During all the time that the allies had been employed upon the
siege of Tournai, Marshal Villars had laboured to form an
impregnable line of entrenchments, barring all farther advance.
Marlborough, however, a day or two previously to the fall of
Tournai, sent off the Prince of Hesse Cassel, who by a rapid and
most masterly march fell upon the French lines, at a part where the
French had no expectation of there being an enemy within thirty
miles of them. No opposition was made, and the prince marching
rapidly to the plateau of Jemappes, invested Mons on the French
side. The rest of the army followed. The effect caused throughout
France, and indeed through Europe, by the success of this masterly
movement, was immense; and it was evident that a great battle was
at hand.
Villars moved his army rapidly up. A detachment of Eugene's troops
were left to watch Mons, and the allied army, 93,000 strong,
advanced to meet them, and on the night of the 7th bivouacked in a
line three miles long, and five from that occupied by the French.
Marshal Villars had with him 95,000 men. The forces therefore were
as nearly as possible equal; but the allies had 105 guns, against
eighty of the French.
The position taken up by Villars was of great natural strength;
being a plateau, interspersed with woods and intersected with
streams, and elevated from a hundred and fifty to two hundred feet
above the meadowland of the Trouville, across which their
assailants must pass. Malplaquet stood on this plateau. On the
slopes from the plateau to the plain, the woods were extremely
thick, and the only access to the plateau, for troops, were two
clearings cut through the woods, known as the Trouees de la
Louviere, and d'Aulnoit.
On the morning of the 8th, when the French definitely took up their
position, Marlborough and Eugene were in favour of making an
instant attack, before the French could add to the great natural
strength of their position by entrenchments. The Dutch deputies,
however, were altogether opposed to an assault on so formidable a
front. Finally a compromise was adopted--a compromise which, as is
often the case, was the very worst course which could have been
adopted. The army should neither fall back, as the Dutch wished;
nor attack at once, as Marlborough desired. It was resolved not to
abandon the siege of Mons, and to attack the enemy if they would
not take the offensive; but to wait until Saint Ghislain, which
commanded a passage on the Haine, was taken; and until twenty-six
battalions on the march from Tournai arrived.
It was two days before these conditions were fulfilled; and Villars
had used these two precious days in throwing up a series of
immensely strong works. The heights he occupied formed a concave
semicircle, enfilading on all sides the little plain of Malplaquet,
and this semicircle now bristled with redoubts, palisades, abattis,
and stockades; while the two trouees, or openings, by which it was
presumed that the allies would endeavour to force an entrance, were
so enfiladed by cross batteries as to be well-nigh unassailable.
Half the French army by turns had laboured ceaselessly at the
works, during the two days which the cowardly folly of the Dutch
deputies had given them; and the result was the works resembled
rather the fortifications of a fortress, than ordinary field works.
Marlborough and Eugene had seen from hour to hour the progress of
these formidable works, and resolved to mask their front attack by
a strong demonstration on the enemy's rear. The troops coming up
from Tournai, under General Withers, were ordered not to join the
main army; but to cross the Haine at Saint Ghislain, and to attack
the extreme left of the enemy at the farm of La Folie. Baron
Schulemberg was to attack the left flank of the entrenchments in
the wood of Taisniere, with forty of Eugene's battalions, supported
by as many cannon; while Count Lottum was to attack the right flank
of the wood with twenty-two battalions. The rest of the army was to
attack in front; but it was from Eugene's attack in the wood of
Taisniere that success was chiefly hoped.
At three o'clock on the morning of the 11th the men were got under
arms, divine service was performed at the head of each regiment,
and then the troops marched to the posts assigned to them in the
attack. Both armies were confident, the French enthusiastic.
The allies relied on their unbroken series of victories. Never once
since the war begun had they suffered defeat; and with Eugene as
well as Marlborough with them, they felt confident of their power
to carry a position which, even to the eye of the least instructed
soldier, was yet formidable in the extreme.
The French were confident in being commanded by their best and most
popular generals, Villars and Boufflers. They were strong in the
enthusiasm which the king's appeal had communicated to the whole
nation, and they considered it absolutely impossible for any enemy
to carry the wonderful series of works that they had erected.
At half-past seven all was ready, and the fog which had hitherto
hung over the low ground cleared up, and the two armies came into
view of each other, and the artillery on both sides opened a heavy
fire. The whole line advanced; but the left was halted for awhile,
while Count Lottum, with his twenty-two battalions formed in three
lines, attacked the right of the wood of Taisniere; and
Schulemberg, with whom was Eugene himself, attacked their left.
Without firing a single shot, Schulemberg's men marched through the
storm of grape which swept them until within twenty paces of the
entrenchments, when the musketry fire of the French troops was so
terrible that the attacking columns recoiled two hundred yards;
where they were steadied, and brought back to the charge by the
heroic efforts of Eugene, who exposed himself in front of the line.
While this conflict was raging, some Austrian battalions which had
formed the extreme right of Schulemberg's corps, but had been
unable to advance, owing to a deep marsh, stole round unperceived
into the northeastern angle of the wood of Taisniere, and were soon
in conflict with the French. Lottum's division had, with immense
bravery, crossed a deep morass under a tremendous fire, and stormed
a portion of the entrenchments; but Villars, who was directly in
rear, led on a fresh brigade, who drove back the assailants.
Marlborough then charged at the head of d'Auvergne's cavalry, and
some of Lottum's battalion again forced their way in.
Meanwhile Withers was quietly making his way through the wood from
La Folie, and had made considerable progress before the French
could muster in force at this point. As this threatened the rear of
his front position, Villars fell back from the entrenchments in
front of the wood, and took up the second and far stronger position
he had prepared on the high ground.
On the left an even more desperate fight had been raging. The
Prince of Orange commanded here. The prince was full of courage and
impetuosity. The troops under him were Dutch, or auxiliaries in the
Dutch pay, among them a Scotch brigade under the Marquis of
Tullibardin. The corps advanced in the most gallant manner, the
Scotch and Dutch rivalling each other in bravery. Two lines of the
enemy's entrenchments were carried at the bayonet; and had there
been a reserve at hand, the battle would have been won at this
point.
But the prince had thrown his whole force into the attack, and his
forty battalions were opposed by seventy French battalions, while
the assailants were swept by the fire from the high ground.
Tullibardin and General Spau were killed, and the assailants,
fighting with extraordinary obstinacy, were yet driven back, with a
loss of 3000 killed and twice as many wounded. The French sallied
out to attack them, but the Prince of Hesse Cassel charged them
with his cavalry, and drove them back into their works.
The news of the terrible slaughter and repulse on the right brought
Eugene and Marlborough from the centre and left, where all was
going well. Reserves were brought up, and the battle restored.
News now came that Villars, alarmed at the progress made on his
left by Withers, had withdrawn the Irish brigade and some other of
his best troops from his centre, to drive back the allies' right.
Eugene galloped off with all haste to lead the right and hurry them
forward, while Marlborough directed Lord Orkney to attack the
weakened French centre with all his strength, and ordered the
cavalry to follow on the heels of the infantry. The fight on the
right was fierce indeed, for here Villars and Eugene alike led
their men. Both were wounded; Villars in the knee. He refused to
leave the field, but insisted on being placed in a chair where he
could see the battle and cheer on his men. The agony he suffered,
however, and the great loss of blood, weakened him so that at last
he fainted, and was carried off the field, the command devolving on
Marshal Boufflers.
Eugene was wounded in the head. In vain his staff pressed him to
retire in order that the wound might be dressed.
"If I am to die here," he said, "of what use to dress the wounds?
If I survive, it will be time enough in the evening."
So with the blood streaming over his shoulders, he kept his place
at the head of his troops, who, animated by his example and
heroism, rushed forward with such impetuosity that the works were
carried.
In the centre an even more decisive advantage had been gained. Lord
Orkney made the attack with such vigour, that the entrenchments,
weakened by the forces which had been withdrawn, were carried; and
the horse, following close behind, broke through the openings of
the works, and spread themselves over the plateau, cutting down the
fugitives. The guns in the works were wheeled round, and opened a
tremendous fire on the dense masses of the French drawn up behind
other parts of the entrenchments.
Thrown into confusion by the fire, the French began to waver, and
Marlborough gave the order for the great battery of forty guns in
the allied centre to advance. These advanced up the hill, passed
through the entrenchments, and opened a fire right and left upon
the French.
Although the French still strove gallantly, the battle was now
virtually over. The centre was pierced, the right turned, and
Boufflers prepared to cover the necessary retreat with his cavalry.
With 2000 picked horsemen of the royal horse guards, he charged the
allied cavalry when scattered and blown by their pursuit, and drove
them back; but was himself repulsed by the fire of Orkney's
infantry, and fell back, leaving half his force dead on the plain.
Again and again Boufflers brought up fresh cavalry, and executed
the most desperate charges to cover the retreat of his infantry,
who were now falling back along the whole line, as the Prince of
Orange, benefiting by the confusion, had now carried the
entrenchments on the French left. Boufflers formed his infantry
into three great masses, and fell back in good order in the
direction of Bavai.
Such was the victory of Malplaquet. A victory indeed, but won at
such a cost that a few more such successes would have been ruin.
The allies had gained the French position, had driven the enemy
from the field, and had prevented the raising of the siege of Mons,
the great object of the French; but beyond that their advantage was
slight, for the enemy retired in good order, and were ready to have
fought again, if attacked, on the following day.
The allies captured fourteen guns and twenty-five standards. The
French carried off thirty-two standards, principally Dutch. The
French lost 14,000 men in killed and wounded, the allies fully
20,000.
The French historians have done full justice to the extraordinary
bravery of the allied troops. One of their officers wrote after the
battle:
"Eugene and Marlborough ought to be well satisfied with us on that
day, since up to that time they had not met with a resistance
worthy of them. They may now say with justice that nothing can
stand before them; and indeed what should be able to stay the rapid
progress of those heroes, if an army of 100,000 men of the best
troops, strongly posted between two woods, trebly entrenched, and
performing their duty as well as any brave men could do, were not
able to stop them one day? Will you not then own with me that they
surpass all the heroes of former ages?"
The siege of Mons was now undertaken, and after a month's gallant
defence, fell, and the two armies then went into winter quarters,
there remaining now only the fortress of Valenciennes between the
allies and Paris.
Rupert Holliday was not present with the army at the siege of Mons.
He had distinguished himself greatly in the desperate cavalry fight
which took place upon the plateau after the British infantry had
forced their way in. More than once, fighting in front of his
regiment, he had been cut off and surrounded when the allied
cavalry gave way before the valiant charge of the French cavalry;
but each time his strength, his weight, and the skill with which he
wielded the long, heavy sword he carried, enabled him to cut his
way through the enemy's ranks, and to rejoin his regiment. He had
not, however, come off scatheless, having received several severe
sabre cuts. Hugh had also been wounded, and Rupert readily obtained
leave to retire to England to be cured of his wounds, the Duke of
Marlborough raising him to the rank of colonel on the field of
battle.
He had, during the campaign, received many letters from Adele, who
told him that the marquis had taken a house; but to each inquiry
that Rupert made as to its locality, she either did not answer the
question at all, or returned evasive answers. All he knew was that
she was staying at the Chace, and that the marquis was away, seeing
to the renovation of his house.
It was not until Rupert returned that he obtained the clue to this
little mystery. The Marquis de Pignerolles had bought the Haugh,
formerly the property of Sir William Brownlow, and intended the
estate as a dowry for Adele. The Pignerolles estate was indeed very
large; and two or three years of his savings were sufficient, not
only to purchase the estate, but to add to and redecorate and
refurnish the house.
Madame Holliday handed over to Rupert the title deeds of the whole
of the Windthorpe estate owned by her, as the income from her
savings was more than enough to maintain her at Windthorpe Chace.
One only condition the marquis exacted with the dowry, which was
that the combined estates should, after Rupert finally came into
possession of the Chace, be known not as the Haugh, but as
Windthorpe Chace.
"It was at Windthorpe Chace, my dear Rupert, that you first knew
and drew sword for Adele, and the name is dear to her as to you. It
is only right that I should unite the two estates, since I
prevented their union some ten years ago. I am in treaty now for a
small estate two miles on the other side of Derby, so that, until
the king either forgives me or dies, I shall be near you."
The wedding did not take place quite so soon as Rupert had hoped,
for his wounds were more severe than he had at first been willing
to allow, and it was not until the last week of the year that the
wedding took place.
For many years after the event the marriage of Rupert Holliday with
Mademoiselle de Pignerolles was talked of as the most brilliant
event which had taken place in the county of Derby during the
memory of man. The great Duke of Marlborough himself, and his
duchess, came down to be present at the ceremony. From Holland came
over Major Dillon, and four or five others of the officers of the
5th dragoons. Lord Fairholm was also there, and Hugh was not the
least welcome to Rupert of those assembled at the wedding.
Hugh was still a private, for although he could long ere this have
been a sergeant had he chosen, he had always refused promotion, as
it would have removed him from service as Rupert's orderly.
There was also present at the wedding a young Dutch lady engaged to
be married to Major Dillon, and her father. Rupert had written over
to say how glad he should be to see them at his marriage, but that
he could not think of asking them to come so far. Mynheer van Duyk
had, however, written to say that he and his daughter would
certainly come, for that regarding Rupert as a son it would be
extraordinary indeed for him to be absent. And so they arrived at
the Chace two days before the wedding, and on the morning before
going to church he presented Rupert with a cheque which simply
astounded the young soldier.
At first, indeed, he absolutely refused to accept it. The merchant,
however, insisted so strongly upon it--urging that his own wealth
was so large, that, as he had only Maria to inherit it, it was
really beyond his wants, or even his power to spend; and that he
had, ever since Rupert saved Maria from the attempts of Sir Richard
Fulke, which but for him must have succeeded, regarded him as his
adopted son--Rupert saw that his refusal would really give pain and
therefore, with warm gratitude, he accepted the cheque, whose value
exceeded that of the united estates of the Haugh and the Chace.
Maria brought a magnificent set of jewels for Adele--not indeed
that that young lady in any way required them, for the marquis had
had all her mother's jewels, which were superb, reset for the
occasion. They were married first at the Roman Catholic chapel at
Derby, for Adele was of course a Catholic, and then at the church
in the village of Windthorpe. After which there was a great dinner,
and much rejoicing and festivity at it.
Rupert Holliday went no more to the wars. He obtained leave to
reside on his estate for a year. That year, 1710, little was done
in Flanders. The duke's enemies at home had now gained the upper
hand, and he was hampered in every way. The allies, seeing that a
change of government was imminent in England, and that the new
party would in all probability make peace at any cost and leave
them to themselves, carried on quiet negotiations with France; and
so throughout the summer no great battle took place, although the
allies gained several material advantages.
In the following year envy, intrigue, and a woman's spite,
conquered. Godolphin fell, and the new ministry hastened to make
the most disgraceful peace recorded in the annals of the history of
this country. By it the allies of England were virtually deserted,
and the fruits of ten years of struggle and of victory for the most
part abandoned. Marlborough refused to sign the disgraceful peace
of Utrecht and, exiled and disgraced, lived quietly on the
continent until the death of Anne, a living monument of national
injustice. When George the First ascended the throne, the hero was
recalled, and remained the war minister of the country until within
a year or two of his death, honoured and loved by the people for
whom he had done so much.
There is little more to tell about Rupert Holliday. His grandfather
lived until past ninety years of age, and Madame Holliday died
suddenly a few weeks after her father in law. Rupert was now one of
the largest landowners in the country, and was one of the most
popular men. The home farm round the Chace was held for generations
by the Parsons, for Hugh married not many months after his master.
At the death of Louis, the Marquis de Pignerolles passed over again
to France, and there, at least when England and France were at
peace, Colonel Rupert Holliday and his wife paid him long visits.
As his daughter had married a foreigner she could not inherit the
estates, which went to a distant relation; but at the death of the
marquis, at a good old age, he left a fortune to his daughter,
which enabled her husband still further to extend his estates. Had
Rupert desired it, he could have been raised to the peerage, but he
preferred remaining one of the wealthiest private gentlemen in
England.
From time to time they received visits from Major Dillon and his
wife, both of whom were great favourites with the young Hollidays.
Between Rupert and Hugh a real affection prevailed all through
their lives, and the latter was never so happy as when the children
first, and, years after, the grandchildren, of Rupert and Adele
came down to the farm to eat cake, drink syllabub, and listen to
wonderful tales about the doings of the "Cornet of Horse."