Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση

Gallant affair at Boxtel.

them to surround it on every side; yet he still resolved, with great propriety, to remain there for some time, in order to cover the military operations of the Dutch on their own frontiers, and to give them every opportunity of putting their various works into the best condition for a vigorous defence. At this period the Earl of Moira resigned his command, and returned to England.

After the 4th of August, Lord Moira's army was incoporated with the Duke's,* and the whole of the infantry brigaded afresh. The 33rd had been one of the regiments intended to have been under the command of Lord Cornwallis: but they were now detained in Holland from the circumstances of the

case.

During the progress of the retreat, the French having passed the morass at Piel, deemed an insuperable barrier between the contending powers, a sudden attack was made upon all the posts on the right of the British army on the 14th of September, when that of Boxtel, the most advanced, was forced, with a loss of 1500 of the troops of Hesse Darmstadt, who were completely surrounded and cut off. The possession of Boxtel by the enemy rendering the whole line of posts untenable, as it completely commanded the river Dommel, which runs immediately into the town by Fort Isabella, the Commander-in-Chief thought it absolutely necessary to retake it, and for that purpose detached the reserve, composed of the brigades of Guards, the 12th, 33d, 42d, and 44th regiments of the line, with ca valry and artillery. At day-break on the 15th, Ge

neral

*The following narrow escape of the Duke of York has hitherto passed unnoticed. As he was crossing a small river, by means of a plank, a soldier suddenly rushed by him, and reached the opposite bank. The Duke stopped, struck with indignation at the soldier's rudeness; but his indignation was changed into gratitude, when he saw the man's head taken off by a cannon-ball as soon as he had left the plank.

Gallantry of the thirty-third.

neral Abercrombie having reconnoitred, found the enemy so strongly posted, that he did not venture to risque the attack without positive orders; and, upon sending back to His Royal Highness for instructions, he was desired to persist in the attack, but not to proceed further than he thought prudent.

In front, and inclining to the left of Abercrombie's corps, which had advanced through Schyndal, was a plain, skirted by a thick plantation of firs, in which the French had constructed several masked batteries. The Coldstream regiment had been left on picquet at Erp, a village on the river Aa, between Bois le Duc. and Helmont. The cavalry, 1st and 3rd guards, with the 33rd and 44th regiments of the line, pushed on towards the point of attack, the 12th and 42nd remaining in reserve on and near Schyndel. Some French Hussars shewed themselves boldly on the level ground, as a lure to the British cavalry; and, retreating before them, dispersed when they had drawn our unwary squadrons within reach of their batteries, which immediately opening upon them, they sustained some loss before they could possibly fall back. General Abercrombie having little doubt, by this time, of the proximity of the French grand army, and conceiving he had obeyed his orders in the fullest extent, by advancing as far as prudence would justify, determined to recal his troops, and to retreat within the British lines of encampment. About one hundred were killed and wounded during the affair; and although the British retired in very good order, yet the narrowness of the road had caused a regiment of Irish light dragoons to throw the 1st guards into some confusion. Taking advantage of this delay, the enemy's squadrons advanced in full force; but fortunately the thirty-third were formed in the rear, when their gallant leader with great judgment and promptitude caused them to open, and permit the dragoons to pass through, when instantly wheeling up into line they threw in a few cool and well directed

2.

F

A

Anecdotes of Pichegru.

directed vollies into the thickest of the which obliged them to retreat with precipi thereby enabled General Abecrombie to c retreat without further molestation.

The army having fallen back on the the 17th of September, the French vidett vanced in many places to the opposite river, and frequently conversed with the diers on picquet, expressing great respe national character, and assuring them that army had received with universal disgu mous decree of the Convention, to grant

The arragance of this upstart general may be dra lowing laconic epistle which he transmitted to the Prin on his first taking the field:

"General,

"I summon you, in the name of public to give up immediately Le Quesnoi, Conde, an or be assured I shall attack and vanquish you.

"PI

Nothwithstanding this specimen of French bravado knowledged that Pichegru was the most moderate of al publican chiefs, and is quite free from all charges of and peculation, a circumstance authenticated by a ve in that period of rapacity. His parents were very p people at Arbois, in Franche Compte, where he was bo he having began his studies at a small college here improved them at the convent of monks of the order much so, indeed, that these reverend fathers persua raged him to teach philosophy and mathematics in a order at Brienne. He was unwilling, however, to e tiate, or take up the cowl; but enlisted in the artille in America, where he laid the foundation of those Re ples which afterwards brought him to act so great a pa theatre of Europe. 'Twould far exceed our limits to mous conduct of that party in France which succeed depriving him of his command; it is sufficient to say to his native place nearly as poor as when he left it; fo was his horses and camp eqipage, and these he sold two of his poorest relatives, who were not afraid to aff and with the remaining five brethren of his old frie all that remained, the rest having either perished in 】 volutionary scaffolds.

Unhandsome conduct of the Dutch.

enemies no quarter. They would frequently continue those conversations for hours, with all the garrulity peculiar to their own country, always closing their remarks with " Englishmen, go home-you have no business here-you are too honest to be leagued with the Austrians and Prussians. They will soon leave you in the lurch." These conversations usually concluded with the one party striking up "God save the King," and the other "Car Ira," or the Carmagnol,

The great project now in agitation among the French was the attempt upon Holland. This, however, contrary to the usual mode, was intended for a winter campaign; for that season was approaching, and its expected severity held out to them a prospect of being able to pass the various rivers and canals as soon as they should be frozen over.

This determination had taken place after a smart action at Creve Coeur, which had enabled them to advance towards Bois le Duc, at which time the British army was posted at Grave, which His Royal Highness thought too near the presence of a superior force; accordingly, about the beginning of October, when they had taken that place, he found himself.compelled to retire.

The States Generals were so short sighted in their policy, as to imagine they could negociate a separate peace with France, while she was buoyed up by present success, and stimulated by her wants to future rapacity. The Dutch, indeed, seemed regardless of every former treaty, and unmindful of every obligation which they owed to Great Britain, one of whose objects, in entering upon this expensive war, was their protection, and the security of the advantages they derived from a free navigation of the Scheldt. Dutch ambassadors were even sent to beseech the ruling faction at Paris to grant them such terms as their known good faith and generosity would dictate; but the unfortunate and misguided Hol

[blocks in formation]

Military anecdotes of Bommel.

landers were first cajoled, next plundered, and then laughed at.

About this period, from the advance of the enemy, the Dutch Patriots also dared openly to avow their principles. Indeed the Stadtholder's party was decreasing daily, and the greatest dissentions prevailing in the different cities of the United Provinces, the pernicious effects were much felt by our army. The retreat too was hastened, by the precautionary measures of destroying the dykes not being sufficiently attended to. Some of them, indeed, had been pierced through, and round Bois le Duc the inundations had succeeded tolerably well; but on the capture of Creve Coeur, which, though only a small fortress, standing on the Maes, between Bois le Duc and Bommel, commanded the sluices of the former town. The French were thereby enabled to draw off the water, to bid defiance to the inundations, and to form the siege of that place. But the bombardment was scarcely

* It is a curious military fact, and interesting in a work of this nature, that Bommel may be called the birth place of the modern system of fortification. It is a small town on the banks of the Waal: at the ends of the two principal streets are gates; that towards the water, between very ancient walls, but on the land side more modern and stronger, with drawbridges over a wide fosse that nearly surrounds the

town.

On the other side of this ditch are high and broad embankments, well planted with trees, and so suitable to be used as public walks that they have generally been supposed to have been raised partly for that purpose, and partly as defences to the place against inundations. They are, however, greater curiosities, having been thrown up by Prince Maurice, in 1599, principally because he considered his garriSon was too numerous for the old works, and thereby enabled him to extend his line of defence. Between these entrenchments are made what is thought to have been the first attempt at a "covert way," now forming such a principal part of the modern system of defence. At that period Bommel stood a siege of five weeks, in which the Spanish General Mendoza, lost two thousand men. In fact, Bommel was a place of the last importance to the Dutch, in their struggle with Philip of Spain for their liberty at that period but now, alas! how fallen from the gallant simplicity of their ancestors.

« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »