less state, if it had been in his power to hasten southward. He however allowed time for the English to arm, and for our regiments from Flanders to return to be the backbone of the forces.
Horace Walpole wrote to Mann from London, 15th November 1745, “Ligonier, with seven old regiments and six of the new, is ordered to Lancashire.” November 22nd, “Colonel Durand, Governor of Carlisle, sent two expresses, one to Wade and another to Ligonier at Preston but the latter was playing at whist with Lord Harrington at Petersham. . . . The Duke sets out next week with another brigade of guards, and Ligonier under him.”
At the head of the list of troops and commanders marching towards Lancaster, we find “Sir John Ligonier, Commander-in-chief under the Duke of Cumberland.” This successful march terminated in the recovery of Carlisle from the rebels on the 30th December; His Royal Highness then returned to London, and would have gone to Flanders, but the defeat at Falkirk showed that he himself must undertake the quelling of the Scottish Rebellion. Ligonier had therefore to part from his royal pupil, and to take the command in Flanders.
In the summer of 1746 the following appeared among the appointments:— “Sir John Ligonier, Knight of the Bath, to be general and commander-in-chief of all His Majesty’s British forces, and of those in His Majesty’s pay, in the Austrian Netherlands.” The British under his command consisted of three regiments of cavalry, and seven of infantry. He arrived in Flanders on the 8th of July (n.s.) A counsel of war was immediately held at Terhyde, when it was resolved to march towards the bishopric of Liege, to facilitate the junction with a great reinforcement from Germany under Count Palfi. They set out on the 17th, and the expected reinforcement met them on the 23d at Peer, and the army halted at Hasseldt on the 26th. After various marches and counter-marches an action happened between the right wing of the French and the left of the allied army at Roucoux, near Liege. Ligonier led the whole left wing, and when, after great loss and gallant conduct, some battalions gave way, he rallied them and brought them again to the charge. At the close of the action he made a retreat that did him great honour — a retreat much admired and praised by Marshal Saxe. The Earl of Sandwich being at Breda, received the following dispatch, dated
“Camp at Lesser, 12th October 1746.
“My Lord, — For fear the relation which the French may publish of what passed yesterday should make too great an impression, I would not, though on a march, miss a post in communicating to your Excellency that Marshal Saxe yesterday attacked our army on the side of the left wing, where the Dutch, after long resistance, and after behaving extremely well, were obliged to yield to superior numbers. Three villages, occupied by eight battalions, English, Hanoverians, and Hessians, being attacked by fifty-four battalions of French, after repulsing them twice, were, in their turn, forced to give way; but the English cavalry had all along the advantage. I think that (properly speaking) the affair cannot be called a battle, for I doubt if the third part of our army was engaged. The cannonading was terrible lor about two hours. I look upon our loss to be between 4 and 5000, and that of the French double the number. The army retired in the best order that could be. As we suspected the town of Liege to be betrayed to the enemy, it was impossible for us to remain in our camp. My letter is written in great haste. — I have, &c.
“J. L. Ligonier.”[1]
Ligonier was at the above date only Lieutenant-General but the following Gazette notice was issued:— “Whitehall, Jan. 3, 1747. — The king has been pleased to appoint Sir John Ligonier, Knight of the Bath, to be General of the Horse.” This year witnessed his last battle, now known as the battle of Lauffeld (or Lawfield), then called the battle of Kesselt or of Val. It was fought on the 2nd July between the left wing of the allies and the French (the Dutch and Austrians looking on). Ligonier sent Lieutenant-Colonel Forbes to inform the Commander-in-Chief, the Duke of Cumberland, that the enemy seemed by their motions to have formed with a design of attacking our left wing, and that he had ordered all the troops to arms. Ligonier advanced at the head of the British dragoons, and the whole wing of calvary followed. This charge was very successful, having the enemy in flank in spite of their superior numbers, but Sir John, by an order which was never cleared up, was stopped in his successful attempt. The second charge was with only ten or twelve squadrons, with which he attacked the whole right wing of the enemy’s cavalry, then in motion to fall upon our retiring infantry. Sir John’s sudden and unexpected charge immediately routed twenty or twenty-five French squadrons. The French,
- ↑ Supplement (added in 1769) to a Complete English Peerage, by Rev. Alexander Jacob, 2 vols, folio, London, 1767. I have derived much assistance and some interesting details from the Ligonier article in that supplement, which contains a fine engraving of his coat-of-arms.
