A History of the British Army, Vol. 1: First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' WarFortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
History
A History of the British Army, Vol. 1: First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' War
Fortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army -- History
The campaign closed with the surrender of Charleroi, and the gain
by the French of the whole line of the Sambre. William came home
to meet the House of Commons and recommend an augmentation of the
Army by eight regiments of horse, four of dragoons, and twenty-five
of foot. The House reduced this list by the whole of the regiments
of horse, and fifteen of foot, but even so it brought the total
establishment up to eighty-three thousand men. There is, however,
but one new regiment of which note need be taken in the campaign
of 1694, namely the Seventh Dragoons, now known as the Seventh
Hussars, which, raised in 1689-90 in Scotland, now for the first
time took its place on the English establishment and its turn of
service in the war of Flanders.
[Illustration: LANDEN
19^{th}
July ------- 1693
29^{th}
_To face page 376_
]
[Sidenote: 1694.]
I shall not dwell on the campaign of 1694, which is memorable only
for a marvellous march by which Luxemburg upset William's entire
plan of campaign. Nor shall I speak at length of the abortive
descent on Brest, which is remembered mainly for the indelible
stain which it has left on the memory of Marlborough. It is only
necessary to say that the French, by Marlborough's information,
though not on Marlborough's information only, had full warning
of an expedition which had been planned as a surprise, and that
Tolmach,[268] who was in command, unfortunately though most
pardonably lacked the moral courage to abandon an attack which,
unless executed as a surprise, was hopeless of success. He was
repulsed with heavy loss, and died of wounds received in the
action, a hard fate for a good soldier and a gallant man. But it is
unjust to lay his death at Marlborough's door. For the failure of
the expedition Marlborough was undoubtedly responsible, and that is
quite bad enough; but Tolmach alone was to blame for attempting an
enterprise which he knew to be hopeless. Marlborough cannot have
calculated that he would deliberately essay to do impossibilities
and perish in the effort, so cannot be held guilty of poor
Tolmach's blunders.
[Sidenote: 1695.]
[Sidenote: January.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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