the Siege was kept for the Duke of Holstein Ploen Velt-Mareschal General of the States Forces accordingly upon our March from Wouterghem to Rouselar the King ordered the Duke of Holstein to go and Command the Forces to be imployed in the Siege of Huy and Major-General Cohorne who had remained with his Body of which we have already given an account near Ghendt till this time was commanded to march towards Liege The 31 th the Three Battalions of Guards the first of the English Guards the second of Dutch Guards and the third the second Battalion of Scots Guards were ordered to incamp on the other side of the Town of Rouselar towards Ipres to cover the Kings Quarters for the Country being close and Woody made the Enemies Parties very bold The same day Quarter-Master-General Dopf was sent to Dixmuyde to observe the Place he had an Escorte of 600 Men Commanded by Colonel Trelawney at his return he gave His Majesty an account of the Place upon which 't was Resolved to fortifie it The Campagne being now far spent and this being like to be the last Camp before we separated into Winter Quarters the Army had Orders to put down their Tents and to make Baracques or Huts of straw which at this time was to be found in great abundance about this place for no Army had incamped near it for many Years The same day the Prisoner of which we have given an account in the March from Sombref to Nivelle that was taken in one of the Ammunition Waggons with a lighted Match was burnt alive after he had first his Right hand cut off and flung into the fire he was put to the Torture to confess his Ruin and was found guilty by the Court-Marshal of designing to blow up our Powder Waggons I have not yet seen the Copy of the Sentence and so I cannot give a farther account of his Crime and of the Persons by whom he was set on I have only heard that it was the Marquis de Grammont We had such an Accident in the Campagne of 1691. the Evening that we returned from Beaumont to the Camp at Court Sur Heure The thing was undertaken by one of the Dutch Traine he actually set fire to Two Bombs which put the whole Army into an Alarm and if the Gunners had not hazarded themselves very much to fling them out of the Waggons it would in all probability have set all our Ammunion Waggons on fire he underwent afterwards the same punishment at the Camp of St. Gerrard his Right hand was cut off and burnt before his face and was himself afterwards burnt alive with a small fire which he indured with a great deal of constancy The Third an Ensign of King James his Irish Guards left the Enemies Camp and came over to our Army and the same day one Pierce Oliver that had been a Sergeant in the Dragoons of Valencar and Native of Tournay was hanged near the Elector of Bavaria's Quarter He had deferted the Spanish Service and went over to the Enemies where he turned Partisan he was taken Prisoner the day before by a Spanish Party and was hanged the next day for a Deserter The same the Duke of Wirtemburg began the Review of the Infantry and Reviewed this day the Brigade of Guards the next day he Reviewed the rest of the Body of Foot the same day His Majesty went to My Lord of Athlone's Camp under a strong Escorte and and because this close Countrey was hardly ever without some of the Enemies Parties they suprized one of which they made Fifty Prisoners killed some and dispersed the rest The King having dined with the Lord of Athlone returned the same night to the Camp after he had ordered a Detachment of Thirty Squadrons of Horse and some Dragoons to march towards Aeth under the Command of Count Tilly Major-General This Detachment was made to cover Brusselles from the Garrison of Mons which made some Incursions to the very Canal of Brusselles and also to observe the Enemy in case they should make any Detachments towards Huy The same day the Regiments of Hackelem Dedem and Holstein Beck were sent to reinfore the Army to be imployed in the Siege of Huy they were Commanded by Brigadier Dedem and followed the next day by the Regiments of Birkenfeldt Zobel and Sparre and the 6 th by the Regiments of the Rhingrave Holstein-Norbourg Goar and Dumont under the Command of the Duke of Holstein Norbourg Brigadier the Regiment of Lowenhaupt was detached the same Day towards the Canal of Brusselles to secure it from the Attempt of Parties The 7 th the Duke of Wirtemberg's Quarter took fire which began in his Kitchin and the Wind was so high that it presently consumed above Twenty Houses to the Leeward in the Street that goes to Ghendt most of them being covered with Straw but the Duke's Servants had the time to save the best of his Baggage and Furniture for the House so that he suffered no great Dammage by it The same day all the English Horse and Dragoons and all the Cavalry upon English Pay came up to Rouselar from the Camp of Wouterghem under the Command of Monsieur d' Anverquerque and incamped that Night upon the Left between Rombeck and Inghelmonster Wynne's Dragoons that had been sent from the Camp of Mount St. André to Ghendt to get their Horses in better case being now refreshed from the Fatigues they had indured came up to the Camp along with them and the 8 th they were all sent to canton upon the Villages between our Right and Dixmuyde My Lord of Athlone left at the same time the Camp of Wouterghem and marched to canton the Dutch Cavalry and Dragoons from Nivelle to St John de Lerne upon the Lys between Deinse and Ghendt Major General Ramsay came the 8 th to the Camp with the Two Brigades of Foot under his Command and incamped upon the Left where he flanked it near Rombeck My Lord of Athlone's Camp being thus separated Count Thian was ordered to march from Wacken back to Deinse to fortifie that Place and the government of it during the Winter was given to Brigadier Off arell This Place is situated upon the Lys Three Leagues higher above Ghendt it lyes upon both sides of the River and in a convenient Post to cover Ghendt and part of the Canal of Bruges from the Enemies Parties who before would venture up to the Gates of the Town and besides our Forces now were so numerous that we could not quarter them conveniently in the Frontier Towns and Garrisons for which reason we have fortified several such Posts this Year to inlarge our Quarters and advance them as far as we could towards the Enemy's Frontier The 8th the Dauphine left the Enemy's Camp between Courtray and Menin to return to Versailles by Eight in the Morning he parted from Courtray being saluted by a Triple Discharge of the Enemy's Cannon by Twelve he arrived at Lisle and
Bavarian Foot and Dragoons to form a Camp of his own near Louvain The day following the King review'd all the Horse that had come up the day before the Electors being present And as the several Regiments were reviewed they march'd again to their respective Quarters where they had been before the English upon the Villages between Louvain Arschot and Tilmont and the Dutch towards Hassel and Leauwe and appear'd all of them both Men and Horse in very good Condition and Order We were very careful for the Conservation of Forage which was but scarce in this Countrey The Horse for this reason continued canton'd and the Foot had Orders to cut down no Corn upon pain of Death On the 8th the French march'd from Gemblours by One in the Morning to Bonef upon the Mehagine where the Dauphin had his Quarter For which reason the King ordered the Army to March the next day upon the Left towards Tilmont to be nearer to observe the French who were making their Motions between the Geet and the Jecker towards Liege Accordingly the Army march'd the next day towards Tilmont and encamp'd with the Right at Roosebeck where the King had his Quarter and the Left upon the Geet between Tilmont and Linther Our Front was cover'd upon the Left with the River Geet and the Town of Tilmont the Center with the Villages of Cumtich and the little River that runs into the Geet at Tilmont We had the little River Velpe in our Rear that falls into the Geet below Leauwe So that our Right only was open in the Camp between the Village of Cumtich and that of Roosebeck The whole Body of Foot consisting then of Eighty eight Battalions encamped upon Two Regular Lines and was dispos'd in the Brigades following Of the English and English Pay the Brigade of Guards upon both Lines Upon the First were the Brigades of Erle Collier and Alefeldt In the Second Line Stuart Offarrel and Haxhausen Of the Dutch Deden Anhalt and Heukelom In the First Line and Ratzauw Holstein-Norburg and Bernstort In the Second which made Thirteen Brigades of Foot Seven English and Six Dutch The King in the Winter had made the Brigadiers Churchill and Ramsey Major-Generals of his Forces But at this Camp the King declared Count Nassau that had been Major-General ever since His Majesty's coming over to England Lieutenant-General and the Colonels Fitz-Patrick and Offarrel Brigadiers And in the Dutch Army the Count de Noyelles was declared Lieutenant-General by the King and he made the Brigadiers Fagel Salich and l'Escluse Major-Generals in the Infantry and the Prince of Anhalt the Duke of Holstein-Norburg the Colonels Ratzauw and Dedem Brigadiers And of the Horse the Brigadiers Ittersum Warfusé Hubert and Stain were made Major-Generals and the Colonels Dompré Roo Lippe Zell Piper and Montigny were made Brigadiers In the English Dragoons Brigadier Eppinger was made Major-General and the Colonels Matthews and Wyne Brigadiers But because the Horse did not come into the Line of Battle in this Camp I shall omit the inserting the List of the Army till we come to the Camp at Mount St. André The 10th the French Army decamp'd from Bonef upon the Mehaigne and marched into the Paiis de Liege as far as St. Tron the Dauphin's Quarter with the Right at this Place the Left went along the Joar or Jecker almost as far as Warrem which River remain'd then in their Rear The same day the King review'd Brewer Lesley and Buchan's Regiments the last of our English Infantry that had come into the Field The 11th the Marshal de Boufflers whom we had left forming a small Body in the County of Chiney and who upon the Marching of the French Army into the Paiis de Liege had drawn nearer to Huy pass'd the Maes at Huy and encamp'd on the other side of the Jecker between Warrem and the Mehaigne where he flank'd the Left of the Army and cover'd the Communication with Namur which otherwise would have suffer'd very much by our Parties and Detachments which would have had very fair Play upon their Provisions which should have come to their Camp The List of his Army was as follows but I could not get it dispos'd into Brigades The Marshal de Bouffler's Army CAVALRY Lieutenant-General Monsieur de Bertillac Major-General Monsieur de Lanion Regim Squad Commissary-General 3 2 Anjou 3 La Duretiere 3 Courtebonne 3 Petitpierre 2 Royal Aleman 3 Dragons du Roy 3 de Gramont 3  Squadrons 25 INFANTRY Lieutenant-General Count de Gassé Major-General Baron de Bressey Regim Battal Poitou 2 Du Maine 2 La Reine 3 La Saar 1 Beauvesois 1 Foix 1 Nice 1 Berry 1 Arbauville 1 1 Royal Artillery 1  Battalions 15 The Gentleman from whom I had this List did not understand French so that he abused several Names in the Copy which I got rectified as much as I could by informing my self from Prisoners which I have done all to two Regiments which I could make nothing of However if there be any Mistake in the Names there is none in the Summ. By which it appears that the Marshal de Boufflers had according to our foregoing Computation 3000 Horse and 9000 Foot which amounts to 12000 Men. The Marquis de Harcourt had form'd another Body of Horse and Dragons in the Paiis de Luxembourg of between Twenty and Thirty Squadrons but I have not seen a List of them However upon the Mareschal de Boufflers's passing the Meuse he came with his Army and encamped in the Condros At the same time the Enemy formed another small Body between Harlebeck and Courtray under the Command of the Marquis de la Valette Lieutenant-General of the French Forces to cover their Line between the Lys and the Scheld in case we should endeavour to make another Attempt on that side as we had done the last Year I have had a List of this Army but with the same misfortune as the former to be a little mangl'd for want of knowing the Language however where the Names were not French or doubtful I have omitted them A List of the Army under the Command of the Marquis de la Valette Lieutenant-General CAVALRY Major-General Regim Squad  Dauriac 3  Condè 2  Bissy 3  Courcelle 3 Dragons Asfeildt Estranger 3 Sully 3   Squadrons 17 INFANTRY Major-General Count de Solré Regim Battal Orleans 2 Maulevrier 2 Anjou 2 Solré 1 Chivois 1 Fontenay 1 1  Battalions 10 Which as we have before computed must make 2040 Horse and 6000 Foot So that the French had in all of Foot in the Field in Flanders in the Dauphin Boufflers and La Valette's Army 107 Battalions which makes 64200 Foot And of Horse in these Three Armies and the Marquis de Harcourt's which we shall suppose to be 20 Squadrons which I dare say was the least 226 Squadrons which according to this Year's Computation of the French Squadrons amounts to 27120 Horse So that
the Total of the Enemy's Forces in Flanders both Foot and Horse made 91320 fighting Men Which is a very great Army though inferiour to what they had the last Year The French King having sent his Fleet into the Mediterranean to make some considerable Conquest in Catalonia had left his Coasts destitute of any Defence from the Sea for which reason he was obliged to have some Forces dispers'd up and down the Provinces of Britany and Normandy to prevent a Descent and the Insults of our Fleet. Which he did effectually at the Bay of Camaret though he had not the same Success in other Places The French King likewise foreseeing that the Allies would have such an Army in Flanders the Campagne following as would hinder any more Conquests on that side thought it more convenient to make a considerable Detachment both of Horse and Foot the last Winter towards Catalonia where the ill Posture of the Spanish Affairs gave him the Prospect of keeping up the Credit and Reputation of his Arms by some Conquests And 't is very probable that he would have possess'd himself of the whole Principality of Catalonia if the King had not provided for its Safety by sending our Fleet under the Command of Admiral Russel into the Streights Which so much thwarted the French Designs that they were forced to content themselves with the Taking of Palamos and Gironne and to omit the more important Siege of Barcelona This is the reason that though the French had a very good Army in the Field this Campagne in Flanders yet it was very much inferiour to what they had at the Opening of the other Campagne This Digression may be forgiven since it serves for a better understanding the Affairs of Flanders with relation to former Campagnes To oppose this little Army of the Marquis de la Valette of which we have now spoken the Allies formed another of almost an equal strength which encamped at Mary Kirk upon the Canal of Bruges just by the Walls of Ghendt under the Command of the Count de Merode Thian Serjeant-General de Battaille of the King of Spain's Forces which consisted of Seven Battalions encamp'd viz the Second Battalion of the Royal Regiment which as we have said before had remain'd in Bruges at our going out to take the Field And Argyle's Regiment which was left at Ostend besides the Regiments of Strathnaver and Colonel George Hamilton and Three Dutch viz. Holle Weed and Grave John Van Horne the Count de Thian had besides Three Terces that is Regiments of Walloon Foot quarter'd upon the Villages thereabouts viz. the Marquis de Deinse the Count de Grobendonk and the Baron de Winterfelt which were very well Cloathed and in very good Order both for the Number of Men and their Accoutrements and in a much better Condition than is usual with the Spanish and Walloon Terces in this Country As for the Count de Thian's Cavalry it consisted of Six or Seven Squadrons of Spanish Horse and Dragons whose List I cannot tell Having given this short Account of the State of the French Army and the Two little Armies They and We had in Flanders under the Command of the Marquis de la Valette and the Count de Thian we must return to the Two Main Armies towards the Meuse The 11th in the Evening we heard three Discharges of Cannon and Small-shot from the Enemy's Camp which we heard the next day had been a Feu de Joye for the Taking of Palamos in Catalonia The 12th sixteen Hussars deserted from the French Camp and came to our Army These are Hungarian Horse the Emperor has several Regiments of them upon the Rhine and one of their Chief having deserted the Imperial Army about two Years since so many were debauched by his Example and for want of Pay that the French King made a Regiment of these Deserters of which he sent a Squadron which I believe was the whole Regiment to serve this Campagne in Flanders where they were farther from their Comrades in the Imperial Army and where the French King thought they would have a less mind of deserting back again But they found the French Pay so much less to their Satisfaction than that of the Emperor's that they were at last weary of the French Service and I believe that most of them have deserted this Summer from his Army To which they were much encouraged by the Duke of Holstein who receiv'd them all into his Service and made a Troup of them which he added to his Regiment of Dragons and he generally had a Detachment of them for his Guard when he went abroad Their Hungarian Horses are little but very swift and endure a great deal of fatigue and they themselves are very dexterous Horse-men though they make but an ill Figure on Horse-back They have a little Saddle cover'd with Cloth and a Houssen cut like a Swallow's Tail that hangs very low on both sides of the Horses Legs They ride like the Orientals very short with their Knees almost to the Pomel of the Saddle and when they gallop they raise themselves up learning forwards with their Heads upon the Horses Necks They have round Furr Cups with a long Head hanging behind their Backs and Cloaks a l'antique that hang down to their Heels and the Capes to their Waste They have under that a short Wastcoat and their Breeches and Stockings of a piece and little Russia Leather Boots that come up half way their Legs They have a very heavy Sabre or Scimiter which gives an effectual Stroak when it hits but if they miss those that have a light Sword have much the advantage of them for 't is then difficult to recover themselves Their Officers have for all Distinction Brass Feathers sticking up an end in their Caps just over their Foreheads They are very good for Pursuits and Parties and have generally had very good Success in this way against the Turks The Heydukes are the Hungarian Foot dress'd the same way except the Cloak I thought it convenient to give this Description of them because their Names occurr very often in the Gazettes and it may be few know what they are that read it The 12th Fourteen Battalions of the Dutch were detached from our Line to encamp Half a League to the Rear of the Left to possess and defend the Pass of the Abbey of Linther upon the Geet between Leauwe and Tilmont which was a very convenient Post not only to defend the Avenues to our Camp but also to incommode the Enemy's Forage This Detachment was put under the Command of a Dutch Major-General The 13th the King rid out very early in the Morning to observe the several Posts between his Camp and the Enemy's The King had with him a strong Detachment of Horse with which he pass'd both the Geets and came very near the Enemy's Camp His Majesty went over the Ground where we fought last Year at Landen which he rid over several times to
saw it free from any attempts of the Enemy where the nature of the Country did afford them an occasion to have fallen upon it We made a long march this day and the weather being warm made several Soldiers saint under their Armes The King took his Quarter at the Chateau of Sombref our Right went towards Fleury at St. Amand from whence it turned back almost in a right Angle to Marbais where the Elector of Bavaria had his Quarter and our Left went towards Gemblours as far as the Cense or Farm of Bretinchamp The Kings Quarter being in the Front of the Army was covered by all the English and Dutch Dragoons who incamped before it upon a Line The Enemy being sensible that they could not hinder us from this Camp and expecting our march to this place had ordered the small body of Horse and Dragoons commanded by Colonel Vaillac from Namur to march to Charleroy both to cover that place and to incommode our Foragers We halted here the next day we had made a long march and the Rear-guard could not come up till two or three of the Clock in the Morning and besides it was necessary to see what the French would do upon this march whether they would go back to Liege and endeavour to fall upon it though the want of Forage could not allow them to subsist there any longer or whether they would follow us and march upon the Sambre For if they had been obstinate to have kept on this side of the River then the Plain of Fleury was a very convenient place to try the Issue of another Battle and the odds were not so great between the two Armies but that the French if they depend so much on their boasted Bravery might very well have ventured it The Enemy out-did us in Foot by Two Battalions as it appears by the List of their Line of Battle and ours but we out-numbered them in Horse and Dragoons however it appeared by the Enemies behaviour at this time that they depend more upon the Number than the Bravery and Valour of their Soldiers The French had so many reports of our marching the day before in which they were deceived that though we made no secret of this days march yet they were not certain of it till about Noon their Right Wing of Horse was then gone to forrage The Dauphin caused several Pieces of Cannon to be fired to call them in the Resolution was taken to follow us and the Drums immediately beat the General to give notice of marching About Four in the Afternoon the Dauphin began to move with the Right Wing of Horse and Body of Foot and passed the Mehaigne at Falay directing their March up along the Meuse towards Namur The Right Wing of Horse Commanded by the Mareschal de Villeroy being returned from their Forrage followed the Dauphin about Eight that Evening and so they marched all Night and the next day that they came about the Evening between Spy and Masey and the Dauphin took his Quarter at the Chateau de Soye upon the Sambre but in leaving the Camp of Vignamont the French provided for the safety of Huy and left a Battalion to reinforce the Garrison When they were come up to this Camp we could discover part of their Left but the little River that runs from Gemblours into the Sambre covered them and remained between us However though we were so near one another and that the Plains of Fleury offered a very convenient field of battle yet the French were unwilling to hazard it but rather resolved to make a Retreat and pass the Sambre which they began that very Night The Infantry of the Kings House led the way and the next day the whole Army with the Right Wing of Horse Commanded by the Mareschal de Villeroy followed and incamped at Ausart l' Estrang about a League and a half from Charleroy between it and Namur but their Troops were so fatigued with the March which continued night and day that the Colours of their Battalions were almost left bare and Sixty Men made a good Battalion upon the March the rest being wearie stragled behind The Mareschal de Villeroy was detached from this place with a Body of Horse and Dragoons towards the Scheld where the Enemies were informed we did design to march with all speed and took his March by Maubeuge where he re-passed the Sambre and passed the Scheld the next day at Conde making all diligence to get to Tournay The Enemy upon our halt at Sombref the 9th fired several Pieces of Cannon at Charleroy I suppose for Signals of our halt but the King being informed that the French would pass the Sambre rather than venture the Issue of a Battle in the Plains of Fleury and that they did actually begin to pass it that very Night gave Orders for the Army to march the next day Accordingly the Army left the Camp of Sombref the day following and marched by Mellé towards Genap and Nivelle about noon we passed the Dyle at the Village and Chateau of Promel about Four in the Afternoon our Right was got to Arkennes upon the Senne that runs by Nivelle and Nostredame de Halte to Brusselles We incamped here this Night our Line went from Senne almost to the Dyle our Right at Arkennes the Elector of Bavaria's Quarter and our Left at Vaillantpont not far from Promel where we had passed the Dyle the King took his Quarter in the Town of Nivelle This is a neat little Town it lies in a Bottom and so cannot be made strong however it has ancient Walls and Roundels about it and is more particularly famous for the Abbey of Secular Chanonesses which are all to be Women of the first Quality of the Countrey they take no Vows but may marry if they please and leave their places In the Choice they have Robes and Furrs like Secular Canons and the Head-dress like Nuns but otherwise when they are out of the Church they dress themselves like other Ladies The design of the Foundation was for Women of the best Quality that had no considerable Fortunes to live here Honourably without incumbring the small Estate of the Family The Abbess of this Collegiate Church is Lady of the Town and the Army on both sides have been very favourable to this place for the sake of the Religious Ladies Upon this March to Nivelle the Colonel of the Dutch Train of Artillery visiting the Ammunition Waggons found a Stranger in one of them that could give no good account of himself He had got in by pretending himself to be of the Army that he was weary and could not march by which pretence and a little Drinking-Money to the Waggoner he got leave to get up in the Waggon The Dutch Colonel that came to visit the Waggons suspected him and caused him to be searched and found a lighted Match about him and besides he gave so ill an account of himself that he was soon discovered to be a Frenchman
was made and that he hoped in a very short time to be Master of the place The Cannon when once we were Masters of the Two Forts did so much annoy the Besieged in the Castle that a Centinel did not dare to shew himself upon the Ramparts of it The 19 th the Army had Orders to Forage all the Churches and Cloisters before us in the Chatellenie of Ipres and to take out the Corn they had there The Town of Rouselar was not spared and the Cloister of the Augustines was Foraged as well as the rest the Country before being the Frontier of the Pajis conquis 't was thought convenient to destroy the Corn and Forage about the Enemies Garrisons as much as possibly we could and the Enemy by our incamping here being kept within their own Garrisons were no less inconvenient to the Country round about They had incamped between Courtray and Menin since the 18 th of the last Month insomuch that though they had agreed with the Chatellenie of Lisle to excuse it from Forage yet we kept them so long here that they were forced to break the bargain and not only the Chatellenie of Lisle was forced to send Forage to the Army but the Towns and Villages much more remote from the Enemies Frontiers were obliged to do the same thing The 19 th day Count Tilly Major-General of the States Forces that had been commanded with a Detachment of Thirty Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons towards Aeth had the misfortune to be taken Prisoner in his own Quarters at Mafle between Aeth and Mons by the treachery of one of his own Domestick Servants who run away to Mons and informed the Enemy of the condition of the Major-Generals Quarters what Guard it had upon it and how it might be surprized who accordingly sent immediately a strong Party of Dragoons that surprized his Quarters made him Prisoner and carried him to Mons This is the same Gentleman that had the misfortune last Year to be attacked by a strong Detachment of the Enemies Horse all of the French Kings House near Tongres where he was posted with Nine or Ten Squadrons of Horse with which he was to joyn our Army he was forced to retreat towards Maestricht with the loss of some of his Baggage and not Count Cerclas now Prince of Tilly as I said last Year by a mistake The 20 th early in the Morning the King left the Army to go by Liege and Maestricht to Loo and so to the Hague in order to repass the Sea His Majesty was attended out of the Camp by the Elector of Bavaria and all the General Officers of the Army and had an Escorte of Fourscore Men out of each Battalion Commanded by the Prince of Anhault Brigadier the Detachment out of the Kings Forces was Commanded under the Prince of Anhault by Colonel Titcomb Lieutenant-Colonels Peyton and Corbet and Major Sabine they conveyed the King to Deinse where a strong Detachment of Horse out of my Lord of Athlone's Forces which were quartered thereabouts attended to conduct the King farther on His way His Majesty passed through the Town of Ghendt incognito and lay that Night at Overmeere between Ghendt and Dendermond and so His Majesty went on His Journey towards Liege good Escortes being laid by relays all along the way The King just at his going out of the Camp had by an Express from the Duke of Holstein an account that the Castle of Huy had Capitulated the 17 th and that the Garrison was to march out of the breach the next Day with Drums beating Colours flying and other marks of Honour but without Artillery to Namur Thus far the account of Huy as we have had it in the Camp but because it has been the most remarkable Action of this Campagne I shall here incert the Journal of this Siege The Journal of the Siege and taking of the Town and Castle of Huy with the several Forts belonging to it by the Confederate Army Commanded by His Highness the Duke of Holstein Ploen Velt Mareschal General of the Armies of the States-General of the Vnited Provinces WE have said above that the King pursuant to the resolutions he had taken of laying Siege to Huy had ordered the Duke of Holstein Ploen from the Camp at Wouterghem to march towards the Meuse with the Body of Foot and Dragoons incamped near Ghendt under the Command of Major-General Cohorne that the Garrisons of Liege and Maestricht had Orders at the same time to be ready to march The Train of Artillery and Mortars and all things necessary for a Siege were ready at Maestricht with Boats to carry them up the River and expected only the junction of the Forces to form the Siege to be sent up to Huy The 5 th Prince Cerclas of Tilly marched out of Liege to possess himself of several Posts in the Neighbourhood of Huy with the Cavalry of the Diocess He was followed the next Day by the Duke of Holstein who was now joyned by the Dutch and Brandenburgh Forces and the Cavalry Commanded by Lieutenant-General de Witz which in going back to the Meuse from Audenarde had marched almost the same way we came to it The 7 th all these Forces being joyned together posted themselves at all the avenues leading to the place and formally invested it Brigadier Swerin passed the Meuse with his Brigade of Foot to post himself on the opposite side of the River to the Town of Huy I refer the Reader for the description of this place to what I said of it in my last Years History I shall only add that the Fort Picard which was then imperfect was quite finished by the French and besides that they had made the Fort Rouge for the greater security of the place When Huy was invested our Army before the place consisted of the Forces following The List of the Confederate Army before Huy Duke of Holstein Velt-Mareschal General Prince Cerclas of Tilly General De Witz Lieutenant-General Heyden Cohorne and Sonsfeldt Major-Generals Swerin Lindeboom c. Brigadiers Dutch Infantry Brandenburgh Foot Brandenburgh Horse Regim Battal Regim Battal Regim Squad Du Thei l 1 Electors Guards 3 Dorfling Dragoons 4 Cohorne 1 Electoral Prince 1 Sonsfeldt Dragoons 4 Lindeboom 1 Prince Phillipe 1 Auspach Dragoons 2 Dutch Infantry Brandenburgh Foot Brandenburgh Horse Regim Battal Regim Battal Regim Squad Swerin 3 Prince Louis 1 Horse-Granadiers 1 Stockhausen 1 Dorfling 1 Grand Musquetiers 1 Friesheim 1 Altholstein 1 Gens d' Arms 1 Ameliswert 1 Denhof 1 Life Regiment 3 Essen 1 Barfus 1 Churprince 3 Churprince 1 Heyden 1 Fleming 3 Prince Phillipe 1 Brand 1 Dorfling 3 Harsolt 1 Lottom 1 Du Hammel 3 Prince Louis 1 Doua 1 Litwits 3 Anhaltdessau 1 Slabendorf 1 Schlipenback 3 Knoring 1 Anhalt 1 Â Â Obergen 1 Hult 1 Â Â Vandermuklen 1 Horne 1 Â Â Battalions 18 Battalions 18 Squndrons 38 Â Â Liege Battalions 4 Â Â We had by this List Forty
Netherlands Anno Dom. 1694. OUR Last Year's History left Both Armies going into Winter-Quarters the French on their side flush'd with a considerable Victory and with the Success they had in the Siege of Charleroy with which they closed the Last Campagne and though they never had a greater Occasion to be stirring than during the last Winter-Quarters yet the French have not been so quiet all this War as they were at that time The French King knew very well that the Allies were unanimously resolved to augment considerably their Forces on all sides and to bring such Armies in the Field the following Campagne as might put a stop to the Progress of his Arms and oblige him to be now on the Defensive who before had been so Violent and so Successful an Aggressor And though Alliances are attended with great Inconveniences and that the Operations of Allied Armies cannot be so Active and Brisk as when they are the Results of one Single Wise and Absolute Head yet on the other side they have this great Conveniency and Advantage that when there is a good and perfect Correspondence between Allied Powers their very Defeats improve their Strength and they gather Power from their own Disadvantages because that makes them the more sensible of the Greatness of the Common Enemy and of the necessity of a Mutual and Vigorous Defence and the Spring and Sources of War both for Money and Men being many they can with so much the more Ease to their respective States not only recruit but augment their Forces We have had good experience of this Truth in the present War in which the Allies have kept a better Union and Correspondence than they had in any former Alliances The great Victory which the French had over Prince Waldeck in the Plains of Fleuri served to bring an Army into the Field even the latter end of the same Campagne of 70000 Men which has since oblig'd the French King to augment his Forces to so vast a Number to keep up the Credit of his successful Armies that he has entirely exhausted his Treasures and now finds himself push'd to such a non-plus that far from being able to augment his Forces as the Allies have done since the Battel of Landen he is hardly able to pay those he has now on foot and which is worst of all whereas before he supply'd the want of Money in some measure by making his Armies subsist in the Enemies Countrey he has had the Mortification this Campagne to see them eat and destroy his own Frontiers There was therefore a certain Necessity that the French should in common Prudence have undertaken something the last Winter which was the only Time they had left to keep up the Credit and Reputation of their Arms. And as there was a Necessity for them to have done something then so I may say they have not had a fairer Opportunity all this War if we consider either the State of our Army or the Posture and Condition of Affairs in this Countrey Our Army had been weaken'd by the Overthrow at Landen And though our Losses were far from being so considerable as the French made it yet no doubt it did very much disconcert our Affairs and besides the Soldiers wading thorough the Geet to make their escape and lying wet for several Days after caused many Sicknesses amongst them insomuch that our English and Scotch Forces never wanted more Recruits than they did the last Winter and they have not yet been later in bringing their Recruits over and in Compleating their Regiments so that in respect of our Army the French never had a greater Encouragement to put them upon some Action And as for the Posture and Condition of Affairs in relation to the Countrey the Death of the late Bishop of Liege and the following Dissentions of the Chapter gave the French King the happiest Opportunity he could wish for to have driven the Allies out of that Place which no doubt would have made room for the Cardinal of Bouillon's Pretensions in the following Election and would have given him a great share in the Suffrages of the Chapter And though the Pope has given so authentick a Confirmation of the Justice of the Elector of Cologne's Cause in the last disputed Election yet if the French had made themselves Masters of Liege the last Winter 't is very probable that the Cardinal of Bouillon would have found more Favour at the Court of Rome in this Suit and that the Committee of Cardinals deputed for that purpose would have found a great deal of Right on his side in the French Canon Law to have placed that Mitre upon his Head And the Cardinal de Bouillon being absolutely the French King's Creature he could then have look'd upon the Principality of Liege as in a manner his own and thus have advanc'd his Frontier to the very Gates of Maestricht which as to its Civil Government is equally divided between the States-General and the Bishop of Liege which then would have open'd to him an Inlet into the States Dominions the thing he has so much long'd for and has been so much endeavouring after all this present War As for Newport and the Frontiers in Flanders the King provided for their Safety by sending the last Winter a speedy Supply of Eight Battalions from England Tiffeny and the three French Regiments first who were quarter'd in the Camerlings Ambacht for so the Countrey is call'd about the Canal of Newport and afterwards Lloyd St. George Friderick Hamilton and Colonel Ingoldsby's Regiments which were dispos'd into Quarters for a time in Ostend and Newport but still I dare say that the rest of our Army was in no very good Condition to have taken the Field if the French had undertaken any Siege during the Winter All this being consider'd no other Reasons can be alledged why the French were so quiet all the last Winter and so contrary to their Interest which oblig'd them to some Action but these following First The Dearth and Famine that raigned in France and in the Conquer'd Countrey which was indeed greater than can be expressed or than can hardly be believ'd though the French Court and the King by his Edicts us'd all possible means to prevent it and to cover the inward Sufferings of his Kingdom We have seen in Bruges and in most of our Towns in Flanders very lamentable Instances of it where they fled from the neighbouring Parts of France and the Paiis Conquis for Bread and many of them had been so long without it that though they had Bread given them yet they could not eat it and died in the Streets They came in such Multitudes that the Magistrates have been forced to stand Centries at the Gates to hinder them from coming in But since they have had a fruitful Harvest in France his Edicts acknowledge in plain Terms what but some Months before they smother'd over with fine Words to amuse and deceive the People The French King
Imecourt 3 Fiene 3 La Bessiere 3   Squadrons 33 Body of FOOT First Line Lieutenant-Generals Prince of Conti Duke of Berwick Major-General Marquis de Crequi Brigades Regim Battal Dantin Navarre 3 Languedoc 2 Surville Du Roy. 4 Cadrieux Dauphin 3 Thoulouse 2 Albergoti Humieres 2 Royal Italien 1 La Marche 1 Caraman Gardes Françoises 3 Gardes Swisses 2 Charots Vermandois 2 Haynaut 1 Motroux 1 L'Abadie Guiche 2 Gardes Angloises 2 Villeroy Lionnois 2 Roussillon 2 De Lux Provence 2 Piedmont 3   Battal 40 Second Line Lieutenant-Generals Feuquieres Rubantel Major-General Monsieur de Castres Brigades Regim Battal Pompane Bourbonnois 2 Artois 1 Chartres 1 La Marre 1 Reinold Suisse Stouppa 4 Reinold 4 Monim 2 Zurbeck Suisse Zurbeck 4 Greder 4 Cavoye Cavoye 1 Soissonois 1 Blesois 1 Bugey 1 Senneterre 1 Greder Greder Aleman 2 Angoumois 1 Periguex 1 Lignieres 1 Tulles 1 Surlanbe Royal Danois 2 Surlanbe 2 Crussol 2   Battal 40 LEFT WING First Line Lieutenant-Generals Duc du Maine Monsieur de Montrevel Major-Generals Count de Marsin Monsieur de Vandeuil Brigades Regim Squad Souternon Du Roy 3 Bourgogne 3 Thoulouse 2 Furstemberg 2 Du Mesiul Carabiners 16 Chaludes Villeroy 2 Du Maine 2 Berry 2 Maistre de Camp General 3   Squadrons 35 Second Line Lieutenant-General Busca Major-General Count de Nassau Brigades Regim Squad Lagny Lagny 3 Pujeol 3 St. Lieu 3 Thisenhausen Lully 3 Villers 3 Melun 3 Cossé 2 Massot Quadt 3 Clermont 3 Massot 3 Chartres 2   Squadrons 31 Body of RESERVE Due de Chartres General Major Generals Messieurs de Bezons de Mailly Brigades Regiments Squadrons  Hussars 1 Mousquetaires gris 2 Mousquetaires noirs 2  Dragons  Cailus Colonel-General 3 Cailus 3 Chenteran 3 Battalions  Royal Artillery 2 Artillery consisting of 66 Pieces of Cannon besides Mortars  Regiment of Bombardiers besides Gunners and Matrosses 1  Dragons  Davaret La Reine 3 Davaret 3 St. Ermine 3 Asfeldt Fimarçon 3 Asfeldt 3   Squadrons 29   Battalions 3 So that according to this List the Dauphin had Sixty and Nine Squadrons in the First and Second Line of his Right Wing of Horse and Sixty and Six in the Left and Twenty and Nine Squadrons of Dragons Hussars and Mousquetairs in the Reserve which makes in all 164 Squadrons And because the French had reformed their Troups of Horse last Winter to Forties we must compute each of their Squadrons to be at their coming in the Field of 120 Horse-men which makes the Total of the Horse and Dragons of this Army to be 19680. The Foot consisted of Forty Battalions in the First Line and Thirty Nine in the Second and Three in the Reserve which makes in all 82 Battalions which at 600 Men each Battalion at the first coming into the Field amounts to 49100 Men. So that the Total of this Army Commanded by the Dauphin and under him by the Marshals of Luxembourg and Villeroy came to 68880 Men besides what belonged to the Artillery as Gunners and Matrosses Miners c. We shall not make a Computation of all the Forces the French had in Flanders till we come to speak of the Bodies Commanded by the Marshal de Boufflers the Marquis de Harcourt and the Marquis de la Valette which shall be in their proper Places The Dauphin being come with this Army to Gemblours within a Day 's March from ours likewise there being but little Forage about our Camp which hinder'd the Cavalry from subsisting in it the King for this Reason order'd to make a Retrenchment to cover our Body of Foot in case the Enemy would have come to attack us Our Right was cover'd by the Villages of Tourine and Bavechein the first being just upon the brow of a Hill below which runs a small Current which has its Spring at Bavechein and so goes by Ham and other Villages into the River Dyle The Brigade of Guards encamped upon another Hill separated from the Right of the Main Body by this Current and cover'd the King's Quarter The Left was cover'd by deep hollow Ways and other Defiles of the Villages of Sluys and Meldert and a little Brook which rises at Meldert and so runs by Hoexem Oirbeck and Cumtick to Tilmont The Ground was Plain between the Villages of Bavechein upon the right and Sluys upon the left for about an English Mile and an half upon the Center of our Line which Plain went from the Village of Bossu and the Abbey of Florival cross our Camp towards Tilmont and again on the other side of the Villages of Sluys and Meldert towards Judoigne The French took up this Camp last Year when we were encamped at Park stretching their Line along the Plain from the Abbey of Florival towards Tilmont with the Villages of Tourine and Bavechein in their Front and Sluys and Meldert in their Rear where they had their Head-Quarter And the Year before we encamped one Night in this Plain stretching our Left another way towards Judoigne and the King's Quarter at Meldert and our Right near the Bois de Merdal which now at this Camp of Hertogendale remained in our Rear This was the Situation of our Camp so that nothing remain'd open to the Enemy but the Plain upon our Centre which the King upon the coming of the French to Gemblours orderd to be fortified with a Retrenchment from Bavechein to Sluys and Meldert We had several Parties toward the Sambre to observe the Motions of the French and upon their March to Gemblours they took many Prisoners which had straggled from the Army among which were some of the late King's Guard The 5th the Three Second Battalions of Guards and Eppinger's Dragons were ordered to encamp on the other side of the King's Quarter between it and the Bois de Merdal to cover it from Parties skulking in the Wood. The 6th the English Artillery came up from Malines under the Escort of Brewer Lesley and Buchan's Regiments which joyn'd us this Day These Three Regiments with those of Strathnaver and Hamilton had come but lately from Scotland they were put in Quarters at Leer and Malines to put themselves in a Condition to take the Field and Strathnaver and George Hamilton were sent to Ghendt Our English Train of Artillery consisted of Sixty Pieces of Cannon and Six Mortars Four Companies of Gunners and Matrosses and One Company of Miners all of One Hundred Men each This same day we were also joyn'd by the Cavalry who came up only to be review'd and encamp'd by Brigades in the several Intervals that had been left for them as we have said before The King review'd the same day the Eight Regiments which had come up to the Camp the 4th under the Command of Brigadier Collier in the presence of the Electors of Bavaria and Cologne who had left Brussels to come to Louvain to be nearer the Army where His Electoral Highness expected his own
observe exactly the Field of Battel and returned late in the Evening to the Camp And there scarce happen'd a Day all along the Campagne but that the King rid out towards the Enemy Such are the Pains and Care His Majesty takes for the Welfare and Prosperity of the Common Cause The 15th Seven Battalions more were detached to reinforce the Dutch Foot that had been posted near the Abbey of Linther these were drawn out of our Forces and put under the Command of Brigadier Erle viz. Erle Lesley Lloyd Mackay Meloniere Jutland and Aver The same Day the Dauphin remov'd his Quarter from St. Tron to the Village of St. Brusten to settle here an Hospital for the Sick to be near the Army The same Day the King had Advice from Maestricht that no less than Four or Five hundred Swissers had deserted the French Army and were come to that Place Upon which Orders were given That these Regiments that wanted Recruits should send an Officer to Maestricht to get them among those Deserters Many of them were of Monim's Regiment which is the same as Brigadier Stouppa had that died of the Wounds he receiv'd at the Battel of Steenkirk That Stouppa was a Protestant and had been a Minister but I was told That Colonel Noâ—im who had the Regiment after him was a Roman-Catholick and had turn'd out the Minister that belong'd to the Regiment and put a Priest in his Place Which so disgusted his Soldiers that it occasion'd a general Desertion in his Regiment The 16th the King review'd Sir Thomas Levingstom's and Colonel Cunningham's Dragons that had lately come over from Scotland they were canton'd near the Town of Arschot The same Day the Mareschal de Boufflers march'd nearer to the Dauphin's Army and passed the Jecker at Warem where he encamp'd upon the Left of the French Army Forty Suisse Deserters more came at the same time from the Enemy and our Detachment brought in several Prisoners My Lord Athlone came up likewise nearer to our Army this same Day and took his Quarter upon the Left at the Abbey of Linther On the 17th because Bouffer's had now joyn'd the Dauphin's Army and that we had only Foot in our Camp the Horse being still canton'd in the Neighbourhood which might have given the French an Occasion to attack us 't was order'd to fortifie our Camp and to make a Retrenchment from the King's Quarter at the Village of Rooseheck to that of Cumtich the only Place open in our Camp the rest was well covered as we have before described We said before that the Elector of Bavaria expected some of his own Forces which he had sent for to augment his Army this Campagne they were now come to the Neighbourhood of Louvain and consisted of Three Squadrons of Dragons of Count Philippe d' Areo Three of Monasterol Two Squadrons more of Cuirassiers of Weychel Two Battalions of his Guards Two Battalions of Riviera and One of Horthansen these joyn'd the Spanish Horse and the Bavarian Cuirassiers and made a Body near Louvain The 18th they were review'd by the Elector where the King was invited and receiv'd with Three Salutes of Cannon and Small-shot and afterwards treated by the Elector The 19th a Detachment of Danish Horse took Fifty six Prisoners and brought them into the Camp with their Officers And the same Day we had the first Forage by Order before the Horses gras'd in the Day-time in the neighbouring Fields and in Meadows and the Men cut down Hay which they brought along with them in the Evening just enough for the Horses to subsist on in the Night Standing Corn was scarce and there was a Necessity of Preserving it else we should have had no Occasion for Retrenchments The 20th a great many Deserters more came from the Enemy and indeed there hardly pass'd a Day but there came in some of them to our Camp more or less The same Day a Detachment of our Dragons brought in Seventy seven Prisoners They fired upon the Vanguard not thinking it had been the whole Detachment but the rest rid up immediately being a strong Detachment and surrounded the Wood where the French had posted themselves in Ambuscade and so they all yielded themselves Prisoners of War At the same time we took Two Dominican Fryers Prisoners and an Irish Priest that were come as Spyes into our Army A Soldier of the late King James's Guards that had deserted to us some Days before and had taken Service in our English Guards discover'd them He knew they had pass'd between both Armies several times particularly the two Dominicans and that they had engaged to debauch as many as they could of our English Soldiers to recruit the late King's Regiments in France for which they were to receive a Luy d'ore a Man for as many as they could bring over They had an Irish Young Man with them who being press'd to confess own'd the Truth and was afterwards an Evidence against them After being Examined they were Committed Prisoners severally in Tents at the King's Quarter and Centries continually set over them On the 21st a Detachment of our Foot posted at the Abbey of Linther brought in Fourscore Prisoners of which some of them were Gensd'arms and of the French King's Life-guards The Detachment from this Post did very much incommode the French Army and they seldom had a Forageday but that they brought in several Prisoners The 22nd the King review'd Brigadier Matthews and the Lord Fairfax's Dragons which had come up to the Camp the Day before Brigadier Matthews's Regiment encamped on the other side of the Village of Cumtich which was without the Retrenchment to cover Monsieur d' Auverquerque's and other General Officers Quarters there My Lord Fairfax's Dragons encamped without the Defiles of the Village of Roosebeck to cover the King's Quarter on that side The same Day several of the Enemy's Squadrons came in sight of our Camp in the Plain on the other side of Tilmont Upon which the Major of the several Regiments upon the Right had Orders to come to take the Posts of their Regiments upon the Retrenchment in case the French should come and attack us and to see if the Retrenchments of their several Posts were well made with a good defensible Breast-work I forgot to say That the Town of Tilmont the Dutch call it Tienen which in this Camp was before the Left of our Army was guarded by a Detachment of Three hundred Men under the Command of a Field-Officer and other Officers proportionably which relieved one another every other Day It is situated upon the greater Geet which comes from Judoigne and has several petty Cloysters and publick Buildings in it with an old decayed Wall and ruin'd Retrenchments about it There is no Water near it but the little River Geet and 't is commanded by the Countrey about it for which reason 't is not capable of any good Fortification The 24th One of the French King's Carabiners deserted and came to our
pretty good success particularly between the Mehaigne and the Meuse where we lost several Horses and they took generally some Prisoners But if these were inconvenient to us from Namur our Camp near Liege was equally inconvenient to the Enemy on that side from whom they took a great many Horses and Prisoners but few Deserters came to us from this Camp though they deserted before in Multitudes because they were so closely intrenched between Rivers that it was difficult for them who had a mind to get away The 17th the King rid out very early with a strong Detachment of 4000 Horse along the Mehaigne towards the Enemies Camp and returned very late that Evening The day following we had a general Forrage on the other side the Mehaign Several of the Enemies Squadrons appeared in sight of our Forragers for which reason we fired three Pieces of Cannon from our Camp the Signal to call them in The French did forrage the same day on their side and these Squadrons were of the Detachment to Cover the Forragers who were no less surprised to see some of our Squadrons posted near them for the same reason however there was no Action on either Side though such Accidents falling out have sometimes brought two Armies to an ingagement as it happened in 1689 at Walcourt between Prince Waldeck and the Mareschal de Humieres Our Foragers nevertheless made a shift not to come into the Camp empty but we lost some Horses that tarried too long after the Signal given to come off at which time the Detachment that cover'd the Foragers were commanded back to the Camp Colonel Mathews lost 8 Horses out of his Regiment and 3 of his Men were wounded The 22 th all the Dragoons removed from the Left to the Rear of the Right by Hottemont What remained of the English and Dutch Artillery after the Field-pieces had been distributed into the several Brigades of Foot and that we had planted some others at the Village of Ramelies came to be posted here the day before from the ground between Mount St. André and Bonmale where it had incamped at our first coming here And the 24 th the Duke of St. Albans and Colonel Lutterel came to the Camp from England the first to serve as a Voluntier and the second to go to Venice and command the Irish Forces in the Service of that Republick with a Commission of Major-General This day we had another general Forage towards Wavre where the Lord Colchester now Earl of Rivers lost some Horses out of his Troop of Guards The Parties not only from Namur but from Mons and Charleroy were very frequent and came often to the very Rear of our Camp so that upon a Forage 't was very hard to prevent the losing several of our Horses either by negligent Men who did not take care to keep within the out-guards or others who for choice of Forage would venture beyond them The 26 th we surrounded a party of the Enemies in a Wood just by the Rear of our Left where they had been decoy'd by a Boor who gave notice of it to my Lord of Athlone This was a voluntary Party of dismounted Troopers that had a great mind to ride some of our Horses and to mount themselves at our own cost they got a Partisan with them who when they came near to our Camp inquir'd whereabouts our Horses grazed the Boor told them that they were every day just by the Wood and that if they would lie there in ambuscade that night they would not fail of Horses the next morning They took his advice and the Boor came immediately to advertise my Lord of Athlone of it who commanded a Detachment of Dragoons and of the two Brigades of Foot interlined in the Left to surround the Wood and to give no quarter so that they kill'd 20 of them up and down and the Partisan among the rest but at last they gave quarter to 17. Much about the same time one of our Parties composed of Soldiers of Hukelom and Carles Regiments brought in the Lieutenant-Colonel of the Dauphins Regiment and several other Prisoners which they took between Huy and Namur And though 't is none of my business to speak of the actions of Parties and Partisans which have no more to do in the main business of an Army than Privateers have in that of a Fleet the one being upon Land what the others are at Sea yet I cannot omit to speak of a considerable adventure of one of our Parties which ventured to pass the Meuse though not 30 Men and got about 50 Troopers in a defile where they took all their Horses and made every one of them Prisoners and repass'd the Meuse with their Booty which they brought safely off The 21 th Count Thian had a quiet Camp in the Neighbourhood of Ghendt where he seemed posted only to make head against the Marquis De la Valette near Courtray yet he would not remain idle there but about this time he made a Detachment of 300 Spanish Horse out of his Camp under the command of the Lieutenant-Colonel of the Prince of Chinays Regiment who in their way by Aeth took a Reinforcement of 700 Foot out of that Garison and the next day they were joyn'd with about 3 or 400 more of the same Garison These Forces attack'd the French Line about St. Ghilain and forced several of their Redoubts upon the Haine where they made 50 Prisoners they pass'd the River after this and plundered the Town of St. Ghilain where there was a small Garison which abandon'd it upon their approach and retreated to Mons they detach'd several Parties in the Countrey round about for Hostages and made a very great booty of Horses and Cattle which they brought to Aeth The 27 th the three Battalions of Guards in the Second Line had Orders to incamp upon the Kings Quarter a great deal of baggage of the Kings Horse and several both Mules and Horses were on the other side of the little River which went under the Kings Quarter and the King had information of the designs of some of the French Partisans to come and endeavour to steal away what lay on the other side of this River where it was expos'd to such attempts and besides the Kings Quarter was removed from the Line of the Army for which reason these three Battalions of Guards and the Duke of Holsteins Dragoons incamped here by the Kings Quarter the Guards on the other and the Dragoons on this side of the Geet The 28 th we had another general Forage under a good escort of 20 Squadrons of Horse commanded by Count Tilly Major-General and a good Detachment of Foot commanded by Brigadier Collier Some Horses were lost of Brigadier Mathews his Dragoons and two of his Men were kill'd by the French Parties that lay in ambuscade for a like occasion The 31 th the King took a review of the 20 Brandenburgh Squadrons of Horse that as we said above had
joyn'd the Elector of Bavaria at his Camp of Neer Isthe being commanded by Lieutenant-General D' Witz and Major-General Sonsfeldtâ— the Elector of Bavaria was present and the King was very well pleased with the order they were in The grand Musquetiers made a very fine shew being all French Gentlemen Refugies very well Cloath'd with Scarlet Coats and Silver Lace and as well Mounted they behaved themselves very well the beginning of this War at the Siege of Bonne and have been no less serviceable this Campaign in that of Huy The 1 st of August the King reviewed four Regiments of Saxon Horse that had come up to the Camp the Saturday before They are included in the Line of Battle which we have incerted above Intervals had been left for them in several Brigades at our coming to this Camp which they fill'd up at their arrival so that their coming did not alter the Line of Battle above specified they are only called Saxon Regiments in the List but their Names were Rebauld Bernickow and Penhausen the fourth I have forgot The States have hired them for their service from the Elector of Saxony and notwithstanding that they had made a long march to come so soon to the Camp from their Country yet they appeared in good order The 5 th all the heavy Baggage of the Army was commanded away towards Louvain under the Escorte of Brigadier Wynnes Regiment of Dragoons which was sent to garison in Ghendt because their Horses were out of order for reasons we have before alledged A Man out of a Company was likewise detach'd for the security of the Baggage under the command of a Captain Lieutenant and Ensign out of each Brigade and the whole was commanded by Colonel Lieutenant-Colonel and Major By this time Forage began to be very scarce in both Armies which were very numerous and yet had now been above two Months in and about the Pajis de Liege The French had been in it from the very beginning of the Campaign and now had liberty of Forage but between the Meuse and the Jaar for that part of the Principality of Liege which lies on the other side of the Meuse call'd the Condros affords but little Forage 't is a Woody Country and part of the Forest d' Ardenne abounds in Coal-pits which makes firing very cheap about this Country The French for want of Forage on this side the Meuse were forced to send their Horses to feed on the other having besides the passage at Huy several Bridges upon the Meuse for that purpose I saw a Letter about this time from a Gentleman in the French Army to his Friend dated from this Camp of Vignamont wherein he complained for want of Forage and that they wish'd very much for our decamping that they might have the liberty of going to a more plentiful Camp As we have given a hint of it before there was a reason to bring the Army to this want of Forage on both sides in this Country because the King design'd to bring his Army into Flanders to make room for the undertaking that has closed up this Campaign Liege was our Frontier Town which required an Army for its Garison and the French being Masters of Huy they could not only incommode Liege very much but march and subsist with their Army as far as Maestricht as we have seen this Campaign so that above all things 't was necessary to drive the French out of Huy and establish our Frontier there But if we had march'd towards Flanders without consuming first the Forage all over this Country and without obliging the French themselves to help us in it upon our removal from this Camp and our march towards the Scheld they might have fallen upon Liege and our great Towns in Brabant which would have been as good for them as any Expedition we could have made in Flanders and which I believe they would have compassâ—d so much the sooner since these places here are weak and their Frontier Garisons in Flanders very strong The 5 th 240 Suisse Deserters were sent from Maestricht to the Camp to recruit the Suisse Regiments we had in our Army The 6 th an Order from the King was published at the head of every Regiment to forbid Foraging without order to go on Maroding or to molest Victuallers or any persons that came to the Camp with Provisions upon pain of death For what most destroys and ruines a Country are these interloping Foragers and Maroders who not only augment the scarceness in a Camp by plundering the Country people round about but often fall into the Enemies hands whereby we lose our Horses and our Men are made Prisoners The 7 th the Army had orders to be ready to march and the Artillery and Pontons were sent this day as far as Perwys under the Escorte of the Regiment of Fuknen or green Danes The French expected our march for which reason they fired several pieces of Cannon from Huy to call in all their Horses from the other side of the Meuse We had a report that the French had abandon'd it and that what we heard was the blowing up of the Works which appeared afterwards to be a story though I believe the French had once a design of doing it because the week before they had sent most of the Provisions and Stores from thence by water to Namur but upon better thoughts they found the place of such consequence to us that they resolved to use their power to keep it if possible out of our hands The French upon the news of our march which they expected this day sent several Parties and Detachments out of the Garison of Namur to observe the Flanks of our Columns upon the march and take Prisoners or Baggage if they could find any stragling from the Lines But because we did not march our Detachments were not yet drawn off from the other side of the Mehaigne so that several of the French fell into their hands who were made Prisoners among the rest a Captain of Horse of the Regiment of Tournelle This Evening orders were given to march the next day and though we had a Defile to pass between the Mehaigne and Perwys where the French might have the opportunity of attacking our Rear-guard the next day nevertheless we did not use any means to conceal our march from the Enemy it may be to intice them out of their Retrenchments at Vignamont to fall upon our Rear-guard and to ingage them to a Battle for our Rear guard was very well prepared to receive them The 8 th the Army decamped very early from Mount St. André and directed its march towards the spring of the Mehaigne and Gemblours passing by the Defile of Perwys My Lord Portland had the Rear-guard composed of a good body of Horse and the Brigade of Stuart and Alseldt of Foot which had been posted at Franquenies upon the Mehaigne and some Field-pieces The King kept with the Rear guard till he
and that he was come from the Enemies to endeavour to set fire to our Ammunitions For which he was sent to the Provoste where we shall leave him till we come to give an account of his Punishment suitable to the Enormity of the Attempt The 11th Major-General Fagel was detacht with the Two Brigades of Foot of Rantzaw and Dedem interlined in the Right Wing of Horse to go by Lessines to Audenarde and the Artillery went with a good Escorte another way to joyn us in the the Plains of Cambron because the Defiles were too difficult in the two following days March for the Artillery to go along with us we were got into the Country of Hainault which is generally very close and woody The same day the Army marcht from Nivelle and passed the Senne over several Bridges above and at the Village of Arkennes and so we came to Soignies We lost upon this March some of our Pontons or Tin-Boats and some Baggage taken by the Enemy which as 't is said perswaded the Men that looked after them to go a more convenient way pretending themselves to be Dragoons of our Army and so got them out of the Line of the Baggage they made the Men Prisoners and took the Horses from the Pontons and Waggons they rifled the Baggage and took what they thought good and left the rest they blew up holes in the Pontons with powder and so left them The Army being now come up by several Defiles to Soignies our Right was at Horrues and Neufville where the Elector had his Quarter the Left stretched out a little beyond Court Aubois and the King had his Quarter at Soignies an old Town in the Chatelleine of Mons and within three short Leagues of it As soon as the French had made themselves Masters of Mons they Summoned the Burgh-Masters and Inhabitants to come and swear Allegiance to the French King and since are reckoned in the Paijs Conquis We heard firing of Cannon at Mons this Evening which as we had information the next day was for the Dauphine's Arrival at that place where the whole Army followed him that very Night Upon our march from Sombref towards the Scheld the French made their utmost diligence to prevent any designs we could have upon their Lines or Towns in Flanders for which reason they marched on the 11 th from Ausart L' Estrang though their Army was already fatigued by their March night and day to get to that side of the Sambre they went by Ham Sur Heure and so repassed the Sambre at Bussiere which was already a good March But the Mareschal de Luxemburg finding it necessary to get as far as Mons that very Night that he may come to the Scheld as soon as we ordered all the Infantry to fling away their Snap-sacks and march with nothing but their Arms and all the Baggage was ordered to stay behind he caused likewise all the Waggons of the Countrey to be summoned to follow the Army with the Soldiers Snap-sacks and to take up the wearied Soldiers who could not march and bring them after to the Camp The Enemy made a halt at Bussiere after they had re-passed the Sambre to refresh themselves the Prince of Conti who Commanded the Infantry as first Lieutenant-General told them That they had suffered but little for the King's Service that Campaigne That the King's Service did now require a quick and a speedy March and therefore that such who loved His Majesty's Service should shew it and follow their Colours He then caused 400 Pistols-worth of Brandy which had been brought from the neighbouring Towns for that purpose to be given to the Infantry to drink and so the Colours were ordered to march on and all the Foot that were come up endeavoured to shew their Zeal for the King's Service by marching along with them but all along Waggons were provided to take up those who could not march and Brandy upon every halt The Enemy came very early by break of day near Mons to which place the Dauphine was got the night before I cannot say that they incamped here because all the Soldiers Tents were left behind for a more expeditious march but here they lay down upon the ground to rest themselves The 12 th the Army marched towards Aeth we passed the River of Cambron at Lens and so got into the Plain of Cambron where we incamped with our Right at Irchonwetz within half an English mile of Aeth where the Elector of Bavaria had his Quarters and the Left at Lens the Abby of Cambron remained in the Rear of the Left We had the Town of Chievres before the Right where the King took his Quarters This is an old ruined Town where the Spaniards had once a Garison but the French upon pretence that it was within the Chatelleine of Tournay beat them out of it and no Garison has been in it since There is hardly a finer place in all the Seventeen Provinces for an Army to incamp upon than the Plains of Cambron where the strength and scituation equals the beauty and conveniency of the Plain which reaches from the Village of Irchonwetz to Lens upon the little River that runs by Cambron about five English Miles in length with a small rising over against Chievres from whence we could have a perfect prospect of the Camp from the Right to the Left Our Right was covered by the Dender and Irchonwetz which runs through Aeth where 't is joyned by the River of Cambron and our Left and Rear by the River which from Lens went round the Rear by Cambron Abbey and so to Aeth Our Front was covered by a Wood and close Defiles which are between this place and Mons. The Artillery which we had sent from Nivelle another way because of the narrowness of the Defiles we were to march through came up to us this day But we could not long injoy the commodiousness of this Camp the King was hastening his march to the Scheld and so orders were given to march on the next day The 13 th in the Morning the Duke of Wirtemberg was commanded with seven Brigades of Horse one of them under the command of Brigadier Lumley to pass the Scheld at Audenarde where he was to joyn the two Brigades of Foot commanded by Major Fagel detach'd from the Camp at Nivelle of which we have given an account before An Express was sent likewise to Count Thian to march up from Ghendt with the body under his command towards Audenarde and to send the three Terces of Walloon Foot to garison in Bruges and to leave Brigadier Holles Regiment in Deinse The same day the Army marched the first Line passed the River of Irchonwetz above Aeth the second with the Cannon and Baggage marched through the Town This Town as it appears by what we have said before is scituated at the confluence of two small Rivers the Dender and that of Cambron which pass through the Town it was
us till Nine in the Morning that the Duke of Holstein being come to the chief Battery upon the Hill de Coureux gave the Signal by ordering a Bomb to be fired in the Air after which this and all other Batteries both of Cannon and Mortars fired without intermission all the Generals had posted themselves by the main Battery to be Spectators of this Work This Evening we opened the Trenches at the Brandenbourg Quarter who directed their Attack towards the Fort Picard the rest did the same at their other Attacks The 13 th we had a thick Fog in the Morning which interrupted the Vigour of our Fire but as soon as it was over our Cannon and Mortars began to play with more force from all our Batteries that of St. Leonard fired perpendicular upon the Head of the Fort Picard to make a Breach The Enemy who kept themselves in their Works fired but seldom with Two Six-pounders of which we soon dismounted one they fired some Vollies of Shot upon the Bridge of the Town which caused the Duke of Holstein to send a Message to Monsieur de Regnac to let him know that it was against the Tenor of the Capitulation which would oblige him to give no quarter when once he should be Master of the Castle The Governour endeavoured to excuse himself but the Duke of Holstein returned for Answer by a Drum that he was a German and could not understand the wrangling of the French A Deserter came in and told us that the Besieged could not hold out much longer that our Bombs had ruined their Well and had broke to pieces most of their Casks filled with Beer and Water that they had spoiled their Provisions and put their Magazines of Fascines on fire thereupon we push'd our Approaches to the Foot of the Counterscarpe and the Besieged killed and wounded some of our Soldiers The 14 th the Enemies Fire ceased The General held a Council of War where it was concluded That the Breach in the Forts Rouge and Picard being wide enough for an Assault Orders should be given to the Brandenbourgers who were the most advanced to prepare themselves for it and all things being ready the Signal was given about Four in the Afternoon after which they made the Assault upon the Fort Picard with so much bravery that in less than half an hour they carried it Sword in hand without any great resistance from the Enemy of whom they made a great slaughter The Fort Rouge had the same success our People came into the place with the Enemies before they had time to know themselves The Paris Gazette gave an account that they sustained our Assault twice but that we carried it the third time after a vigorous Resistance Thus 't is honourable to have to do with a proud Enemy We carried at the same time the Tower of St. Leonard and another which surrendred at discretion Monsieur de Condron the King's Lieutenant that Commanded in these Forts escaped with 60 or 70 Men out of 300 though he was very much wounded after he had nailed three pieces of Cannon which he was forced to leave in our power and sprung a Mine which had no effect at all Among the Prisoners we took those of note were Monsieur de Tromboy Lieutenant-Colonel of the Regiment of Ponthien one Major three Captains aad other Officers but the Sieur Fronier Lieutenant-Colonel of Angoumois was not found in the Castle nor amongst the Prisoners and so it was concluded that he was killed Our Soldiers stript all those that were killed naked so that he could not be found We had in this Action but 9 or 10 Soldiers killed and some wounded The 15 th we changed some Batteries with which we continued our Fire to ruine all the Works the Casemates c. of the Castle We had several Fascines brought to fill the Ditch and disposed all things for an Assault about Eleven in the Evening the Duke of Holstein sent to summon the Commandant to surrender and deliver to the Magisttates of the Town divers Burthers whom he detained in the Castle contrary to the Capitulation During this Message we had a cessation of Arms for half an hour at which time the Officer the Duke of Holstein had sent returned with this Answer from the Commandant That it was not time yet to surrender that he would stay till things were brought to a greater Extremity that for the Burghers demanded he had reason to retain them without explaining himself any further The Besieged did think of making a Retrenchment in the Castle where to retreat and capitulate in case of an Assault The 16 th we began again as soon as it was day to fire from all our Batteries to make the Breach wider and to overthrow all the Defence the Besieged had but we found it more difficult than was at first believed to bring down the heaps of Stone at the Breach The 17 th we continued the same Work till One in the Afternoon that the Besieged beat the Chamade and asked to capitulate which surprized us very much since they might yet have defended themselves very well for some days for though the Breach was wide enough yet 't was very difficult to go up to it Hostages were Exchanged on both Sides and the Count de Lur Colonel of the Regiment of Angoumois brought the Conditions in Writing to the Duke of Holstein according to which the Commandant would deliver up the Castle which after examination some were agreed unto and some rejected We would have given no other Conditions but those which the Mareschal de Villeroy had granted the Year before to the Baron de Ronesse when he took it which caused great contestations on both Sides and several Messages backwards and forwards The French insisted very much to have marched out with Cannon which was absolutely refused but at last the Duke of Holstein sent word to Monsieur de Regnac If that Night passed without accepting the Conditions he had prescribed that the next Morning he would make a general Assault upon the Place without any regard to the said Conditions which Message had the success we expected for the Count de Lur came about Mid-night to the Duke of Holstein with Monsieur de Regnac's Cousent to the said Articles which I shall here insert for the satisfaction of the Reader as they were proposed by Monsieur de Regnac and granted by the Duke of Holstein Ploen The Capitulation Granted by the Duke of Holstein Ploen Commanding the Confederate Army before Huy to Monsieur de Regnac Commandant for the French King in the Castle of Huy I. THat the Garrison shall go out of the place with Arms and Baggage Drums beating Colours flying Matches lighted at both ends and that they shall march out of the Breach Granted II. That they shall carry out along with them Two Brass Pieces of Cannon and Mortars which are in the place which shall be at the choice of the Commandant of the Castle Rejected
wind drove the flame to the Left where it chanced to be advanced forward to the Front of the Dutch Guards or else the fire might have done more mischief in our Straw-Camp which is very dangerous when an Army is thus hutted all along in Straw The 29 th the D. of Holstein-Ploen came back from the Siege of Huy to the Camp to command the Army he was Complemented by all the Generals upon his arrival and the good success he had at Huy the Mareschal de Luxemburgh sent him a Complement of 2 very fine Mules The D. of Holstein at his coming away from Huy dispersed the Troops imployed in the Siege The Baron de Heyden was sent to incamp near Liege by the Ourte which rises in the Pajis de Luxemburgh and passes through the Dutchy of Bouillon and bois d' Ardenne and so falls into the Meuse at Liege Lieutenant-General de Witz was sent with the Brandenburgh Horse and Dragoons towards the Pajis de Luxemburgh to raise Contributions in the Enemies Country and the Dutch Foot commanded by Major-General Cohorne remained incamped by Huy till the Breaches were repaired of which six Battalions and two of the Liege Foot were sent into the Town and Castle to keep a strong Garrison in the place which is now our Frontier to the Enemy The 30 th the Second Troop of Life-Guards commanded by the D. of Ormond and the Third by my L. Rivers marched out of the Camp towards their Winter-Quarters at Breda The French which now wanted Forage very much by their long continuance in their Camp between Courtray and Moorselle made a considerable Detachment to the other side of the Scheld between Mons and Tournay commanded by the Mareschal de Bouflers to subsist them more conveniently there and Major-General Hubert who commanded our Detachment of Horse and Dragoons near Aeth was now marched towards Wavre and Genap It may be the Enemy suspected some design against Charleroy by this motion for which reason the Mareschal de Bouflers was commanded with this Body towards Mons. October 1. All our heavy Artillery was sent to Ghendt and none remained but the light Field-pieces under the Convoy of the Battalion of the Second Regiment of Guards whose Barraques had been burnt for which reason they were now sent to Winter-Quarters at Ghendt and the Regiments of Tettan Salisch and Bieck which marched to Maestricht Colonel Titcomb had this day the same misfortune the Second Regiment of Guards had some days before The 3 d our Bread-Waggons were again set upon by the Enemies Parties and as they made a false attack upon the Center of the Waggons where our Detachment came for relief they had the opportunity to steal several Horses from the Front Our Camp was so far towards the Enemies Frontier Garrisons that Courtray was nearer Ghendt from whence we had our Bread than Rouselar This with the closeness of the ground in our Rear made the Enemies Parties very successful who had all the advantage they could desire for such undertakings But if the Camp of Rouselar was a perfect Wood when we came to it insomuch that any Regiment could not discover the Line upon the Right or Left yet before we parted with it we made it a Plain for above half an English Mile in the Front and Rear The Soldiers cut down the Wood and Hedges to build their Huts and afterwards to burn and make fires withal 'T was really pity to see many fine Trees and stately Oaks cut down and yet these are the least inconveniencies a Country suffers that is the unhappy and miserable seat of War This reflection ought to make us set the greatest value in the World upon our domestick Peace and to let War be any where else whatever it may cost us rather than have it at home and if the mischiefs of War are so great that when David was put to his choice of Punishments for his Sin he chose rather the Pestilence or to be chasten'd by the hand of God than to have a War at home Certainly those are to be look'd upon as the most unnatural monsters in the world who would disturb the Peace of our Government under any pretext whatsoever and yet so much the more when 't is only to satisfie their own ambitious revenge or discontent The 5 th the Regiments that were to be Quartered at Audenarde marched out of the Field to go to their Garrison The 6 th the whole Army began to separate in order to march into Winter-Quarters the Garrisons of Bruges Ostend and Sluys marched away under the command of Major-General Ramsay and all the heavy Baggage of the remainder of the Army was sent away under the Escorte of the Regiments of Noyelles Oxensterne St. Paul and Marquet which marched to Brussels and the next day the whole Camp broke up at Rousetar We had a good Rear-guard to cover our March but the Enemy did not appear to disturb it and so all the Regiments marched towards their several Quarters that had been assigned them The 9 th the Mareschal de Luxemburgh came to view our Camp at Rousclar with the Mareschal de Villeroy and 4000 Horse of the French Kings Houshold 't was supposed his design was to disturb the Quarters of our English Cavalry canton'd about Dixmuyde but my L. Auverquerque gave such Orders for the defence of their Quarters that the Mareschal de Luxemburgh did not think convenient to attack them and so he went back again to his Camp at Courtray to give Orders for the separation of the French Army into their Winter-Quarters which tho' they had been now above 7 weeks in this Camp yet they could not stir from it till our Army had left the field My L. of Athlone marched with the Dutch Cavalry from his Quarters near Deinse towards Ninove to cover the Works we made at this place and Gramont upon the Dender to make them serve for a Winter-Quarter and to lodge our Troops as near as possibly we could to the Enemies Frontiers The D. of Holstein after the separation of our Army went to wait upon the King at the Hague where His Majesty arrived the 13 th from Loo and the General Officers to their respective Quarters where they command The 14 th and 15 th the French Army left the Camp of Courtray to go into Winter-Quarters and the Mareschals of Luxemburgh and Villeroy went away for the Court but the Mareschal of Bouflers staid to take possession of his New Government of Lifle and the French Flanders About the 16 th all the Cavalry and Dragoons left the Villages where they were cantoned to go into their Quarters and Dixmuyde being in a condition of defence not only the English Horse and Dragoons marched into Quarters but the five Regiments that had their Quarters assigned them in the Comerlings Ambacht which had been sent here to forward the Work of the Fortification Count Thian separated his Army from Deinse which was now fortified and Four Regiments