and Soldiers to do their Duty The Prince of Croy stood in the middle near the Curtin where he was wounded Night parting the Combat they finished their Lodgments with two Lines of Communication of the Approaches to the Roundels possessed and they put the Miners to Work at the Wall or Entrenchment within where the Turks fortified themselves We cannot sufficiently applaud the martial Valour of the Generals Officers and Soldiers that were in this piece of Service who were almost all wounded in sight of the Duke of Lorraine whose Adjutant General the Steur d' Artein was slain as he was carrying Orders The number of the Slain was not very great but that of the wounded extraordinary among whom were the Prince of Croy the Prince of Commercy General Diependale General Thungen the Baron of Asti who notwitstanding he was wounded but two days before would needs signalize himself in this Action where he received a second wound the Serjeant-Major of Sâ—arenbergh two Captains of the same Regiment the Baron of Redere Lieutenant Colonel of the Regiment of Newburgh Serjeant Major Pini Count Schlick Baron Gera and several other Captains Lieutenants and other inferior Officers On the Brandenburghers side Count Donaw Colonel of Foot was Slain as also the Sieur Marwitz Serjeant-major and the Prince of Curland grievously wounded with several others In the Bavarian Attack the Elector had ordered the Onset in this manner The Palisado's upon the Breach-being burnt the day before by forty selected Soldiers his Electoral Highness commanded a Lieutenant with twenty Fuseleers a Serjeant with six Volunteers and ten Granadeers a Corporal with six Carpenters to cut the Pallisado's A hundred Musqueteers under a Captain and two Lieutenants had Orders to Post themselves at the Enemies Pallisado's and to Fire continually the better to secure the Workmen to make a Lodgment upon the Roundel among which there were twenty five with Shovels and Pickaxes and seventy five with Hatchets under a Captain all which were guarded by a Leiutenant-Collonel a Serjeant-Major and a Captain with fifty men arm'd with half-Half-pikes Halberds and Partisans a Lieutenant with thirty Granadeers and two hundred Musqueteers under two Captains and two Lieutenants This Order being observed as well upon the right Hand as upon the left the two adjoyning Redoubts were finished with thirty Arquebusiers each and three Battalions of Imperialists Bavarians and Saxons were to second the Assailants The Cannoneers and Bombardeers had order to Fire from all the Batteries and to throw Bombs and Carcasses without intermission into the Castle and between the two first Walls towards the Water-side All things thus ordered they advanced through the Overtures toward the Breach tho very high and difficult to ascend on the right and left Hand of the Roundel as also of the Curtin and with that Fury that they made themselves masters of the Post and drave away the Enemy notwithstanding their continual firing their Muskets and a showre of Stones which they threw from the Windows of the Castle They also made themselves masters of the Swinger which is a great space of Ground in form of a Retreating Place between the Wall and the Houses But this place being commanded by the higher Walls from which the Enemy did much endamage our men with their Granadoes Stones and Bombs his Electoral Highness caused those that had the possession of it to retire thinking it sufficient to secure their Lodgments upon the Roundel and the Wall of the Castle with a Line of Communication from the Gate of the Bridge to the Swinger-Gate to the end they might have the Bridge in their own power to which purpose they also raised transverse Lines and two Redoubts His Electoral Highness shewed himself all the while on the first Posts encouraging his men with his presence All the Generals signalized their Courage by striving to outvie one another as did also the Officers Volunteers and Soldiers who fought with all the bravery that could be expected from men of Courage The Turks who defended the Castle and Swinger were for the most part kill'd and wounded only some few that saved themselves by flight There were found eight pieces of Cannon and two Mortar Pieces which were made use of to batter the second Wall or the Enemies Parapet within the City In this Assault of the Bavurians were killed two Lieutenants of the Regiment of Baden and five Captains one Lieutenant and three Ensigns wounded Of the Regiment of Beck the Baron of Welsbergh Lieutenant Collonel five Captains three Lieutenants and five Ensigns wounded Of the Regiment of Aspremont the Collonel Lieutenant Collonel Count Nicholas Palfi Serjeant Major Count Zacco seven Captains five Lieutenants and two Ensigns wounded and one Ensign killed Of the Regiment of Furstenbergh one Captain one Lieutenant and one Ensign wounded In the Elector's Regiment of Guards one Captain killed the Serjeant-Major one Captain and three Lieutenants wounded In the Regiment of Steinau the Serjeant-Major and one Lieutenant slain one Captain two Lieutenants and one Ensign wounded In the Regiment of Rummel one Captain and one Lieutenant killed three Captains and one Ensign wounded In the Regiment of Seibolstorfe the Serjeant Major slain one Captain and two Lieutenants wounded In the Regiment of Gallenfels the Lieutenant Collonel killed two Captains and one Lieutenant wounded The Generals La Vergne Rummel and Asprement are in the number of the wounded as also the Duke of Escalona a Grandee of Spain and some other Volunteers of note In all what with Officers what with common Soldiers One hundred and seventeen killed and Nine hundred seventy two wounded In the Saxon Regiments there was one Lieutenant Collonel and some Inferiour Officers killed one Lieutenant Collonel two Serjeant-Majors two Captains one Captain Lieutenant three Ensigns two Serjeants and two Corporals wounded which together with the common Soldiers made up seventy slain and One hundred ninety nine wounded So that the number of the slain and wounded in all the three Attacks during this vigorous onset somewhat exceeds three thousand The 28. There was nothing done in all the three Attacks their time being spent in burying the dead and securing their Lodgments upon the breaches The Duke of Lorrain also caused three Mines to be opened under the second Wall in three several parts which was also done in the Bavarian and Brandenburghers Attack The 29. About seven in the morning three Mines were sprung under the second Wall with such success that they made a notable breach in it and filled up one part of the Trench The Bavarians also advanced on the right hand of the Roundel and made themselves Masters of two Mortar Pieces which they turn'd upon the besieged The same day the great Cannon were planted nearer to the Town with a resolution to batter the inside of the City with a hundred Pieces of Cannon and forty Mortar Pieces if the Turks persisted in their Obstinacy who nevertheless went on with their Ditches and Intrenchments behind the Wall with great
the right hand The Skirmish continued some time and the Turks retreated several times then made Head again filling the Air with their barbarous Cries The Heydukes after the first discharge encountred the Turks but gave ground and caus'd some confusion among ours that advanc'd upon the left of the other Mosque whence the besieged fired with their Cannon yet without doing any considerable damage so that the Enemy seeing they could gain nothing but blows retired into the City Count Starenburgh signalized himself in this Action giving all necessary Orders to our men but his Adjutant had both his Legs carried away by a Cannon shot The Battalions of Souches and Mansfield were but coursely handled of whom many were slain The Baron d' Asti was wounded in the Foot the Baron of Hobenwarth slain and some inferiour Officers were likewise kill'd and wounded witâ—â—â—out an hundred common Soldiers But the loss of the Turâ—â— was much more considerable as we understood by a German boy who made his escape out of the City where he had been ever since the Turks were beaten from Vienna by whom he had been taken and sold to an Inhabitant of Buda This boy reported that the Turks made great Intrenchments within the Town and that the Garison was still five thousand fighting men In the Bavarian Attack there was nothing passed considerable The 26. During the whole Siege never was more diligence used in carrying on to perfection the Lines and Approaches than last night and all this as also for the making of Parading Places which were by this time finished and every thing prepared for a general Assault and to lodg themselves upon the breaches of the Roundels and Walls so that at length we might make our selves Masters of that Important Place that had already cost us so much blood This day likewise the besieged made a slight salley upon the Brandenburghers Quarters which proved to their disadvantage for they were constrained after they had stood the first Charge to retreat back to the City faster than they came The 27. All things being ready at length for a general Assault and the Companies that were to serve in this Action being drawn up in their several Parading Places as well in the Lorrain Attack as in those of the Bavarian and Brandenburghers it was resolved that the Onset should be given about five in the Evening to which purpose the Duke of Lorrain had given out his Orders to all the Officers both Superiour and Inferiour what they were to do The Faggots Gabions Spades Pickaxes Hatchets and Sacks of Earth were all in a readiness as well to dig down the Intrenchments of the Enemies as for the Defence of the Assailants when they should be Masters of the Breach The Signal was given from Pest by the discharge of some great Guns and the Assault was managed after the following manner Forty Granadeers under a Captain Lieutenant and Serjeant were placed first at the head of the Right-hand-Roundel they were followed by fifty Fuseleers and fifty Souldiers with Hatchets under a Captain Lieutenant and Serjeant These were first to mount the Breach and drive away the Enemy A Captain a Lieutenant and Serjeant with a hundred men carrying Spades and Pickaxes made the first Line seconded by two Captains two Lieutenants and two Serjeants with two hundred Musqueteers the whole under the Prince of Newburgh grand Master of the Teutonick Order who had the management of this Attack That of the middle toward the Curtin was under the Direction of Lieutenant-General Souches to carry on that were fifty Granadeers under a Captain a Lieutenant and a Serjeant One hundred Fuseleers under a Captain a Lieutenant and a Serjeant and to second these there were two Captains two Lieutenants and two Serjeants with two hundred Musqueteers divided into two squadrons followed by a hundred men with Shovels and Pickaxes The Attack on the left hand of the little Roundel was ordered by the Brandenburghers after the following manner In the second Line behind the sacks fill'd with Earth Wool and such like materials were posted the Arquebusiers made choice of upon this occasion who were not to stir but to fire continually upon the Turks that should shew themselves upon the Breaches The Heydukes commanded by the Deputy-Governor of Raab were posted toward the Water-side where a great part of the Wall was thrown down by the Fire which happened in the Magazine which had been blown up some days before They were only to make a false Attack and were seconded by a Serjeant Major with some select Companies The superior Officers possessed several Posts to do the Duty of their Employments To which purpose the Marquess of Nigrelli General of Battalia Collonel Keth and the Baron de Rederer and the Serjeant-Major of Starenbergh stood by the grand Master of the Teutonic Order Lieutenant-General Souches had for his Assistants Baron Diependael General of Battalia the Count D'Oetinghen Collonel Lieutenant-Collonel Jonger and the Serjeant-Major to Croy. There were above twelve hundred men for a Reserve in the close way commanded by the General of Battalia Thungen under twelve Captains twelve Lieutenants and other inferior Officers with all the Lieutenant-Collonels and Serjeant-Majors to succeed in the Places of those that should be kill'd or wounded Which twelve hundred Musqueteers were to advance in little Bodies in the Lines as the others gained ground The rest of the Infantry stood to their Arms ready to fight and the Generals in the Trenches In this Order the Soldiers full of Courage and Gallantry went to the Assault and mounted the Breaches where they sound great Resistance especially at the great Roundel where the Ascent to the Breach was high and the Defendants numerous and well resolv'd Ours were two or three times repulsed yet every time renewing the Assault at length they made themselves masters of the Breach and made good their Posts The Brandenburghers got Possession of the little Wall among whom were fifty Heydukes that behaved themselves very well The Fight lasted from five till nine at Night with great Effusion of Blood not so much by the Enemies Weapons as by their Mines and the Powder which they had strew'd in several places to which they still set Fire as they were driven from their Posts There could be nothing more lamentable than to see between two or three hundred men at a time blown up into the Air by the force of their Mines who were partly killed and partly desperately wounded Yet for all this the Enemy could not terrify our men nor by their obstinate Resistance prevent 'em from lodging upon the Roundels and upon the Curtin There was no great good done by the Heydukes that were with the Imperialists for they were greatly afraid of Fire and that Fear discourag'd 'em from making the false Attack toward the Water Side The Duke of Lorrain and Count de Starenbergh stood near the grand Master of the Teutonic Order with their Swords in their Hands encouraging the Officers
Hungarian Infantry to be posted all along the Wall of the low Town from the water-Roundel to the German Quarters where they secured themselves with a deep Trench and a good Parapet And because the Danaw is very deep thereabout two Barks filled with Stones were ordered to be sunk and several Palisado'd Spurs were rais'd all along the bank of the River to discourage the Enemy from designing any Relief that way This morning the Enemy gave us another Alarm in the Bavarian Quarter whereupon all our Cavalry were commanded to horse but the Enemy retreated at the same time It seems their design was to have forced a Passage that way but the Bavarians were too well entrenched for them to succeed in their Enterprize The Prince of Croy being cured of his wounds re-entred upon the Duty of his Employment and appeared again in the Approaches Four Hussars very well mounted advancing toward some Turks of the Garrison made a shew as if they intended to have charg'd 'em but when they drew near they talked lovingly together and shook hands which being observed by some of the Musqueteers in the Redoubt adjoyning they went forth and fired upon the Hâ—ssars who betook themselves to their heels but one was wounded and taken Prisoner together with another of his Companions the third escaped and the fourth got into the Town The Prisoners examined declared that they only expostulated with the Turks about their holding out but then they were put off to a more strict Examination August 11. Some Troops of the Enemy shewed themselves upon the Hill next to the Bavarian Quarters toward the Road to Alba Regalis As yet we could not learn the exact number of the Enemy though our Spies assured us that they were forty thousand Turks and twenty thousand Tartars But notwithstanding all these hot Alarms being so well fitted to receive 'em as we were all things were at the same time preparing for a vigorous Assault of the second Wall if the Mines did that execution as was expected The 12th In the morning all things being ready for an Onset three Mines were sprung in the Lorrain Attack which did no other Execution than only overthrew some Palisadoes For the Miners had not digged deep enough under the Wall of the second Rampart which made it apparent that they did not understand their Trade though the best were sought out and sent for from several Parts the Generals knowing that nothing would contribute more to the Reduction of this Place than well ordered Mines Thereupon the Assault which was determined to have been given had the Mines succeeded was delay'd and the Miners were again set to work to make new ones In the Skirmishes which our Men had this Day with the Enemy there was a Turkish Officer slain who was no doubt obliged to have got into the Town For there were Letters found about him for the Governour of Buda discovering the Method which the Enemy intended to observe for the relief of the Town which was to force one Quarter and put Relief into the Town without hazarding a Battle and that eight Thousand Tartars were to range the Country as far as Gran and cut off Provision from our Men and infest the Country with continual Inroads Upon which Intelligence the Duke of Lorrain called a Council of War Whereupon it was resolved to leave a part of the Army to guard the Posts against the City and to issue forth out of the Lines with the rest of the Imperial and Auxiliary Forces and go and meet the Enemy who as those Letters seemed to intimate was above sixty Thousand Strong Though the more Judicious would not allow 'em to be above forty Thousand Fighting Men. The 13th All the Army march'd out of the Lines except twenty thousand men that were left for the guard of our Works and to hinder the Enemy from putting a Recruit into the Place Commissary-General Rabata caus'd a distribution of Oats and Hay for the Horses for three days And besides we made a shift to form a very noble Body of Volunteers under good Officers The Duke of Lorrain posted himself in view of the Enemy four thousand Hussars and Heydukes keeping the Van-guard Nevertheless the Town was no less vigorously batter'd and assail'd than before This Evening our Spies and some Deserters assur'd us that the night following the Enemy would put themselves in Battle-Array to Attack us the next morning by break of day which oblig'd the Duke of Lorrain to dispose all things in readiness for a Battel The 14th Before Sun rise the Enemy had drawn out a Body of eight thousand Men part Janisaries part Spahi's of the stoutest and most resolute Soldiers in the Army which being divided into divers lesser Bodies march'd from six till eight a Clock in the Morning turning and winding to and again behind the Mountains towards Alba Regalis and entred into a Plain designing to approach our Camp under the shelter of a great Valley But the Duke of Lorrain having observ'd this contrivance of the Enemy and understanding their design commanded Count Dunewald General of the Cavalry to possess himself of the ground on the left hand with nine Imperial Regiments Cuirassiers Dragoons and Croats viz. Caprara's Palfy's Taff's Lodron's Neuburgh's Furstenbergh's Stirum's Serau's and Schultz's to which he added some Hussars and General Heusler had orders to post himself with his detachment upon a rising ground on the right hand The Hussars next to General Dunewald were they that received the first Charge and although they fought with all the bravery imaginable they were nevertheless forced to give ground but finding themselves seconded by the Germans they return'd to the Charge The Turks having thus made the Hussars give ground thought they should have a cheap bargain of the rest To which purpose they advanced with great fury and loud outcries against our Men who received them without moving a foot General Heusler who had the upper ground charged them vigorously so that the Combat was obstinate and bloody for though the Enemies saw themselves attack'd in Flank and Front they did their utmost to cut their way through till at length they were put into disorder separated and constrain'd to fly The slaughter that followed was very great and it was a very pleasant sight to see the Janisaries drop here and there who being abandon'd by the Spahi's and environ'd by ours threw down their Arms and shifted every one for themselves They were pursu'd into the Plain nor would it serve their Turn to throw themselves among the Bushes to shelter themselves from death for they were Massacred like Wild Beasts that fall into the Hunters Net The Turks had three Thousand Men killed upon the Spot the most part Janisaries and all choice Men who had undertaken to force a Quarter and get into the City or to perish and to whom the Grand Vizier had given five Ducats a Head of Twenty which he promised to every one that should enter the City They
of the Breach of the Roundel on the right hand The Enemy also began to make a Line without the Breach about fifty Paces from our Works to render the Breach more inaccessible and though they fired continually all night long with their Musquets and slung an infinite number of Stones we had but thirteen men kill'd and wounded And now had we fourteen Mortar Pieces planted that shot Bombs and Carcasses continually without ceasing In the Bavarian Attack but only what concern'd the securing our Works and advancing the Batteries This morning a Polonian that serv'd the Turks render'd himself to the Camp and reported that the besieged were resolv'd to Surrender if they were not reliev'd within a Month and another Deserter in the afternoon came and declared that the besieged had the night before landed five Horsemen ashore on Pest side who were to take several Roads that one at least might get safe to the Serasquier and press him to hasten the Relief that he had promis'd On the other side the Duke of Lorrain sent a Detachment of Horse toward Voitfar to destroy the Grass and Corn and watch the Motion of the Enemy Of this some Tartars had Intelligence and snapt some of our Forragers on the other side of the Danaw they also took some Horses and two Grooms belonging to Prince Lewis of Baden who were in St. Marget's Island July 5. Last night sixty Granadeers with some Pioneers were commanded to go and ruin the Line which the Enemy had the day before begun before the breach of the Roundel which succeeded so well that they filled up the breach without the loss of more than two Soldiers By this time also the breaches were made wider and wider as well where the Lorrainers as where the Bavarians attacked and what the Turks repaired in the night was by us overthrown in the day time And now all the Bavarians were come up and joyned together in their Quarters upon whom the Enemy made a Sally in the night time and though they were bravely received and purfued to the very Gates of the City yet they lost many gallant and stout Men and among the rest the Son of Camp-Marshal-General Dorfeling an Ingineer two Lieutenants and seven and twenty Soldiers besides the same number wounded July 6. There was a Line of Communication made from the Duke of Lorrain's Attack to that of the Brandenburghers not above fifty Paces from the Gate in the middle and about sixty Paces from the breach on the right hand This morning the Cannon played so furiously that they utterly beat down the two Roundels with the Curtain and when night came they shot without ceasing Bombs and Granadoes that kindled a fire near the Roundel on the right hand that lasted three hours The Duke of Lorrain and General Starenbergh stay'd till eleven of Clock at night in the Approaches to encourage the Workmen with their presence The Brandenburghers also had by this time vigorously advanced their Works their Generals of Battalia alternatively relieving one another in their Trenches The Sieur Fonk Lieutenant Colonel to Souches was wounded in the Leg with six Soldiers and two killed The Brandenburghers had a Captain of Granadeers wounded with six Soldiers and eight slain July 7. Last night a great number of Bombs were shot into the Town which did great Execution in regard the fire was seen to blaze out in several parts of the City though greater Execution was expected to be done upon the Arrival of Gonzales our Ingineer who was lookt for in the Camp within two or three days whither the great Guns Mortar Pieces Bombs Carcasses and other Artificial Fire-works were already arrived This morning the Enemy sallied out upon the Brandenburghers Attack with Horse and Foot but greatly to their disadvantage being so vigorously receiv'd that they were forced to retire in great disorder being pursued under the very Walls of the City there were also preparing their Batteries to be ready in two days when they resolved to be heard as loud as the rest of their Friends Yesterday the Miners began to work upon the Lorrain Attack to widen the breaches and this night the same was done upon the Bavarian Attack where they had by this finish'd two new Batteries the one of ten the other of seven Pieces of Cannon and a third was raising toward the water side to level the attacked Roundel and a gate through which the besieged sallied out very frequently to get into a close way which they had made before the said Roundel Yesterday the Bavarians advanc'd their Approaches to the foot of the Castle so that they could approach no nearer till the breach were enlarged And indeed the Works in the Lorrain Attack were so near the Wall that they could not advance any nearer without lodging upon the breach So that there were above fifty men killed and wounded in the three Attacks Yester night the Enemy shot a Bomb which lighting into a barrel of Powder kill'd nine of our Cannoneers The 8th was busily employ'd upon the Lorrain Attack in raising nearer the Walls two new Batteries of three Demi-Cannons each and upon the left hand where we had not carried on our Approaches as upon the left they advanced their Approaches to the very Wall of the Roundel which being a work to be done so near the Enemy cost us five and twenty Soldiers kill'd and wounded the most part with Stones and Granadoes among whom was Major General Thâ—ngen who was upon the Guard of the Trenches with the Count de Souches The Sieur Bischoffhansen Serjcant Major of one of the Suabian Regiments had his Arm broken with a Musket shot one of Starenbergh's Captains was wounded in the shoulder and Souches's Captain Lieutenant in the Foot As for the Miners that were ordered to sapp under the right side of the Roundel had not as yet met with any Mines of the Enemy This evening others were set to work upon the left side of the middle Roundel and this night Captain Bâ—rger of Starenbergh's Regiment who had been wounded in the Mouth in the Salley upon the 26th of June died of his wound Some Country-men having found a means to make their Escapes out of the City came the same night to our Camp and assured us that there were not above three hundred men that laboured constantly in the Mines and the Retrenchment which the Enemies were making behind the Wall whither to retire in case of necessity July 9. All night long there was nothing done but shooting of Bombs and Carcasses into the City to keep the besieged in Action and to deprive them of their Repose But by break of day the Enemy perceiving that we had made a Gallery of Planks to pass the Miners over to the middle Roundel rowl'd down several Bombs threw Granadoes and other Fire-works with all sorts of combustible Materials in such abundance that the fire caught hold of the Planks and reduced the Gallery to Ashes which obliged our Miners to come away and
which strook off his Steel-cap Baron Gottalisky Captain of Beck's Regiment and the Sieur Vaubon Captain of the Granadeers of Baden were both dangerously wounded with several others However this Post gave us access to the Roundel The 17. Yesterday the Enemy began to shoot from a new Battery of four great Pieces which they had raised within the inner Wall but General Starenbergh giving order to the Gunners to play upon it with several Pieces they so utterly destroyed that Battery in a short time that the besieged could make no farther use of it About noon twenty or thirty Janisaries shew'd themselves upon the breach of the Roundel on the right hand but the Soldiers from the Trenches firing upon 'em they retired immediately The Prince of Croy arrived in the Camp yesterday in the evening with Commission to be General of the Artillery This day Caprara's and Newburgh's Regiment of Horse marched to joyn General Mercy As for the Bavarians and Brandenburghers they did little this day but mind the finishing of their Works and fired continually from their Batteries The 18. We advanced some Paces with a new Line to the right the better to protect our Miners that wrought in two distinct places under the Curtin and to make use of it in the next Assault The Brandenburghers enlarged their great Battery of three Pieces of Cannon Nor were the Bavarians idle for their Miners were at work under the Wall behind the Palliasado'd Trench of which they had made themselves Masters As for the Enemy he seldom now appear'd in the day time but in the night time they kept siring continually and kill'd us a great many men with their Stones and Granadoes which they flung into our Works The 19. The Cannon was planted upon the new Battery and the Line was secured with two little Forts Last night the Enemy sprang a Mine behind our Miners that wrought under the Wall which damnified our Mine into which there was a necessity to make a new Entrance to make it serviceable again Some of our Miners were almost buried in the Earth but they were all fortunately recovered again except the Sieur Libert their Captain whose Body could not not be found Mr. Kerry Brother to my Lord Ouberry a Scotch Lord was kill'd in the Approaches with a Musket bullet together with seven or eight Soldiers and some wounded This morning the Duke of Lorraine held a Council of War where were present the Generals of his Army but the Determination was kept secret Some Deserters also came to the Camp this day and assured us that the besieged would come to no Composition but were resolved to wait the Relief which the Grand Visier should bring them The 20. The new Line in the Lorrain Attack was finished Three false Alarms also were given to the besieged only to harrass them by causing certain Granadeers to mount the Breach who threw Granadoes into the Place upon which the Turks hastning to make defence were saluted with several Cannon-shot Bombs and Carcasses that did good Execution Which sort of Attacks were frequently to keep the Enemy in continual Alarm and in ignorance of the time of the really design'd Assault Moreover they â—gorousloy carried on their Mines a certain German undertaking a new one which he promised to finish in two or three days In the Bavarian and Brandenburgh Attacks there was nothing pass'd considerable only that the Miners hop'd the next night to be under the Roundels They also continued battering the Walls with great fury and shoting red hot Bullets Bombs and Carcasses into the City which did very much mischief Upon Information given that the Turks prepared to relieve the place the Trench of the Line of Circumvallation was made deeper and strengthned with certain Redoubts the better to secure the besiegers to which purpose two hundred Heydukes were added to the number of Pioneers July 21. The principal Work now carried on was that of the Mines which were opened in three several parts Nor could Captain Liâ—erâ—'s body yet be found though all diligence has been used to hâ—llow the Earth in that place where his body was by all conjecture lost He was an Officer a Walloon by Nation much lamented by all the Generals and by all that knew his Experience in the business of Mining Our Miners also heard the Enemy at work but they went on with their own work for all that A Battery was likewise raised for four Mortar Pieces near that of the three Spanish Pieces which batter the Roundel on the right Hand Moreover all the Cannons and Mortar Pieces were designed to be planted nearer the Breaches on purpose to widen them with more ease and ruin the Defences of the Enemy which are behind the said Breaches We had in the Lorrain Attack only twenty seven killed and wounded among whom were Serjeant Major Boeneburgh a Dane and the Sieur Lerneux the fifth Captain of Starenbergh's Regiment The Sieur Gonzale's Bombs and Carcasses have had the success which was expected For by the Report of a Deserter one of those Bombs falling yesterday into the City made its way into a House into which were retired above a Hundred Persons of both Sexes who were all miserably buried in the Ruins of it The Bavarians finished their Battery near the Roundel and began another toward the water side to batter the Flanks of the City on that side And now the three Attacks having made their Approaches to the Breaches that now seem'd wide enough all things were preparing for a general Assault there being two thousand scaling Ladders in a readiness to make false Attacks and scale the Walls while others mounted the Breaches The 22. Nothing passed considerable in the Lorrain Attack nor in that of the Brandenburgher but the Enemy this morning sprang two Mines which did no other Execution than only ruin a part of the Curtin where there was no Breach before The new Battery likewise of four pieces upon the brink of the Ditch of the Roundel being finished the Turks gave 'em a most bloody Serenade by break of day for sallying out in a good number they stole down into the Trench along the Palisade and being come to the said Battery before they were discovered through the darkness of the Night they set up a most dreadful Howling and Hollowing nayl'd three pieces of Cannon and a Mortar and ruined some part of the Gabions of the Battery The Saxons of the adjoining Posts hastning to the Relief of their Friends were put into some Disorder but Prince Lewis of Badens Regiment being the Reserve coming up in time repelled the Enemy with the loss of thirty men stain Which was but a small thing in comparison of the Loss which we suffered which amounted to above a hundred killed and wounded the most part Saxons and Bavarians Among the slain were Collonel Lehel of the Saxon Forces and some inferiour Officers The Sieur Geschwint Collonel of the Artillery was also dangerously gashed and hack'd with a Scimiter However the
looking out between two Gabions was unfortunately wounded with a Musquet-shot in his right Thumb the Cheek and Shoulder but not dangerously however he presently caused his Thumb to be cut off because the Bone was broken About twenty or thirty were this day wounded in the Lorrain and Brandenburghers Attack August 1. A Battery was finished upon the Roundel upon which were planted two pieces of Cannon In the Morning was sprung the third Mine near the said Roundel but tho' it succeeded well yet there was no other Attempt made because the Trench was not sufficiently fill'd whereupon a Resolution was taken to fill it up with Faggots sacks of Earth and such like Materials Our Miners Yesterday smelt such a noysom Stench in one of their Mines that they were scarce able to abide at their Work till they had remov'd two Bodys that were half dead About Noon we received intelligence that seven thousand Turks were posted at Sexaritwan thirteen Leagues from Buda and that the Grand Vizier had begun to pass the Bridg of Esseck with an Army which he had form'd out of the Garisons of Hungary and places adjoyning and other Campanies got together by force among which were seven thousand men drawn out of Bossina and that of eight thousand Janisaries which the Grand Vizier had brought from the middle of Turkie three thousand had deserted him in his March that nevertheless he hoped to be at the Head of fifty thousand men for the Relief of Buda General Dunewald return'd this Evening with the Regiments of Horse with which he had been scouting toward the Bridge of Esseck to â—ain Intelligence of the Enemy The Generals Caraffa and He 〈◊〉 arrived also from Zolnock after two days March with five thousand Horse and some Hungarian Companies The next day Count Budiani arrived with two thousand Hâ—ngarians and the Duke of Lorrain sent express Orders to General Scherffenbergh to joyn him with his Body of ten thousand Men. About this time his most serene Highness the Duke of Lorrain had had some two or three Fits of an Ague However he failed not to appear every day in the Trenches and to give all necessary Orders for the carrying on the Siege To which purpose great Preparations were made for a second Onset upon the second Wall This Morning the Bavarians beat down a great part of the Wall with their Cannon and by the springing of a Mine and made themselves Masters of the second Swinger where they also seized upon the Cannons and Mortar Pieces of the Enemy which they turned upon the City August 2. They continued filling up the Trench and every thing was ready for an Assault which was delay'd by reason of the continual Rains that fell Upon repeated Advice of the Approach of the Grand Vizier who as our Scouts assured us had pass'd the Bridge of Esseck all necessary Preparations were made to receive the Enemy in case they attempted to relieve the Town August 3. A Deserter who affirm'd himself to be a Domestic Servant to one of the most considerable Officers in the City surrendered himself and declared that the Besieged had a Mine ready to spring in the Brandenburghers Attack and had begun a second That they impatiently expected Relief And that of all those whom the Bassa had sent abroad not one was returned into the City which very much perplexed him and that the number of serviceable Soldiers still exceeded two thousand besides the Inhabitants The Miners could not finish the grand Mine by reason of a Rock which they met with But upon the Breaches certain little Banks were made to the end the Soldiers might fire with greater Advantage upon the Besieged during the Assault which was ordered after the following manner About Noon the Trenches were reliev'd and they that were relieved were to serve as a Reserve The first Attack was on the right Hand of the Roundel to which were appointed fifty Granadeers under a Captain a Lieutenant and a Serjeant followed by twenty men that carryed great store of Granado's They were followed by fifty Fuseleers under a Captain a Lieutenant and a Serjeant and after them march'd fifty men with Hatchets The same Order was observed by the Brandenburghers on the left Hand To the third Attack of the midle Curtain the Hungarians were assign'd preceded by thirty Germans and followed by sixty with necessary Officers The Onset began between five and six in the Evening in the Presence of all the Generals the grand Master of the Teutonic Order commanding the Trench They forbore to make any false Attack because the Mine had not done that Execution that was expected But the Duke of Lorrain being informed by an Adjutant that the Elector of Bavaria had absolutely begun the Assault commanded that the false Attack should be chang'd into a formal Onset The Combat lasted two hours in which three hundred Horsemen that serv'd on foot behav'd themselves with great valour as did also the Hungarians But the Breach being hard to mount the besieged well defended with Palisadoes and fighting like men in despair the Duke of Lorrain would not hazard more men to maintain the inner Breach where our men had lodged themselves already and therefore sounded a Retreat contenting himself with making a Lodgment on the right hand of the Roundel of the Angle where forty men entrenched themselves forthwith We had few men kill'd by the Enemies firing but about two hundred wounded with Stones and Arrows which flew like Hail about the Assailants Ears Count Leopold of Herberstein Lieutenant Colonel to Souches was dangerously wounded the Sieur Bischopshausen Serjeant-Major in the Regiments of Suabia carrying his Arm in a Scarf by reason of a former wound was again wounded in the hand Nor were the Bavarians in their Attack less pester'd with Stones and Arrows and the Splinters of Bombs which the Enemy rowl'd down upon the Planks out of the windows of the Castle though to little purpose so that the loss on that side was not very considerable The Prince of Savoy was wounded in the hand with an Arrow together with three Captains some inferiour Officers seven or eight Volunteers and ninety Soldiers killed and wounded Prince Lewis of Baden going in the morning to visit the Approaches received a Musquet-shot which burnt his Justocore and very much bruised his Breast but the strength of his Armour preserved him from death August the 4th They fired with a redoubled Force from all three Attacks to enlarge the Breaches and ruin the Enemies Defences The Line of Circumvallation was also finished and strengthned with several Redoubts and small Forts to flank their Works The Imperialists Bavarians and Brandenburghers were also ordered to possess themselves of all the higher Grounds where they might entrench to advantage The Heydukes were posted all along the inner Wall of the low Town and thus they continued their Attacks with the same vigour as before The Bavarians raised a Battery of nine Pieces of four and twenty pound Ball upon
where they were all cut to pieces except 4. who were so fortunate as to get into the Town We reckoned above 600. Turks that were slain in this Action besides the Prisoners which are not very many There were also taken 25. Colors of Horse and Foot all Red to signifie that they would either enter the Town or dye On our side there were not above 30. slain and wounded among which latter was General Mercy having receiv'd two Cuts with a Scimitar one in the Head and the other in the Shoulder tho' nothing dangerous but his Adjutant-General was slain During the heat of this Action the Besieged made a Sally upon the Bavarian Attack but the Heydukes assailing 'em in Flanck they had much ado to retire with the loss of 17. killed upon the Place All this day the Grand Vizier shewed himself on the Bavarian Quarters ready to try the Fortune of a Battle but perceiving the Arrival of General Picolomini in our Camp with three Regiments of Cuirassiers and two of Dragoons being the Vanguard of General Scherffenbergh's Body he retreated in great hast to his Camp The 30th General Picolomini arriving yesterday with the Regiments of Saxon Lawenburgh Picolomini St. Croix Tettwin and Magni making in all 25. Squadrons was this day followed by Lieutenant-General Scherffenbergh with the rest of his Body composed of the Foot Regiments of Veterani Getz Sereni Spinola and Scherffenberg all lusty proper Men and well disciplin'd The Deserters also assur'd us that there was a great Scarcity in the Grand Vizier's Army and that the Souldiers half starved had pillaged certain Barks that brought Provisions for Buda their Officers not being able to prevent it The 31th In the Lorrain Attacque a new Post was taken in the Trench before the Breach of the Inner Wall which is not above three Fadom distance from the Palisado's of the Besieged and in regard the place was very deep the Turks could not annoy us so that we had not above two men wounded This Morning the Duke of Lorrain accompany'd with all the rest of the Generals went over to the Elector's Quarters where he held a Council of War and after Dinner the Duke return'd to his own Quarters where he order'd the Works to be enlarg'd and deepn'd that they might with less difficulty go on to the General Affault which was then intended within a day or two Sept. 1. The Turks shewed themselves before day by the light of the Moon near the Bavarian Attack to the number of 3000 Horse and Foot but perceiving our men to be in good order and ready to receive 'em they retired without making any attempt Yesterday the Grand Chancellor the Count de Straatman being arrived at the Camp with a private Commission from the Emperor he caused a Council of War to be call'd where were present the Duke of Lorrain the Elector of Bavaria and all the Generals both Imperialists and Auxiliaries The Chancellor then produced his Commission to this effect That his Imperial Majesty earnestly desiring an end of that bloody Siege they were to consult the most proper and expedient means to do it Thereupon two Points were proposed Whether to fight the Grand Vizier with the greatest part of the Army leaving a sufficient Force to guard the Lines or whether to give a general Assault to the Place with a greater Force than had yet been made use of to that purpose Which latter Proposal was concluded upon by the greatest part of the Generals and so a general Assault being concluded upon the next day all things were prepared in a readiness that the Blow might not fail and to keep the Enemy in ignorance a Rumor was spread abroad in the Camp That the next day the General intended to give the Grand Vizier Battel which caused great rejoycing among the Officers and Soldiers who desired nothing more than to signalize their Valour Nevertheless they forbore not to play all the day long from all the Batteries to widen the Breaches and beat down the Enemies Defences The 2d All the Generals got on Horseback and the Army was drawn up ready to quit the Lines and march to the grand Parade from thence to march toward the Grand Vizier The Duke of Lorrain and the Elector visited every Quarter encouraging the Officers and Soldiers valiantly to maintain the Cause of God and the Emperor's Honour In the mean time the Infantry rang'd themselves in their several Battalions the great Guns were fired with re-doubled Fury from all the three Attacks and an infinite number of Bombs and chain'd Shot were thundred against the Defences of the Besieged But when the Army was just ready to march toward the Grand Vizier of a suddain the whole order of the March was chang'd and about three a Clock in the afternoon the Rean-Guard was commanded to mount the Breaches all things being so provided before hand that without disturbing the Order of the Battalions they might fall on Which they did in three several Places viz. In the Lorrain Bavarian and Brandenburghers Attacks besides other false Attacks premeditated to divert the Enemy But notwithstanding all these Precautions to render the Assault more easie such was the obstinate Resistance that they had much ado to prevail They defended themselves above three quarters of an hour with their Halbards Half-pikes and Partisans and slung such an infinite quantity of Stones Arrows and Granadoes that they repulsed us vigorously more than once but at length our men encouraged by the Presence of their Generals returned to the Assault with greater Fury and made themselves Masters of the Breaches in all the three Attacks The Turks defended themselves retreating from Entrenchment to Entrenchment so that the slaughter was very bloody for our Soldiers having driven the Turks from their Defences entred the City by main force over-run the Streets put all to the Sword that encountred their Fury sparing neither Sex nor Age so that there was nothing else to be seen but the dead Bodies of the slain The Bavarians also pursued their Advantage and fell upon a thousand Turks who were retired to a little Fort at the Foot of the Castle where they defended themselves to the utmost till at length despairing of their Safety they hung out a white Flag and begg'd for Quarter Which considering their obstinacy and the slaughter they had made of our men the Duke and the Elector were at first unwilling to grant but recollecting afterwards that their number was great that they might do us more mischief that Night drew on that the Grand Vizier was at hand with a Formidable Army that the Soldiers were tired and wanted repose and that the City was on Fire in several places they resolv'd to give them their Lives of which when these miserable Creatures were assured they flung down their Arms and yielded at discretion There were about a thousand Turks more who being retired into Caves and Caverns obtained the same favour The number of the Barbarians that were
Turks got no advantage by this Salley for the Nails being easily pull'd out of the Cannon and Mortar within an hour after they began to play again as if they had never been nail'd And the revenge which they returned was speedy for one of the Bavarian Bombs lighting into the Magazin of Powder in the Castle the whole Pile blew up into the Air with such a hideous havock and thundring noise as not only shook the whole City but our Camp likewise and by what we afterwards understood from the Deserters there miserably perished by that blow above a thousand persons of all Ages which were buried in the Ruins of the Buildings the Stones of which were thrown with that violence and vast quantity into the Approaches that they resembled a showr of Hail and wounded several of the Soldiers The 23. the Duke of Lorrain sent in the Afternoon the Count of Conningsegg with an Interpreter to the besieged with a Summons to surrender in regard all the Mines were ready to spring and all things were prepared for a general Assault During which time there was a Cessation of Arms on both sides which was spent in the Interment of the slain The said Count after he had been two hours in the City returned to the Camp with a Letter from Abdi Bassa in a Purse of red Damask which he delivered to the Duke of Lorrain wherein the Bassa made him a haughty and arrogant Answer purporting That not being necessitated to a Surrender he could not dream of such a vile piece of Cowardice that he fought for the Glory of his Prophet and the Honour of the Mussel-men that he and his Garrison were resolved to hold out to the utmost Extremty and defend it to the last gasp of Breath that the place being intrusted to his care by the Grand Signior he would preserve it or lose his Life that when the Duke should come to wrest it from him he should find him upon the Breach ready to dispute his Entrance and let him order the Assault when he pleased he would expect him without stirring afoot The Duke having read this insolent Answer caused all the Batteries to fire with greater fury than before and caused all preparations to be hastened to give a general Assault by break of day to which purpose he sent for a thousand Hungarian Foot who had voluntarily offered themselves to mount the Breaches So haughty an Answer and a Defence of the besieged so obstinate and brave shews us by Experience that the Characters which the Deserters had given us at the beginning of the Siege of Abdi Bassa's conduct were utterly false in saying he was contemptible to the Soldiery for being more a Merchant than a Soldier and the Serasquier was to blame in going about to displace him as he had designed for it is to be presumed that hardly any other than he would have so long eluded the Fury of such a Potent Army This day some Bavarians that kept the advanced Guards observing that a Polonian who served in our Army had had a private Conference with two Turks seized upon him at his return to the Camp and carried him to the Elector where having been searched and examined he was found to be a Spy and that he had discovered to the Enemies all that had passed in our Camp whereupon he was presently sentenced and executed without any more ado This evening also a Bavarian Cannoneer was apprehended who was going over to the Enemy and had already passed the Guards The 24. This morning about eight of the Clock a large Mine was sprung in the Lorrain Attack and three hundred chosen Foot were ordered out to lodg themselves upon the Breach together with some hundreds of Hungarians but the effect of the Mine was contrary to all expectation for it ruined and overthrew a part of our Approaches and filled our Lines with Earth besides that we had a hundred men killed and wounded Whereupon his Serene Highness seeing this ill Success ordered the Batteries to redouble their firing to inlarge their Bteaches and to reduce them to such a Condition as to be mounted without making any Mines The new Battery of the Bavarians toward the water side was finished this night and that other which they had raised on the side of the Ditch had already broken down a good part of the Wall on the right hand The same day the Duke of Lorrain sent Orders to the Count of Nigrelli who commanded in Newhausel during the absence of the Count of Aspremont to come to the Army and officiate the place of General of Battalia by intercepted Letters also he was informed that the Grand Vizier encouraged the besieged to defend themselves promising that by the eighth or tenth of August at the farthest he would come and relieve them with a formidable Army The same day likewise General Caprara who commands the Body of the Imperial Forces upon the River Tibiscus sent an Officer to the Duke of Lorrain and the Elector of Bavaria to give them the news of a great Advantage which he had gained upon the Garrison of Agria the fifteenth of this Month by the means of two Ambuscadoes which he laid for the Turks into which having drawn six hundred of those Barbarians he utterly defeated 'em kill'd three hundred upon the place together with Osman Basha the Governour of Agria and taken ninety Prisoners among whom he found the Vice-Basha dangeroully wounded and that in this Action General Heusler had behaved himself with his wonted Gallantry as had also done the Sieurs Pecerhasi and Semsay with their Hungarians The 25. Nothing was done but only carrying on the Reparations of the Works ruined by the Mine which was sprung the day before to our disadvantage The Duke of Loarrin hastened with all the vigour imaginable the preparations for a general Assault having ordered the making such parading places as were necessary within the Lines and Approaches and the Bavarians and Brandenburghers did the like in their Quarters Between four and five in the afternoon the besieged set fire to a little Mine on the right hand of the Roundel which done they sallied forth with two hundred foot who were as soon repulsed by our men that were upon the Guard The Enemy left fourteen behind them slain and carried some wounded along with 'em A while after they salli'd out with a greater number upon the Brandenburghers who repelled 'em with the same ease Not long after they returned with a greater number and put the Brandenburghers Guards into some disorder which obliged the Duke of Lorrain to order the Reserve that lay posted at the VVall of the low Town to advance which General Souches who commanded the Trenches divided into three parts of which one was planted one on the left hand toward the water side the other entred the Approaches and the third was ordered to stand firm near the Mosque The Duke of Lorrain ordered the Battalions of Mansfield Salm Souches to advance on