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THE BATTLES OF THE WORLD;
THE BATTLES OF THE WORLD;
OR, CYCLOPÆDIA OF BATTLES, SIEGES, AND IMPORTANT MILITARY EVENTS, The Origin and Institution of Military Titles, &c. &c., ALPHABETICALLY ARRANGED, WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING A CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE, FROM THE CREATION TO THE PRESENT DAY. DEDICATED BY PERMISSION TO GENERAL SIR JOHN MICHEL. BY REV. J. DOUGLAS BORTHWICK, AUTHOR OF “CYCLOPÆDIA OF HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY,” “THE BRITISH AMERICAN READER,” AND “THE HARP OF CANAAN.” Montreal: PUBLISHED BY JOHN MUIR; AND PRINTED BY JOHN LOVEL
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PREFACE.
PREFACE.
Within the last decade of the history of Great Britain, some very important books have been added to her literature, and especially to that particular division which treats of her wars and splendid victories, during the same period. “The Fifteen Decisive Battles of the World,” by Sir E. S. Creasy, Chief Justice of Ceylon; “The Twelve Great Battles of England,” inscribed to the British Volunteers of 1860; “England’s Battles by Sea and Land,” “Russell’s Crimea and India,” “Emerson’s Sebastopol,” &
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A.
A.
ABDICATION OF KINGS.—Numerous in ancient history. The following are those of the most remarkable character and greatest political importance: ABOUKIR.—Commonly called the Battle of the Nile. Fought between the French and English fleets August 1st, 1798. (See Nile .) ABRAHAM, HEIGHTS OF.—Commonly called the Taking of Quebec, or the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. Fought September 13th, 1759. (See Quebec .) ACAPULCO SHIP.—This was the celebrated prize. A Spanish galleon, from Acapulco, laden with
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B.
B.
BABYLON.—This city was first taken by Ninus, B.C. 2059, then by Esar-haddon, B.C. 680. Both Darius and Cyrus took the city, the first through the fidelity of his officer Zopyrus, who having cut off his nose and ears fled to the Babylonians, and was admitted within the walls, and found means shortly afterwards to betray the city—the other by turning the course of the river Euphrates, and marching his soldiers up the dry bed into the city. BADAJOS, SIEGE OF.—This important frontier fortress had su
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C.
C.
CABUL.—The following is succinct account of this expedition. “Every preparation was now completed for our march, and on the 12th of October, 1842, our force, divided into three brigades, left Cabul, the first under General Pollock, the second under General McCaskill, and the rear under General Nott. We had not proceeded more than four miles, when we heard the explosion of the mines, which left the renowned Cabul a vast region of ruins; and the Affghans to judge the spirit of the British as an av
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D.
D.
DAMASCUS.—Taken by the Saracens, 633. Again by the Turks in 1006, and was destroyed by Tamerlane in 1400. DANTZIC.—It surrendered to the French, after a siege of four months, May 5th, 1807; and, by the treaty of Tilsit, was restored to its former independence under the protection of Russia and Saxony. It was besieged by the Allies in 1812, and surrendered to them January 6th, 1814. By the treaty of Paris it reverted to its former status. DARDANELLES, PASSAGE OF THE.—This was achieved by the Brit
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E.
E.
EBRO.—Scene of a signal defeat of the Spaniards, by the French, November 23rd, 1808. Scene also of several movements of the allied forces during the Peninsular War. ECKMUHL, BATTLE OF.—Fought, April 22nd, 1809, between the main armies of France and Austria. The French army was commanded by Napoleon, and the Austrian by the Archduke Charles. Napoleon, by one of his masterly movements, broke through the Imperial army, and completely routed them. EDGEHILL, BATTLE OF.—Fought, October 23rd, 1642, bet
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F.
F.
FALCZI, PEACE OF.—This celebrated peace was concluded between Russia and Turkey, July 2nd, 1711,—the Russians giving up Azof and all their possessions on the Black Sea to the Turks. In the following year the war was renewed, and at last terminated in the peace of Constantinople, April 16th, 1712. FALKIRK, BATTLE OF.—First battle fought between Edward I of England, and the Scots under William Wallace, July 22nd, 1298; and the second between the King’s forces and Prince Charles Stuart, the Pretend
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G.
G.
GALWAY.— Ireland. —In 1690, Galway declared for King James, but it was invested and taken by General Ginckel, immediately after the memorable battle of Aughrim, July 12th, 1691. GENERAL.—This rank has been given to commanders from very remote antiquity. In the French army, Montmorency was the first officer who was so called, in 1203. Cardinal Richelieu was the first who took the title Generalissimo , having coined the word when he assumed supreme command of the French armies in Italy, in 1629. G
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H.
H.
HALIDON HILL, BATTLE OF.—Fought July 19th, 1333.—“The Scots were rash enough to attack the English as they held the top of a bold hill, at the foot of which lay a marsh. The English archers, posted on the face of the hill, shot down the Scots, almost at their leisure, while they struggled heavily through the spongy ground. Under the deadly arrow flight, the Scots dragged themselves through the bog, and attempted, all breathless and exhausted, to charge up the hill against the fresh troops of Eng
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I.
I.
INKERMANN, BATTLE OF.—One of the most brilliant achievements in the history of the British Army. Fought on the 5th of November, 1854. “Two days after the repulse of the enemy’s sortie, by Sir De Lacy Evans’ division, General Dannenberg, with a large Russian reinforcement, arrived at Baktchi-Serai from Odessa, which place he left on the 19th of October. In order that his men might reach the scene of action with the greatest practicable rapidity, and in good condition, every available cart and rus
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J.
J.
JAFFA.—Celebrated in Scripture as Joppa. Taken by Napoleon, in February, 1799. The French driven out by the British, in June, the same year. Here, according to the account of Sir Robert Wilson, Napoleon massacred 3800 Arab prisoners of war; but this is reasonably doubted. JANVILLIERS, BATTLE OF.—Between the French and Prussians, which, after a severe engagement, Blucher, who commanded the latter army, was driven back to Chalons with considerable loss. Fought, February 14th, 1814. JARNAC, BATTLE
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K.
K.
KAFFIR WAR.—There was an invasion of the Kaffirs, or Caffres, in the vicinity of Grahamstown, Cape of Good Hope, in October, 1831. The invaders fell upon the settlers, murdered them, burnt their houses, destroyed their crops, and carried off their cattle; this irruption was eventually suppressed by the colonial authorities. Other, but slighter annoyances to the colonists took place occasionally, up to December, 1850, when Sir Harry Smith, the then Governor, proclaimed martial law, and ordered th
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L.
L.
LACOLLE MILL, BATTLE OF.—Operations were commenced early in the spring of 1814. An American army, commanded by General Wilkinson, and amounting to upwards of 3000 men, entered Lower Canada on the western shore of Lake Champlain. They attacked and completely invested Lacolle Mill, which was defended by Major Handcock, of the 13th regiment, and about 180 men. They were vigorously repulsed from this little fortress and driven back to the United States. LA HOGUE, BATTLE OF.—Between the English and D
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M.
M.
MAESTRICHT.—Taken by the Prince of Parma in 1579; reduced by the Prince of Orange, in 1632. Louis XIV took it in 1675. William, Prince of Orange, invested it in 1676; restored to the Dutch in 1678; besieged by the French, in 1748. In 1793, attacked by the French, who took it the following year; but in 1814, it was delivered up to the allied forces. MAGENTA, BATTLE OF.—Fought June 4th, 1859, between the French and Austrians. The French gained a splendid victory, the Allies losing 12,000, the Aust
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N.
N.
NAAS, BATTLE OF.—A desperate engagement between a body of the King’s forces, consisting of the ancient Britons and the Armagh militia. The insurgent Irish, who had just begun the Great Rebellion of 1798, were 3000 strong, and were defeated with the loss of 300 killed and some hundreds wounded. Fought, May 24th, 1798. NARVA, BATTLE OF.—This was the celebrated battle in which Peter the Great of Russia was totally defeated by the renowned Charles XII of Sweden. Fought, November 30th, 1700. The Russ
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O.
O.
ORLEANS.— France. —Besieged by John Talbot, the Earl of Salisbury, October 12th, 1428; relieved, and the siege raised by the Maid of Orleans—Joan of Arc—from which circumstance she received her name. ORLEANS NEW.—The British made an attack on New Orleans, December, 1814; they were repulsed by the Americans, under General Jackson, with great loss January, 7th, 1815. The American troops were entrenched behind a large number of cotton bales, and the British were obliged to advance in an open and ex
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P.
P.
PALESTRO, BATTLE OF.—Fought, 29th May, 1859, between the Austrians and the French. “On the 29th May, was fought the battle of Palestro. The Austrian avant-garde, 1500 strong, occupied the villages of Palestro and Vinzaglio. They were carried by the Allies at the point of the bayonet, and two cannons, the first captured since the opening of the war, were taken. The next morning the Austrians advanced to retake Palestro. Having cannonaded the village, a body of Austrians advanced to cut off the co
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Q.
Q.
QUARTRE BRAS, BATTLE OF.—Fought, June 16th, 1815, between the French and English. The French were commanded by Marshal Ney, and the British by the Duke of Brunswick, the Prince of Orange, and Sir Thomas Picton. It was fought two days before Waterloo. The British fought, to maintain their position, with wonderful intrepidity, notwithstanding their inferiority in number, and the fatigue of marching all the preceding night. The gallant 42nd Regiment of Scotch Highlanders, or the Black Watch, suffer
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R.
R.
RAMILIES, BATTLE OF.—Between the English and Allies, commanded by Marlborough, on the one side, and the French, commanded by the Elector of Bavaria and the Marshal de Villeroy. The French, having no confidence in their Commander, were soon seized with a panic, and a general rout ensued. About 4000 of the Allied army were slain. Fought on Whitsunday, May 26th, 1706. “The year following the victory of Blenheim was, for the most part, wasted in the struggles of Marlborough with his enemies at home,
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S.
S.
SACRED WAR.— Sacrum Bellum. —The first, about the celebrated temple of Delphi, took place B.C. 448. The second occurred also at the same place, when it was attacked by the Phœnicians, B.C. 356. SADOWA, BATTLE OF.—Fought, July 3rd, 1866, between the Prussians and Austrians. Dr. Russel thus writes:— “In spite of the sombre morning and of the grey clothing, relieved only by the darker but livelier green of the Jagers and their plumed hats, the effect of the whole host wheeling, deploying, advancing
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T.
T.
TALAVERA.—Fought, July, 27th and 28th, 1809, between the English and French and Spanish armies.—“After the campaigns of Marlborough, the English army acquired little distinction in the field for more than a century. The battles of Dettingen (1743), Fontenoy (1745), and Minden (1759), were affairs in which England was involved by her Hanoverian alliances, and in which small bodies of English troops were engaged, with little glory, and with but trifling results. It was not until the next century h
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U.
U.
ULM, BATTLE OF.—A fierce and bloody engagement between the French and Austrians, the latter commanded by General Mack, and the French by Marshal Ney. The French gained a complete victory, the Austrians losing 36,000 men as prisoners, the flower of their army, and an immense number of killed and wounded. Fought, October 17th, and 19th, 1805. UNIFORMS.—First used in France by Louis XIV in 1668, adopted in England not long after. USHANT, NAVAL BATTLE OF.—Between the British and French fleets, when
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V.
V.
VALENCIA, BATTLE OF.—Taken by the Earl of Peterborough in 1705, and soon again lost. Resisted the attempts of many, but was taken from the Spaniards by the French, under Suchet, January 9th, 1812; all the garrison, 16,000 men, and immense stores, surrendered. VALENCIENNES, SIEGE OF.—Besieged from May 23rd to July 14th, when the French garrison surrendered to the Duke of York, 1793. Retaken by the French, on capitulation; the garrison and 1100 emigrants made prisoners, with immense stores, viz. 2
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W.
W.
WAGRAM, BATTLE OF.—Fought, July 5th, 1809, between the Austrians and French, in which the former were completely overthrown; 20,000 were taken by the French. The slaughter on both sides was dreadful. The defeated army retreated into Moravia. WAKEFIELD, BATTLE OF.—Fought, December 31st, 1460, between Queen Margaret, the wife of Henry VI, and the Duke of York, in which the latter was slain, and 3000 Yorkists fell in the field. This was one of the bloodiest battles between the houses of York and La
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X AND Y.
X AND Y.
XIMERA, BATTLE OF.—Between the Spanish army, under the command of General Ballasteros, and the French corps, commanded by General Regnier. The Spaniards were defeated with great loss; the French also lost very much. Fought, September 10th, 1811. XERXES’ BRIDGE. See Bridge of Xerxes. YEAVERNY, BATTLE OF.—Between the Scots and the Earl of Westmoreland. Fought, 1415. In this memorable engagement, 430 English discomfited 4000 Scots, and took 160 prisoners; also called the battle of Geteringe. YPRES,
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Z.
Z.
ZAMA, BATTLE OF.—Between the two greatest Generals of the age, Hannibal and Scipio Africanus. The Romans lost 2000 in killed and wounded, whilst the Carthaginians lost, in killed and prisoners, more than 40,000. Fought B.C. 202. “These two generals, who were not only the most illustrious of their own age, but worthy of being ranked with the most renowned princes and warriors that had ever lived, meeting at the place appointed, continued for some time in a deep silence, as though they were astoni
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CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.
CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE.
Glory to God on high, and in Earth PEACE.—Good will towards men. FINIS. I. Effective Strength of the French Army at Waterloo. II. Effective Strength of the Anglo-Allied Army at Waterloo. [46] Book ix. tells us, in Table F, that four of the regiments in this Corps had three battalions. [47] There was probably the same backwardness in a few other cases; but these are distinctly recorded....
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