broken and driven back on each other. At this moment the French dragoons made a noble effort to favour the escape of the infantry, and cover the retreat of the household squadrons; but their valour was fatal to themselves; for the greater part of seven regiments were either killed or taken, and the gendarmerie suffered no less severely from the charge of the Danes.

Meanwhile Marlborough had continued to gain ground, and at length established his line between Chobon and Diepenbeck. Vendome indeed made a personal effort to avert the fate of the army which was intrusted to his care, by dismounting from his horse, and leading the infantry near Mullem, to the rescue of their companions. But his exertions were unavailing. This body, inferior in numbers, subdued in spirit, masked by Eugene, and entangled by the intricacy of the ground, could make no impression; while the left wing was thrown out of action by the defiles and rivers in their front, and held in check by the British cavalry, which was drawn up in perfect order on the plain of Heurne.

In this crisis, darkness enveloped the contending hosts, and the positions were discernible only by the flashes of musketry which rolled round the narrowing circle of the devoted army, till the right of Eugene and the left of the Prince of Orange approached the same point. They mistook each other for enemies, and their conflict might have produced deplorable effects amidst the victorious ranks, had not the generals exerted themselves to put a timely stop to the fire. About nine, orders were given for the troops to halt as they stood, and suffer the enemy to escape, rather than expose themselves to mutual destruction.

To this order numbers of the enemy owed their safety. Favoured by the obscurity, the broken corps forced their way in tumultuous crowds, as they were impelled by fear or despair. Some thousands slipped unperceived through an opening in the allied lines, near the Castle of Bevere, and directed their flight towards the French frontier; others endeavoured to rejoin their left wing, in the direction of Mullem; and a considerable number wandered to the posts of the allies, and were captured. In the midst of this tumultuous scene, Eugene ordered several drummers to beat the French retreat, and the refugee officers to give the rallying

word of the different corps, who were known to be in the enclosures; they thus succeeded in capturing crowds of fugitives without resistance.

When Vendome perceived the destruction of his right wing inevitable, he retired with the infantry, which was still posted on the bank of the Norken, near Mullem, and joined the left wing at Huysse and St. Denast. With his characteristic presence of mind, he proposed to the Duke of Burgundy, and a crowd of panic-struck generals, to take advantage of the night for restoring order among the troops, so as to retire regularly; but his representations were fruitless. Finding, therefore, that his arguments could not persuade the reason, or allay the fears of the surrounding multitude, he consented to order a retreat. The word was no sooner given, than generals and privates, horse and foot, hurried in the utmost disorder towards Ghent. He could only persuade twenty-five squadrons and some battalions to remain united, and with these he covered the flight of the crowd in person.

The allies, meantime, impatiently paused on the field; but dawn was no sooner visible, than Marlborough detached forty squadrons from the right wing, under Generals Bulow and Lumley, and a corps of infantry, commanded by MajorGeneral Meredith, to pursue the enemy.

With the return of day opened a scene of the most distressing nature, which gave scope to the humanity of the British general. Among several thousand corpses, lay a prodigious number of wounded of different nations, enveloped in carnage, and surrounded with the wreck of war. By his orders, the utmost exertion was instantly made to collect the survivors, and to bestow on all, without distinction, the care and relief which circumstances would permit. The agonies of suffering nature were thus soothed, and many wer snatched from a lingering and painful death to acknowledge the beneficence, and bless the name of their conqueror.

Various and contradictory accounts have been given of the loss of the two parties in this memorable battle. But we may estimate that of the allies at about 3,000 killed and wounded, and that of the enemy at no less than 4,000 killed, 2,000 wounded, and 9,000 prisoners, including 700 officers.

In a letter to the Lord-Treasurer Godolphin, Marlborough

said that the enemy were in as strong a post as it was possible to find; but that, knowing that a great battle was indispensable to the good of the Queen of England, and the common cause, he had resolved to endeavour by all means to bring them to action. He admitted that he had given them too great an advantage; but there are moments when the ablest commander must overstep his caution, or the fixed rules of military science.*

The battle of Oudenarde entirely dissipated the confidence of Marshal Vendome, and so cut up and disheartened the French infantry that they were not able to fight again during this campaign.

It was a battle fought with muskets, bayonets, and sabres. Neither of the contending parties had more than a very few pieces of light artillery on the ground, and of these few, owing to the nature of the country, they made no use.

• Archdeacon Coxe. "Memoirs of Marlborough."

I

WYNENDALE.

A.D. 1708. September 28.

AFTER the battle of Oudenarde, the allies penetrated into France, and laid siege to the amazingly strong and ably defended fortress of Lille. With a skill which has never been surpassed, an immense convoy of artillery stores and ammunition were brought up from Brussels to the allied camp without any loss. But the siege was protracted, and more ammunition must be obtained, or failure must await the whole enterprise.

There was abundance of powder and ball at Ostend, but our troops there were weak, and the French general, Count de la Motte, with 12,000 men, stood between Ostend and Lille, in the hope of capturing any convoy that might attempt to pass. Marlborough, who continued in the camp of the besiegers, first detached two bodies of troops, consisting of twelve battalions of foot and 1,500 horse, under Generals Landsberg and Els, to protect the passage of the convoy. On learning the movements of Count de la Motte, he, on the 26th, sent a new detachment of twelve battalions, under General Webb, to advance as far as Tourout, in order to protect the march of the convoy from Cochlaer, through the wood of Wynendale; and, soon afterwards, twenty-six squadrons and twelve battalions, under Cadogan, marched to Hoghlede, to cover its passage between Tourout and the camp.

On the 27th of September the convoy departed from Ostend, crossed the canal of Nieuport, at Leffinghen, during that night and the morning, and directed its course by Slype and Moerdyke, to defile through Cochlaer, behind the wood of Wynendale. The moment it commenced its march the utmost vigilance and activity were displayed by all the

officers on the line of its passage. General Webb detached 1,600 infantry, under the command of Brigadier Landsberg, to strengthen the corps posted at Oudenburg, with orders, after covering the convoy, to rejoin him at Tourout. This force arrived in time to prevent the occupation of Oudenburg by the enemy. Meanwhile, the horse under Cadogan had reached Hoghlede, and Count Lottum, with 150 dragoons, was sent forward to explore the road by which the convoy was advancing, and join the escort. Approaching Ichteghem, however, he discovered several French squadrons, and returned to Tourout to give the alarm.

On this intelligence, General Webb moved forward with the infantry, Count Lottum, with his small party of cavalry, forming the advanced guard, with orders to gain Ichteghem, by the way of Wynendale. Reaching Wynendale, they perceived the enemy, through the opening of the plain, between a low coppice and the wood. The quarter-masters and grenadiers were instantly formed, and posted in the coppice, while General Webb, with the 150 horse, advanced to reconnoitre, and amuse the enemy. As fast as the infantry arrived they were posted in order of battle, in the opening between the wood of Wynendale and the coppice where the quarter-masters and the grenadiers were stationed. Scarcely had six battalions formed before the enemy commenced a heavy cannonade; but the small party of horse kept its ground with such firmness, that General Webb had time to complete his dispositions.

The troops formed two lines-the left wing extending beyond the coppice, to prevent the enemy from turning that flank, and the right resting on the wood and castle of Wynendale. In the wood, on the right, was the regiment of Heukelom, forming an ambuscade, and another regiment was thrown into the coppice on the left. Parties of grenadiers were posted among the brushwood on each side, for the same purpose, with orders not to discover themselves till they could take the assailants in flank. The regiments which escorted the convoy were formed in a third line as they arrived.

On the first news that the convoy had departed, Count de la Motte advanced to Oudenburg, but the post being already occupied, he hastened by Ghistel, to intercept it in the defile