Difficulties that must, naturally attend the Siege of A. C. fo ftrong and fo well-provided a Place, befides 1708. others occafion'd by the Confederates being cut off from their Magazines in Antwerp and Sas-van-Ghent : All which made the Duke of Vendofme fay, (when he had the first Notice of the Design of the Allies) He did not think fo Wife a Captain as Prince Eugene would venture upon fo Rafh an Enterprize: Yet nothing was able to deter the Confederate Generals from their Refolutions; So that the Artillery being arrived at Pottes, and all other Neceffaries provided, the Prince of Orange-Naffau was, on the 12th of Auguft, detach'd with 31 Battalions, to take Poft at Marquette, on the Lower-Deule, within half a League of Lille, and Lieutenant-General Wood, with 34 Squadrons march'd to Potteghem. The fame Day, the Army march'd from Werwick to Helchin; and, the next, Prince Eugene having pafs'd the Marque at Pont-a-Trefin, invested the Town of Lille between The Town that Place and the Upper-Deule, while the Prince invested. of Orange-Naffau did the like with his Detachment Aug. 13. between the Upper and Lower-Deule, the Duke of Marlborough lying at a convenient Distance, to cover the Siege, with the Main Army. N. S. Prince Eugene of Savoy,who,as Velt-Marefchal of Generals the Empire, was to command at this memorable Siege, employ'd at had under him the Generals, Prince of Orange Naf- the Siege fau, Stadholder of Friefeland; Count Schlick; the under Hereditary Prince of Hefe-Caffel; the Prince of Prince EuWirtemberg; Count Naffau-Weilburgh, and Spiegel: gene, The Lieutenant-Generals, Count of Fels; Falkenstein; Efferen; Wood; Arnam; Pettendorf; Spar; Prince of Holstein-Beck; and Wilke: The Majors-General; Leifins; Count Bethlem; Count Wittenstein; de Vennes; the Prince d'Auvergne; Weiffenfeld; Vickenback; Volkerfhoven; Soble; Collier; Zoutland and Sacken: The Brigadiers and Majors of Brigade; Keppenbeck, the Son; Poferen; Kellim; Hagedorn; Kalleftein; Waffenaer; Keppel; Boiffet; Sir Richard Temple; Du Trouffel; Mymer; Stapel and Witney: And the Chief Ingeniers Des Roques and Du Mey, who were to have each the Direction of an Attack. The fame day the Town was invefted, Prince Eugene had a long Conference with the Prince of Orange-Naffau, in which the Difpofition of the Quarters was fettled; G 2 and A. C. and the next Morning the Lines of Circumval1708. lation were mark'd out, and Pioneers fet to work on the fame. On the 17th of August, N. S. the • Aug. greatest Part of the Artillery arrived in the Camp 14. N. S. from Menin; and the 18th in the Morning, one of The Prince the Prince of Orange's Valets-de-Chambre had his of Orange head fhot off by a Cannon-Ball, as he was dreffing Naffau in his Highnefs, who had his Cloths and Face all beGreat Dan fmear'd with Blood; and, who, thereupon was Aug. 18. perfuaded to remove his Quarters farther from the ger. N. S. Orders made by Prince Eugene con cerning the Attacks in tended to be made upon Town, behind the Abbey of Marquette; Prince ITH II. That the Imperialifts, Palatines and Heffians 'fhall mount the Trenches two Nights fucceffively, and that a Lieutenant-General, and 2 Majors-General fhall guard the fame with 10 Battalions, and 4000 Men fhall be employed in the Works. . . III. The Trenches fhall be reliev'd at 4 of the 'Clock in theAfternoon; to the end, that the relieving Officer,during the day-time,may be at leasure to vifitfthe Works, which are made, and to confider of fuch that are to be made in the Night. IV. That 30 Battalions detach'd from the Grand Army, fhall be three following Nights together in the Trenches, with this Difference, that when this fhall happen, there be one LieutenantGeneral, one Major-General and two Brigadiers in the Trenches, with the fame Number of Battalions and Workmen, as if the Imperialists and other Troops of the Allies had mounted the C fame. 6 V. The V. The Attacks, in extraordinary Cafes, fhall A. C. be made by the Grenadiers and Detachments from 1708. 'the Army. 6 VI. If Neceffity requires that fome Battalions are to be placed at the Foot of the Trenches, they 6 fhall be fuch Battalions which have been 24 Hours out of the Trenches. VII. According to the Nature of the Ground, there fhall be pofted fome Horfes behind the Efpaulements, at the bottom of the Trenches of Referve, either on the Right Hand,or on the Left, or on both, according as the Generals fhall think convenient for the Service. VIII. The Major of the Trenches fhall be charged with the Care of the Trenches, and shall take heed that the General who enters into the Trenches may find every thing ready to push on 'the Works, as they fhall be drawn by the Directors. IX. 'The Directors of the Approaches are to make ' a Memorial every Morning of what they want at Night, whereof the Major of the Trenches, is to be acquainted in due time, and especially before the Trenches be relieved, in order to have time to fix every thing in a readiness. 6 6 X. The Fascines and Gabions fhall be brought to the Foot of the Trenches for the Commiffary of the Fafcines, to whom there fhall be allow'd a hundred Carts at least, to enable him to provide the neceffary Fafcines, Gabions, &c. XI. The Fafcines fhall be brought by the Workmen as far as the Head of the Trenches. XII. The Collonel and. Officers of the Artil lery, fhall be charged to make the Batteries according to the Orders of the Directors of the Approaches, either to deftroy the Defences, or to make Breaches. XIII. The Miners, before they be fix'd to the Works, fhall be made ufe of in the Sap. 6 XIV. The Workmen fhall be commanded by two-Lieutenant Collonels, and two Majors, and for every 150 Men, one Captain, one Lieutenant, one Enfign and four Sergeants. XV. The Major-General which is to relieve the Trenches, fhall go in the Morning, with the Majors of the Regiments, into the Trenches, to G 3 examine A. C. 1708 rough makes a 6 examine the Situation thereof, and to inform themselves of the Battalions, which they are to relieve, and to make Infpection into every thing. XVI. The Officers are immediately to perform 'whatever the Directors of the Trenches fhall require. If it be to make an Attack in hafte, they 'fhall give notice to the General of the Trenches 'afterwards; but if it be an Affair which is not in hafte, the Officers and Directors fhall give notice 'to the General before hand. The French Court, not a little furpriz'd to fee Lille invelted, fent pofitive Orders to the Dukes of Burgundy and Vendofme to run all Hazards to raise the Siege of fo important a Place: For which purpofe, the Duke of Berwick, was, at the fame time, order'd to reinforce his Flying Camp with the Garrifons of Namur, Mons, Charleroy, Valenciennes and other Places, and join thofe Generals. Upon reThe Duke of peated Advice of that Defign, the Duke of MarlMarlbo borough order'd the Cavalry of his Left to march, the 22d of Auguft, towards the Scheld, and incamp motionfrom near the Right, between the Villages of Pottes and Helchin St. Vernoux, to be nearer at hand to pafs the Scheld, to Amon- and form the Vanguard of the Army, which was gies. to march by the Left. The 23d, at Break of Day, Aug. 23. 1500 Horfe, commanded by the Count D'Erback, Major General, and Brigadier Groveftein, were detach'd with the Quarter-Mafters-General to mark out a Camp on the other fide of the Scheld; and about Seven of the Clock the whole Army march'd in Two Colums, by the Left, pafs'd the Scheld near Pottes, on four Bridges, and encamp'd with the Right to that River near Escanaffe, and the Left to Annieres; the Duke of Marlborough taking his Quarters at Amongies, and Velt-Marefchal d'Auverquerque fixing his at Vaudipront. By this Motion the Enemy's joining between the Scheld and the Dender was prevented, and the fame rendred more difficult in Brabant: Befides, his Grace was now nearer at Hand to oppofe any Attempt they might offer to make on that fide; where, according to all Appearances, they had laid the Scheme of a powerful Diverfion during the Siege; And left the Enemy fhould make any Motion between the Lys and the Sch eld the Land grave of Scheld, his Grace order'd the Bridges to be conti- A. C. nued on this laft River, with a Guard of Six Regi- 1708. ments of Foot. Five Days before, King Au- n guftus and the Landgrave of Heffe,drawn by the Fame* Aug. 18. of the Siege of Lille, being in their Way from Aeth N. S. to the Confederate Army, then encamp'd at Hel-King Auchin, the Duke of Marlborough met them at their guftus and paffing the Scheld at Pottes, and conducted them to Dinner to his Quarters, where his Majefty was Heffe, lodg'd, and the Landgrave with Prince William his Son, Major-General in the States Service. The Confederate next Day, his Grace entertain'd them with the Re-Army. view of the firft Line of the Army, after which, they dined with the Earl of Albemarle; and the And go to the Camp 20th in the Morning went both to the Camp before before Lille, where they were receiv'd and entertained by Prince Eugene, with all theRefpect due to their Rank. came to the Lille. Aug.20. neers a The fame Day, in the Afternoon, the Di-* rectors, Ingeniers, and Chief Officers of the Artillery, went by the Road from Werwick to Lille, to view the Ground near the Place, which they found very fit for their Batteries on the fide of St. Magdalen-Gate; But as they advanc'd very near the Works, the Enemy fallied out with Three Squadrons, and a Detachment of Foot, and appear'd on the other fide the Deule, whereupon the Ingineers retired to the Camp. However, Prince Eugene Prince Eufound a Stratagem to procure them a nearer View gene's of the Works For a great many Ladies having Stratagem defired Paffes to go out of the Town, his Highnefs to procure the Engireadily granted their Requeft; and at the fame time, caus'd fome Ingeniers to go in Soldiers Habits, with the Detachment that was order'd to receive the Ladies Enemy's at the Barriers of the Place, and conduct them from Works. thence out of the Camp. The Magiftrates of Lille, having, with Marefchal de Boufflers's Leave, fent Two Deputies to Prince Eugene, both to compliment him, and defire his Favour to the Burghers, offering him, at the fame time, fome Prefents of Refreshments: His Highnefs told them, That a His Answer befieg'd Town ought to be kept very clofe, fo to the Dethat he could not yet admit of their Civilities; puties of But when he should be Mafter of the Place, the Burghers might be affured of his Protection, pro'vided he fhould be fatisfied, they had endeavour'd 6 G 4 Sight of the Lille. |