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cil of War, which was held the 23d it was refolv'd, A. C. to fufpend, for fome Days longer, the opening of 1706. the Trenches, until they had receiv'd all their Artillery, and other Neceffaries for carrying on the Siege with Vigour. Sir Stafford Fairborn, at the fame time, with a Squadron of 9 large English Ships of War, 4 Bomb-Ketches, and 2 Firefhips, block'd up. the Harbour, being to batter the Town by Sea. The Night between the 25th and 26th the Enemy having erected, without the Town, a Battery of 5 pieces of Cannon towards the Sea-fide, to hinder the Barks from Landing, the advanc'd Guard repair'd thither, and having nail'd up the 5 Pieces retir'd by break of Day. In the mean time, the Befiegers having Intelligence, that the Seamen and Burghers, would affift the French Garrifon in defending the Place, Monfieur the Velt-Marefchal, fent them Word, that he would ruin the Town, and burn all the Ships, in cafe they fhould help the Enemy, which Meffage had the defired Effect. Moreover, the four Burghomaiters came to the Camp the 28th, to beg that their Town and Ships might be fpared, the Bomb-ketches having already thrown in fome Bombs. But, as they made no Offer of furrendring, they were obliged to return without a favourable Anfwer. The night following, being that between the 28th and 29th, the Trenches were open'd within Musket-The Tren fhot of the Place, by Lieutenant-General Fagel,ches open'd, 'June 28. having under him Major General Lauder, and Bri- N. S. gadier Amama, with two Colonels, and 2000 Soldiers or Pioneers, fupported by four Battalions, viz. Two English and Two Dutch: And tho' the Enemy made great Fire from the Town, yet the Works were carried on with great Succefs, and without any greater lofs than about 60 men kill'd or wounded. The 29th the Trenches were reliev'd by Lieutenant General Oxenstiern, Major General Murray, and the Duke of Argyle Brigadier, with a Colonel, four Battalions, and 1800 Pioneers. The 30th General Spar, with Major General Collier, and Brigadier Zit ten, with a Colonel, four Battalions, and 1500 Pioneers reliev'd the Trenches: And thofe three Lieutenant Generals, in their Turn, commanded in the Trenches till the Place was furrendred. The ift. of July the Batteries were finish'd, and the Befiegers

began

A. C. began to plant Cannon thereon. The 3d Sir Stafford.
1706. Fairborn came afhore to confer with Moufieur d'Au-.

verquerque, and it was refolv'd that the next Day
the Bomb-Veffels fhould draw near the Place to
bombard the Town. The fame day, (the 3d of July)
the Trenches on the left were carried on within 150
Paces of the Glacis of the Place; and the Line of
Communication being finifh'd, the Attacks were pur-
fued with fo great Vigour, that the Befiegers covered
themfelves from the Cannon of the Town; info-
much, that the 4 Batteries that had been erected,
viz, one of 8 pieces of Cannon, one of 18 Mortars,
one of 38 pieces, and one of 7, being all ready, they
began to batter the Place by break of Day, with
fuch uninterrupted Fury, that Fire broke out in fe-
veral Places before 8 a Clock; and the Town being
fo terribly battered, both by Sea and by Land, great
part of the Cannon of the Befieged were difmount-
ed before Night, and the Place almost entirely
ruin'd. The 4th was fpent in firing vigoroufly a-
gainst, and bombarding the Town, and the Night
between the 4th and 5th an Affault was made upon
the Counterfcarp. The Attack was begun by 50
English Grenadiers commanded by a Lieutenant, and
fupported by a Dutch Battalion, and was carry'd on
with all imaginable Vigour and Refolution. The.
Allies having beaten the Enemy from their
Works, made a Lodgment upon the Counterfcarp.
That morning the Befieged Sallied out with 900
Men in order to diflodge the Beliegers, and endea-
vour the Regaining of that Poft; but the Battalions
that were in the Trenches, advancing to their Af-
fiftance, and fome Shots being fired on both fides,
the Enemy retired without being able to effect their
defign. This Skirmish, however, coft the Beliegers
50 Men killed and wounded. In the mean time,
great Diligence was used in perfecting two Batteries
on the Glacis, one of 12 Pieces of Cannon, and the
other of Eight.

At last, on the 6th of July, the Belieged not being
able to hold out any longer against the force of 46
heavy Pieces of Cannon, 18 Mortars, and fome
hundreds of fmall Mortars, called Coehorn Mortars,
beat a Parley at 9 in the morning; and the Capitu
lation being concluded and figned at 11 at Night,

they

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they furrendred Oftend to the Allies, who the next A. C.
Morning, took Poffeflion of it in the Name of King 1706
Charles III. This Town was Invefted by the Spaniards
during the Government of the Arch-Duke Albert of
Auftria the 5th of of July 1601, and fuftain'd, at that
time, a Siege of three Years, or, as fome Hiftorians re-
late, 3 Years, 3 Months, 3 Weeks, 3 Days, and
3 Hours, during which the Beliegers loft Seventy fix
thoufand, Nine hundred and Sixty one Perfons, viz.
7 Field-Marefchals, 15 Colonels, 19 Majors, 165
Captains, 1166 Lieutenants, 322 Enfigns, 1911 Ser-
jeants, 9166 Corporals, 610 Under Corporals, 54366
private Soldiers, 6011 Seamen, and 1196 Women
and Children. But now the fame Place, tho' de-
fended by a numerous Garrifon, commanded by two
Generals, the one a Frenchman, the other a Spaniard,
and provided with abundance of Artillery and Am-
munition, furrendred to the Invincible Állies, after
it had been battered only 3 Days and fome Hours.

According to the Capitulation, the Garrifon march'd out on the 8th of July, without any Marks of Honour, and only with their Swords and Baggage, having been obliged to promife not to bear Arms against King Charles III. or his Allies, for the fix Months following. It confifted of two Spanish Battalions; four Troops of Dragoons of the fame Nation, and four French Regiments; but the former, moft of them, entred into the Service of the Allies. No mention was made in the Capitulation of the Shipping in the Harbour, in which were found two Men of War, one of 80, the other of 50 Guns, and about 45 fmall Veffels. This Conqueft did not coft the Confederates above 500 Men, killed or wounded.

Monfieur d'Auverquerque having caus'd the Approaches before oftend to be levell'd, and left a good Garrifon in that Town under the Command of Lieutenant General Spar, and in Plaffendael, march'd on the 12th of July, with the Troops under his Command, to join the Duke of Marlborough, whom we left encamp'd at Arfele. His Grace broke up from thence the 18th of June, and march'd to Rouffe- under the laer, where he encamp'd to cover the Siege of Oftend. Duke of The 22d his Grace receiv'd Advice from Brigadier Marlbo Meredith, who commanded the Troops employed rough.

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Motions of

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A. C. in the Blockade of Dendermonde, That the Enemy 1706. having fent a Detachment from Mons, of 3000 Horfe and 2000 Foot, with intent to furprize him, he had retir'd from Lebbeeke to Baeftroo; which was fo advantagious a Poft, that the Enemy did not think fit to attack him, tho' fo much fuperior in number. He had only five Men kill'd out of 50 he had Left in a Redoubt to cover his Retreat; and the Captain who commanded 'em, with 7 of his Men, were taken Prifoners. The Enemy put about 400 Foot, and 100 Dragoons into the Town; and upon the appearing of Brigadier Cadogan with 6 Squadrons, who came from Oudenarde about an hour too late to fecure the Bridge of loft, they return'd with great Precipitation to Mons, having in this Expedition loft near 700 Men by Defertion. The 28th, his Grace receiv'd a Letter from Brigadier Cadogan, with an Account, that the Bombs having fet the Town of Dendermonde on Fire in feveral Places, he had the 27th at night, by the Advice of the Marquis de TerDender- razena, written a Letter to the Governor, Monfieur monde Delvall, to acquaint him, That the Garrifon was to refufes expect no other Conditions than to remain Prifoners again to of War, if they perfifted any longer to defend the furrender. Place: Whereupon the Governor defired a Cef

fation of Arms for 24 Hours, to affemble and confult with his Officers. The 29th, the Ceffation being expired, he fent this Anfwer to the Marquis de Terrazena, That having call'd a Council of War, they came to a Refolution, That feeing the Town had a ftrong Garrison, and was otherwife provided for a good Defence, it was their Duty to hold out to the last: Whereupon, Orders were fent for the clofe Blocking up of that Place, till there fhould be a proper Seafon for Attacking it in Form. The Troops of Pruffia and Hanover, came that Day to Aloft, and Orders were fent them to encamp there till further Orders. The 2d of July at Night, the Lord Raby, Ambaffador Extraordinary from Her Majefty of Great-Britain to the King of Pruffin, came from Wefel to the Camp at Rouffelner, to wait upon the Duke of Marlborough. The 4th in the Morning, his Grace went to Monfieur d'Auverquerque's Camp before Oftend; and as he paffed thro' Bruges, was faluted with a tripple Difcharge of the Cannon of that Place. His Grace

din'd with Monfieur d'Auverquerque; went after A. Ç. wards to the Trenches, and view'd the Batteries; 1706. and upon his appearing on the Strand, was faluted by the Englife Squadron commanded by Sir Stafford Fairborn His Grace pafs'd through Bruges in his Return, where he was again faluted with a tripple Difcharge of the Artillery. The Clergy met him at fome distance out of the Town, as the Magiftrates of that City and Franc did at the Gates: They all made their Excufes, that they did not know of his Grace's coming the Day before till he was at their Gates; and prefented to him the Keys of the City, affuring him of their Zeal and Loyalty to their Lawful Sovereign King Charles III. and acknowledging,at the fame time,their great Obligations to his Grace, as the happy Inftrument of their Deliverance from the Tyranny of France. His Grace return'd to the Army about 6 in the Evening. My Lord Duke, before his going to oftend, had order'd the Prince of Holftein-Beck, Lieutenant-General,to march with 8 Battalions and take Poffeffion of Courtray; where he arriv'd accordingly the 5th. The Detachment under the Command of Major-General Berenfdorf, which lay near Oudenarde, was order'd, at the fame time, to take the Camp of Harlebeck near Courtray, His Grace intending to march thither with the Army. The Troops of Pruffia and Hanover were the fame day order'd to march to Ninove. The 6th, the Duke of Marlborough, with the Army under his Command, march'd from Rouffelaer, and encamp'd with the Right at Courtray, and the Left at Harlebeck, the River Lys being in the Rear. His Grace having Notice, That the Prince Royal of Praffia, intended to fee the Army, fent away Collonel Durel, Adjutant-General, the 8th in the Morning, to Cleves, to compliment his Royal Highness, and to conduct him to the Camp. The 10th Collonel Lalo's Regiment march'd from the Camp towards 0ftend, there to embark, together with Brigadier-General Farringdon's, and Brigadier-General Macartney's Regiments, in order to join the Troops in England that were to go upon the Defcent. The 11th the Army marched from Harlebeck and came to Helchin, near which Place four Bridges were, by his Grace's Directions, laid over the Schelde. In the Evening,

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