The battles of the world

by J. Douglas Borthwick

He afterward met with some meed of his deserts in the State Prison at Auburn, New York.

After the first monument had remained in the dilapidated condition, to which it was reduced, for some years, a new and beautiful column was a short time ago raised on its site. It is thus described: “Upon the solid rock is built a foundation 40 feet square and 10 feet thick of massive stone; upon this, the structure stands in a grooved plinth or sub-basement 38 feet square and 27 feet in height, and has an eastern entrance by a massive oak door and bronze pateras, forming two galleries to the interior 114 feet in extent, round the inner pedestal on the North and South sides of which, in vaults under the ground floor, are deposited the remains of General Brock, and those of his Aide-de-Camp, Colonel McDonell, in massive stone sarcophagi. On the exterior angles of the sub-basement are placed lions rampant 7 feet in height, supporting shields with the armorial bearings of the hero: The column is of the Roman composite order, 95 feet in height, a fluted shaft, 10 feet diameter at the base; the loftiest column known of this style; the lower part enriched with laurel leaves, and the flutes terminating on the base with palms.”

The height from the ground to the top of the statue is 190 feet, exceeding that of any monumental column, ancient or modern, known, with the exception of that on Fish-street Hill, London, England, by Sir Christopher Wren, architect, in commemoration of the great fire of 1666, 202 feet high, which exceeds it in height by 12 feet.”

QUESNOY, BATTLE OF.—Fought, September 11th, 1773, between the French and British, in which the British were defeated, with some loss. Taken by the Austrians in 1793, but recovered by the French the following year. It surrendered to Prince Frederick of the Netherlands, after the battle of Waterloo.

QUIBERON BAY.—A British force landed here in 1736, and was repulsed. In this Bay Admiral Hawke gained a complete victory over the French, under Conflans. This most perilous and important action defeated the French invasion, November 10th 1758. Taken by some French regiments in pay of the British, July 3rd, 1795; but on July 21st, retaken by the French Republicans. About 900 of the troops and near 1500 Royalist inhabitants effected their escape on board the ships.

R.

RAMILIES, BATTLE OF.—Between the English and Allies, commanded by Marlborough, on the one side, and the French, commanded by the Elector of Bavaria and the Marshal de Villeroy. The French, having no confidence in their Commander, were soon seized with a panic, and a general rout ensued. About 4000 of the Allied army were slain. Fought on Whitsunday, May 26th, 1706.

“The year following the victory of Blenheim was, for the most part, wasted in the struggles of Marlborough with his enemies at home, and with the dilatory and uncertain course of the allies of England abroad. He succeeded in forcing the French lines in Flanders; but the fruits of this great achievement were snatched from him by the constant backwardness of the Dutch Generals, who opposed every measure which was urged by him. So grieved was he by their continual opposition, that on one occasion, when the opportunity of a brilliant success was thus lost, he exclaimed, “I feel at this moment ten years older than I was four years ago.” In fact, towards the end of what he had hoped to make a glorious campaign, but which through this opposition had been lost in disputes, he fell seriously ill, and was obliged to retire for a time from active employment.

Meanwhile, the Imperial government had begun to show signs of jealousy and uneasiness that this great General should be employed in Flanders, and in the defence of Holland, instead of recovering the Austrian possessions on the Rhine, and liberating Lorraine. Pressing applications were made that the Duke, instead of prosecuting the war in Belgium, would return to the Moselle, and co-operate with the Imperial forces in that quarter. Taking his departure from the army at the end of October, 1705, Marlborough set out for Vienna, which he reached on the 12th of November. Here the Emperor Joseph created him a Prince of the Empire, and conferred on him the lordship of Mindelheim. But which gave him far more satisfaction, he succeeded in reconciling all differences, and in cementing the alliance, which seemed in danger of dissolution, between Austria, Prussia, and the Netherlands, against the ambitious designs of France. He then returned to the Hague, which he reached on the 11th of December, proceeding thence to London, which he reached early in the new year.