Thus the dead Douglas won the field. The Scots laid the body of their leader in a coffin, which they placed on a car, and began their march home. They came without interruption to Melrose, and there, in the fair abbey, the Douglas was laid. The banner, about which his dying charge had been given at Otterburn, was hung above the place of the warrior’s rest.”
OUDENARDE, BATTLE OF.—Fought, July 11th, 1708, between the Allies, commanded by Marlborough, and Prince Eugene and the French. The French were defeated, and completely routed, with great loss. The result of this victory was, that the French King entered into a negotiation for peace.
OULART, BATTLE OF.—Fought, May 27th, 1798, between a body of 3000 Irish insurgents and the King’s troop, a small number. In this engagement the North Cork Militia were cut to pieces—the Lieut. Colonel, one Sergeant and three Privates alone remaining.
OURIQUE, BATTLE OF.—Fought, July 25th, 1139. Alfonso, Count of Portugal, encountered five Saracen Kings and an immense army of Moors on the plains of Ourique. After a glorious victory, he was hailed King by his soldiers on the spot. He afterwards entered Lisbon in triumph, and overthrew the Moorish dominion in Portugal. This was, perhaps, the greatest battle recorded in the History of Portugal.
P.
PALESTRO, BATTLE OF.—Fought, 29th May, 1859, between the Austrians and the French.
“On the 29th May, was fought the battle of Palestro. The Austrian avant-garde, 1500 strong, occupied the villages of Palestro and Vinzaglio. They were carried by the Allies at the point of the bayonet, and two cannons, the first captured since the opening of the war, were taken. The next morning the Austrians advanced to retake Palestro. Having cannonaded the village, a body of Austrians advanced to cut off the communication between the Piedmontese troops and the river. Perceiving this, the Zouaves, who had arrived during the night, threw themselves, in spite of a murderous fire, on the Austrians, take eight guns and put the Austrians to flight. During this engagement the King of Sardinia headed an attack on a battery. The Emperor of the French, a few days afterwards, complimenting him on his bravery, told him that if he wished to be King of Italy, he must take rather more care of his august person. This engagement inspired the Austrians with a great dread of the Zouaves, whom they call the quei terribili zuai.”
PAMPELUNA, BATTLE OF.—Taken by the French on their invasion of Spain; invested by the British; hence very bloody engagements, July 27th and 29th, 1813. It surrendered to the British same year.
PARMA, BATTLES OF.—The confederates, England, France and Spain, fought against the Emperor of Austria, June 29th, 1734. Both sides claimed the victory. A second battle, called the great battle of Parma, in which the French, under Marshal McDonald, were defeated by the celebrated Suwarrow, with the loss of 20,000 men and four Generals, July 12th, 1799.
PATAY, BATTLE OF.—This battle was fought, June 10th, 1429. Joan of Arc was present in this battle. The French signally defeated the English; the consequence of which was that Charles VII of France entered Rheims in triumph, and was crowned July 17th, same year—Joan of Arc assisting in the ceremony in full armour and holding the sword of state.