By England's Aid; or, the Freeing of the Netherlands (1585-1604)
Page 10
CHAPTER X
THE WAR IN HOLLAND
In the confusion caused by the collision of the Active with theSpanish galleon no one had noticed the accident which had befallenGeoffrey Vickars, and his brother's distress was great when, on theship getting free from among the Spaniards, he discovered thatGeoffrey was missing. He had been by his side on the poop buta minute before the mast fell, and had no doubt that he had beencarried overboard by its wreck. That he had survived he had notthe least hope, and when a week later the Active on her way backtowards the Thames was driven into Harwich, he at once landed andcarried the sad news to his parents. England was wild with joy atits deliverance, but the household at Hedingham was plunged intodeep sorrow.
Weeks passed and then Lionel received a letter from Francis Veresaying that Parma's army was advancing into Holland, and that asactive work was at hand he had best, if his intentions remainedunchanged, join him without delay.
He started two days later for Harwich, and thence took ship forBergen op Zoom. Anchoring at Flushing, he learned that the Duke ofParma had already sat down in front of Bergen op Zoom, and had onthe 7th attempted to capture Tholen on the opposite side of thechannel, but had been repulsed by the regiment of Count Solms, witha loss of 400 men. He had then thrown up works against the waterforts, and hot fighting had gone on, the garrison making frequentsallies upon the besiegers. The water forts still held out, andthe captain therefore determined to continue his voyage into thetown. The ship was fired at by the Spanish batteries, but passedsafely between the water forts and dropped anchor in the port onthe last day of September, Lionel having been absent from Hollandjust a year. He landed at once and made his way to the lodgings ofFrancis Vere, by whom he was received with great cordiality.
"I was greatly grieved," he said after the first greetings, "tohear of your brother's death. I felt it as if he had been a nearrelative of my own. I had hoped to see you both; and that affairconcerning which my cousin wrote to me, telling me how cleverlyyou had discovered a plot against the queen's life, showed me thatyou would both be sure to make your way. Your father and mothermust have felt the blow terribly?"
"They have indeed," Lionel said. "I do not think, however, thatthey altogether give up hope. They cling to the idea that he mayhave been picked up by some Spanish ship and may now be a prisonerin Spain."
Francis Vere shook his head.
"Of course, I know," Lionel went on, "their hope is altogetherwithout foundation; for even had Geoffrey gained one of theirships, he would at once have been thrown overboard. Still I ratherencouraged the idea, for it is better that hope should die outgradually than be extinguished at a blow; and slight though itwas it enabled my father and mother to bear up better than theyotherwise would have done. Had it not been for that I believe thatmy mother would have well nigh sunk beneath it. I was very gladwhen I got your letter, for active service will be a distraction tomy sorrow. We have ever been together, Geoffrey and I, and I feellike one lost without him. You have not had much fighting here, Ithink, since I have been away?"
"No, indeed; you have been far more lucky than I have," Francis Veresaid. "With the exception of the fight with the San Mateo I havebeen idle ever since I saw you, for not a shot has been fired here,while you have been taking part in the great fight for the veryexistence of our country. It is well that Parma has been wastingnine months at Dunkirk, for it would have gone hard with us hadhe marched hither instead of waiting there for the arrival of theArmada. Our force here has fallen away to well nigh nothing. Thesoldiers could get no pay, and were almost starved; their clotheswere so ragged that it was pitiful to see them. Great numbers havedied, and more gone back to England. As to the Dutch, they are moreoccupied in quarrelling with us than in preparing for defence, andthey would right willingly see us go so that we did but deliverFlushing and Brill and this town back again to them. I was trulyglad when I heard that Parma had broken up his camp at Dunkirkwhen the Armada sailed away, and was marching hither. Now that hehas come, it may be that these wretched disputes will come to anend, and that something like peace and harmony will prevail in ourcouncils. He could not have done better, as far as we are concerned,than in coming to knock his head against these walls; for Bergenis far too strong for him to take, and he will assuredly meet withno success here such as would counterbalance in any way the blowthat Spanish pride has suffered in the defeat of the Armada. Ithink, Lionel, that you have outgrown your pageship, and since youhave been fighting as a gentleman volunteer in Drake's fleet youhad best take the same rank here."
The siege went on but slowly. Vigorous sorties were made, and thecavalry sometimes sallied out from the gates and made excursions asfar as Wouw, a village three miles away, and took many prisoners.Among these were two commissaries of ordnance, who were intrustedto the safe keeping of the Deputy Provost Redhead. They were notstrictly kept, and were allowed to converse with the provost'sfriends. One of these, William Grimeston, suspected that one ofthe commissaries, who pretended to be an Italian, was really anEnglish deserter who had gone over with the traitor Stanley; andin order to see if his suspicions were correct, pretended that hewas dissatisfied with his position and would far rather be fightingon the other side. The man at once fell into the trap, acknowledgedthat he was an Englishman, and said that if Grimeston and Redheadwould but follow his advice they would soon become rich men, forthat if they could arrange to give up one of the forts to Parmathey would be magnificently rewarded.
Redhead and Grimeston pretended to agree, but at once informed LordWilloughby, who was in command, of the offer that had been made tothem. They were ordered to continue their negotiations with thetraitor. The latter furnished them with letters to Stanley andParma, and with these they made their way out of the town at nightto the Spanish camp. They had an interview with the duke, andpromised to deliver the north water fort over to him, for whichservice Redhead was to receive 1200 crowns and Grimeston 700 crowns,and a commission in Stanley's regiment of traitors.
Stanley himself entertained them in his tent, and Parma presentedthem with two gold chains. They then returned to Bergen and relatedall that had taken place to Lord Willoughby. The matter was kepta profound secret in the town, Francis Vere, who was in command ofthe north fort, and a few others only being made acquainted withwhat was going on.
On the appointed night, 22d of October, Grimeston went out alone,Redhead's supposed share of the business being to open the gatesof the fort. When Grimeston arrived at Parma's camp he found thatthe Spaniards had become suspicious. He was bound and placed incharge of a Spanish captain, who was ordered to stab him at onceif there was any sign of treachery. It was a dark night; the tidewas out, for the land over which the Spaniards had to advance wasflooded at other times. The attacking column consisted of threethousand men, including Stanley's regiment; and a number of knightsand nobles accompanied it as volunteers.
As they approached the forts--Grimeston in front closely guardedby the Spanish captain--it was seen by the assailants that Redheadhad kept his word: the drawbridge across the moat was down and theportcullis was up. Within the fort Lord Willoughby, Vere, and twothousand men were waiting for them. When about fifty had crossed thedrawbridge the portcullis was suddenly let fall and the drawbridgehauled up. As the portcullis thundered down Grimeston tripped upthe surprised Spaniard, and, leaping into the water, managed tomake his way to the foot of the walls. A discharge of musketry andartillery from the fort killed a hundred and fifty of the attackingparty, while those who had crossed the drawbridge were all eitherkilled or taken prisoners. But the water in the moat was low. TheSpaniards gallantly waded across and attacked the palisades, butwere repulsed in their endeavour to climb them. While the fight wasgoing on the water in the moat was rising, and scores were washedaway and drowned as they attempted to return.
Parma continued the siege for some little time, but made no realattempt to take the place after having been repulsed at the northfort; and on the 12th of November broke up his camp and returnedto Brussels.
A month after Sir Francis Vere's return Lord Willoughby leftfor England, and the whole burden of operations in the field fellupon Vere. His first trouble arose from the mutinous conduct ofthe garrison of Gertruydenberg. This was an important town on thebanks of the old Maas, and was strongly fortified, one side beingprotected by the Maas while the river Douge swept round two othersides of its walls. Its governor, Count Hohenlohe, had been unpopular,the troops had received no pay, and there had been a partial mutinybefore the siege of Bergen op Zoom began. This was appeased, bythe appointment of Sir John Wingfield, Lord Willoughby's brotherin law, as its governor.
In the winter the discontent broke out again. The soldiers had beenmost unjustly treated by the States, and there were long arrearsof pay, and at first Sir John Wingfield espoused the cause of themen. Sir Francis Vere tried in vain to arrange matters. The Dutchauthorities would not pay up the arrears, the men would not returnto their duty until they did so, and at last became so exasperatedthat they ceased to obey their governor and opened communicationswith the enemy. Prince Maurice, who was now three and twenty yearsold, and devoted to martial pursuits and the cause of his countrymen,after consultation with Sir Francis Vere, laid siege to the townand made a furious assault upon it on the water aide. But the Dutchtroops, although led by Count Solms and Count Philip of Nassau,were repulsed with great loss. The prince then promised not onlya pardon, but that the demands of the garrison should be compliedwith; but it was too late, and four days later Gertruydenberg wasdelivered up by the mutineers to the Duke of Parma, the soldiersbeing received into the Spanish service, while Wingfield and theofficers were permitted to retire.
The States were furious, as this was the third city commanded byEnglishmen that had been handed over to the enemy. The bad feelingexcited by the treachery of Sir William Stanley and Roland Yorkeat Deventer and Zutphen had died out after the gallant defence ofthe English at Sluys, but now broke out again afresh, and chargesof treachery were brought not only against Wingfield but againstmany other English officers, including Sir Francis Vere. Thequeen, however, wrote so indignantly to the States that they hadto withdraw their charges against most of the English officers.
In May Lord Willoughby, who was still in London, resigned his command.A number of old officers of distinction who might have laid claimsto succeed him, among them Sir John Norris, Sir Roger Williams,Sir Thomas Wilford, Sir William Drury, Sir Thomas Baskerville, andSir John Burrough, were withdrawn from the Netherlands to serve inFrance or Ireland, and no general in chief or lieutenant general wasappointed, Sir Francis Vere as sergeant major receiving authorityto command all soldiers already in the field or to be sent out duringthe absence of the general and lieutenant general. His officialtitle was Her Majesty's Sergeant Major in the Field. The garrisonsin the towns were under the command of their own governors, andthose could supply troops for service in the field according totheir discretion.
The appointment of so young a man as Sir Francis Vere to a postdemanding not only military ability but great tact and diplomaticpower, was abundant proof of the high estimate formed of himby the queen and her counsellors. The position was one of extremedifficulty. He had to keep on good terms with the queen and hergovernment, with the government of the States, the English agent atthe Hague, Prince Maurice in command of the army of the Netherlands,the English governors of the towns, and the officers or men of theforce under his own command. Fortunately Barneveldt, who at thattime was the most prominent man in the States, had a high opinionof Vere. Sir Thomas Bodley, the queen's agent, had much confidencein him, and acted with him most cordially, and Prince Mauriceentertained a great respect for him, consulted him habitually inall military matters, and placed him in the position of marshalof the camp of the army of the Netherlands, in addition to his owncommand of the English portion of that army.
Vere's first undertaking was to lead a force of 12,000 men, ofwhom half were English, to prevent Count Mansfelt from crossingthe Maas with an army of equal strength. Prince Maurice was presentin person as general in chief. Intrenchments were thrown up andartillery planted; but just as Mansfelt was preparing to cross histroops mutinied, and he was obliged to fall back.
In October, with 900 of his own troops and twelve companies of Dutchhorse, Sir Francis Vere succeeded in throwing a convoy of provisionsinto the town of Rheinberg, which was besieged by a large forceof the enemy. As soon as he returned the States requested him toendeavour to throw in another convoy, as Count Mansfelt was marchingto swell the force of the besiegers, and, after his arrival itwould be well nigh impossible to send further aid into the town.Vere took with him 900 English and 900 Dutch infantry, and 800Dutch cavalry. The enemy had possession of a fortified countryhouse called Loo, close to which lay a thick wood traversed only bya narrow path, with close undergrowth and swampy ground on eitherside. The enemy were in great force around Loo, and came out toattack the expedition as it passed through the wood. Sending theDutch troops on first, Vere attacked the enemy vigorously with hisinfantry and drove them back to the inclosure of Loo. As soon ashis whole force had crossed the wood, he halted them and orderedthem to form in line of battle facing the wood through which theyhad just passed, and from which the enemy were now pouring out ingreat force.
In order to give time to his troops to prepare for the action Veretook half his English infantry and advanced against them. Theymoved forward, and a stubborn fight took place between the pikemen.Vere's horse was killed, and fell on him so that he could notrise; but the English closed round him, and he was rescued withno other harm than a bruised leg and several pike thrusts throughhis clothes. While the conflict between the pikemen was going onthe English arquebusiers opened fire on the flank of the enemy,and they began to fall back. Four times they rallied and chargedthe English, but were at last broken and scattered through the wood.The cavalry stationed there left their horses and fled through theundergrowth. Pressing forward the little English force next fellupon twenty-four companies of Neapolitan infantry, who were defeatedwithout difficulty. The four hundred and fifty Englishmen thenjoined the main force, which marched triumphantly with their convoyof provisions into Rheinberg, and the next morning fortunately turningthick and foggy the force made its way back without interruptionby the enemy.