The battles of the world

by J. Douglas Borthwick

AIX-LA-CHAPELLE, PEACE OF.—The first treaty signed here was between France and Spain, May 2nd, 1668. The second, or the celebrated treaty, was between Great Britain, France, Holland, Hungary, Spain and Geneva, October 7th, 1748. A congress of the sovereigns of Austria, Prussia and Russia, assisted by ministers from England and France, met here, October 9th, 1818, and signed a convention. The sum settled by this convention as due by France to the Allies, was 265,000,000 francs.

ALBUERA OR ALBUHERA.—This battle was fought May 16th, 1811, between the English and French. The English and Anglo-Spanish army was commanded by Marshal, now Lord Beresford, and the French by Marshal Soult. After an obstinate and sanguinary engagement, the allies obtained the victory, one of the most brilliant achievements of the Peninsular War. The French loss exceeded 7000 men, previously to their retreat; but the allies lost an equal number. On the side of the allies the chief brunt of the battle fell on the British. “Colonel Inglis, 22 officers, and more than 400 men, out of 570, who had mounted a hill, fell in the 57th regiment alone; the other regiments were scarcely better off, not one-third being left standing; 1800 unwounded men, the remnant of 6000 unconquerable British soldiers, stood triumphant on this fatal hill.”

ALDERNEY, RACE OF.—Through this strait the French made their escape after their defeat at the battle of La Hogue, by Admiral Rooke, in 1692. It is celebrated for two memorable and melancholy events: 1st. Here the only son of Henry I of England was shipwrecked and drowned, with 140 youths of the highest families in England and France in 1119. 2nd. The British man-of-war Victory, of 110 guns and 1100 men, was also wrecked here October 8th, 1744, when the Admiral, Sir John Balchan, and his crew, perished on the rocks.

ALEMANNI OR ALL MEN (i.e. Men of all Nations).—A body of Suevi, who were defeated by Caracalla, A.D. 214. On one occasion 300,000 of this warlike people are said to have been vanquished in a battle, near Milan, by Gallienus, at the head of 10,000 Romans.

ALESSANDRIA.—This battle was fought, May 17th, 1799, between the Austro-Russian army, under Suwarrow, and the French under Moreau, when the latter were defeated with the loss of 4000 men. The French had possessed themselves of Alessandria the year before, but they were now driven out. It was again delivered up to them after the battle of Marengo in 1800. The village and battlefield of Marengo lie east of this town.

ALEXANDRIA.—The battle of Alexandria was fought, March 21st, 1801, between the English and the French, the latter being commanded by Menou, and the former by Sir Ralph Abercrombie. It resulted in the defeat of the French, but the British general was mortally wounded, and after the retreat of Menou, he was carried to the admiral’s ship, and died on the 28th. The command devolved on Major-General Hutchinson, who baffled all the schemes of Menou, and obliged him to surrender, September 2nd, following, the victor guaranteeing the conveyance of the French, exceeding 10,000, to a French port in the Mediterranean.

ALFORD.—This battle was fought, July 2nd, 1645, between a large body of Covenanters, under General Bailie, and the troops under the Marquis of Montrose. There was discovered some years since, in one of the mosses near this place, a man in armour, on horseback, supposed to have been drowned in attempting to escape from this battle.

ALGESIRAS, OR OLD GIBRALTAR.—By this city the Moors entered Spain A.D. 713, and it was not recovered from them till 1344. An engagement was fought here between a British squadron, under Sir James Saumurez, and several French and Spanish ships of war, which closed in the destruction of two Spanish ships, each of 112 guns, and the capture of the St. Antonio, of 74 guns, July 12th, 1801.

ALGIERS.—The British fleet, under Lord Exmouth, anchoring off Algiers, bombarded the town, which returned the fire; but all the fortifications and houses towards the sea were soon reduced to ashes, and the fleet in the harbour entirely destroyed, August 27th, 1816. The Dey was compelled to conclude a treaty by which he set the Christian captives free, and engaged to cease, in future, from reducing Christians to slaves—a stipulation which, however, he did not afterwards strictly observe; so that the French took possession of the country and made it a colony with a governor, bearing the title of Regent of Algeria. This country is famous for the celebrated French soldiers, the Zouaves, of the late wars.