British Campaigns in Flanders 1690-1794: Being Extracts from "A History of the British Army"Fortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
History
British Campaigns in Flanders 1690-1794: Being Extracts from "A History of the British Army"
Fortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
Flanders -- History, Military; Great Britain -- History, Military -- 18th century
is blamed also for not attacking either the Redoubt d’Eu or Fontenoy
after he had penetrated into the French camp. This charge is less
easy to rebut, for the French always know when they are beaten, and
seeing their left rolled up and troops advancing on Fontenoy in
flank and rear would probably have given up the game for lost, and
that the more readily since their ammunition in Fontenoy was for the
moment nearly exhausted. Even so, however, Saxe’s reserves were always
at hand at Ramecroix, and would have required to be held in check.
Another puzzling question, namely, why Cumberland did not make greater
use of his artillery in the action, is answered by the fact that the
contractors for the horsing of the guns ran off with the horses early
in the day. Such an occurrence was by no means unusual, and yet it
never happened to Marlborough, not even at Malplaquet. Altogether, the
conclusion seems to be that Cumberland stumbled on to a brilliant feat
of arms by mistake, and, though seconded by his troops with bravery
equal to his own, was not a General of sufficient capacity to turn his
success to account.
At the close of the action Cumberland retreated to Ath and encamped
under the guns of that fortress, leaving his wounded to the mercy of
the French, who, by a strange perversion of their usual chivalry,
treated them with shameful barbarity. Among the wounded, strangely
enough, were a few of the new sect of Methodists founded by John
Wesley, who faced death and wounds with the stern exultation that had
once inspired the troopers of Cromwell. One of them wrote to Wesley
that, even after a bullet in each arm had forced him to retire from the
field, he hardly knew whether he was on earth or in heaven, such was
the sweetness of the day. This man and a few more of his kind probably
helped their fellow-sufferers through the misery of the days following
the battle, until Cumberland’s furious remonstrances with Saxe procured
for them better treatment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account