flank'd of both sides with Ipres upon the Right and Menin and Courtray upon the Left and the Enemies Line in our Front yet we lost but very few Horses there being still good Guards upon the Woods to cover our grazing which was still done by order The 14th the King was informed that the Enemies had a design upon our Bread-Waggons coming from Bruges and that they were to fall upon them at Rouselar for which reason my Lord Essex was detached with Five Hundred Dragoons to joyn our Convoy at Rouselar and my Lord Portland went with Five Hundred Dragoons more Commanded under his Lordship by Brigadier Wynne sustained by some Horse to endeavour to meet with the Enemies upon their way being advised that they were to pass that Evening by Moorsleede accordingly my Lord Portland overtook them in this place and the Dragoons had orders to dismount and attack them which they did with a great deal of Courage The Enemies were Commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel about Four Hundred strong they had made some Barricades of Waggons which they defended no longer than to gain time to make their escape but notwithstanding a Captain with about Thirty Men remained Prisoners and they had several killed and wounded The fire was very hot for above half an hour and the Count de Soissons who was here as Voluntier very much incouraged our Men and was very well pleased with their way of falling on Count de Soissons is Brother to the Prince Eugene of Savoy Velt-Mareschal General of the Emperours Forces in Piemont and a near Kinsman to the Duke of Savoy The French King would oblige him to serve in Piemont with his Regiment against the Duke of Savoy which he refused and quitted and retired with the French Kings leave out of the Country But the French King hearing he was gone into England he was so netled at it that he ordered the Countess de Soissons his Wife immediately to leave the Kingdom He served in our Army this whole Campagne as Voluntier being waited upon by the Kings own Servants and he was still with the King upon all occasions He is a Person of a very fine Education very civil and obliging and very brave which has gained him the esteem and affections of all Persons of Quality in our Army But to return to the business of Moorsleede Lieutenant Webb was killed in this occasion Brother to Lieutenant-Colonel Webb of the Guards Brigadier Wynne was wounded in the Knee which though it was not esteemed very dangerous at first yet he dyed afterwards of this Wound at Ghent being generally regretted The King has since given his Regiment of Dragoons to Colonel Rosse Lieutenant Colonel of the Regiment who has been one of the Kings Aide de Camps the three last Campagnes Captains Collins and Holdgate were likewise wounded both Officers of Dragoons The next day our Convoy of Bread-Waggons came safe to the Camp and with them my Lord Rivers major-Major-General of Horse Monsieur de Zuylenstein lieutenant-Lieutenant-General created by His Majesty Earl of Rochsord and my Lord Cutts Brigadier being lately come over from England Besides the miscarriage of the Enemies upon the coming of our Bread-Waggons to the Camp they had received the same misfortune before upon their going to Bruges above Fifty of them having been carried Prisoners into this place by our Detachment The 15th at Night a Party of the French fell upon an Outpost of Bannieres Brigade at Sonnebeck where they made several Prisoners most of them Swissers of Tâ—harâ—ers Regiment The 17th the Duke of Wirtemberg had Orders to withdraw his Forces from before Kenoque and to march back to Dixmuyde Nothing extraordinary happened in the attack of this place from the 9th of which we have given an account to the time of raising the pretended Siege save that the 10th Montal passed the Canal of Loo with a good Detachment of his best Troops with a design to have surprized out Out guards but the Duke of Wirtemberg had notice of it and the Guards were so ordered that upon some fire of both sides which allarmeâ— the Camp the French retreated fearing an Ambuscade which was ready for them The 17th in the Afternoon the Artillery and Baggage had orders to march from our Camp at Becelar to Rouselar Escorted by Bannieres Brigade from Sonnebeck and St. Pauls from the Kings Quarter They marched all Night meeting now and then with French Parties which would have broken in upon the Line of Baggage but the Brigades were so disposed upon the Front Flanks and Rear that they were still repulsed Orders were given for the Army to march the next Day The 18th the Army marched the first Line upon the Right by Sonnebeck Passendal and Roosebeck to Rouselar the same way that we had come to this Camp the second Line marched upon the Left gaining by Moorsleede the high way from Menin to Rouselar Packmoeâ—'s Brigade had the Rear-guard with seven pieces of Cannon to make good our retreat out of the Enemies Country The King remained with the Rear-guard to see all safely march off Villeroy had a great mind to have fallen upon our Rear in this March having upon notice of it ordered a Detachment of many Squadrons of his best Horse and Dragoons with which he marched very early out of the Line to observe our motion directing his way from Ipres towards the Windmill of Gelâ—velt to have come into our Camp by Becelar But such was the order of our March that he was obliged to see us march quietly off That day we came to Rousela with our Camp as before between Hooghleed and Rombeck Bannieres Brigade incamped upon the Right before the Village of Hooghleed where Prince Vaudemont had his Quarter The Army halted the next day but matters being ready for the great and glorious undertaking of this Campagne the King left the Camp at Rouselar very early the 19th in the Morning to go towards the Meuse with the Troops of Life-Guards of Ormond and Auverquerque the Horse Granadiers my Lord Portlands Regiment of Horse and Dopfs Dragoons Commanded by Brigadier L'Etang The main of which Body kept with the Kings Domesticks and Baggage but His Majesty had a sufficient Escorte to hasten on before We had made great preparations at Maestricht of Artillery Mortars Bombs and all manner of Ammunitions and all the Boats of the Meuse at Liege Maestricht and Huy were detained for the States Service And tho' all this threatned Namur yet the French had brought all their Forces within their Lines without keeping any Body to guard the passages of the Sambre Whether it was that they thought Villeroys Bouflers and Montals Forces were but sufficient to defend their Lines against the King and the Elector of Bavaria's or that they depended upon the strength of Namur and the goodness of the Garrison in it and the difficulty of a Siege They left the Sambre unfurnished of Troops But His Majesty expected only the junction of the Brandenburg and Liege Forces
once just as if it had vanished out of the Enemy's Sight The Prince and the Duke of Wirtemberg and other Generals kept to the Retrenchments till all was marched off forming with themselves Domesticks and Attendants a little Body of Horse still to impose upon the Enemy and followed the Army as soon as 't was all got off The Enemies finding themselves cheated did what they could to overtake and fall upon our Rear Montal particularly endeavoured to fall upon that Body commanded by Monsieur d' Auverquerque which march'd off by Winck to Nevel He overtook the Rear with some Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons But our Defilés were good and Brigadier Collier had ordered all the Granadiers of his Brigade to the Rear of all to face the Enemy from time to time as they advanced in their Defilès which was so well contrived that the Granadiers with their Fire kept the Enemies at a distance and made the Retreat good and Montal could not do us the least harm When they had fail'd here they endeavoured to fall upon the Rear of our body of Foot which was brought up by Count de Noyelles Lieutenant-General They ordered a Line of Foot to advance with some Horse and Dragoons but the Foot was got already so far that they could not hurt them However two Squadrons of their Dragoons put green Boughs in their Hats which is our sign of Battle and spoke some French and some English as if they had been some of our own Reer-Guard It was then the dusk of the Evening and with this Stratagem they were suffered to come up close to our Rear of Foot and marched with them a little way till they came to a convenient place that they fir'd upon our Rear and then fell in with their Swords This put the first Battallion in great disorder but the other immediately facing about oblig'd the Enemies to retire They kill'd us several Men and made some Prisoners The Lunenburgh Regiment of Luck suffered most in this occasion And this is the only loss we receiv'd from the Enemy in this great and renowned Retreat which is as fine a piece of the Art of War as can be read of in History and which can hardly be parallell'd in it which has shew'd more the Art Conduct and Prudence of a General than if the Prince had gain'd a considerable Victory And this is the Sense his Majesty was pleas'd to express of it in a Letter he writ to Prince Vaudemont upon this occasion By this Prince Vaudemont bafled all the Enemy's Designs which aimed at no less than the loss of Flanders by the ruin of his Army and for this Reason had laid aside all thoughts of besieging At h or Audenarde to get Newport 〈◊〉 so to have a passage free within our Canals which cover the Spanish Flanders This would not only have been the Consequence of the Prince's defeat but likewise the raising of the Siege of Namur must have follow'd it The Prince having made his Retreat in this order and the Army being pass'd Deinse and got as far as Nevel in the way to Ghent 't was ordered to halt and rest there for that night But Prince Vaudemont as he himself afterwards said it remembred a Maxim of that Great General Charles IV. Duke of Lorrain his Father That when an Army is upon the Retreat it must be sure to retreat out of the Enemy's reach for which Reason he sent Orders to Sir Henry Bellasis to march immediately with the Foot to Ghent and the Army came to Mary-Kâ—rk that night under the Walls of Ghent without Bruges-Port and it was all got here by six a Clock the next morning Whilst the Army was upon the halt at Nevel major-Major-General Churchill being just by the House where he had his Quarter the last Spring when we form'd a Camp between Deinse and Ghent as the Enemies were working at their new Lines went in to rest himself and ordered a Sergeant and twelve Men of the next Regiment for a Guard upon it But as the Army marched on the Regiment did not send to call off the Sergeant and his twelve Men and the whole Regiment and Army march'd without their knowledge they still expected to have found the Army by them the next morning Major General Churchill being fatigu'd went to sleep Lieutenant-Colonel Godolphin of Sir Bevil Granville's Regiment was with him and Major Negus of the Major-General's Regiment and Captain Lloyd his Aide de Camp The next morning very early as they were getting up they found that the Army was marched on and the Centries gave notice that a French Party was just upon theâ— They call'd in the Sergeant and six men the rest being dispers'd Centries into the House It prov'd that it was no Party but Maroders of the Army who came to plunder the Country The six Soldiers being got into the House and the Doors shut up fir'd upon the French which made them retreat In the mean time the Major-General made all haste to endeavour to make his escape and being got out of the House the French Maroders had rally'd with their Camarades to force the House so he fell in the Hands of two of them who plunder'd him took his Gold his Watch his Coat and Cravat but being jealous of one another they were for dividing immediately the Spoil and so they spoke to the Major-General to set down by a Hedge and that if he offered to stir they were so many about the House that they would certainly shoot him They got on the other side of the Hedge to share that which they would not trust with one another Whilst they were busie at this work the Major-General seeing no body to observe him slipp'd to the other side of another Hedge hard by and so having two Hedges between him and them he got out of their sight He pass'd by one of their Centries who took him for one of the French Army and ask'd him which way the Army march'd to which the Major-General answer'd accordingly and so made his escape and got to our Army at Mary-Kirk having marched most on Foot in his Boots As for Lieutenant-Colonel Godolphin Major Negus and Captain Lloyd which were still in the House they had not so good Fortune but the House was soon invironed The Maroders came with a Drum to make them believe they had an Officer with them and so these Gentlemen expecting good Treatment from an Officer yielded themselves Prisoners of War But as soon as the Door was open the mobb of Soldiers got in and fell on plundering There was a great deal of Baggage in the House as Saddles and Furniture for Horses and in the Barn suveral good Horses Those that got in first minded only the Plunder others follow'd who finding no other Booty stripp'd Colonel Godolphin naked and had him away Prisoner in this condition Major Negus and Captain Lloyd were not treated quite so ill having some of their Cloaths left them But they were all carried
Prisoners to the Marechal de Villeroy who made some Excuses for their ill Treatment and was himself very civil to them He gave them immediatly their Liberty and desired they should stay no longer but to refresh themselves He invited them to Dinner the next day and so sent them back without Ransom The Mareschal de Villeroy having slipp'd this opportunity of falling upon Prince Vaudemont by his wise and happy Retreat marchâ—d with the French Army to Rousselar and Prince Vaudemont who had march'd all night as far as Mary Kirk under the Walls of Ghent halted here till nine of the Clock in the morning that he judged all the Straglers were got up to the Army and so marched through Ghent and incamp'd without Brussels Port. And as Prince Vandemont foresaw that the Enemies having missâ—d this opportunity would march towards Newport so twelve Battallions had orders not to pitch their Tents but to be ready to march under the command of Sir Henry Bellasis Lieutenant General but the Army marching through Ghent and the Baggage this Detachment could not repass the Town to march towards Bruges till the next day early in the morning Brigadier Offerrel was left in Deinse and a Swedish Regiment besides a Detachment Prince Vaudemont had writ a Letter the 4th to the King to give him an account of his Circumstances and of the motions of the Enemy to attack him which made us very anxious before Namur for the success of that Affair The next day in the morning he sent an Express to the King to give his Majesty an account of his successful Retreat which the King received at night which good News caus'd an universal Joy before the Town and dissipated all the Apprehensions we had for the safety of Prince Vaudemont's Army This brings me back again from Flanders to speak of the progress of the Siege of Namur The 4th the English Army employed in this Siege were like to lose all their money coming from Louvain under an Escorte of about 100 Horse and 50 of Dopf's Dragoons Mr. Hill the Pay-master-general of his Majesty's Forces was with them They met by Perwys at a Defilé with a good Party of the Enemy's Horse and Dragoons from Charleroy which at first made ours give way thinking them stronger than really they were The Pay-masters of the Regiment had put their money into a Waggon which the Enemy overthrew and were taking out the Horses In the mean time the Officer commanding our Party who before had done his best to make his people stand rallyed them again who finding that the Enemy were not so strong as at first they apprehended them came on upon them and so the Enemy were obliged to retire in their turn But the Waggon being over-turned several Regiments lost their money in the confusion some taken by the Enemy and some by our own Troopers However the Enemy being near our Camp and afraid of another Party went off as fast they could to Charleroy their Garrison having no great occasion to brag of their Booty which they quitted as easily as they got it Mr. Hill was in a Coach but he made his escape upon a Led-Horse The same day Lieutenant-Colonel Billing of Sâ—lwyn's Regiment was commanded with 300 men to take Post upon the rising Ground of this side the Sambre over-against the House of the other side called the Ballance where the Enemy had a good Guard to defend the Passage of the River This was in order to make some Batteries upon the side of this Hill to dislâ—dge the Enemy from the Ballance and the Abbey of Salsen This Post was pretty warm at first being exposâ—d to the â—ire of the Battery of two upon the end of the Enemyâ—s Line of which we have before given an account But our men soon put themselves under Cover and this Post was daily relieved with a Lieutenant-Colonel and 300 men till we had gainâ—d the Passage of the Sambre At night Mâ—jor-â—eneral Hâ—uklom commanded the Trenches The 5â—h or about this time Baron Fleming Velt Mareschal-General of the Elector of Brandenburgh's Forces came to the Camp before Namâ—â—â— and took his Quarter on the other side of the Meuse with the Brandenburgh Troops under his Command which hitherto had been commanded by the lieutenant-Lieutenant-General Baron Heyden The same day it was resolved that the English Forces incamp'd at Tâ—empâ—oux should open the Trench upon the Right of the Enemys Retrenchment directing their Approaches towards the old Tower of Cocklé That three English Regiments should mount the Trenches here and three Dutch upon the Left towards the Meuse where they had opened the Trench near the Village of Bouge Accordingly in the Evening my Lord Cutts Brigadier was commanded with the Regiments Royal Selwyn and Trelawny for this Work and major-Major-General Salisch had the Trenches The Enginier missed in the night the Ground where we were to begin to work which was in a bottom upon the Right of the Enemy's Rettenchment or covered way And so these three Regiments returned without breaking Ground The 6th Major-General Lindeboom mounted the Trenches and Brigadier Fitzpaterick with the Regiments of Seymour and Columbine being that lately commanded by the Marquiss de Rada Son to the Marquiss de Montpouillan who dyed of a Fever at Bruges the beginning of the Campagne and the Regiment was given to Lieutenant-Colonel Columbine Captain of the Guards who had been Lieutenant-Colonel to it in the time of Colonel Babington the third was the Regiment of Fusiliers This night these Regiments opened the Trench before the Enemy's covered way upon the Hill of Bouge taking the opportunity of the hollow ground to begin their work very near the Enemy Captain Thilips of Selwyn's Regiment was wounded with the Workmen Thus the Trenches were mounted upon the Right by the King's Forces three Battallions commanded by a Brigadier and by the States Forces three Battallions upon the Left commanded by a Dutch Brigadier making two Attacks upon Right and Left under the Command of a Major-General 200 men were commanded every night upon each Attack with two Captains and other Officers proportionably to work and advance the Trenches whilst the Regiments of the Trenches covered their Work which they did under the shelter of Wooll-sacks with their Fire which generally continued more or less the whole Night The 7th Major-General Heukelom had the Trenches with my Lord Cutts's Brigadier upon the Right and the Battallions of Tidcomb Stanley and Collingwood I could not get a List of the rowling of the Dutch Brigadiers and Regiments upon the Left so that I must pass it over Captain Gaubet of Colonel Ingoldesby's Regiment and Enginier and another Enginier of la Meloniere's Regiment were killed in the Work this night The 8th several of the Regiments encamp'd at Temploux had Orders to march in the Lines of Circumvallation being the first Battallion of the Royal Regiment the Fusiliers Ingoldesby Saunderson Maitland and Lauder We continued still to fire with our small Battery upon the
and round the whole Line of Circumvallation three times for the taking of Casal in Italy by the Duke of Savoy and the Allies all the Regiments being drawn out about the Line of Circumvallation for that purpose made a very fine running sire in such a vast compass of Ground The 19th in the Morning we had finished a Battery of seven pieces of Cannon on the Bavarian side upon the highest part of the Hill between the Sambre an the Meuse which play'd very hard to make a Breach upon the Left of the Gate of the Enemies Line In the Evening the Elector of Bavaria made a very great Detachment of the Dutch and Bavarian Troops to the Ballance in order to have attacked the Enemies within their â—ine between the Sambre and the Meuse but because a considerable resistance was expected the King judg'd it too late and deferrâ—d it till the next mornining However the said Detachment lay all night upon their Arms at the Ballance to be ready to fall on in the morning The Enemies who foresaw they could not keep their Line whilst we could attack them within drew away their Cannon from it this night Major-General Lindedeboom mounted the Trenches with Brigad er Fitz-Patrick and the Regiments of Columbine Fusiliers Tidcomb and Stanley The Dutch upon the Left had push'd their Trenches to the Meuse along the Palissades of the covered way and this night they made some Traverses along the narrow Beach under the bank of the River before the point of the Demy Bastion of the Meuse to come at the Foot of the Digue to mine it this Digue joyns the point of the Demy-Bastion to the covered way to damm up the Water in the Fossé The 20th early in the morning being then rainy weather the Detachment we had ready at the Ballance to attack the Enemies in the inside of their Line march'd out for this Enrerprise The Detachment consisted in all of about 8000 men whereof about 40â—0 march'd from the Ballance up the Hill to get in between the Line and the Casotte and the other 4000 march'd from the Line of Circumvallation between the Sambre and the Meuâ—e to attack the Line in Front the Dutch and Bavarians upon the left of the Gate and the Brandenburgh's upon the right The Elector of Bavaria was present in the whole Attack A considerable Detachment of about 1000 Horse and Dragoons was posted between the Ballance and the Abbey of Salsen to hinder the Enemies from sallying this way upon our Men and the ascent of the Hill of Cohorn coverâ—d them pretty well from the Enemies Cannon-shot Major General Suerin commanded the Dutch at the Attack in front of the Line upon the left of the Gate where the Bavarian Battery of 7 pieces of Cannon had began to spoil the parapet The Dutch and Bavarians march'd up from the Ballance in several Lines being coverâ—d on the left Flank with a good Body of Horse and Dragoons towards the Cohorn of which we have now spoken When they came up the Enemies did not long dispute their two Traverses they had made within the Line but retired to the perpendicular Line of Communication between the Line and the Casotte This gave major-Major-General Swerin opportunity to get over the Line at his Attack and so to joyn and fall upon the Enemies in this Retrenchment of Communication The Brandenburghs at the same time kept the Enemies employâ—d upon the right of the Line towards the Meuse so that they could not so well defend this Communication which they were forced at last to yield and the whole Line being near an English half Mile in length and a prodigious Work cut into the very Rock which cost the Enemies a vast deal of Money and Labour We gain'd this hardly without any loss not having as yet above 20 men kill'd and wounded The Enemies had a Battery of 2 pieces of Cannon upon the descent of the Hill of Cohorn towards Salsen 300 men were detached out of the Bavarian Troops to force the Enemies from this Battery which they disputed a little but when they abandon'd it to retire in the Cohorn we found that they had before sent off the two pieces of Cannon A Dutch Battallion with some Bavarian Dragoons sustained the 30 men detach'd who having forced the Enemy from the Battery pursued them to the covered way of the Cohorn where they went as if they had been to make themselves Masters of the Work but a great many paid for their rashness and perished near the upper point of the covered way of the Cohorn After we had gain'd the Enemies Line we work'd to make a Lodgment within the Line-parallel to the covered way of the Casotte which took up all the top of the Hill between the two Rivers The Enemies disputed the Lodgment very hard making a continual sire from the covered waâ— before the Casotte and with the Cannon they had in this place but we at last finished it which continued in this condition till we besieged the Castle the Guardbeing relieved daily at this Post by a Brigadier and four or five Regiments 'T was in making of this Lodgment and before the Cohorn that we lost most Men which amounted to about 300 men killed and wounded A Captain of the Elector's Guards was killed one of the Elector's Ingeniers and one of his Gentlemen wounded I have not heard of any other Officers of note Thus we took this mighty Work designâ—d to render the Castle impregnable and which would indeed have render'd the attacking of the Castle very difficult if it had been continued down the Hill to the Ballance upon the Sambre for this Passage being once gain'd the Line can be attac'd within which renders it weak and not defensible And since we have made our selves Masters of Namur we have work'd to produce this Line down the Hill to the Ballance to fortifie this Pass of the Sambre The same day 20. we sprung a Mine under the Digue to blow it up to let the Water by the ruining of this Work out of the Fossé but being just upon the River so that we could not get under the Foundation and the Stone-work being very hard it could not have any axtraordinary effect However by this time a great deal of the Digue was beat down and the Water was considerably sunk in the Fossé The King had this Day the unfortunate news of Dixmuyde at which the whole Army was very much concern'd In the Evening Major General Ramsan had the Trenches and Brigadier Selwyn with the Regiments of Collingwâ—od Lauder Ingeldesby and Sanderson 21st The English Battering-pieces which had come from Ghent to Malines by Water came pretty near our Camp under a strong Escorte having been brought by Land from this place and drawn with our own Horses a Horse of a Company being commanded out of all the Regiments upon English Pay In this Siege The Captains were very willing to do this Service and some Colonels sent several Horses more than
Lieutenant d' Aneau kill'd in Seymour's Lieutenant Campbel kill'd in Columbine's Captain Cummins kill'd Lieutenant Twinhoe wounded in the Fusiliers Captain Groves and Lieutenant Rainsford wounded in Tidcomb's Lieutenant Sowell wounded in Stanley's Lieutenant Mordant kill'd in Ingoldsby's Captain Parry kill'd in Saunderson's Lieutenant Midlemore kill'd in Maitland's Lieutenant Arthurs wounded All these were Officers of Grenadeers There were yet some others of the same whose Names I could not get The Loss of the Four Regiments concern'd in the Attack was as follows In Colonel Courthop's Regiment the Colonel Captain Coot and Lieutenant Evans kill'd Sir Matthew Bridges Lieutenant-Colonel who now has the Regiment wounded Captains Wolf and du Bourguay Lieutenants Disbordes and Ash Ensigns Foncebran Eyres and Denis with 101 Soldiers kill'd and 149 wounded In Colonel Friderick Hamilton's Regiment Lieutenant-Colonel Ormsby Captains Purefoy Pinsent and Carteret Lieutenants Fitsmorris and Ramme Ensigns Fettyplace Blunt Baker and Hayter kill'd Captain John Southwel and Ensign Lister dead of their Wounds Colonel Friderick Hamilton Captains Kane du Roure Seymour and William Southwel Lieutenants la Planche Brereton Hybert Arphaxad Râ—leston Ensigns John Gifford Ormsby and Blackney wounded Soldiers kill'd 86 wounded 185. In Colonel Mackay's Regiment Captain Catenberg Ensign Macdoâ—gal kill'd Major Cunningham Captains Cunningham Mackenzy Camerone and Bruce Lieutenants Macleod Monro Dickson and Wilson Ensigns Neil Macleod Monro John Macleod Macdonald Gordon and Martyn wounded Sergeants and Soldiers kill'd 73. wounded 166. In Colonel Buchan's Regiment Captains Johnston Baily and Wear Lieutenant Bailly kill'd Lieutenant-Colonel Guilliams Captains Dalham Cassin and Orach Lieutenants Levingston and Windram Ensigns Gordon Lesley and Urguhart wounded Soldiers and Sergeants kill'd 65 wounded 140. The Loss in these 4 Regiments of Officers and Soldiers kill'd and wounded being join'd together amounts to 1028. besides the Grenadiers which I 'm sure had near 300 kill'd and wounded So that the whole Loss of His Majesty's Forces concern'd in this Action amounted to about 1400 Men tho' most Prints that speak of this Business make the whole Loss of the Allies to come to little more than this 'T is true that the other Forces concern'd in the Attacks of the Cohorne and Casotte did not suffer near so much as we did or rather their Loss was but inconsiderable except the Dutch and Bavarians employ'd in the Attack of the Breach of the Cohorne under Major-General Rivera who had many both Officers and Soldiers kill'd and wounded and if the Loss of all the rest of the Allies put together be suppos'd equal to that we sustain'd we must have had in all kill'd and wounded in this Action near 3000 Men. We had a great many Voluntiers to signalize themselves in this Occasion If I could have got a List of all these worthy Gentlemen I would have mention'd them in this Place What Loss the Enemies sustain'd particularly in this Attack is not known no more than in any of the others but we need not doubt but such an Attack which lasted so long and where our Bombs play'd at the same time incessantly in their Works must destroy them a great many Men. This Night 30th Major-General Arnheim had the Trenches with the Prince of Anhalt Brigadier We work'd all Night to strengthen and fortifie the great Lodgment we had made the Day before To return to the two Armies in presence of one another the one to endeavour to relieve the Besieged and the other to cover the Besiegers Villeroy had been the Day before to visit our Posts at St. Denis and though he began then to apprehend the great Difficulty there was to attack us in our strong Posts and the apparent Hazard of a Battel yet to endeavour all Ways possible to relieve the Place he order'd the Army in the Morning 20th to march upon the Left towards Perwys to try a Passage at the Springs of the Mehaigne the Country being more open thereabouts The King who expected this Motion of the Enemies order'd in the Morning our Cavalry of the Right under the Command of Velt-Marechal Fleming and Count d' Arco with Lumley's Brigade to march on upon the Right towards the Mehaigne The Hesse Troops made the same Motion and they all encamp'd with a Wood upon their Right their Left towards the Village of Du and that of Ypigny's before them lieutenant-Lieutenant-General la Forest was detach'd at the same time with 20 Squadrons of Horse to Taviers and Bonef upon the Mehaigne to observe the Enemies March who came early in the Afternoon to their Camp near the Mehaigne lieutenant-Lieutenant-General la Forest continu'd in his Post till the Left Wing of the Enemies Horse which upon this March had the Van of the Army was come up to the Ground which extended it self along the River between Ramelies and Harlue and Taviers upon the Mehaigne As soon as the Left Wing was come up they detach'd about 40 Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons to beat us out of the Post of Bonef But la Forest who was here posted had Orders not to dispute it but only to observe the Enemies March and abandon it the Enemies being so near and so much superior to him in number this occasion'd some disorder in his Retreat The Detachment of Dopf and Eppinger's Dragoons that had been posted in some Hedges to make good our Retreat were forc'd out of it and the Enemies having gain'd the Pass endeavour'd to flank our Horse which march'd off in two Columns and to surround them with their Line of Squadrons However after some Skirmishes on both sides our Cavalry made their Retreat good Major Crowther commanded a Squadron of Brigadier Lumley's Regiment in this occasion with which he fac'd about in the Retreat and with some others skirmish'd with the Enemies The French expected that this would bring both Armies to a Battel and the Princes of the Blood put themselves at the Head of the Cavalry to shew a good Example in so important an Action The Duke du Maine had a Horse kill'd under him the Marquis de Villequier was dangerously wounded On our side the Major of Eppinger's Dragoons was kill'd and Lieutenant Alexander of Brigadier Lumley's Regiment was made Prisoner and we lost about 10 Horses The French made much of this inconsiderable Success an Express was immediately dispatch'd to give an Account of it to Court They had already broke in upon our Right Wing of Horse and nothing less was expected by the next Courier than the Defeat and Rout of our Army and the Relief of Namur nay the thing was thought so sure that 't was immediately communicated to Foreign Ministers as 't is credibly reported This also contributed very much to the Oppression of our Dixmuyde and Deinse Prisoners who were now very ill treated and abused though afterwards the Pretext was for Reprisal of their Sick and Wounded in the Town of Namur which they pretended were not well us'd among us Some of the most hot-Headed of our National Enemies abroad would then tell the Soldiers
from Maestricht to the French Frontier by a Captain of Dragoons to whom he gave a Rich Sword for a Present and other Presents to the rest of the Officers besides a Louis d' Or to every Dragoon of the Detachment In his way going to Dinant he met with the Brevet by which he was Created Duke and Peer of France as a Mark of the French Kings satisfaction of his Conduct in this Siege The Count de â—uisâ—ard was at the same time promis'd the Order of the Holy Ghost in the first promotion Monsieur de Megrigny Ingenier and Major-General was made Lieutenant General and the Brigadiers Laumont Quelus St. Laurens and L' Abadie Major-Generals and several Colonels Brigadiers as a Mark of his Favour and that he was sensible they had done their Duty in this Siege The Armies having now done on both sides all that could be expected this Campagne His Majesty left the Field the 4th in order to go to Loo to divert himself in Hunting after the Fatigues of the Campagne and went this day as far as Malines Prince Vaudemont waited upon the King at Vilvorde half way between Brussels and Malines From Malines His Majesty went to Breda the next day and arriv'd at Loo the 10th The King having now left the Field I shall hasten to bring both Armies to their Winter Quarters The 5th part of the Dutch Cavalry to be Quarter'd in Guelderland and Towns upon the Mâ—use were sent from the Camp to Cantoon that way and the Brigades of Boncouâ—t and Schack which were to Quarter at Bruges march'd near Ghent to Incamp there for the better conveniency of Forage The 6th the Regiment of Slabenâ—orf was sent to Garrison in Hâ—y to relieve that of Oxensterne to be sent to Brussels The 8th being appointed for a Solemn Thanksgiving-day for the taking of Namur in His Majesties Forces in the Camp as it was Appointed to be kept at the same time by the Lords Justices of England in London Westminster c. The same was observ'd accordingly with Prayers and Sermons suitable to the occasion the first Compos'd by Dr. Willis Chaplain-General to supply our want of the Form set out for that purpose by Authority in England The 9th we still continued Incamp'd at Halle though â—â—â—age was scarce the Ways being not only very bad by reason of the foul Weather and consequently difficult for our Artillery but also because Namur was not yet in such a condition of defence as to venture the Enemies between the Sambre and our Army who were still incampt in the Plains of Cambron to ruine all the Forage and Countrey about Aeth but that Garrison was very troublesom to them in this Camp sending out dayly Parties to take their Horses and to make Prisoners in which they had such success that before the French had left this Camp they had got above 500 Horses from them and Count Nassau himself one of the Major Generals upon their Left Wing of Horse narrowly escap'd falling into the hands of one of these Parties who fell one Night upon his Quarter he was in Bed and made his Escape in his Shirt but the best of his Baggage was lost The 11th The Marechal de Villeroy march'd upon the Right from Cambron and Chievres to Leuze where the Army had Orders to Hurt i.e. to make Straw Barracks instead of Tents The Duke of Chartres with most of the Princes of the Blood left the Army here to repair to Court The 12th our Army marched from Halle upon the right to St. Quintin Linneck where we Incamp'd with our Right near Ternath and our left a little beyond St. Quintin Linneck towards Halle The Elector had his Quarter at Esringen the Duke of Holstein Ploen at St. Quintin The 13th our Army had orders to Hutt the Ways were very bad and difficult to fetch Straw The 14th Prince Vaudemont came from Brussels to the Camp to wait upon the Elector The 15th the Duke of Wirtemberg and Count Nassau Lieutenant-General went to Brussels to wait upon Prince Vaudemont to receive his Orders for our Army before he went to Loo where the Prince was to go the next day to concert with His Majesty the business about Winter-Quarters and to be present at a Conference with the Elector of Brandenburgh about the Operations of the next Campagn But the Duke of Wirtemberg and Count Nassau missed very narrowly falling into the hands of a French Party that had crept between Halle and Brussels in their return to the Camp Count Nassaus two Aide de Camps were made Prisoners just behind him and carried to Charleroy These were not the only Gentlemen that had the misfortune to fall into their hands Their Little Sculking Parties were very troublesom between the Camp and Brussels having the way open to get between our Camp and this Town by Halle if they came in great Parties they were more apt to be discovered for which reason they came but few together and if they met with Parties of Strangers to the Countrey as English Germans c. they would pretend themselves to be Walloons in the King of Spains Service The 17th Captains Hamilton and Hemsly of Colonel Seymour's Regiment with the Surgeon fell into the hands of one of these little Parties they endeavour'd to resist Captain Hemsly had a dangerous Wound upon his left Wrist and they were all Three made Prisoners but the Party left Captain Hemsly wounded at Halle upon the promise of the other two to see his Ransom paid The Breaches of the Town and Castle of Namur being now considerably repair'd and the French Line upon the Hill between the Sambre and the Meuse produc'd down to the Sambre besides some Works began to defend the passages of this River between the Line and the Castle and others to defend the side of the Cohorne against the Town that it may not for the future be attack'd the same way we reduc'd this strong place this I say being now the Condition of Namur the Hesse and Lunenbourgh Troops Decamp'd from the Mehaigne to march by the Meuse which they passed between Liege and Maestricht to Germany And the Brandenbourg Forces Canton'd in the Neighbourhood of Liege expecting to go into their Winter Quarters as formerly at Liege Aix la Chapelle c. Upon our coming to the Camp at S. Quintin Linneck the Spanish and Bavarian Cavalry was likewise sent to Canton along the Dendre between Alost and Dendermond And the Weather having been very bad now and most part of the Summer and Forrage scarce and the Troops very much fatigu'd and no fear of any Enterprize from the Enemies this made our Army separate very early to go into Quarters The 19th our heavy Artillery consisting of Thirty Pieces of Canon began to march to Winter-Quarters at Ghent being escorted by the Regiments of Colonel Frederick Hamilton and Cinqvilles The 20th My Lord of Athlone General of the Dutch Horse Reviewed all the Cavalry here in the States Service The 21th The Life-Guards
our Left made an elbow from the Center at the Village of Becelar towards Moorsleede and Dadyseel So that our Camp faced from the Right to Becelar towards the Line between Ipre and Comines and from Becelar to the Left towards the Lys and Menin The Dragoons of the Left faced to Moorsleede covering the Kings Quarter which was at the Baron de Becelars House and St. Pauls Brigade which had the Rear-Guard in this March incamped also at the Kings Quarter with some of the Life-Guards and Dragoons Upon our coming to this Camp in the Evening the King went to view the Enemies Line being about three English Miles from our Camp with a good Escorte of Horse Commanded by Brigadier L'Etang and all the Granadiers that were then come up for the Second Line was still marching into the Camp Commanded by major-Major-General La Meloniere and the English by Colonel Ingoldesby and Lieutenant-Colonel Rook. Villeroy was not then come up and what Forces the Enemy had in the Line which were Commanded at first by Monsieur de la Mothe were now under the Commaâ—d of Lieutenant-General Rosen who with a Detachment of Villeroys Army had March'd before to reinforce the Line which was very well Palissaded and the Parapet very thick and strong flank'd with good Redoubts and Cannon mounted for the defence of them The King returned late to the Camp and our Artillery Baggage and Rear-Guard was not all come up by Midnight Orders were given to be ready to March the next Day The Mareschal de Villeroy March'd from his Camp between Blaton and Quievrain the 27th of May to Leuze and the 29th he March'd nearer to the Scheld having his Head Quarter at Cordes to be nearer to observe our Army at Arseel according to its motions if it passed the Lys or Marched on towards Rouselar The 3â—th he made the Detachment of which we have now spoken to reinforce the Lines and upon our motion to Rouselar and so towards their Line between Ipre and Comines he passed the Scheld and the Lys with all diligence and incamped with the main Body of his Army that very Night we came to Becelar within the Line with his Right at Sulebeck near Ipre his Left at Comines and the Head Quarter at Houthem near the Lys. The French had provided in the Winter for such quick Marches by making Royal Ways as they call them where a Squadron can march a breast from Mons to the Sea to facilitate the Marches of the Army cutting and pulling down all they met without any regard to Houses or Villages if they happened in the Line of the Royal Way At the same time that the Mareschal de Villeroy March'd with the Main Army towards Ipre to make head against our Forces the Mareschal de Bouflers who was incamped at Gosselies near the Sambre March'd with the Body under his Command to St. Guilain to observe the Elector of Bavaria who incamped near Ninove The 4th in the Morning the General beat for the Army to be ready to March and the King went again very early with a strong Detachment to observe the Enemies Countenance within their Line Colonel Lauder Commanded the English His Majesty found the Main Body of the Enemies Army incamped within the Line which had passed the Lys in the Night at Comines and came to incamp between Houthem and Sulebeck Upon the Kings approach to their Line with so considerable a Detachment the Enemy thought that it had been the Vanguard of our Army coming to attack their Line for which reason they all immediately stood to their Arms But Villeroy being come with his Army within the Line the King returned to the Camp and our Army did not stir from Becelar But though there was no probability of success in forcing the Enemies in their Lines yet it was convenient for our further designs to oblige them to bring all their Forces for the defence of them for which reason the Elector of Bavaria decamped from Ninove the 4th and March'd that Day to St. Lievens Houthem towards the Scheld The 5th His Electoral Highness passed the Scheld below Audenarde and incamped near this place The 6th he March'd with his Army and incamped near the Enemies Line between the Lys and the Scheld with his Right at Tighem towards Courtray and his Left between Veermande and Kirkhove and his Quarter at Castres Monsieur de Montrevel Lieutenant-General had been left here with a Body of Foot for the defence of the Line from Courtray to the Scheld but upon this March of the Electors the Mareschal de Bouflers who had advanced from Gosselies to St. Guilain upon Villeroys passage of the Scheld in order to observe the motions of the Electors Army March'd with his Body of Horse and Dragoons to Tournay where he passed the Scheld and so went on to the Line where he found a Reinforcement of Foot sent him by the Mareschal de Villeroy and took his Quarter at Clare So that the Enemies had now all their Forces in the Field except Harcourts Camp volant from the Scheld to the Neighbourhood of Dunkirk for the defence of their Lines The Mareschal de Bouflers Commanded between the Lys and the Scheld Villeroy with the Main Army observed ours between the Lys and Ipres Monsieur de la Mothe cover'd the Canal from Ipre to the Kenoque and from thence to Furnes and Dunkirk Montal Commanded and Monsieur de Capestan was put into the Kenoque for the security of that place Besides this the Enemies reinforced the Garrison of Ipres where they doubled the Posts and took a particular care for the Sas of Bonsingue which is a Sluys strongly fortified upon the Canal about a League below Ipres which if once master'd all the Water about Ipres which adds very much to its strength may be drawn away by letting loose this Sluys This being the disposition of the Enemies within their Lines I shall return to speak of our own Affairs at our Camp at Becelar The 5th Major-General Dopf Quarter-Master General of the Army was sent with a strong Detachment to mark a Camp at St. Janstein cappelle which made us expect that the Army should have March'd towards Dixmuyde or the Canal of Ipres but I believe it was to order the March of our design'd Detachments to Dixmuyde The same day the Second Troop of Guards Commanded by the Duke of Ormond came to the Camp having been in Winter-Quarters at Breda and Canton'd upon the Country to refresh their Horses after having Escorted His Majesty from Breda to Ghent The same day our Bread-Waggons were attack'd by a Party upon the way to Bruges but the Party was repulsed and Five and Twenty of the Enemies made Prisoners The Country all along till you come near Bruges was so close and woody and so convenient for lurking Parties that our Convoys never missed but they were attack'd by some Party or other which though they could gain nothing but still had the worse yet that incommoded our Camp very
misfortune to be killed in the action but this Detachment being reinforced from the Neighbouring Posts the Enemies were obliged to retire after having lost a Captain and some other Officers wounded besides Soldiers And this little place was then so unprovided for such engagements that they were forced to send a Drum to Dixmuyde for a Surgeon to dress their wounded Men because this Garrison consisted only of Detachments from Ipres relieved from time to time and so they had no Surgeons Upon the Duke of Wirtembergs arrival here the 7th we began to make Trenches to cover our selves being incamped almost within Musket-shot of the Enemies Works and we mounted our Guards towards the Enemy with Two Thousand Five Hundred Men upon the several Posts Commanded by a Brigadier and other Officers proportionably This Army was divided in Four Brigades Two of English Commanded by Colonel Tiffeny and Sir James Lesley who acted as Brigadiers being eldest Colonels the third by Brigadier Haxhausen composed of Danes and the Regiments of Auer and Belcastel and the fourth of Dutch Commanded by Brigadier Bernstorf who came here with major-Major-General Churchill The 9th in the Morning the Enemies fired very briskly upon our Men but without any damage In the Afternoon major-Major-General Churchill came to the Camp with his Eight Battallions having passed through Dixmuyde that Morning In the Evening the Duke of Wirtemberg ordered an attack to beat the Enemies from a Retrenchment and some Houses upon our Right near the Canal of Loo the whole was Commanded by Colonel Tiffeny as Brigadier and the Granadiers by Colonel Maitland Colonel Tiffeny was upon the Right and the Enemies fired very hard upon him from a Fort of the other side of the Canal which he returned very bravely He himself was wounded through the Hand with a Musket-shot and major-Major-General Churchill who was willing to have a share in the Action escaped very narrowly being shot through the crown of his Hat with a Musket-ball Colonel Maitland who was to dislodge the Enemy with his Granadiers did it with all the Success and Conduct that could be wish'd and the Men went on with a great deal of Bravery and Courage and drove the Enemy from their Post which they endeavour'd in vain to recover two or three times successively coming on with Sword in hand We had several Granadiers killed and wounded Colonel Tiffenys and Fergusons Regiments lost most in this Action Of Colonel Fergusons Regiment Captain Trumbal was killed Major Bruce of Maitlands wounded and an Ensign killed I have not seen the List of Colonel Tiffenys but it was generally computed that our whole loss in this Action amounted to about Four Hundred Men killed and wounded but they grew almost to Thousands by that time they came in the Paris Gazette which certainly could not fall without some slaughter among the Enemies We had three small pieces of Cannon which played during this Attack which is the onely Cannon we fir'd against the place The small Shot was indeed very brisk on both sides the whole Night and we could hear it very plain from our Camp at Becelar And though it does not appear that we had any real design against this place but only to amuse the Enemy yet it was necessary for us to make this Attack because the Posts from whence we drove the Enemy were very inconvenient to us upon our Right The Duke of Wirtemberg had some Artillery from Dixmuyde with Morter-pieces and Bombs but 't was never taken out of the Boats to mount upon the Batteries except the three Field-pieces now mentioned This Artillery had been sent by Water from Sas van Ghendt besides a great quantity of Ammunitions with the rest of our English battering pieces which remained under the Walls of Ghendt without being sent any farther Monsieur de Montal upon this motion of the Duke of Wirtembergs had advanced between the Canal of Loo and that of Ipres to defend this place and to hinder our passage of the Canals to invest it so that nothing could be undertaken without the bringing of both Armies to wrangle about this Post and ours to attack upon very disadvantageous terms So that after this attack of the 9th there happened nothing extraordinary before the Kenoque but only in the Night they generally fired pretty briskly to hinder our Men from making any approaches and their Artillery played ten times to our once hovvever the Duke of Wirtemberg still continued there to keep the Enemies in suspence As for what passed of the Elector of Bavaria's side which we have left incamped before the Enemies Line between Courtray and the Scheld with his Head Quarter at Castres between Tighem and Kirkhove he made upon his arrival here great preparations of Fascines as if he had designed to attack the Line And the 8th he went with Three Thousand Horse and Dragoons to observe the Enemies Works They had an out-post at a Mill without their Line near St. Denis which hindered our approach which major-Major-General Fagel was ordered to attack with the Bywacht of the Army that is a Captain Lieutenant and Ensign and Sixty Men of every Regiment which are still ready to march out upon any occasion with Field-Officers proportionably and with the Granadiers The Enemies had here a good Detachment commanded with a Lieutenant-Colonel and the Post was strong and they disputed it some time but at last were forced to abandon it Count Volkerstein of the Elector of Bavaria's Guards was killed upon this occasion As for the loss of both sides I have not seen an account of it The Elector of Bavaria after this Action continued in his Camp at Castres and we at Becelar still leaving the Enemies in doubt whether we should attack them in their Lines whilst matters were preparing for an important undertaking Whilst we continued in our Camp at Becelar Forrage vvas not very plentiful nothing being to be had here but Grass The Country hereabouts is altogether Woody with little Arable Land and yet most of that remained untill'd some said by order to hinder the subsisting of our Armies near this place The 10th the Enemy who had hitherto Forrag'd within their own Lines ventured to forrage without which occasioned some deserting among their Men who wanted that opportunity within their Lines The 11th the Fourth Troop of Guards Commanded by Monsieur d' Auverquerque with the Horse Granadiers came to the Camp the first having been in Winter-Quarters at the Hague and the last at Boisleduc The 13th our Cavalry forrag'd towards Ipres and this being a close Country and just by an Enemies Garrison the Troopers went on foot to cut down their Forrage which was guarded by a Detachment from the Infantry and then the Horses were brought from the Camp to fetch the Forrage ready made up inâ—Trusses by which precaution we forrag'd thus almost to the Gates of Ipres without losing One Horse and indeed though this Country is very convenient for such designs and that our Camp was
whence Lieutenant-Colonel Macartney was sent to the King to receive further Orders and the 26th we marchâ—d to Perwys Lieutenant-Colonel Macartney returned with Orders to halt the next day We were then reinforc'd by the Regiments of Tidcomb Stanley and Maitland besides the First Battallion of Dutch Guards which had come strait from Dixmuyde and marchâ—d this day to the Camp before Namur The same day Brigadier St. Paul came up to Perwys with the Hanover Regiments of â—t Paul Cinqvillâ—s and Hulsen They had left Prince Vaudemoâ—ts Camp the 22th The 28th Count Nassau and Major-General Ramsay march'd to Temploux with the Body under their command within a League and a half of Namur not far from the Sambre The day before the King had remov'd his Quarters from La Falise nearer the Town to the Farm of the Maison rouge upon the Hill near the Village of Flavennes on the Samâ—â—â— And the same day we began to work at our Line of Circumvallation tracing the Ruins of that which the French had made when they besieged this place July which we found ready cut out to our hands except at Maulx where we made it run a little more out than the French had done before Upon Count Nassaus arrival to Temploux the two Dutch Regiments of Aâ—entz and Weed which had march'd with the English Detachment march'd and took their Post with the Dutch in the Line of Circumvallation and the same day a Major a Captain and 2 Lieutenants of the Dragoons within Namur were made Prisoners endeavouring to get in and were sent to Huy Hitherto the French were not much disturbed by us in the Town of Namur for we had not yet broke ground before the place and the Water of the Meuse was so low that we could not get our Cannon up so soon as we expected for when they were come up to Huy the River was found so shallow that we were forced to unload our Cannon and put them in lesser Vessels to bring them which as it requir'd time so consequently it retarded very much the vigorous prosecution of the Siege Nevertheless the King with the Elector went every day to visit the Posts near the Town and among the rest July 1st as the King was riding near the Town to observe the Enemies works a Lieutenant and Cornet of Dragoons deserted from the Enemy and came to the King pretending themselves to be of Liege and that they would not serve against their own Forces and the Allies of their Prince The same day my Lord Cuts came to the Camp at Temploux with six Battallions the Second of the First Regiment of Guards his own or the Coldstream Battallion of Guards with the Regiments of Trelawney Ingoldesby Nassau and Heyden The last being Dutch went into the Line of Circumvallation My Lord Cuts had been detach'd from Prince Vaudemonts Army the 24th of June with ten Battallions but at Vilvoâ—de he received Orders to send back Mackays Regiment and three more Dutch to Aâ—ost From Alost Colonel Mackays and Count d'Oâ—nas Regiments went back to Prince Vaudemont but the other two went to reinforce the Garrison of Aeth For upon our undertaking of this Siege the Mareschal of Villeroy whom we have left incamped near Courtray without the Line had passed the Scheld near Pottes and Escanaffe lying with his Army on both sides the River to be in readiness to follow the Orders of the French Court in this important conjuncture and At h being now exposed to the Enemies Army these two Regiments were commanded from Alost to reinforce that Garrison and besides the Prince of Anhalt Brigadier was sent with two Battallions more from Prince Vaudemonts Army to command there where he got with some difficulty We were so long before Namur without breaking ground against the Town that people began to talk very variously about this Siege as if we had not design'd it but rather having lodg'd a strong Garrison in this place to undertake an easier work and besiege Charleroy for from the 23th of June that the Town was invested to this time we had done nothing but work'd at our Line of Circumvallation and made our Bridges of Communication one upon the Sambre between Flavennes and the Abbey of Malogne the second upon the Meuse above Namur towards Dinant and the third upon the Meuse below Namur towards Huy But the true reason of our slowness proceeded from our want of Cannon part of which came up the last day of June and then we opened the Trenches the day following being the 1st day of July The Dutch broke ground at night near the Village of Bouge upon the Plain before the Retrenchments and cover'd ways the Enemies had made upon this Hill from whence the Town is commanded Major-General Fagel had the Trenches with six Dutch Battallions We did not advance our work very far this night because the Trench was flank'd from the Castle which could easily fire over the Town here for which reason we were obliged to make Traverses in the Trench to cover our selves from the Cannon of the Terra Nova so that the Work could not be so far advanced as it would have been if we had been obliged only to make a simple Trench The Enemies fired very briskly to hinder our Workmen particularly from an old Tower which they had just before their cover'd way called la Tour de Cocklé The Brandenburgs of t'other side of the Meuse work'd to make a Battery upon the height of St. Barbe to beat in reverse upon the Enemies within their covered way upon the Hill of Bouge The 2d Major General Salisch had the Trenches and Major General Fagel had the misfortune to be shot in the Neck as he was dismounting but without danger We work'd at a little battery of three pieces of Cannon near the Village de Bouge to play upon the Tower of Cocklè and this night we advanced considerably our Trenches and in both these nights we had not above 16 Men killed and wounded The 3d the King declar'd Brigadiers Lindeboom and Heukelem Major Generals and the Colonels Frisheim and Heyden Brigadiers in their places The same day one of the Electors Chaplains was returned to the Kings Quarter by the Enemies They had made him Prisoner the day before near their Line between the Sambre and the Meuse where his Curiosity had carried him This day our Cannon began to play a Battery of three pieces of Cannon from the Village de Bouge against the old Tower and from the edge of the heighth of St. Barbe being a Brandenburgh Battery of six or seven pieces of Cannon which fir'd over the Meuse in reverse within the Enemyâ—s Retrenchments upon the Hill of Bouge At night the Enemy lessened their Fire and we advanced our Work considerably The 4th early in the morning Brigadier St. Paul was detachâ—d back from Count Nassau's Camp at Temploux to reinforce Prince Vaudemont with the Hanover Guards the Batallions of St. Paul Cinqvilles Hulsen and Zeelandt and indeed
Hill against the old Tower and among the Palissades of the cover'd way The Brandenburghers did the same from their Battery upon the edge of the Hill of St. Barbe but being too far from the Meuse and to fire over this River upon the Enemy in their Works upon the Hill of Bouge it could not do very great execution But to make more serviceable Batteries of this side and to bring them nearer to the Meuse the Brandenburghs had opened the Trench the 1st against the Enemy's Work which they had to cover the Fauxbourgh de Jambe to drive them out of this place The Castle commanded all the bottom between the height of St. Barbe and the Meuse for which reason the Brandenburgh Troops were forced at first to open their Trench very high up the Meuse towards the Bridge of Communication and so to work downwards towards the 〈…〉 and by this time they had considerably advanced their Work But this day the Enemy made a Sally about two in the Afternoon upon the Brandenburghers Trenches which was commanded by a Colonel The Enemy were reckoned about 1200 strong being most Dragoons and two Squadrons of them mounted The Brandenburghers were at first forcâ—d to give way the Colonel that commanded was killed being a French Refugié a Lieutenant Colonel and 100 Soldiers killed and wounded The Enemies levelled 150 paces of their Trenches but the Brandenburghers rallied and being reinforced with some Horse they regain'd their Post and drove the Enemy back to the Fauxbourgh de Jambe who had the Count de Grammont Colonel of Dragoons wounded upon this occasion and about thirty men killed and wounded This is the only Sally the French made during the Siege of the Town In the Evening major-Major-General Ramsay was commanded to make an Assault upon the coverâ—d way which the Enemies had upon the Hill of Bouge with the five Battallions of Guards which were here to be employed in the Siege the other two remained with Prince Vaudemont These â—attallions were two of the first Regiment of English Guards the Coldstream Battallion of Guards of which my Lord Cuts is Colonel the first Battallion of Dutch Guards and the first of Scots Guards besides a Detachment of fifteen Grenadiers throughout the other Regiments of his Majesty's Forces here The Attack was disposed on this manner This Body was to form two Attacks the one upon the Right of the Tower of Cocklé the other upon the Left each Attack to begin with 120 Fusiliers commanded for that purpose out of the Regiments and 120 Grenadiers the Fusiliers to march first each carrying a large Fascine before him and his Fusil ready being drawn up in three Ranks the Granadiers immediately to follow each to carry three Grenades they were to advance in this manner towards the Line which they were to attack and then when they were come within forty paces of the Enemy's Work the Grenadiers were to divide to the Right and Left of the Fusiliers and to fire their Arms by Pelottons and then to advance clear to the Enemy's Palissades to fire in their Grenades after that the Fusiliers were to throw down their Fascines and then to make all the Fire they could the Grenadiers were to be followed by 100 Workmen to each Attack and two or three Ingeniers the Workmen to carry Wooll-sacks and Gabions and post them most conveniently to drive the Enemy from their Works 100 Grenadiers besides were to carry Fascines as the Fusiliers and march equally with them and 50 men behind them with an Enginier to plant them as the rest and these were to march in the Center between the two Attacks against the old Tower as many Grenadiers were to be disposed in the same manner upon the Right of all the Battallions were immediately to follow and sustain the Fusiliers and Granadiers and drive the Enemy from their Works The first Palissades being gain'd we were to lodge our selves there and to make use of the Enemy's rais'd Work for a Parapet The Regiments in the Trenches were to be ready to march out and sustain them upon occasion the Signal to be one of the Artillery Colours raised upon the highest of the Dutch Trenches and then all were to fall on which was accordingly done â—bout seven in the Evening major-Major-General Ramsay ordered none of the Battallions should fire till they could put their Pieces in the Enemies Palissades and to march with their Arms shoulder'd which he saw executed himself The Guards march very boldly with their Arms shoulder'd and sustained the Enemies Fire till they came up to the Palissades and then they gave a full fire which put the French in some confusion Nevertheless they still disputed the Retrenchment and after a little time they were forced to quit it and the Guards remain'd Masters of the Palissade The Enemies Palissades being gain'd the Major-General order'd our Men to break them and to get into the cover'd way Our Soldiers being flushed were very eager to go forward without bidding Having gained this covered way nothing could hold them but they went on very furously and attack'd the Palissades of the second covered way which they gained after a short dispute and the Enimies were in such a Consternation that they soon abandoned them all that their Officers could do could not keep them up but our Men got in with them and pursu'd them Sword in Hand among all their Forts which they had upon the Brow of this Hill and so down to the very Counterscarp of the Tower before the Porte de Fer the most forward went thâ—s far But the rest made a great Slaughter among the French that had got into the Stone-pits which are very common upon the side of this Hill where they endeavoured in the confusion to conceal themselves from the Fury of our Soldiers But the Forts made a considerable fire and killed us many men who were very thick all about them Where the Dutch Guards attack'd upon the Right the Enemies disputed their Post very hard and held them to it They were sustained by my Lord George Hamilton's first Battallion who had his share in the Honour of the Action though 't was not this Regiment's turn to mount the Trenches but being at hand in the Line of Circumvallation my Lord received Orders to be ready with his Regiment Brigadier Fitz-Patrick marched at the Head of it with his known Bravery The Dutch Guards notwithstanding the resistance they met with carried the Palissades they attack'd and the Royal Regiment maintain'd it and pushed on with the rest and indeed they all did wonders in this Attack And when they were once got in the first Palissades there was no distinction of Battallions but all mixed with one another and the Soldiers were very willing to obey their next Officer without distinction so that I shall omit the due praise which every Regiment deserved upon this occasion as well the Regiments of the Trenches as the Guards some of which were concerned in the Attack as the
Fusiliers Tidcomb c. The fire continued till past nine of the Clock and both the Regiments that mounted and dismounted the Trenches remained to make good the Attack My Lord Cutts had the Trenches the night before with the Regiments of Tidcomb Stanley and Collingwood and did not dismount till the whole Attack was over where he hazarded himself very freely as he does upon all occasions of Service Brigadier Fitz-patrick being to mount the Trenches with the Regiments of Lauder Ingoldesby Saunderson and Maitland and Brigadier Frisheim with the Dutch relieved the Posts which had been gained The Guards come off about mid-night and marched back to the Camp at Temploux where they came very early in the morning after having gained a very great Reputation in the Attack For whereas they were only to to gain the outer covered way by the disposition of the Attack yet they beat the Enemies from all the Retrenchments they had upon this Hill and pursued them among their Forts down the Hill to the very Porte de Fer where most of them were killed at the very Palissade but several of our Men that had advanced so far were made Prisoners among the rest Lieutenant-Colonels Pierce and Morrison Captains of the second Regiment of English Guards Ensign Atkins of the same Regiment and Ensign Ross of the Scots Guards and several Soldiers Major-General Ramsay who had the conduct of this Attack had his Horse wounded under him with a Musket-shot and his Servant's Horse was killed just by him with a Cannon-ball which came very thick from the Castle which fir'd over the Town here He had the thanks of the King for this great Success who was present in the whole Action and the Compliments of the chief Generals and Prince Vaudemont writ him a Letter of Congratulation upon this occasion If the English did such considerable Actions in this Attack the Dutch were not idle upon the Left but at the same Signal with ours they marched out of their Trenches and attacked the Left of the Enemies Retrenchments towards the Meuse major-Major-General Salisch commanded the Trenches this night and the Attack of this side with the Regiments of the Trenches and those that were to mount in all 7 or 8 Battallions The Enemies Fire was more opiniatre of this side than it had been upon the Right of our Attack which caused a considerable slaughter among the Dutch Regiments but in spight of their resistance they gained the Work and beat the Enemies from their Renchments The Regiments of Salisch and another Dutch Oxensten and Braha of the Swedes suffered very much in this Action for which reason the two first were sent to Garrison in Maestricht and the two last to Huy and four other Pattallions were sent from Maestricht to take up their place in the Line of Circumvallation being the Regiments of Du Thiel Anhalt d'Essau and if I am not mistaken two Swiss Battallions of Lochman The Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Regiment of Salisch was killed and the Major wounded with several other Officers killed and wounded of which I have not seen a particular account As for our own loss I shall here insert as exact an account of it as possibly I can In the Brigade of Guards who were most concerned in this Action we had 177 Soldiers killed and 366 wounded 41 missing supposed Prisoners In the first Regiment of the English Guards they had Officers killed Lieutenant-Colonel Robinson who commanded the second Battallion Captains Montague and Hide and Ensign Cavendish Lieutenant-Colonel Davis and Captain Vpcot dead of their Wounds Wounded Lieutenant-Colonel How Captains Evans Etheridge Newton Jane and Amstin Ensigns Clerk St. Denuis and Desaulnais In the second Regiment of English Guards killed Captain Weston and Ensign Holmes Ensign Whiterong dead of his Wounds Wounded Colonel Matthews Lieutenant-Colonel of the Regiment Lieutenant-Colonels Edgworth Jones and Pierce and Captain Markham Ensigns Hill and Miller and Adjutant Wyvil Prisoners Lieutenant-Colonels Pierce and Morrison and Ensign Atkins In the Dutch Guards killed Captain Hooghwitz and Adjutant Verhoop wounded Lieutenant-Colonels Gaudecker Hutzler and Pagnies Captains Tilly and Boisroux and Ensign Windeseim In the Scots Guards killed Captain St. Clair Ensign Borthwick dead of his Wounds Ensign Ross Prisoner and dead since of his Wounds Wounded Lieutenant-Colonel John Hamilton Captain Southerland and Ensign Iyster I shall add to those Lieutenant-Colonel Hume Commandant of my Lord Lornes Regiment Son to the â—arl of Argyle then in Garrison in Dixmuyde who came a Voluntier to see the Siege he waited upon Major-General Ramsay in this Occasion and received a Wound in the Shoulder of which he died since at Liâ—ge Of my â—ord George Hamilton's or the Royal Regiment kill'd Captain anderson Lieutenant Penfather and Ensign Cokbourn Captain Dixon dead of his Wounds My Lord George Hamilton received a Contusion upon the Elbow and Captain Hamilton and Ensigns Carre and Vernal were wounded In Selwyn's Regiment Lieutenant Gyles and Hamilton were wounded one with the Grenadâ—ers and the other with the Workmen In Trelawney â—s Captain Sely was wounded with the Workmen In Tidcomb's Regiment which had the Trenches Lieutenant Rivasson killed dead of their Wounds Captain Carew and Ensign â—errot Wounded Captains Pope Jackson and Forbes and Ensign Cormack In Collingwood's Regiment Lieutenant Lee wounded In Colonel Ingoldesby's one of those that mounted the â—renches this night killed Captain Hamilton and Lieutenant Jassaâ—t In Saunderson's Lieutenant Swain klled wounded Captain Knight and Lieutenant Bernard In Maitland's killed Captain Melvil with the Workmen and Lieutenant Arrot with the Grenadiers Captain Gordon of the Grenadiers wounded I have not seen the List of Lauder's As for our loss among the Soldiers it was generally computed that we had in all in the English and Dutch Attacks about 500 men killed and about 1200 wounded and that our whole Loss Officers and Soldiers put out of Battle amounted to near 1800 men at most and this was the only assault where we had any considerable loss before the Town The Enemies had their choicest Troops for the defence of these Retrenchments upon the Hill and as soon as they perceived that we designed an attack upon this place they ordered a great body of Foot and their best Dragoons to march out of the Town and to reinforce their Post upon the Hill we could see them march very easily from the King's Quarter So that reinforcement and all they had 8 or 9 Regiments of foot besides Dragoons within the retrenchments 'T is certain that we made a very great slaughter among them when once our Soldiers got in and pursued them they lay very thick in the pits and up and down their retrenchments but because the Besieged always conceal their losses as much as they can we could not get a perfect account of it but 't is very reasonable to think that their loss was not much inferiour to ours They had a Brigadier killâ—d in this occasion the Count de Maulivrier and two Colonels the
Count de Merstein Colonel of the Regiment of Foix the Marquiss de Vieuâ—bourg Colonel of the Regiment of Beauvoisis and the Count d' Albert Colonel of the Dauphins Dragoons dangeroâ—sly wounded besides several other Officers We intercepted afterwards a Letter from Monsieur de Megâ—igny to Monsieur Barbesieux Secretary of State and War which gave him an account of this Attack that they had defended it very vigorously but that finding by our pouring in still of fresh Troops upon them that we were resolved to carry these works cost what it would had at last quitted them to reserve their Troops for a more necessary defence and that they had made a great slaughter amongst us having lost 4 or 500 of their own This was the account sent to Court which we intercepted I must not forget to speak of a Battery which the Bavarians made of two pieces of Cannon near the Sambre against the end of the Enemies Line and another of the same number a little more to the left which began to fire upon the Enemies lodg'd in the Fascine work at the end of the Line just at the time of our attack upon the Hill of Bouge The Evening of this Assault we began to mount four Regiments of the English and four Dutch Major General Salisch and Brigadier Fits-Patrick as we have said before had the Trenches the Kings Regiments were Lauder Ingoldesby Sanderson and Maitland The same Evening more Artillery and Ammunitions came from Huy to the Camp under the Escorte of the Hesse Dragoons Hitherto the Artillery came up but leisurely and had as yet done but little execution and this night we secured our lodgments in the Posts we had gained The 9th We had several Waggons loaden with Spades and Shovels and other Instruments to work in the ground from Lovain At night Major-General Lindeboom had the Trenches and my Lord Cutts was to mount but Colonel Selwyn was declared Bigadier by his Majesty who accordingly mounted the Trenches this Evening with the Regiments of Nassau Selwyn Trelawne and Seymour We worked to advance our Trenches towards the descent of the Hill before St. Nicholas his gate to embrace the detached Bastion the Enemies had here The Dutch upon the left worked towards the Meuse to bring their Trench by the Jesuits House under the Clifts which hung over this River upon which they worked at a Battery to flank the side of the detached Bastion The Brandenburgs who had opened the Trench along the Meuse above the Castle the first Instant had begun another the 5th along the same River below the Town which they had now considerably advanced in order to make two parallel lines all along the River to cover the Batteries we designed against St. Nicholas his gate from the other side of the Meuse and to bridle in the Enemies who were still masters of the Fauxbourg de Jambe The 10th major-Major-General Heukelom had the Trenches with my Lord Cutts and the Regiments Royal Columbine Fusiliers and Tidcomb and this day the Regiments of Collingwood and Tidcomb had left Temploux to go into the line of Circumvallation The same day the Brandenbourghs having almost finished their parallel lines along the Meuse the Enemies abandoned the Fauxbourg de Jambe and set it on fire and retired to the Bastion upon the Meuse-bridge More Cannon and Morters came up from Huy The 11th the rest of the King's Troops incamped at Temploux went into the line of Circumvallation the Brigade of Guards incamped at the foot of the Hill below the King's quarter near the Sambre and the rest towards the Village de Bouge at Maulx and Bernacomen Count Nassau had his quarter at Bernacomen and Major-General Ramsay at Maulx We had now in all 78 Battalions before the Town in the whole line of Circumvallation The Prince of Tilly with the Leige Forces was incamped of the Condros side of the Meuse to secure the Navigation of the river At night Major-General Ramsay commanded the Trenches with Brigadier Fits-Patrick who were relieved by the Regiments of Stanley Collingwood Lauder and Ingoldsby As the Royal Regiment march't out of the Trenches Major Macilvaine was killed with a Cannon ball from the Castle which besides wounded Ensign Loggins of Collingwoods Regiment and three Soldiers His Majesty declared my Lord George Hamilton Brigadier in the Trenches The same Evening we had a Battery of three pieces of Cannon upon the rising ground of this side of the Sambre which began to play upon the Enemies posted in the Ballance The King was every day in the Trenches from morning till night and to lose no time had his dining Tent pitched near Lieutenant-General Tettau's quarter at Bouge to be just by the Trenches Several persons were both killed and wounded near the King in his dayly visits of our approaches but it pleased God to spare his Sacred Person in all those dangers to which he so freely exposed himself His Majesty was generally accompanied by the Duke of Ormond my Lord Portland and the Count de Soissons and though 't was contrary to orders yet the Officers who followed the King in the Trenches were too apt to crowd about him which made the King 's going in the Trenches so much the more remarkable to the Enemies and consequently dangerous The 12th we had finish'd a Pattery on the Brandenbourgh side of the Meuse just opposite to the Demy Bastion of St. Nicolas his Gate and a round Tower having only the River between them and this day it began to play At night Major-general Salisch had the Trenches with Brigadier Selwyn and the Regiments of Sanderson Maitland Nassau and Selwyn The 13th in the morning we had finished another Battery upon the River side in a Line with the former from both which the Cannon fired very furiously against the half Moon before St. Nicolas his Gate the Demy Bastion of the Meuse and a thick stone Digue or Damme which at this place keeps up the water in the Fosse of the Town There was in all about 30 pieces of Cannon upon these Batteries besides a Battery upon the Hill of Bouge against the Enemies Forts upon the edge of this Hill another upon the descent of the Hill to flank the detached Bastion they had here besides a Battery of Morters to incommode the Enemy in their Works at St. Nicolas his Gate where we were making our Approaches All these Batteries began this day to make a noise which before had done no great execution The Town Wall was weak along the Meuse opposite to the left of our Batteries for which reason the Enemies made within parallel to the left of the Meuse Battery a blind of a great heighth and thickness made up with Earth and Fascines the rest of the Batteries in this Line had its effect against the old Tower and Works of whith we have now spoken At night Major-general Lindeboom mounted the Trenches with my Lord George Hamilton Brigadier and the Regiments of Trelawney Seymour Royal and Columbine
Crenadiers killed Captain Devaux wounded with the Workmen In Stanley's Ensign Gardiner killed and Ensign Devreux wounded In Collingwood â—s Adjutant Gordon mortally wounded Captain Booth and Lieutenants Kemp and Adams wounded In Lauder's that had the Trenches Sir John Keith Captain killed Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart wounded In Ingoldesby's killed Lieutenant Brooker and Ensign Paget Wounded Captains Purefoy Jones and Stedman Lieutenants Ogilby Moor Disney and Lloyd Ensigns Patterson and Johnson In Sanderson's wounded Captain Fowke Lieutenant Hazard Ensigns Pallaster and Parâ—ridge In Colonel Maitland's Lieutenant Orcharston and Price kill'd Captain Lundy and Ensign Gairnes wounded Monsieur Du Puy inginier-Inginier-General of Holland was wounded of which he died at Maestricht and 5 Inginiers were killed and 11 wounded The gaining of the Counterscarp was not the only advantage of this day we had now four Batteries which play'd very briskly upon the Enemies posted at the Abbey of Salsen and the Ballance upon the Sambre a House so called where the Besieged had made a Retrenchment to defend the Passage of the River between their Line and the Cohorne The Forces quaitered between the Sambre and the Meuse being Dutch and Bavarians forced this Passage of the Sambre at the same time we were driving the Enemies from the Counterscarp of St. Nicholas his Gate 1â—00 Bavarian Grenadiers and 500 Musketeers were commanded for this Enterprize with a Colonel Lieutenant-Colonel Major and Officers proportionable to the Detachment there was a Detachment of an equal number of Dutch and the same number of Officers A Major with 150 Fusiliers followed to sustain them These pass'd the Sambre at the Bridge of Communication above Flavennes to be ready to pass the Bridge at the Ballance as soon as it should be made which Work they were to cover 50 Grenadiers and 300 Musketiers went of the other side of the River commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel and 600 men commanded by a Colonel to sustain them These were to march by the Maison Blanche along the way made to draw the Boats upon the River and so under the Hills to the Ballance They had besides six Squadrons of Horse and Dragoons to march after them and cover them from the Enemies Sallies out of the Castle Six Bilanders or great Boats were made ready to go down the River at the same time as the Foot marched on both sides of it These Boats were contrived for the making of a Bridge at the Ballance and had a Breast-work made upon their sides Musket shot proof to cover about 200 Bavarian Soldiers they had on Board During these Preparations our Batteries upon the Sambre played as fast they could to dislodge the Enemies out of the Ballance which House they beat down about their Ears and spoil'd the Retrenchments they had made to cover themselves As soon as our men came near the point of the Hill upon which the Line begins that goes from the Sambre to the Meuse they fir'd very hard with Small-shot out of the â—ascine Work at the end of this Line down the Hill and the Bavarian small Batteries before this Hill fir'd against them The Enemies had made a little Battery of two Guns about half way down the Hâ—ll to bear nearer upon the River but our Batteries from the Sambre soon dislodged the Enemies from hence They made another of two upon the descent of the Hill between the Cohorne and the Ballance for the same purpose Our Soldiers being got at the Foot of the Hill on both sides of the River under the metal of the Enemies Cannon they received little or no damage Being now come near the Ballance our Foot on the Ballance side of the River attackâ—d the Enemies in the Retrenchment of this House and in the mean while the Soldiers in the Boats and those of the Town side of the River made the Bridge and pass'd it The French order'd three Battallions and four Squadrons of Dragoons to come down between the Cohorne and Casotte to fall upon our Men. But the Besieged being attackâ—d at the same time at the Counterscarp of St. Nicholas his Gate they could not spare men enough to hinder us from being Masters of the Ballance which was immediately gained as soon as the Bridge was made over the River and the Detachments the Enemies had made from the top of the Hill between the Cohorn and Casotte where they were incamp'd were only Witnesses to the taking of the Passage without attempting any thing for the defence of it As soon as we had made our selves Masters of this Post we sent a Detachment to the Abbey of Salsen which the Enemies immediately abandoned and we took possession of it with a Captain and 100 men Our loss was very inconsiderable in the gaining of this important Pass we had not above forty men killed and wounded A Captain of the Regiment of Swerin was killed with a Cannon-ball We relieved afterwards this Post every Evening with a considerable number both of Horse and Foot who made a Retrenchment at the end of the Bridge where they were under shot of the Cannon of the Cohorn which could not hurt them The 18th Having gain'd the Counterscarp we began to work at a Battery at the Foot of the Hill to fire against the Half-moon of St. Nicholas and the Bastion de St. Roch which Battery was very near the Glacis The same day the Brandenbourghs having finished their parallel Lines along the Meuse they made a Line of Communication between them which so inclosed the Fauxburg de Jambe and the â—astion of the Meuse Bridge that there was no fear of any more Sallies of that side This gave us such a command of the River all along the Castle and Town that the Marechal de Bousters ordered all the Boats they had under the Town-Wall to be set on fire least they should be serviceable to us to pass and attack the Breach our Batteries had made along the Meuse The Enemies for the farther defence of the Town having lost the Counterscarp made a Retrenchment within the old Tower in the Figure of a Horn-work from the West-end of St. Nicholas his Church to the Meuse Our Batteries play'd very furiously The Brandenburghs from the other side of the Meuse play'd as hard as they could against the Stone Digue that holds up the Water in the Fossé to beat it down and drain the Ditch in order to assault the Breach of the Demy-Bastion and of the Halfmoon â—ut the Digue was so strong and thick that it resisted very much the fury of our Cannon The Reader is to observe that what I call Brandenbuâ—gh Batteries are the Dutch Batteries of the Brandenburgh side for the Brandenburgh Forces had no Battering Pieces here At night â—8 Major General Salisch and my Lord Cutts mounted the Trenches with the Brigade of Guards The Battallion of Scots Guards did Duty at the King's Quarter In the dusk of the Evening we fir'd all our Artillery and Mortars from the Batteries and the small shot from the Trenches
was orderâ—d major-Major-General Salisch reliev'd the Trenches and my Lord George Hamilton with the Regiments of Maitland Nassau Selwyn and Trelawney 22d Our Artillery from Malines came into the Line to be employ'd in the Siege One of our Bombs fell into a Magazine of Grenades the Enemies had upon the old Wall between the old Tower and St. Nicholas's Gate the Bomb blew up the Grenades and put them on fire which made such a noise that the Enemies within thought it had been an Assault and drew out to the Gate as fast as they could to defend the place At Night Major-General Lindeboom had the Trenches and my Lord Cutts with the Brigade of Guards the Dutch Guards excepted who did Duty at the King's Quarter The 23d early in the Morning a Battery of 18 pieces of Cannon of our English Artillery began to play very vigorously upon the Face of the Bastion of St. Roch towards St. Nicholas's his Gate and soon beat down all the Stone-work of it but the Enemies were still Masters of the cover'd way upon the right of the point of this Bastion towards the Porte de Fer so that it was necessary in order to make afterwards an Attack upon the Breach to extend our Lodgment upon the cover'd way to the right of this Bastion and consequently to make another Assault to drive the Enemies out of the Traverses they had in this cover'd way of which they were still Masters This Assault was resolv'd upon for this Evening for the English and another for the Dutch upon the breach of the Demy-bastion of the Meuse In the Evening Major-General Ramsay had the Trenches and Brigadier Fitz-Patrick with the Regiments of Seymour Royal Columbine and the Fusiliers The Attack began about the relieving of the Trenches as usually to have the more Regiments to sustain 200 English Grenadiers were ordered to extend our Lodgment upon the Right and 200 Dutch to make an Assault upon the Breach of the Demy-bastion Captain Miltitz of Essen's Regiment and Adjutantâ—General to the Prince of Nassa-Sarbruck commanned the Dutch The English were commmanded by four Captains of which Captain Booth of Collingwood was the first The Attack began but little before Sun-set and the Dispute lasted very late in the night Our Cannon and Mortars made a terrible noise and the Small-shot went on very briskly for a great while The Enemies disputed their Lodgement very long and very well where some of their Officers signalized themselves very much paticularly one who stood a great while upon the very Palissades expos'd to all the Fire of our Cannon encouraging his Men and waving his Hat over his Head The Earth torn up by the grazing of our Cannon-balls covered him twice or thrice and when our Officers who admir'd his Bravery expected him to be knock'd on the Head he still got up again However in spight of the Enemies resistance we extended our Lodgment considerably upon the Right My Lord Cutts who commanded the Brigade of Guards In the Trenches this day had Captain Wentworth Lieutenant of the Second Regiment of Guards who waited upon his Lordship to carry his Orders to the Brigade killed with a Musket-ball just by him Lieutenant-Colonel Skelton the Major of the Brigade commanded my Lord Cutts's Battallion of Guards so that he could not perform the Duty The Dutch Granadiers marched on very bravely over the Digue though it was but narrow and consequently a very disadvantagious Defilé to attack a Breach nevertheless they carried it and lodged themselves upon the Demi-Bastion of which they continued Masters for above an hour but the Demi-Bastion being narrow and the Granadiers crowded upon it the Enemy so pelted them with Granado's from the old Wall within that they were forced to abandon it and to Lodge themselves without at the foot of the Bastion and though 't was dark night yet the Artillery still fired very hard to disturb the Enemies to facilitate our Assault which was the reason that sometimes our own Cannon did us harm however our Loss was not answerable to the terribleness of the noise in the Attack We had in the Brigade of Guards but nine Men killed and thirteen wounded and I suppose our Loss was proportionable in the other Regiments In the first Regiment of English Guards Captain Cripeny and Ensign Shute were wounded in the Royal Regiment Lieutenant Archibald Hamilton wounded in Selwyn's Lieutenants Castles and Corbonnel killed In Trelawney's Ensign Nuby killed Captain Mitchel and Lieutenant Cole wounded In Stanley's Captain Holiday of the Granadiers wounded In Maitland's Lieutenant Carrent killed The King did not leave the Attack till all was over and did not return to his Quarters till after Mid-night The 24th our English Battery played very hard upon the Bastion de St. Râ—ch in order to make the Breach Attackable now that our I odgment upon the Conterscarp was sufficiently extended for an Assault all the other Batteries played with the same vigour and the Brandenburgh's particularly to make the Breach of the Demi-Bastion more easie and to Ruine the Half Moon of St. Nicholas The Bridge of Communication between this Half Moon and the Curtain was quite broke to pieces so that the Enemies could no more Relieve it But when we expected yet another Assault upon the Breacheâ— for the next day the Count de Guiscard came himself upon the Breach of the Demi-Passion where he Ordered a white Flag to be put up to Capitulate upon which all the Batteries were immediately ordered to be silent Lieutenant-Collonel Macartney Captain of the Scots Guards who waited upon Major-General Ramsay in the Trenches was sent to the Breach to know what Count Guiscard desired who asked to speak with Major-General Ramsay Whereupon the Major-General went himself and after usual Civilities on both sides the Count de Guiscard told him That though the Necessity and Condition of their Affairs was not such as to oblige them to Capitulate yet for the Preservation of the Town they were willing to give it up upon Honourable Terms and desired that Hostages might be exchanged to enter upon the terms of the Capitulation Major-General Ramsay told him That he would acquaint the Duke of Holstein-Ploen with it whose Quarter was just by and that he should have his Answer in an hour The word of Honour being given on both sides for a Cessation of Arms during the time Major-General Ramsay went himself to the Duke of Holstein-Ploen and from thence to the King who Dined this day at his own Quarter being come very late from the Attack the over night and so could not be in the Trenches the next Morning His Majesty sent the Major-General back to the Trenches with power to exchange Hostages and an Express was sent to the Elector of Bavaria to give him notice of it and to Commission a Person to Treat with Count Guiscard for the Surrendring of the Town Major-General Ramsay being returned to the Trenches acquainted the Count de Guiscard that he could give Hostages to
King of Spain's Hands He does not aggrandize his Dominions by it and has no other Interest in it but the glory of doing so much Good to the World in general and of establishing the Welfare and Security of his Subjects in particular by the Reduction of this strong Key of the Spanish and United Provinces Thus much for this Preface I believe the French depended more upon the strength and greatness of their Army than upon any Hopes the Dean and Chapter 's Preface could give them The 16th the Maréchal de Villeroy left the Camp of Seneff and Nivelle He commanded all the heavy Baggage away to Mons and march'd with the whole Army to the Plains of Fleury where he encamp'd with his Right between St. Amand and Fleury and his Left towards Sombref the head Quarter was at Marbais At Night he caus'd about 50 Pieces of Cannon to be drawn at the Head of his Camp upon the Causey that goes to Namur which were discharg'd round to give the Besieged notice of his Arrival who now made every Night some Signals from the top of the Cavalier of the Terra nova with lighted Torches sometimes Four and Three and Two which we suppos'd to signifie the time of the Resistance they could make The Besieged did not answer Villeroy's Signal and as 't was told after the Siege did not hear it the Wind being contrary tho' 't was a still Night The King upon Villeroy's Approach with the French Army left his Quarter at Malogne and the Siege of the Castle to the Elector of Bavaria and the Duke of Holstein Ploen and took his Quarter that very Night at the Castle of Bovesse a Gentleman's House in the Rear of our Right Wing of Horse but most of His Majesty's Domesticks remain'd at the more convenient Quarter in the Abbey of Malogne The next Day the King was very early with Prince Vaudemont at his Quarter at Golsines being then indispos'd which hinder'd him from waiting upon the King at his own Quarter Measures were then taken for the Security of our Camp by making Retrenchments where they were requisite The King brought with him from the Siege velt-maréchal-Velt-Maréchal-General Fleming and Count d'Arco General of the Bavarians to command our Right-Wing of Horse and Lumley's Brigade of English Horse was detach'd from the Left to the Right Wing which was most expos'd to the Enemy to re-inforce it They encamp'd at St. Denis between the Hesse Troops and the Right of our Army which we advanc'd yet farther in the Front and drew our Line closer to the Woods and the Avenues between them The same Day 17th the second Battalion of Dutch Guards and the second of Scots which had reliev'd some Days before my Lord Cuts his Battalion and the first Battalion of Dutch Guards were countermanded back to the Camp and 12 Battalions more of the Elector of Brandenbourgh's and States Forces besides more of the Horse imploy'd in the Siege so that 't was computed we had this Day 97 Battalions and 237 Squadrons to oppose to the Maréchal de Villeroy besides about 30 Battalions which continu'd the Siege and Six in Garrison in the Town This is the true state of our Forces in this great Conjuncture and at this time 500 Men is the most that we can rate a Battalion at one with another and 110 each Squadron in either Armies I leave the Calculation to the Reader and the difference of the two Armies will appear upon it This Day we began to work at our Retrenchments to fortifie the House and Bridge of Masy we made a Retrenchment at Bossire before Fits-patrick and Selwyn's Brigades which had before Prince Vaudemont's Quarter at Golsines in their Rear and Bossire upon their Left but upon the approach of Villeroy they chang'd their Ground and encamp'd with their Right at the Prince's Quarter and Left towards the little River which runs by Gemblours and Masy to the Sambre and Bossire in their Rear their Line being perpendicular to the Line of our Army This Retrenchment defended the Plain which runs with a Wood upon the Right and another upon the Left towards Conroy and Gemblours Farther towards Conroy we cut down Trees to barricade the High-ways and plac'd there a Captain and 60 Men detach'd out of the two ' fore-said Brigades with Orders to maintain the Post as long as possibly they could to give notice of the Enemies Approach These two Brigades were then under the Command of Major-General Ramsay The same Day 17th Brigadier Fitspatrick was detach'd with 8 Battalions 3 whereof were Maitland Tiffeny and Ferguson the rest Dutch and Germans to the Village of St. Denis which lying upon the skirt of a Wood they fortified very strongly The Hessians were more to the Right where they defended with a good Retrenchment the little Plain between St. Denis and Meux situated on the skirts of another Wood more towards the Mehaigne Velt-Maréchal Fleming and Count d'Arco with Lumley's Brigade and the Brandenbourgh Horse and Bavarian Cuirassiers were order'd more to the Right between the Wood of Meux and the Village of Du where they made another Retrenchment over the Plain from the Wood upon the Left to Du upon the Right The Mehaigne has several little Springs and some in this Place This was the Disposition of our Affairs the 1â—th in the Army As for the Enemies they did not march this Day but continued in their Camp between Fleury and Sombref they had made a considerable March the Day before with such a vast Body that they halted this Day to compleat their Army to Forrage and give out Bread to the Soldiers The 18th they march'd more upon their Left towards Gemblours to come nearer to our Right which was the most open part of our Camp our Left towards the Sambre being very strongly encamp'd as we have describ'd it above They encamp'd with their Right at Gemblours and Left at Grandléz the head Quarter at Saunier Upon which Motion of the Enemy Orders were given in our Army not to stir out of the Camp and every Body to be ready at a Minute's warning which should be given by the firing of three Pieces of Cannon The same Day 18th 22 Grenadiers per Company out of his Majesty's Forces were order'd to be ready to march and make an Assault upon the Breach we had made in the Terra nova jointly with the rest of the Besiegers who were to attack the Breach of the Cohorne and other Out-works But his Majesty expecting the Enemies should attack us the next Day thought it more convenient to deferr the Assault longer and in the mean while to widen and applanish the Breaches with the usual violence of our Cannon these Grenadiers being more necessary in our Camp at this time The Maréchal de Villeroy intended to attack us the next Day the King was inform'd of it and the Army expected it for which Reason all Officers and Soldiers were order'd to lie in their Cloaths with their Arms ready to
turn out upon call Prince Vaudemont tho' very much indispos'd came by Three of the Clock in the Morning in his Coach and stood at the Head of the English Guards notwithstanding that he had kept his Bed Three or Four Days before and had then a Feaver upon him the whole Army turn'd out an Hour before Day We form'd our Battalions and Squadrons in a readiness and the King came at the same time to see us in a posture of defence and went in Prince Vaudemont's Coach to conferr with him upon the present Conjuncture The Weather was very thick and foggy so that we could hardly see 50 Yards before us but we had Out-guards all along beyond our Retrenchments to prevent any surprize nevertheless we were very much concern'd at the unseasonableness of the Fog tho' 't was as inconvenient to the Enemy as to us In the Morning the Brigade of Guards was commanded to the Right at St. Denis under the Command of Major General Churchil to form a Reserve and sustain the Eight Regiments that had been posted here under Brigadier Fitspatrick which were all fresh and had not been concern'd in the Siege of Namur This was the most convenient Passage in our Camp and 't was expected that the most vigorous Attack of the Enemies would be here therefore there was a great deal of Care taken to fortifie all the Avenues and Church-yard of this Village The Brigade of Guards continu'd the Retrenchment from the Village within the Hedges and a marshy bottom by which they continu'd it to the Hesse Retrenchment And we had now provided so well for the defence of this Passage that we had no great Apprehension of the Enemies coming here The Hessians had made very good Batteries upon their Retrenchments cover'd with Gabions from whence they commanded the whole Plain There was another Passage to the Left of St. Denis about an English Mile before our Right Wing of Horse which we retrench'd and fortify'd and Sir David Collier was posted here with his Brigade and some Artillery We retrench'd all the Rising Ground within Masy and Golsines and so to the Woods we had upon our Right This was the Posture of our Camp this Day The Enemies had made several Motions the Night before and this Morning sending several Bodies sometimes to their Right and sometimes to their Left and their whole Camp was under Arms most part of the Night before and this whole Day About Noon the Weather began to clear up upon which Villeroy advanc'd to St. Denis to observe our Posts and our Army We had barricaded the way through the Wood with several Trees we had cut down and the Boughs being thick and green and there being a large Barn hard by he came by this way through the Wood and took the opportunity of this Cover to come up close to this Retrenchment As soon as he was perceiv'd all our Men within the Retrenchment took the Alarm and stood to their Arms expecting it to be the Van-guard of the Enemies Army The King was at Dinner in his Tent which was pitch'd hard by for that purpose who immediately got on Horse-back to observe the Enemy But Villeroy finding himself discover'd retir'd immediately having seen enough to convince him that 't was not fit to meddle with us here The Day being pass'd without any Action and the Time pressing for now we began to wait in our Camp the King thought it not convenient to deferr the Assault of the Breaches of the Terra nova and Cohorne any longer wherefore a Detachment was made this Evening 19th of 36 Grenadiers per Company out of those Regiments of His Majesty's Forces which had not been concern'd in the Siege and 18 out of those that had been employ'd in it The Grenadiers of the Brigade of Guards were commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Evans Captain of Grenadiers in the first Battalion and the rest by Colonel Epping Colonel of one of the Danish Battalions But before I proceed to give an Account of this Assault it is necessary to continue the Affairs of the Siege to this time The 15th as we have said it before we took the Half-moon of the Sambre which would otherwise have flank'd our Trenches if we had not beat the Enemies from it and likewise our Assault upon the Breach of Terra nova The 16th being Masters of this Half-moon we began to work at a Pattery of 10 Pieces of Cannon upon the Left of our inferiour Trench between it and the Half-moon which fir'd upon the inward Face of the small Bastion at the Foot of the descending Courtin of Terra nova Our Batteries from the Town could only fire upon the outward Face towards the Sambre and besides this Battery firing more perpendicular upon the Breach of Terra nova had yet a better effect than those from the Town Captain Hart of Colonel Courthop's Regiment was killed this Day in the Trenches In the Evening his Majesty left the Siege to put himself at the Head of the Army upon Villeroy's Approach major-Major-General Lindeboom reliev'd the Trenches this Night with the Prince of Holstein Norbourg Brigadier and Colonel Mackay of our Forces This Night we advanc'd our Trenches between the side of the Cohorne and the Sambre The Descent of the Hill from the Cohorne to the Sambre being steep this gave the Enemies opportunity to make use of a Machine to hinder our Work they fill'd some Casks with Powder Bombs and Grenades with a Fuzee at each end of the Cask which they tumbl'd down the Hill upon our Men but the Bombs and Grenades being too heavy in the Casks for the Powder caus'd an unequal Motion of the Machine which hinder'd its Effect for it could not roul down strait but inclin'd either to the Right or to the Left and if it fell per chance among our Workmen they only open'd to the Right and Left and let it run down the Hill tho' at first it put them into some disorder but the Machine made more Noise than Mischief The 17th early in the Morning our Battery of 10 Pieces of Cannon upon the Left of our inferior Trench began to play with very good success and contributed very much to level the Breach of the Terra nova for a more easie Assault By this time most of the Enemies Cannon were dismounted except some great Pieces upon the Cavalier of Terra nova which could not bear low enough upon us that attack'd from the bottom of the Hill and so did us no harm but their Drakes were still troublesome which being light they could easily draw up and down where they were most convenient for them In the Afternoon we discover'd a Party of the Enemies of 20 Troopers from the Garrison of Dinant which had posted themselves in Ambuscade just by our Line of Circumvallation towards the Meuse where a Detachment of the Elector's Guards were posted who attack'd them killing 6 of the Enemy and made the Lieutenant Prisoner and 7 more of his Party
In the Evening major-Major-General Swerin commanded the Trenches with Brigadier Dedem and Colonel Friderick Hamilton The Breaches being now considerable the Enemies work'd hard every Night to make Retrenchments and Traverses within the Breaches of the Terra nova and Cohorne and our Bombs playing without intermission in these Works did no doubt kill them a great many Men. The 18th major-Major-General la Cave had the Trenches and Brigadier Horne with Colonel Courthop of the English Our Artillery from all Parts continu'd its usual Fury and the Enemies whilst we work'd in our Trenches still us'd their Machines to interrupt our Men they tumbl'd down Six Bombs this Night but with as little effect as before The 19th upon expectation that the Maréchal de Villeroy would attack the King's Army the Elector waited upon his Majesty But Villeroy having thought it more convenient to let it alone the King with the Elector and Prince Vaudemont and other chief Generals concerted the Assault for the next Day A MEMOIR of the General Attack made upon the CASTLE of NAMUR The Disposition of this Attack was as follows MY Lord Cutts with 3000 English was to attack the Counterscarp and Breach of the Terra nova and that part of the Line of Communication between the Cohorne and the Terra nova which was next to the Terra nova The Count de Rivera was to attack the Breach of the Cohorne and that part of the aforesaid Line of Communication next the Cohorne with 3000 Bavarians and others Major General la Cave was to attack on the Right of Count Rivera with 2000 Brandenburghers the upper point of the Cohorne and part of the Communication to the Casotte Major-General Swerin was to attack the Casotte with 2000 Dutch and at the same a time Colonel was to attack the Lower Town with 600 Men. The Signal was to be a considerable Quantity of Powder blown-up upon the old Battery near the Brussels Port and the Word of Battle given by the Elector of Bavaria was God-with-us The Directions given by the Elector of Bavaria to the aforesaid General Officers that were to Command the respective Attacks in chief were as follows That a certain Number of Men should be commanded in each Attack upon the Forlorn-hope another Number to sustain them and the rest to be upon the Reserve and as to Particulars he left it to each General Officer commanding an Attack in chief to do as his own Judgment and the Occasion should direct him only it was order'd that Count Rivera's Attack and those upon the Right of him should begin some Minutes before the English Attack because that was like to be the most difficult The Lord Cutts the Night before the Attack receiv'd a Detachment from the King of 1000 chosen Men which were to be part of his 3000 For His Majesty was now at the head of the Confederates Army and had left my Lord Cutts to command all the English that stay'd with the Duke of Bavaria to carry on the Siege It was order'd by the Duke of Bavaria the Night before the Action That all the Troops design'd for the several Attacks should march into the Trenches before Day there to lie undiscover'd till the Hour of the Signal The Lord Cutts in pursuance of this Order march'd into the Trenches with his Men some Hours before Day but there not being room enough to cover all his Men he was forced to place Three Regiments at the Abbey of Salsen which was the nearest Place to the Trenches where they could lie undiscover'd The Disposition which my Lord Cutts made for the English was as follows He commanded 4 Sergeants each with 15 Men promising in His Majesty's Name Advancement to the Sergeants and Rewards to the private Men if they did their Duty to go upon the Forlorne Hope These were to be follow'd by the Grenadiers of the Guards under the Command of Colonel Evans and those by the rest of the Grenadeers design'd for the Attack of the Breach making in all 700 under the Command of a Colonel 300 Grenadeers were order'd to attack the Line of Communication Colonel Courthop and Colonel Mackay's Regiments were order'd to sustain those that attack'd the Breach Colonel Hamilton and Colonel Buchan's Regiments were to make the Reserve And that this might be the better perform'd it was order'd that the Regiments of Mackay Hamilton and Buchan which were plac'd at the Abbey of Salsen should immediately after the Signal given march to the Place of Action and draw up-behind the Regiment of Courthop there to receive further Orders About Noon or soon after the Attack was begun the English marching out of the Trenches drew up under the Enemies Fire and notwithstanding they had 900 Paces to march before they came to the Breach expos'd all the way to the Enemies great and small shot which fir'd sorely upon their Flank all the way they went on with a great deal of firmness and resolution Immediately after the Grenadeers follow'd Colonel Courthop's Regiment with Drâ—â—â—eating and Colours flying The 〈◊〉 of this Attack look'd very hopeful but the Three Regiments at Salsen not marching so soon as was intended either by a failure or mistake in the Signal the English Troops that were already engag'd were over-power'd by the Numbers of the Enemies and that which contributed to their Misfortune was the Count de Rivera's being shot dead upon the spot the Count de Marsilly who commanded the 600 Men that were to attack the Line of Communication next the Cohorne with his Lieutenant-Colonel being both immediately shot dead Colonel Courthop being likewise shot dead and his Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Matthew Bridges desperately wounded most of the Officers of the Grenadeers being kill'd or wounded particularly Captain Mitchel of the Guards shot dead and Colonel Evans desperately wounded my Lord Cutts receiving a shot in his Head which disabl'd him for some time the Count de Mercy Colonel Windsor Colonel Stanhop Mr. Thompson and several other Gentlemen who went Voluntiers with my Lord Cutts in this Action being wounded and totally disabled And Count Rivera's Attack not beginning quite so soon as was intended by reason of the aforesaid Mistake of the Signal all the Fire of that part of the Cohorne which was next the Terra nova fell upon the English which had been otherwise employed if every thing had succeeded as was intended After some time the 3 Regiments from Salsen arriv'd but things were then in such a Posture that they were forced to begin a new Attack instead of sustaining that already begun For Count Nogent and Monsieur L'Abadié were by this time come down by Order of the Maréchal de Boufflers as we were afterwards inform'd by the French Commanders in the space which is between the Cohorne and Terra nova with 1200 Foot and Dragoons all fresh Men whereof 200 were of the Dragoons of the French King's Houshold and with these Troops they charg'd our Forces in Flank and Rear which were already in the middle
ours had not join'd us neither and so there had still been the same Proportion between the two Armies Though we began to want at this time yet our Soldiers suffer'd it with a great Constancy and few or none deserted to the Enemies Upon the Maréchal de Villeroy's posting himself near the Mehaigne a Re-inforcement of Horse and Foot was sent to Lâ—uvain from our little Army at Brussels commanded by the Marquis de Bedmar lieutenant-Lieutenant-General Bellasis and Count Tilly to watch after the Security of this great and defenceless Place which was now wholly expos'd to the Enemies The 22th in the Morning the Thunder of our Canons continued against the Castle and we were working hard to bring our Mine to perfection under the breach of the Cohorne when about Noon the Besieged beat a Parley to bury the Dead which had been killed in the Assault the 20th which began to stink and incommode them very much A Cessation was agreed upon for Two Hours to bury the Dead But the Besieged finding that the Marechal de Villeroy could not relieve them that they had already sustain'd a desperate Assault that we had made a great Lodgment upon the Cover'd way of the Cohorne and Casotte that the Cohorne could not hold out anothet Assault and the breach of the Terra Nova which was wholly commanded by it was not then defensible that the Soldiers were reduc'd to eat Horse-Flesh For though at the beginning when Athlone was marching to invest the place they had brought in all the Cattle of the Countrey round about yet it being Salted in hast and in the Heat of Summer when they came to make use of it in the Siege of the Castle it was so corrupted that they were forced to throw it away and to prefer Horse-Flesh before it and that the whole Garrison was extreamly fatigu'd by their long Service in this Siege and by the fury of our Boombs which fell in their Works without ceasing For these reasons they resolv'd to Capitulate and Surrender the Place The Count de Guiscard came upon the Breach a little before the Cessation was over and called for the Major General of the Trenches who was then Lindeboom and told him that he desir'd to speak with the Elector Count Verita one of the Gentlemen to his Electoral Highness was then in the Trenches and he immediately gave notice of it to the Elector who thereupon came to the Breach Count de Guiscard at first offered to surrender the Cohorne but the Elector refu'sd to Capitulate for any part but for the whole The Count de Guiscard replyed that the Marechal de Boufflers Commanded in the Castle and that he would let him know it and in the mean while desired the Cessation to be continued The Marechal de Boufflers consented to surrender the whole upon Honourable Terms and the Count de Guiscard came back to the Breach of the Cohorne to acquaint the Elector with it The White Flag was immediately put up upon the Breach and Hostages exchanged which for the Besieged were Monsieur de l' Abadie Brigadier and the Count de Monthron Colonel of the Dauphin's Regiment of Foot and for us Major General La Cave and Colonel Frederick Hamilton who had been lightly wounded in the Assault and Baron Meyer one of the Electors Ministers was sent in to manage the Capitulation An Express was immediately dispatch'd to give Notice of it to the King at Ostin But His Majesty was then coming to the Siege with Prince Vaudemont in his Coach to order a second Assault and the Express met His Majesty in the way The Capitulation was agreed upon and Sign'd that very Night The Count d' Guiscard obliged the Marechal d' Boufflers to Sign it because he had Commanded in the Castle during the Siege but the Count de Guiscard had only Commanded in the Cohorne and Out-works and so could not Sign for the Surrender of the Castle and this I believe is the first Capitulation that has been Sign'd by a Marechal of France which was as follows Articles propos'd for the Capitulation of the Castle of Namur to His Electoral Highness of Bavaria joyntly with the Allies by the Marechal de Boufflers 1 THAT the said Castle with the Lower Town shall be delivered up to the Troops of the Allies the 10th of this Instant September in case it be not reliev'd And that during the said time no Act of Hostility shall be committed between the Besieged and the Besiegers 2. That on the said 10th of September the Outer-gate of the said Castle towards the Countrey shall be given up to the Troops of the Allies where a Guard of the Troops of the Garrison shall be likewise plac'd to prevent the Troops mixing together and all disorders The outward Fortifications viz. The Fort of Cohorne the Redoubt with a Casematte the Casotte and the Horne-work of Bulé shall be deliver'd up to Morrow Morning being the second Instant at 9 of the Clock 3. That the Marechal de Boufflers the Count de Guiscard Lieutenant General of the Kings Armies and Governour of Namur with all the General Officers and Officers of the State-Major of the place the Officer and Guards of the Marechal all the Troops as well French as Foreigners the Officers of the Artillery and all others whatsoever that are in the Castle in the most Christian Kings service shall march the 12th of this Moneth out of the Breach with their Arms Baggage and Horses Drums beating lighted Match and Colours flying with 12 Pieces of Great Canon and Mortars as the Besieged shall chuse with their Carriages and Arms and Ammunitions for Twelve Shot to each Piece in order to march altogether to Givet the nearest way along the Meuse and in two or three days at the choice of the Besieged without being obliged to go any other way under any pretence whatsoever And they shall have a Convoy given them by the Allyes as well for the security of the Garrisons as for that of the Equipages They shall march out the 5th of this Moneth at Seven in the Morning with Two Twenty-four Pounders Two Twelve Pounders and Two Six Pounders and Two Mortars The rest of the Article is granted 4. That for transporting the said Twelve Pieces of Canon and Morters the Equipages of the Troops and the sick and wounded of the said Garrison a Hundred Draught Horses with their Harnesses besides a Hundred Wagons drawn each by Four Horses and Fifty great Boats of the Meuse shall be furnished by the Allies at their own charge with a sufficient Number of Watermen and Horses to bring them to Givet all which shall be provided by the 10th of this Moneth that so they may load them time enough to go out with the Garrison and to take the same way that they may arrive together at Givet 5. That the sick and wounded remaiing in the Town of Namur who are in a Condition to go out with the Garrison of the Castle may do it at the
much by the great Detachments we were still obliged to make being then Eight Leagues from Bruges and Eleven from Ghent so that at first Provisions were not plentiful among us but that was soon taken care of by having regular Convoys from the Camp to Bruges Besides the Boors of the Country had Orders to bring in Provisions upon pain of being plunder'd which they did very willingly not looking upon us as Enemies but Friends being very desirous to be freed from the French Yoke under which they have been ever since the Treaty of Nimeguen that Ipres with its Chatelleniâ— was quitted to the French Our Camp was not above a League and a half from Ipres between Ipres and Menin so that our Patrouilles of Horse went sometimes to the Palissades of the Town We heard that though the Enemies had provided for the defence of this place as well as their Line yet they were apprehensive of a Bombardment and began to unpave their Streets which we could as easily have done before Villeroys face as he afterwards Bombarded Brussels in the presence of Prince Vaudemont of which Exploit they brag'd so much in France But though the French Kings Manifesto charges us with making it our principal glory of late to Bombard his Maritime places without any other advantage but that of doing mischief yet if that had been the Temper of the Allies as much as it is of our Enemies I believe that Ipres might have felt the malignity of our Temper as well as Brussels did that of the French The 7th the Duke of Wirtemberg with Colonel Gohr of our Train of Artillery went Very early in the Morning with a good Escorte to Dixmuyde and the same day Bannieres Brigade was detach'd to the Right to incamp near the Abbey of Sonnebeck to guard the Avenues from Ipres to our Camp and keep in the Enemies Parties The 8th Major-General Churchill and Brigadier Bernstorf were commanded with Eight Battallions to March and reinforce the Duke of Wirtembergs Army near Dixmuyde The Regiments were the First Battallion of Dutch Guards Churchill Granville Ingoldesby Danish Guards Prince Philippe Gohr-Holland and Bernstorf upon which motion of Wirtembergs to Dixmuyde the Mareschal de Villeroy sent a Reinforcement to the Kenoque expecting an attempt upon that place and Montal himself came with his Body to Loo between Furnes and Kenoque to be at hand for the defence of it The 9th by break of day a Detachment of Three Hundred of the Enemies Granadiers and Six Squadrons of Horse came with a design to surprize our advanced Guard at the Windmill of Geluvelt between Becelar and Comines We had here an Out-guard of Four Squadrons of Horse and a Detachment of One Hundred Foot but in the Night the top of the Hill being open and exposed to the Enemy they retir'd to some Houses and Defiles in the bottom to prevent the Enemies designs This Detachment of the Enemies finding their design frustrated retired to their Lines and Two of them deserted over to us taking this opportunity to make their escape for though desertion is very common among the French yet being incamped within their Lines the passages were so kept that they could not desert but by such shifts and these were the first that came in since our being at Becelar so near the Enemies The same day Brigadier Fitspatrick Colonel of His Majesties Fusiliers came to the Camp from England where he had remained ever since the Battle of Landen where he was dangerously wounded and in the Evening our Voluntiers went to joyn the Duke of Wirtembergs Army design'd to make an attempt upon the Kenoque The Duke of Wirtemberg who had left our Army at Becelar the 7th very early in the Morning arriv'd at Dixmuyde by Nine of the Clock immediately after his arrival he Muster'd the Forces incamped near this place consisting as we have said before of Nineteen Battallions and Two Squadroâ—s of Horse and Eight of Dragoons and immediately after the Review he ordered them to march towards the Fort of Kenoque and gave the plunder of the Boors between Dixmuyde and this place to the Soldiers in revenge of some which they had barbarously murder'd In the Evening the Duke came with his Army near Kenoque which is but a good League and a half from Dixmuyde and incamped before the place having his Quarter at New Cappelle his Right upon the Canal that goes from Kenoque to Loo and Furnes and his Left upon the Canal from Kenoque to Dixmuyde This is a very strong hold situated at the meeting of the Canal of Loo which goes to Furnes and Dunkirk and the Canal of Dixmuyde and Ipres which makes as 't were the figure of a â— Just upon the point of the joyning of these Canals there is a very strong Bastion in the very middle with the water cut about it making a very large and deep Fossé The Canals of Dixmuyde and Loo towards Dixmuyde and of the other side towards Bruges has very good counter-guards which defend the approach of the Digue near this Bastion and of the French side between Furnes and Ipres this Bastion is covered with a sort of Horn-work with a boggy Morass before it so that there is no coming into the Fort but by a way made upon the top of the Digue The other side of the Canal toward Bruges is covered with a Morass and standing water which makes it inaccessible The most accessible side where the Duke of Wirtemberg was between the Canal of Loo and Dixmuyde has besides the Counter-Guards of which we have now spoken which cover the Bastion several Retrenchments all along the Digue of the Canal till you come to a Draw-Bridge towards Loo But however this is nothing to resist an Army unless there is a Body of Men of the Enemies side of the Canals to hinder the taking of the Posts about it which would then be soon beaten to pieces This is a great passage into the Enemies Countrey it being open from this to St. Omer besides it commands the Communication between Ipres and Dunkirk and would secure Furnes in our hands which consequently would make Dunkirk a Frontier and expose it to a Siege Every body knows the consequence of it if we should take it and therefore the Enemies will still use their utmost endeavours not to hazard it by keeping this Post and Furnes in their hands This place upon the approach of the Duke of Wirtemberg with his Army was commanded by Monâ—ieur de Capestan a Major of Foot And that which confirmed the Enemies of our real design against this place was that we had taken care before to have a Plan of it some Ingeniers having been sent on purpose to Dixmuyde the last March who went with a good Detachment from that Garrison Commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel and Major to observe it The Garrison of Kenoque sallied out upon them and attacked that Post where Major Rapin of Belcastels Regiment had been placed and he had the
the Cassote And indeed the Castle was so strongly fortified upon the top of the Hill with all these Outworks that it would have been a very tedious piece of work for us to have attack'd it this way But the weak side of the Castle and Cohorne was towards the Town and the Sambre and the Enemies had not provided for an Attack of this side which made all these prodigious works fall into our hands in less time than the French had taken this place before tho' then much inferiour to what 't is now in Strength and Fortification If the Enemies had reason to depend upon the great strength of this Garrison they had as much reason to expect a vigorous resistance from the Forces that were in it which were very numerous no less than twenty Battallions of which some were the best reputed Regiments of France but others about four or five being what they call Regiments de Salade that is Garrison Regiments which are not fit to put into the Field Their old Corps have generally one or two of these Battallions where they train and exercise their Recruits and worse men for one Summer and then they draw them out the Campagne following These Regiments are always weak and therefore cannot come up to the computation of other Battallions but I believe that all these Battallions put together may very well be computed 450 Men strong one with another which makes 9000 Foot and 8 Regiments of Dragoons which march'd out 3 Standards each Regiment which makes 24 Squadrons which if compleat would amount to 2400 Dragoons but I dare say that considering their hasty and quick March from the Scheld to this place by the Sambre and Dinant they could not exceed 2000 Men. There was besides 6 Independent Companies in the Town and Artificers Miners and Gunners all which joyn'd together made about 12000 effective Men at the beginning of the Siege But for the more particular satisfaction of the Reader I shall here insert the List of the Garrison commanded in Chief by the Mareschal de Bousters known for his Zeal and Fidelity to the French King and his active and vigilant Courage and by the Count de Guiscard Governour of the place a Gentleman of great Accomplishments This last has been extreamly civil and obliging to our English Officers that have been at any time Prisoners at Namur Monsieur de Laumont was Lieutenant Governour and Brigadier Monsieur de Megrigny Major General and next to Vauban the ablest Ingenier of France was here with a Brigade of chosen Ingeniers to look after the defence and reparation of the Fortifications and to try their Art in the dispute of every workâ— Besides these General Officers the Garrison had four Brigadiers Quâ—lus of Dragoons Maulevrier St. Laurens and l' Abaâ—ie of Foot Their Artillery consisted of 120 pieces of Cannon and Mortars 12000 Granades 130000 weight of Powder Ball and Bombs proportionably 10000 spare Arms and Provisions for six Moneâ—hs besides as they gave out 10â—000 Crowns in Cash for the payment of the Garrison The List whereof was as follows Of the Dauphins Regiment 5 Battallions commanded by the Count de Montbron Son to the Governour of Cambray two whereof were Garrison Battallions Beauvoisis one Battallion Commanded by the Count de Viâ—uxbourg Royal Artillery one Battallion Commanded by Brigadier St. Laurens Maulevrier two Battallions Commanded by Brigadier Count de Maulevrier Bugey one Battallion Haynault one Battallion Solre one Battallion Court-Swisse one Battallion Foix Commanded by Count Morstein one Battallion La Marre one Battallion Nice one Battallion Piemont three Battallions Navarre one Battallion I have given an account of the Dragoons before which I need not repeat here These were indeed by much the best Troops of the Garrison and were generally very brisk Soldier-like Fellows and very well accouter'd As for their Independent Companies they were in no extraordinary condition neither have I seen an account of them After we had invested Namur in order to form this important Siege my Lord of Athlone was detach'd with most of the Cavalry to the Plains of Fleury and so to the Pieton to consume the Forrage thereabouts and between Charleroy and Mons. We kept no more Horse in the Siege than was necessary for Convoys Patrouilles and to carry Fascines for the Works and Trenches And this place being so strong and the Posts about it of such a great circumference and over two considerable Rivers that it could not be besieged but by a numerous and strong Army His Majesty ordered a good Reinforcement from Prince Vaudemonts Army which we have left incamped at Wouterghem Accordingly on the 21th Major-General Ramsay was commanded with Brigadier Fitspatrick to march towards Namur with 14 Battallions being the First Battallion of the First Regiment of English Guards the First Battallion of the Scots Guards the First Battallion of the Royal Regiment Selwyn Seymour Rada Fusiliers Collingwood Lauder Saunderson Zeeland Hanover Guards Arents and Weed The same day 21st the D. of Wirtemberg having left the Enterprize of the Kenoque the 17th came to the Camp at Wouterghem with the 8 Battallions Major-Gen Churchill had commanded thither and 11 more from Dixmuyde of which some came that day with the Duke and others came some days after which made in all 19 Battallions The 1â— Battallions from Dixmuyde were Tidcomb Courthop Belcastel Jutland the Queen of Denmark Maitland Ferguson Tiffeny Buchan Soutlandâ— and St. Amand besides Tennagels Regiment of Horse and the Kings Dragoons so that of the 27 Battallions we had before the Keâ—oque commanded by the D. of Wirtemberg 8 remain'd in Garrison at Dixmuyde with the Queens Dragoons under the Command of Major-General Ellemberg Our loss before the Kenoque amounted to 587 Soldiers killed and wounded besides Officers In Tiffenys Brigade composed of the Regiments of Churchill Granville Ingoldesby Maitland Ferguson Tiffeny Lorne and Buchan 3 Officers kill'd 32 wounded and 337 Soldiers killed and wounded In Lesleys Brigade made up of the Regiments of Brewer Tidcomb Courthop Lesleys and Graham 20 Soldiers killed and wounded In Bernstorss Brigade in which were the Regiments of Bernstorf Holle Young Holstein Prince Philip St. Anand Soutland Reinhard and Gohr 2 Officers kill'd 3 wounded and 208 Soldiers kill'd and wounded In Haxhuysens Brigade made up of the Regiments of Belcastel Auer Prince Christian Queen of Denmark 22 Soldiers kill'd and wounded The Dutch and Danish Guards did Duty upon the D. of Wirtemberg and did not rolle with the rest Major-General Ramsay having been detach'd the 21th with Brigadier Fitspatrick and 14 Battallions to hasten towards Namur march'd that day near Ghent and incamp'd at Marykirk The 22th he march'd through Ghent and incamp'd at Erp near Alost The 23th he march'd to Vilvorde where Count Nassaw Lieutenant-General came to put himself at the head of this Detachment The 24th to Velthem near Louvain The 25th through Louvain and so we incamp'd in the Retrenchments we made last Year at Tourine Bavechein from
The 14th early in the morning it began to rain very hard which lasted till Noon the water filled all our Tenches and very much incommoded our Workmen this likewise cooled the Fire of our Batteries which could not for this reason play as vigorously as the day before but in the afternoon it held up and they made amends for the morning Before this time the waters of the Meuse were so low that the Cannon came up with some difficulty from Huy but thereafter we had no reason to complain of the want of water for the whole Summer following it rain'd almost perpetually and more rain has fallen this Season than has been known for many years before In the Evening Major general Henkelem being fallen sick Major-general Ramsay had the Trenches which were relieved by the Brigade of Guards commanded by my Lord Cutts whom his Majesty declared this Campagne Brigadier of the Guards which is an Honour no Brigadier had enjoyed before My Lord Cutts his own Battallion of Guards remained to do Duty at the King's Quarter and the other four mounted the Trenches This night we pushed our Trenches down the Hill and embraced the detach'd Bastion before St. Nicolas his Gate for which reason the Officer commanding this Bastion demanded the next day 15 to capitulate he demanded liberty to go into the Town with his men which was refused him Our Batteries plaied the whole day with the same vigour they had done the days before In the afternoon our Bombs set on fire the Church of St. Nicolas which joyns to the Gate of this Name where the Enemies had a Magazine which did them a considerable damage In the Evening Major-geneneral Salisch and Brigadier Fits-Patrick mounted the Trenches with the Regiments of Fusiliers Tidcomb Stanley and Collingwood As the Trenches were relieving my Lord Salkirk was dangerously wounded in the Head just by the King with a stone caused by the grasing of a Cannon ball upon the top of the Trench We applyed the Miner to the detached Bastion and advanced our Trenches clear to the bottom before St. Nicolas his Gate Which Work Brigadier Fits-Patrick very much encouraged by his presence his usual vigilance carrying him to see every thing done In the morning early the Captain that commanded in the detached Bastion fearing the effect of our Mine sent his Lieutenant to offer to Surrender it who at first insisted upon the Capitulation demanded the day before but being threatned to be blown up he desired liberty to go back and speak to the Captain and that he would return immediately with a further answer Accordingly the Lieutenant returned and offered the detached Bastion at discretion and the Captain marched out with two Lieutenants an Ingenier and 53 men all of the Dauphins Regiment and were sent Prisoners to Huy They had a very good Casematte in the Bastion which covered them from our Bombs At night Najor-general Lindeboom and Brigadier Selwyn had the Trenches with Lauder Ingoldesby Sanderson and Maitlands Regiâ—â—nts Captain Forbes of Tidcombs was killed dismounting We pushed our Trenches far enough to attack the Counterscarp the next day and having gained the detached Bastion the day before we worked at a Battery at this foot of the Hill to fire in front against the Half-moon of St. Nicolas Having given an account of the progress of this Siege thus far I must return to speak of our Affairs in Flanders We have left Prince Vaudemont incamped at Ghent without Brussels Port the 15th after he had made his glorious retreat from the Mareschal de Villeroy's numerous Army and Sir Henry Bellassis was ready with a detachment of 12 Battallions and the Dragoons of Rousse and Cunningham to march towards Newport All Prince Vaudemont's Army and Bagage being got through Ghent Sir Henry Bellassis Lieutenant General repassed the next day 6 through the Town and marched till he came within 3 short Leagues of Bruges upon the Enemeis side of the Canal where he incamped that night The next day this Detachment not being thought sufficient for the security of Newport the Duke of Wirtemberg was sent this way with 12 Battallions more and all the Dragoons of the Army Major-generals Churchill and Mirmont and Brigadiers Erle and Haxhausen were of the Detachment and my Lord Rivers Major-general commanded the Dragoons Prince Vaudemont being obliged to make such Detachments for the safety of Flanders passed the Scheld the day before 6 and incamped at Oostaker just without Antwerp Port with his right towards the Canal of Sasvan Ghendt his left by the Scheld and Ghendt before him He had then but 26 Battallions left with him and about 30 Squadrons The Duke of Wirtemberg having been detached the 7th from Oostaker marched that day as far as Brugâ—s with the Dragoons whilst the Foot followed and encamped pretty near this place upon the Canal That same day Sir Henry Bellassis who had marched with his 12 Battallions the day before within three Leagues of Bruges came very early to this place and â—â—â—lted to refresh the Soldiers but the Dragoons marched on streight to Placendal having past the Canal of Oftend at Bruges The Town provided bilanders for Tiffeny's Regiment and all the Grenadiers to go incessantly by water they went of by three of the Clock that afternoon Colonel Tiffeny's Regiment remained to take post at Placendal where the Canal of Newport meets with that from Ostend to Bruges but Colonel Southlandt who commanded the Grenadiers went on by water to possess himself of the Pass upon the Canal of Newport at Laffine That Evening Sir Henry Bellassis marched with the rest of the Foot all night t'other side of the Canal of Ostend which he passed the next morning to get to Placendal where he halted again to refresh the Regiments and went on upon the Sea side of the Canal of Newport and gained that day to Newendam Fort just by Newport where he incamped with all the Foot and Dragoons under his Command except Tiffeny's Regiment which continued to defend the Post of Placendal And Sir Henry Bellassis being come to Newendam sent the Regiments of Strathnaver and George Hamilton to reinforce the Garrison of Newport The Duke of Wirtemberg who hastned after Sir Henry Bellassis marched through Bruges the 8th and came to the Placendal where he pass'd the Canal and that same day the Foot came up having made two long Marches from Ghent hither The 9th the Duke of Wirtemburgh pass'd the Canal at Placendal and advanced with the Foot and Dragoons as far as Newport and encampâ—d at Lombardie between the Canal of Newport and the Sea and disposed his Troops all along this Canal to defend the Passage of it The Marechal de Villeroy as we have said it above after he had miscarried in his Design upon Prince Vaudemont at Arseel had marchâ—d with his Army to Rousselar from whence he received Orders from the French Court to march nearer Dixmuyde whilst Montal was march'd before and encampâ—d at Scorback between Dixmuyde and
Newport But the Duke of Wirtemberg and Sir Henry Bellasis were detach'd so a Propos by Prince Vaudemont and they made such diligence towards this place that they prevented their Design And the Marechal Villeroy continued in his Camp between Rousselar and Dixmuyde to expect fresh Orders from the Court The 11th The Duke of Wirtemberg being too far from Prince Vaudemont to be ready to joyn him if Villeroy should march towards Brabant thought it best to leave a good Garrison in Newport and to come back nearer to Ostend for which Reason he march'd and encamp'd this day under the Walls of Ostend and opened all the Sluices to drown all the Country about Newport The 12th The Duke of Wirtemberg marched on through Ostend and pass'd the Harbour upon a Bridge of Boats made for that purpose and encamp'd in the Pais de Nort over-against Placendal A Battallion pass'd the Canal for the Guard both of the Canal of Ostend and Newport and Belcastel was left in Ostend The Duke of Wirtemberg continued encamp'd here some time to observe the Motions of the Marechal de Villeroy and to be at hand to rejoyn Prince Vaudemont at Ghent But the Enemies being baulk'd at Newport as much as they had been at Arseel resolved to besiege Dixmuyde not so much for the importance of the place as for the Garrison that was in it which being impossible for us to relieve they were sure to have them Prisoners which would prove a great prejudice to us and to our Affairs to have so many Regiments out of Service And though it was plain that this place could not be kept yet considering that we had no Frontier for Ghent and Bruges which are great places and capable of no defence 't was very much our Interest to maintain not only Dixmuyde but Deinse as long as possibly we could to keep the Enemies in play if they continued in Flanders but if they marchâ—d towards Namur then they remained safe in our hands Monsieur de Montal had Orders to invest Dixmuyde whilst Villeroy continued encamped near this place to make good the Siege for though they did not expect so cheap a Bargain as they had of this place yet they were resolved to make the Garrison Prisoners of War and Montal had Orders from the French King to give no other Conditions for which reason the Marechal de Villeroy kept with his Army pretty near Dixmuyde to oblige the Besieged to come to these Conditions having given Montal a considerable Reinforcement to carry on the Siege The place was invested by Monsieur de Montal the 15th with what number of Men I could not precisely hear some say with about 13000 Men. Major General Ellemberg commanded in this place having in Garrison the Regiments of Foot of Brewer Lesley Graham Lorne Prince Christian being Ellemberg's own Regiment Aüer Holle and another Dutch the six first were in the King 's own immediate pay and the other two were in the States Service There was besides a very good Regiment of Dragoons in the place being the Queen's Dragoons commanded by Colonel 〈◊〉 but he himself went away sick from the Camp near Dixmuyde to Bruges and his Lieutenant Colonel was sick at Ghent all the Summer having had a dangerous fall the last Spring so that Major Brereton commanded the Regiment who behaved himself with Honour in this occasionâ— My Lord Lorne's Regiment was commanded by Major Doncaston in the absence of Lieutenant-Colonels Hume that had been wounded in the Assault before Namur the 8th of July All the other Regiments in the Kingâ—s Pay had their Colonels present The Garrison had twenty eight Pieces of Cannon and Stores for a considerable resistance the Regiments in it were good some of them having near 700 effective Men and with the Dragoons were computed 5000 strong Monsieur de Montal having invested Dixmuyde the 15th and opened the Trenches that very night at two different places to make his Approaches before the Rousselar Porte which is the weakest side of the Town being commanded here by a rising Ground and at the other side of the Canal that goes from the Kenoque to Newport to which Dixmuyde is join'd by a short Causfey from the Furnes Porte There is a Bridge over this Canal defended without by a Ravelin moted and palissadâ—d and within with a square earthen Work palissaded Their second Approach was of this side to attack this Ravelin that covered the Bridge We had begun a new Work by Rousselar Port to put the Town in a better defence against the rising Ground of this side but it was not finished The 16th the French began to fire before Rousselar Porte with a Battery of eight Pieces of Cannon and three Mortars but they did us very little damage The Enemies work'd very quietly without any disturbance from us and though they made their Approaches under our Cannon yet the Gunners had no orders to fire The 16th at night the Enemies advanced their Trenche within Musket-shot of the Palissades and the next day 17 in the morning Major-Generalâ— Ellemberg called a Council of War of the Commanding-Officers of the seueral Regiments and laid before them the State of the Garrison That the Enemies had brought their Trenches very near the Glacis particularly before the new Work which being as yet imperfect would bring the loss of the Town after it which could not then resist above four hours That the Enemies had made considerable Approaches before Furnes Port to attack the Ravelin that covers the Bridge and that they already began to fire against it That the Water from which he expected a considerable advantage for the defence of the Town on this side did not rise sufficiently notwithstanding that the Sluices of Newport were opened That he had consulted the Inginiers of the Garrison upon this matter and that they could not promise that the Town could hold out four hours if it was vigorously assaulted so that they were in danger of being taken by Assault if they resisted For which Consideration he proposed to them if it was not expedient to capitulate to deliver up the place upon honourable Terms and save the Garrison The majority of the Commanding Officers of the several Regiments consented to capitulate but whether they consented to capitulate upon the Honourable Terms they had afterwards I cannot tell Major Doncaston who was the youngest in the Council of War refused positively alledging That there was ro Breach made in the place That they had as yet suffered no loss and the Enemies were not yet Masters of the Counterscarp and that it would not be consistent with their Honour to deliver up the Town so soon But the Majority of the Council of War being of opinion to capitulate the Major-General's Aide de Camp was sent with a Drum to the cocovered way towards the Enemies Trenches before Rousselar Port and the Chamade was beat and Hostages exchanged The whole day was spent in Contestations In the evening the Cessation of
should be made Prisoners of War according to the Cartel made in the beginning of this War and that Prince Vaudemont accordingly reclaimed these Prisoners the fortnight being expired and offered their Ransom yet â—he Marechal de Villeroy by the Frâ—nch Kingâ—s Orders refused to return them till the Campagne should be over All which were notorious violations of the Capitulation without the least Regard or Honour to the publick Faith All the while our Soldiers were thus detained Prisoners contrary to the Capitulation they persecuted and oppressed them to make them take on with the late King's Officers by which means a great many Soldiers have been forced away from our Service and I dare say as many as could have been lost in a brave defence of Dixmuyde and therefore notwithstanding that the pretext to capitulate was for the pretended safety and preservation of the Regiments in a place not tenable against the Enemies Power yet it has been this very Capitulation which has ruined and spoiled several fine and good Regiments and has rendred some almost incapable of doing the King any Service for some time I wish for my part that I could have been silent in this Matter and that I could like the Painter have drawn a Curtain over this Spot and Blemish of our Campaign and if this was the fault of some particular Men yet the Body of the Garrison had the same Heart and Soul with their Commanders that did such Wonders before Namur and therefore I hope the brave will not think themselves concern'd in what I have said of this easie Siege nor take any Exceptions against it for I should be very sorry to offend any man or to say any that might detract from his Reputation The French having made themselves Masters of Dixmuyde the Marechal de Velleroy marched with his Army the 19th from the Neighbourhood of Rousselar to Arseâ—â— whence the Marquiss de Feuqueres was immediately detachâ—d with a Body of Foot to attack Deinse Offerrel â—s Regiment had been sent to reinforce this Garrison from the Camp at Oostackre the Brigadier commanded in it The Day before the place was invested the Regiment of Scheltinga was sent here from Audenarde to relieve the Swedish Regiment that was in Garrison which went back to Audenarde in the place of Scheltinga At the same time that Feuquieres was detach'd with a Body of Foot to attack Deinse the Marechal de Villeroy ordered a Body of Horse to pass the Lys at Gathlen to invest the place on the other side of this River before Peteghem which joins to Deinse by a Bridge over the River This place is not strong by situation and the Fortications about it were but a good Retrenchment palissaded which was double towards Arseel one within another this being the weak side of the Town the rest being a Morass caused by the Neighbourhood of the Lâ—s Without this double Retrenchment distant a good Musket-shot from the place there was a Star-work upon the way of Arseel and Thielt We had great Magazines of Hay in this place and eight pieces of Cannon The Marquiss de Feuquieres summoned the Governour to surrender the place who offered to do it upon honourable Terms but the Marquiss de Feuquieres would hear of none but those of Prisoners of War To which Brigadier Offerrel consented and the Capitulation was signed the 20th and the place delivered to the French without firing a Cannon-shot of eiâ—ther side upon these Conditions First That the Officers shall not be plunder'd and nothing shall be taken from the Soldiers but their Arms. II. That the Officers shall have liberty to send all their Baggage and Horses with their Servants aad Baggage-Men with a good Escorte to Ghent III That the Officers shall have liberty to take their Saddle-Horses along with them for their march and after to dispose of them as they shall think fit IV. That the Officers shall have the liberty to wear their Swords and that no man shall take them from them V. That all the Garrison both Officers and Soldiers shall have one of the conquer'd Towns in the Low Countries for their Prison till such time as the Conditions of their Liberty shall be agreed upon VI. That all the Inhabitants of the Town as well Ecclesiasticks as others with their Horses and Cattle and the Cloyster of Nuns shall be exempted from Plunder or any other Molestation Which was Signed at the Camp before Deinse the 30th of July New Stile by the Marquiss de Feuquieres The Garrison was sent to Doway and Cambray which the Enemies could have sent if they would as far as Luxemburgh without any breach of the Capitulation and was treated in the same manner as the Garrison of Dixmuyde As soon as the French had taken away all our Magazines which they sent by Water to Courtray they demolished the place and took away the Palissades As for Dixmuyde the Enemies propos'd to demolish the place upon condition that they would not keep a Garrison here nor we neither else that they would keep it as it was for a Winter Quarter The Magistrates of Dixmuyde made the Proposition to the Elector and it is said that by mutual conseâ—t this place is to remain demolished and so it continues this Winter without any Garrison The French all this while were Masters of the Country to the other side of the Canal of Bruges which they plundered and destroyed But for the security of the Country on our side of the Canal Prince Vaudemont commanded Sir David Collier with 8 Regiments of Foot and 250 Horse 12 to guard the passages of the Canal Upon the Marechal de Villeroy â—s motion towards Deinse the Duke of Wirtemberg left his Camp at Placendal the 19th and march'd to Bruges and incamp'd at Oedelghem near Cruys Port to cover the place or to joyn Prince Vaudemont upon occasion Sir Henry Bellassis was left at Placendal by the Duke of Wirtemberg as he marchâ—d from thence to Bruges By this disposition the Canal was guarded from Ghent to Bruges and so to Ostend Sir David Collier guarded the passages of the Canal near Ghent The Duke of Wirtemberg was near Bruges and Sir Henry Bellassis at Plaiendal Besides all this Prince Vaudemont posted the Regiments of Mackay and Torsay at Mulenstein a Passage upon the Canal of Sas van Ghendt which covered the Prince's Army at Oostackre which was now reduced to sixteen or seventeen Battallions by all these Detachments which were so prudently ordered that the French never offered to pass the Canals to get into the Pais de Waes Villeroy having made himself Master of Deinse came nearer to Ghent with his Army and incampâ—d with his main Body between Nevel where he had his Right and Gottem upon the Lys where he had his Left A considerable Detachment of his Horse pass'd the Lys as if they had a design then upon Audâ—narde The Town of Ghent having the Marechal de Villero with a powerful Army for their near Neighbour
provided as much as possible they could for their defence They stopped up the Waters to drown the Country between the Lys and the Schâ—ld from Bruges Port to that of Courtray and made some new Retrenchments upon the Hill without Courtray Port which is the weakest and most commanded part of the Town They mounted all their Artillery upon the Ramparts and Prince Vaudemont order'd a Detachment of our Gunners for their Service 'T was reported they had made a great Provision of Bombs at Courtray which made this place fear a Bombardment This was the disposition of our Affairs in Flanders about this time which I shall leave to go on with the Siege of Namur where the ill news of Dixmuyde and Deinse did put us a little out of Countenance But first I must remember to give an account of my Lord of Athlone's Proceedings who had been detach'd with most of the Cavalry at the beginning of the Siege to the River Pieton to consume the Forage between the Sambre and Mons. He at first incamp'd at Pont de Celles upon this River where he continued several days and then advanced near to Binche and incamped at Herlaymont-Capelle near to Marimont from whence the 11th he detached the Count de Lippe Brigadier with sixteen Squadrons of Horse to march towards the Enemies Line at Givry between Mons and the Sambre to raise Contributions At his return he halted near Binch an old Town between Mons and the Sambre with decayed Walls about it The French make a Winter Quarter of this place and in the Summer they keep in it a small Garrison just enough to cover the Town from Parties Whilst the Cavalry was upon the halt near this place several Spanish and Walloon Voluntiers that wanted Booty endeavoured to force their way into the Town and there was a small Skirmish between them and the French which defended it Count Lippe hearing the Fire sent Orders to the Voluntiers to retreat and not to meddle with â—t But this handful of French not content to be rid of these Voluntiers pursued them and fir'd upon them for which reason Covnt Lippe sent a Detachment to repulse them which got into the Town with the Enemy and made themselves Masters of it It was a place which could not be kept and so we abandoned it I have left the Siege of Namur continued to the 17th when all things were ready to make an Assault upon the Counterscarp Major-General Lindeboom was then in the Trenches with Brigadier Selwyn and the Regiments of Lauder Ingoldesby Saunderson and Maitland The Attack was ordered for the Evening at the relieving of the Trenches to have a good number of Regiments ready to sustain the Assault Fifteen Grenadiers a Company were detached throughout the Regiments concerned in the Siege of the Town except the Guards which made about 500 Men commanded by Colonel Collingwood Major-General Ramsay mounted the Trenches this night with my Lord George Hamilton Brigadier and the Regiments of Nassau Selwin and Seymour and the Royal Regiment which was commanded extraordinarily for the occasion The Attack began about five of the Clock in the Afternoon by the Grenadiers who went on very couragiously to the Glacis and fir'd their Grenades over the Palissades in the cover'd way The Enemies had traverses palissaded all along this cover'd way from the Porte de Fer to the Meuse which added very much to the defence of the Counterscarp Notwitstanding the Grenadiers gained the Glacis But the Enemies under the cover of their Traverses very much annoyed our Men and pisputed the Lodgmentâ—s upon the Glacis very hard for which reason the Regiments of Ingoldesby and Sanderson marched out of their Trenches to the assistance but when they came to lodge the Wooll-sacks and Gabions upon the Palissades of the Glacis the Enemies who still defended themselves by the favour of their Traverses set them on fire and sprang two or three Fougaces or little Mines which did some damage Several Grenadiers leap'd over the Palissades in the coverâ—d way where they fought with a great deal of Bravery and Courage in the thick of the Enemies The Lodgment was made at last and the Enemies were forced to abandon the Counterscarp Our Cannon and Bombs playâ—d at the same time very dextrously and furiously from both sides of the Meuse and gallâ—d the Enemy very much in their Works at a time when they must fire with a great deal of Art to annoy the Enemies and not to hurt our own Men. The English made their Lodgment upon the Palislades of the cover'd way from before the Face of the Bastion de St. Roch next to St. Nicholas Gate to the left towards the Meuse and the Dutch Grenadiers who attack'd upon the left carried it from the Halfmoon of St. Nicholas to the point of the Demy-Bastion of the Meuse being sustained by Detachments from their Regigiments in their Trenches who behav'd themselves with the same Pravery as ours had done upon the Right Baron de Hasfert Colonel of a Swedish Regiment was killed in this Action and a Lieutenant-Colonel wounded besides several other Officers The Enemies who were still Masters of two detach'd Bastions upon the Hill of Bouge gall'd us very much during the Attack with several Drakes or Fauconners they had which they fir'd continually down upon our Trenches in the bottom and upon our Rear in the Attack 'T was by one of these Drakes that Mr. Godfrey Deputy-Governour of the Royal Bank of England who was come some days before from Antwerp to wait upon the King about the Affairs of the Payment of the Army had the misfortune to be he killed in the Trenches standing near the King and Lieutenant-Colonel Eck of the Dutch Troop of Guards had his Arm shot off by the same Ball. His Majesty as he does upon all like occasions remained upon the place during the whole Action without stirring till our Posts upon the Glacis were made sure and 't was then very late in the night Our loss was not very great considering the resistance of the Enemies who fir'd not only from the covered way but from the Bastion de St. Roch after we had gainâ—d it where the Officers were very busie to encourage their Men to make a good defence and expos'd themselves very much to keep their Soldiers to a vigorous Resistance Our loss may amount to 7 or 800 men killed and wounded Colonel Ingoldesby and Saunderson's Regiments sufferâ—d most among ours in gaining the Counterscarp In Trelawney's Regiment Captain Carter of the Grenadiers Son to Rear-Admiral Carter kill'd at Barfleur Fight was killed in the cover'd way and Major Carryl who went on with the Grenadiers with Colonel Collingwood was wounded In Colonel Seymour's Lieutenant Bethell of the Grenadiers wounded In Columbine's Captain Young of the Grenadiers killed Lieutenant Dorrington and Ensign Drobus wounded In the Fusiliers Lieutenant Dancey killed of the Grenadiers Captain Negus wounded with the the Workmen In Tidcomb's Regiment Lieutenant Williams of the
several of our Officers that have been Prisoners this Year with the Garrisons of Dixmuyde and Deinse say That they cou'd easily have master'd the Towns they were sent to if they had had but Arms so weak were their Garrisons And over and above all this the Maréchal de Villeroy still expected a Detachment from the Rhine and some Regiments from the Coasts of Normandy and Britanny and the rest of the French and Swisse Guards which had remain'd to mount the Guard upon the French King's Person All this was hastening to join the Maréchal de Villeroy to march to the Relief of Namur after Brussels should have suffer'd the severe Effects of our Enemies Anger or rather of the provoking Disappointments they met with in this Campaign Upon this March of the Maréchal de Villeroy before Brussels â—0 Battalions were detach'd from my Lord of Athlone's Army at Waterloo to re-inforce the Army of Prince Vaudemont commanded by Major-General Heukelem Four were English Collingwood Ingoldsby Saunderson and Maitland And this Night we mounted a Guard of 100 Men a Battalion between the Gates of Anderlecht and Flanders being in all 3800 Men commanded by a Major-General a Brigadier and other Officers proportionably Major General la Mâ—lâ—â—â—re mounted the first with Brigadier Erle This same Evening Colonel Tiffeny's Regiment came up to Brussels having been detach'd from Lieutenant-General Bellasis his Army in Flanders with the Regiment of Buchan which was commanded for that time to Garrison in Malines Ransaw's Brigade was re-inforc'd with 4 Battalions more so that besides the Guard commanded by the Major-General between 4 and 5000 Men encamp'd within the Ports of Flanders and Anderlecht During all this hurry and terrible preparations for the Bombarding of Brussels the Elect'ress of Bavaria was in her 7th Month big with Child which so affected her that she miscarried this Evening of a Boy to the great Grief of the Elector of Bavaria and the whole Court and I dare say no less to the Regret of the King and Queen of Poland This Miscarriage made the Elect'ress dangerously ill and the Elector at this time was carrying on the Siege of the Castle of Namur So that the French Bombs have not only kindled a Fire in Brussels but may be as far as Warsaw where the French Ambassador has us'd all his Art to extenuate the Matter at the Court of Poland At Night the Enemies open'd the Trench between the Fauxbourg of Coukelberg and the Gate of Anderlecht to erect here their Batteries where they could not only bring them nearer to the Town but also the Town lying upon the descent of a Hill towards this Place it was all open and expos'd to the Enemy's Cannon and Mortars and that which did very much facilitate the making of their Bomb batteries close to the Town was two great Barns one thatched and the other slated just t'other side of the over-flow'd bottom before Anderlecht Porte They work'd securely and undiscover'd behind these two Barns where they had placed their Mortars and because the thatch'd Barn could easily be set on fire by our Cannon from the Rampart they fill'd it all up with Earth to hinder the effect of the fire There was a good Breast-work upon the Causey between Brussels and Anderlecht where the Garrison had always an advanc'd Guard This Post was now defended by a Major and 200 Men but because it was too near Anderlecht the head Quarter by which Parties could go into their Camp every Night from the Town the Maréchal de Villeroy order'd a good Detachment of the French and Swiss Guards to attack this Post about Midnight which the Major defended very bravely for near an Hour but was at last forc'd to yield to the Enemies Power The Fire of this Attack alarm'd our Camp but without any farther Consequence The Enemies having this Post plac'd Guards in all the Houses along the Causey to the very Gate of Anderlecht the Meadows on both sides of it lying â—under Water The 2d in the Morning we found that the Enemies were working at their Trench which they had drawn almost parallel to the Walls of the Town between Anderlecht and Flanders Portes which Work they had considerably advanc'd The Magistrates of Brussels had order'd all their best Cannon to be mounted upon the Bastions and Half-moons on this side of the Town of which some of them were 24 Pounders but they were so ill provided with Ammunition that they could be but ill served They had 24 Pounders but they had no Ball for this Caâ—â—bre their biggest being 12 pound Ball their Gunners had but little Experience and we supply'd 'em with a Detachment of our own However the Cannon play'd the whole Day from the Town and did the Enemies some Mischief and kill'd them several Men tho' not so many as they would have done nor ruin'd so much their Works if they had had better Ball to good Cannon Some fir'd from the Bastions and Half-moons of Anderlecht Porte against the Enemies Trenches others aganst the two Barns these fir'd with red Ball to put them on â—ire and others from the Bastion upon the Right of Halle Porté against the Houses the Enemies possess'd along the Causey but with little or no effect This Evening major-Major-General Churchil mounted the Guard of the Town against the Enemies with Brigadier Câ—llier The King return'd from Waterloo this Day to the Camp before the Castle of Namur and the next the Elector of Bavaria came from thence to visit the Elect'ress and also to assist the People of the Town as much as lay in his Power with his Presence with his Authority and with his Counsel And indeed he was sensibly touched with the Misfortunes and Barbarous Usage of this poor Town and expos'd himself among the thickest of the Bombs to encourage the People and to comfort them in their Losses and to keep order as much as was possible in so much Confusion and Misery The 3d. in the Morning the Enemies had finished their Trench and Battteries they had made two Batteries of about 10 Pieces of Cannon each upon the heighth of the Rising Ground behind their Trench they had a deep hollow way just within their Trench which very much added to the strength and safety of it and they mounted it daily by the Left towards Flanders Porte under the cover of Hedges and rows of Trees Between Twelve and One of the Clock the Maréchal de Villeroy sent the following LETTER to the Prince of Bergues Governour of the Town by a Trumpet dated from the Camp at Anderlecht the 13th of August New Style about Noon THE King being full of Goodness towards his Subjects and Care to contribute to their Defence seeing the P. of O. sends his Fleet upon the Coasts of France to bombard his Sea-port Towns and endeavour to ruine them without getting any other Advantage by it has thought that he cou'd not put a stop to such Disorders but by using Reprisals which is the
of Namur let it fall where it will I have yet omitted a considerable Reflexion upon this Letter and that is That the Maréchal de Villeroy would have an Answer from the Town in Five Hours about a Proposal to make a Cessation of Bombarding on both sides which regarded not only the King but all the Allies and yet this Answer must be given in Five Hours else he must execute without delay the Orders of his Master which makes his Letter a Jest and nothing else As Villeroy had promis'd to execute the Orders of his Master after Five of the Clock he was then as good as his Word Between Five and Six the Enemies began to throw their Bombs into the Town firing them one by one and their red Balls till about Ten of the Clock at Night The Marquis de Mirmont major-Major-General had then the Guard towards the Enemy with Brigadier Packmoer About this time of Night the Enemies began to play most furiously with their Mortars and red Balls by whole Batteries The Fire was then in several Places of the Town and there they were sure to throw their Bombs and fire their red Balls to encrease the Fire and to hinder the Inhabitants from quenching of it They had 25 Mortars in two Batteries behind the two Barns which I reckon they fir'd three times an Hour round at least and all together so that one could see 25 Bombs at once in the Air which they immediately follow'd with their Batteries of Cannon charg'd with red Balls which did so much the more Execution that the most wealthy part of the Town is all open on this side lying upon the descent of a Hill towards the River The Enemies continu'd this Fire-work all Night The next Day we fir'd upon them as much as we could from our Batteries by the Gate of Anderlecht still endeavouring to beat down the Barns about their Ears which cover'd their Mortars The Chevalier de Montgon and Two Officers of the French King's Guards were kill'd with a Cannon Ball by the Duke du Maine The whole Day the Enemies fir'd with their Mortars and Cannon as they had done the Night before and by this time the Stadthuys and Market-Place was all burnt down and several Streets about it They neglected the nearest part of the Town towards the Gates of Anderlecht and Flanders as being the poorest The upper or nobler part of the Town about the Court and towards the Gate of Namur they could not reach but 't was the Wealthy and Trading Part they were resolv'd to destroy which lay about the Heart of the Town In the Evening Major-General La Meloniere had the Guard with Brigadier St. Paul The Elector of Bavaria order'd besides a Detachment of Ten Squadrons of our Horse encamp'd at Scarbeck to guard all the Streets leading to the Fire to prevent Rogues and Thieves from going in and to prevent all Disorders the Ten Squadrons were commanded by a Brigadier A Detachment of Foot was also order'd to go in and help the Burghers to pull down the Houses and quench the Fre. At Night the Wind grew high and stormy which very much enrag'd the Fire and made the Mischief of the Enemies Bombs and red Balls greater than it would otherwise have been Notwithstanding the Care that was taken to prevent Plundering in the Confusion of the Fire several Soldiers made a shift to get within the Guards and plunder'd the Houses whilst they were burning The Elector of Bavaria caus'd one to be hang'd upon the spot Several Thieves of the Town took no doubt this convenient occasion to make Booty for the Inhabitants thought that the Enemies Bombs could not reach beyond the Market-Place which made them crow'd all their Wealth in the Houses beyond it where they thought them secure but 't was in these very Places that the thickest of the Enemies Bombs fell which made the Inhabitants Loss so much the greater The 5th about Nine of the Clock in the Morning the Mortars ceas'd and about Noon the Cannon having fir'd from Saturday Six of the Clock in the Evening to this time and always except the first three or four Hours by whole Batteries which made the most terrible Bombarding that I believe ever has been known and render'd the Town a most piteous and dismal Spectacle They fir'd their Mortars being 25 in number 39 hours full which being as I computed it fir'd three times an hour at least amounts to 2925 Bombs thrown into the Place The fire of the Cannon lasted from the same time Saturday Night till Monday Noon in all 42 hours which at three times an hour amounts to 2268 red Balls This Computation of the Bombs and Red Balls is I dare say much within compass And indeed the Damage done to the Town has too much answer'd the Enemies terrible Preparations all the Heart of the Town the Wealthy and Trading Part of it being burnt down to the very Ground and as the Figure of the Town is Oval so are the Ruines caus'd by the Enemy rekoning your cross Diameters of the Circle the one from the Stein Porte to the Fish-Market and the other from half way up the Berg-street and near the Wood-Market over the Market-Place and so towards the Rampart between Halle Porte and that of Anderlecht all this is in a manner burnt down to the Ground with a great many rich Churches and fine Cloysters involv'd in the Ruines The last Church they burnt which was that without Steine Porte they seem'd to do it on purpose on the Monday Morning firing all their Red Balls upon it and this was the wealthiest Parish-Church in Brussels being enrich'd within with very costly Ornaments such as Altars which were the finest and the most stately in the Town Pictures and Images and abundance of Marble and Porphyry to adorn and set out the Altars It is no wonder that several Churches should suffer in the thick of such a Conflagration and so this cannot be taxed of particular disrespect to these Holy Places But that this Church shou'd be particularly singl'd out as it was in the Monday Morning cannot but be thought on with horrour by Persons who believe that their Saviour dwells there Bodily And yet this has been done by those very Persons who pretend to be the only Asserters and Maintainers of this Catholick Cause A little before the Enemies Mortars had done we at last fir'd with our Red Balls one of the Barns behind which the Enemies had made their Bomb-Batteries and it had been well for the Town if they had pull'd them down at first as soon as they heard of the Enemies approach they had then wanted this Conveniency of bringing their Mortars under cover so close to the Town After the Enemies had done with their Mortars and Cannon they began this Afternoon to draw them off their Batteries and because 't was expected the Army wou'd have march'd back towards Halle the General beat in our Camp by Brussels to be ready to march
Prince's Quarter besides the little River now mention'd with several thick Woods as far as Gemblours and there was no passage from the Enemy into this Camp but by Gemblours Conroy le Chasteau and so to the narrow Plain before our Camp taken up by the Brigades of Fitspatrick and Selwyn which Plain goes from Gemblours to Bessire with a Wood upon the Right and another upon the Left This we took care to fortifie with a Retrenchment from the River of Masy which the Maps call Orne to Prince Vaudemont's Quarter cross this narrow Plain to defend the Passage from Gemblours to our Camp Masy which is a Gentlemen's House just upon the little River now mention'd where it commands a Stone Bridge over it is two Leagues distant from Namur and is the Passage from thence to Brussels Mons and Charleroy And being now so near this Place it brings me to speak of our Progress in the Siege of the Castle Cohorne and other Out-works between the Sambre and the Meuse which render it one of the strongest Fortresses of Christendom We took Possession of the Town as we have said before the 27th of July after the French had all withdrawn into the Castle for the defence of it We quitted likewise the Line of Circumvallation before the Town which of it self with the Sambre and the Posts we had upon it at the Abbey of Salsen and the Ballance did sufficiently invest the Castle Thirty Battalions English and Dutch were sent the same Day out of this Line of Circumvallation to join Prince Vaudemont and the day after 28th the King left his Quarter at Maison rouge to get t'other side of the Sambre at the Abbey of Malogne which hitherto had been the Elector's Quarter he left it to the King and took his Quarter during the Siege of the Castle at a Cloyster of the Carmelites near the Meuse The rest of the Troops before the Town pass'd the Sambre whereof Six were English to be employ'd in the Siege So that we had now before the Castle to carry on the Siege 42 Battalions The English Regiments of Seymour Columbine Stanley and Lauder encamp'd at the Maison Blanche the Duke of Holstein Ploen's Quarter opposite to Flavennes The next Day Collonel Seymour's Regiment mounted in the Line we had made before the Casotte when we gain'd the Stone Line made by the French Captain Congrave of the same Regiment was kill'd And this Day the manner of mounting the Trenches before the Castle was agreed upon That it shou'd be mounted by Detachments of 100 Men out of each Regiment making the Number of 4000 Men besides 700 Men to work commanded by a Major-General a Brigadier Four Collonels Four Lieutenant-Collonels Four Majors and one Major of Brigade 37 Captains 40 Lieutenants and 35 Ensigns The two Battalions of Guards gave none The 30th according to this Regulation Count de Rivera Major-General of the Bavarians mounted the Guard of the Lines and my Lord Cuts Brigadier with the Colonels Lauder Stochausen Marquet and Count d'Enhoff Colonel of the Brandenbourghs who had the Misfortune to be wounded The 31st the King went from hence to my Lord of Athlone's Camp at Waterlo At Night major-Major-General Arnheim of the Brandenbourgh Troops mounted the Guard with the Prince of Holstein Norbourg Brigadier and Colonels Stanley Sparre Capol and Bekel the last of Brandenbourghs The Enemies still fir'd from the Casotte and cover'd way upon our Line but hitherto with little damage The 1st of August Major-General Lindeboom commanded with Brigadier Dedem and Colonel Seymour commanded the English Detachment We had by this time finish'd several Batteries to fire against the Castle and Cohorne being ready for the Cannon and Mortars The 2d some of the said Batteries began first to play 20 Pieces of Cannon dispos'd in Three Batteries at the Fauxbourg St. Croix upon the Sambre just without Brussels Porte which fir'd against the side of the Cohorne opposite to the Sambre We had another Battery of the Brandenbourgh side of the Meuse to fire against the Lower Town along this River besides several Mortars to incommode the Enemies in the Lower Town and to hinder their coming to the Water-side We had another of 〈◊〉 Haubitz and Four Mortars upon the Left of our Line before the Casotte towards the Sambre But all this did no great damage to the Enemies Major-General Cohorne who had the Management of the Siege of the Castle was preparing another Entertainment for them from the Town For tho' Count Guiscard pretended to deliver up the Town for its Safety and Preservation not that they were forc'd to it by the Necessity of their own Affairs yet it was forgot in the Capitulation wherein there was no Provision made to prevent Hostilities between the Town and Castle as it had been agreed upon in the Capitulation made with the French when they took it At Night Major-General Sweryn commanded with my Lord Cuts Brigadier and Colonel Columbine of the English We open'd the Trench this Night before the Cohorne in two places to make two parallel Lines for our Approaches between the Cohorne and the Sambre The first upon the Right was open'd at the Left of our Line against the Casotte producing it down the Hill towards the Sambre The second upon the Left where the English mounted was open'd in the Descent of the Hill nearer to the Sambre A Brandenbourgh Major was wounded this Night The 2d in the Evening His Majesty came back to the Siege from the Camp at Waterlo by Brussels and the next Morning his Electoral Highness went to see the Elect'ress that had miscarried upon the Approach of the French before Brussels and to be present to give his Orders during the bombarding The same Day Major-General la Cave of the Brandenbourgh Forces reliev'd the Trenches with the Prince of Holstein Norbourg Brigadier and Colonel Lauder I shall omit the Names of the other Colonels being Forraigners and unknown in England We continu'd to advance our Trench upon the Right down the Hill and the other upon the Left nearer to the Sambre between which we began to work at a Line of Communication The Besieged had Three Fauconets or Drakes within the Pallisado's of the Casotte to fire upon our Workmen from whence they would sometimes detach small Pellotoons of Men to incommode our Work The 4th major-Major-General Rivera and Brigadier Dedem mounted the Trenches Colonel Stanley commanded the English We advanc'd our Trenches near 250 Paces which Work we travers'd with Fascines to hinder it from being flock'd by the Enemy On the other side of the Meuse opposite to the foot or first precinct of the Terra nova at the bottom of the Hill we open'd a Battery of 17 Pieces of Cannon to fire against the Lower Town and the Horn-work of Bale We re-inforc'd at the same time our Battery before Brussels Porte at Sancte Croix against the side of the Cohorne Upon the Right of all towards the Meuse where our great Line
against the Works of the Castle finishes we plac'd three 12 Pounders in the room of three others of a lesser Calibre to fire in the Lower Town which lay open to our view from this Place Lieutenant Wallis of the Royal Regiment one of our Engineers that serv'd in the Siege of the Castle was wounded this Night The other English Engineers were Major Blood then of Colonel Seymour's Regiment now Lieutenant-Colonel to Sir Matthew Bridges his Regiment known before for his Services of this kind in Ireland Captain Burgh of the Royal Regiment Son to the late Lord-Bishop of Ardagh and Lieutenant Richards of Brigadier Selwyn's Regiment Brother to Colonel Richards who all gave very good Proofs of their Abilities in this kind The 5th we produc'd our Trenches 100 Paces turning the Line to the Left towards the Sambre and the Point of the Cohorne where we made an Angle saillant turning again a little to the Right which we advanc'd 100 Paces more About 60 Dragoons sallied out of the Cohorne which at first put our Workmen in some disorder but they were immediately rally'd by the Care of the Officers The Enemies plac'd this Day Three Fauconnets oâ— Drakes upon the point of the Cover'd-way of the Cohorne which looks towards the Sambre to incommode us from hence in our Lines A Bomb fell this Day in the Casotte which put fire to some Grenades not without some damage to the Enemies Major-General Arnheim commanded the Trenches this Night with the Prince of Anhalt Brigadier of the English Colonel Seymour The 6th we advanc'd our Trench upon the Left 170 Paces and that upon the Right considerably to bring both between the side of the Cohorne and the Sambre But the Rain was very troublesome to us at this time which coming down in Torrents from the top of the Hill fill'd our Trenches with Water which were made upon the side of it The Enemy work'd at anouter Line before the Cover'd-way of the Ravelin of the Cohorne upon the Descent of the Hill and indeed from the taking of the Town to this time they have still been making new Retrenchments down the Hill before the Cover'd-way of the Cohorne They plac'd Three Pieces of Cannon more in one of these Trenches to fire upon our Works for the Cannon of the Cohorne being considerably high upon the Hill could not bear down upon our Trenches for which reason they were oblig'd to make these Retrenchments lower without the Cover'd-way Major-General Lindeboom had the Trenches this Night with the Duke of Holstein Norbourg Brigadier and Colonel Columbine of the English We began at this time to work at several Batteries within the Town some along the Sambre and others upon the Rampart between the Porte de Fer and the Sambre which were to fire over the Town upon the Terra nova Upon which the Maréchal de Boufflers threaten'd to lay the Town in Ashes if we should offer to make any Batteries from thence But 't was reply'd of our side That above 500 Sick and Wounded which they had still in our Hospitals which could not be transported to Dinant where we had sent above 1600 since the Town was taken should answer for it This Answer besides that they could only do Mischief to the Town if we would sacrifice it without hindering our Batteries made them civil and never offer'd to fire in the Town but where they saw us work to attack them The 7th we began to draw a Line of Communication from the upper Trench upon the Right to the lower upon the Left We advanc'd the upper Trench with an Angle saillant towards the side of the Cohorne we continued to work at our new Batteries in the Town and re-inforc'd the old ones with several Pieces of Cannon and Mortars Major-General Swerin reliev'd the Trenches this Night with Brigadier Dedem and Colonel Lauder of the English The 8th the Elector of Bavaria return'd to the Siege from Brussels major-Major-General la Cave commanded the Trenches and Brigadier Horne of Brandenbourgh with Colonel Stanley of the English The Rain hinder'd us this Night from advancing our Works so that we only apply'd our selves to put what we had done in a better defence Our Works were now brought near the Enemy which made them fire very briskly upon us both with Cannon and Small-shot The 9th Major-General Rivera and my Lord Cuts Brigadier mounted the Trenches and Colonel Seymour of the English In the Evening a French Officer was taken swimming down the Meuse endeavouring to get into the Place He came from Dinant and had swam a great way to come undiscovered in the beginning of the Night He deny'd that he had any particular Commission but that his Regiment was in the Place and that he endeavour'd to repair to his Post About Midnight the Enemies made a Sally of 200 Dragoons and 600 Grenadiers major-Major-General Rivera commanded the Right Trench and my Lord Cuts the Left Major General Rivera had plac'd a Captain and 60 Men without the Trench upon the Right to lie down upon their Arms and to have Centries to observe the Enemy to prevent surprisal My Lord Cuts had done the same upon the Left The Centries of the Right gave notice That they saw a Body of Men coming down the Hill from the Casotte Upon which we stood all to our Arms in our Trenches and made some Detachments without to oppose to the Enemies The French Grenadiers came down with a mighty Fury making a great Noise as soon as they came near our Works to strike a Terror amongst our Men but we were ready for them which they found by the briskness of our fire The Van of the Enemies would then have retreated the same way they came but being hinder'd by those that sustain'd them they were oblig'd to turn to the Right where they fell into the fire of the Out guards we had plac'd to cover our Trenches The Dragoons sallied much about the same time with the Grenadiers out of the Castle coming between the Cohorne and the Sambre where they fell among the Out-guards plac'd by my Lord Cuts to cover our Left Trench We had then as we had every Night a Body of Dragoons commanded by a Major between our Left Trench and the Abbey of Salsen this Night they were Spaniards commanded by Major Zuniga My Lord Cuts brought him up immediately with his Body to succour our Men where he fell upon the Enemies Dragoons and pursued them to the very Palisiades of the Castle making a considerable Slaughter among them The Major had his Horse shot under him in this Action for which and for his considerable Service at this time his Majesty sent him a Horse out of his Stable the next Day with rich Furniture and a very fine Sword We had in this Occasion but Four English One Brandenbourgh and Three Dutch Soldiers killâ—d One English Ensign and Seven Soldiers One Bavarian Lieutenant and one Soldier one Major one Lieutenant and 17 Brandenburgh Soldiers one Dutch
Ensign and 11 Soldiers wounded We continued this Day 9th to work with great vigour upon our new Batteries in the Town from whence we expected the Success of this Siege for hitherto we had done no damage to the Enemies Works and had only advanc'd our Trenches The 10th the Enemies beat a Parley to reclaim some considerable Officers they had lost the Night before if Prisoners or to have leave to look for their Bodies among the Dead At Night Major-General Arnheim commanded in the Trenches with the Prince of Anhalt Brigadier and Colonel Columbine of our Forces We perfected this Night our Communication between the upper and the lower Trench Prince Vaudemont came and encamp'd at Masy this Evening as has been said before The 11th early in the Morning we open'd all the Batteries we had made in the Town which made a most terrible noise and no doubt caus'd a great Disorder and Consternation among the Enemies for the Bombs play'd incessantly in all their Works and from all sides so that the Besieged could hardly stirr without running the hazard of being wounded or knock'd on the Head with our Bombs that were still showring down among them Our Batteries were made along the Sambre the first at the Village of Sainte Croix where we had 20 Guns dispos'd in Two Batteries the next in the Sambre and Brussels's Bastions these fir'd against the side of the Cohorne towards the River to make a breach Some from the Brussel's Bastion fir'd against the Courtin of the Terra nova which comes down the Hill towards the Sambre Several other Batteries were made upon the very Bank of the Sambre within the Town upon the Wall they have along this River which fir'd very furiously upon the â—fore-said Courtin of the Terra nova We had some other Batteries of a lesser Calibre the others being generally 24 Pounders dispos'd upon the Walk or Chemin des rondes of the Courtin between the Porte de Fer and that of Brussels these fir'd in reverse over the Town and the River upon the ascent of the Terra nova and old Castle which over-looks the Town and lay open to our view which very much incommoded the Enemies for they could hardly stir in the Castle without being seen and all the Houses in it lay expos'd to this Cannon Our Mortars were dispos'd up and down in several Courts and Gardens along the Sambre where the Houseâ— or Walls serv'd for Blinds to cover them some in the Governour 's Garden and in the Court of his House which is a very stately Fabrick built by the Prince of Barbarâ—â—n others in the Jesuits-Garden and in that of the Ursuline Nuns others in the Garden of the Refuge and the Court of the Arsenal and most of the Lanes which go to the Sambre had Mortars or Haubitz these are little Mortars which have under a Foot diameter in them cover'd with Blinds The Batteries from the Brandenburgh Quarter of the other side of the Mâ—use play'd with equal Fury against the Lower Town and Horn-work of Bulâ— to ruine the Work and to incommode the Enemies who had their Stables and Stores in the Lower Town along the Meuse and a great many both Officers and Soldiers were quarter'd here being more under cover 'T was computed that we had now 136 Pieces of Cannon dispos'd in several Batteries against the Castle and Out-works and 50 Mortars and Haubitz which from this Day till the Surrender of the Castle play'd without Intermission And this being the first Day that we open'd our Batteries to make a breach we may reckon that we have carry'd the Castle with all its prodigious Out-works in 11 Days having capitulated the 22d The Besieged had 9 Pieces of Cannon and 3 Mortars with which they endeavour'd to incommode us in our Batteries in the Town but they were soon silenc'd Monsieur de Rondeau formerly Governour of the Castle for the King of Spain and 82 Years old was kill'd this Day by one of these Cannons Prince Vaudemont having encamp'd with his Army at Masy the over-night the King went this day to his Camp who with the Elector had hitherto gone twice a day in the Trenches to visit our Approaches and to give their Directions At Night Major-General Lindeboom and the Duke of Holstein-Norburg Brigadier mounted the Trenches with Colonel Buchan of our National Forces the Regiments of Seymour Columbine Stanley and Lauder having been reliev'd this Day by the Regiments of Courthop Mackay Friderick Hamilton and Buchan from the Camp at Masy The 12th our Batteries continu'd with the same Fury they had began Yesterday and we found that they play'd to the purpose for they had already tore up the side of the Cohorne and the descending Courtin of the Terra nova where they had made breach in so little time Major-General Swerin and Brigadier Dedem mounted the Trenches with Colonel Mackay of our Forces The 13th Major-General la Cave and Brigadier Horne with Colonel Friderick Hamilton commanding our Forces mounted the Trenches The 14th major-Major-General Rivera my Lord Cuts Brigadier and Colonel Courthop The 15th major-Major-General Arnheim the Prince of Anhalt Brigadier and Colonel Buchan These Four Days our Artillery and Mortars continu'd as before and widen'd very much the Breaches and struck such a Terror among the Enemies that they kept close hardly daring to shew their Heads over their Works for which reason we lost but very few Men in our Trenches having had but 2 killed and 9 wounded the 4 last Days in which we advanc'd our Trenches considerably having brought them now under the side of the Cohorne between it and the Sambre The Enemies were Masters of a Half-moon upon the side of the Sambre at the foot of the bottom which runs down between the Terra nova and the Cohorne This was made for an Out-work to the Town formerly before the Cohorne was built for which Reason it faces outwards towards the Hill of the Cohorne Our Trenches being now so far advanc'd between the Cohorne and the Sambre it was thought fit to dislodge the Enemies from it This Place was so much under the command of our Batteries along the Sambre on the Town side that the Enemies did not dare to shew themselves in it We put a Detachment in a Bilander at the Abbey of Salsen which came down the River to attack this Post but upon the approach of our Men the Enemies made little Resistance and deliver'd it up a Lieutenant and 17 Men were made Prisoners in it having liv'd in the Vault several Days without appearing The Brandenbourghers at the same time made another Attack to dislodge the Enemies out of some Houses they had along the Meuse just without the Gate of the Horn-work of Bulé upon the way that goes to Givet from whence they beat the Enemy with little or no loss and made some Prisoners The Maréchal de Villeroy being now expected for the Relief of the Castle of Namur Orders were given to fortifie the Avenues of
of 6 different Fires The Battalions from Salsen tho' they came too late to do us the Service intended did not want their share of suffering as appears by the List of their kill'd and wounded Officers and Soldiers By this time my Lord Cutts being dress'd of his Wounds and come to himself finding the Affair of the Terra nova not possibly to be retriev'd and observing the Bavarians upon Count Rivera's Attack engag'd in a very hot â—ire who notwithstanding Count Rivera was kill'd and the Prince of Holstem Norburg Brigadier wounded and that most of the Officers of the Bavarian Guards and other Regiments were kill'd and wounded had fix'd themselves upon the outermost Retrenchment of the Point of the Cohorne next to the Sambre and maintain'd the Post with a great deal of obstinacy but could not gain any more Ground order'd 200 Men to be detach'd out of the English Troops and that none should be chosen but such as were resolv'd to carry their Point or dye by it upon Promise of distinguishing Rewards to such as should do any extraordinary Action and ordering those to be sustain'd by the Regiment of Mackay and that the other English Forces should rally and come after as soon as they could he resolv'd to bend his whole Force to make good the Bavarian Attack And as soon as he was come to the Place of Action he detach'd Lieutenant Cockle of Mackay's Regiment with a Party of chosen Men with the following Orders That he should attack the Face of the saillant Angle next to the Breach Sword in Hand without firing a Shot that he should pass the Palissades and enter the cover'd way That if he could not maintain the Post he should make the best Retreat he could with his Men but that he should lodge himself if he found any Place capable of it with a Promise in his Majesty's Name of a distinguishing Reward if he succeeded and out-liv'd it At the same time he commanded the Ensigns of Mackay's Regiment to march strait to the Palissades and plant their Colours upon 'em with Promises of sutable Rewards All this succeeded so well that Lieutenant Cockle entring the Palisades beat the Enemy from the cover'd way and lodg'd himself in a Battery of theirs having first turn'd their own Cannon upon them for which his Majesty has since rewarded him with Advancement and Money Whilst Colonel Mackay's Ensigns were advancing to the Palissades the Bavarians renew'd their Attack with undaunted Vigiour tho' as was said before most of their Officers were kill'd and wounded and so this Post was made good The Elector of Bavaria expos'd himself to a degree not to be imagin'd going from Place to Place to observe what pass'd and give such Orders as he thought fit several Persons being kill'd and wounded very near him he gave away Handfuls of Gold to the English Soldiers as well as his own and saying many kind things of the Bravery both of the Officers and Soldiers No Gentleman ever fell more generally lamented than Colonel Courthop did on this Occasion giving all possible Hopes of an extraordinary Man in the Military Art if he had liv'd Colonel Windsor Colonel Stanhop the Count de Mercy Mr. Tomson eldest Son to Sir John Tomson and other Gentlemen of Note before-mention'd behav'd themselves on this Occasion with all the Bravery it was possible for Men to shew And many other remarkable Actions were done by several of the English and Scotch too many to set down here Having gain'd the Cover'd way before the Breach of the Cohorne and the inferiour Angle saillant or Point towards the Sambre and our Troops being fatigu'd by so long an Assault and the Enemies Resistance we contented our selves to make a Lodgment here without any farther Attempt upon the Breach Upon this Re-inforcement of the Dutch and Bavarians at this Attack by my Lord Cutts and the English Troops under his Command the Enemies were so employ'd in the defence of this most dangerous Post as very much facilitated Major-General la Cave's Enterprize upon the Cover'd-way before the Ravelin and upper Point of the Cohorne and so on towards the Casotte where he lodg'd himself without any considerable Loss major-Major-General Swerin commanding the Right Attack of all before the Casâ—tte and so towards the Meuse design'd to beat the Enemies from the Cover'd way and Retrenchment between the Casotte and the Meuse which reaches to the Brow of the Hill which has here a very steep descent to the River overcame the Enemies Resistance and made a very good Lodgment all along this Cover'd-way and Retrenchment of about 300 Paces which he extended to the Left turning in towards the Cohorne about 140 Paces more to join it to that of Major-General la Cave which reached to the Ravelin of the Cohorne The Dutch and Bavarians commanded at first by Major-General Rivera carry'd it to the Angle saillant or inferior Point of the Cohorne towards the Sambre and our rally'd Forces continu'd it to the other side of this Angle before the Breach so that we were now Masters of one of the greatest Lodgments that ever have been made in one Assault being near an English Mile in length Tho' we miscarried in the great Design of this general Storm which was to have taken the Castle with all its prodigious Outworks by assault for want of a due Correspondence among our several Attacks either by the Failure or Mistake of the Signals Such a vast Lodgment could not be done in a moment the Assault lasted till the Evening nor could it be gain'd without Loss I have not seen the particular List of the Foreigners but the chief Officers amongst them kill'd were Count Rivera Major-General of the Bavarians and Envoy Extraordinary from the Elector of Bavaria to condole His Majesty upon the Death of our late most Gracious Queen Monsieur de Marsilly Colonel commanding the Regiment du Thei l and Fabrice Lieutenant-Colonel Colonel Lindrcot of the Brandenbourghers and Heckeren of the Dutch Their chief Officers wounded were the Prince of Holstein Norbourg Brigadier the Colonels Lindsburg Caunits Horne d'Ohna and Denhoff and Monsieur de Milune Colonel of a Swisse Regiment besides a great many Lieutenant-Colonels Majors Captains and subaltern Officers As for our Loss it was as follows My Lord Cutts was wounded in the Head who commanded our Attack Colonel Eppingen of the Danes who commanded our Detachment of Grenadeers wounded In the first Battalion of he first Regiment of English Guards Lieutenant-Colonel Evans who commanded the Grenadeers of the Brigade wounded he had been wounded before in the Assault July 8. In the second Battalion Captain Mitchel kill'd ' in the Dutch Guards Captain Cock wounded in the Scots Guards Captain Campbel wounded in the Royal Regiment Lieutenant William Hamilton kill'd Lieutenant Archibald Hamilton wounded he had been wounded before in the Third Assault before the Town July â—3 In Selwyn's Regiment Lieutenant Gilpin wounded Lieutenant Richards wounded among the Engineers in Trelauney