Military Memoirs of Capt. George CarletonDefoe, Daniel
History
Military Memoirs of Capt. George Carleton
Defoe, Daniel
Adventure stories; Great Britain -- History, Military -- Fiction; Soldiers -- Fiction
But after they had almost thus destroy'd that late fair City,
_Villeroy_, finding he could not raise the Siege of _Namur_, by that
vigorous Attack upon _Brussels_, decamp'd at last from before it, and
put his Army on the March, to try if he could have better Success by
exposing to Show his Pageant of one Hundred Thousand Men. Prince
_Vaudemont_ had timely Intelligence of the Duke's Resolution and Motion;
and resolv'd, if possible to get there before him. Nor was the Attempt
fruitless: He fortunately succeeded, though with much Fatigue, and no
little Difficulty, after he had put a Trick upon the Spies of the Enemy,
by pretending to encamp, and so soon as they were gone ordering a full
March.
The Castle of _Namur_ had been all this Time under the Fire of the
Besieger's Cannon; and soon after our little Army under the Prince was
arriv'd, a Breach, that was imagin'd practicable, being made in the
_Terra Nova_ (which, as the Name imports, was a new Work, rais'd by the
_French_, and added to the Fortifications, since it fell into their
Hands in 1692 and which very much increas'd the Strength of the Whole) a
Breach, as I have said, being made in this _Terra Nova_, a Storm, in a
Council of War, was resolv'd upon. Four entire Regiments, in conjunction
with some Draughts made out of several others, were order'd for that
Work, my self commanding that Part of 'em which had been drawn out of
Colonel _Tiffins_. We were all to rendevouze at the Abbey of _Salsines_,
under the Command of the Lord Cutts; the Signal, when the Attack was to
be made, being agreed to be the blowing up of a Bag of Gun-powder upon
the Bridge of Boats that lay over the _Sambre_.
So soon as the Signal was made, we march'd up to the Breach with a
decent Intrepidity, receiving all the Way we advanc'd the full Fire of
the _Cohorn_ Fort. But as soon as we came near enough to mount, we found
it vastly steep and rugged. Notwithstanding all which, several did get
up, and enter'd the Breach; but not being supported as they ought to
have been, they were all made Prisoners. Which, together with a Wound my
Lord _Cutts_ receiv'd, after he had done all that was possible for us,
necessitated us to retire with the Loss of many of our Men.
_VILLEROY_ all this while lay in fight, with his Army of One Hundred
Thousand Men, without making the least Offer to incommode the Besiegers;
or even without doing any thing more than make his Appearance in favour
of the Besieged, and reconnoitring our Encampment: And, at last, seeing,
or imagining that he saw, the Attempt would be to little purpose, with
all the good Manners in the World, in the Night, he withdrew that
terrible Meteor, and reliev'd our poor Horses from feeding on Leaves,
the only Inconvenience he had put us to.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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