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As the allied columns debouched into the plain of Jandreville, they could see the enemy in two lines, the first occupying a sort of table-land, the surface of which was varied by gentle undulations and dotted with green clumps and coppices, and the second supporting it, a little in the rear.

The streams known as the Great and Little Gheete have their sources close to the right bank of the river Mehaigne; and between these the French had formed their lines, having their right leaning on the Mehaigne, in front of which lay the picturesque little village of Ramillies, their left leaning on the village of Autre Eglise, and protected from attack, as well as impeded in action, by an impassable morass. The centre, composed of infantry, took post from Offuz to Ramillies, while the right, which was composed of 100 squadrons of cavalry, occupied the open space in front of the great barrow named the Tomb of Ottomond. Every village embraced by the French position was strongly garrisoned, and in Ramillies could be seen the red coats of the Irish Brigade, for therein were posted the regiments of Dorrington, Lee, and Lord Clare, with seventeen others; while a brigade was detached to Tavieres in order to secure the extreme right, and clouds of white-coated skirmishers lined all the thick green hedges thence to the village of Franquinay, or Franquienes. The skilful and practised eye of Marlborough scanned all these dispositions, as the fog-bank drew upward like a mighty curtain, and the May sunshine was reflected on the lines of steel; and on seeing the one great defect which attached to them he hastened to take advantage of it.

"The enemy's left," says his biographer, "being planted in rear of a morass, though safe from all direct attacks upon itself, was necessarily immovable, at least for offensive purposes. The right, again, if the brigade posted at Tavieres be so considered, was too much detached either to give or receive support; while the whole line, being formed upon the arc of a semicircle, was liable at all points to be assaulted in superior numbers, by a force manoeuvring along the chord. It was perfectly evident, too, that the heights on which the Tomb of Ottomond stands formed the master-key of the position; for were these once carried, the assailants would not only uncover the flank of the cavalry, but be able to enfilade all the posts to the left. To this great object, therefore, Marlborough directed his attention, and the measures which he adopted for the purpose of effecting it proved as successful as they were admirably conceived."

As his army, which consisted of 74 battalions (22 being English, 9 Scots, and the rest foreign),

with 123 squadrons of horse, came up in succession, he formed them into two lines, with the left on Boneffe and the right on Foulz, which was occupied by the Royals.

The jets of smoke that marked where the enemy's skirmishers lay began to pass rearward, as they fell back, impeding not the steady advance of the Allies for a moment; and at one o'clock the artillery on both sides began to open. Amid this cannonade, the British, Dutch, and German infantry composing the right of the line broke suddenly into column, and rushed rapidly forward as if to carry Autre Eglise by assault.

On seeing this, Marshal Villeroi became alarmed for the safety of his left flank, and withdrawing in haste from his centre, sent several brigades to support the point that seemed in peril. This was exactly the lure into which Marlborough wished to lead him, and was the movement he had foreseen. In a moment he dispatched an aide-de-camp at full speed, by which the further advance of the right was arrested. The leading battalions alone kept their formation along the crest of the heights which they had ascended; while those in rear filing quickly to the left, and all unseen by the French, passed under the screen of the same heights to the real point of attack, and now the battle began in terrible earnest.

After dislodging the skirmishers about Franquinay, a column of infantry invested Tavieres on every side, while a mass of cavalry under Auverquerque, passing by their rear, bore down on the enemy's horse; then twelve battalions advancing in open columns of companies, supported by twice as many in line, aided by twenty-two pieces of cannon, assailed Ramillies with indescribable fury. As the roar of the battle closed around the little red-tiled village, Villeroi became aware that he had been out-manoeuvred in the very beginning of the action; he saw now that his right, not his left, was in danger, and he exerted himself to the utmost in the hope of yet repairing the error into which he had fallen.

"In this action," says the "Atlas Geographicus" of 1711, "the Dutch troops, and more particularly the Scots in their service, distinguished themselves by their extraordinary gallantry."

Dismounting twenty squadrons of dragoons, Villeroi sent them to support, with their muskets and bayonets, an isolated brigade in Tavieres. With these the Dutch cavalry of Auverquerque unexpectedly fell in, and cut them to pieces.

The first line of French cavalry now came on and made a furious charge; but it was charged in turn, broken, and routed. Over heaps of dead and

Ramillies.]

THE ROYAL STANDARD TAKEN.

dying men, the second advanced, while Auverquerque's (or Overkirk's) column was disordered and in fierce pursuit, and for an instant-but little more-restored the battle and gave confidence to Villeroi.

At this most critical juncture, the duke himself appeared, at the head of seventeen squadrons of cavalry. With these he dashed among the enemy's cuirassiers and the splendidly mounted and accoutred household troops of France. Hand to hand they met with the sword; steel rang on steel, and saddles were emptied fast. The French fought with obstinate bravery; the batteries in Ramillies were mowing down the stormers thickly, and the slaughter on both sides was terrible; but the Mousquetaires were literally destroyed.

Amid it Marlborough nearly perished. After ordering up every available man from the right, he led one furious charge in person. In this being recognised by some French troopers, they fell altogether, and with exulting bitterness, upon him, and cutting down all around him, sought to kill or capture him. Sword in hand he hewed a passage through them, and rushed his horse at a ditch, but was heavily thrown in the leap. Again he was in danger of being killed, and would have inevitably been so but for the prompt succour given him by Major-General Murray and the Duke of Argyle. Richard Viscount Molesworth, colonel of the Royal Irish Dragoons, now mounted him on his own horse, and brought him off; but the duke's secretary, Colonel Brinfield, who held the stirrup while he mounted, was struck dead by a cannon-ball.

In this conflict, the Scots Greys, led by Lord John Hay, decimated the Regiment du Roi, and captured the royal standard of France. On the other hand, Murrough O'Brien, lieutenant-colonel of Lord Clare's Irish regiment, leading on his men with fixed bayonets, broke through an English regiment and captured its colours. "These," says O'Connor, were afterwards suspended in the church of the Irish Benedictine nuns at Ypres. They formed as romantic a memorial as ever was seen, if we recollect the place and the men where and by whom they were won, and the sanctuary of the 'Exiles' in which they were deposited."

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about and fled to the rear; and then the ridge surmounted by the Tomb of Ottomond--the great object of the struggle-was won.

The village of Ramillies was meanwhile as bravely assailed as it was defended. The attacking corps, under General Schultz, drove in some battalions of Swiss, and gradually fought their way among the houses. They then rushed with the bayonet upon the troops who occupied the hedges and barricades, and soon made themselves masters of the place. Rallying two regiments of Cologne Guards, the Marquis de Maffie maintained a useless but resolute struggle in a hollow way or road beneath the vil lage, till, outflanked, and overborne by numbers, his corps gave way, and by the cavalry were almost destroyed to a man.

The French were completely defeated on their right and in the centre, but not without causing severe loss and confusion among the victors. Marlborough made a halt to restore order in his brigades, and of this halt Villeroi hastened to take advantage, by forming a second line out of the ruins of his army; but this attempted formation was cumbered by masses of baggage and storewagons, and bât horses, and hence proved futile.

The allied trumpets once more sounded the advance; again the cavalry charged, and in five minutes the whole plain was covered with wounded writhing in agony, with dead men and riderless horses, and with fugitives flying for their lives.

Perceiving the enemy recoiling, one column effected a passage through the morass, and took the village of Autre Eglise; another captured that of Offuz, which they found abandoned; and, in a word, the battle which had lasted without intermission for five hours was won. Broken and utterly demoralised, the French and Bavarians were in full flight, some towards the defile of the Abbey de la Ramee, some towards Dongelberge, some towards Judoigne, and others towards Hougarde; while the few who halted and faced about, only did so to surrender. The pursuit was continued by the whole army so far as Meldert, where Marlborough ordered a halt, of which both men and horses were sorely in need.

In his remarks on generalship, Marshal Saxe has the following:

Once more advancing to the attack, the allied cavalry were now met by the Bavarian cuirassiers, "When the French army at the battle of Ramilwhen twenty fresh squadrons from the right sud- lies was retiring in good order over an eminence denly appeared coming on the spur across the that was rather confined, and on both sides of which plain, now thickly strewed with corpses. These there were deep ravines, the cavalry belonging drew up in line on the right of the allied force, to the Allies followed its track leisurely, without with a steadiness which furnished proof of their even appearing to wish to harass or attack its discipline and valour, and which had the effect of rear. The French continued their march with the striking a panic into the enemy, who wheeled same composure, retreating upon more than twenty

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"On this occasion a squadron of British cavalry got close to two French battalions, and began to fire upon them. The latter came to the rightabout, and fired a volley at the squadron. What was the consequence? The whole French army took to its heels; the cavalry went off at full gallop, and all the infantry, instead of retiring patiently over the heights, threw itself into the ravines in such dreadful disorder that the ground above was almost instantly abandoned, and not a French soldier was to be seen upon it."

Though the main army halted, the light cavalry continued the pursuit till the morning sun of the next day was brightening the walls and spires of Louvain, when they drew their bridles and returned at leisure.

In this great battle of Ramillies, the Allies had 1,066 killed and 2,567 wounded. In the first list were Prince Louis of Hesse-Cassel and 82 officers, and in the latter 283. On the other side the casualties were 13,000 men killed or taken. Among the former were many officers of rank, such as the Prince de Soubise and Rohan, a son of Marshal Tallard, and Lord Clare, of the Irish Brigade; while 120 colours and standards, the kettledrums of the mousquetaires and of all the household cavalry, the whole of the artillery, sixty cannon and eight mortars, their tents and baggage, became the spoil of the victors.

Among the few prisoners taken by the enemy was Ensign Gardiner, of one of the Scottish regiments, who afterwards fell as a colonel at Prestonpans.

The immediate consequence of this great victory was the surrender of nearly all Brabant, the magnates of which, with the magistrates of Brussels, renounced their allegiance to the Duke of Anjou, while the city of Paris was overwhelmed with consternation. Louis, says Smollett, affected to bear his misfortunes with composure; but the constraint had such an effect upon his constitution that his physicians thought it necessary to prescribe frequent bleeding. At his Court no mention was made of military transactions; all were silent, solemn, and reserved.

In England the exultation was great; and the city of London having requested that the standards taken at Ramillies might be hung up in Guildhall, they were carried thither from Whitehall, with great ceremony, by detachments of the Horse and Foot Guards. On the same day, the 19th of December, 1706, the Dukes of Marlborough, Ormond, and Somerset, with all the great Officers of State, received a banquet from the Lord Mayor and Aldermen (Ormond's Life).

This famous battle introduced what was known as the Ramillies cock of the hat; and a long plaited tail to the wig, with a great bow at the top, and a smaller one at the bottom, was called a Ramillies tail; while the peruke itself called the Ramillies wig was worn as late as the days of George III.

CHAPTER XCVII.

ALMANZA, 1707.

THE year 1707 brings to us an important epoch in world.

Under a Stuart alone could this result have been achieved.

Their union would be the best security the history of the British Isles, and that of our for the prosperity of both, for the internal tranforces by land and sea-the union of the two king-quillity of the island, for the just balance of power doms of England and Scotland on terms framed among European states, and for the immunities by commissioners, thirty acting for the former and of all Protestant countries." thirty for the latter kingdom, then in the attitude of war against the measure. Such were their mutual relations at the very time their troops were fighting side by side in Spain and Flanders during 1706, that, as Macaulay has it, they could not possibly have continued for another year "on the terms on which they had been during the preceding century, and that there must have been between them either absolute union or deadly enmity; and their enmity would bring frightful calamities, not on themselves alone, but on all the civilised

In a book dedicated to Queen Anne, in 1705, published "at the 'Ship,' in St. Paul's Churchyard,” and entitled "War between the British Kingdoms Considered," the Lowland Scottish Militia are estimated at 22,000 foot and 2,000 horse. "The Highlanders, all trained and ready for war from their childhood, are estimated to be above 40,000 fighting men; and a bolder or more obstinate people in a national quarrel are not in the world. Their

Almanza.]

THE BRITISH ARMY FORMED.

standing forces in regular pay at home are above 4,000, and they never want 100,000 men who will fight out of principle in a Presbyterian cause."

Four years before this the standing forces of England consisted only of three troops of Guards, one troop of horse grenadiers, thirty-six troops of horse, three regiments of dragoons, and seven of infantry-about eighty-two companies in all.

The Scots had two troops of Guards, two battalions of Foot Guards, the Greys and two other corps of dragoons, and four of infantry, now numbered as the 1st, 21st, 25th, and 26th (or Cameronians); and prior to the Union, all officers of the Scottish army took an oath of fealty, not to the sovereign, but to the Estates of Scotland (see "Lovat's Life").

Such was the nucleus of the future army of Britain. In the ranking and precedence of the forces after the ratification of the Treaty of Union, on the 16th of January, 1707, to England was assigned the 1st corps of dragoons, the Greys ranking next, but taking the motto, "Second to None." This was scarcely a just arrangement, as the English corps was raised on the 19th of November, 1683, while the Scots Greys date from the 15th of November, 1681. To Scotland was assigned priority in the 1st Regiment of infantry, and her two battalions of Guards were ranked as the 3rd Foot Guards.

They were marched to London in 1711, and in January, 1713, were first joined in duty with the English Guards; and in the following year we find "the grenadiers of the three regiments of Guards, during their stay at Greenwich, pursuant to an order of His Majesty, are to beat the English and Scots reveille alternately." The latter, in cadence a sweet low air, is still retained in the service.

The Scots Life Guard was disbanded in 1746; but the Scots Horse Grenadier Guards were incorporated with the present Life Guards in 1787.

In January, 1707, the Union being achieved, the red cross of St. George was placed upon the blue colours of the Scottish regiments, in addition to the white saltire of St. Andrew, and hence came our Union Jack of so many glorious memories by sea and land. It is simply the old Scottish ensign, charged with the cross of England. Prior to this the standard of England was white.

The "New Union Colours," as they were named, were first unfurled by the British troops at the luckless battle of Almanza, in the kingdom of Murcia, on the 25th of April, 1707.

The opening of the Spanish campaign in that year had been most unpropitious. Charles III. had marched a portion of his forces into Catalonia, leaving the Earl of Galway with the remainder of

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the army sent to uphold him against the claims of France. The British, Austrians, and Portuguese suffered the most dreadful privations. They were constantly harassed by the enemy, and found the greatest difficulty in procuring any supplies, owing to the exhausted state to which Spain had been reduced by war; while Louis XIV. redoubled his efforts in favour of his protégé, Philip V., and sent strong reinforcements to the Marshal Duke of Berwick.

In April the Allies took the field, and destroyed the magazines of the enemy at Claudete, Gela, and Montalegra. Their strength was only 16,000 men, under the command of the Marquis das Minas, the Earl of Galway being second in command. They besieged the ancient castle of Villena, which crowns the summit of the mountain of San Christoval, in the province of Alicante; and after overcoming every obstacle, they suddenly advanced in four columns towards Almanza, which lies on the Valencian frontier, between two ranges of mountains.

The British forces present on this occasion were the following:

Cavalry-Hervey's Horse (now 2nd Dragoon Guards), Carpenter's Dragoons (now 3rd Hussars), Essex's Dragoons (now 4th Hussars), Killigrew's Dragoons (now 8th Irish Hussars), Pearce's and Peterborough's Dragoons (now disbanded), and the French regiment. In all only nine squadrons.

Infantry-Foot Guards, Portmore's (now 2nd. Foot), Southwell's (now 6th Foot), Stuart's (now 9th Foot), Hill's (now 11th Foot), Blood's (now 17th Foot), Mountjoy's, Allnut's (now 36th Foot), George's (now 35th Foot), Mordaunt's (now 28th Foot), Wade's (now 33rd Foot), and Bowles', Macartney's, Breton's, Mark Kerr's, and Nassau's (now out of the service).

The united forces made only forty-four battalions and fifty-four squadrons.

In his "Age of Louis XIV.," Voltaire, when writing of the hardships undergone by the Allies before the battle of Almanza, says, "They were beaten piecemeal." In strength they were far inferior to the forces under the Duke of Berwick, with whom the Marquis das Minas resolved to fight, in direct opposition to the wish and advice of the Earl of Galway. When within one mile of the enemy, the troops, who had been marching since daybreak, were halted for a time to recover their energies.

On diverging into the plain of Almanza, th: enemy were seen in front, in order of battle. Essex's dragoons were the first on the ground, and were formed on the left of the first line, with the infantry corps of Southwell and Wade, numbering

only 963 men. A brigade of Portuguese horse, French and Spanish horse and a battery of guns. under the Conde de Atalaya, was afterwards sent The leading officer in this movement was Colonel forward from the second line to the left of the Dormer, of Essex's dragoons. Having passed some British, to increase the slender front. low ground at a hand-gallop, with his own and The centre was entirely composed of British and Carpenter's regiments, he began to ascend the Dutch. eminence on which the guns were posted, and with

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