AN EXACT JOURNAL OF THE SIEGE of CONI IN PIEMONT With an Account of the manner of raising it by Prince Eugene of Savoy this present year 1691. which has so much mortified the French King and occasioned the Imprisonment of the Sieur de Bulonde humbly presented to his Royal Highness the Duke of Savoy By Giovanni Renaldo Engineer Sent in a Manuscript from Turin to a Person of Quallity in London The Famous Branthome in his Memoirs and especially in the Life of the Marshal de Brissac Tome 11. says The Marshal de Brissac after having a considerable time besieged Coni was at last forced to raise the Siege It has been twice besieged be fore by the French but always unsuccessfully insomuch that after the raising of that Siege by the Marshal de Brissac Coni was look'd upon in France as a place fatal to the French Arms c. Branthome dans la vie du Mareschal de Brissac Tome 11. LONDON Printed for Tho. Basset at the George near St. Dunstans-Church in Fleetstreet 1691. TO THE READER THE Siege of Coni thô it has not made that noise in the World as a Siege of Turin would have made in case the Design laid by the French cunningly enough had taken its effect yet it is nevertheless very remarkable in all its Circumstances Catinat rendred himself Master of Suze Nice and Ville Franche with little or no difficulty and Carmagnole surrendred at sight of the Enemy The only place left on this side of the Capital City was Coni the Conquest of which seem'd to the French to be of an absolute necessity for besides that after the taking of it they might easily draw all manner of Provisions and Ammunition out of Nice and Ville Franche for the use of their Army and the rest of the Conquered Places in Piemont and that it secured the passage of the Troops that towards Winter were to enter into Quarters in the County of Nice to stop the frequent Incursions of the Vaudois especially of those of the Valley of Barcelonette it would much have hindred the passage of the Germans that were a coming to the Dukes Assistance for which reasons Feuquieres and Bulonde were sent with a great detachment from the man Army to take the Place a haughty way of their speaking when they are going to form a Siege Coni is a Place but of little strength most of the Fortifications were half ruin'd and it was expected they would surrender at the first Summons But it seem'd this inconsiderable Place was design'd by Providence to stop the furious Torrent of the French Victories and to give the first and the most sensible Affront to the French King's Arms in Piemont Brave Julien a born Subject of his Majesty as Prince of Orange having thrown himself with his Batallion of French Refugees in the King's Service into the Place defended it with so much Vigour and Gallantry that the French were forced to their everlasting shame to raise the Slege It will be no small Pleasure to those that read this Journal to observe with what Insolency Feuquieres secure of the Conquest behav'd himself before the Place what scornful Letters he wrote to the Besieged and how on the contrary his Spirits were oppress'd when he was forc'd to march off As to the Journal it self it is certainly one of the truest and exactest that ever was writ in consideration of which and of the remoteness of the Place the Reader will easily pardon that it comes somewhat late A JOURNAL OF THE SIEGE of CONI IN PIEMONT TOGETHER With the Raising of it which has so much Mortified the French King and occasion'd the Imprisonment of the Sieur de Bulonde Sent in a Manuscript from Turin to a Person of Quality in London THE Town and Cittadel of Nisse were no sooner surrendred to the French but Count de Rouere Governor of the Province of Salusses and Coni expected a Siege of the latter The Friendship he entertained with Lieutenant-Colonel de Julien a Subject of his Majesty of Great-Britain being born in the Principality of Orange who commanded at that time in the Valley of Barcelone together with the great esteem he had for his Person grounded on the great Exploits he has made in that Country with one single Battalion of the Troops of his Majesty of Great-Britain and 200 Men of the Regiment of the French Refugees were the motives that persuaded him to communicate his apprehension to him giving him withal to understand that he did not despair of maintaining himself in that place his R. H. of Savoy had trusted him with in case that with the New Fortifications he had caused to be raised there he should be assured of the assistance of his Battalion Monsieur de Julien who is of a temper not to let slip the least occasion of signalizing himself answered the Governor that he should be exceedingly glad of being serviceable to him in what place soever he would be pleased to call him This great readiness of his obliged the Governor to sollicite at his R. Highnèss's Court for the Lieutenant Colonel's retreat out of the Valley of Barcelone and orders being sent accordingly a great time before the Action of Meironne where he with his single Battalion defeated a Body of between 3 and 4000 of the French killing 4 or 500 of them upon the spot he marched towards Coni and after he had made for two or three days time several Marches and Counter-marches round about this place heat last entered into it under pretence of refreshing himself and his Battalion there after the great Fatigues they had suffered during the Winter ten days after it the Garrison marched out of the place in order to join the Army with the two hundred Men above-mentioned and the Guard of it was committed to the single Battalion of de Julien He had scarce been there one Month but the Governor was informed that a detachment of four thousand Men Horse and Foot were sent out of Monsieur Catinat's Army under the command of Monsieur de Feuquieres Mareschal de Camp of the French King's Forces to invest Coni and it was believed the main Army would follow them on their Heels to form the Siege of it the French flattering themselves to have as cheap a Bargain of this place as they had of that of Carmagnole Upon this advice the Governor divided the Posts amongst his little Garrison it being composed of Monsieur de Julien's Battalion of 500 Men of 120 new raised Soldiers some Militia of the Country and the Burghers He gave orders for the Baking of a great quantity of Bread and to advance the Fortifications that were yet unfinished He formed his Council of War of the Counts of Prouane Commendant and de Vibau Vice-Commendant of Lievtenant-Colonel de Julien de Guibert first Engineer of Savoy Chouet Captain in the Regiment of Savoy and Major of the place and the Engineer Garroue In fine he did all that could be expected
l'Hospital who were by turns relieved by the Regiment of Salusses During this Night the Enemy lodged themselves upon an Angle of the Counterscarp at the point of the Bastion of Notre-Dame we fired suriously upon them especially the Regiment of Salusses who had their Post from this Bastion till to that of l'Orme with all the Outworks The Enemy spared this Night neither Bombs nor Stones and the Latter were very troublesome to our men By break of day we saw plainly their Lodgment on which they were still at work and it was scarce big enough to cover them by nine a Clock in the Morning We detach'd ten Granadeers of the Refugees under the Command of one of their Captains to slip through the Pallisadoes of the Covert-way and to throw Fireballs into their Lodgment which was not only punctually executed by the said Captain but he did much more for after he had ordered three or four Fireballs to be thrown into the said Lodgment he past over the Pallisadoes and leapt into their Lodgment crying kill kill whereupon all the Workmen ran away with an incredible haste and there was not one Soul left behind them neither in the Work nor the Lines of Communication and if our Officer had been provided with Workmen he might have entirely ruined their Work but having no other orders than to make an attempt he retreated Afterwards the Counts de Bernez and de Rouere having discoursed with most of the Principal Officers about this Lodgment which shew'd plainly that the Enemy had a design to insult the Bastion Notre-Dame it was resolved that one hundred Fusileers and 60 Workmen should make a Sally to destroy their Work 50 Fusileers of the Refugees with some Officers proportionably were appointed for it being sustain'd by an equal number of the Regiment of Salusses Both detachments were ready yet I do not know why their Sally was put off for four hours during which time the Enemy worked with great application at last the Sally was made under the Command of a Captain of the Refugees and they had admirable Success the Work was entirely clear'd and almost all the Lines and if they had not had Orders not to engage themselves too far the Enemy would certainly have had but an ill time on 't considering the condition of their Affairs But if they drive the Enemy out of the Lodgment and the Line of Communication they did not execute the rest and whether it be for the great Fire the Enemy made or for some other reason the Workmen slipt all away and we were above an hour in possession of the Enemies Works without hearing of any of our Workmen in order to destroy them The Enemy did as we had done in the Half-moon they returned thither as soon as our men had order to retreat and indeed the Honour of this Action cost us very dear since the French Protestants had there two of their Captains two Lieutenants and two Ensigns wounded and eight Soldiers killed and fifteen wounded Those of the Regiment of Salusses lost two brave and valiant Captains viz. him that commanded the detachment and another who was Adjutant and who turn'd that way either to carry some Orders or only out of curiosity We were informed that the Enemy was extreamly surprized at this Sally they thought it a very bold Action and during it they sent some Foot to re-possess themselves of their Work but in vain Some Squadrons of the Enemies Horse that had a mind to be seen were welcomed by our Cannon and sent briskly back behind their Courtains We fired very furiously towards the Enemies Trenches from all our Posts that look towards them and some of their Deserters told us that more than three hundred men of theirs had been kill'd and wounded there We had this day the welcome News of great Succours that was coming towards us At Night the Lieutenant Colonel of Salusses reliev'd the Lieutenant Colonel de Julien and whereas a wounded Lieutenant that was made Prisoner in the Sally of the Morning gave us notice that the Enemy made a Mine to blow up the Half-moon and that it was to be executed this very Night we employed our utmost endeavours to bring our Mine to a perfection to be before-hand with the Enemy but it could not be done that Night It was resolved not to leave in the Half-moon but some Centries and ten Soldiers upon every Flanck and to let all the rest March into the place upon the Courtine and the Bastions which was executed during Night The Enemy threw a great number of Bombs and Stones into the place but before Day-break they took the pains to decamp without either Drum or Trumpet leaving us as a sign of their retreat one of their Canons upon their Battery which without doubt for want of Horses they could not carry along with them Neither had they a mind to charge themselves with a great quantity of Bullets and Fire-balls and a little Powder which they left also behind them in order to serve this Place whenever they shall be pleased to come again to besiege it Truly it was a very strange retreat and if we may believe those that have seen it their Troops were in the greatest disorder in the World They left 70 Soldiers and four or five Officers wounded behind them of which number is the Engineer Vasel and a Captain of the Regiment of Vandome and Gentleman to the Prince of that Name We are assured that besides this number there were more than fifty Soldiers that made a shift to creep away drawing one another and Swearing and Cursing against their Officers and Generals June the 28th By break of Day we received our Deliverance and we went out immediately to see if there was a Mine under the Half-moon but we did not find but the beginning of a Gallery and considering the manner they were to approach to the Half-moon they were in no condition to be soon Masters of the Place which indeed seems to be preserved by a particular Favour of God's Providence I will not trouble my self to enquire into the Reasons that made the Generals of the Enemy raise the Siege after a Blockade of seven and a full Siege of ten days It is enough that Coni has been saved by the particular assistance of Heaven and the Courage and Bravery of those that did defend it Prince Eugene of Savoy with the Sieurs de Parelle and St. Croix arrived between nine and ten a Clock in the Morning with 2300 Horse and Dragoons and near 300 Mules laden with Ammunition whilst in the mean time the Sieur de St. Silvestre with a Body of 2500 Horse and 500 Granadeers came to join the Sieur de Bulonde in order to go on with the Siege but he did not arrive till after the Enemy had abandoned their Trenches and past the River Sture It is reported that he said to the Sieur de Bulonde What Sir have you raised the Siege you must return again to
it for the Prince of Savoy has no more than 2000 Horse with him To which he replyed exceedingly troubled The Thing is done the Trenches are abandoned we have past the River and I will never return thither As for the Sieur de Feuquieres we have not been able to know yet what Projects he form'd in his Head but certain it is that at his return through Villefalet he plaid no more the Gallant and the Gascoon as he had done when he came to Besiege Coni a little Entertainment being presented to him in this Place he refused to Eat and gave only some few bits to his Dog and mounting on Horseback said Although the whole Army of France should perish we 'll return again to Coni and take it But he might have been answered That then the Honour of the Action would be Monsieur Catinat's due and that the Bells of the Place would belong to the General of the Artillery I say this because at the beginning of the Siege the Sieur de Feuquieres said to the Sieur Ducré Lieutenant-Genneral of the Ordnance Morbleu Sir make haste to put your Cannons upon the Batteries to play out of them before they surrender or else you 'll lose the Bells And indeed if he could but remember all his Gasconnades which he has been guilty of during this Siege in his Letters as well as in his Discourse he would so much the more be mortified by the ill success of his Enterprise The French Brigadeers may very well reproach him with the Troubles he gave them to lie every Night in the Trenches since all their Watchings and Care has been fruitless This Governour of Coni whom he threatned to hang at the Gate and this Commander of the Refugees whom he would exterminate before his Eyes with the whole Body that is under his Command have indeed great reason to laugh at his folly and for all his Calumnies to comfort themselves with the Glory they have acquired and the Justice his Royal Highness renders them having made the Governour Lieutenant-General of the Marquisate and Province of Salusses and presented the Lieutenant-Colonel de Julien with a Ring of great value and besides obtained for him from his Majesty of Great-Brittain the charge of Colonel of his Troops The Marquess de Vauqueres who during the Siege has also done his duty extream well and who brought the News of the raising of the Siege to his Royal Highness received also a very considerable present the Count de Bernez the first Engineer Guibert and Lieutenant-Colonel Fichet will not fail to be rewarded also by his Royal Highness for the Courage and Bravery they have show'd during this Siege In fine all the Troops Burghers and Militia have exactly done their duty and it would be too long for me to Name every Body that has signalized himself on this occasion Yet I cannot pass over in silence the great faithfulness of the People and the affection of the good Women who upon all occasions carried Bread and Wine to the Soldiers and assisted those that were wounded The Clergy who did behave themselves very devoutly before and during the Siege did sing the Te Deum with great solemnity so soon as the Siege was raised Of the Battalion of Monsieur de Julien there were 12 Officers wounded and 7 killed 79 Soldiers wounded and 51 killed in all killed and wounded 149. There are still 25 of them that have not yet recovered of their Wounds and some are in danger of Life The whole Battalion consisted of 500 Men. FINIS ADVERTISEMENTS MR. Fleetwood's Sermon Preach'd before the Honourable House of Commons Nov. 5. 1691. Discourses upon Trade principally directed to the cases of the Interest of Coinage Clipping and Encrease of Money The Monarchs of England from the Heptarchy to their present Majesties King William and Queen Mary taken from Medals and Original Paintings with a compendious History of their several Reigns By Guy Miege Gent. Regula Placitandi A Collection of special Rules for pleading from the Declaration to the Issue Ars Clericalis The Art of Conveyancing explained Being a Collection gathered with great care and industry out of the many Books of the Law wherein the Nature and Effect of such Deeds and Instruments by which Lands are conveyed from one Man to another are clearly demonstrated Also the forms and orderly parts which ought to be observed in Deeds and Conveyances are laid open and explained