A. C. 1709. nemine, de Renty, de Berville, d'Autel, and de St. Hilaire. Upon the whole Matter, thofe who judg'd impartially of this Battle were of Opinion, that all Things confider'd, the Allies gain'd, indeed, a very reJudgment markable and glorious Victory, but paid too dear of this Batfor it; and, on the other hand, that tho' the French tle. were beaten from their fortified Camp, and loft the Field of Battle, yet they retriev'd part of their former Reputation: But then their not attempting afterwards to relieve Mons, as it expos'd their Impotence, fo did it make it appear, that their Lofs was much greater than they pretended. It was obferv'd, that this Battle was fought the fame Day on which Prince Eugene gain'd the famous Victory over the Turks at Zenta, on the River Tibifcus in Hungary, in the Year 1697. whereupon the Treaty of Carlowitz enfued. The Action at Blaregnies being over, the Victori- The Confe ous Army was order'd to encamp a little beyond the derate Are Field of Battle, which was covered with the Bodies my returns of Men dead, dying, and wounded; and on the 12th of September (N. S.) they return'd to their old Camp Belian. at to the Camp at * N. B. Those which have this Mark before them, were not hill'd in the Battle, but died afterwards of their Wounds. A. C. at Belian, Prince Eugene taking his Quarters in the 1709. Village of Quarignan, the Duke of Marlborough his in the Abby of Belian, and Count Tilly his in the Village of Port Quefoy. The fame Day, the Allies were bufy in burying their Dead, and removing their wounded Men; and there having been a great many of the French Officers and Soldiers left wounded on the Field of Battle, and in the adjacent Houses, the Duke of Marlborough gave Notice to the Marefchals de Boufflers and Villars, that he would permit them to fend a Number of Waggons to fetch them off; and order Lieutenant General Cadogan with 200 Horfe to meet at Bavay fuch a General Officer as they fhould fend with a like Number to fettle the manner, and take the Paroles of Honour of the Officers that they carried off, with the Number of the private Soldiers, to be afterwards accounted for, upon an Exchange. Accordingly, they fent the Chevalier de Luxemburgh, a Lieutenant General, with whom General Cadogan having concerted every thing, he return'd to the Camp, and left an Officer and Commiflary to take a Lift of all that should be found; and two Days were allow'd the Enemy for burying the Dead and bringing off the Wounded, as they defired. Thanksgi The 15th of September (N. S.) being appointed as a ving and Day of Thankfgiving to Almighty God, for the late Rejoycings wonderful Victory, was obferv'd very devoutly thro' in the Con- the whole Confederate Army, and the Evening confederate Camp. cluded with Salvoes of Artillery and Muskets, and other Military Rejoycings: And it is obfervable, that upon the firft News of this Battle, and a fond Report that the French had the Advantage, they likewife made Rejoycings for it at Charleroy, Namur, and other Places; but they were foon undeceiv'd, and their Joy appall'd. On the 16th, Eighteen Battalions that had fuffer'd moft in the Action, being order'd † Sept. 26. to go and recruit themselves, fome of them began their March towards the Places affign'd them; and their room was foon after fupplied by Twenty four Battalions drawn out of the Garrifons, Twenty of viz.Hill's which were Dutch, the other Four* British. The Strathna Confederate Generals having refolv'd to lay Siege to ver's,- the important Town of Mons, the Capital City of Grant's, Heinhanit, and the late Refidence of the Elector of Bavaria, Lieut. General Cadogan, with Monfieur Vegelin, one of the States Deputies, went, on the 18th, to and Wynn's Bruffels, Bruffels, to haften the March of the Artillery and A. C. Ammunition Waggons defign'd for that Enterprize; 1709. a great Number of Horfes were fent from the Army, to affift in bringing up the fame to the Camp; and The Duke the 19th, the Duke of Marlborough remov'd his Quar- of Marlboters to the Castle of Havre. We may here take no- rough tice that Count Bergheyck, the chief Manager of removes his King Philip's Affairs in the Netherlands, wrote fome Quarters to time before, the following Letter to his Grace. Havre, · My Lord! Sept. 19. Do my felf the Honour to fend to your Highness Count Berby a Drummer, a Letter which the Duke of Al- gheyck's ba and I have, by Order from the King my Master, Letter to written to your Highnefs. 'Tis with the greateft his Grace. Pleasure, my Lord, that I take this Opportunity to affure your Highness of my having for you all the Refpect and Submiflion poffible; and I take the Liberty to defire your Highness to give me Leave to add to the Letter which we both write, that if Her Majesty the Queen of Great-Britain, fhould, by Means the Good Offices of your Highness, think it for the 'Intereft of the Nation to have Regard to it, I am 'provided with Powers from the King my Mafter to explain my felf more particularly, to fuch Perfon and in fuch Place as your Highness will pleafe to nomi'nate, upon whatever may be moft to the Satisfaction of Her Majefty, and for the Intereft of the Na'tion; as alfo to the particular Satisfaction of your Highnefs. I have the Honour to be with all the most profound Refpect, My Lord, Mons, Aug. 21. 1709. Your Highneffes moft Humble His Grace did not think fit to have, at that time, any private Conference with that Minifter; but as the latter happen'd to be in Mons when the Allies in vefted the Town, he was, on the 21ft of September, permitted to have an Interview with his Grace, who Siege of granted him Pafs-ports for feveral Ladies and Perfons Mons. of Diftinction that went out of Mons. His Grace and Prince Eugene having taken the neceffary Mea fures to fecure the March of the Artillery, and ap pointed the Generals that were to command in this Siege, under the Prince of Orange Naffau, the latter gavė A. C. 1709. The Prince of Naffau's Letters to the States General about the Siege of Mons. gave the following Account of the Difpofitions made thereto, and the Progrefs thereof 'till the 27th, in thefe two Letters to the States General. From the Camp before Mons, Sept. 23. High and Mighty Lords, Receiv'd with due Refpect, your High Mightineffes Letter of the 16th Inftant, wherein your High Mightineffes exprefs their Satisfaction of my Conduct, fhewn in the Battle of Tainieres; and as this Declaration is very acceptable to me, fo it fhall 'animate me for the future not to regard any Pains nor Trouble, but ever to facrifice my Life in the * Service of your High Mightineffes, in hopes to de"ferve your Favour and Affection more and more. "The Siege of Mons being refolv'd upon, I have "the Honour to command the fame, and under me of the Infantry, the Lieutenants General Pettendorf, Rantzau, and Dhona; the Majors General Lord North and Gray, Sacken, Els, Ammama, and Ivoy; the Brigadiers Evans, Earl of Orrery, Weecks, Horft, Rechteren and Ockinga. Of the Cavalry, Lieutenant General Schuylemburgh; the Majors General Stain, Chanclos and Cheus; the Brigadiers Fabricius and Hunderbein. 6 6 6 The most part of the 30 Battalions and 30 Squadrons appointed for the Siege being arrived in this Camp, I repair'd hither on the 20th Inftant, and the Projects of the Directors of the Approaches, in refpect to the Attacks, being approv'd on, it was, 'with the Advice of the Field Deputies of your High Mightineffes, and the Princes of Savoy and Marlborough, refolv'd to open the Trenches to Morrow Night, if every thing requifite and neceffary thereto be ready, in two feveral Places, viz. at the Gate of Bertamont, where the chief Attack will be, and the Gate of Havre. This Evening 100 Soldiers and 100 Workmen are order'd to poffefs themfelves of a Mill on the Trouille, and thereby to cut off the Enemy's Provifions on that fide. The Sieur Drue de Caftillon, Captain of the Regiment of Guethem, and a Pealant, who offer'd himfelf voluntarily, have been order'd to drain the Innundations between St. "Guiflain and Mons; to execute which, 150 Pioneers, with a fufficient Guard, are commanded to fupport them, 6 1709. ་ them, and they are to begin that Work tomorrow. A. C. Thirty Squadrons, under the Command of a "Lieutenant General, two Majors General, and two "Brigadiers, have been order'd to guard the Artillery hither, which is to break up from Bruffels tomorrow; all the other Pofts are, for their better Security, affign'd to the commanding Officer. Mean time, nothing is ommitted for making the 'neceffary Preparations to continue this importantTM Siege with a happy Succefs, &c. Sign'd, J. W. F. Prince of Orange and Naffau. The other Letter, dated September 26th, was as follows. High and Mighty Lords, Oth Nthe 23d, I had the Honour to give your High Mightineffes an Account of my Arrival in this 'Camp, and what had been done to that time in the Preparations towards the Profecuting of this Siege. The Perfons who were order'd to drain the Inundations between Condé and Mons, did fo happily execute their Orders, that the Water on one fide is already fallen above 6 Foot. The Defign of cutting off the Mills on the TrouC ille has had alfo a good Succefs, the Garrifon therein, confifting of 24 Men under the Command of an Officer, furrender'd Prifoners of War without any Refiftance; whereupon a Beginning was made 'to draw off the Water on that fide likewife. Laft Night, at half an Hour after Nine, the Trenches 'were open'd at the Attack of Bertamont with all the Succefs imaginable, A Parallel of 550 Foot was 'drawn before the Hornwork of that Gate, with a 'Line of Communication from the Village of Hyron to the Parallel aforefaid, and another was begun 'from the Height of the Road of Bavay; but the Time falling too fhort, it could not be join'd to the other. We had on this Occafion 3 Men kill'd, and 1 Major, 1 Captain, 1 Subaltern, 1 Ingineer, ' and 54 common Soldiers wounded. On the Attack of the Gate of Havre, Ingineer de Boeffe run a 'Parallel along the Foot of the Glacis; but an un⚫ forfeen Accident incapacitated him to draw a Communication with his Line on the Rear, which was 'the |