A. C. the Duke of Savoy held a Council of War, about 1708. the further Operations of the Campaign.

Hitherto the D. of Savoy's Motions had been only a Feint to draw moft of the French Troops towards Fort des Barreaux, which fucceeding according to Wish, and his Royal Highnefs being inform'd, That the Enemy had only left fome few Battalions for the Defence of Exilles and Feneftrelles, the Taking of which was his true Design, that Prince ftopt fhort; General and on the 29th of July, detach'd General Rhebinder, Rhebin with 14 Battalions, from St. John de Maurienne, with der takes Orders to pafs with all Speed the Col de la Roue, and Oulx and Mount Genevre, in order to poffefs Sezane and Oulx. Sezane. Thefe Orders were fo punctually executed, that

Monfieur Maret, who guarded the Pafs of Mount Genevre, with Six Battalions, abandon'd the fame, without the leaft Refiftance; and General Rhebinder furpriz'd in Oulx and Sezane, 9 Captains, 4 Lieutenants, and too Soldiers, who were made Prifoners; And afterwards, advancing towards Briançon, cut off the Communication between the French Army and Exilles and Fenestrelles. On the other hand, the Duke of Savoy having decamp'd from St. John de Maurien ne, the 31st of July, came on the 2d of August to the Camp of Bardonache, in the Valley of Pragelas, where he continued till the 8th, having spent that Time in making the neceffary Difpofitions for Befieging Exilles, Feneftrelles, la Perufa, and other Forts. His Royal Highness march'd the 8th to Oulx, and the 9th detach'd Five Battalions to take Poft on the Hills about Exilles. The fame Day, his Royal Highness held a Council of War with the Count de Thaun, and General Rhebinder; after which, the Latter re turn'd to his Camp near Sezane, with a Reinforcement of Six Battalions; and, at the fame time, the Marquis d'Andorno, a Piedmonteze General, was detach'd with 1000 Men for the Valley of St. Martin, to drive the Enemy from thence, and offer an Amnesty to the Vaudois inhabiting the fame, who in the Beginning of this War, fubmitted to the French, by the Perfwafion of Five Perfons, who were the only excepted out of this Pardon. The faithful Vaudois of the Valley of Lucerne, march'd, at the fame Time, to affift the Marquis d'Andorno, and interpofe their good Offices for difpofing their Brethren,

A. C. 1708.

Brethren, to return to the Obedience of their So vereign; And, the fame Day alfo, 2 Battalions were order'd to march to attack the Fort of La Perufa; å Detachment of 300 Men took a Redoubt near the Col de la Feneftre, and fecur'd that important Pafs. The Troops detach'd for the Siege of Exilles, Exilles erected their Batteries with fo much Diligence, befieg'd. that on the 10th of Auguft, N. S. they began to fire against the Place with Seven Pieces of Cannon; and General Rhebinder having left a few Troops about Sezane, march'd into the Valley of Pragelas with 20 Battalions. The 11th, his Royal Highnefs went to view 6 Battalions left on the Hills about Sezane; and as he was returning to Oulx, heard a great firing of fmall Arms; which obliging him to go back thither with all Speed, he found upon his Arrival, that while they were relieving the Guards, pofted at the Foot of Mount Genevre, the Enemy charged them with a great deal of Vigour; but the Guard, confifting of 300 Men, maintained their Ground for above Four Hours; tho' his Royal Highness gave them Orders to quit that Poft. In the mean time, the Enemy caused several The French hundred Men to advance to cut off the Retreat of retake Scthe Guard; whereupon the Confederate Troops zane. retired to Sezane, but were fo closely pursued by the Enemy, that they had not time to break down the Bridge behind them. This obliged his Royal Highnefs to fend a Detachment of 150 Grenadiers, fupported by a Battalion, to facilitate the Retreat of the faid 300 Men; but the Enemy advanced with fuch a Number of Troops, that it was thought fit to quit the Hills about Sezane; and accordingly, the 6 Battalions pofted there, retired to Oulx the next Day, without any Oppofition. The 11th, an Officer arrived in the Duke of Savoy's Camp from the Count de la Trinité, with Advice, That he had taken, Sword in Hand, Three Redoubts above the Fort of La Perufa: And the fame Day, his Royal The Valley Highness was likewife inform'd, That the Valley of St.Mar of St. Martin readily return'd to his Obedience, tin returns The 12th, that Prince march'd to Solabertran, to to the Duke cover the Siege of Exilles, and deprive the Garrifon of Savoy's Obedience. of all Hopes of Succours, and that Evening encamp'd at St. Columban, a Village on a Hill about Exilles,

A. C.

1708.

which is of fo difficult Accefs, that it feems scarce poffible to go to it on Horfeback. That Day the Befiegers batter'd Exilles with a great deal of Fury, with 14 Pieces of Cannon, and 4 Mortars; and the Governor perceiving fo many Troops about him, and being threatned by General Regal, to have no Quarter, if he did not furrender, he beat a Parly in the Night, and before break of Day, the Capitulation was fign'd; whereby the Garrifon, conken at Dif- fifting of 400 effective Men, befides Peafants, furrender'd Prifoners of War; but the Officers were cretion, Aug. 12. allowed to keep their Swords and Baggage. The

Exillesta

N. S.

13th, they march'd out in the Morning, and the Duke's Troops took Poffeffion of that important Fortrefs, wherein they found a great Quantity of Arms, Ammunition, and Provifions. The Day * Ditto before, the Duke of Savoy receiv'd Advice, That Aug. 12. the Fortrefs of la Perufa had furrendred to his As alfo La Troops, as had done alfo Fort Louis in the Valley of St. Martin, the Garrifons, to the Number of 600 Men, remaining Prifoners of War; and the Officers only obtaining leave to keep their Arms and Baggage, as thofe of Exilles; but the Rebels and Deferters were left to his Royal Highness's Mercy.

Perufa

and Fort Louis.

Feneftrel

les invested

Flufh'd with thefe Succeffes, the Duke of Savoy refolv'd to attack Feneftrelles; in order to which, having left General Regal with Nine Battalions about Exilles, to cover that Place, till the Works damaged by the Batteries were repair'd, he march'd, the 13th, to Chaumont; order'd the Roads between Feneftrelles and Pignerol, to be enlarg'd and repair'd with all fpeed, for the eafier march of the Artillery, which was fent for from Turin; and advancing to Balbote, order'd Fenestrelles to be invested, and the Siege carried on by Count de la Roque, General of his Artillery. Upon Intelligence of the Duke of Savoy's Defign, the Marefchal de Villars advanc'd the 17th of Auguft, N. S. with 42 Battalions, and fome Regiments of Dragoons, with Intention to Succour Feneftrelles; but finding his Royal High nefs's Troops fo well intrench'd at the Pafs of Albergean, that he must attack them with infinite Difadvantage, and without any Probability of Succefs. he thought fit to retire. On the other hand,

the

† Aug.23.

he Befiegers having lodg'd themfelves at the Foot A. C. of the Wall of a Redoubt, on the Hill of Fenestrelles, 1708. (which, however, they could not take for want of n Cannon) the Enemy made a Sally on the 19th, to drive them from thence, but were repuls'd with Lofs. The Difappointment Marefchal de Villars Marefchal met with in his Defign of Relieving Feneftrelles, did de Villars not Difcourage him from attempting it a fecond vainly enTime: For on the 22d, at Night, he fent 80 Gre- deavours 10 nadiers, who filently advanc'd, and endeavour'd to throw Sucget into the Place, on the fide of the River; but cours into being difcover'd by the Centinels, upon the Latter's it. firing at them, they immediately retired, and made their Efcape, by the Favour of the Night. Notwithstanding the Difficulties of the Road, the Befiegers receiv'd,on the 22d, Three Pieces of Cannon, which being planted on a Battery, fired, the next Day with fuch Succefs, on the Redoubt beforemention'd, that commanded Fenestrelles, that in N. s. the Evening, the Allies took the fame; and, in the Night, intrench'd themselves therein, notwithftanding a Sally the Enemy made with fome Companies of Miquelets; who being vigorously repuls'd, the French abandon'd another Redoubt below the other. The 24th in the Morning, the Duke of Savoy and the Count de Thaun went from Balbote to the Camp near Feneftrelles, where 17 Pieces of Cannon more being arrived the Day before, his Royal Highness order'd another Battery to be erected againit a Redoubt that defended the Avenues of the Place. The 29th, the Befiegers began to batter Fort Mutin, or Feneftrelles, with Five Pieces of Cannon; which, with great Difficulty, were brought to the Batteries; and, the fame Day, in the Evning, they fired with Four Pieces more, and made in the Night fome other Batteries; fo that on the 30th in the Morning, they batter'd the Place with 21 Pieces of Cannon, with fo much Succefs, That at Three in the Afternoon, the Breach being very wide, the Count de la Roque caus'd the Garrifon to be fummon'd. The Governor demanded an Hour's Time to confider of it; but having return'd no Anfwer, the Befiegers continued firing with a great deal of Fury. About 6 in the Evening, the Governor defired leave to fend to the Marefchal de Villars, offering

N:

Aug. 31.

A. C. offering to furrender, in cafe he were not reliev'd 1708. in Three Days; but his Request was rejected; and the Befiegers having thrown Bombs into the Place Fene- all the Night long, and fet one of the Magazines ftrelles on fire,the Governor beat a Parley, on the 21ft; detaken by liver'd immediately one of the Gates,and furrendred the Duke of himself and his Garrison, Prifoners of War, the Savoy, Officers and Soldiers being allow'd to keep their Baggage. Here ended the fhort, but most advantageous Campaign of the Duke of Savoy, who by the Conquefts of Exilles and Feneftrelles, got into his Hands the Keys both of Italy and France, on that Side; And, as he fecured his own Dominions against the Latter, fo he gain'd a free Entrance into the Great Ad- Enemy's Country: The French, after the Demolishvantages ing of the Fortifications of Pignerol, having built a gain'd by ftrong Citadel at Fenestrelles, in order to cover that the Duke of Frontier, which by the Lofs of that Fortress, remain'd Savoy.

N. S.

Affairs of

Spain.

expos'd to Invafions. These rapid Conquefts were the more glorious, in that they were made in Sight of a strong Army, commanded by a daring and active General, who tried all poffible Means to fuccour thofe Fortreffes; and befides the Advantages his Royal Highnefs reap'd, it may be obferv'd, that he made a very favourable Diverfion for King Charles III. obliging the Enemy to fend a great Detachment from Roffillon, to Marefchal de Villars's Affistance.

This Confideration naturally leads us to the Affairs of Spain, where the Two united Crowns (as they ftile themfelves) had Three Bodies of Troops, one in Rouffillon; another in Eftremadura; and the most confiderable in Catalonia. But tho' King Charles did not receive Succours from Italy, either in Time, or ftrong enough, to enable him to cope with the Enemy every where, yet the ConCampaign fequences were not fo bad as was apprehended. in Portu- The Prince of Darmstadt, who follows the glorious gal incon- Foot-fteps of his late illuftrious Brother, with a fiderable. fmall Body of regular Troops and Militia, hinder'd

the Duke of Noailles from undertaking any thing of Moment on the fide of Girona; and that Duke's Army being afterwards weakned by a great Detachment for Provence, he was oblig'd to fit ftill. The fmall Portugueze Army, reinforc'd by fome British

Bat