The American herald of liberty — Exeter, N.H., 1794-07-15 00:00:00, page 1

Sia,
IN my last letter I mentioned to you his
Imperial Majesty’s intention of making a
general attack with his whole force tn or
der, by a joint co-operhrion with the troops
under the command of Gen. Clairf ayt,
to compel the enemy to evacnate FfanJcr?.
On the 16th, at night, the army moved
forward, for this purpose, in five columns.
The two columns on the left were in
tended to force the pafiage of the Marqe,
end by a vigorous attack on the enemy’s
posts aloftg the river, co cover the operations
of the three remaining columns;- these were
deft.ned to force the enemy’s posts by Robaix*
Watdoo, and Moucron, thus to L-vor Gen.
Clair fa yr’s pafiage of the Lyt. and then
by a juntlion with his corps, to have cut
Off the commuication between Lift and
Courtray.
Unfortunately the two col uth ns on tit
left forced the pafiage of the Marque so late
and were so much fatigued by the' 'ength -
of their march, that they were not al^e to
accomplilh the remainder of the purpt fed
plan while the column on the right, under
Gen. Bofche^nding the ehemy it Mbucron
in much greater numbers than had been ex
r pefted ; was under the necessity of relin
quishing its attack, and of retreating to its
former petition at Warcoing.
Lieut. Gen. Otto proceeded with his
column through Leers and Waterloo, from
whence, after some resistance, he droVe the
enemy, and puShed on to Tpurcping.
My column consisted of seven battalions I
of British, five of Austrians, and two of hef
fians, with fix fquadrona of light dragoons,
and four of huSTa^a, We moved forward
from Templeuye to Lahnoy, which wq
forced the enemy to evacuate, after a Ihort
cannonadej in which I had the misfortune
to lose Maj. Wright, of theßoyal Artillery
I brave and deserving officer.
Having left the two Hessian Battalions
at Lannoy, I proceeded to Roubaii, where
we found the enemjr in great Strength both
of men and cannon; The resistance was
prdpottipnably ftroriger, but equally una
vailing, as the enemy soon found them
selves compelled to recite which they did
towards Moucron. , *
Having: at this time no intelligence bf
the two columns oh my .right and left; not
witfiShnding 1 had made every effort coob
tain it, 1 did not think it prudent to ad-
VMtt aay farther, butwis ft fol vid to have
left my advanced guard, under the com
mand bf Lieut. Gen; Abercromby, at
Roibaux, and, with the remainder of my
corps to have taken h position ofi-the heights
behind Linnoy. The orders for this pur
, pose his
lmp^4.^y, who Md ^"cetUto
Lannoy, with my intention, the fieomty
, of co-operating with Gen. Clairfayt indu
ced Hi« Majesty to direst that 1 mould
1 accordingly directed the attack tobe
made by Lieus. Glen. Abercromby With
the four battalions of guards.
Hcforindtfie enemy strongly entrench
a, M i>***ne c«r.non«dea n »'S W
nd » <«* T?
.fie good countenance of the flank battalion
with the foftof three pieces cFeaonon,afld
of a configurable number ofMien,who^er«:
cutdOFf^^ 2 th *
**<
maturely £on<ifeinglfiirt^<»AW ,
Mf Z O igi^ldirca^ Aber
^mby, to remain at Mouveiux with the
WHITEHALL, MAY 2^.
A DISPATCH, of which the following
is « copy, was this morning received
from his Royal Highness the Dake of York,
by the right Hon. Henry Dundas, his
Majesty’s Principal Secretary of state for
the home department.
tourjsay, MAY 10.
LATE IMPORTANT
European Intelligence.
^l^,. ■ ■ 1. 1 .
"^Official Fetter.
'Containing Particular} of the Defeat of the
Allied Army.
American Herald of Liberty,
Volume IX.]
Published on Tuesdays, by Stearns and Winslow, in Main-Street y Exeter, (New-Hampjhire) at 6/8 per annum.
four battalions of guards, and having poll
ed four Austrian battalions to cover Rau
baix. I detached the second brigade of
British Infantry, under the command of
Maj Gen. Fox, to cake pofton my left, on
the road leading from Lisle to Roubaix.—
The cavalry was divided with these several
corps, for the purpose of patroling, the na
ture of the country not admitting of their
being of any other use. My advanced
posts communicated with those of Gen.
Otto, on my right, who I now found had
got poffeflion of Turcoing.
Early the next morning the enemy at
tacked the post of Turcoing in great force
and I received an application from Cpl.
Devay, who commanded there, to make a
diversion in his favour ; for which purpose
I lent two battalions of Austrians, giving
them eXprefs directions, if they should be
prefled, to fall back upon me, but,by some
mi flake, inftcad of doing fo^ they joined
Coh Devay, From this circumstance, an
opening was left on my right of which the
enemy availed himfelf, in the attack upon
my corps, which took place soon after, and
by so doing, obliged nie to employ the only
battalion I had left, to secure a point Whi^h
was of the utmost consequence to us.
'At this period a very considerable col
umn of the enemy which we have since
learnt amounted to is t ooo meb, appeared
advancing from Lisle, whilst another corp,
having forced its way through General
O to’s position by Waterloo, attacked us on
the r^r. The few troops (hat remained
with me, soon gave way before such supe
rior numbers, nor was it in my power,
with every effort I could use, assisted by
those of the officers who were aboo t me to
rally them. At that moment the advanced
parties of the column from Lisle shewed
themfelvcs also upon the road between
Roubaix and Mouvaix, and I found it im
possible to succeed in the attempt which
I made to join the brigade of guards.
This circumstance, 1 turned my atten
tion to join General Fox’s brigade, but bj>-
on proceeding to Roubaix, for that purpose
I found it in the pofleffion of the enemy.
Thus completely cut off from every part
of my corps, nothing remained for me to
do but to force my way to that of General
Otto, and to concert meafdres with him to
free my ©&n troopi.
This I conduced, accompanied by a few
dragoons of the 26th regiment with great
difficulty, but the projeft of marching upon
Lannoy, to which General Otto had con
fsnted, as a measure which would greatly
facilitate the retreat cf my corps, being
given op, upon finding that the Hessians had
been obliged to abandon chat place, I
found myielf under the painful necessity of
continuing with Gen. Otto’s column the
remainder of the day.
Previous to this I had lent orders to Gen.
Abercromby to retire from Mouviaux, to
the heights behind Roubaix, Where k was
my intention to Mve aflembled my corps;
and the cold flream battalion hid been pos
ted to cover the communication till M.ef
fefted his retreat. In consequence of these
direftions, Gen, Abercromby begta his
reirea^ ahd on bis arrival upon the beifehta
of Roubaix, finding himfelf furroanded up,
tnr*mlTCl& withou^a possibility of afleih
bling the corps, determined to continue it
to Lannoy. Thia he effefted amidst the v
repeated atfacks of the Upeffiy. who poiited
upon him from all parts. Gen. Aber
crumby foutid iauhoy also in pbfleihon of
tie enemy, but M avoided the town; by
marcbih| round it under $ very hqi|ty fire,
and soon after reached Temple eve.
Maj. Gen. Fox, after iaft*ining, wi(h
grdat resolution, a very vigorous attack
from the principal paitoflhe Column which
came from Lfile. bagun hit retreat also, and
finding himfelf cut off from the brigade bf
guards, arid Lanoy occupied by rheehemy'
he direftUd hjs mmch;opo» .tM viMge.of
Letre, at which place be joined the column
of L^ ^ cn * .
*T inctofc you a pur Tok upon
thk oecafion. 4 ft ft so great,
bht when the datum of< a^oo ft eon
flder^, and that ft condufta^
fi/Mhiife their perftlft knowledge of these
parts enabled them to take every advantage
TUESDAY, July 15, 1794,
TOuknaY, Sunday Evening t^tb May.
From the following detail, there is great
reason to believe that the French permitted'
the column under the command of the
Duke of York to advance yesterday further
than fotce could have carried them', and to
have allowed them to obtain pofleffion of
several ports which only tended to intox:-
each our troops, and to render them the
more easy victims of the disasters which
have place this day .
Tb^Brinlh army elated with thhir fuc
ceiles of yesterday, obstinately retained
pofleffion this morning of all they had con
quered, and were preparing to proceed
towards Turcoin. During last night, how
ever, the French poured out an immense
quantity of troops from Lifts, who en
deavoured to turn our left flank, while a
large detacbmcAt of troops from CoUrtray,
adually palled our right—a very flrong body
Mlfo faced us in the centre, so that in the
forenoon wc Were neirly furrodnded.—the
British Troops, Bbweter intoxicated with
their fuccefies on the day before, were not
fully aware of their situation till its peril
considerably incrcafed. The Austrians and
Hanoverians on their , left were kept in
check by incredible hordes from Lisle,
while the numbeas which poured down
from Courtray on the right threatened, for
some time to make our whole body prison
Ln this situation the Biitilh Army found
tbemfelves compelled to ensure their retreat
by fighting their way through the enemy.
This they accomplished in the moll gallant
* manner, though with a melancholy loss,
both of men and officers. , -
The Hanoverians were tlie firft to retreat.
They created the greatest confufion ; for
their bavalky not only destroyed our foot but
threw the whole army into such disorder
that they became a.help left prey to the
parfuipg enemy. Their conduft proved
i more fatal tliah the bdftility of the French.
The enemy regained all their polls, ex-
I cepting doe or two of incoofideribie value,
j Towards evening General Otto led up sev
eral Austrian baitaHona, who chtdked the
French, and cvM took feveril pieces of
cannot. y
The jd Regiment of Guard* loft one
SLnd of colours; and about. io pieces of
Artillery were ip all taken by the enemy.
The defeat of the detachment under the
' Duke of York hat ffruck griat cbnSterna*
V tion Into the inhabitants at this towri many
of whom are retreating with precipitation.
Monday f^rehooni 1 gib of May.
’ Thje defeat.of yesterday is by no
nleans w becodftdered as a defeat
of the whole Army at this
Qf the column under the Duke of
Yorl^ indeed the defeat was comn
pleat j butf^hdo they fell back on
(^tndAfiny^^
fly ot lmpefialiftSf they wcre per-:
jf^ftly-p/ptcftcd^ jn^much that:
* they have this day been enabled
of it, it might have been expefted to have
been .more considerable. From the bad
ness of the roads, the loss of the horses, and
the timidity of the drivers, the leaving a
part of our artillery became inevitable.
lam to desire that you will aflure his
Majesty that the officers and men fliewed
all the firmnefs and vefolution on this oc
cation that could be expefted from them ;
ahd it woujd be an injustice to the rest
to diftingui&i any particular corps. The
abilities and eoolnefs with which Lieut.
General Abercromby and Major General
Fox, conduced their different corps under
these trying circumstances, require, howev
er chat I fftonld particularly notice them.
Ri^ht'Hon. Heney D uno as,
It ft a peculiar con 10l a cion to me that
the column under my command executed
to the full extent their intended part cf the
operation; and (bat in the check which
they afterwards sustained, the conduft of
the Britilh troops has entitled them to the
wariheft expressions of gratitude and ad
miration on the part of h>s Imperial Ma
jesty. lam &c. FREDERICK.
London, may 24,
Col. Craig, Adjutant Gen. to
the army of the Duke of York;
arrived in town yesterday. Short
ly after some letters of a later date
(hart those in the Gazette, reached
town from Flanders; from which
we have the fatisfadion to learn
that Gen. Clairfayt has oy^fed
an advantage over part of Piche
gru’s army, which far more than *
recompences for the check, fd
bravely, though disadvantageously
sustained on the 18th.
WHITEHALL, MAY 20.
A letter (of which the following
is ah extrad) from his royal High
nets the Duke of York, .dated
ToUtnay, May, 16,1694; was yes
terday received by the Right Hon.
Henry Dundas,his Majesty’s prin
cipal Secretary of State for the
home department. :
WHEN I feht thy last letter;
the enemy had succeeded itr for
cing the passage of the- Sariabre,
and had- cdnfequcntly obliged
General Kaunkz to retreat; and to
take up A petition between ;Rouf
cray and Binck, in order to cover
Mons; in which, the French fiav*
ing attacked him the day before
yetterday;hfe had the good fortune
to repulse them completely, and
to drive thep beyOndtHeSamb^,
The enemy’s lols is computed at
fivexhoufand men and three piei
ces OF Cahnon.
“ This forcefs having perfe&ly
secured that part of t^ tpuntry/
his immediately
det^^min^dfqinirdh
tance, and arritid hefe yesterday
himfelf, leaving HL brother, the
farchduke Charles to condWt hrs
iarmy to Orchies.’* f
English Accounts of a viftory over
the Frenib.
16 move two miles forward towards
Courtray, there to take up their
position, while the Emperor „ with
the Grand Army occupies the
ground on which the Duke of
York was encamped.
The unfortunate affair which
has happened to the Duke of
York, will not fnuch affeft the
general operations of the Army.—
At the fame time it must be ob
served, that the very severe loss
of the British and Hanoverian
troops, is likely to prevent the
Allies from forcing the French
from their present position, so soon
as was expefted.
it has been this morning whip
pered, that a misunderstanding has
for some time subsisted between
the Duke of York and the Aus
trian Commanders, particularly
Ciairfait. It is said that this jea
lousy has prevented the Imperi
alists from giving proper support
to his soyal Highness, of whole
successes near Landrecy, they were
not a little envious.
It is fuppoled that the whole
of ihe Allied Army will again at
tack the French in a few days.
[Number 2.