THE BATTLE OF NIEUPORT
The year after the capture of Cadiz, Lionel Vickars sailed under
Sir Francis Vere with the expedition designed to attack the fleet
which Philip of Spain had gathered in Ferrol, with the intention,
it was believed, of invading Ireland in retaliation for the disaster
at Cadiz. The expedition met with terrible weather in the Bay of
Biscay, and put back scattered and disabled to Plymouth and Falmouth.
In August they again sailed, but were so battered by another storm
that the expedition against Ferrol was abandoned, and they sailed
to the Azores. There, after a skirmish with the Spaniards, they
scattered among the islands, but missed the great Spanish fleet
laden with silver from the west, and finally returned to England
without having accomplished anything, while they suffered from another
tempest on their way home, and reached Plymouth with difficulty.
Fortunately the same storm scattered and destroyed the great
Spanish fleet at Ferrol, and the weather thus for the second time
saved England from invasion. Late in the autumn, after his return
from the expedition, Sir Francis Vere went over to Holland, and by
his advice Prince Maurice prepared in December to attack a force
of 4000 Spanish infantry and 600 cavalry, which, under the command
of the Count of Varras, had gathered at the village of Turnhout,
twenty miles from Breda.
A force of 5000 foot and 800 horse were secretly assembled at
Gertruydenberg. Sir Francis Vere brought an English regiment, and
personally commanded one of the two troops into which the English
cavalry was divided. Sir Robert Sidney came with 300 of the English
garrison at Flushing, and Sir Alexander Murray with a Scotch
regiment. The expedition started on the 23d of January, 1598, and
after marching twenty-four miles reached the village of Rivels,
three miles from Turnhout, two hours after dark.
The night was bitter cold, and after cooking supper the men wrapt
themselves up in their cloaks, and lay down on the frozen ground
until daybreak. The delay, although necessary, enabled the enemy
to make their escape. The news that the allies had arrived close at
hand reached Count Varras at midnight, and a retreat was at once
ordered. Baggage wagons were packed and despatched, escorted by
the cavalry, and before dawn the whole force was well on its road.
Prince Maurice had set off an hour before daybreak, and on reaching
Turnhout found that the rear guard of the enemy had just left the
village. They had broken down the wooden bridge across the River
Aa, only one plank being left standing, and had stationed a party
to defend it.
Maurice held a hasty council of war. All, with the exception
of Sir Francis Vere and Sir Marcellus Bacx, were against pursuit,
but Maurice took the advice of the minority. Vere with two hundred
Dutch musketeers advanced against the bridge; his musketry fire
drove off the guard, and with a few mounted officers and the two
hundred musketeers he set out in pursuit. He saw that the enemy's
infantry were marching but slowly, and guessed that they were
delayed by the baggage wagons in front.
The country was wooded, and he threw the musketeers among the
trees with orders to keep up a dropping fire, while he himself with
sixteen horsemen followed closely upon the enemy along the road.
Their rear guard kept up a skirmishing fire, slightly wounding
Vere in the leg; but all this caused delay, and it was three hours
before they emerged on an open heath, three miles from the bridge.
Vere placed his musketeers among some woods and inclosed fields
on the left of the heath, and ordered them to keep up a brisk fire
and to show themselves as if advancing to the attack. He himself,
reinforced by some more horsemen who had come up, continued to
follow in the open.
The heath was three miles across, and Vere, constantly skirmishing
with the Spanish infantry, who were formed in four solid squares,
kept watching for the appearance of Maurice and the cavalry. At
length these came in sight. Vere galloped up to the prince, and
urged that a charge should be made at once. The prince assented.
Vere, with the English cavalry, charged down upon the rear of the
squares, while Hohenlohe swept down with the Dutch cavalry upon
their flanks. The Spanish musketeers fired and at once fled, and
the cavalry dashed in among the squares of pikemen and broke them.
Several of the companies of horse galloped on in pursuit of the
enemy's horse and baggage. Vere saw that these would be repulsed,
and formed up the English cavalry to cover their retreat. In a
short time the disordered horse came back at full gallop, pursued
by the Spanish cavalry, but these, seeing Vere's troops ready to
receive them, retreated at once. Count Varras was slain, together
with three hundred of the Spanish infantry. Six hundred prisoners
were taken, and thirty-eight colours fell into the victor's hands.
The success was gained entirely by the eight hundred allied horse,
the infantry never arriving upon the field. The brilliant little
victory, which was one of the first gained by the allies in
the open field, was the cause of great rejoicings. Not only were
the Spaniards no longer invincible, but they had been routed by
a force but one-sixth of their own number, and the battle showed
how greatly the individual prowess of the two peoples had changed
during the progress of the war.
The Archduke Ernest had died in 1595, and had been succeeded by the
Archduke Albert in the government of the Netherlands. He had with
him no generals comparable with Parma, or even with Alva. His troops
had lost their faith in themselves and their contempt for their
foes. Holland was grown rich and prosperous, while the enormous
expenses of carrying on the war both in the Netherlands and in
France, together with the loss of the Armada, the destruction of
the great fleet at Ferrol, and the capture of Cadiz and the ships
there, had exhausted the resources of Spain, and Philip was driven
to make advances for peace to France and England. Henry IV, knowing
that peace with Spain meant an end of the civil war that had so long
exhausted France, at once accepted the terms of Philip, and made
a separate peace, in spite of the remonstrances of the ambassadors
of England and Holland, to both of which countries he owed it in
no small degree that he had been enabled to support himself against
the faction of the Guises backed by the power of Spain.
A fresh treaty was made between England and the Netherlands, Sir
Francis Vere being sent out as special ambassador to negotiate.
England was anxious for peace, but would not desert the Netherlands
if they on their part would relieve her to some extent of the heavy
expenses caused by the war. This the States consented to do, and
the treaty was duly signed on both sides. A few days before its
conclusion Lord Burleigh, who had been Queen Elizabeth's chief
adviser for forty years, died, and within a month of its signature
Philip of Spain, whose schemes he had so long opposed, followed
him to the grave.
On the 6th of the previous May Philip had formally ceded the
Netherlands to his daughter Isabella, between whom and the Archduke
Albert a marriage had been arranged. This took place on the 18th
of April following, shortly after his death. It was celebrated at
Valencia, and at the same time King Philip III was united to Margaret
of Austria.
In the course of 1599 there was severe fighting on the swampy island
between the rivers Waal and Maas, known as the Bommel Waat, and a
fresh attempt at invasion by the Spaniards was repulsed with heavy
loss, Sir Francis Vere and the English troops taking a leading part
in the operations.
The success thus gained decided the States General to undertake
an offensive campaign in the following year. The plan they decided
upon was opposed both by Prince Maurice and Sir Francis Vere as being
altogether too hazardous; but the States, who upon most occasions
were averse to anything like bold action, upon the present occasion
stood firm to their decision. Their plan was to land an army near
Ostend, which was held by the English, and to besiege the town
of Nieuport, west of Ostend, and after that to attack Dunkirk. In
the opinion of the two generals an offensive operation direct from
Holland would have been far preferable, as in case of disaster the
army could fall back upon one of their fortified towns, whereas,
if beaten upon the coast, they might be cut off from Ostend and
entirely destroyed. However, their opinions were overruled, and the
expedition prepared. It consisted of 12,000 infantry, 1600 cavalry,
and 10 guns. It was formed into three divisions. The van, 4500
strong, including 1600 English veterans, was commanded by Sir
Francis Vere; the second division by Count Everard Solms; the rear
division by Count Ernest of Nassau; while Count Louis Gunther of
Nassau was in command of the cavalry. The army embarked at Flushing,
and landed at Philippine, a town at the head of the Braakeman inlet.
There was at the time only a small body of Spaniards in the
neighbourhood, but as soon as the news reached the Archduke Albert
at Brussels he concentrated his army round Ghent. The troops had
for some time been in a mutinous state, but, as was always the case
with them, they returned to their habits of military obedience the
moment danger threatened.
The Dutch army advanced by rapid marches to the neighbourhood of
Ostend, and captured the fort and redoubts which the Spaniards had
raised to prevent its garrison from undertaking offensive operations.
Two thousand men were left to garrison these important positions,
which lay on the line of march which the Spaniards must take coming
from Bruges to Nieuport. The rest of the army then made their way
across the country, intersected with ditches, and upon the following
day arrived before Nieuport and prepared to besiege it. The Dutch
fleet had arrived off the town, and co-operated with the army in
building a bridge across the little river, and preparing for the
siege.
Towards the evening, however, the news arrived from Ostend, nine
miles away, that a large force of the enemy had appeared before one
of the forts just captured. Most of the officers were of opinion
that the Spanish force was not a large one, and that it was a mere
feint to induce the Dutch to abandon the siege of Nieuport and
return to Ostend. Sir Francis Vere maintained that it was the main
body of the archduke's army, and advised Maurice to march back at
once with his whole force to attack the enemy before they had time
to take the forts.
Later on in the evening, however, two of the messengers arrived
with the news that the forts had surrendered. Prince Maurice then,
in opposition to Vere's advice, sent off 2500 infantry, 500 horse,
and 2 guns, under the command of Ernest of Nassau, to prevent the
enemy from crossing the low ground between Ostend and the sand
hills, Vere insisting that the whole army ought to move. It fell
out exactly as he predicted; the detachment met the whole Spanish
army, and broke and fled at the first fire, and thus 2500 men were
lost in addition to the 2000 who had been left to garrison the
forts.
At break of day the army marched down to the creek, and as soon
as the water had ebbed sufficiently waded across and took up their
position among the sand hills on the seashore. The enemy's army
was already in sight, marching along on the narrow strip of land
between the foot of the dunes and the sea. A few hundred yards
towards Ostend the sand hills narrowed, and here Sir Francis Vere
took up his position with his division. He placed a thousand picked
men, consisting of 250 English, 250 of Prince Maurice's guard,
and 500 musketeers, partly upon two sand hills called the East and
West Hill, and partly in the bottom between them, where they were
covered by a low ridge connecting the two hills.
The five hundred musketeers were placed so that their fire swept
the ground on the south, by which alone the enemy's cavalry could
pass on that side. On the other ridge, facing the sea, were seven
hundred English pikemen and musketeers; two hundred and fifty
English and fifty of the guard held the position of East Hill,
which was most exposed to the attack. The rest of the division,
which consisted of six hundred and fifty English and two thousand
Dutch, were placed in readiness to reinforce the advanced party.
Half the cavalry, under Count Louis, were on the right of the dunes,
and the other half, under Marcellus Bacx, on the left by the sea.
The divisions of Count Solms and Count Ernest of Nassau were also
on the seashore in the rear of West Hill. A council of war was held
to decide whether the army should advance to the attack or await
it. Vere advised the latter course, and his advice was adopted.
The archduke's army consisted of ten thousand infantry, sixteen
hundred horse, and six guns. Marshal Zapena was in command, while
the cavalry were led by the Admiral of Arragon. They rested for
two hours before advancing--waiting until the rise of the tide
should render the sands unserviceable for cavalry, their main
reliance being upon their infantry. Their cavalry led the advance,
but the two guns Vere had placed on West Hill plied them so hotly
with shot that they fell back in confusion.
It was now high tide, and there were but thirty yards between
the sea and the sand hills. The Spaniards therefore marched their
infantry into the dunes, while the cavalry prepared to advance between
the sand hills and the cultivated fields inland. The second and
third divisions of Maurice's army also moved away from the shore
inland. They now numbered but three thousand men, as the four
thousand five hundred who had been lost belonged entirely to these
divisions, Sir Francis Vere's division having been left intact.
It was upon the first division that the whole brunt of the battle
fell, they receiving some assistance from the thousand men remaining
under Count Solms that were posted next to them; while the rear
division was never engaged at all.
At half past two o'clock on the afternoon of the 2d of June, 1600,
the battle began. Vere's plan was to hold his advanced position as
long as possible, bring the reserves up as required until he had
worn out the Spaniards, then to send for the other two divisions
and to fall upon them. The company of Lionel Vickars formed part of
the three hundred men stationed on the East Hill, where Vere also
had taken up his position. After an exchange of fire for some
time five hundred picked Spanish infantry rushed across the hollow
between the two armies, and charged the hill. For half an hour a
desperate struggle took place; the Spaniards were then obliged to
fall back behind some low ridges at its foot.
In the meantime the enemy's cavalry had advanced along the grass
grown tract, a hundred and fifty yards wide, between the foot of
the dunes and the cultivated country inland. They were received,
however, by so hot a fire by the five hundred musketeers posted
by Vere in the sand hills on their flank, and by the two cannon
on West Hill, that they fell back upon their infantry just as the
Dutch horse, under Count Louis, advanced to charge them.
Vere sent orders to a hundred Englishmen to move round from the
ridge and to attack the Spaniards who had fallen back from the
attack of East Hill, on their flank, while sixty men charged down
the hill and engaged them in front. The Spaniards broke and fled back
to their main body. Then, being largely reinforced, they advanced
and seized a sandy knoll near West Hill. Here they were attacked
by the English, and after a long and obstinate fight forced to
retire. The whole of the Spanish force now advanced, and tried to
drive the English back from their position on the low ridge across
the bottom connecting the two hills. The seven hundred men were
drawn from the north ridge, and as the fight grew hotter the whole
of the sixteen hundred English were brought up.
Vere sent for reinforcements, but none came up, and for hours the
sixteen hundred Englishmen alone checked the advance of the whole
of the Spanish army. Sir Francis Vere was fighting like a private
soldier in the midst of his troops. He received two balls in the
leg, but still kept his seat and encouraged his men. At last the
little band, receiving no aid or reinforcements from the Dutch,
were forced to fall back. As they did so, Vere's horse fell dead
under him and partly upon him, and it was with great difficulty
that those around him extricated him. On reaching the battery on the
sands Vere found the thousand Dutch of his division, who asserted
that they had received no orders to advance. There were also three
hundred foot under Sir Horace Vere and some cavalry under Captain
Ball. These and Horace's infantry at once charged the Spaniards,
who were pouring out from the sand hills near to the beach, and
drove them back.
The Spaniards had now captured East Hill, and two thousand of
their infantry advanced into the valley beyond, and drove back the
musketeers from the south ridge, and a large force advanced along
the green way; but their movements were slow, for they were worn out
by their long struggle, and the English officers had time to rally
their men again. Horace Vere returned from his charge on the beach,
and other companies rallied and joined him, and charged furiously
down upon the two thousand Spaniards. The whole of the Dutch and
English cavalry also advanced. Solms' thousand men came up and
took part in the action, and the batteries plied the Spaniards with
their shot. The latter had done all they could, and were confounded
by this fresh attack when they had considered the victory as won.
In spite of the efforts of their officers they broke and fled in
all directions. The archduke headed their flight, and never drew
rein until he reached Brussels.
Zapena and the Admiral of Arragon were both taken prisoners, and
about a third of the Spanish army killed and wounded. Of the sixteen
hundred English half were killed or wounded; while the rest of the
Dutch army suffered scarcely any loss--a fact that shows clearly
to whom the honour of the victory belongs. Prince Maurice, in his
letter to the queen, attributed his success entirely to the good
order and directions of Sir Francis Vere. Thus, in a pitched battle
the English troops met and defeated an army of six times their
strength of the veterans of Spain, and showed conclusively that the
English fighting man had in no way deteriorated since the days of
Agincourt, the last great battle they had fought upon the Continent.
The battle at Nieuport may be considered to have set the final
seal upon the independence of Holland. The lesson first taught at
Turnhout had now been impressed with crushing force. The Spaniards
were no longer invincible; they had been twice signally defeated
in an open field by greatly inferior forces. Their prestige was
annihilated; and although a war continued, there was no longer the
slightest chance that the result of the long and bloody struggle
would be reversed, or that Spain would ever again recover her grip
of the lost provinces.
Sir Francis Vere was laid up for some months with his wounds. Among
the officers who fought under him at Nieuport were several whose
names were to become famous for the part they afterwards bore in
the civil struggle in England. Among others were Fairfax, Ogle,
Lambart, and Parker. Among those who received the honour of knighthood
for their behaviour at the battle was Lionel Vickars. He had been
severely wounded in the fight at East Hill, and was sent home to
be cured there. It was some months before he again took the field,
which he did upon the receipt of a letter from Sir Francis Vere,
telling him that the Spaniards were closing in in great force round
Ostend, and that his company was one of those that had been sent
off to aid in the defence of that town.
During his stay in England he had spent some time with Geoffrey in
London. Juan Mendez had now arrived there, and the business carried
on by him and Geoffrey was flourishing greatly. Dolores had much
missed the outdoor life to which she was accustomed, and her father
had bought a large house with a fine garden in Chelsea; and she
and Geoffrey were now installed there with him, Geoffrey going to
and fro from the city by boat. They had now replaced the Spanish
trading vessels by an equal number of English craft; and at the
suggestion of Juan Mendez himself his name now stood second to that
of Geoffrey, for the prejudice against foreigners was still strong
in England.