mitted into their councils and deliberations, and | by himself and his French allies in the preceding from that moment there arose differences and campaign, between Lawingen and Dillingen, havjealousies, which might have deranged the whole ing broad morasses in front, and the Danube in plan. Marlborough, as we have seen, wished the rear. On the following day, Marlborough the margrave to remain on the Rhine, and to have moved, and halted on the little river Brentz, Prince Eugene as his colleague on the Danube, only two short leagues from the enemy; but his where the brilliant and decisive part of the cam- brother, General Churchill, did not arrive with paign was to be enacted; but the margrave, who the artillery and part of the foot till the 27th, was older in rank than Prince Eugene, and un- when the combined army amounted to ninetywilling to be kept in an inferior field of action, six battalions and 202 squadrons, with a train insisted on a right of choice, and, in fact, on a of forty-eight pieces of artillery, pontoons, &c. right of supreme command on the Danube; and None of the expected forces were wanting except it was not without difficulty that the obstinate the Danish horse, under the Duke of WürtemGerman consented to share that command by berg; but Marlborough did not think himself alternate days with the English general. Greatly able to act against the Elector of Bavaria as he to the mortification both of Eugene and Marl- could wish until that Danish cavalry came up. borough, the former was therefore left upon the While he was waiting, the elector and the French Rhine, while the latter moved towards the Dan- officers serving with him threw up some fresh ube with the Margrave of Baden. At the same works in front of their entrenched camp on the time news was received that Auverquerque had bank of the Danube, and detached General d'Arco been baffled in an attempt upon the French lines with 12,000 men to occupy the Schellenberg, a in Flanders, and had lost an excellent opportunity commanding height overhanging the important apon the Meuse. Nor was this all; there were town of Donauworth. Marlborough saw clearly misfortunes nearer at hand, for some Prussian that by this skilful disposition the elector hoped and Swabian corps, that were appointed to join to cover his own dominions, and keep the allies between the Rhine and the Danube, mistook in check till he should receive reinforcements, their instructions and lost ten days in marches every day expected from France: he therefore and counter-marches. Marlborough, however, insisted upon an immediate attack upon the went on to Ebersbach, where he rested two days. heights of Schellenberg. The Margrave of Baden On the 15th of June, Prince Eugene was at hesitated, but at last consented to an advance; Philipsburg, on the Rhine; and Marlborough, and, on the 1st of July, when Marlborough had still hampered by the delays and blunders of his the command for the day, he defiled before the allies, was preparing to cross the range of moun- elector in his marshy camp, and directed his tains which separated him from the valley of the march to the foot of the Schellenberg. The roads Danube, beyond which river he expected the were little better than bogs, the horses frequently Elector of Bavaria would retreat. It was not sunk to their saddle-girths, the artillery and till the 20th that everything was ready, and then, heavy baggage waggons stuck in the mud, and while the states-general were sending courier the march was altogether slow and most laboriafter courier to induce him to weaken his army ous. Yet towards evening Marlborough rested and send back troops to the Netherlands, he tra- on a convenient plain a few miles from the foot versed the narrow and dangerous pass of Gies- of the mountain, from whose summit the Gallolingen with his entire force, and without acci- Bavarians were watching his progress with evident. Beyond that defile he came in communi- dent uneasiness. Gazing on those heights, and cation with the troops of Prince Louis, who had foreseeing that they would not be carried withtaken up a position near Westersteppen. On out great bloodshed, he gave orders for establishthe 24th, he advanced to Elchingen, close on the ing an hospital for his wounded-an attention Danube, thus compelling the Elector of Bavaria not as yet generally bestowed by generals on sufto withdraw from his post at Ulm. On the 25th, fering humanity. He also took 130 picked men mid torrents of rain which lasted several days, from each battalion of the army, joined these— Marlborough fixed his head-quarters at Langenau, which, collectively, amounted to 6000 foot-to the Elector of Bavaria retiring along the bank thirty squadrons of horse and three regiments of of the Danube to an entrenched camp, constructed Austrian grenadiers, and ordered that this detachment should precede the main body of the army, and begin the attack. At three o'clock in the morning, as the first rays of the sun began to light up the Danube, the plain, and the mountain, this column was put in motion by Marlborough in person, who, at five, followed with the rest of the army. There remained to be

There is a continued defile of about two English miles, which would take up almost a day's time in the best season of the year to pass with any number of troops: but it was much ore difficult now because of the excessive rains which had fallen for the last three or four days together, and had so levelled the rivulets and deepened the roads that they would have been theaght altogether impassable by any but such as were carried

on by an invincible resolution."-Hare's MS. Journal.

crossed, at about a mile from the foot of the Schellenberg, the Wernitz, a deep and rapid stream flowing into the Danube; but bridges had been prepared to throw across, and the van were provided with pontoons and fascines. It was about nine o'clock when Marlborough joined the head of the attacking column on the bank of this stream, where he was saluted by the enemy with a heavy cannonade, and whence he could see the very formidable nature of the attack he contemplated. The Schellenberg was rough and steep; the summit was covered with troops, and protected by an old fort and by entrenchments: and besides all this, there lay between him and the summit a thick wood, a rivulet, and a ravine; while on the opposite side of the Danube there was a regular camp, occupied by a strong detachment of cavalry, who could communicate with the town of Donauworth and the acclivities of the

Schellenberg by a bridge. About noon, Marlborough, without waiting for the Imperialists,, who were still in the rear, crossed the Wernitz, and, at about five in the afternoon, he gave his last orders to the attacking column, the command of which was consigned to the Dutch General Goor, and the first line of which was led by Brigadier Ferguson, the whole being preceded by a forlorn hope of fifty English grenadiers, under Lord Mordaunt. The assailants advanced to the hill with a firm step, under a tremendous fire from the enemy's works. As soon as they arrived within the range of grape-shot, the carnage became dreadful. General Goor and other officers fell, and for a moment the men paused and hung back. But other officers stepped forward to supply the places of those who had fallen, and then the column moved forward till they came to the ravine, which some of the men in their

ignorance mistook for the ditch of the entrench- | had occupied the flanks, and he not only conment, which might be made passable by the fascines they carried. While they were throwing in their fascines, standing exposed on the edge of the ravine, General d'Arco plied them with every gun he could bring to bear upon them; and, when this tremendous fire had produced some effect, he threw out some French and Bavarian battalions, who, rushing from their works, charged with the bayonet. This charge was repulsed principally by a battalion of the English guards, who stood their ground almost alone, and kept in perfect order, though nearly all their officers had been knocked on the head before the charge began. The attacking column soon formed again, and advanced still nearer to the works. But D'Arco concentrated nearly his whole force in their front, by drawing in the men that

tinued to ply the assailants with grape-shot, but sent out beyond his trenches several strong sallying parties, who fought bravely, and used both musket and bayonet with great effect. Again the allies began to waver and give way; and their repulse seemed complete, when General Lumley led forward a body of horse, threw back the enemy, and closed up or re-formed the ranks of the allies. During the severe sufferings of the allies, the French and Bavarians had not escaped tremendous loss: of some of the parties that sallied from the trenches, scarcely a man had returned; and at this critical moment the accidental explosion of some gunpowder in their works spread a sudden panic, which could not be overcome in the shortness of time allowed them. For the next moment the English and the Dutch burst into the

entrenchments, and the Imperialists, led on by the Margrave of Baden, were seen advancing towards the heights from under the walls of Donauworth. While the English and the Dutch were, as yet, part in the ditch, and part scaling the entrenchment, the French and Bavarians, abandoning every part of the work, fled in complete disorder down the hillside, towards the bridge over the Danube. The fugitives were followed by the whole body of the allied cavalry, and the carnage was terrific. And when the unhappy fugitives reached the bridge, it broke down under their weight, and hundreds of them were drowned. Other bodies were driven over the banks; and, in the end, between the sword

and the Danube, 7000 or 8000 perished on that fatal evening. Of the whole force detached to Schellenberg, only 3000 men rejoined the elector, but a considerable number came in as deserters to the allies. Sixteen pieces of artillery and all the tents were taken. The night set in with a heavy rain; and, in spite of the shouts of triumph, the allied camp presented a sight of horror, misery, and suffering: there were 4000 men wounded, and, at the very least, 1500 killed. The loss in officers was particularly heavy; eight generals, eleven colonels, and twenty-six captains being among the slain, and the Prince of Bevern and Count Styrum being mortally wounded.'

CHAPTER VIII.-CIVIL AND MILITARY HISTORY.-A.d. 1704—1707.

ANNE.

Misunderstandings among the allied commanders after the victory at Donauworth-Fame of Marlborough-His plan for the campaign-He crosses the Lech-He is deceived by the Elector of Bavaria-The electorate punished with military execution-Movements of Prince Eugene-His difficulties in effecting a junction with Marlborough-The united army advances towards Blenheim-Arrangements of Marlborough and Eugene for battle -Preparations of the French-Battle of Blenheim-Eventful movements of the conflicts-Utter defeat of the French and Bavarians-The French hopes of universal conquest annihilated-Marlborough made a prince of the empire-English expedition to the Tagus in support of Charles, King of Spain-Movements of the expedition-Gibraltar captured by Rooke and Shovel-Naval fight of Rooke with the French off Malaga-Its indecisive termination-The occasional conformity bill a third time brought forward and negatived-Woodstock, &c., conferred on Marlborough for his victory of Blenheim-The Tory parliament dissolved-Marlborough returns to the Continent-Obstacles in the continuation of the war-The Earl of Peterborough's brilliant and eccentric campaign in Spain-He captures Barcelona-He reduces Catalonia-His singular successes-Depression of the Tories and preponderance of the Whigs-Opposition of the Whigs to the high-church agitationTheir anxiety to secure a Protestant succession in the throne-Difficulties of the measure-The "church in danger" cry proscribed by the Whigs-Marshal Villeroy attempts to retrieve the disgrace of Blenheim-His total defeat by Marlborough at Ramillies-The French attempt the capture of Turin-They are defeated by Prince Eugene-The war in Spain in behalf of Charles—Peterborough abandons his cause-Prolonged contest between Charles and his rival, Philip-Project of the union of England and Scotland-Progress of the negotiation-Terms offered to Scotland-Hostility of the Scots to the proposal-Their objections-Manner in which the opposition was calmed-Provisions of the union-Opposition in the English parliament to the union-It is ratified.

E

FTER this battle of Schellenberg or Donauworth, as it is variously called, fresh misunderstandings broke out between the English general and the Margrave of Baden. The German general had been slightly wounded in the engagement, and had entered the entrenchments before Marlborough came up in person; hence the margrave and his friends claimed for him the chief honour of the victory, regardless of the obvious facts, that the whole plan was the English general's, and that, without the decided will of Marlborough, there would have been no battle at all. Marlborough, on the other side, spoke with contempt of his colleague. A feud was the consequence, which spread from Right Hon. General Sir George Murray, London, 1845. VOL. III.

the army, where it might have proved very dangerous, to the Low Countries and the Hague, where the party inimical to Marlborough struck a medal with the effigies of the margrave on the one side, and the lines of Schellenberg on the reverse, to commemorate the victory. But the world at large took a juster view of the case, and of the relative merits of the two commanders; throughout Germany, throughout Italy, in every part of the Continent, by friends and by foes, the merit of the achievement was given to Anne's general, and the name of Marlborough was on every man's tongue. Even the French began to I See note to the queen immediately after the victory, in Coxe, Lafe; and Despatches of the Duke of Marlborough, edited by the 219

that of making our bread follow us: for the troops that I have the honour to command cannot subsist without it, and the Germans, that are used to starve, cannot advance without us."

PRINCIPIS

ET

DIREPTIS

On the 7th the passage of the deep, broad, and rapid river Lech was effected at Gunderkingen, and upon this the Bavarian garrison at Neuburg abandoned that important place and retired to Ingoldstadt. On the 10th, Marlborough was encamped near Mittelstetten, with seventy-three battalions and 174 squadrons. He had now the whole of the army in the elector's country, and he announced that if that unfortunate prince would not condescend to terms, he would do his utmost to ruin that country. At this moment the elector, showing no disposition whatever to treat,

jealousies and bickerings. He received intelli- | lay strongly encamped at Augsburg, awaiting the gence that Villeroy had promised the Elector of Bavaria that he would send him, by way of the Black Forest, fifty battalions of foot and sixty squadrons of horse-"the best troops in France, which would make him stronger than the confederates." The English general, however, relied much on the assurances of Prince Eugene, that he would venture everything rather than suffer these French reinforcements to pass quietly as the last had done. Marlborough also expected that the enemy would defend Donauworth to the last extremity. But here he was agreeably disappointed; for the Elector of Bavaria withdrew his garrison, set fire to his magazines, abandoned all his positions, and commenced a retreat to wards Augsburg, thus leaving his hereditary dominions open to invasion. On the 6th of July, he wrote to Godolphin :-"We are now taking care for a passage over this river of Lech, and then we shall be in the heart of the elector's country. If he will ever make propositions it must be then. The Marshals de Villeroy and Tallard are separated. The latter is to join the Elector of Bavaria, and the Duke de Villeroy is to act on the Rhine. Prince Eugene will be obliged to divide his army, so that he may observe each of their motions. As for his person, it will be with that army that is to observe M. Tallard. By all the intelligence we have, our last action has very much disheartened the enemy, so that, if we can get over the river to engage them, I no ways doubt but God will help us with the victory. Our greatest difficulty is,

1 The Duke of Shrewsbury, in a congratulatory letter from Rome, where he was still residing, says: "I will not suspend your time with politic reflections, which you can make much better than I, but must tell you that in this holy ignorant city

they have an idea of you as of a Tamerlane; and had I a picture of old Colonel Birch with his whiskers, I could put it off for yours, and change it for one done by Raphael."

reinforcements which Villeroy had promised. Bread was now plentiful in Marlborough's camp; provisions were brought out of Franconia, and the soldiers helped themselves in Bavaria, plundering the poor people without mercy. Several unwise delays which now took place were owing to the backwardness and wilful obstinacy of the Margrave of Baden. Rain, an insignificant fortress, detained him five or six days, and when he proposed a rapid movement for the reduction of Munich, the capital of Bavaria, he was unable to obtain the artillery and stores which had been promised by the margrave. In the meantime he had detached thirty squadrons to assist Eugene in disputing the advance of the promised French reinforcements, which were now known to be under the command of Tallard. Without cannon and without money, Marlborough was glad to receive, at last, some propositions from the elector. Though unwillingly, the emperor's ambassador entered into these preliminaries, engaging to obtain for the elector the restoration of his dominions, and a subsidy of 200,000 crowns, upon condition of his entirely breaking off from the French, and furnishing 12,000 men for the service of the emperor. But Villeroy's assurances and Tallard's advance revived the spirit of the Bavarian prince; he failed in an appointment to meet the Austrian plenipotentiary for the conclusion of the treaty, and sent a message to announce that the French general was approaching to his succour with 35,000 men, and that he should run the chances of his brave and steady ally. No doubt the elector's propositions and overtures had been illusory from the first, and meant merely to gain time. Marlborough felt it in this way, and forthwith he gave up the whole country as far as Munich to military execution. The sight of the burning

towns and villages, however, went to his heart; | had pitched his camp between Mittelstetten and and he deplored the cruel necessity which he considered he lay under, On the other side, Tallard got through the Black Forest, and, after losing five days in a fruitless and absurd attempt on Villingen, forded the Danube at Moskirk, and emerged into the plains about Ulm. He then struck away to the north-west, and, with a few rapid marches, came into communication with the electoral army, which continued to hold its ground at Augsburg. Prince Eugene, unable to prevent these movements, made a parallel march from the Rhine, with an inferior force, and reached the plains of Hochstadt with his 18,000 men nearly at the same time that Tallard effected his junction with the Bavarians. He was still far apart from Marlborough and the rest of the confederates-he was precisely in that position where a Condé or a Turenne would have crushed him by a concentrated attack, and have then marched away with a superior force, flushed with success, to crush Marlborough. But Tallard had none of this genius and decision; and Marlborough and Eugene were left to exercise their superior abilities, and to join their separated armies in one compact and formidable mass. Marlborough fell hack upon Neuburg, and, on the 6th of August, encamped on the Paar near Schrobenhausen. Here Prince Eugene, who had left his army, galloped into the camp almost alone and unknown, to concert measures with the English commander. One of their first resolutions appears to have been to get rid of the conflicting voice and authority of the Margrave of Baden, who fortunately consented to go with twenty-three battalions and thirty-o -one squadrons to lay siege to Ingoldstadt. On the 8th Marlborough approached the bridges laid near the conflux of the Lech and the Danube; and, on the morrow, upon intelligence that the united Gallo-Bavarians were marching down to the Danube, he advanced to Exheim. At this last point Eugene left him to bring up his own 18,000 men, but in an hour or two the prince galloped back to apprize Marlborough that the enemy were in full march towards Dillingen, in the evident intention of crossing the Danube and overwhelming his (Eugene's) little army. By joint advice Eugene's troops were thereupon ordered to fall back, and the mass of the forces of Marlborough were put in motion to recross the Danube, in order to be on the same side of the river with those of Eugene, and to join them as soon as possible. This operation was exceedingly difficult. Marlborough had to traverse the Aicha, the Lech, and the Wernitz, as well as the Danube, and all these streams were swollen by the recent rains. The operations, however, were conducted with admirable skill and forethought, and by the 10th Marlborough

Peuchingen, having, to quiet the alarms of the Margrave of Baden, promised to cover the siege of Ingoldstadt. On the evening of that day he threw across the Danube twenty-eight squadrons of horse and twenty battalions to reinforce Prince Eugene, who was now at Donauworth, and prepared to follow with his whole army as soon as he should be certain that the Elector of Bavaria and the French marshal had passed the Danube with their whole army. As he was retiring in the night for a short rest, Eugene announced, by express, that the enemy had crossed the Danube in force, and that he stood in need of instant succour. The prince had posted his infantry in D'Arco's old position on the Schellenberg, with orders to repair the entrenchments: his baggage he had left at Donauworth, and he himself, supported by the Duke of Würtemberg, was endeavouring to maintain himself on the Kessel. No time was to be lost, as the heads of the Gallo - Bavarian columns were already appearing near Steinheim. At midnight Marlborough ordered his brother, General Churchill, who had already crossed the Danube, to advance and join Eugene, and within two hours the whole of the main army was in motion, crossing the river at different points: but it was ten o'clock at night before the junction with Eugene was completed. Then the combined armies encamped with the Danube on their left and the Kessel in their front, beyond which rivulet General Rowe and some of the English guards were posted. At the dawn of day (the 12th) Marlborough's baggage and artillery came up. At the same moment the English guards moved in the direction of Schweningen, Marlborough and Eugene being with them to survey the ground. Presently these two generals, having ascended the tower of a church, discovered the quarter-masters of the Gallo - Bavarian army marking out a camp between Blenheim and Lutzingen, and instantly they resolved to give battle, and begin the attack before the confusion, inseparable from a change of camps, should be over. Some officers, acquainted with the superiority of the enemy's forces, and the strength of their position, ventured to remonstrate. "I know the danger," said Marlborough, "but a battle is absolutely necessary, and I rely on the bravery and discipline of the troops, which will make amends for our disadvantages." During the night, while the French and Bavarians were moving to the new camp they had selected, and extending their lines along the elevated ground which stretches from Blenheim to Lutzingen, Marlborough concerted with Prince Eugene the arrangements for a general battle. And as early as two o'clock in the morning of Sunday, the memorable 13th of August, these two generals broke up their camp,