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Article THE BATTLE OF THE BOYNE. ← Page 5 of 8 →
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The Battle Of The Boyne.
beda . At midnight , William once more rode through his camp with torches , inspected every post , and issued his final orders . Early on the succeeding morning , Count Schomberg with the cavalry , and Douglas with the infantry which composed the right wing , marched towards Slane , with greater alacrity than the troops sent from the other side to oppose thern . They crossed the river
without any opposition , except from a regiment of dragoons stationed over-nig ht at the ford , of which they killed seventy before their retreat could be secured . They advanced , and found their antagonists drawn up in two lines . They formed , mixing their horse and foot , squadron with battalion , till on the arrival of more infantry , they changed their position , drawing the horse to the rig ht , by which they considerably ' h
out-flanked the enemy . But they were to force their waythroug fields inclosed by deep ditches , difficult to be surmounted , especially by the horse , who , in the face of an enemy , were obliged to advance in order ; beyond these lay the morass , still more embarrassing . The infantry were ordered to plunge in , and , while the horse found a firm passage to the right , forced their way with fatigue and difficulty . The enemy , astonished at their intrepidity , fled instantly towards
Duleek , and were pursued with slaughter . By the time when it was supposed that the rig ht wing had made good their passage , the infantry in the centre was set in motion . The-Dutch guards first entered the river on the right , opposite to Old-Bridge . The French protestants and Eniskilleners , Brandenburghers and English , at their several passes to the left , plunged in with alacritychecking the currentand swelling the waterso that it rose
, , , in some places to their middle , in others to their breasts , and obliged the infantry to support their arms above their heads . The Dutch had marched unmolested to the middle of the river , when a violent discharge was made from the houses , breast-works , and hedges , but without execution ; they moved on , gained the opposite banks , formed gradualty , and drove the Irish from their posts . As they still
advanced , the squadrons and battalions of the enemy suddenly appeared in view behind the eminences which had concealed thern . Five of these battalions bore down upon those Dutch who had alread y passed , but were received firmly , and repulsed . The efforts of the Irish horse were equally unsuccessful . Two attacks were bravely repelled , when the French and Eniskilleners arrived to the support of the Dutch , and drove back a third body of horse with considerable
execution . In the mean time , General Hamilton led the Irish infantry to the very margin of the river , to oppose the passage of the French aud English . But his men , although stationed in the post of honour , at the requisition of their officers , shrunk from the danger . Their cavalry proved more spirited . A squadron of Danes was attacked with such fury and successthat they fled back through the river .
, The Irish horse pursued , and , on their return , fell furiously on . the French Huguenots , who had no pikes to sustain their shock , and were instantly broken . Caillemote , their brave commander , received his mortal wound , and when borne to the English camp , with his last
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Battle Of The Boyne.
beda . At midnight , William once more rode through his camp with torches , inspected every post , and issued his final orders . Early on the succeeding morning , Count Schomberg with the cavalry , and Douglas with the infantry which composed the right wing , marched towards Slane , with greater alacrity than the troops sent from the other side to oppose thern . They crossed the river
without any opposition , except from a regiment of dragoons stationed over-nig ht at the ford , of which they killed seventy before their retreat could be secured . They advanced , and found their antagonists drawn up in two lines . They formed , mixing their horse and foot , squadron with battalion , till on the arrival of more infantry , they changed their position , drawing the horse to the rig ht , by which they considerably ' h
out-flanked the enemy . But they were to force their waythroug fields inclosed by deep ditches , difficult to be surmounted , especially by the horse , who , in the face of an enemy , were obliged to advance in order ; beyond these lay the morass , still more embarrassing . The infantry were ordered to plunge in , and , while the horse found a firm passage to the right , forced their way with fatigue and difficulty . The enemy , astonished at their intrepidity , fled instantly towards
Duleek , and were pursued with slaughter . By the time when it was supposed that the rig ht wing had made good their passage , the infantry in the centre was set in motion . The-Dutch guards first entered the river on the right , opposite to Old-Bridge . The French protestants and Eniskilleners , Brandenburghers and English , at their several passes to the left , plunged in with alacritychecking the currentand swelling the waterso that it rose
, , , in some places to their middle , in others to their breasts , and obliged the infantry to support their arms above their heads . The Dutch had marched unmolested to the middle of the river , when a violent discharge was made from the houses , breast-works , and hedges , but without execution ; they moved on , gained the opposite banks , formed gradualty , and drove the Irish from their posts . As they still
advanced , the squadrons and battalions of the enemy suddenly appeared in view behind the eminences which had concealed thern . Five of these battalions bore down upon those Dutch who had alread y passed , but were received firmly , and repulsed . The efforts of the Irish horse were equally unsuccessful . Two attacks were bravely repelled , when the French and Eniskilleners arrived to the support of the Dutch , and drove back a third body of horse with considerable
execution . In the mean time , General Hamilton led the Irish infantry to the very margin of the river , to oppose the passage of the French aud English . But his men , although stationed in the post of honour , at the requisition of their officers , shrunk from the danger . Their cavalry proved more spirited . A squadron of Danes was attacked with such fury and successthat they fled back through the river .
, The Irish horse pursued , and , on their return , fell furiously on . the French Huguenots , who had no pikes to sustain their shock , and were instantly broken . Caillemote , their brave commander , received his mortal wound , and when borne to the English camp , with his last