Malplaquet

Background
The Campaign
Disposition
The Battle.
Battlefield Today
Some Thoughts
General Withers.
Bibliography.
Photographs

The Battle. 

The chill of a September night gave way to a foggy dawn, and the mists rising from the marshy ground and the silent woods shrouded the concentration of the allied army. Around 7.00 am the sun began to shred the fog into long vaporous ribbons which quickly burnt away as the ground began to warm, and by 8.00 am the opposing artillery were exchanging a sporadic fire across the battlefield. At 8.30 am Marlborough gave the order for the great battery of forty allied cannon to fire a single salvo as a signal to commence the attack.

Like ripples on water, the 83 battalions of the Allied right wing began to advance over the 700 meters of ground that separated them from the Wood of Sars and the formidable entanglements and breastworks of the French forward line, which stood silently awaiting the order to open fire. As the range closed to 50 meters the edge of the woods erupted in a mass of flame and smoke, the air became filled with musket balls, like so many angry bees speeding towards their tormentors. The first volley mowed down hundreds of men in Schulenburgs first line, and caused their comrades in the rear ranks to loose step as they sort to avoid the bodies of the dead and wounded. In less than a minute, another deafening crash roared out from the French line, as their first ranks stepped back to allow the second rank to deliver its fire. The advancing German battalions under Schulenburg, some twenty thousand strong, lost their cohesion as the defending French brigades poured volley after volley into the struggling masses before them. General Withers and the contingent from Mons plunged into the woods farther out on Schulenburg's right and met with no resistance as they endeavoured to force a passage through the tangled undergrowth and strike at the French flank. Things were very different on Schulenburg's left. Here General Lottum's 22 battalions, in three lines, became mired in the marshy bottomland as they attempted to skirt the wood and come in against the tongue shaped salient at its southern extremity. Watching these movements, the French artillery commander, General St Hilaire, rushed forward a fourteen-gun battery outside of their main line of redoubts, which enfiladed Lottum's columns as they swung to their right, ploughing bloody lanes through the whole of his formation, while his front ranks were riddled with musket fire at close range from behind the parapets lining the wood. Eager to get away from this killing field, Lottum's infantry threw themselves upon the abbatis on the outskirts of the wood, and tearing them away with their bare hands, they endeavoured to come to something like even terms with their enemy; however it would take almost three hours of bitter exchanges and mounting causalities to gain a toehold in this part of the French position.

Away on the allied left the Prince of Orange began his attack at around 9.00 am. Riding at the head of his 30 Dutch, Swiss and Scottish battalions the prince's main effort was aimed at the French works along the edge of the Wood of Lanieres, defended by General d'Artagnan's regiments which included amongst them such illustrious names as Lorraine, Piémont, Royal Roussillon and the Gardes Francaise. At 90 meters the hidden French battery of twenty cannon that had been positioned in the re-entrant of the d'Artagnan's fieldworks, let fly with a tremendous belch and roar of flame, which swept away whole ranks, leaving the ground littered with mangled and torn bodies. Still the battalions pressed on, receiving yet another awful raking fire from the French guns, and now also the massed volleys of over three thousand muskets as the French front line erupted in a hail of fire. General Oxenstiern was killed, and over two thirds of the Prince of Orange's staff fell around their leader. Down went the prince's horse; shot through by a shower of missiles, but the gallant young man himself remained unharmed and advanced on foot. The ground became so choked with the bodies of the dead and writhing wounded that all attempts to form a coordinated firing line became impossible. Half an hour after starting their advance the Dutch, Swiss and Scottish battalions had suffered some 5,000 casualties. But even this did not prevent the prince from pulling back to reform his battle lines, and once again advancing into the hurricane of lead and iron. In a repeat performance of their previous courageous, but futile endeavours to close with their opponents the allied battalions melted away in the face of the massive concentration of French fire. The Dutch Blue Guards left over half their strength on the field together with Generals Spaar and Hamilton, and the attack petered out and retired, still in good order, leaving the ground carpeted with even more dead and wounded. The Farm of Blairon, which had been captured during the advance, had to be abandoned and was now once again in French hands.

Seeing an opportunity to deliver a bayonet charge to complete their work, the French regiments of Picardy and Navarre advanced beyond their entrenchments, and were about to push on with cold steel when they were checked by the 21 allied squadrons of Hesse-Cassel, who moved his troopers forward to cover the Dutch retirement, and General Rantzau who moved two Hanoverian battalions from the central reserve in an attempt to meet the French advance. These battalions were however received with such a galling fire that soon they too were forced to retire with much loss of life. Rantzau wrote after the battle, ' Monsieur de Goslinga, passing at full gallop, came to me and asked me if I did not wish to advance; I answered that he could see quite well that I was advancing, that it might please him to order the Prussians on my right to make the same movement, and to march forward like me, considering I had too little with two battalions to carry through the affair alone. Monsieur de Goslinga thereupon stopped a moment, and in his confidence of victory, or perhaps seeking to encourage the soldiers, shouted, "La batallie est gagnee, ha! Les braves gens!" After which [says Rantzau somewhat maliciously] he departed, all the more quickly since the enemy had forced our left [i.e. the left of Fagel's assault?] to abandon the entrenchment.'

A full scale attack by the French on this section of the field could now have given them victory, but Marshal Boufflers, possibly considering that he was under orders to conduct only a defensive battle, held back, and the chance to deliver a decisive blow never materialised.

While the Allied left wing endeavoured to untangle itself and regroup its shattered battalions, General's Schulenburg and Lottum pressed their attacks on the smoke choked wood of Sars. At 10.00 am Schulenburg had managed to break through the entanglements along the north side of the wood, forcing the French here to fall back into its murky depths and form a new line of battle. Lottum's command however was still unable to penetrate the southern salient, and suffered terribly from the French enfilading cannon fire, as well as from the constant volleys of musket and cannon fire against their front. Two fresh British battalions were now sent in by Lord Orkney to bolster Lottum's left flank. As these troops moved forward General Chemerault, who commanded the left of the French line of redoubts, brought forward twelve battalions of infantry, intending to throw them against Lottum's disorganized left flank. It was at this crucial moment that Marlborough himself rode forward, accompanied by The Prince of Auvergne with 30 squadrons of cavalry, to view the situation on this part of the field for himself. Immediately the Duke ordered Auvergne to deploy his cavalry in readiness to charge Chemerault's battalions, who were themselves unaware of the threat from the allied cavalry. Fortunately for Chemerault, marshal Villars had now also ridden over to this section of the battlefront and at once saw the danger. He cancelled the orders for the twelve battalions to counterattack, and instead moved them to the western outskirts of the Sars salient, there to bolster his infantry within the wood itself who were now slowly being forced back by the sheer weight of numbers. Thus Villars began to weaken his centre to support his left, just as Marlborough had anticipated.

Now safe from any French counterattacks, Lottum's depleted command, together with Orkney's two fresh British battalions finally burst into the southern tip of the Wood of Sars, pouring over the entrenchments and finally coming to grips with their adversaries using the bayonet and clubbed musket. The fighting here must have been terrible, as thousands of men yelled, cursed, screamed, gouged, kicked and tore at each other within no more than 600 square meters of woodland. Those that could still re-load in the crush, fired without heeding the drill-book regulations, but just banged off shot after shot as fast as they could. The officers who had managed to survive the initial attacks also took part in this hand-to-hand struggle, slashing to right and left with their swords, or taking up a musket and fighting like a private soldier, although their gaudy uniforms, decorated with silver and gold lace marked them out as special targets. This woodland fighting must have been quite exceptional for its time, and one can only guess at what it must have entailed -the stifling clouds of smoke that only gradually drifted up into the treetops; musket balls coming in from all sides, sending leaves and twigs cascading down to the ground as in an autumn storm; flying wood splinters piercing eyes and flesh and turning men frantic among the welter of death and destruction that surrounded them, while flocks of birds wheeled overhead in perplexed agitation. 

The Prince of Orange 

Around 11.00 am, while Schulenburg and Lottum were fighting their way into the stricken woods, Marlborough was joined by Prince Eugene and both now rode over to the left flank, summond there by urgent calls for reinforcements, 'What he found there horrified him, but he arrived in time to countermand a third assault which the hot-headed Prince (of Orange) was about to unleash against Boufflers positions.' For once Marlborough's normal battlefield intelligence was sadly lacking, and he had been totally in the dark as to the events that had taken place on this section of the field. Only now did he realize the folly of not explaining his battle plan in more exact terms to the young Dutch Prince, and the fact that the Duke himself accepted full responsibility for the slaughter shows that he also understood the implications of not taking the prince into his confidence.

Having made sure that no more suicidal attacks would occur, and that the role of the left wing was to only contain the French, Marlborough and Eugene rode back to the centre to await news of the combat in the Wood of Sars. It was now 11.30 am, and the smoke and noise were still indicative of the continuing violence near at hand, where close to thirty thousand Allied infantry pressed forward against four or five thousand French defenders, trampling friend and foe alike underfoot. Many became crazed killing machines, 'Sir Richard Temple's regiment lost more men that day than any other single British battalion. They performed prodigies; but their high spirits took a savage form. "They hewed in pieces" wrote a German observer, "all they found before them…even the dead when their fury found no more living to devour."' The French put up a gallant resistance, which caused the allies to pay for every inch of ground with their blood, but even as they withdrew it would appear that other obstructions had been made ready to confront their antagonist after the first line of entrenchments and breastworks had been breeched. Corporal Matthew Bishop of the 8th Regiment of Foot has left us a tantalizing glimpse of how the French had fortified even the interior of the woods.

"The Enemy had the advantage of the wood, which would have rendered them capable of destroying the greater part of us, had they not been intimidated. When we came near the wood, we threw all our tent poles away, and ran into it as bold as lions. But we were obstructed from being so expeditious as we should, by reason of their artful inventions, by cutting down trees and laying them across, and by tying the boughs together in all places. This they thought would frustrate us, and put us into disorder, and in truth there were but very few places in that station in which we could draw up our men, in any form at all; but where we did, it was in this manner. Sometimes ten deep, then we were obstructed and obliged to halt, then fifteen deep or more, and in this confused manner we went through the wood, but yet all in high spirits"

In the centre the opposing artillery kept up a constant exchange of fire; but further off to the right, in the murky depths of the forest Wither's battalions and squadrons, the latter having been reinforced by a further ten squadrons sent over by Eugene, were still struggling to clear the timber and find the exposed French flank.

The French commander was also well aware that his positions within the woods were susceptible to being turned, and he now decided to form a second line of defence ready for the time when the allied battalions finally broke cover from that nightmare world. Once again Villars conformed to Marlborough's plans, and drew still more battalions from his central redoubts. This time it was the turn of the Irish brigade, or "Wild Geese" as they were more famously known, together with the French Regiment of Champagne who both now moved to the left wing. The Irish brigade seem to have plunged into the wood itself, as most sources mention an encounter that took place between them and their counterparts in the British army, the Royal Regiment of Foot of Ireland. Not long after Villars also withdrew the whole of the Bavarian brigade and placed it with the forces on his left, thus leaving the whole of his centre almost totally devoid of defenders.

While the French Marshal was busy trying to deploy sufficient forces to meet the allied attacks on his left, Marlborough and Eugene had now ridden forward, at around 12.15 pm, through the woods, to view the situation for themselves. It was here that Eugene received a wound which nicked the side of his neck, just behind the left ear. With customary nonchalance, he refused to have the wound attended to, saying, 'If we are to die here it is not worth dressing, if we win, there will be time to night.' Somehow the resourceful Schulenburg had managed to drag seven 12-pounder cannon through the woods, in spite of the difficulties, and these were now firing into the long lines of French cavalry drawn up on the plain, causing many casualties, and forcing them to retire out of range. No longer having these glittering masses as a target, the allied cannon now switched to the French breastworks in this area, raking many of them with enfilading fire. Schulenburg now ventured to advise the Duke that this would be an opportune time to send forward his central battalions to occupy the abandoned French works. Without delay, Marlborough sent an order to Lord Orkney, together with another to Hesse-Cassel and Auvergne to be prepared to support him with their cavalry, and at close on 1.00 pm,

'…my 13 battalions got to the entrenchments, which we got very easily for as we advanced they quitted them and inclined to their right. We found nothing to oppose us. Not that I pretend to attribute any glory to myself, yet I verily believe that these 13 battalions gained us the day, and that without firing a shot almost'

Orkney may have not wished to steal any of the glory for himself, nevertheless his 13 battalions certainly made all the difference in the centre, where only a few battalions of the French Guard remained, and these only put up a token resistance before abandoning the central redoubts completely. Villars position was, to all intents and purpose, now cut into.

Villars received the news of the occupation of his centre while he was still preparing for his counter-stroke against the Wood of Sars. As he turned in the saddle to converse with General St Hilaire he was hit by a musket ball that passed through his high top boot, and penetrated below his left kneecap, shattering the bone. Trying for a time to regain his composure, he soon collapsed from the loss of blood, and had to be carried from the field. A second musket ball caught General Albergotti in the thigh knocking him out of the saddle, and a third hit General Chemerault killing him instantly. The command of the French left now devolved upon General Puysegur, who having command thrown upon his shoulders in so unexpected a manner seems to have become overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of his situation. It is quite possible that Puysegur was unaware that Villars intended to counter attack the allied troops as they debouched from the Wood of Sars, or of the imminent advance of the allied cavalry in the centre; whatever he thought or knew he did nothing, having his mind set more on saving the French army rather than taking any bold measures to obtain victory. 

Marshal Boufflers

While these changes were taking place the flanking units of Withers began to make their appearance on the far left of the French position, having finally managed to beat a path through the woods, arriving just to the north- east of the farm of La Folie. The cavalry squadrons under General Miklau had arrived further out on Withers right, and had begun to shake themselves out from column of march into line, when they were hit on their right flank by General M.de Rozel with ten squadrons of French carabiniers. With no infantry support close enough at hand to give assistance, Miklau's cavalry were cut to pieces; the survivors taking refuge once again inside the wood it had taken them so long to negotiate.

It was now 1.30 p.m. and in the centre squadron upon squadron of allied cavalry began to pour around the French redoubts held by Orkney's battalions and pass onto the plain beyond. The first to deploy were the twenty Dutch squadrons under General Auvergne, who were immediately charged by the elite French cavalry regiment of the Maison du Roi, led forward by Marshal Boufflers himself, who had now taken overall command of the army. The Dutch were forced back by the sheer momentum of the charge which was only brought to a halt by the steady platoon fire of Orkney's infantry, supported by ten cannon brought to the front from the great battery. Sheering off to the right and left, the French cavalry retired in their turn, once again allowing the allied squadrons to pass through the redoubts. As before Boufflers led another charge, this time calling in more and more cavalry until the whole plain between the redoubts and the village of Malplaquet became one vast swirling cavalry melee. Each time the French pushed back the allied squadrons, they were forced back in their turn by cannon and musket fire, "I really believe had not ye foot been there," wrote Orkney, "they would have drove our horse from the field."

Still Boufflers would not be denied. In all he mounted six separate attacks on the allied squadrons as they endeavoured to form on the plain, but in the end freshness and numbers began to tell. Soon Prince Eugene, at the head of the regiments of horse under Bulow, Wurtemberg, Vehlen, Wood, Hesse-Cassel and Auvergne seethed onto the plain in one herd like mass of over 25,000 men and horses. Pulling his squadrons back from their futile attempts to stem the tide of hostile horse passing through the redoubts, Boufflers now concentrated his own main cavalry mass, possibly amounting to some 15,000, on the heath land around Malplaquet. Here for the next hour the conflict raged, as men and horses rode at each other slashing with their swords or discharging their firearms into each other's faces. Clouds of dust enveloped friend and foe alike, powdering uniforms and making distinction difficult, while wounded horses, maddened by pain and fear attempted to kick their way free from the crush.

On the French left General Puysegur ordered his troops to fall back towards Quievrain, possibly noting that Boufflers had become far too embroiled in the cavalry battle in the centre to consider any overall plan for the salvation of the army. The Allied battalions on this wing were far too exhausted by their efforts to follow their enemy, who still managed to show a bold face, and marched off the field in good order. On the right the Prince of Orange now judged the time right for another advance, which was only half heartedly contested by General d'Artagnan. For his part d'Artagnan, like Puysegur, saw that the game was up, and pulled back his forces towards Bavay and Maubeuge, once again in very good order. Being informed of the withdrawal of both wings of his army Boufflers now proceeded to untangle his squadrons, and in a supreme piece of General- ship, he managed to manoeuvre his squadrons so as to cover the retreat of the whole army.

The battle died down at just after 3.00 p.m. with no pursuit forthcoming from the Allies, who were close to exhaustion after seven hours of bitter fighting. Many sank down on the spot, others looked for water, while some took to looting the bodies, which were plentiful. The whole field was covered in dead and wounded men and horses. In front of the French entrenchments along their right wing the bodies of the Dutch, Swiss and Scottish lay four or five deep, with small hope of survival for any of the wounded that might lie below the dead weight crush of the corpses. Before the re-entrant where the 20 gun French battery had been concealed, the mutilated remains of the Dutch battalions of general Dohna lay in ghastly windrows. Severed arms legs and heads lay among blackened torsos which were strewn in all directions, the whole expanse of ground, some 1000 meters wide by 100 meters in depth from the Wood of Tiry to the Wood of Lanieres being one vast carpet of pain and death.

Inside the Wood of Sars the picture was even worse. Here the restrictions of the trees themselves made the slaughter even greater. The press and crush of so many thousands formed a human wall into which even the unreliable muskets of the day could not fail to find a target. It has been estimated that 7,000 men, of all nations were killed or wounded in the Sars salient alone, these not counting the casualties that occurred before the Allied troops entered the woods, or after passing through it.

The central part of the battlefield appeared less gruesome, that is until the French redoubts were passed. On the wide plain stretching from the rear of these fieldworks to the outskirts of Malplaquet village, hundreds of men and horses lay like so many discarded bundles. The ground was covered with broken swords, hats, discarded cuirasses, saddles and harness. Riderless horses either dashed to and fro or stood quietly nibbling the grass, while others tried pathetically to rise from the ground, only to fall back again in their agony. Wounded men attempted to crawl away anywhere to seek help, while others cried out for water. The whole countryside for miles around echoing to the screams of the surgeon's knife.

The cost in life may never be fully known. Most sources state that the Allies lost 25,000 men, the French, between 10,000 and 15,000.These figures do not allow for those men who died weeks, or maybe even months later from their wounds. Records were sketchy, and roll calls subject to misinterpretation at all levels. Whatever the actual figures in terms of death and mutilation, the battle of Malplaquet should be seen as one of the best examples, for future generations of military leaders, to appreciate the difficulties of attacking an enemy in a prepared position by frontal assaults. Marlborough's attempt at outflanking the French position deserved greater attention both during and after his life time, and the fact that even the genius of Napoleon still failed to grasp its meaning one hundred years later at Borodino, shows just how much had been forgotten.