Battle of Famars The Battle of Famars was fought on 23 May 1793 during the Flanders Campaign of the War of the First Coalition . An Allied Austrian , Hanoverian , and British army under Prince Josias of Saxe - Coburg - Saalfeld defeated the French Army of the North led by General François Joseph Drouet Lamarche . The action occurred near the village of Famars in northern France , five km south of Valenciennes . Background . In May 1793 , following a series of reverses the French Republican army in the Low Countries was in a desperate situation . Dispirited after the death of its former commander Dampierre , it was tired and disorganised . In addition it was further weakened by detachments taken from each battalion to serve in the war in the Vendée . Although new recruits were being allocated from the levy of 300 , 000 , many of these deserted or were otherwise unfit for service . The new temporary commander Lamarche realised that all that could be done for the moment was to draw back to an entrenched camp at Famars and the fortress of Valenciennes . The allies under Coburg moved to besiege Valenciennes , but first they desired to drive Lamarche from Famars to clear the way and prevent any intervention from the French . Coburg ' s forces had recently been augmented by the newly arrived Anglo - Hanoverian contingent commanded by the 26 year old Frederick , Duke of York ; it was decided they would spearhead the main attack . This is perhaps surprising , as for many of the British troops it would be their first taste of action against Republican France . The Camp at Famars lay on a ridge , three miles south of Valenciennes , and was bordered on the East by the river Rhonelle , the bridges and fords of which had been destroyed . An attack was drawn up by Austrian staff planner Karl Mack von Leiberich , and was to consist of direct assaults on the Eastern side of the Camp by two main columns , supported by holding attacks on both flanks from two smaller corps . On the other side of the Scheldt Clerfayt was to launch a consecutive attack against the entrenched camp at Mont Anzin . Battle . The 1st Main Column of 16 battalions and 18 squadrons was led by the Duke of York and included the British Guards brigade under Gerard Lake , which had already seen action at Raismes on 8 May . Mack ' s instructions were for York to cross the Rhonelle by trestle bridges in the neighbourhood of Artres and then launch an attack on the Camp by its right flank . In other words , no resistance was expected until the attack on the French camp . Austrian Feldzeugmeister Joseph Ferraris commanded the 2nd Main Column ( 12 battalions , 12 squadrons ) , which included Abercromby ' s Brigade of the British 14th Foot and 53rd Foot . It was to attack from the village of Saultain against entrenchments on the East bank of the Rhonelle . Feldmarschall - Leutnant Nikolaus Colloredo - Mels led the 1st Small Column against the Northeastern side of Valenciennes , while General - Major Rudolf Ritter von Otto directed the 2nd Small Column , threatening Le Quesnoy . Soon after 2 : 00 am York ' s column moved off from its assembly point two miles behind Artres , but thick fog slowed their progress and the Rhonelle was only reached at 7 . 00am . York was accompanied by both Mack and Coburg ' s Chief - of - Staff Hohenlohe , the latter appointed by Coburg to ensure the untested York didn ' t do anything too rash . As the fog lifted a beautiful dawn revealed their intended crossing point bristling with enemy infantry and artillery , which immediately opened fire . Mack was wounded right at the beginning of the action , so the untried Duke of York was left to make up his own mind as to his next course of action . His decision was to turn and counter - march his column towards Maresches two miles away to the south - east , leaving some Austrian guns and the troops already engaged behind to focus the attention of the French . Fording the stream there unopposed , York ' s light cavalry ascended the low ridge to the south of the village to probe the French flank towards Querenaing . Unfortunately there were several delays and congestion at Maresches so it was 3 . 00pm before he was clear of the village , giving the French ample time to turn and face the threat , and 5 . 00pm before he reached Querenaing by a somewhat roundabout route . However the British cavalry moved behind the unprotected backs of the southern French open redoubts , their left patrol reaching almost as far as the Abbey of Fontanelle to the rear of the French position . The Allied cavalry had some success when they entered the open redoubts via gorges and cut down the defenders . The French cavalry attempted to retake the redoubts but were beaten off . Meanwhile further north Ferraris ' s column had stormed the long entrenchment on the East bank ridge of the Famars position and driven the French back to the west of the Rhonelle . Earlier in the day several squadrons of French cavalry had been seen threatening his flank , whereby they were charged by the Hanoverian Life Guards and routed after a stiff fight . Finally York was ready to launch his attack , but at that point the cautious Hohenlohe stepped in and objected as the men were fatigued , York was obliged to postpone the assault until the next morning . Although the French held their ground to the north Lamarche realised he was in danger of being cut off . Leaving Ferrand to defend Valenciennes , during the night the Republicans withdrew towards Bouchain , Caesar ' s Camp and Paillencourt . The next morning York attacked , but the French had gone . Colloredo ' s column from the north were the first to enter the camp . Aftermath . Clerfayt had also been successful in his attack , although experiencing tougher resistance at Mont Anzin . Of 27 , 000 men engaged , the French lost on all fields 3 , 000 killed and wounded . The Allies captured 300 soldiers , 17 artillery pieces , 14 ammunition wagons , and three colours . Allied casualties totalled 1 , 100 , mostly Austrians , out of 53 , 000 troops available . Mack was amongst the wounded . Hanoverian losses were 22 killed and 61 wounded . Having neutralised Famars Camp , Coburg was now free to open the Siege of Valenciennes . Once again York was given the lead role in command of the siege , supported by Ferraris . On 27 May , Lamarche was replaced in command by Adam Philippe , Comte de Custine . Assessment . The Austrian command blamed the Duke of York for the failure to catch Lamarche , but this is challenged by British historians like Alfred Burne . " A commander who . . . is plagued with a rigid mind will plunge straight ahead into a sea of difficulties merely because this course has been preordained for him . But flexibility is one of the valid principles of war , and one of the cardinal virtues of the general . . . The Duke of York is thus to be applauded rather than condemned for scrapping the first plan he was given and substituting another "