A. C. 1708. which continued encamp'd between Mons-en-Peule and Merigni, from whence, on the 7th, they detach'd 30 Squadrons, which march'd by Tournay, with a defign to intercept a Convoy coming from Bruffels, under a Guard of a Body of Troops commanded by Lieutenant-General Pafcal: Whereupon the Duke of Marlborough, detach'd the fame Evening, 30 Squadrons, under the Command of the Earl of Albemarle, Major-General Witinghoff, and three Brigadiers, with Orders to advance as far as Gramont, to meet the Convoy, which was fafely brought to Menin Four Days after. The 8th, the Enemy advanc'd with their Foragers, fuftain'd by feveral Regiments, within a Quarter of a League of Fretin, where the Duke of Marlborough had his Quarters; an Account of which being brought to his Grace, while he was at Dinner, LieutenantGeneral Wood, who happen'd to be at the Table, exprefs'd a great Impatience to drive the French to their Camp; for which Purpofe, he only defired To Eng. Two English Battalions. His Grace granted lifh Battahis Request, and commanded the Regiments of lions reHow, and Sir William Temple, which marching im- puls'd at mediately, and being animated by the Duke of Ar- Ennevegyle, the Earl of Stairs, and Major-General Webb, lin, Sept. who went with them as Volunteers, fell upon the Enemy, and drove them as far as Ennevelin, where they had posted some Infantry, in a Castle furrounded with Two Ditches. The English endeavour'd to dislodge them from thence, and attack'd the Enemy with a great deal of Bravery; but the Duke of Vendofme caufing all his Grenadiers, and the Piquet of Six Brigades, which were encamp'd in the Front of his Army near Pont-à-Marque, to Support his Troops in the Caftle, the Two British Battalions were obliged to retire with the Lofs of about 200 Men, and 6 or 7 Officers kill'd and wounded, and amongst them Mr. Higgenson, Captain of Sir Richard Temple's Grenadiers: The Duke of Marlborough not having thought it proper, at this juncture, to fend out any more Troops to fuftain them. Two Days after, his Grace went to the Sept.10. Camp before Lille, and having view'd the Ap- N. s. proaches, and dined with Prince Eugene, return'd to his Quarters at Fretin. The fame Day, Monfieur 6. N. S. A. C. de Chamillard, the French King's Prime Minifter, 1708. arrived in the Enemy's Army, either to compose fome Differences which were faid to have lately arifen between the Dukes of Vendofme and Berwick, or only to communicate to them, his Moft Chriftian Majefty's laft Inftructions towards the Relief of Lille. Whatever his Commiffion was, after they had held a Council of War the next Morning, their Troops began to be in Motion, and about Two in the Afternoon, advanc'd to the Village of Entiers, in the Center of the Confederate Army, intending to poffefs themselves of that Poft; where the Duke of Marlborough, foreseeing their Defign, had timely placed Two Brigades of Foot, under the Command of the Brigadiers Evans and Wertmuller; and caus'd fome Works to be thrown up about that Village. The French Upon the Enemy's Advancing towards the Intrenchmake a ments of the Allies, in very good Order, it was not fhew of At- doubted but they were fully refolv'd upon a general tacking the Attack; whereupon the Army was immediately orConfededer'd to their Arms, and the Regiments commanded to their refpective Pofts behind the Intrenchments. Prince Eugene, upon Notice of the Enemy's Motions, join'd the Duke of Marlborough, with about the fame Number of Squadrons and Battalions, he brought Six Days before from the Siege; and, at the fame Time, Orders were fent to the Earl of Albemarle, who was then between Oudenarde and Menin, with the Convoy, to return to the Camp with all Speed. But only About Four in the Afternoon, the Enemy began to cannonade cannonade the Confederate Camp, directing their them,Sept. Fire chiefly against the Village of Entiers, and were 11 & 12. anfwer'd by the Artillery, planted on the Intrench rates. N. S. N. S. * ments; which continued till it was dark. The Duke of Marlborough, Prince Eugene, and Monfieur d'Auverquerque continued in the Field all Night, and the Troops which lay upon their Arms, and *Sept.12. were the next Day about Noon, reinforc'd by the Arrival of the Earl of Albemarle, with his Detachment, were form'd again in order of Battle. About 7 that Morning, theEnemy renew'd theirCannonading, with 30 or 40 Pieces, moft Twenty Four Pounders, and the Allies did the like, with almoft equal Execution on both fides, and the Lofs of about 50 Men kill'd and wounded on each. The Confederate Generals A. C. 1708. Armies. Generals thought the Enemy were in good Earnest for an Attack, but finding the contrary, the Troops were order'd towards the Evening, to incamp in fuch a manner, as to be immediately ready to receive the French, in cafe they should make any further Attempts; and in the Night the Works about the Village of Entiers were repaired and augmented, for the greater Security of thatPoft. The fame Night, the Enemy made a Movement, extending their Left Motions of to Seclin, and placing their Right to the Marque; the Two and the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene rightly judging. That they had no other Delign than by frequent Alarms, to delay the Storming of the Outworks of Lille, and confidering that his Grace's Camp was fufficiently fecur'd, his Highness return'd on the 13th of September, with his Troops, to the Siege. The 14th, the Two Armies continued in the fame Pofture: But the French Generals having held a Council of War, wherein they confider'd the Impoffibility of Attacking the Confederates, with any Probability of Succefs, they refolv'd to cut off their Communication with Aeth and Bruffels, by poffefling themfelves of all the Paffes on the Scheld; whereby, not without probable Grounds, they hoped to diftrefs the Confederate Army to fuch a Degree, as to oblige Prince Eugene to give over the Siege of Lille, According to this new Project, on the 15th of September, N. S. before Break of Day, the Enemy moved, without Beat of Drum, their Right to Orchies, and their Left to Ribaucourt; Upon Notice whereof, the Duke of Marlborough order'd the Confederate Army to be in a Readiness to march the 16th, to obferve the Enemy; who, having put feveral Battalions into Douay, that Day, very early, continued their March, in Four Columns, by Mouchin and Bachy, directly towards Tournay. Hereupon the Duke of Marlborough made a fmall Motion, placing his Right at Peronne, the Left at Foreft, on the Marque, and fixing his HeadQuarters at Sainghin; where he had Advice, That the Day before, (viz. the 15th) a Convoy of a Hundred Waggons, loaden with Cannon-Ball for the Siege, arrived at Oudenarde from Aeth, under the Guard of One Thousand Two Hundred Foot, commanded by Colonel Freke, notwithstanding the Enemy' H 4 N. S. + Sept. 17. N. S. N. S. A. C. Enemy's Endeavours to intercept it. At the fame 1708. Time, Brigadier, Chanclos march'd with Ten Squadrons of Horfe to Oudenarde, where he was to be' join'd by the like Detachment from Prince Eugene's Army, there being already Six Battalions in that Town; And upon Intelligence that Count de la Motte, with all the Troops he could get together in Flanders, was march'd from Ghent towards Ninove, the Duke of Marlborough fent Orders to Major General Murray to march, with most of the Troops in Dutch Flanders, to Bruffels, for the Security of that *Sept. 16. Place. The Enemy encamp'd that* Evening with their Right to the Rivulet Le Chin, and their Left extending beyond Froimont; and the next † Morning pafs'd the Scheld over feveral Bridges they had laid above and below Tournay, and continued the † 18th in their Camp along that River from the Mount of *Sept. 18. the Trinity, beyond Pottes. The fame t day, the Duke of Marlborough's Army decamp'd from Sanghin, and having repafs'd the Marque at Pont-a-Trefin and Foreft, encamp'd with the Right at Willem, the Left at Pas-a-Vafne, a Rivulet that runs into the Scheld, and the Head-Quarters at Templeuve. His Grace receiving Intelligence upon the March, that the Enemy had laid Bridges over the Scheld between Warcoin, and Pecq, and were fortifying those Villages, in order to keep a Communication with the other fide of that River, and disturb the Confederate Convoys between Oudenarde and Courtray, Lieutenant General Dedem was thereupon order'd to march the 19th of September N. S. at Break of Day with all the Grenadiers of the Army, and 36 FieldPieces, to diflodge the French; who upon the firft Appearance of his Advanc'd-Guard, abandon'd thofe Two Villages, retired to the other fide of the Scheld, and took up their Bridges. The 20th the Confede rate Army made a fmall Movement, encamping with the Right at Hem and Foreft, near the Marque, the Left at Leers, and the Head-Quarters at Lannoy; And the Enemy having fent fome Brigades to take Poft between Oudenarde and Ghent, took all poffible Care to fecure the Paffes on the Scheld, cafting up Intrenchments, and erecting Batteries in feveral Paffes on Places; and cafting up a Line from the Hill near theScheld. Oudenarde to Ename, whereby that Place was The fortify the clofely closely hemm'd in on that fide the Scheld; and the A. C. Communication between Bruffets, and the Armies 1708. of the Allies intirely cut off. ftein In the mean Time the Siege of Lille was carried The Siege on, if not with fuch Succefs as the Confederates, of Lille (particularly the Londoners) at firft expected, yet carried on. with fuch Refolution, Courage, and indefatigable Diligence, as together with the Bleffing of an unufual Continuance of fair Weather, made the Befiegers conquer, at laft, all the Difficulties they had to contend with. On the 10th of September N. S. Lieutenant-General Sparr continued in the Trenches, and the Relief, confifting of 5 Battalions for the Right, and 6 for the Left, was brought on by Major-General Zoutland, and * Sir Richard Temple,* Some and Mt. Boiffet, Brigadiers. A Major with 300 Journalssay Grenadiers was order'd to attack the Place of Arms, the Trenform'd by the Cover'd-way of the Counterguard, ches were and that of the Body of the Place oppofite to the reliev'd by Breach, which was perform'd with good Succefs; the Prince but as the Allies were beginning to make a Lodg- of Holment, the Enemy came upon them, with a much Beck; and fuperiour Force, and oblig'd them to retire, hav- instead of ing kill'd the Major, wounded the two Captains Sir Richand a Lieutenant, and several of the Men who ard Temcover'd the Retreat of the Workmen. However, ple, name the Befiegers advanc'd the Sap confiderably along Brigadier the Cover'd-way oppofite to the Breach, and made a duTrouf good Lodgment in the Cover'd-way along the fide of fel: But the Counterguard, and another in the Cover'd-way of the Horn-work on the Left. On the Right the Saps, was advanc'd within 10 Paces of the Cover'd-way of the Grand Breach; And a new Battery of 8 Pieces of Cannon, was likewife begun, in order to ruin the Flank of the broken Face of the Horn-work on the Right, in which Works the Confederates had 10 Men kill'd and wounded. The 11th in the Morning, the Mortar-Battery on the Counterfcarp in the Front of the Counterguard began to play: And in the Evening, the Trenches were reliev'd by Lieutenant General Arnam, and Majors General Volkerfhoven and Vickenbach, with 5 Battalions for each Attack; But there was little Progrefs made in the Siege, by Reafon Prince Eugene march'd with 15 Battalions and the Cavalry to reinforce the Duke this is not material. of |