Battle of Boxtel
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The Battle of Boxtel was a battle fought during the First Coalition in the Dutch province North Brabant, on the 15 September 1794. It was part of the Flanders Campaign of 1793-94 in which British, Dutch and Austrian troops had attempted to launch an invasion of France through Flanders. It is often considered most notable for the presence of Arthur Wellesley who commanded the British troops.
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[edit] Background
A major allied expedition had planned to overthrow the French Revolutionaries by invading France from the north through Flanders in co-ordination with other similar attacks from different directions. These forces had initially been successful but had had suffered a serious reverse outside Dunkirk and by 1794 were retreating back northwards, pursued by an increasingly resurgent French army. In mid-September the French caught up with the Allied rearguard near the small town of Boxtel.
[edit] Battle
On the 14 September 1794 the French attacked Boxtel and defeated three German battalions from the Duke of York's Allied army. The next day, York sent a division commanded by Ralph Abercromby to recover the town. The British ran into the French near the village of Schyndel and were forced to retire in confusion, pursued by French cavalry. The battle was a baptism of fire for Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Wellesley, future Duke of Wellington, who checked the French pursuit with close-range volley fire.
[edit] Aftermath
The British were able to continue their advance northwards and eventually reached the North Sea coast successfully, where they were withdrawn to Britain in 1795. The French pressed on to Amsterdam and overthrew the Dutch Republic and replaced it with a satellite state.
[edit] In popular culture
The battle of Boxtel was the first battle of Richard Sharpe, protagonist of the Sharpe novels. The battle is cited in Sharpes Tiger when Sharpe is a private in the 33rd Foot regiment.
[edit] External links
http://www.waterloo200.org/the-duke-of-wellingtons-first-campaign/#more-370
[edit] Bibliography
- Urban, Mark. Generals: Ten British Commanders Who Shaped the World. Faber and Faber, 2005.
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