CHAP. LXXXI.-MOVEMENTS FOR A BATTLE.- 1709.

BEFORE the citadel of Tournay capitulated, the two confederate generals resumed the design which they had previously formed, of besieging Mons, the capital of Hainault, which was both ill supplied with troops, and scantily provisioned. They had already matured the necessary preparations for the accomplishment of an object no less difficult than the siege of Tournay; because it was necessary to force the lines which extended from Mons behind the Trouille to the Sambre, and which could easily be defended should Villars suspect their design, as he had a much shorter distance to traverse. Having turned their eyes to the hostile position, and attentively examined the measures taken by the French marshal to cover the western frontier of France, the lines, abatis, inundations, and redoubts, which concealed or defended his front, they concluded that it would be impossible to attack him with a prospect of success. But the eye of genius sees omissions, and discovers resources which are imperceptible to ordinary intellects. While Villars deemed himself unassailable, behind his defences on the Scheldt and the Scarpe, they perceived that he had not paid sufficient attention to those on the Trouille, and they hoped, by a combination of rapid movements, to force this obstacle, invest Mons, and perhaps engage him in a battle.

On the 31st of August, anticipating the surrender of the citadel, the duke detached Lord Orkney from the camp at Orchies, with all the grenadiers of the army, and 20 squadrons. He was to attempt the surprise of St. Ghislain, and secure the passage of the Haine; but if he failed, to occupy the opening between the woods of Etambruges and Bandour, in order to mask the intended movements of the main army.

On the 3d of September, after the capitulation of the citadel, the prince of Hesse Cassel was despatched at four in the afternoon with 60 squadrons of horse, and 4000 foot, under the command of General Dedem. He was to follow Lord Orkney, and if he found him master of St. Ghislain, to pass the Haine and invest Mons on the south-west; but should that fortress remain in the possession of the enemy,

he was to take a circuitous route by Nimy and Obourg, and effect his purpose by forcing the ill-guarded lines on the Trouille.

At nine in the evening, Cadogan marched with 40 squa drons in the same direction. At midnight the two confederate armies broke up from Orchies, and moved in two columns by the left, while the principal part of the besieging corps quitted the vicinity of Tournay, leaving 26 battalions under Lottum, Schulemburg, and Wood, to superintend the evacuation of the citadel, to observe the movements of Villars, and when he quitted his position, to reinforce the main army.

The besieging corps from Tournay crossed the Scheldt on the bridges of the town; the grand army in two divisions, by those of Anthoine and Mortagne. The different columns joined on the march, and halted in front of Brissoeul, where they encamped on the 4th, in two lines. The next day a violent autumnal storm deluged the camp, and inundated the roads; yet the army resumed their march by the left to Siraut, and the tents were pitched fronting the Haine, at the distance of three miles from that river. Here they were joined by Lord Orkney, who had approached St. Ghislain at break of day on the same morning; but finding De Legal with seven battalions prepared to receive him, had contented himself with preventing all communication across the river.

Notwithstanding the severity of the weather, the prince of Hesse had prosecuted his march with unremitting ardour. Finding that the attempt on St, Ghislain had failed, he proceeded north of the Haine by Nimy, and taking advantage of the woods of St. Denis, to mask his dispositions, passed the Haine near Obourg at two in the morning of the 6th.*

* To convey an idea of the extraordinary rapidity of this march, we may compute the distance from the camp of Orchies to Brissoeul 5 leagues, to Siraut 4, to Havre 6: the Brabant leagues being about 3 miles each, 15 leagues amount to 52 English miles, which the prince of Hesse performed in 56 hours, through bad roads, and in a rainy season. Milner observes that they scarcely halted in the whole course of the march.

[This performance has been greatly outdone. Mackenzie's brigade, which joined Wellington's army after the battle of Talavera, marched, according to Napier (vol. ii. 412.), sixty-two English miles in twenty-six hours. - ED.]

His troops rested on their arms in the meadows and orchards behind the woods, while some squadrons observed the avenues from Mons over Mount Palisel. At seven he moved forward in columns across the hill behind St. Simphorien to Espiennes in the valley, and at noon entered the lines of the Trouille without opposition.

Marshal Villars had received early intelligence of the prince's march, and taken measures, though too late, to oppose him. He sent orders that a detachment from Mons should advance to the defence of the lines; directed the chevalier de Luxembourg, who was stationed near Condé with 30 squadrons, and the brigade of Picardy, to draw towards the Trouille, and ordered Legal to support him. On the 6th the chevalier was in full march to the lines, which were then only protected by three regiments of dragoons and the detachment from Mons. Next day, while he was advancing in the vicinity of Ciply, he discovered the Hessian prince entering the valley of the Trouille, near Espiennes, in such apparent force that he deemed his own detachment not sufficiently strong to dispute the passage. He therefore sent to Legal, who had reached Bousou, to hasten to his assistance; but that officer did not venture to quit his post near St. Ghislain, as the confederate army had already reached the vicinity of Siraut. Luxembourg accordingly directed the three regiments of dragoons to fall back to his corps, and the detachment of infantry from Mons to return to the garrison. Thus the prince of Hesse received the best reward a skilful and active commander can obtain, success without bloodshed. He fixed his head-quarters at the abbey of Belian, and extended his post from Jemappes towards Frameries. By this movement he intercepted the communication between Mons and the army of Villars.*

During these skilful and vigorous operations, Villars had

*The position chosen by the prince of Hesse was well adapted to its object. The right, being on the heights near Jemappes (where the Austrian right was posted in 1792), cut off the road from Mons to Valenciennes, and overlooked the plain of St. Ghislain, and the defiles of Wasmes and Paturages. The centre crossed the roads to Bavay and Maubeuge, and commanded a view of the two openings of Aulnoit and Louviere, and the left covered the communication with the grand army beyond the Trouille.

decamped from the lines of Douay, soon after mid-day on the 3d, with the cavalry of the right wing, consisting of the body-guards; and directing the infantry to follow with the utmost speed, he passed the Scheldt at Valenciennes, and reached Quevrain at two in the morning of the 4th. He posted his cavalry in order of battle, waiting in anxious suspense the movements of his antagonists. From thence he sent orders to his left wing, to take up the position abandoned by his right, with directions to observe the strength and intentions of the hostile corps, which still remained under the walls of Tournay.

With the hopes of arriving in time to support Luxembourg, he moved on the 5th towards the Trouille; but receiving a report in the evening, announcing the appearance of the allies near St. Simphorien, he fell back to cover the centre of his lines.* He could now no longer doubt the real intentions of his opponents; but his infantry had not joined, and therefore he drew up on the height above St. Ghislain and Bousou till the 6th, when about mid-day he returned to Quevrain, whither Albergotti had marched with 40 battalions. Villars remained in position behind the Honeau till the next day, when d'Artagnan with the left wing arrived. He then re-crossed the rivulet, and encamped in two lines between Montroeul and Attiche. He was still perhaps in time to advance and secure the plain of Mons, had not the infantry of his left been exhausted by forced marches.

Meanwhile the confederate army, after a repose of a few hours in rain and mud, moved on the 6th from Siraut in two columns by the left. Soon after information was received that the prince of Hesse had crossed the Haine, and was about to attack the lines. Upon this intelligence the march was accelerated, the confederate generals advanced with considerable speed towards Obourg and Havre, and made instant preparations for completing the investment of Mons. Count Tilly, with the forces of Marlborough, crossed the Haine, and encamped between Obourg and Hyon; while general de Vehlen,

* A considerable controversy has arisen among the French historians and tacticians respecting the cause which occasioned the ill defence of these lines, each party throwing the blame on the other. As it does not fall within our province to decide this controversy, we refer the reader to the Memoirs of Villars, Quincy, &c. &c.

with the imperialists, remained near the woods of St. Denis, and detached a corps to mask Mons on the side of Nimy. At the same time the generals themselves pushed forward with an escort of horse, to join the prince of Hesse, and passing the lines at Espiennes, found this gallant officer in his head-quarters at the abbey of Belian. Both Eugene and Marlborough complimented him on the complete success of his expedition; to which he modestly replied, "The French have deprived me of the glory due to such a compliment, since they have not even waited my arrival." The outposts of the advanced guard were then pushed forward to Paturages, Genly, Quevy, and Cauchie, in order to observe with particular attention the defiles of Wasmes and St. Ghislain, and the roads leading through the woods of Montroeul, Blangies, and Sart.

Mons was thus invested on the side of France; and thus was the French marshal again baffled by the superior activity and skilful manoeuvres of his great antagonists. The place, as already remarked, was scantily provided, ill prepared for defence, and the garrison so sickly that Villars called it the hospital of his army.

It was evident, therefore, that the hostile commanders would leave no means untried to avert the siege, or at least to throw reinforcements into the town, even at the risk of a battle. On the 7th, Marshal Boufflers arrived in the French camp, with the intention of giving a noble example of devotedness to his king and country, by serving under Villars in the quality of a volunteer, although he was his senior in rank.* Upon a nation so susceptible of enthusiastic emotions, this testimony of genuine patriotism had an electric effect, and from the spirit thus excited, Villars anticipated, with sufficient reason, the most happy consequences. The bustle and rejoicings which it produced in their camp inducing the allied outposts to conjecture that an attack was

In the series of articles already referred to in Blackwood's Magazine, it is remarked that a similar incident had occurred in the British service, when Sir Henry, now Lord Hardinge, and Governor-general of India, served as second in command to Sir Hugh Gough, his senior in military rank, but subordinate in station, at the glorious battles of Ferozepore and Sobraon, with the Sikhs. "How identical," exclaims Mr. Alison, "is the noble and heroic spirit in all ages and countries! It forms a freema sonry throughout the world."- ED.