army advanced and the Duke caused a Battery to be raised from whence the Christians play'd so furiously upon the Fort that the Garison hung out a white Flag desired to Capitulate and Surrendred upon Composition However that could not prevent the Polonians from cutting the Garison in pieces which very much troubled the Duke of Lorrain who had received the Capitulation 'T is thought that of Fourteen or Fifteen Thousand Turks that were advanced for the Relief of Barcam there hardly Escaped Four Thousand and that there were above a Thousand Prisoners taken among whom were two Bassa's and some Aga's of Janisaries * The Fort of Barcam Surrendred to the D. of Lorrain the 9th of October 1683. within less than a Month after the Siege
sent another to secure Siclos and Five-Churches and then resolv'd to have besieged Sigeth But the same Reasons that frustrated his Design before he had pass'd the Drave caus'd him to give it over the second time After which he had a purpose to have pass'd the Danaw over the Bridge which had been built near Mohats But that March was put off upon fresh Intelligence that the Grand-Visier had pass'd the Bridges near Esseck with his whole Army So that now he resolv'd once more to march toward the Infidels and try if he could provoke 'em to an Engagement After the Retreat of the Duke of Lorrain the Grand-Visier was once in a mind to have pursu'd the Imperialists but then again believeing that this Retreat was but feign'd to draw him out of his Entrenchments he let them retreat without any disturbance But then again as firmly believing that the Retreat of the Christians was a real Flight he quitted the Fastness where he lay and encamp'd near Darda Nevertheless there being nothing which he dreaded more then to come to Handy-Stroaks with the Christians he took great care to entrench himself and kept himself very quiet in his Camp On the other side the Duke of Lorrain who saw that the Visier avoided fighting and that there was no probability of drawing him out of his Trenches unless he made use of some Stratagem caus'd his Army sometimes to advance sometimes to retreat as if he had been afraid of the Enemy He made several Detachements some of which pass'd the Danaw others march'd towards Siclos and Sigeth with Orders however not to remove from the Camp above a Leagues distance But all these Counterfeit shews proving fruitless and the Duke besides seeing that his Men could not subsist in the Place where they were he resolv'd to retreat in good earnest and the Resolution was no sooner taken but he began to decamp The Visier not being able hitherto to penetrate the meaning of so many Motions of the Christian Army began to believe at last that the Duke thought himself too weak to attack him and that his flight was a sign that he had no desire to fight So that being eager to make the best of the Advantage which he thought he had he hasten'd out several Detachements to fall upon the Rear and Baggage of the Imperialists and afterwards causing a greater number of Men to advance the fight began insensibly Presently Ten thousand Spahi's and five thousand Janisaries appear'd who march'd directly against the Left Wing of the Imperialists where the Duke of Bavaria commanded with Prince Lewis of Baden And these two great Bodies of Turkish Horse and Foot were preceded by another great Body of Cavalry whose charge was vigorously receiv'd by General Dunewald In a moment after that the Janisaries posted themselves upon a rising Ground with some Pieces of Cannon charg'd with Car-touches which very much endammag'd the Left Wing at what time the Ten thousand Spahi's began to come on But then the Duke of Bavaria who saw that now the Turks had a design to fight extended the Front of his Wing proportionably as he saw that the Enemy extended theirs And indeed the Turks fell on briskly and vigorously But the Duke of Bavaria stood the Shock like a great Captain and though he expos'd himself as much as any Common Soldier and flew about from one place to another he receiv'd only a slight Wound in the Hand with a Musket Bullet While the Left Wing was thus engag'd the Duke of Lorrain drew up the Right Wing in the form of a Half Moon the right Horn of which extended to the Enemies Flank with whom they were already in close fight and the left Horn extended toward a Body of Spahi's and Janisaries that were thundring down upon ' em The Combat was long and Bloody and it was observable that the Turks fought in much better Order than they us'd to do and with much more Courage but for all that they were forced to give ground The Grand-Visier who never thought the Fight would have begun so soon or that his Detachements would have charg'd the Christian Army with so much precipitancy had not drawn up all his Men in Battel Array or rather not imagining that the Christians would have made that Resistance which they did was in such a hurry such a strange amaze and gave his Orders so confusedly that it was impossible for those that receiv'd 'em to put 'em in execution which caus'd such a disorder among the Turks that the Duke and the Elector knew well how to make their best advantage of it So that while they were in that Confusion they overturn'd whole Squadrons one upon another and while Friends routed Friends made a miserable slaughter among ' em On the other side the Grand-Visier who was afraid of what he saw and could not prevent it with all his Precautions flew from place to place where there was most danger to rally his Men which he did in some measure but in regard it was impossible he should be every where the Turks gave ground in many places and the Field was soon clear'd by the Christians for those of the Turks who had made the stoutest resistance and fought with most fury lost their ground by degrees and at length betook themselves all to flight They were pursu'd to their Camp where the greatest part were cut to pieces and they that escap'd the Victor being chac'd from their Entrenchments were driv'n like Sheep as far as the Drave where they had been all cut to pieces had not the night been more favourable to them This Battel was fought very near the same place where the famous Battel of Mohats was fought in the year 1526 at what time Soliman the Second slew about Twenty thousand Christians among whom was Lewis the Second King of Hungary All the Enemies Artillery consisting of Fourscore Pieces of Cannon and twelve Mortars became a Prey to the Victor with all their Provisions and Riches The Turks so little expected this defeat that their Wagons were found without Horses their Elephants and Camels in their Stalls and their Tents standing The Duke of Bavaria who enter'd among the first into their Camp pusht on forward to the Grand Signior's Tent which was easily known by the Richness of it and other Marks particular to the Generals of the Infidels where he found a little Chest wherein were about Two Millions in Gold and Jewels And in this Tent it was that Te Deum was sung two days afterwards for joy of the Victory and so they decamp'd the next day for fear of infection from the stench of the dead Bodies For 't is verily believ'd the Turks lost near Twelve thousand Men in this Battel At the same time also that the Christians gain'd this considerable Victory in Hungary the Serasquier of the Morea was defeated by Count Coningsmark and the Rout of that General occasion'd such a Consternation among the Turks that they quitted Patras the Castles
For the Serasquier afraid of being beaten by the Duke as he had been the Campagne before no sooner understood that the Duke was advancing towards him with his Forces but he raised the Siege of Gran and drew up all his Forces together So that the Duke found him ranged in Order of Battel with an Army of above Sixty thousand Men in a very advantageous Post For he had of each side Mountains covered with Wood before him a Marsh that extended as far as the Danaw upon the Banks of which he had begun his Entrenchments which he had carried on from the River to a rising Ground where he had Planted his great Guns The first days were only spent in Skirmishes while the Turks extended their Camp to the same Distance from the Marsh as that of the Christians lay stretching out their Right Wing along the Danaw and their Left upon the rising Grounds Now in regard that upon the News which the Duke of Lorrain had received that the Enemy had raised the Siege of Gran and that the Relief which he had sent to the Town was got in he was not obliged to pass the Marsh that lay between him and the Ottoman Army he thought it rather his Business to force the Serasquier to pass it himself and to draw him on to begin the Fight without being obliged to tire his own Soldiers but which way to do this he could not devise Thereupon a Council of War was called and then it was resolved that the Duke should counterfeit a hasty Flight to draw on the Serasquier to follow him Thereupon the Baggage was immediately sent away before toward the close of the Evening and the Imperialists about two hours after decamped No sooner was the Army upon their March but they heard a most hideous noise of Turkish Exaltation which made them conjecture that the Serasquier would be at their heels In short the Turkish General upon false Intelligence that the Christian Army was not above Twenty thousand Men had laboured might and main to fill up the Marsh and had passed it with a Design to give the Duke Battel and then to relieve Newhausel On the other side the Duke of Lorrain who had compassed his Design prepared for Battel and having caused his Army to face about he marched it all Night in Order of Battel toward the Enemy And by break of day there arose such a thick Fog that it was impossible for the Serasquier to observe the Number of the Christians nor the Order of their Army which did not contribute a little to the Victory which the Duke of Lorrain gained for he knew how to make his Advantage of it So soon as the Mist cleared up both Armies drew near one to another with a slow pace at first But at length the Turks coming down from the rising Grounds which they possest flew upon the Right Wing of the Christian Army commanded by the Prince of Baden with an incredible Fury but that Wing stood immoveable and immediately after the Left Wing commanded by the Elector of Bavaria was Charged with no less Resolution Which also with a superiour courage repelled the Infidels who then despairing to break into the Body assayed to force their Flank but that same Attempt deceiving their Expectations as being secured by the River Danaw they fell again upon Prince Louis of Baden Thereupon the Duke of Lorrain who perceived what the violent Attempts of the Turks aimed at ordered the Wing which he commanded to march with a slow pace with Instructions to receive the first firing of the Enemy without so much as discharging a Gun The same Directions were also given by the Duke of Bavaria to the Left Wing which he commanded So that after the Turks had discharged their first Vollies the Imperialists fired so thick upon them that they were forced to give ground Upon which the Duke of Lorrain to take the Advantage of their Disorder commanded his own Men to bear hard upon the Enemy yet not so furiously as to break their Ranks and at the same time ordered the Hungarians to follow the pursuit who being better acquainted with the Turkish manner of Fighting rally themselves more easily Upon that the Turks who had betaken themselves to flight so soon as they were out of reach of the Imperial Artillery began to rally again and turning Head against the Hungarians put them into some disorder and encouraged by this Advantage they returned to make a second Charge but were received with that Resolution by the Imperialists keeping their Ground that the greatest part of them that carried the Colours were slain at the Head of their Squadrons which put them again into disorder and obliged them to a second Flight In this hurly-burly and Danger wherein the Turks beheld themselves they threw themselves all on one side and flew upon the Duke of Lorrain's Wing with a Resolution to Flank it But the Duke perceiving their Design by their first Motions rendered it altogether ineffectual by redoubling the fire of the first Line as he saw the Turks come on At the same time also he gave Order to the Count de Dunewald to march on that side with the Squadrons and Batallions that were nearest the second Line And all his Orders were so exactly and so successfully obeyed that the Duke of Bavaria advancing at the same time with the Left Wing there began a most terrible confusion among the Turks who at last betook themselves to flight with so much consternation that they entangled themselves among the most difficult Passes of the Marsh Immediately the Duke ordered the pursuit to be made by a Detachement of Hungarians and Croats and some Squadrons of Dragoons and Horse which so much increased the disorder of the Turks that they lost above Two thousand Men before they could repass the Marsh The greatest part of the Janisaries who were engaged upon a rising Ground being forsaken by their Horse were all cut to pieces Nevertheless the Turks endeavoured to rally But the Duke of Lorrain having passed the Marsh with his Army by the same Passes through which the the Turks had Escaped as having made them passable themselves this put the Enemy into such a terrible consternation that they abandoned their Camp and sought their Safety in the nimbleness of their Heels And in this disorder impossible to be described it was that the Janisaries made no scruple to cut the Spahi's Throats for the sake of their Horses so that it may well be said that the Serasquier lost more Men through the Fright and Confusion that was among them then in the Fight where not above Three thousand were slain upon the Place with the loss of only Three hundred on the Dukes side In the Camp were found Four and twenty Pieces of Cannon some Mortars above a thousand Bombs a great Quantity of Ammunition and Provisions and a good number of Colours While the Duke of Lorrain was thus employ'd at the Battle of Gran the
to see accomplish'd after an Obstruction of that Nature All People agree That the Reasons which oblig'd the King of France to give such rigorous Orders in reference to the Duke of Lorrain was the Apprehension which he had that if the Prince should stay too long in Paris he would visit the Princess so often that she would make such Evidences appear as would speak aloud to all the World that they were Married and it was the King's Interest to break the Marriage there being no other way for him to disengage himself from the Promise he had made the Prince upon his signing the Contract by which he bound himself to acknowledge him the Sole Heir that was capable to Succeed to the Dukedoms of Lorrain and Barr after the Death of Charles IV. which was a clear disannulling of the Donation made of the same Dutchies by the Treaty of Montmarre But to return to the Prince of Lorrain he had engag'd himself so imprudently in his Journey to Paris that he had not half Money enough left to supply his Necessities and Madam the Dutchess of Orleance of whom he had desir'd to borrow was forc'd to acknowledge that she was not in a Condition to furnish him at present in regard her Family was now no Richer than under the Ministry of Cardinal Mazarine So that the Prince was constrain'd to accept of the Dutchesses good will not daring to delay his Departure He was no sooner out of Paris but he posted in all hast to the Frontiers of France taking thence the Road to Luxemburgh where he made a short stay till he could find some body so charitable as to furnish him with Money and indeed he was very hard put to it to find a Creditor but at length a Knight who was altogether unknown to him having Lent him Two hundred Crowns he return'd to the Emperor with a Design to apply himself wholly to his Service For as for the Duke his Uncle he saw well it would be to no purpose to sollicit him to permit his Return to Lorrain more especially when he should come to understand the ill Success of his Voyage to Paris The Emperor received the Prince with infinite marks of his Affection He testified his Sorrow for his being so ill entertain'd by the Duke his Uncle and the King of France and promised him his Protection as he had done before Soon after his Arrival at the Court of Vienna the War brake out in Hungary between the Emperor and the Turks I shall not enter into the Particulars of that War at what time the Grand Visier appear'd at the Head of a Formidable Army and in the last Battel that was fought left behind him Eight thousand Men slain upon the Place besides those that were swallowed up in the River of Raab Now in regard all Christendom was concern'd in this War all the Christian Princes sent their Forces to joyn with the Emperors and France among the rest furnished his Imperial Majesty with a considerable Assistance of Men that did him signal Service And then it was that the Prince of Lorrain to whom the Emperor had already given an old Regiment of a Thousand Horse perceiving there were in the French and other Troops a great number of Young Gentlemen who had undertaken a long Journey to signalize their Courage in that War found the Incitements of his Emulation so importunate that he besought his Imperial Majesty to let him try his Fortune the next Campagne But because of the great hazards he was to run in regard the Ottoman Army was prodigiously numerous besides that the Prince was not then above Twenty years of Age the Emperor thought it not fit at that time to grant him his Request So that the Prince saw himself compell'd to abide at Vienna while others were gaining Honour in the Field However not being able to over-rule himself to give Obedience to the Emperor in those Commands that seem'd to curb him in the Acquisitions of Future Fame he privately withdrew from the Court and got to the Army The Turks had then besieged the Fort of Serini so that the Prince thought he should be soon enough to joyn the Succour that was already sent to relieve that Place But the Fort being won much sooner than was expected he was frustrated of those Hopes Nevertheless in regard his Mind gave him that he should signalize himself in that Campagne he met with an Opportunity wherein he behav'd himself after an extraordinary manner A Body of Seven or Eight thousand Turks of the most resolute in the Grand Signior's Army being Commanded by the Grand Visier to cross a River that separated the Ottoman from the Christians Camp with a design to surprize them so furiously assail'd the Right Wing of the Imperial Army that they began to give ground without making any considerable resistance Which cast such a terror among the Imperialists that General Montecuculi being at his Wits end to see so bad a Beginning of a Fight was glad to bring on the Left Wing to renew the Combat Among whom the first that Montecuculi met was the Prince of Lorrain So that in regard he had no time to lose and that he could not make choice of what Men he pleas'd he only told the Prince that in the Unfortunate Conjuncture wherein he found himself he was constrain'd to oppose his Regiment against the Fury of the Turks till he could cause others to advance only that which troubled him beyond Expression was to see the Danger to which of necessity he must expose himself to save the Honour of the Christians To which the Prince made as short a reply That he was overjoy'd to meet with an opportunity to venture his Life that he was only to direct him where he should Charge and that he would infallibly Perish or repel the Enemy Adding withal That nothing griev'd him so much as that he wanted Five hundred Men of his own Regiment which were sent to secure the Forragers however they that follow'd him had so much Courage that he made no doubt but they would give that day more than ordinary proofs of their Valour The General finding himself in a great straight and greatly encourag'd by the generous Prowess of the youthful Prince told him where he should fall on And with that although the Turks were four to one resolved to Die or Vanquish he broke in among the Turks with so much Vigour and such a Presence of Mind that the old Officers of his Regiment were amaz'd at such a first Essay of Valour It would be a difficult thing to represent the Heat and Fury with which the Prince fought For in regard he met with stout Resistance in the second Squadrons that reliev'd the former he was constrain'd to charge the Enemy three or four times before he could make them give ground And he must have given way at length had not the Marquis of Coligny General of the French Horse order'd the Count of Fueillade to advance