CHAPTER THE ELEVENTH. Campaign in Holland, 1796-Lord Moira's Orders. IN June 1794 the 19th Regiment was again embarked for Flanders with the army, under the Earl of Moira.* On this occasion Captain Graham embarked as aid-decamp to General Crosbie, on the staff of Lord Moira. The force under his lordship's command consisted of the 19th, 27th, 28th, 40th, 42d, 54th, 57th, 59th, 87th, and 89th Regiments, amounting in all to about 7000 men. They landed at Ostend on the 26th June. On their arrival the enemy was in possession of Ypres, Bruges, and Thoront, and was advancing on Ghent. * Ostend, famous for its resistance to Spinola in the Upon the subject of the arrival of Lord Moira's force ;- If the object had been to exhaust the enemy by protracting the war, in that case "the war would have been defensive, and co-operation settled to that object, instead of abandoning the Duke of York to certain ruin, if the winds and the circumstances of this country had not permitted Lord Moira's army to arrive just (and only just) in time to cover their retreat and communication." LORD MOIRA AT OSTEND. 121 seventeenth century, when the Archduchess Isabella made a vow not to change her chemise until it was taken, was not now deemed in a defensible state; but irrespective of that circumstance, the state of affairs in the country was such on the arrival of Lord Moira, that his lordship, who was restricted by his instructions to the defence of Ostend, thought he could not honestly confine his attention to the defence of that place. After glancing at such plans as suggested themselves for the employment of the force under his command, his first step was to communicate with Generals Clairfayt and Walmoden, proposing a junction of their forces, in order to act from Bruges by Thielt upon the left wing of the French. General Clairfayt eagerly adopted the idea, but made it a condition that Lord Moira should singly possess himself of Bruges before he (General Clairfayt) should move. With this object in view, Lord Moira moved out of Ostend on the 28th June. In Alison's history of Europe, a degree of supineness and indolence, highly reprehensible in any commander or military body, is attributed to Lord Moira and his corps on their arrival at Ostend. Fortunately for their memory, the reflection thus cast on them cannot be sustained by facts. A mere examination of the dates of occurrences at this stage of the campaign is sufficient to convince any G impartial mind that the historian has, by some means, been led to very inaccurate conclusions in his desire to trace out the causes of events, and that he has thus been prompted to pass a most unmerited censure on his countrymen. The passage referred to occurs in the second volume of Alison's work.* It is there insinuated that the defeat of Clairfayt is partly to be ascribed to the inaction of 30,000 Austrians at Tournay, and 6000 English "reposing from the fatigues of the sea voyage at Ostend." We leave the Austrians to answer for themselves, but with regard to the charge against the English, we would ask the historian to explain how the defeat of Clairfayt, which took place on the 25th June,† could have been *Chap. xv., p. 387. His Royal Highness the DUKE of YORK to the Right Hon. HENRY DUNDAS. Renaix, June 28. Sir-Having received intelligence, on Tuesday night (24th June), that the enemy had moved forward in great force upon General Clairfayt's position, and that they had detached a corps to attack Oudenarde, I found it absolutely necessary, for the defence of the Scheldt, to march immediately to this place, as from hence I could, with greater facility, support that place, and move upon any point at which they might attempt to force a passage. The enemy obliged General Clairfayt to abandon his position at Deynse, and to fall back upon Ghent, on Wednesday (25th June), where they again attacked him the next day, but were fortunately repulsed. LORD MOIRA'S STRATAGEM. 123 averted by Lord Moira and his corps, who were that day on board their transports on the passage from England, and did not reach Ostend until the following day, the 26th? Owing to the advantages gained by the enemy on the 25th and 26th June, it was necessary for Lord Moira both to preserve the utmost secrecy with regard to his movements, and to mislead the enemy as to his real intentions and the strength of the force under his command. With the latter object, the burgomaster of Bruges, who was a French partizan, was called upon to furnish rations for 15,000 men, being, it was stated, part of the British force just landed at Ostend. This information This retreat of General Clairfayt rendered it impossible for General Walmoden to support himself with so small a body of troops as he had under his command at Bruges. He therefore found it necessary to abandon that place on Thursday, and to fall back to Landmark, and join General Clairfayt's right flank. The consequences of these movements, though necessary, are extremely unpleasant, as all immediate communication with Ostend is cut off. Yesterday the enemy made another attempt upon Oudenarde, which they cannonaded the whole day, and even carried in the afternoon the fauxbourg; but were driven back again in the night, and have now retreated to a small distance. Yesterday evening I received the disagreeable intelligence of the Prince of Cobourg's having failed in his attack upon the French army at Gosselies and Fleurus, as well as of the surrender of Charleroi.-I am, &c. FREDERICK. was of course immediately communicated to General Vandamme at Wingham by the burgomaster, who was much commended for his zeal in obtaining and forwarding intelligence; and Vandamme, who had 20,000 men under his orders, believing the intelligence he had received as to the strength of his enemy to be correct, instead of attacking the earl, lost no time in getting out of his way. Lord Moira marched through Bruges on the evening of the 29th to Malle, four miles on the opposite side, and in the course of his march received important despatches from the Duke of York and General Clairfayt, which caused an alteration in his plans. The Duke, anxious for his assistance, but looking upon it as impracticable for him to march by the ordinary road, urged his joining him by Sluys and Sas de Gand. Clairfayt, on the other hand, declared it to be impossible for him to fulfil any engagement with his lordship, in consequence of the Prince of Coburg's defeat, and farther stated that he expected to leave Ghent in a few hours. It was then that Lord Moira resolved to push forward by the route of Ecloo and Ghent to join the Duke of York, although he had no longer any assurance of cooperation. In order to favour his movement, he requested General Walmoden to create an impression on the |