A. C. King Auguftus, and the Landgrave of Heffe, were 1708. arriv'd fome time before from the Siege and having been entertain'd there at Dinner, with the Deputies of the States, the Hereditary Prince of Hesse, and feveral other General Officers, they went back in the Evening, to the Camp before Lille. The fame Day, in the Morning, the Enemy's whole Army pafs'd the Scheld, in Five Columns, above and below Tournay, and encamp'd with the Right at Blindain, and the Left at Villemeau, from whence the Duke of Burgundy fent a Spy, to endeavour to get into Lille, and acquaint the Marefchal de Boufflers, that their Army being on this fide Tournay, he might depend upon being reliev'd: But the Spy + Sept. 3. fell into the Hands of the Allies. The next † Day, the Enemy moved towards Orchies, and the Source of the Marque; lay that Night on their Arms; and the 4th of September, N. S. continued their March towards Mons-en-Peule, and the Overture into the Plains of Lille, between the Marque and Phalempin Whereupon the Duke of Marlborough, in Hopes and Expectation of an Engagement, order'd the Confederate Army to march to the Ground mark'd out for them, and to form in Battle, between Noyelles and Peronne, where they continued till Noon, and then encamp'd in the fame Ground; the Baggage being fent to the Camp before Lille. In the Evening the French advanc'd nearer the Confederate Camp; and having given out, That they would immediately attempt the Railing of the Siege, the Duke of Marlborough drew up the Army again, at Sept. 5. Break of Day, in order to give them Battle, ha The French ving, been join'd the Evening before, by Prince make a Eugene, with 72 Squadrons, and 26 Battalions from fhew of Re- the Siege, with which Troops came alfo King Au lieving guftus, and the Landtgrave of Hesse, as Volunteers. Lille, but The Troops brought by Prince Eugene, were pofted Battle. on the Right of the Line, with the Pruffians; the English and Danes on the Left; and the Dutch and Hanoverians in the Center: All the Cavalry was drawn up in Two Lines; and the Infantry form'd a Third Line behind the Horfe; which Difpofition was thought neceffary in a Plain; And to cover the Flanks of the Army, Twenty Battalions were pofted on each Wing, and behind them as many Squa decline a * drons rons, as a Body of Referve; Count Nassau Wouden- A. C.. burgh, with his Brigade, was pofted in the Village 1708. of Entiers, which was the Head of the Army; and the Artillery placed in the most convenient Places in the Front. The Generals repair'd to their refpective Pofts, in eager Readiness to receive the Enemy; and Lieutenant-General Fagel, having march'd with incredible Speed, with Seven Battalions, and as many Squadrons, join'd, that Day, the Confederate Army, which continued till Ten a-Clock, in Order of Battle: But the Enemy, notwithstanding all their Boafting, having not thought fit to appear, tho' all the Paffes thro' which they were to come and form, were, purposely, left open and unguarded; the Generals order'd the Tents to be pitch'd again, and Prince Eugene's Detachment march'd back to the Camp before Lille, except fome Imperial and Heffian Horfe. Prince Eugene himself, after Dining with the Duke of Marlborough, together with the King, and the Landtgrave, return'd in the Evening to the Siege: And the Duke of Marlborough The Duke rightly judging, That the Enemy had no other De- of Marlfign in view, than to fatigue the Confederate Troops borough by frequent Alarms; ftreighten them in Forrage, and retar'd the Siege of Lille, his Grace order'd 100 Men out of each Battalion to be employ'd in throwing up an Intrenchment in the Front of his Army, from the Mill of Noyelles, to that of Fretin, the Village of Seclin, lying before the Line, which Work was finifh'd the 8th of September, N. S. and both fecur'd the Duke of Marlborough's Toops from any fudden Surprize, and left the Befiegers at Liberty to carry on their Attacks without Interruption. Entrenches himself. ried on. See Accordingly, the 6th of September in the Evening, TheSiege of the Imperialifts having reliev'd the Trenches, under Lille car the Command of Lieutenant-General Arnham, per- the Plan. fected all the Parallels and Saps, and prepared Two Mines under the Saliant Angle of the Counterfcarp of the Two Horn-Works; with the Lofs of an Ingenier kill'd, another wounded, and about 20 private Men kill'd or wounded. The 7th, in the Morning, the Befiegers made the neceffary Preparations For ftorming the Counterfcarp that Evening; the Coun when the Trenches being reliev'd by Lieutenant- terscarp, General Wilke, with Two Majors-General, and Sept. 7. H The Befic gers form Ten N.S. A. C. Ten Imperial and Palatine Battalions, the following 1708. Difpofitions were made for that Attack. Eigh Hundred Grenadiers, fuftain'd by the like Number of Fuziliers, with 2000 Workmen, and 30 Carpenters, defign'd for cutting down the Palifadoes, were commanded for the Attack on the Right, between the Lower Deule, and the Gate of St. Andrew, under the Direction of Monfieur des Roques; 1600 Grenadiers, fupported by 1600 Fuziliers, 2000 Workmen, and 30 Carpenters, were commanded for the Left, between the Deule and St. Magdalen Gate, under the Direction of Monfieur du Mey; and befides the Troops in the Trenches, 2000 Men detach'd from the Grand Army under the Command of Brigadier Sabin, were imployed in the Attack. The Batteries, in the mean time, made a most terrible Fire; and about Fight of Clock, the Signal being given, made a general Difcharge, and then the Troops defign'd for the Attack on the Left, march'd out of the Trenches with unparallel'd Intrepidity, and admirable Order; went directly to the Palifadoes, from whence they beat the Enemy; and several of the Allies leaping into the Cover'd Way, put to the Sword all the French they found there, except Four Officers, and fome few Soldiers, who were taken Prisoners: But while they were making their Lodgment near the Palifadoes, the Enemy made a dreadful Fire upon them, and fprung Three Mines that did confiderable Execution: Notwithstanding which, the Befiegers lodg'd themfelves on the Saillant Angle of the Counterfcarp of the Horn-work; and on the Angle of the Tenaille. The Troops commanded on the Right, attack'd the Enemy with the like Courage and Succefs, and lodg'd themselves on the Saillant Angle of the Counterfcarp of the Hornwork, and on the Top of the Ditch of the Tenailles, on the Banks of the Lower-Deule, between the 2 Attacks: Befides which, the Communications towards the Breaches were confiderably advanc'd. The Lofs the Allies fuftain'd in that Action, may be feen in the following Letter from the Chief-Ingenier des Roques : Monf. des Roques's Letter about that Attack. ON From the Camp before Lille, Sept. 10. N. S. 6 paft Seven in the Evening. 2400 Grenadiers, and A. C. as many Fufileers, fuftain'd by 12 Battalions, be- 1708. ing commanded to make the Lodgment on the Glacis, we attack'd the whole Front, reaching from the Horn-work before Magdalen's-Gate, along the Ravelins and Tenailles, as far as the other Horn-work, on the Right of the Lower Deule. After an obftinate Fight of about half an Hour, during which, the Enemy fprung Four great Mines, that deftroy'd abundance of our Men, we oblig'd them to retire into their Capital Works. from whence they made a terrible Fire for fome Hours. But as we had the Misfortune, upon the advancing towards the Enemy out of the Trenches, to lose the Six Engineers who were to direct the Workmen appointed to make the Lodgment on the Ravelins, and before the Breaches; the faid Workmen, by the Favour of the Night, difpers'd themselves; fo that we could not maintain our felves, but only on the Angles of the Glacis of the Two Horn-works, and of the Tenaille : Which unhappy Accident retards the taking of the Town, which may yet hold out 8 or 10 Days. We had in that Attack 2000 Men either kill'd or wounded, amongst whom are 16 Engineers, either in Ordinary, or Extraordinary. We have rais'd 6 Two Batteries on the Glacis of the Horn-work on the Right, and of the Tenaille; and in a day or 6 two, we fhall erect another, in order to ruin the Foot of the Breach, which the Enemy repair every Night. Yesterday in the Afternoon, the Enemy made a Sally, in order to ruin a fort of Gallery, which we are drawing from the Angle of the Horn-work at Magdalen's-Gate, directly to the Breach; that we may not be oblig'd to make a fecond Affault upon the Out-Works; but our Regiments in the Trenches repuls'd the Enemy with great Vigour, killing abundance of their Men. We expect, with Impatience, a Convoy of Ammunition, which is coming from Bruffels very -propos; for we are in great want of it. Lalt "Night we lodg'd our felves in the Cover'dWay; and this Night we fhall work on a Battery of 30 Pieces of Cannon, in order to widen the * Breach. The Battery of 18 Guns having fired 6 H 'this this Day with Succefs, we may this Evening make an Attack upon one of the Horn-Works. Befides the vigorous Defence of the Befieged, and the want of Ammunition, which had been ill-husbanded at the Beginning; the Mifunderstanding, which about this Time, began to arife between the Two Directors of the Attacks, did not a little retard the Progrefs of the Siege. However, the 8th of September, N. S. the Trenches were reliev'd by the Prince of Holstein-Beck, Major-General Zout land, Sir Richard Temple, and Monfieur du Trouffel, Brigadiers, with Four Battalions on the Right, and Six on the Left. The Sap was confiderably advanc'd, both on the Right and Left, and Two Batteries of Three Pieces of Cannon each, rais'd to batter in Breach, one against the Face of the Horn-work on the Right, and the other against the Faces of the Counterguards. A Lodgment was likewife made in the Cover'd-way of the Horn-work on the Right, with the Lofs of a Captain kill'd, a Lieutenant wounded, and about 50 private Men kill'd and wounded. The 9th in the Morning, the Two Batteries which were finifh'd the Night before, began to fire, and the Enemy threw a great many Bombs into the Sap and Lodgments, but did very little Hurt. In the Evening, the Trenches were relieved by Lieutenant-General Sparr, Major-General Collier, and Brigadiers Waffenaer and Keppel, with 5 Battalions on the Right, and 7 on the Left. The Enemy made a fmall Sally towards the middle of the Attack, but were immediately repuls'd; And the Battalion which purfu'd them, and killed feveral, receiving the Fire of the Cover'd-Way, had about 50 Men kill'd and wounded. The Lodgment in the Cover'd-Way of the Counterguard, was carried on about 100 Paces, and the Sap confiderably advanc'd, both on the Right and Left. While thefe Things pafs'd before Lille, the Duke of Marlborough caus'd the Intrenchment before his Line to be perfected, and the Field Artillery to be planted upon it, on the 8th of September. Two Days before, the Enemy made a great Forrage, and their Workmen were employ'd in making Opeings, and enlarging the Roads about their Army * Sept. 6. N. S. which |