the Fatigues to see this great Affair over Whilst we continued in this Camp near Namur His Majesty went dayly to view the Fortifications of the Castle and Outworks to give Orders about the reparation of them and the making new ones to defend the weakest parts where we had found our advantage not to give the same to others The Brigades that had been present at the marching out of the Enemies continued Incamp'd about the Cohorne Casotte and Abbey of Salsen and Major General Churchil with his 20 Battallions in the Retrenchments before the Town The 28th the Marechal de Villeroy repassed the Sambre at Bussiere and incamp'd along the River Haisne between the Sambre and Mons with his Head Quarters at Binche leaving the Marquis â—e Harcourt with a flying Army to return into the â—ay's de Luxembourg to observe the Brandenburgh Forces in their return home and the Sieur de Pracontal with a little Body about Philipville The same day the Regiments of â—erguson and Marton c. were sent to joyn Sir David Collier's Regiment by Namur in order to remain there under his Command the Winter following the rest of â—ir Davids Collier's Brigade march'd back this day into the Camp The 29th the Army march'd upon the left from Boucquâ—t by Masy and Incamp'd with the Right at the Abby of Villers Peâ—wys and the left at Sombref the Kings Quarters and the Electors at Marbais glad to remove from the Neighbourhood of Namur where Forage was so scarce The Army consisted then of Seventy Five Battallions and all the Cavalry except that of Brandenburgh and Hesse which with the rest of those Troops marchâ—d to Falais and Incamp'd with their Right upon the Mehaigne and Left upon the Mense but the Lantgrave of Hâ—sse attended His Majesty to Sombreff and took his leave the next day to return into Germany leaving his Troops under the Command of Count Lippe which with the Brandenburg Troops continued here sometime till the middle of September to cover Namur whilst we were working dayly very hard to Repair the Breaches Twenty Five Battallions remainâ—d besides at Namur under the Command of Major General Cohorne who has since been made Lieutenant General for his extraordinary Services in the Siege and the King of Spain has confer'd upon him the Title of Baron The same Day 29th the Marechal de Boufflers was sent from Namur to Maestricht under the Escort of the Fourth Troop of Guards which went this day to Loo to expect His Majesty The Marechal de Boufflers had the Liberty of the Town at Maestricht and was treated with the same Respect by the Garrison as if it had been the Duke of Holstein Ploen himself beating a March c. Upon the Marching of our Army from Namur towards Halle Sir Henry Bellasis left Brussels with the Ten Battallions under His Command and marched back to Ghâ—ndâ— to Incamp at Bellem upon the Canal of Bruges where he continued till the separation into Winter Quarters The 30th the Army march'd upon the Right from Villers Perwys and Sombref to Bois Seigneur Isaac a Rich Abby where the King had his Quarter We passed the Dyle above Genap and Incampâ—d with our Right at Brain le Chateau and our Left at Witersey by Nivelle The same day the Elector left the Camp to go to Louvain and meet the Dutchess of Bavaria who was going to the Baths at Aix la Chapelle The Marechal de Villeroy march'd this day from Binâ—he to the Plaines of Cambron where he Incamped with his Right near the Dender above Aeth and his Left near the Abbey of Cambron the Marechal de Villeroy had his Quarters at Chievres Aeth was just in the Rear of their Right and very much incommoded them in this Camp 'T was said at first they design'd to Besiege Aeth but Namur was taken and we had too considerable an Army in the Field for them to undertake it The 31. the Kings Army march'd from Bois Seigneur Isaac by Brain le Chateau and passed the Senne between Lembeck and Halle upon Two Bridges the Artillery and Wheel-Baggage by the Town of Halle and so we Incamp'd as formerly with our Right beyond Halle and our Left beyond Tubise the King's Quarters at Lembeck and the Electors at Halle The first of September the Elector of Bavaria having attended her Electoral Highness some part of the way between Louvain and Maestricht came to Brusselles where he assisted at the Te Deum sung in the Great Church of St. Gudules by the Arch-Bishop of Malines for the Reduction of Namur All the High Officers of the Court the Council of State and that of the Finances Septemb. all the Magistrates and Clergy being present The Canon was Thrice discharged round the Ramparts in the Evening and the Elector receiv'd the Complements of the Court of the Officers of State Magistrates c. for his Success in this great Enterprize where he has Expos'd himself wonderfully in all Dangers for the good of the Countrey And here I cannot forbear mentioning the great Expressions of Joy this poor City made for the taking of Namur though it had been so severely usâ—d by the French in the late Bombardment and had so much suffered for this Victory The News of the Capitulation came to the Town the same Night it was made about One in the Morning when every Body without staying for the Day immediately got up and made Bonfires out of the very Ruins of their Houses crying God save the King of England and the Elector of Bavaria The Joy was Universal all over the Countrey and they had Extraordinary Solemnities in Antwerp Ghent and Bruges and all the considerable Towns with Fire-works Feasting and Rejoycing The 2d the Elector of Bavaria came from Brussels to the Camp at Halâ—e The 3d. His Majesty being shortly to leave the Army to go to Loo Review'd it this Day drawn up in Two Lines the Duke of Holstein Ploen Saluting at the Head of it and all the General Officers in their several Posts The King rid round every Squadron and Battallion though it was very foul Weather which had continued almost dayly since the Capitulation of Namur The French King having order'd the Marechal of Boufflers to pass his word of Honour for the Garrisons of Dixmuyde and Deinse who were now better treated than before the taking of Namur a Gentleman sent express to the Camp from the Marechal was dispatched this day with a Pass for his Liberty to return to the French Court upon his Promise That the said Garrison should be sent back forthwith When the Dutchess of Bavaria pass'd through Maestricht in her way to Aix la Chapelle the Marechal of Boufflers went to wait upon her Highness And now having his Liberty he left Maestricht the 5th being highly satisfied of his Treatment and of the Honour and Respect that he met with here and so went on by Huy to Dinant and from thence to Court where he Arriv'd the 11th The Marechal was Escorted
King of Spain's Hands He does not aggrandize his Dominions by it and has no other Interest in it but the glory of doing so much Good to the World in general and of establishing the Welfare and Security of his Subjects in particular by the Reduction of this strong Key of the Spanish and United Provinces Thus much for this Preface I believe the French depended more upon the strength and greatness of their Army than upon any Hopes the Dean and Chapter 's Preface could give them The 16th the Maréchal de Villeroy left the Camp of Seneff and Nivelle He commanded all the heavy Baggage away to Mons and march'd with the whole Army to the Plains of Fleury where he encamp'd with his Right between St. Amand and Fleury and his Left towards Sombref the head Quarter was at Marbais At Night he caus'd about 50 Pieces of Cannon to be drawn at the Head of his Camp upon the Causey that goes to Namur which were discharg'd round to give the Besieged notice of his Arrival who now made every Night some Signals from the top of the Cavalier of the Terra nova with lighted Torches sometimes Four and Three and Two which we suppos'd to signifie the time of the Resistance they could make The Besieged did not answer Villeroy's Signal and as 't was told after the Siege did not hear it the Wind being contrary tho' 't was a still Night The King upon Villeroy's Approach with the French Army left his Quarter at Malogne and the Siege of the Castle to the Elector of Bavaria and the Duke of Holstein Ploen and took his Quarter that very Night at the Castle of Bovesse a Gentleman's House in the Rear of our Right Wing of Horse but most of His Majesty's Domesticks remain'd at the more convenient Quarter in the Abbey of Malogne The next Day the King was very early with Prince Vaudemont at his Quarter at Golsines being then indispos'd which hinder'd him from waiting upon the King at his own Quarter Measures were then taken for the Security of our Camp by making Retrenchments where they were requisite The King brought with him from the Siege Velt-Maréchal-General Fleming and Count d'Arco General of the Bavarians to command our Right-Wing of Horse and Lumley's Brigade of English Horse was detach'd from the Left to the Right Wing which was most expos'd to the Enemy to re-inforce it They encamp'd at St. Denis between the Hesse Troops and the Right of our Army which we advanc'd yet farther in the Front and drew our Line closer to the Woods and the Avenues between them The same Day 17th the second Battalion of Dutch Guards and the second of Scots which had reliev'd some Days before my Lord Cuts his Battalion and the first Battalion of Dutch Guards were countermanded back to the Camp and 12 Battalions more of the Elector of Brandenbourgh's and States Forces besides more of the Horse imploy'd in the Siege so that 't was computed we had this Day 97 Battalions and 237 Squadrons to oppose to the Maréchal de Villeroy besides about 30 Battalions which continu'd the Siege and Six in Garrison in the Town This is the true state of our Forces in this great Conjuncture and at this time 500 Men is the most that we can rate a Battalion at one with another and 110 each Squadron in either Armies I leave the Calculation to the Reader and the difference of the two Armies will appear upon it This Day we began to work at our Retrenchments to fortifie the House and Bridge of Masy we made a Retrenchment at Bossire before Fits-patrick and Selwyn's Brigades which had before Prince Vaudemont's Quarter at Golsines in their Rear and Bossire upon their Left but upon the approach of Villeroy they chang'd their Ground and encamp'd with their Right at the Prince's Quarter and Left towards the little River which runs by Gemblours and Masy to the Sambre and Bossire in their Rear their Line being perpendicular to the Line of our Army This Retrenchment defended the Plain which runs with a Wood upon the Right and another upon the Left towards Conroy and Gemblours Farther towards Conroy we cut down Trees to barricade the High-ways and plac'd there a Captain and 60 Men detach'd out of the two ' fore-said Brigades with Orders to maintain the Post as long as possibly they could to give notice of the Enemies Approach These two Brigades were then under the Command of Major-General Ramsay The same Day 17th Brigadier Fitspatrick was detach'd with 8 Battalions 3 whereof were Maitland Tiffeny and Ferguson the rest Dutch and Germans to the Village of St. Denis which lying upon the skirt of a Wood they fortified very strongly The Hessians were more to the Right where they defended with a good Retrenchment the little Plain between St. Denis and Meux situated on the skirts of another Wood more towards the Mehaigne Velt-Maréchal Fleming and Count d'Arco with Lumley's Brigade and the Brandenbourgh Horse and Bavarian Cuirassiers were order'd more to the Right between the Wood of Meux and the Village of Du where they made another Retrenchment over the Plain from the Wood upon the Left to Du upon the Right The Mehaigne has several little Springs and some in this Place This was the Disposition of our Affairs the 1â—th in the Army As for the Enemies they did not march this Day but continued in their Camp between Fleury and Sombref they had made a considerable March the Day before with such a vast Body that they halted this Day to compleat their Army to Forrage and give out Bread to the Soldiers The 18th they march'd more upon their Left towards Gemblours to come nearer to our Right which was the most open part of our Camp our Left towards the Sambre being very strongly encamp'd as we have describ'd it above They encamp'd with their Right at Gemblours and Left at Grandléz the head Quarter at Saunier Upon which Motion of the Enemy Orders were given in our Army not to stir out of the Camp and every Body to be ready at a Minute's warning which should be given by the firing of three Pieces of Cannon The same Day 18th 22 Grenadiers per Company out of his Majesty's Forces were order'd to be ready to march and make an Assault upon the Breach we had made in the Terra nova jointly with the rest of the Besiegers who were to attack the Breach of the Cohorne and other Out-works But his Majesty expecting the Enemies should attack us the next Day thought it more convenient to deferr the Assault longer and in the mean while to widen and applanish the Breaches with the usual violence of our Cannon these Grenadiers being more necessary in our Camp at this time The Maréchal de Villeroy intended to attack us the next Day the King was inform'd of it and the Army expected it for which Reason all Officers and Soldiers were order'd to lie in their Cloaths with their Arms ready to
In the Evening Major-General Swerin commanded the Trenches with Brigadier Dedem and Colonel Friderick Hamilton The Breaches being now considerable the Enemies work'd hard every Night to make Retrenchments and Traverses within the Breaches of the Terra nova and Cohorne and our Bombs playing without intermission in these Works did no doubt kill them a great many Men. The 18th Major-General la Cave had the Trenches and Brigadier Horne with Colonel Courthop of the English Our Artillery from all Parts continu'd its usual Fury and the Enemies whilst we work'd in our Trenches still us'd their Machines to interrupt our Men they tumbl'd down Six Bombs this Night but with as little effect as before The 19th upon expectation that the Maréchal de Villeroy would attack the King's Army the Elector waited upon his Majesty But Villeroy having thought it more convenient to let it alone the King with the Elector and Prince Vaudemont and other chief Generals concerted the Assault for the next Day A MEMOIR of the General Attack made upon the CASTLE of NAMUR The Disposition of this Attack was as follows MY Lord Cutts with 3000 English was to attack the Counterscarp and Breach of the Terra nova and that part of the Line of Communication between the Cohorne and the Terra nova which was next to the Terra nova The Count de Rivera was to attack the Breach of the Cohorne and that part of the aforesaid Line of Communication next the Cohorne with 3000 Bavarians and others Major General la Cave was to attack on the Right of Count Rivera with 2000 Brandenburghers the upper point of the Cohorne and part of the Communication to the Casotte Major-General Swerin was to attack the Casotte with 2000 Dutch and at the same a time Colonel was to attack the Lower Town with 600 Men. The Signal was to be a considerable Quantity of Powder blown-up upon the old Battery near the Brussels Port and the Word of Battle given by the Elector of Bavaria was God-with-us The Directions given by the Elector of Bavaria to the aforesaid General Officers that were to Command the respective Attacks in chief were as follows That a certain Number of Men should be commanded in each Attack upon the Forlorn-hope another Number to sustain them and the rest to be upon the Reserve and as to Particulars he left it to each General Officer commanding an Attack in chief to do as his own Judgment and the Occasion should direct him only it was order'd that Count Rivera's Attack and those upon the Right of him should begin some Minutes before the English Attack because that was like to be the most difficult The Lord Cutts the Night before the Attack receiv'd a Detachment from the King of 1000 chosen Men which were to be part of his 3000 For His Majesty was now at the head of the Confederates Army and had left my Lord Cutts to command all the English that stay'd with the Duke of Bavaria to carry on the Siege It was order'd by the Duke of Bavaria the Night before the Action That all the Troops design'd for the several Attacks should march into the Trenches before Day there to lie undiscover'd till the Hour of the Signal The Lord Cutts in pursuance of this Order march'd into the Trenches with his Men some Hours before Day but there not being room enough to cover all his Men he was forced to place Three Regiments at the Abbey of Salsen which was the nearest Place to the Trenches where they could lie undiscover'd The Disposition which my Lord Cutts made for the English was as follows He commanded 4 Sergeants each with 15 Men promising in His Majesty's Name Advancement to the Sergeants and Rewards to the private Men if they did their Duty to go upon the Forlorne Hope These were to be follow'd by the Grenadiers of the Guards under the Command of Colonel Evans and those by the rest of the Grenadeers design'd for the Attack of the Breach making in all 700 under the Command of a Colonel 300 Grenadeers were order'd to attack the Line of Communication Colonel Courthop and Colonel Mackay's Regiments were order'd to sustain those that attack'd the Breach Colonel Hamilton and Colonel Buchan's Regiments were to make the Reserve And that this might be the better perform'd it was order'd that the Regiments of Mackay Hamilton and Buchan which were plac'd at the Abbey of Salsen should immediately after the Signal given march to the Place of Action and draw up-behind the Regiment of Courthop there to receive further Orders About Noon or soon after the Attack was begun the English marching out of the Trenches drew up under the Enemies Fire and notwithstanding they had 900 Paces to march before they came to the Breach expos'd all the way to the Enemies great and small shot which fir'd sorely upon their Flank all the way they went on with a great deal of firmness and resolution Immediately after the Grenadeers follow'd Colonel Courthop's Regiment with Drâ—â—â—eating and Colours flying The 〈◊〉 of this Attack look'd very hopeful but the Three Regiments at Salsen not marching so soon as was intended either by a failure or mistake in the Signal the English Troops that were already engag'd were over-power'd by the Numbers of the Enemies and that which contributed to their Misfortune was the Count de Rivera's being shot dead upon the spot the Count de Marsilly who commanded the 600 Men that were to attack the Line of Communication next the Cohorne with his Lieutenant-Colonel being both immediately shot dead Colonel Courthop being likewise shot dead and his Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Matthew Bridges desperately wounded most of the Officers of the Grenadeers being kill'd or wounded particularly Captain Mitchel of the Guards shot dead and Colonel Evans desperately wounded my Lord Cutts receiving a shot in his Head which disabl'd him for some time the Count de Mercy Colonel Windsor Colonel Stanhop Mr. Thompson and several other Gentlemen who went Voluntiers with my Lord Cutts in this Action being wounded and totally disabled And Count Rivera's Attack not beginning quite so soon as was intended by reason of the aforesaid Mistake of the Signal all the Fire of that part of the Cohorne which was next the Terra nova fell upon the English which had been otherwise employed if every thing had succeeded as was intended After some time the 3 Regiments from Salsen arriv'd but things were then in such a Posture that they were forced to begin a new Attack instead of sustaining that already begun For Count Nogent and Monsieur L'Abadié were by this time come down by Order of the Maréchal de Boufflers as we were afterwards inform'd by the French Commanders in the space which is between the Cohorne and Terra nova with 1200 Foot and Dragoons all fresh Men whereof 200 were of the Dragoons of the French King's Houshold and with these Troops they charg'd our Forces in Flank and Rear which were already in the middle
Hill against the old Tower and among the Palissades of the cover'd way The Brandenburghers did the same from their Battery upon the edge of the Hill of St. Barbe but being too far from the Meuse and to fire over this River upon the Enemy in their Works upon the Hill of Bouge it could not do very great execution But to make more serviceable Batteries of this side and to bring them nearer to the Meuse the Brandenburghs had opened the Trench the 1st against the Enemy's Work which they had to cover the Fauxbourgh de Jambe to drive them out of this place The Castle commanded all the bottom between the height of St. Barbe and the Meuse for which reason the Brandenburgh Troops were forced at first to open their Trench very high up the Meuse towards the Bridge of Communication and so to work downwards towards the 〈…〉 and by this time they had considerably advanced their Work But this day the Enemy made a Sally about two in the Afternoon upon the Brandenburghers Trenches which was commanded by a Colonel The Enemy were reckoned about 1200 strong being most Dragoons and two Squadrons of them mounted The Brandenburghers were at first forcâ—d to give way the Colonel that commanded was killed being a French Refugié a Lieutenant Colonel and 100 Soldiers killed and wounded The Enemies levelled 150 paces of their Trenches but the Brandenburghers rallied and being reinforced with some Horse they regain'd their Post and drove the Enemy back to the Fauxbourgh de Jambe who had the Count de Grammont Colonel of Dragoons wounded upon this occasion and about thirty men killed and wounded This is the only Sally the French made during the Siege of the Town In the Evening Major-General Ramsay was commanded to make an Assault upon the coverâ—d way which the Enemies had upon the Hill of Bouge with the five Battallions of Guards which were here to be employed in the Siege the other two remained with Prince Vaudemont These â—attallions were two of the first Regiment of English Guards the Coldstream Battallion of Guards of which my Lord Cuts is Colonel the first Battallion of Dutch Guards and the first of Scots Guards besides a Detachment of fifteen Grenadiers throughout the other Regiments of his Majesty's Forces here The Attack was disposed on this manner This Body was to form two Attacks the one upon the Right of the Tower of Cocklé the other upon the Left each Attack to begin with 120 Fusiliers commanded for that purpose out of the Regiments and 120 Grenadiers the Fusiliers to march first each carrying a large Fascine before him and his Fusil ready being drawn up in three Ranks the Granadiers immediately to follow each to carry three Grenades they were to advance in this manner towards the Line which they were to attack and then when they were come within forty paces of the Enemy's Work the Grenadiers were to divide to the Right and Left of the Fusiliers and to fire their Arms by Pelottons and then to advance clear to the Enemy's Palissades to fire in their Grenades after that the Fusiliers were to throw down their Fascines and then to make all the Fire they could the Grenadiers were to be followed by 100 Workmen to each Attack and two or three Ingeniers the Workmen to carry Wooll-sacks and Gabions and post them most conveniently to drive the Enemy from their Works 100 Grenadiers besides were to carry Fascines as the Fusiliers and march equally with them and 50 men behind them with an Enginier to plant them as the rest and these were to march in the Center between the two Attacks against the old Tower as many Grenadiers were to be disposed in the same manner upon the Right of all the Battallions were immediately to follow and sustain the Fusiliers and Granadiers and drive the Enemy from their Works The first Palissades being gain'd we were to lodge our selves there and to make use of the Enemy's rais'd Work for a Parapet The Regiments in the Trenches were to be ready to march out and sustain them upon occasion the Signal to be one of the Artillery Colours raised upon the highest of the Dutch Trenches and then all were to fall on which was accordingly done â—bout seven in the Evening Major-General Ramsay ordered none of the Battallions should fire till they could put their Pieces in the Enemies Palissades and to march with their Arms shoulder'd which he saw executed himself The Guards march very boldly with their Arms shoulder'd and sustained the Enemies Fire till they came up to the Palissades and then they gave a full fire which put the French in some confusion Nevertheless they still disputed the Retrenchment and after a little time they were forced to quit it and the Guards remain'd Masters of the Palissade The Enemies Palissades being gain'd the Major-General order'd our Men to break them and to get into the cover'd way Our Soldiers being flushed were very eager to go forward without bidding Having gained this covered way nothing could hold them but they went on very furously and attack'd the Palissades of the second covered way which they gained after a short dispute and the Enimies were in such a Consternation that they soon abandoned them all that their Officers could do could not keep them up but our Men got in with them and pursu'd them Sword in Hand among all their Forts which they had upon the Brow of this Hill and so down to the very Counterscarp of the Tower before the Porte de Fer the most forward went thâ—s far But the rest made a great Slaughter among the French that had got into the Stone-pits which are very common upon the side of this Hill where they endeavoured in the confusion to conceal themselves from the Fury of our Soldiers But the Forts made a considerable fire and killed us many men who were very thick all about them Where the Dutch Guards attack'd upon the Right the Enemies disputed their Post very hard and held them to it They were sustained by my Lord George Hamilton's first Battallion who had his share in the Honour of the Action though 't was not this Regiment's turn to mount the Trenches but being at hand in the Line of Circumvallation my Lord received Orders to be ready with his Regiment Brigadier Fitz-Patrick marched at the Head of it with his known Bravery The Dutch Guards notwithstanding the resistance they met with carried the Palissades they attack'd and the Royal Regiment maintain'd it and pushed on with the rest and indeed they all did wonders in this Attack And when they were once got in the first Palissades there was no distinction of Battallions but all mixed with one another and the Soldiers were very willing to obey their next Officer without distinction so that I shall omit the due praise which every Regiment deserved upon this occasion as well the Regiments of the Trenches as the Guards some of which were concerned in the Attack as the