Denain, in order to advance towards the allies. And indeed 1710.
he made fuch fpeeches to his army, that it was generally be a
lieved he would venture a battle, rather than look on and
fee Doway lost.

On the 17th of May, in the morning, the besieged made
a fecond falley with nine companies of grenadiers, and a
detachment of dragoons upon the left. But colonel Preston,
who commanded there, gave them so warm a reception that,
upon the first firing of his men, the enemy retired with pre-
cipitation. The 21st, at night, the besieged made another
falley on the left, wherein several men were killed on both
fides ; and, notwithstanding they were disappointed, they
made a fourth attempt on the trenches, the 23d at night.
But, the besiegers, who had notice of it, having killed a-
bout twenty of their men, upon the first discharge, the rest
retired in great confusion.

During these transactions before Doway, Villars set out May 19. from Peronne, and arrived the same day at Cambray, where he held a grand council of war, in which it was resolved, immediately to assemble the French army, in order to attempt the relief of Doway. Accordingly, Villars sent expresses to some reinforcements, that were commanded to join him from the Upper Rhine, to advance with all poffible expedition ; and having drawn together all his troops, passed the Scheld, and incamped with his right near Bouchain, and his left at Ribecour. Upon advice of this motion, the duke of Marlborough and prince Eugene thought fit to alter the disposition of their forces, except thirty battalions left at the fiege,' and twelve squadrons at Pont-aRache. The 24th, all the cavalry of the duke of Marlborough's army marched over the Scarpe, and incamped near Gouleslin ; and, the next day, the infantry moved the same way, incamping with the right over against Vitri, and the left near Arleux. At the same time prince Eugene made a motion with his army, placing his right at Ile-les-Esquerchien ; by which situation, the confederate troops were ready to repair immediately to either of the fields of battle already marked out, according to the next motions of the enemy; for which purpose roads were made for the armies to march in four columns either way. The 25th, bridges were laid in several places over the Scarpe (which parted the two armies) for the more easy communication of the troops ; and, the same day, upon advice, that the enemy were in motion, all the troops were ordered to be in a readiness to march. The four following days, both armies made several

S 4

motions ;

1710. motions; and, on the 30th, the Dutch infantry, under

count Tilly, was ordered to join the duke of Marlborough's army; which was by this time reinforced by the arrival of the Prufi.ns, Palatines, and Hessians, and the recalling of several detachments. Upon intelligence, that Villars had positive orders from court to venture a battle, the expectation of a sudden engagement increased on both sides; and that general, who was incamped with his right at Roquelincourt near Arras, and his left at St. Eloy, advancing with his troops in order of battle, the confederate generals repaired to their respective posts ; the cannon was placed on the batteries, that defended the avenues to their camp ; and all other necessary dispositions were made to receive them. Villars, with a great detachment, advanced some time after, within musket-shot of the confederates guard, and took a view of the army and its situation. But instead of attacking them, as he had so confidently given out in the morning, he marched back, and joined the center of his army, and incamped between Noyelles Sous-Lens and the heights of of St. Laurens. The confederates judging, he did not design to attack them, but only to retard the fiege, fent the troops back, which they had drawn from before Doway ; and those under general Fagel returned into the lines on the other side of the Scarpe. And, to prevent any surprize from the enemy, :orders where given to join the several redoubts, in the front of the camp by a line to extend from Montignon to Vitri, which was finished on the last of May.

The fiege of Doway, which by all these motions had been retarded, was carried on with all imaginable vigour, notwithstanding the many obstacles the allies met with in their approaches, both from the difficulty of the ground, and the resolute defence of the garrison. On the 29th of May, the besieged made a fifth falley on the right attack, and penetrated into the trenches; but, after an obftinate engagement, they were repulled with the loss of twenty-five officers, and about one hundred private men. The next day a party of the garrison of Fort-Scarpe made a falley, and advanced to Pont-a-Rache, with a design to intercept the bread-waggons of the allies. But colonel Caldwell, who commanded there with three hundred dragoons, vigorously repulsed them, though he had the misfortune of being wounded in one of his arms. The last day of May, the besieged made a vigorous falley, burnt several villages, took part of the equipage of general Fagel, and returned

into the town with a good number of cattle. The besieged 1710.
continued to defend their out-works with the utmost ob-
stinacy; but notwithstanding their frequent sallies and mines,
on the 5th of June, the allies made two lodgments on the
glacis of the counterscarp at the right attack; as also lodg-
ments on the right and left of the other attack of the coun-
terscarp of the ravelins, and fired briskly from the batteries of
cannon and mortars, to drive the enemy from their traverses.
The 10th in the morning, the allies fired five pieces of cannon
into the covered-way, and continued the fap, which went
on but slowly, by reason of the great fire of the enemy.
However the besiegers in the night, between the 14th and
15th, perfected a lodgment on the covered-way at the right
attack, and repaired the damages" their works received at
the left by the great number of bombs, that were thrown
into them. On the 16th, the besiegers began to fire against
the ravelins, from a battery of seven pieces of cannon, and
made a line of communication on the left attack. They
sprung likewise two mines, that night, at the right attack
with so much success, that the enemy abandoned all their
places of arms, and the besiegers made lodgments at both
attacks. After this they brought several pieces of cannon
on their batteries, and fired so effectually, that, the breaches
in the ravelins being judged wide enough, and all things
being in a readiness to storm both of them by the 19th,
the troops commanded for the assault performed that ser-
vice with great bravery, but met with so vigorous a refift-
ance, that many were killed on both sides. On the 23d at
night the prince of Anhalt having made the necessary dis-
positions for attacking the two ravelins at the right attack,
they stormed the same on the 24th, and lodged themselves
thereon after a small resistance.

Soon after the enemy
sprung two mines under the ravelin of the right, whereby
the besiegers loft fome workmen : however they inlarged
the lodgments and communication at the left. At length
the garrison, being reduced to the last extremity, on the
25th at two in the afternoon beat a parley, and offered to
capitulate for the town only, without including Fort-
Scarpe. But, this being refused, they sent hostages to both
attacks, who were conducted to the duke of Marlborough’s
quarters; where being again told, that no capitulation
could be granted to the town without including Fort-
Scarpe ; on the 26th in the morning, monsieur Albergotti
fignified, that he was willing to surrender that fort with
the town, provided he might have liberty to remove all

there

1710.

July 10.
N.S.

their provisions and ammunition. This pretenfion occafioned a conference in prince Eugene's quarters, where it was agreed, that the garrison of Fort-Scarpe should be allowed to march out with two cannon, two covered waggons, twenty others, and two days provisions ; but they were to leave their muskets in the magazine. So the capitulation for the town and Fort-Scarpe were signed on the 26th, after fifty-two days open trenches. Pursuant to this capitulation, on the 29th, about ten in the morning. Albergotti marched out of Doway (r) with his garrison (which amounted to no more than four thousand five hundred and twenty-seven men) and lieutenant-general Hompesch took poffeffion of the town as governor. Brigadier Des Roques, engineer-general of the states, was likewise made governor of Fort-Scarpe at the same time. The allies found in the place forty pieces of brass cannon, two hundred of iron, and eight mortars, with ammunition and small arms, but a very small stock of provisions (s). As fooni as the trenches and other works before the place were levelled, and the breaches repaired, the confederate armies, being joined by feveral detachments, advanced to Vitri, and from thence to the camp at Villars-Brulin. Villars being likewise reinforced with several detachments, and having drained the garrifons of Condé, Quesnoy, Valenciennes, and Cambray,

(r) Doway, or Dovy, a strong their killed and wounded, there city of the Low-Countries, in were three lieutenant-colonels, the earldom of Flanders, the three majors, twenty-three capmarquisate of the territory of tains, thirty-five subalterns, one Doway. An university, subject hundred ferjeants, and one thouto the French, and taken by them fand eight hundred and ninetyin 1667. It stands on the river nine private men killed : two Scarpe, between Artois and Hai- lieutenant-colonels, four majors, nault, thirteen miles almost north fifty captains, one hundred and of Cambray, fifteen almost east fifty-two fubalterns, two hundred of Arras, and thirty-five west of and forty-two ferjeants, and five Mons,

thousand two hundred and fixty(s) The French, according to seven private men wounded. Of their cuftom, very much magni- the artillery fifty-four killed, and fied the lofs fuftained by the al- ninety-fix wounded : engineers, lies in the fiege of Doway. And thirteen killed, and thirty-three it is certain, the reduction of so wounded : miners twelve killed, strong and important a place and twelve wounded. Total at must be attended with no small both attacks, two thoufand one danger and difficulty; and ac hundred and forty-two men kill. cording to the computation, ed, and five thousand eight hun, which was made by the allies of dred and fixty-five wounded.

instead

instead of attacking the confederates, incamped within his 1710.
new lines from Arras, towards Miramont. The confede-
rate generals finding it impracticable, either to attack the Bethune

taken,
enemy, or besiege Arras, turned their army against Be-
thune (t), which was invested the 15th of July, N. S. and
on the 29th of August the place was surrendered by monsieur
du Puy Vauban, who commanded there, and was nephew
to the famous engineer of that name.

During the siege of Bethune, Villars, with his army, marched out of their intrenchments, and positively declared, that he would attack the confederates, and endeavour to raise the fiege. Upon this the duke of Marlborough and prince Eugene formed their armies in order of battle, and the duke advanced with a detachment to observe the French Aug. li army, who, instead of preparing for a battle, were casting up a new line and intrenchments for the better security of their troops. On the 24th of August, the right wing of prince Eugene's army foraged in the front towards St. Pol near the enemy's camp, under a guard of five hundred horse, and one thousand Danish and Heffian foot. Villars, having notice of it the night before, detached thirty squadrons under the command of the count de Broglio, to attack the foragers ; and, in order to be an eye-witness of that enterprize, he followed in perfon, and arrived on the mount of St. Pol, where he ordered four squadrons of c bineers to attack the foragers on that fide, while fome other squadrons were advancing to attack them another way, They fell upon three squadrons of the allies, which gave way; but the foragers, joining with their guard, beat the enemy back with great' slaughter. However, the French growing too numerous, the allies retired in very good order to an adjacent village, from whence the Danish and Hessian infantry made such a fire upon the enemy, that they loft a great many men. Villars advanced in perfon, and, having

a

(t) Bethune is a town of the it) that he could not but pass Low-Countries, in the earldom away a melancholy thought upof Artois, vastly strong, and in on mortality, and regret the short extraordinary repair. A noble. duration of inventors of arts and man, in his travels, was so ex fciences, when the works, that tremely pleased with it, that he are done by them, are of so long declared, it gave him such fur- continuance. It stands on the prizing ideas of the great loss of river Biette, eighteen miles northFrance, in the death of monsieur west of Arras, and eighteen Vauban (who drew the plan of south.gast of Aire.

surrounded