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
Now at last Saxe resolved to strike a blow. On the 10th of October he
crossed the Jaar with evident intention of an attack, and the Allied
army received orders to be ready for action before the following dawn.
The Allies’ position faced very nearly due west, the army being drawn
up astride of the two paved roads leading into Liège from Tongres and
St. Trond. Their extreme right rested on the Jaar and was covered by
the villages of Slins, Fexhe, and Enick, all of which were strongly
entrenched and occupied by the Austrians. South of Enick extended an
open plain from that village to the village of Liers, and in this
plain was posted the Hanoverian infantry and four British battalions,
the Eighth, Nineteenth, Thirty-third, and Forty-third Foot, with the
Hessian infantry on their left, in rear of Liers. The Hanoverian
cavalry prolonged the line southward to the village of Varoux, and the
Sixth and Seventh Dragoons and Scots Greys continued it to the village
of Roucoux, from which point Dutch troops carried it on to the village
of Ance, which formed the extreme left of the position. Ligonier did
not like the situation, for he did not see how the turning of the left
flank could be prevented if, as would certainly be the case, the French
should seriously attempt it. Prince Charles, knowing that, if his right
were turned, his retreat to Maestricht would be cut off, had taken
care to hold the right flank in real strength and dared not weaken it;
but the position, with the Meuse in its rear, was perilously shallow,
while the convergence of two ravines from the Jaar and Mehaigne into
its centre allowed of but one narrow way of communication between the
right and the left of the army. The defects of the Allies’ dispositions
were in fact not unlike those which had proved fatal to King William
at Landen; and Ligonier’s anxiety was proved to rest on all too good
foundation.
◆Sept. 30./Oct. 11.◆
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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