or wounded; But the Enemy's Lofs was much A. C. greater; for they had near 100 Men kill'd and 1708. wounded, and above 40 taken Prifoners. Amongft

Grenadier.

these were a Captain, and the Chevalier de Croiffy- Major Ge Colbert, Ingenier and Major General, who was taken neral de in a Poft which the Duke of Vendofme had left a little Croiffy. before, by an English Grenadier who generoufly re- taken Prifufing an Offer of 200 Piftoles, and a Commiffion foner by an in the French Service, if he would favour his Escape, English deliver'd him to a Dutch Officer, by whom he was brought to Leffinghen; and the next day fent to Oftend by Lieutenant Colonel Rapin. The fame Day, a Deferter from the Confederate Army informing the Enemy where the Men were pofted, they fired directly on the Place and kill'd 12 of them. On the other hand, General Erle perceiving that the Enemy advanc'd by the Sap, on the Cawley near the Fort of Leffinghen, caufed a Battery to be erected to fire into their Works; and, at the fame Time, pofted fome Troops as near as poffible, by whofe Fire, and the Granadoes thrown out of fome Coboern-Mortars, the Enemy loft above 100 Men, the Night between the 21st and 22d. of October N. S. In the mean time, the Troops in Leffinghen, whofe Communication with General Erle was entirely obftructed by the Inundation, being much ftreighten'd for Want of Provifions, Lieutenant Colonel Rapin bethought himself of throwing up a FootWay from that Poft to the Camp; which was perfected, notwithstanding the Enemy's Fire to hinder that Work. On the other Hand, the French advancing their Approaches, and having laid Two Bridges on the Canal, above and below Leffinghen, in order to cut off the Communication between the Redoubt and Oftend, General Erle held a Confultati on, wherein it was debated, Whether Orders fhould be fent to the Commanders in Leffinghen, to withdraw their Garrifon in the Night? But upon the Colonel Arrival of an Exprefs from the Duke of Marlborough, relieves who recommended the Prefervation of that Poft, it Licut. Cowas refolv'd to emprove the Opportunity of the inel RaCommunication lately open'd by Colonel Rapin pin in and Major Hemert, in order to relieve them and Leffintheir fatigued Garrifon with fresh Men, which ghen. Colonel Caulfield did accordingly, the 24th, with O&. 24.

Caulfield

two N. S.

A. C. two Lieutenant Colonels, a Major, and ro00 En1708. glish, Dutch, and Spaniards, who, in the Night, were reinforc'd by 250 more. Whether this new Commander did not take the neceffary Measures for the Defence of that important Poft, either by putting too many Men into the Fort, whither he retired himself, and leaving too few, and thofe raw new-levied Soldiers in the Village of Leffinghen, or by not giving those that commanded the Latter The French the neceffary Orders, is yet undetermin'd. But takes Le- which way foever the Confedrate Troops hapffinghen pend to be furprized and unprovided, a great Body and the of the Enemy, confifting of 50 Companies of GrePrifoners nadiers, fupported by 10000 Foot, without any great at Difere Oppofition, having forc'd a Party of 200 Men that guarded the Church-yard; poffefs'd themselves of the Village; and oblig'd Caulfield, with the rest of his Troops to furrender themselves Prifoners at Difcretion; to the great Surprize of General Erle, who did Lieutenant Colonel Rapin and Major Hemert, the Juftice to believe, that as they had bravely defended that Poft for Eight Days, fo they would at laft have furrendred it more honourably: Tho' it was agreed, on all Hands, That it was not tenable if vigorously attack'd.

Troops there

tion.

O&. 25.

N.S.

However, this eafy Conqueft made the Enemy but very poor Amends for the great Lofs they fu ftain'd Two days before, by the Surrender of the Town of Lille. For the Batteries of the Befiegers for making new Breaches, and enlarging the old, confifting of about 50 Pieces and 25 Mortars, begun to fire on Sunday Morning, the 21st of October N. S. and did fo good Execution, that on the 22d. at Four in the Afternoon, the Garrifon beat a Parley, and offer'd to capitulate for the Town: Hereupon, Hoftages were immediately exchang'd; viz Brigadier Maillebois, Two Collonels, and a Major, for the Enemy; and Brigadier du Trouffel. Collonel Lalo, Colonel Seckendorf, and a Major of the Hanoverian Troops, in Behalf of the Allies; and it was agreed, That the Marefchal de Boufflers fhould capitulate with Prince Eugene, for whatever related to the Garrifon; and that the Magiftrates and Council of the Town fhould propofe their own Terms for themselves and the Caftelany

of

6

*

Oct. 23.

N. S.

of Lille, and agree about the fame with the Field- A. C. Deputies of the States General, which was done 1708. *accordingly. The 23d in the Morning the first Capitulation was concluded and figned, containing See the in fubftance, That the French fhould, that After- Appennoon, furrender the Magdalen-Gate, and all Ma- dix Numb. gazines of Provifions and Ammunition in the VI Town; That all their Sick and Wounded, fhould The Town either be tranfported to Douay, or remain in Lille, of Lille till their Recovery, at their own Charge; That Surrendred 6 the Horfe, who had entred the Town, fince the Siege, might be fent to Douay, with the Wives and "Families of the Officers and Soldiers, &c. That all Prisoners, taken during the Siege, be restored, on both Sides; and, that the Troops of the Allies 'fhould not enter into the Town before the 25th ' of October; by which Time the French Garrifon was to withdraw into the Citadel. "Tis difficult to determine the Lofs on either fide, from the 13th of Auguft, N. S. when Lille was invefted, to the 23d of October, the Day of the Surrender of the Town: Yet, as the French own'd, they had 12000 Men in Garrifon, without including near 3000 Burghers, who did conftant Duty with the Regular Troops, of which 4500 Men only retired with Marefchal de Boufflers into the Citadel, and 2000 more were reckon'd to be either fick or wounded; their Lofs muft amount, at least, to 5 or 6000 Men; and as for the Allies, they own'd, That they had 3632 kill'd, and 8322 wounded; of whom, if we fuppofe one Half, which is a fair Computation, to have died, the Whole will not come up to 8000 Men; a much lefs Number than fell before Namur. The flow, but more effectual Way of Sapping, which the Ingeniers had lately pitch'd upon, in the Siege of the Town, having fav'd the Lives of abundance of Soldiers, Prince Eugene refolv'd to purfue the fame Method in the Attack of the Citadel; whither, according to the Cipitulation, the The French French retired, the 25th of October; And, at the fame evacuate time, the Prince of Holftein-Beck, whom the States- the Town of Lille, and General appointed to be Governor of the Town, retire into march'd in with Major-General outland, Meffieurs the Citadel, de Boiffet and du Trouffel, Brigadiers, and 15 Batta- O&t. 25. lions. Upon their taking Poffeffion not only of the N. S.

Gates

A. C.

Gates of the Town, but alfo of all the Avenues to 1708. the Citadel, there arofe a fmall Difpute between the Marefchal de Boufflers, and the Confederate Generals, the former pretending to keep fome Works, as belonging to that Fortress, and the Allies claiming the fame, as belonging to the Town: But the Enemy's Cavalry, which, by the Articles, was to be conducted to Douay, and was then marching out, being ftopt, the French yielded; and in the Night, the Confederates broke Ground, and carried on their Approaches. As foon as the Enemy had evacuated the Town, the Hereditary Prince of Heffe march'd into Artois, with 30 Squadrons, and The Allies encamping between Lens and La Baffee, fet Pioneers Fortify la at Work to fortify this laft Place; and having left Baffée. the Command of the Troops under Count Wackerbart, return'd to Prince Eugene's Army.

Extrava

The Ceffation of all Acts of Hoftility between gant De- the Town and the Citadel of Lille, which was to mands of expire the 26th of October, N.S. was continued till the French, the 29th, during which Interval, at the earnest Deto furrender the Ci- fire of the Inhabitants, who were in no fmall Aptadel of prehenfion for their Houfes, Endeavours were used Lille, re- to perfuade the Marefchal de Boufflers to capitulate. jected.

The French made extravagant Demands: For, befides Two Millions of Livres, which they would have exacted from the Town, they infifted to march out with all their Cannon; and that the Allies fhould fet the Marefchal de Tallard at Liberty; with fome other no lefs unreasonable Pretenfions, which the Allies rejected with Scorn. During the Ceffation, fome Civilities pafs'd between Prince Eugene and the Marefchal de Boufflers; but neverthelefs, neither Side was idle: For the Allies caft up Intrenchments; drew a Parallel from one end of the Esplanade to the other; and made feveral Coupures on the Walls nearest the Citadel, to the Right and Left; and the Enemy made alfo good ufe of their Time, to prepare themfelves for a vigorous Hoftilities Defence. The Negotiations for the Surrender of the between Citadel, being broke off, on the 29th about Four the Town a-Clock in the Afternoon, the Befieged began the and Gita Hoftilities by the Discharge of FivePieces of Cannon, which they continued to fire the reft of the Evening, and the following Days, without doing the Befie

del of Lille begun.

gers

gers any Damage, and only killing three or four A. C. Burghers in the Town; And, on the other hand, 1708. the Allies contracted their Line of Circumvallation; erected Batteries of Cannon, Mortars, and Hawitzers within their firft Parallel; tho' they did not defign to batter in Breach, till they made themfelves Masters of the Out-works, for which purpose they carried on their Appoaches by the Sap; And, at the fame Time, began to repair their Breaches, and damaged Fortifications of the Town, with all poffible Application.

carried

Holland.

All this while the Duke of Marlborough's Army Mr. d'Au. continued encamp'd at Rouffelaer, from whence, on verquer Sunday, the 28th of October, in the Morning, the que's Body Body of the late Velt-Marefchal d'Auverquerques from Rouf fet out, with great Solemnity, in order to be interr'd felaer to in Hollan. His Grace, and the General Officers accompanied the Ceremony along the Line, which was drawn out on this Occafion; a triple Discharge of Artillery and Small-fhot was made; and all other Marks of Honour fhewn, that could be paid to the Memory of a General, fo much regretted by the whole Army: And to which, even the French Governor of Ghent exprefs'd a Refpect, by fending a Compliment to the Adjutant General, who attended the Corps, in its Paffage thro' that City. On the 2d of November, N. S. Nine Battalions of the Duke of Marlborough's Army, were order'd to march, and join the Forces in Lille, in order to aflift in the carrying on the Attack of the Citadel with the greater Vigour. The next Day, the Army made Nov. 3. a general Forrage near the Walls of Ipres, which the Enemy endeavour'd to difturb by the Cannon of the Town; but the whole return'd, in the Evening, with Provifion for many Days, and without any Lofs; and, Two Days † after, Nine Squadrons † Nov. 5. of the Troops, which, on the 1ft of November, march'd from Cocklaer to Longuemarque, were order'd

to join Count de Wackerbart at La Baffee. In this Lieut. Gen.. Interim, the Marquis de Surville, a French Lieute- de Sur. nant-General in the Citadel of Lille, having re- ville ceiv'd a Shot through the Body, as he was viewing wounded. the Approaches of the Allies, Prince Eugene gave him leave to come into the Town of Lille, and afterwards to be removed to Donay for his Cure.

On