32.

Heroic but ineffectual efforts

of the Prince of Orange to re

store the combat.

line had now closed up with the first, which lined the works, and a dense mass of bayonets, six deep, bristled at their summit behind the embrasures of the guns. A dreadful rolling fire issued from them; their position could be marked by the ceaseless line of flame, even through the volumes of smoke which enveloped them on all sides; and at length, after displaying the most heroic valor, the Prince of Orange was obliged to draw off his men, with the loss of three thousand killed, and twice that number wounded. Instantly the brigade of Navarre issued with loud shouts out of the intrenchments. eral Dutch battalions were driven back, and some colors, with an advanced battery, fell into the enemy's hands. Boufflers supported this sally by his grenadiers à cheval; but the Prince of Hesse-Cassel came up with his well-appointed squadron on the other side, and, after a short struggle, drove the French back into their works.*

33. Marlborough

spot, and re

stores the battle.

Sev

Hearing that matters were in this precarious state on the left, Marlborough galloped from the right center, hastens to the accompanied by his staff, where Lottum's infantry and D'Auvergne's horse had gained such important advantages. Matters ere long became so alarming, that Eugene also followed in the same direction. On his way along the rear of the line, the English general had a painful proof of the enthusiastic spirit with which his troops were animated, by seeing numbers of the wounded Dutch and Hanoverians, whose hurts had just been bound up by the surgeons, again hastening to the front, to join their comrades, though some, faint from the loss of blood, yet tottered under the weight of their muskets. The reserves were hastily directed to the menaced front, and by their aid the combat was in some degree restored in that quarter, while Marlborough and Eugene labored to persuade the Prince of Orange, who was burning with anxiety at all hazards to renew the attack, that his operations were only intended as a feint, and that the

* CoxE, v., 55. LEDIARD, ii., 182-185.

real effort was to be made on the right, where considerable progress had already been made.*

34.

A vigorous attack of Villars

on the right

weakens his

center, which

prepares to at

tack.

Order was hardly restored in this quarter, when intelligence arrived from the right that the enemy were assuming the initiative in the wood of Taisnière, and were pressing hard upon the troops both at La Folie and in front of the wood. In fact, Villars, Marlborough alarmed at the progress of the enemy on his left in the wood, had drawn considerable re-enforcements from his center, and sent them to the threatened quarter. Marlborough instantly saw the advantage which this weakening of the enemy's center was likely to give him. While he hastened back, therefore, with all imaginable expedition to the right, to arrest the progress of the enemy in that quarter, he directed Lord Orkney to advance, supported by a powerful body of horse on each flank, directly in at the opening between the two woods, and, if possible, force the enemy's intrenchments in the center, now stripped of their principal defenders. These dispositions, adopted on the spur of the moment, and instantly acted upon, proved entirely successful. Eugene galloped to the extreme right, and renewed the attack with Schulemberg's men, while Withers again pressed on the rear of the wood near La Folie. So vigorous was the onset, that the allies gained ground on both sides of the wood, and Villars, hastening up with the French guards to restore the combat near La Folie, received a wound in the knee, when gallantly heading a charge of bayonets, which obliged him to quit the field. Unable any longer to sit on horseback, he was placed, at his earnest desire, in a chair, that he might see the battle, and continue in the field; but the pain of the wound and loss of blood soon became such that he fainted, and was carried senseless to Quesnoy. Eugene also was wounded on the head while rallying his men and leading them gallantly to the charge. His attendants pressed him to retire that the wound might be dressed; but he replied, "If I am fated to die here, * CoxE, v., 56, 57. KAUSLER, 789, 790.

to what purpose dress the wound? If I survive, it will be time enough in the evening." With these words he advanced again to the head of the line, and the troops, animated by the heroism of their beloved general, who pressed on though the blood was streaming over his shoulders, followed with such impetuosity that the works were carried, and the victors reentered the wood pell-mell with the broken enemy. .*

35.

Decisive attack

ney on the cen

ter.

In the center, still more decisive advantages were gained. Lord Orkney there made the attack with such by Lord Ork- vigor, that the intrenchments, now not adequately manned, were at once carried; and the horse, following rapidly on the traces of the foot soldiers, broke through at several openings made by the artillery, and spread themselves over the plain, cutting down the fugitives in every direction. Marlborough, upon seeing this advantage, instantly gave the grand battery of forty cannon in the allied center orders to advance. With the utmost rapidity the guns were limbered up, and moving on at a quick trot. They soon passed the intrenchments in the center, and facing to the right and left, opened a tremendous fire of canister and grape on the dense masses of the French cavalry which stood in the rear of the infantry, who were almost all in front among the works. These noble troops, however, bore up gallantly against the storm, and even charged the allied horse before they had time to form within the lines; but they were unable to make any impression, and retired from the attack sorely shattered by the allied artillery.†

Admirable ef

The battle was now gained. Villars's position, how strong 36. and gallantly defended soever, was no longer tenforts of Bouf- able. Pierced through in the center, with a forflers to regain the day. midable enemy's battery on either side, thundering on the reserve squadrons, in the very heart of his line, and turned and menaced with rout on the left, it was no longer possible to keep the field. Boufflers, upon whom, in the ab

# COXE, v., 57.

LEDIARD, ii., 289–291. KAUSLER, 789. ↑ Coxe, v., 59, 60. KAUSLER, 788, 789.

37.

His able and or

sence of Villars in consequence of his wound, the direction of affairs had devolved, accordingly prepared for a retreat; and he conducted it with consummate skill, as well as the most undaunted firmness. Collecting a body of two thousand chosen horse yet fresh, consisting of the élite of the horse-guards and garde-du-corps, he charged the allied horse which had penetrated into the center, at this time much blown by its severe fatigues in the preceding part of the day. It was accordingly worsted and put to flight; but all the efforts of this noble body of horsemen were shattered against Orkney's infantry, which, posted on the reverse of the works they had won, poured in, when charged, so close and destructive a fire, that half of the gallant cavaliers were stretched on the plain, and the remainder were forced to make a precipitate retreat.* Still the indefatigable Boufflers made another effort. Drawing a large body of infantry from the works on his extreme right, which had been little engaged, he derly retreat. marched them to the left, and, re-forming his squadrons again, advanced to the charge; but Marlborough no sooner saw this, than he charged the garde-du-corps with a body of English horse which he himself led on, and drove them back, while the infantry staggered and reeled, like a sinking ship, under the terrific fire of the allied guns, which had penetrated the center. At the same time, the Prince of Orange and the Prince of Hesse-Cassel, perceiving that the intrenchments before them were stripped of great part of their defenders, renewed the attack; in ten minutes these works were carried; and a tremendous shout, heard along the whole line, announced that the whole left of the position had fallen into the hands of the allies. In these desperate circumstances, Boufflers and his brave troops did all that skill or courage could to arrest the progress of the victors, and withdraw from the field without any additional losses. Forming his troops into three great masses, with the cavalry which had suffered least in the rear, he slowly, and in perfect regularity, commenced his retreat.

* Coxe, v., 59, 60. KAUSLER, 789, 790.

The allies had suffered so much, and were so completely exhausted by the fatigue of this bloody and protracted battle, that they gave them very little molestation. Contenting themselves with pursuing as far as the heath of Malplaquet, and the level ground around Taisnière, they halted, and the men lay down to sleep. Meanwhile the French, in the best order, but in deep dejection, continued their retreat still in three columns; and after crossing the Hon in their rear, reunited below Quesnoy and Valenciennes, about twelve miles from the field of battle.*

38.

battle to the

Such was the desperate battle of Malplaquet, the most bloody and obstinately contested which had yet ocResults of the curred in the war, and in which it is hard to say allies. to which of the gallant antagonists the palm of valor and heroism is to be given. The victory was unquestionably gained by the allies, since they forced the enemy's position, drove them to a considerable distance from the field of battle, and hindered the siege of Mons, the object for which both parties fought, from being raised. The valor they displayed had extorted the admiration of their gallant and generous enemies. Both Eugene and Marlborough exposed themselves more constantly than they had ever done in any former action; and cordial as had been their understanding on all previous occasions, it was generally observed that on this they seemed animated only by a generous emulation which should most aid and support the other. On the other hand, these advantages had been purchased at an enormous sacrifice,

* Coxe, v., 54-63. Disp., v., 562, Marlborough to Mr. Secretary Boyle, Sept. 11, 1709, and to Mr. Wauchope, same date, v., 598.

"The Eugenes and Marlboroughs ought to be well satisfied with us during that day, since till then they had not met with resistance worthy of them. They may now say with justice that nothing can stand before them; and, indeed, what shall be able to stay the rapid progress of these heroes, if an army of one hundred thousand men of the best troops, strongly posted between two woods, trebly intrenched, and performing their duty as well as any brave men could do, were not able to stop them one day? Will you not then own with me that they surpass all the heroes of former ages ?"— Letter of a French Officer who fought at Malplaquet. CoxE, v., 65.