The Irish standard., 1907-09-21


In both these villages he planted bat
teries, and. by the advice Of Lally he
erected three more redoubts between
the two villages. In this way the
right flank of his army was effectually
protected, from Anton on the banks
of the river up to Fontenoy. in the
front of the troops.
! On the left side stretched out an
arm of the wood of Barri. which the
marshal also occupied, and on both
sides of it he erected redoubts. Both
flanks were thus we'll protected. and
the center was defended by the bat
teries at Fontenoy. Only there was a
narrow space between Fontenoy and
the redoubt on the edge of the wood
of Barri-a space through which the
duke of Cumberland vas to break his
way with his men into the heart of
the French battalion. Sire" said SAKE
1, to the king afterwards Il have one
fault to reproach myself With ought
to have put more redoubt between the
wood and Fontenoy; but l thought
there was no general bold enough to
hazard passage i'll that place" In
fact, says historian, no general
ought to have done SO.
And now what OF the Irish Brigade
During the greater part of the day
they We're kept out of the fighting, in
sheltered position behind the wood
of Barri. There We're three regiments
-Clare's, Dillon's and Lally's-Lord
I Clare being in chief command. Their
uniform was red-a fact which caused
lamentable confusion towards the end
of the combat, when a French squadron
fired ON them. taking them for English
from their color. The effective force
of the Irish regiments did not exceed
5000 men, or the tenth part of the
French army. The engagement COM
menced early on the morning of the
11th of May. The Dutch and Austrians
concentrated their strength on the
right flank of the French, endeavoring
to-, ca pture.. she Aoallage ~of Anton.
Meanwhile the English, attacked the
: village of Fontenoy. Dutch, Austrians
and English We're all driven back by
the French cannon. and as Carlyle
puts it, Cumberland "blazes into re-
splendent Platt- Deutsch rage; decides
: that he must and will be through those
Lines; will plunge through it by what
rap there is 600 Yards, Voltaire meas
ured it).T between Fontenoys and. the
redoubt"
Forming his men into three col
umns, Cumberland marched in between
Fontenoy and the wood towards the
interior of the French: position. They
ran the gauntlet of terrific cross fire
from the forts on both sides. but
pushed doggedly on, men falling at
every step. The three columns were
soon crowded into one by the terrible
fire of the French from Fontenoy and
from the wood of Barri, but they kept
on dragging their cannon by hand.
Thev went through a kind of hollow,
which afforded some protection from
the f1-e on each flank, and mounting
rising ground found themselves
nearly out of range of the guns OF
Fontenoy, and in sight Of the French
nosition. Now Cumberland turned the
tables on his enemies. Mounting the
cannon on the eminence, he turned a
deadly fire on the heart Of the French
', position. Regiment after regiment OF
the French dasned forward to take
the guns. but were blown to pieces or
. repulsed with great loss. Bewilder-
ment and despair now prevailed in the
French ranks.
At this time the duke Of Riohelieu
galloped up to the French camp to re-
port that Anton was still safe, but
that the garrison Of Fontenoy had ex-
hausted their ammunition, and were
only firing blank powder. Passing near
to the Irish Brigade, he was accosted
by General Lally who was impatient
that the devotion Of the Irish was not
turned to account He suggested that
they should open fire Of cannon on
the English, fol!owing up which the
Irish regiments would charge them
with the bayone,, Richelieu approved
of the suggestion and rode on to the
camp, where, SAYS Voltaire, "a rathe,
tumultuous council was going on
around the king, SAKE imploring him
to seek safety by leaving the scene Of
battle. Richelieu communicated Lally's
suggestion which was at once ap-
proved of. Four cannon were brought
up. and the 1rishmen prepared for the
charge Lally, addressing his men, bio
them march against the enemies Of
France and of yourselves. without fir
ing until you have the points of you,
h,ve.o%, ,,oop their hrna sfe