The Irish standard., 1899-05-13
The Irish Brigade Under Dillon
Routs the Britons.
VIVID SKETCH OF THE ENGAGEMENT
Mention of the Brigade Omitted
by English Writers.

1t might be supposed that the Incl
dents of this famous battle have been
sufficiently discussed and described to
make them generally known, but the
student of history, reading the English
historians account, is surprised to find
10 mention of Irishmen being at Fon-
tenoy at all; the French historians, with
sentiment of national pride, wish to
appropriate to their soldiers, as far as
possible, the honor of one of their
proudest victories.
1t is well, then, to establish the SIM
pie facts by reference to such authorities
as are beyond suspicion. In April, 1745,
Marshal de Sake, commander of the
French army, opened trenches before
Tournay, Holland. This place was very
strongly fortified, and defended by
Dutch garrison of 5000 men, and SAKE
appeared before it with an army of Co.,
900 men. The allies determined to raise
the siege, and the Duke of Cumberland
lson of George I. of England) took
command of the allied forces-English,
Dutch, Hanoverian and Austrian-num-
bering $4,000 of the finest troops in
Europe.
'-~Ihe army was mustered near Brus-
:sels on May 4, and set forth for Tour
nay. On the 9th they reached Vazon,
town six miles from Tournay. SAKE,
at their approach, had thrown up some
works to bar the line of advance, with
strong batteries in the villages of An
tome and Fontenoy, and on the edge of
small wood, called Boise de Barri. In
these works the French general took his
position with $1,000 men, leaving part
of his force around Tournay and in
neighboring garrisons.
On May II, after severe firing of ar
tillery on both sides, from in the morn
ing till 9, the allies prepared to bring
the contest to a decision. The Dutch
and Austrians were on the enemys left,
opposite the French right, and destined
to carry Antoine; the English and Han
overians in the center, with their infant
ry in front and cavalry in the rear, close
by the wood of Barri
The three divisions moved, greater
success attending the center. At the
head Of $4,000, the Duke of Cumberland,
accompanied by twenty pieces of can
non, forced his way into the French
center. There was one dreadful hour"
says the Marquis d'Argenson, Gin which
we expected nothing less than renewal
OF Dettingen; our men being awed by
the steadiness of the enemy. Then it
was that we began to despair of our
cause"
Meanwhile the Duke de Richelieu,
having proposed to reconnoitre the for
mldable column, met with Col. Lally,
impatient that the devotion of the Irish
Brigade was not turned to account"
and who, with due presence of mind
to perceive, unlike others, that the un-
checked progress of the column, since it
had gotten beyond the artillery of the
redoubt and village into the midst of the
French, was greatly owing to its EN-
ployment of cannon, as we'll as musket-
ry.
Lally suggested to Richelieu that cam
non be used with the French musketry
This battle" says the French historian
Michelet, -"was lost without remedy, if
the lrishman Lally, animated by his
hatred against the English, had not pro-
posed to break their column with can
non." AS an "adroit courtier," contin-
ues Michelet, "the Duke appropriated to
himself the idea and the glory of its
success"
Hurrying away with such a useful
llint, he came to where Louis Sake and
other generals were: "What news do
you bring?" said the Marshal. "My
news" replied Richelieu, "is that the
battle is gained, if we will it; and my
opinion is that cannon be Immediately
advanced against the enemy's front"
This move of the French proved of
advantage for some time, but Sake
found that his batteries at Fontenoy had
used all their balls and were only an
swering the enemy with discharges OF
powder. He believed the battle to be
lost, and sent several times to Louis
XIV, entreating him to leave the field,
but the King refused to do so. Marshal
Sake was now in mortal anxiety, and
thought the battle really lost, when the