Bag and Baggage to Newport consisting of five Battalions As I remember they were Count Horne's own Battalion Noyâ—lle's Sâ—heltinga Wey and Marquet Dixmuyde which was now hardly tenable by the Neighbourhood of the French on both sides at the Knocke and at Furnes was abandon'd by the Dutch Commandant in the absence of Count Horne who had both Governments The Garison of this Place consisted of Siâ— Battalions of which Colonel Lâ—â—der's was one which Regiment afterwards went to Garison in Ostend The French continu'd very quiet in their Quarters the remaining part of the Winter and tho' 't was expected they wou'd be very busie in the beginning of the Spring yet it pass'd without any undertaking till both Armies took the Field We did at least expect that the French would Form the Siege of Charleroy very early and before the beginning of the Campagne to pull this Thorn out of their Foot which Place did most Incommode them whilst their Armies were in the Field by the frequent Attacks it made upon their Convoys and very often successful So that for this particular Consideration we may conclude this Siege wou'd have been more for their Advantage if it had been the Prelude of a Campagne Doubtless the reason why it was not Attack'd in the Spring must be because of the great Rains we had then which hinder'd their Troops from so early taking the Field but why they did let it alone at the beginning of this Campagne and why they did let it remain in our Hands to plague their Convoys when the French King came to Head his two numerous Armies no other reason can be given but that the French King had greater Designs in undertaking this Journey than the reduction of the weak Garison of Huy or the taking of Charleroy As the French King's Designs upon this Country were very great for this Campagne and far greater than the Success he has had in it So our Indefatigable Monarch has been no less Active and Vigilant to thwart and oppose them To this end His Majesty came over from England the latter end of March to the Hague to conferr before the beginning of the Campagne with the Plenipotentiaries of the Allies and to settle with them the most effectual Methods for opposing the French Power that the Forces the Allies had then on foot cou'd afford whose Number is far from being so great as we cou'd wish it for the Benefit of the Common Cause Afterwards his Majesty went to Loo to take the usual Divertisement of the Season but still ready to take the Field upon the first opportunity of the Weather or as soon as the French began to make their Motions in order to take the Field The French made very great Preparations this Campagne to attack the Remnant of Flanders with all Vigour and greater than they had made hitherto during this War His most Christian Majesty prepared two Powerful Armies to invade this Country which besides himself in Person and the Dauphin were to be commanded by four Mareschals of France viz. Luxembourg Boufflers Joyeuse and Villeroy The first of these two Armies had its Rendezvous at Givry between Mons and Binch under the Command of the Mareschal Duc de Luxembourg with the Mareschals of Joyeuse and Villeroy The second commanded by the Mareschal de Boufflers had its first Campment between Antoing and Mount Trinité within a Mile of Tournay At the same time the Confederate Army began to rendezvous in several Bodies the most considerable at Degham between Brussels and Louvain and within half a Mile of Vilvorde which place with the Canal of Brussels remain'd in our Rear On the 12th of May the King who had left Loo to come to Breda arriv'd at the Camp where his Majesty was met by the Elector of Bavaria who conducted him to Brussels where they held a Conference with Prince Vaudemont and Chief Officers about the present State of Affairs and some days after Prince Vaudemont who is very much troubled with the Gout left his Command in Flanders by the King of Spain's leave to go to the Bathes in Italy where the Physicians gave him hopes of a better Health And his Majesty took his Quarters near Degham in a Castle belonging to the Prince of Tassis Master-General of the Post-Office at Brussels At the same time that part of our Army rendezvous'd at Degham another Body gather'd together near Ghendt under the Command of the Duke of Wirtemberg and Lieutenant-General Talmash consisting chiefly of the Garisons of Ghendt Bruges and Ostend where they were very well posted to observe the Mareschal de Boufflers in case he would have attempted any thing in Flanders My Lord of Athlone commanded likewise a Body of Horse between Tongres and Maestricht drawn out of our Garisons upon the Meuse As for the Infantry they remain'd in Quarters for the Conservation of our Towns upon that River and such a Body was left in Liege for the Guard of that place that the French tho' they were so big with their Expectations upon this City yet they have not thought it convenient to insult it Lieutenant-General Tettau was left to Command in Maestricht with a considerable Garison such was the Care that was taken for the Safety of our Towns upon the Meuse Most of our English Infantry encamp'd near Ghendt except what quarter'd at Mecklen and the two Battalions of the Royal Regiment Sellwyn's and Stanley's which joyn'd the Army at Degham The French May. who had rendezvous'd in two several Bodies began to move and Boufflers who commanded the Second march'd the 20th from the Neighbourhood of Tournay to Leuze the 22d to Cambron the 23d to Oboure The French King who had left Versailles the 5th to come in Person to Command his Armies in Flanders arriv'd at Quesnoy the 15th where he was stopp'd some few days by reason of an Indisposition for which he was twice let Blood but upon his recovery he joyn'd the Mareschal de Boufflers the same day at Oboure and the same day saw the Army march before him The next he review'd those Troops which the Mareschal had there under his Command Upon this Motion of the Mareschal de Boufflers from the Scheld towards Mons to joyn the Army commanded by the Mareschal de Luxembourg the Army near Ghendt under the Command of the Duke of Wirtemberg and Lieutenant-General Talmash had Orders to march to come and joyn our main Body which continu'd encamp'd at Degham and accordingly they came the 20th to Dendermond and after they had march'd the 22d to Stanhoff and the 23d to Hamme on the 25th they pass'd the Canal of Brussels at Vilvorde and encamp'd in a separate Body between it and our main Army The same day the French King had made a review of his Army under the Command of Boufflers Luxembourg decamp'd with his Army from Givry and continu'd his march towards Nivelle and encamp'd at Falay the day following and the French King who now headed Boufflers's Army
came the 26th and encamp'd at Herlaymont-Capelle upon the River of Pieton between Mons and Charleroy and within two or three Leagues of the latter 'T was now expected that the French King would not suffer this Garison to molest any more the Convoys that came to his Army and that he would set down before it but he had greater Designs in his Head than the reduction of this small Place and so march'd on to Gemblours where both his Armies joyn'd and made a formidable Body of 119700 Men both Horse and Foot computing as 't is always done the first opening of a Campagne every Battalion to consist of 600 effective Men one with another and every Squadron of 150 Maîtres one with another Boufflers had in his Army 52 Battalions 117 Squadrons Luxembourg 78 Battalions 161 Squadrons Total of Battalions 130 which makes 78000 Foot Total of Squadrons 278 which makes 41700 Horse Total of Horse and Foot 119700 Men which made more than double the Number of our Army So that if it had not been for the special Care of His Majesty and the Elector of Bavaria the disproportion between our Forces and the Enemies was so great that the French King cou'd think of nothing less than the forcing the Bishop of Liege to a Neutrality the making himself Master of Brabant and the overthrow of the Allies There have been a great many Lists of this numerous Army printed both in England and Holland according to the Original published at Paris nevertheless because a particular List may very much contribute to the understanding of the following Account especially that of the Battel at Landen 't will not be amiss to insert it here where it has its most proper place Note That those Regiments that are mark'd with an Asterism * are those which were detach'd afterwards towards the Rhine with the Mareschal de Boufflers under the Command of the Dauphin The Mareschal de Luxembourg's Army Right Wing of Horse Mareschal de Villeroy First Line General Officers under him Lieutenant General Fenquiers Rohan Mareschal de Camp i. e. Major General Duc de Roquelaure Second Line General Officers under him Lieutenant General Vatteville Mareschal de Camp Duc de Monmorency Brigades Regim Squad Grammont Dragoons Colonel General 4 De Grammont 4 Roussy Gensd'armes * 8 Dalon Cavalry Du Roy 4 Bourgogne 4 Bourbon 4 Villeroy 4 Chalons 4 St. Simon Cavalry Gournay 2 St. Simon 2 Orleans 4 Cravattes du Roy 4   Total 48 Brig Regim Squad Massot Dragoons Massot 4 Lomaria 4 Rotembourg Cavalry Lavaliere 4 Rotembourg 3 Fienne 4 Levi 4 Presle Cavalry Nassau 4 Presle 4   Total 31 Body of FOOT Mareschal de LUXEMBOURG First Line Lieutenant Generals The Prince of Conti The Duke of Berwick Mareschal de Camp The Count de Mailly Second Line Lieutenant General Rubantel Mareschals de Camp Count de Solre Sarsfield Lord Lucan Brig Regim Batt Navarre Navarre 3 Humieres 2 Lyonnois Lyonnois 2 Maulevrier 2 Bourbonnois Bourbonnois 2 Provence 2 Crussol Crussol 1 Greder Allemand 2 Lauzonois 1 Guiche Guiche 2 Royal Ital. 1 Beavoisois 1 Thià nge La Couronne * 2 Thià nge 2 Rousillon Rousillon 2 Vermandois 2 Haynaut 1 Orleans Orleans 2 La Saure 1 Foix 1 Piemont Chartres 1 Piemont 3   Total 38 Brig Regim Batt Anjou Anjou 2 Royal Danes 2 Nice Nice 1 Pugey 1 Perigueux 1 Moulin 1 Artois Artois 1 Solre 1 Berry 1 Blaisois 1 Montenay 1 Harbauville La Marche 1 Charoloys * 1 Harbauville 1 K. Jam. Guar. 2 Reynauld Suisse Reynauld 4 Scheilberg 2 Salis Suisse Greder 4 Salis 4 La Châtre Limoge 1 Launois 1 La Marche 1 La Châtre 2   Total 37 Left Wing of HORSE Mareschal de Joyeuse First Line Lieutenant Generals The Duke of Bourbon Marquiss de la Vallette Mareschals de Camp Conte de Marsin The Duke d' Elbeouf Second Line Lieutenant General Ximenes Mareschal de Camp Pracontal Brigades Regim Squad Montfort Curassiers 4 Roussilon 4 Chartres 2 Furstemberg 2  Carabiniers 8 Phelipeaux Celainvillier 2 Pralin 2 Dauph Strang. 4 Mestre de Camp-General 4 Precontal Drag Bretoncelle 4 Fimarton 4   Total 40 Brig Regim Squad Rassaut Rassant 4 Pracontal 4 Manderscheid 4 La Bessiere La Bessiere 4 Chatillon 4 Montreüil Drag Dignon 4 Count Tesse 4 Montreüil 4   Total 32 Reserve  Dragoons Squadr Bellegarde 4 Asfeld 4 St. Fremond 4 St. Hermine 4  Total 16 Battal * Royal Artillery 3 One Battallion with the Dauphin A List of the Mareschal de Boufler's ARMY Right Wing of HORSE First Line Lieutenant General Duc de Maine Mareschals de Camp Lanion Lignery Second Line Lieutenant General Tallard Mareschal de Camp Vaudeville Brig Regim Squad Cailus Drag Regim Royal 4 Cailus 4 Chantreau 4 Reneville Granadiers 1 Life-Guards * 12 Gensdarmes 2 Chevaux legers 2 Blainville Carabiniers * 5   Total 34 Brig Regim Squad Blanchefort Anjou 2 Bouflers * 4 Bezons 4 Courtehonne Clermont 4 Glisy 4 Courtebonne * 4   Total 22 Note That there were Three Squadrons of the Life-Guards and Two of the Carabiniers onely detach'd with the Dauphin Body of FOOT The Mareschal de Boufler's First Line Lieutenant General Count de Montchevreüil Mareschal de Camp Marquis de Crequi Second Line Lieutenant General Monsieur de Gasse Mareschal de Camp Baron de Bressy Brig Regim Batt Champagne Champagne * 3 Boufler's * 2 Cadricus Dauphin * 3 Poulouse 2 Guards French Guards 6 Suisse Guards 4 Chavaux La Reine * 3 Perigord * 1 Du Roy ou Turville Le Roy 4   Total 28 Brig Regim Battal Cavois Poitou 2 Cavois 1 Dantin Languedoc * 2 Montroüy 1 Fontenay * 1 Zurbeck Suisse Stouppe 4 Zurbeck 4 Surlaube Surlaube 2 Lignery * 1 Sauterre 1 Theroy Du Pas 1 Theroy 1 Du Maine * 2   Total 23 Left Wing of HORSE First Line Lieutenant-General Maurevers Mareschal de Camp La Motte Second Line Lieutenant-General Busca Mareschal de Camp Nassaw Brig Reg. Squad Bole. Royal Allemand 3 Berry 2 Condé 2 Roguespine 4 Villequier 2 Conat Rohan 2 Aubusson 2 Conat 3 Du Maine * 2 Commis Gen. 4 D'Asfeld D'Asfeld 4 Drag Dauphin 4   Total 34 Brig Reg. Squad Immecourt Langallerie * 4 Immecourt 4 Courcelle * 2 Rozel Valay 4 Melac * 4 Rozel * 4   Total 22  Reserve Squad * 1. Musqueteers 2 2. Musqueteers 4   6 Bombardiers 1 Battalion Note That of the Reserve of the Grand Musqueteers three Squadrons were detach'd with the Dauphin I have in this List given the Names to many of the Brigades not as they are in the printed List of the Army but as we find them in the Relation of the Battel of Landen printed at Paris to make it more Intelligible and tho' the Dauphin's Detachment did no doubt very much alter the Disposition of the several Brigades in the French King's Army from what 't was at first when this List was published
that was to Winter from the Scheld to the Sea came near Courtray to Fortifie that Town which they have a mind to put in a Condition to hold a formal Siege They made another Detachment towards Dixmuyde to Fortifie that Place for a Winter Quarter and are since separated in their several Quarters all along as near our Frontier as possibly they can in order not to be idle this Winter if the Weather proves kind and favourable and they will be so much the more pressing and urgent to undertake something that they know the Allies are all resolved to make new Levies this Winter to be in a better Condition the next Campagne to resist the French Greatness than they have yet been during this War Both the Mareschals of Luxembourg and Villeroy are gone to the French Court to concert Matters for some undertaking and the Mareschal de Boufflers remains to Command in Flanders And now that Bouffler's Detachment of 12 Battalions from the Rhine is Quarter'd in the Pays de Luxembourg that besides they have now in Flanders the Troops that Guarded the Coasts of Normandy and Britanny 't is not doubted but that they will be able to do us some considerable Damage this Winter unless the Allies are very quick both in the recruiting and augmenting the Forces they have here 'T is wholly their Interest and by what hath hitherto appear'd in this War 't is reasonable to think that it would not be done in vain since the advantage that the French have hitherto had in this War has not proceeded so much from their Bravery as from their Numbers for in all the Rencounters which the Allies have had with them this War it has plainly appear'd that they do owe their Success meerly to the prodigious greatness of their Armies Therefore if it be true that all the Allies put together have more Men and Money than the French King I am of opinion they must attribute the ill Success of this War to nothing else but their unseasonable Parcimony which has rather serv'd to augment the French King's Power than answer'd in the least the design'd ends of the present League So long as we do all ease our Shoulders of the Burden 't is reasonable nay 't is necessary the French should have Success Their efforts are vigorous and ours are faint and languishing We make the War as cheap as possibly we can and that onely serves to make it last the longer and the Charges must be the same at long-run but they are far from being so much to our advantage as when our efforts are great tho' for the present more burdensome The Allies had as good fling their Money into the Sea as think to continue the War with Forces so unequal to those of our Enemy's for whilst they continue on this Foot we onely ruine and weaken our selves to no other purpose than to increase the French Power Whatever success the Enemies have had hitherto yet still the Iron is hot for the Allies to strike if they will but go to the expence of augmenting their Forces The French has made very great efforts this War and his Treasures are not inexhaustible It appears rather by the uncertain value of Coin which is hardly the same two Months together in France that he is reduc'd to very great shifts to replenish his Coffers which were so exhausted the latter part of this Campagne that Money was very scarce in his Armies and Garisons The Colonels had only Bills assign'd them for the payment of their Troops upon which they were to get ready Money as well as they could In their Garisons the Officers were generally so poor that they gave Notes under their hands for want of Money to pay for their Subsistance I have heard of one of our Soldiers that was two Months in their Service after they had made him a Prisoner and deserted over to us again that for the time he was amongst them he received no more than one French Half-Crown of pay All this that I say I have from Gentlemen that have been among them and whom I ought to believe else I should take care not to publish this Besides there reigns a very great Famine and scarceness of Corn all over France and in their Conquests their daily Edicts are authentick proofs of it tho' in the Preface of those Edicts they endeavour'd to throw dust in the Peoples Eyes but words do not feed hungry Bellies And we hear daily in this place what misery the People suffer at Lisle and in other parts of the French Conquests 'T is true this helps the French King to make his Recruits and to encrease his Forces since his Subjects must either be Soldiers or starve but still I dare say that the French King does not love to see his Kingdom in so universal a Desolation when those who are Soldiers rather than Starve leave the Plough and thus only augment the Famine and the publick Calamity In short I may safely affirm that we are all weary of this War the French King as well as the Allies and therefore what the Allies have to do is to raise such an Army for the next Campagne as may put them in a condition to treat of a Peace upon advantageous terms and not be forced to accept of such an one as will only put the French King after a little breathing and that he has replenished his Stores into a better capacity to enslave Christendom which Peace is worse than the worst of Wars And the Allies have this to encourage their vigorous Prosecution of this War I speak particularly as to England and Holland that they have a King who does yet venture his precious Life for the advantage of the common Cause more freely than they can venture their Purses Let the King 's greatest Enemies consider but impartially His Majesty's Conduct and Circumstances and they must be convinc'd that what the King does is not out of any Interest of his own but in an uprightness and sincerity of Conscience to do good to Europe in general and to us his Subjects in particular God has not blest His Majesty and us with an Heir therefore he does not seek the aggrandizing of a Family What then can be the reason that the King does so freely and so often expose his Sacred Person to the greatest Dangers but only a publick Christian King-like Spirit of doing good to his Allies and to his People and to procure a firm and lasting establishment of Christ's true Religion in its ancient and primitive Purity in his Kingdoms and in the Dominions of his other Protestant Allies And since we have follow'd His Majesty in this History from the Field which he left on the 15th to Loo where he arriv'd on the 17th we ought to see him safe in England among his good People before we finish the account of this Campagne The King remain'd at Loo to divert himself after the Fatigues of the Field in Hunting till the 1st of Octob. that he arriv'd at the Hague where His Majesty spent some time in Conferences with the States General and Council of State who have consented to a new Levy of 15000 Men besides the 4000 Suissers rais'd last Summer and to augment proportionably their Maritime Forces The Plenipotentiaries of the other Allies at the Hague have consented to the same Resolution according to their different proportions The King was now hastening over to meet his Parliament in England but he was detain'd by Storms and contrary Winds till the 28th that His Majesty sail'd from Oranie Polder and arriv'd safely the day following about three in the Afternoon at Harwich and so went on to London to the great joy and satisfaction of his good People to see His Majesty safe amongst them after all the great Dangers to which he had expos'd his Person this Campagne The Repartition of the English and Scots Infantry's Quarters for this Winter GHENDT The three Battalions of English Guards the Regiments of Selwyn and Fuziliers BRVGES Scots Guards Royal Regiment Bathe Tidcomb Castleton Graham Offerrel Mackay and Leven MALINES Dutch Guards Churchil Trelawney and Earl DENDER MOND Collingwood and Stanley OSTEND Lauder Ferguson Argyle All the English Horse are Quarter'd at GHENDT except the Life Guards that have their Quarters at BREDA FINIS Errors of the Press PAg. 29. line 1. for Swiming r. Swimming p. 44. l. 14. for and so came the Palisado's r. and came to the Palisado's p. 44. l. 30. for Obscure r. Observe p. 56. l. 21. dele from p. 115. l. 24. for Village r. Siege p. 118. l. 19. for into r. in
Attacks which is very finely and very exactly done I must add concerning the Siege of Charleroy that most of what I say is the News and Advice we had in our Camp The French have not yet publish'd a Journal of it What I say likewise of the Baron de Renesse the Commandant of Huy's having been suspended by a Council of War from his Imployments 't is the News that have been published about him They may be true or they may be false for any thing I know I have also omitted the Regiment of Saxe Gotha of Horse which the Reader will be pleas'd to insert in the List of the Reserve under my Lord of Athlone And thus I present to the Reader my History of the Last Campagne writ I dare say impartially as to Matters of Fact As for the rest the Reflections upon and Conclusions from these several Matters are such that the Reader is left to judge whether they are just or no. And this is the only thing in which I can be tax'd of Partiality which so far I am sure is no Crime I do only express my Zeal and Affection for the Cause in which I am engag'd and I should be very sorry to have writ this Account so as to leave the Reader in suspence whether I am for French Slavery or English Liberty I design if God grants me Life and Health to give another Relation of the next Campagne And I heartily pray God that the Allies may be so earnest and zealous in their Work that it may be the Last but above all that we may every one of us both Allies and Enemies so endeavour to amend our Lives and appease the Wrath of God kindled against us that he may have pity upon the present Distractions of Christendome and restoke among us all the blessings of Peace Bruges Novemb. 13 23. 1693. The Reader is desir'd to observe That I go in this Relation by the old or Julian Account us'd in England ADVERTISEMENTS THere is now in the Press and will be speedily Published An Account of the Isle of JERSEY the greatest of those Islands that are now the only Remainder of the English Dominions in France By Philip Falle M. A. Rector of St. Saviour and late Deputy from the States of the said Island to Their Majesties 8 vo Lately Publish'd A Letter to Dâ— South upon occasion of a late Book Entituled Animadversions upon Dr. Sherlock ' s Bock in Vindication of the Trinity A Discourse of Natural and Reveal'd Religion in several Essays By Mr. Tim. Nourse Next Term will be Publish'd The Anatomy of the Earth Dedicated to all Gentlemen Miners By Tho. Robinson Rector of 〈◊〉 in Cumberland All Printed for John Newton at the Three-Pigeons over-against the Inner-Temple-Gate in Fleetstreet THE HISTORY OF THE Last CAMPAGNE IN THE Spanish Netherlands Anno Dom. 1693. MY Relation of the other Campagne for the Year 1692 finish'd with the Fortification of Furnes and Dixmuyde both which Places we possess'd our selves of by a Detachment from the Army at Granimen under the Command of Lieutenant General Talmash which afterwards join'd the Duke of Leinster with Fifteen Battalions of the Transport Troops under his Command that had Landed at Ostend and with the Marquis de â—â—â—fflers's and the Count de Montal's joint but fruitless Attempts upon Charlerâ—y which they abandon'd after they had Bombarded the Lower Town situated on the other side of the Sambre for two days together after which both Armies separated and went into Winter-Quarters But before we enter upon an Account of the Operations of the Last Campagne 't will not I believe be amiss to say something of what happen'd in Flanders during the last Winter-Quarters which may serve for a Connexion between the History of the Last and This Campagne The French who seldom miss an opportunity of doing something when it offers it self endeavour'd the last Winter to make some Profit of those Advantages which the taking of Namur had given them in the Prince and Bishop of Liege's Territories for which end they gather'd together a Body of Men to Besiege Huy situated on the Maes between Namur and Liege and actually Invested the Place the 16 26 of December last and they went on so far in this Design as to make themselves Masters of that part of the Town which lies on this side of the River but the Forces of the Allies Quarter'd upon and about the Maes made such diligence to gather themselves together to make a Head against the Enemy that they were oblig'd to raise the Siege and to quit their Undertaking The French Sycophants who wou'd not have their Invincible Monarch miscarry in any thing that he undertakes to palliate this ill Success made it afterwards pass only for a Feint to amuse the Allies and to make their Designs upon Furnes more successful But if a Man will consider of what Importance Huy was to the French who are so desirous to perswade or to force the Bishop of Liege to a Neutrality that they may have the Passage free to Attack the States General in their own Dominions and to make themselves Masters of Maestricht their most considerable Garison I say if we consider this we must rather think that the Feint if any where was at Furnes particularly since the Taking of this Place was not follow'd with the Siege of Newport However whether it was a Feint or no Count Horne took it for Earnest This Place was Invested by the Marquis de Boufflers December â—9 19 who Encamp'd in the Downs between it Newport and the Sea side The Weather was then so extraordinary bad that 't is the common belief there was no necessity of Surrendring the Place at that Time for tho' the Body of the Place was not the best Fortified having but two weak and small Bastions towards the Downs or Sand-Hills that their Angle flank'd was too sharp and the Flanks but small and an over-long Courtin between them yet this defect was at that time supplied by a very good Fossé well supplied with Water The Ravelins and Half-Moons which cover'd the body of the Place were much better than the Bastions and more Capacious the Counterscarp and Cover'd-way good and well Pallisado'd The Weather was so extraordinary bad at this time that our Forces which went out of the Garisons of Ghent Bruges and Ostend for its Relief could hardly March the Ways were so deep and bad that several Soldiers went almost to the middle in Dirt and several Horses remain'd stuck in it and 't is very probable that a League or two difference cou'd not make such a change in the constitution of the Weather as to make it more favourable for the Enemy than it was for us However the Marquiss de Boufflers notwithstanding the badness of the Weather made a shift to open the Trenches on New-Years-Day New-Stile The third in the Evening he fir'd some Cannon against the Place and the next Morning Count Horne Capitulated and the Garison march'd out with
Wirtemberg to prevent the Disorders which Soldiers might commit put out a Proclamation forbidding all Soldiers to rob plunder or spoil any of the Inhabitants upon pain of death nor to set any House or Church on fire upon pain of being burnt alive But at the same time he took care that the Country shou'd bring in gratis Refreshments to the Soldiers as Cows Sheep and Corn-Brandy and they had this in such plenty that every Company in each respective Battalion had generally two Cows a Week and the Officers upon each Company a couple of Sheep And so Prince Wirtemberg remain'd some days encamp'd at D'Otignies as well to refresh his Soldiers who most of them had now march'd eight days together as to settle the Contributions with the Inhabitants of the Chattellenie of Courtray And here we shall leave him for some time to speak of what the two Armies were doing towards the Meuse We had left the Enemy encamp'd at Heylissem the 28th of the last Month which Camp they afterwards left to come nearer to the Meuse and encamp'd at Borchworm or Warem a Town belonging to the Bishop of Liege situated upon the River Jaar or Jecker which has its rising near the Mehaigne within three Leagues of Huy and so runs the same course as the Meuse by Warem Lootz Tongres and at last falls into the Meuse at Maestricht Count Cerclaes of Tilly General of the Liege Troops was at the same time with a Body of five Regiments of Horse and three of Dragoons encamp'd near Tongres with a design to joyn our Army to reinforce it of which the Mareschal de Luxembourg was advertiz'd by the Marquis de Nesle whom he had sent upon Party to get Intelligence Luxembourg thought 't was necessary to hinder this Reinforcement from joyning our Army and therefore resolv'd to attack it To compass this design orders were given for eight Squadrons of the King's Guards two of the Gens d Armes and of the Light Horse the Regiment of Horse Granadiers and three of Horse to march between six and seven at Night as secretly as possible to come and joyn him some distance from thence where he expected them besides other Troops both Horse and Foot as many as wou'd make a Body of 10000 Men. The Foot march'd on streight before because they did not know very well whether Tilly had any Foot with him or no and about an hour before Night Luxembourg march'd at the Head of the Horse upon two Columnes he at the Head of the one and the Mareschal de Villeroy at the Head of the other They march'd as fast as they cou'd without breaking Order all the Night till about three in the Morning at which time they were come within two English Miles of the place where they expected to find the Count de Tilly when they mended their pace to possess themselves of a heighth from whence they could discover Count Tilly upon the March who had been advertiz'd about Midnight of the Enemies design Upon which he gave orders for the Baggage to load immediately and to march off but yet they had not so much time but that a great deal of it fell into the hands of the French Luxembourg perceiving that Count Tilly had been a little too quick for him order'd some of his best mounted Horse to file off and to ride as fast as they cou'd to overtake him whilst the rest of the Horse should follow them the great Trot. The Princes of the Blood who were at the head of them came pretty near Tilly's Horse after they had pass'd several hollow ways but when they expected to fall upon them they found just between them and Tilly's Flank a very deep and hollow way where 't was impossible for their Squadrons to pass Only about 100 of them found a way to harrass them upon their Flank but Tilly's Horse which there made up the Rear consisting of six or seven Squadrons being very much press'd by the narrowness of the Ground and besides having express Orders not to engage only skirmish'd with them retreating whilst Telly's main Body rid on to get a Village where to repass the Jecker In the mean while the Princes were looking for a convenient place where they might Charge these Squadrons upon the Flank but when they came to it they found but few of Tilly's Squadrons that made the Rear the rest retreating as fast as they could The French pursu'd these very briskly within two hours of Maestricht where Count Tilly was forc'd to retire after he had understood that the Ways to Liege were possess'd by the Enemy We had on Count Tilly's side one Colonel Lieutenant-Colonel Major and two Lieutenants made Prisoners and the best part of the Baggage taken On the French side Monsieur Sanguinet Exempt of the Life-Guards was kill'd and the Duke of Montfort Son to the Duke of Chevreuse wounded the Marquis of Thiange wounded and about 50 of the Life Guards and Carabiniers kill'd or wounded Immediately after this Success the Mareschal de Luxembourg resolved to Besiege Huy which place he caus'd to be Invested the 9th This Town is situated upon the Meuse between Liege and Namur the best part of it on the other side of the Meuse towards the Condros for so that part of the Principality of Liege is called which lies on the other side of the Meuse between Liege Huy and Dinant the other on this side of the River to which 't is joyn'd by a Bridge but at the best but a Dirty poor Town The Castle is on the Condros-side of the Meuse seated in the midst of the Town upon a steep Hill and a solid Rock The Castle is small and commanded by adjoyning Hills At the foot of the Hill whereon the Castle is seated stands the chief Church of the Town This Place in the last Wars after the then Archbishop of Cologne and Bishop of Liege had left the French Party to enter into the League was Besieg'd and Taken by the Mareschal de Rochefort in the Year 1675. This Town before the taking of Namur was only Inviron'd with a weak Stone Wall as we have in our ancient Towns in England but since they have made several Half-Moons and Retrenchments about it to make the place more Defensible The Baron de Renesse Brigadier of the Bishop of Liege's Forces Commanded in it with a Garison of near 2000 Men. Upon the approach of the Enemy they abandon'd that part of the Town situated on this side of the River and broke down the Bridge upon the Meuse that joyn'd it to the other The Commandant had promis'd to make as good defence as the situation of the Castle which is upon the Rock cou'd afford for tho' 't is commanded yet it is of so difficult Access that 't was almost impossible to Assault it after the Breach had been made by the Enemies Cannon so that we expected 7 or 8 days resistance from it but the Commandant did not think fit to stay so long to