service, with fifteen thousand choice troops, and every requisite for a vigorous defense. On the other hand, Vendôme, at the head of a hundred thousand men, lay in an impregnable camp between Ghent and Bruges, ready to interrupt or raise the siege; and his position there hampered Marlborough extremely in bringing forward the requisite equipage for so great an undertaking, by interrupting the whole water navigation of the country, which was the only practicable mode of conveyance, for the dragging it up by land would require sixteen thousand horses. Nevertheless, it was resolved to undertake the enterprise, sanguine hopes being entertained that, rather than see so important a fortress fall, Vendôme would leave his intrenched camp, and give the allies an opportunity of bringing him again to battle on equal terms.* 50. of the allies for the siege. No sooner was the undertaking resolved on, than the most vigorous measures were adopted to carry it into execution. The obstacles which presented them- Preparations selves, however, were great indeed, and proved even more formidable than had been at first anticipated. Every gun, every wagon, every round of ammunition, required to be transported almost all the way by land carriage from Holland; and Brussels, the nearest depôt for ordinary and military stores for the allies, was situated twenty-five leagues off. Then was felt in its full force the immense loss sustained by the allies in the interruption of the water communications of the army by the capture of Ghent and Bruges. Sixteen thousand horses were requisite to transport the train which brought these stores, partly from Maestricht, partly from Holland; and when in a line of march it stretched over fifteen miles. Prince Eugene, with fifty-three battalions and ninety squad rons, covered the vast moving mass; Marlborough himself being ready, at a moment's notice, in his camp near Menin, to support him, if necessary. Between these two great men there existed then, as ever, the most entire cordiality.† Their * Marlborough to Godolphin, July 23, 1708. COXE, iv., 165. t "I need not tell you how much I desire the nation may be at last eased measures were all taken in concord, and with such ability, that though Vendôme with a hundred thousand men lay on the flank of the line of march, which extended over above seventy miles, not a gun was taken nor a carriage lost; and the whole arrived in safety on the 12th of August at the camp at Helchin, whither Marlborough had gone to meet it. So marvelous were the arrangements made for the safe conduct of this important convoy, and so entire their success, that they excited the admiration of the French, and in no slight degree augmented the alarm of their generals, who had hitherto treated the idea of Lille being besieged with perfect derision. "Posterity," says the French annalist Feuqueres, "will scarcely believe the fact, though it is an undoubted truth. Never was a great enterprise conducted with more skill and circumspection."* 51. Commence siege, and position of the covering army, 13th August. Prince Eugene was intrusted with the conduct of the siege, while Marlborough commanded the covering army. ment of the The prince commenced the investment of the place on the 13th of August, while Marlborough remained at Helchin, taking measures for the protection of the convoys, which were incessantly coming up from Brussels. At length the whole, eighty-one, arrived in safety in the camp before Lille, amounting to one hundred and twenty heavy guns, forty mortars, twenty howitzers, and four hundred ammunition wagons. Eugene's army for the siege consisted of fifty-three battalions and ninety squadrons, in all about forty thousand men. Marlborough's covering force was sixty-nine battalions and one hundred and forty squadrons, numbering nearly sixty thousand men. But the force of the French was still more considerable in the field. Vendôme and Berwick united on the 30th, on the plain between Gram of a burdensome war by an honorable peace; and no one can judge better than yourself of the sincerity of my wishes to enjoy a little retirement at a place you have contributed in a great measure to make so desirable. I thank you for your good wishes to myself on this occasion. I dare say, Prince Eugene and I shall never differ about our laurels."—Marlborough to Mr. Travers, July 30, 1708. *COXE, iv., 216-219. mont and Lessines, and on the 2d of September advanced toward Lille with one hundred and forty battalions and two hundred and fifty squadrons, mustering one hundred thousand combatants, besides twenty thousand left, under Count de la Motte, to cover Ghent and Bruges. But Marlborough had no fears for the result, and ardently longed for a general action, which he hoped would one way or other conclude the war. 'If we have a second action," says he, "and God blesses our just cause, this, in all likelihood, will be our last campaign; for I think they would not venture a battle, but are resolved to submit to any condition, if the success be on our side; and if they get the better, they will think themselves masters; so that, if there should be an action, it is like to be the last this war. If God continues on our side, we have nothing to fear, our troops being good, though not so numerous as theirs. I dare say, before half the troops have fought, success will declare, I trust in God, on our side; and then I may have what I earnestly wish for quick."* 52. Marlborough arrests Ven dôme and Ber wick when try ing to raise the No sooner was Marlborough informed of the junction of Vendôme and Berwick, than, anticipating the direction they would follow, and the point at which they would endeavor to penetrate through to raise the siege, he marched parallel to the enemy, and siege. arrived on the 4th of September at a position previously selected, having his right at Noyelle, and his left at Peronne. So correctly had he divined the designs of the able generals to whom he was opposed, that, within two hours after he had taken up his ground, the united French army appeared in his front. Notwithstanding their great superiority of forces, the enemy, however, did not venture to attack, and the two armies remained watching each other for the next fortnight, without any movement being attempted on either` side.† Meanwhile, Eugene was actively prosecuting the siege of Lille. Trenches were opened on the 22d, and a heavy fire * Marlborough to Godolphin, August 30, 1708. Coxe, iv., 222. was opened from eighty pieces of cannon. On the following night, an outwork, called the Chapel of St. Magdalene, was stormed and taken. The second parallel was soon completed, and some further outworks carried; and the whole battering guns having at length been mounted, a breach was effected in the salient angle of one of the horn-works, and on the same night a lodgment was effected. A vigorous sortie, on the 10th of September, hardly retarded the progress of the operations, and a sap was made under the covered way. Marlborough, however, who visited the besiegers' lines on the 18th, expressed some displeasure at the slow progress of the siege, and another assault was in consequence hazarded on the 20th of September. 53. Progress of the gene wounded, the direction of the siege on Marlborough. This assault was most obstinately resisted; but at length the assailants overcame all opposition, and burstsiege, and Eu- ing in, carried a demi-bastion and several adjoinwhich throws' ing works, though with a loss of two thousand men. Great as this loss was, it was rendered more severe in consequence of the temporary loss of one officer who fell; for Eugene himself, transported with ardor, had taken part in the assault, and was seriously wounded. This grievous casualty not only gave the utmost distress to Marlborough, but immensely augmented his labors, for it threw upon him at once the direction of the siege and the command of the covering army. Every morning at break of day he was on horseback, reconnoitering Vendôme's army; and if all was quiet in front, he rode to the lines and directed the siege in person till evening, when he again returned to the camp of the covering force. By thus in a manner doubling himself, this great man succeeded in preventing any serious inconvenience being experienced even from so great a catastrophe as Eugene's wound; and he infused such vigor into the operations of the siege, that, on the 23d of September, great part of the tenaillons and a large portion of the covered way were broken through. At the same time, the ammunition of the garrison began to fail so much, in consequence of the constant fire they had kept up for a month, that Marshal Boufflers sent intimation to Vendôme, that unless a supply of that necessary article was speedily obtained, he would be obliged to surrender.* 54. Efforts on both supplies of am. The French generals, aware how much the fortress was straitened, were meanwhile straining every nerve to raise the siege; but such was the terror inspir- sides to obtain ed by Marlborough's presence, and the skill with munition. which his defensive measures were taken, that they did not venture to hazard an attack on the covering army. A wellconceived project of Vendôme's, however, for throwing a supply of powder into the fortress, in part succeeded. Many of the horsemen engaged in this attempt were cut off, but some succeeded in making their way in through the allied lines; and their success, and the stores which they had brought, raised the spirits of the garrison, and prolonged their means of defense. But meanwhile the ammunition of the besiegers was also falling short; and as the enemy, since the concentration of Marlborough's army in front of Vendôme, had become completely masters of the communication with Brussels, no resource remained but to get it up from Ostend. A convoy was accordingly formed there by General Erle, which set out on the 27th of September, and consisted of seven hundred wagons, escorted by General Webb and ten thousand men. Count de la Motte instantly set out with the troops under his command from the vicinity of Ghent, and came up with the convoy in the défile of Wynandals, when a sharp action ensued. The French advanced to the attack with their wonted impetuosity; but Webb's defensive arrangements were so skillful, and the fire kept up by his troops so vigorous, that the enemy were utterly routed; and the convoy, forcing its way through the enemy's forces, reached Menin on the following day, and then, amid the acclamations of the whole army, reached the allied camp on the 30th of September.† * Disp., iv., 260-271. Marlborough to Godolphin, Sept. 24, 1708. COXE, iv., 243. ↑ Marlborough to Godolphin, Oct. 1, 1708. Coxe, iv., 254. |