siege was laid under the command of Fagel. For the Allies this was very difficult,
since the army of Villars and another army under Albergotti were in close
proximity, however, they acquitted themselves well of their task.
On 13 September after heavy fighting Bouchain surrendered. The Allies
casualties outside Bouchain were about 900 men killed and 2700 men wounded.
On 27 October winterquarters were taken up and with this Marlborough
finished his last campaign.
Book xi
The campaign of 1712
Radical changes occurred in England in 171 oThe most important results of
these were the war weariness in England attended with a strong anti-Dutch
feeling, the downfall of the Whig Cabinet, also before long the fall of Marl
borough and the entire Whig Government.
St. John, now Bolingbroke took up the reins; from now on England was the
supreme peace-intermediary, and finally other nations, though reluctantly,
had to accept this. The Republic immediately felt the effects of it because
England refused to acknowledge the Barrier Treaty. To St. John it was a matter
of careful manoeuvring between France and his opponents, therefore England
made the normal preparations for war in the spring of 1712 and joined her
troops under the command of Marlboroughs successor to those of Eugenius
of Savoy and the States. However, she just waited for the right moment to
withdraw her troops and to negotiate an armistice with France for a period of
two months with the possibility of it being prolonged. In the latter half of April
both armies gathered in the region of Orchies. The allied Army consisted of
146 battalions and 300 squadrons, the French army of 134 battalions and 238
squadrons. So the allied cavalry and dragoons were considerably stronger.
Having been in England, Eugenius had read the plans of St. John and his through
and through. He understood that only a strong offensive and victories on the
battlefield could probably save the 'Great Alliance'. Heinsius and the Field
Deputies shared his views. After some preliminary warfare the allied army
crossed the Scheldt on 26 May with the intention to attack Villars in his
position. For this purpose a council of war was held on 29 May. Much to the
surprise and indignation of everyone Ormond brought up the information of not
being allowed to do anything without orders from England, known in history as
the notorious "Restraining Orders". This was the more shameful because
Villars had been informed of these orders at an earlier date. It was decided to
lay siege to Le Quesnoy and at last Ormond promised to have the English serve
as a covering army. The siege of Le Quesnoy, conducted by Fagel, went off
successfullyon 9 June the town was hemmed in, on 3 July it surrendered.
Meanwhile the famous cavalryexpedition of Grovestins took place in the
north of France (10 June—27 July). The English parliament deemed it time to
sign the armistice. Moreover, Ormond was ordered to march to Dunkirk
with the British troops and, as far as possible, with the troops in the pay of
England.
This came to nothing thanks to Eugenius' vigorous actions. On 17 July, after a
period of great tension, Ormond marched off with the English troops. Euge
nius set himself to the siege of the last fortress which still could stop the allied
armies, viz. Landrecies. On 17 July the town was hemmed in by Anhalt Dessau.
5*7
