The train for the siege of Lille was brought up by canal from Holland to Brussels; and although the French knew that a large accumulation of military stores was taking place there, they could not believe that Marlborough meditated7 so gigantic an undertaking8 as the siege of Lille, and believed that he was intending to lay siege to Mons.
Berwick, with his army, which had since his arrival on the scene of action been lying at Douai, now advanced to Montagne; and Vendome detached 18,000 men from his army, lying between Ghent and Bruges, to Malle, to intercept9 any convoy10 that might move out from Brussels.
Marlborough's measures were, however, well taken. Eugene, with twenty-five battalions11 and thirty squadrons, moved parallel to the convoy, which was fifteen miles in length; while the Prince of Wurtemburg, General Wood, the Prince of Orange, each with a large force, were so placed as to check any movement of the enemy.
The gigantic convoy left Brussels on the 6th of August, and reached the camp near Lille on the 15th, without the loss of a single wagon12. Prince Eugene, with 53 battalions and 90 squadrons, in all 40,000 men, undertook the siege; while Marlborough, with the main army of 60,000 men, took post at Heldun, where he alike prevented Berwick and Vendome from effecting a junction13, and covered the passage of convoys14 from Brussels, Ath, and Oudenarde. No less than eighty-one convoys, with food, stores, etc., passed safely along; and the arrangements for their safety were so perfect that they excited the lively admiration15 both of friends and foes16.
Feuguieres, the French annalist, asks, "How was it possible to believe that it was in the power of the enemy to convey to Lille all that was necessary for the siege and supplies of the army, to conduct there all the artillery17 and implements18 essential for such an undertaking; and that these immense burdens should be transported by land over a line of twenty-three leagues, under the eyes of an army of 80,000 men, lying on the flank of a prodigious19 convoy, which extended over five leagues of road? Nevertheless, all that was done without a shot being fired or a chariot unharnessed. Posterity20 will scarcely believe it. Nevertheless, it was the simple truth."
To facilitate his operations, Marlborough threw six bridges across the Scheldt, and 10,000 pioneers were collected to commence the lines which were to surround the city. The lines were projected not only to shut in the city, but to protect the besiegers from attacks by a relieving army. Never since Caesar besieged21 Alesia had works upon so gigantic a scale been constructed. They were fifteen miles in circumference22, and the ditch was fifteen feet wide and nine deep.
On the 23rd of August, the lines of circumvallation being now nearly finished, Eugene opened his trenches23 and began operations against the city, the parts selected for attack being the gates of Saint Martin and of the Madelaine. These points were upon the same side of the city, but were separated from each other by the river Dyle, which flows through the town.
On the morning of the 24th the cannonade opened, Prince Eugene himself firing the first gun on the right, the Prince of Orange that on the left attack. The troops worked with the greatest energy, and the next day forty-four guns poured their fire into the advanced works round the chapel24 of the Madelaine, which stood outside the walls. The same night the chapel was carried by assault; but the next night, while a tremendous cannonade was going on, 400 French issued quietly from their works, fell upon the 200 Dutch who held the chapel, killed or drove them out, blew up the chapel, which served as an advanced post for the besiegers, and retired25 before reinforcements could arrive.
Marshal Vendome now determined26 to unite with the Duke of Berwick, and to raise the siege, and by making a long and circuitous27 march, to avoid Marlborough's force. This was accomplished28; the two armies united, and advanced to relieve Lille.
Marlborough, who foresaw the line by which they would approach, drew up his army in order of battle, with his right resting on the Dyle at Noyelles, and his left on the Margne at Peronne. Two hours after he had taken up his position, the French army, 110,000 strong, the most imposing29 France had ever put in the field, appeared before him.
The Duke of Marlborough had been strengthened by 10,000 men dispatched to him by Prince Eugene from the besieging30 army, but he had only 70,000 men to oppose to the French. And yet, notwithstanding their great superiority of numbers, the enemy did not venture to attack, and for a fortnight the armies remained facing each other, without a blow being struck on either side.
The French were, in fact, paralyzed by the jealousy31 of the two great generals commanding them, each of whom opposed the other's proposals; and nothing could be decided32 until the king sent Monsieur Chamillard, the French minister of war, to examine the spot, and give instructions for an attack.
The six days, however, which elapsed between the appearance of the French army in front of Marlborough and the arrival of Monsieur Chamillard in camp, had given Marlborough time so to entrench33 his position, that upon reconnoitring it Chamillard, Vendome, Berwick, and the other generals, were unanimous in their opinion that it was too strong to be attacked. The great army therefore again retired, and taking up its post between Brussels and Lille, completely interrupted the arrival of further convoys or stores to the British camp.
The siege meantime had been pressed hotly. From the 27th of August to the 7th of September 120 cannon5 and eighty mortars34 thundered continuously; and on the evening of the 7th two breaches35 were effected in the side of the bastions of the outworks that were to be assaulted.
Fourteen thousand men prepared to storm the outworks. The French allowed them to get, with but slight resistance, into the covered way, where a terrific fire was poured upon them. 800 were shot down in a few minutes, and two mines were exploded under them. The fighting was desperate; but the assailants managed to retain possession of two points in the outwork, a success most dearly purchased with a loss of 2000 killed, and as many wounded.
It was not until the 20th that a fresh attempt to carry the place by storm was made. At this time Marlborough's position was becoming critical. The fortress36 held out bravely. The consumption of ammunition37 was so enormous, that his supplies were almost exhausted38, and a great army lay directly upon his line of communication. It became a matter of necessity that the place should be taken. Immense efforts were made to secure the success of the assault. Enormous quantities of fascines were made for filling up the ditch, and 5000 British troops were sent by Marlborough from his army to lead the assault.
Rupert Holliday, with many other officers, accompanied this body as a volunteer. The troops were drawn39 up as the afternoon grew late, and just as it became dark they advanced to the assault.
The besieged in the outworks assaulted were supported by the fire of the cannon and musketry of the ramparts behind, from which, so soon as the dense41 masses of the stormers advanced, a stream of flame issued. So tremendous was the carnage, that three times the troops recoiled42 before the storm of balls.
On the fourth occasion Eugene himself led them to the assault, on either side of him were the Princes of Orange and Hesse, and a number of officers.
"Remember Hochstadt, Ramilies, and Oudenarde!" the prince shouted; but scarcely had he spoken when he was struck to the ground by a bullet, which struck and glanced over the left eye.
Then the troops dashed forward, and forced their way into the outwork. The French fought with magnificent resolution; and were from time to time reinforced by parties from the city.
For two hours the fight raged. With bayonets and clubbed muskets43, hand to hand, the troops fought. No one flinched44 or gave way; indeed it was safer to be in the front line than behind; for in front friends and foes were so mixed together, that the French on the ramparts were unable to fire, but had to direct their aim at the masses behind.
At last the allies gained ground. Gradually, foot by foot, the French were thrust back; and Rupert, who had been fighting desperately45 in the front line of the stormers' party, directed his efforts to a part where a French officer still held his ground, nobly backed by his men. The piled up dead in front of them showed how strenuous46 had been the resistance to the advancing wave of the allies.
Rupert gradually reached the spot, and had no difficulty in placing himself vis-a-vis to the French officer; for so terrible was his skill, that others willingly turned aside to attack less dangerous opponents. In a moment the swords crossed!
The light was a strange one, flickering47 and yet constant, with the thousands of firearms, which kept up an unceasing roar. The swords clashed and ground together, and after a pass or two both men drew back. A bright flash from a musket40 not a yard away threw a bright though momentary48 light on their faces.
"Monsieur Dessin!" Rupert exclaimed, in delight.
"What! Is it possible?" the Frenchman exclaimed. "Rupert Holliday!"
At the moment there was a tremendous rush of the British. The French were borne back, and hurled49 over the edge of the outwork; and before Rupert could avert50 the blow, the butt51 end of a musket fell with great force upon his late opponent's head.
Rupert leapt forward, and lifting him in his arms, made his way with him to the rear; for with that last rush the fight was over, and the allies had established themselves in the left demi-bastion of the outwork--an important advantage, but one which had cost them 5000 killed and wounded, of whom 3000 belonged to the English force, whom Marlborough had sent. The fact that more than half of them were hors-de-combat showed how fiercely they had fought.
Owing to the wound of Prince Eugene, the Duke of Marlborough had to direct the operations of the siege as well as to command the army in the field. On the 23rd he followed up the advantage gained on the 20th, by a fresh attack in two columns, each 5000 strong, and headed by 500 English troops. After being three times repulsed52, these succeeded in maintaining a lodgment in another outwork; losing, however, 1000 men in the attack, the greater part being destroyed by the explosion of a mine.
Both besiegers and besieged were now becoming straitened for ammunition, for the consumption had been immense. The French generals succeeded in passing a supply into the fortress in a very daring manner.
On the night of the 28th, 2500 horsemen set out from Douai, under the command of the Chevalier de Luxembourg, each having forty pounds of powder in his valise. They arrived at the gate of the walls of circumvallation, when the Dutch sentry53 cried out:
"Who comes there?"
"Open quickly!" the leader answered in the same language; "I am closely pursued by the French."
The sentry opened the gate, and the horsemen began to pass in. Eighteen hundred had passed without suspicion being excited, when one of the officers, seeing that his men were not keeping close up, gave the command in French:
"Close up! close up!"
The captain of the guard caught the words, and suspecting something, ordered the party to halt; and then, as they still rode in, ordered the guard to fire. The discharge set fire to three of the powder bags, and the explosion spreading from one to another, sixty men and horses were killed. The portion of the troops still outside the gate fled, but the 800 who had passed in rode forward through the allied camp and entered the town in safety, with 70,000 pounds of powder!
Another deed of gallantry, equal to anything ever told in fiction, was performed by a Captain Dubois of the French army. It was a matter of the highest importance for the French generals to learn the exact state of things at Lille. Captain Dubois volunteered to enter the fortress by water. He accordingly left the French camp, and swimming through seven canals, entered the Dyle near the place where it entered the besiegers' lines. He then dived, and aided by the current, swam under water for an incredibly long distance, so as entirely54 to elude55 the observation of the sentinels. He arrived in safety in the town, exhausted with his great exertions56.
After having had dry clothes put on him, and having taken some refreshment57, he was conducted round the walls by Marshal Boufflers, who showed him all the defensive58 works, and explained to him the whole circumstances of the position. The next night he again set out by the Dyle, carrying dispatches in an envelope of wax in his mouth, and after diving as before through the dangerous places, and running innumerable risks of detection, he arrived in safety in the French camp.
But it was not the French alone who had run short of ammunition. Marlborough had also been greatly straitened, and there being now no possibility of getting through convoys from Brussels, he persuaded the home government to direct a considerable expedition, which had been collected for the purpose of exciting an alarm on the coast of Normandy, and was now on board ship in the Downs, to be sent to Ostend. It arrived there, to the number of fourteen battalions and an abundant supply of ammunition, on the 23rd of September; and Marlborough detached 15,000 men from his army to protect the convoy on its way up.
On the 27th of September, the convoy started, crossed the canal of Nieuport at Leffinghen, and directed its course by Slype to defile59 through the woods of Wyndendale. General Webb, who commanded the troops detached for its protection, took post with 8000 men to defend its passage through the wood, which was the most dangerous portion of the journey, while Cadogan with the rest of the force was stationed at Hoglede to cover the march farther on.
Vendome had received information of the march of the column, and detached Monsieur de la Mathe with 20,000 men to intercept the convoy. At five in the evening the force approached the wood, through which the convoy was then filing. Webb posted his men in the bushes, and when the French--confident in the great superiority of numbers which they knew that they possessed--advanced boldly, they were received by such a terrible fire of musketry, poured in at a distance of a hundred yards, that they fell into confusion. They, however, rallied, and made desperate efforts to penetrate60 the wood, but they were over and over again driven back, and after two hours' fighting they retired, leaving the convoy to pass on in safety to the camp.
In this glorious action 8000 English defeated 20,000 French, and inflicted61 on them a loss of 4000 killed and wounded. Several fresh assaults were now made, and gradually the allies won ground, until, on the eve of the grand assault, Marshal Boufflers surrendered the town, and retired with the survivors62 of the defenders63 into the citadel64, which held out for another month, and then also surrendered. In this memorable65 siege, the greatest--with the exception of that of Sebastopol--that has ever taken place in history, the allies lost 3632 men killed, 8322 wounded, in all 11,954; and over 7000 from sickness. Of the garrison66, originally 15,000 strong, and reinforced by the 1800 horsemen who made their way through the allied camp, but 4500 remained alive at the time of the final capitulation.
Marshall Boufflers only surrendered the citadel on the express order of Louis the 14th not to throw away any more lives of the brave men under him. At the time of the surrender the last flask67 of powder was exhausted, and the garrison had long been living on horseflesh.
After Lille had fallen, Marlborough, by a feint of going into winter quarters, threw the French generals off their guard; and then by a rapid dash through their lines fell upon Ghent and Bruges, and recaptured those cities before Vendome had time to collect and bring up his army to save them.
Then ended one of the most remarkable68 campaigns in the annals of our own or any other history.
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1
cavalry
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| n.骑兵；轻装甲部队 | |
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severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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3
allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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cannon
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| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
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6
promotion
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| n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传 | |
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7
meditated
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| 深思，沉思，冥想( meditate的过去式和过去分词 )； 内心策划，考虑 | |
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8
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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9
intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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10
convoy
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| vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队 | |
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11
battalions
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| n.（陆军的）一营（大约有一千兵士）( battalion的名词复数 )；协同作战的部队；军队；（组织在一起工作的）队伍 | |
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12
wagon
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| n.四轮马车，手推车，面包车；无盖运货列车 | |
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13
junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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14
convoys
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| n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队 | |
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15
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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16
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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17
artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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18
implements
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| n.工具( implement的名词复数 )；家具；手段；[法律]履行（契约等）v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 )；执行；贯彻；使生效 | |
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19
prodigious
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| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
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20
posterity
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| n.后裔，子孙，后代 | |
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besieged
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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circumference
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| n.圆周，周长，圆周线 | |
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23
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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24
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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25
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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26
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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27
circuitous
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| adj.迂回的路的，迂曲的，绕行的 | |
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28
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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29
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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30
besieging
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的现在分词 ) | |
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31
jealousy
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| n.妒忌，嫉妒，猜忌 | |
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32
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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entrench
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| v.使根深蒂固；n.壕沟；防御设施 | |
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34
mortars
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| n.迫击炮( mortar的名词复数 )；砂浆；房产；研钵 | |
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35
breaches
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| 破坏( breach的名词复数 )； 破裂； 缺口； 违背 | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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ammunition
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| n.军火，弹药 | |
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38
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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39
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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40
musket
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| n.滑膛枪 | |
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41
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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42
recoiled
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| v.畏缩( recoil的过去式和过去分词 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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43
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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44
flinched
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| v.（因危险和痛苦）退缩，畏惧( flinch的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
desperately
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| adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地 | |
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46
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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47
flickering
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| adj.闪烁的，摇曳的，一闪一闪的 | |
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48
momentary
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| adj.片刻的，瞬息的；短暂的 | |
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49
hurled
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| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
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50
avert
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| v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等) | |
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51
butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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52
repulsed
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| v.击退( repulse的过去式和过去分词 )；驳斥；拒绝 | |
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53
sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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54
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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55
elude
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| v.躲避，困惑 | |
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56
exertions
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| n.努力( exertion的名词复数 )；费力；（能力、权力等的）运用；行使 | |
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57
refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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58
defensive
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| adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的 | |
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defile
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| v.弄污，弄脏；n.(山间)小道 | |
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60
penetrate
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| v.透(渗)入；刺入，刺穿；洞察，了解 | |
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61
inflicted
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
survivors
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| 幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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defenders
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| n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者 | |
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64
citadel
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| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
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65
memorable
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| adj.值得回忆的，难忘的，特别的，显著的 | |
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66
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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67
flask
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| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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