The Battle of Seneffe - Sources - Part 5 - Description du fameau combat

Description du fameux combat de Senef, donné par les armées de France contre les armées des Impériaux, Espagnols et Hollandois, le d'aoust 1674.

The following is the fifth in a series of posts providing sources for the Battle of Seneffe in 1674. First, a translation of William of Orange's letters. Second, a selection from Quincy's Histoire Militaire. Third, a selection from Aumale's Histoire des Princes de de Condé. Fourth, a translation of a German broadsheet entitled Beschreibung der Schlacht. The document presented today I found on the French National Library's website, and it provides important details about the French Order of Battle at Seneffe.

While searching through the website of the French National Library ({BnF: Gallica), I found a large diagram that shows the French Order of Battle at different stages of the Battle of Seneffe on August 11th, 1674. I encourage you to examine this document yourself in its entirety, I will be focusing on two sections of the diagram: the first which appears to show the French Vanguard leaving the camp at Pieton, and the second which appears to show the French attack on the village of Fayt later in the day.

French Vanguard

Detail of the French vanguard leaving Pieton camp early on August 11th.

The diagram shows the following regiments as forming the vanguard which attacked the village of Seneffe on the morning of August 11th: 

Cuirassiers (2 sq.)	2 squadrons
Cosege? (1 sq.)	1 squadron?
	Brigade de Tilladet (1 sq.)	Fusiliers (1 bat.)
Fusiliers (1 bat.)	La Fere (1 bat.)
	La Reine (1 bat.)	Corps de reserve (5 bat.)
	Navarre (1 bat.)
Gardes du Corps (2 sq.)	Gendarmes (1 sq.)

There are also 19 other boxes behind the Pieton River which may perhaps represent the rest of the army, or their tents? But no identification is given for any of these. This largely matches the description given by the Marquis de Quincy and Duc d'Aumale in their histories:

Quincy –

Prince Condé during this time caused the regiments of Navarre, la Reine and la Feré to cross the river Pieton, and a battalion of fusiliers with four pieces of cannon to be at the head; he then posted the Gardes du Corps, the Gendarmes, the Chevaux-legers de la Garde with the regiment of Cuirassiers in a bottom from which the enemy could not see them. And as he wanted to be exactly informed of their route, he ordered the Marquis de Choiseuil, Maréchal de camp, to a height, to watch out for the movements of the enemies. This Prince then caused the dragoons to advance under the command of the Marquis de Ranes and the Chevalier de Tilladet, who drove the enemies from this height, and forced them to retire with loss to the village of Seneffe.

Aumale –

To remedy this and have a force at hand to strike the enemy's flank, whether attacking or marching, day or night, Prince Condé immediately moves, on the evening of the 10th, beyond Piéton, about 3,500 men and 1,500 horses, with six light guns [Two infantry regiments, La Reine and La Fère, a battalion of the Fusiliers du Roi serving and guarding the artillery, Brigade Tilladet (cavalry).)], which spend the night hidden in a hollow, a few hundred meters north of the entrenchments. In the camp itself, near the outlets, 3,000 elite horsemen are also massed. Gardes du Corps, Cuirassiers, Gendarmes, fifteen hundred dragoons (Colonel-General), the finest in the world, and four battalions (Navarre, Royal-Italian), who can move wherever necessary at the first signal.

 

Main Battle

Detail of the French attack on the village of Fayt. 

On the left side of the chart, there is another diagram showing the French positions around the village of Fayt in the afternoon of the battle, which continued into midnight. It lists the following regiments:

Navilles (2 sq.)	Enghien (1 bat.)	Paulmy (2 sq.)
Konigsmarck (2 sq.)	Conti (1 bat.)	Chevrier (1 sq.)
	Condé (1 bat.)	Gournay (1 sq.)
	Auvergne (1 bat.)
	Du Roy (1 bat.)
	Des Vaisseaux (1 bat.)	Cannons
	La Reine (1 bat.)	Fusiliers
	Navarre (1 bat.)	Fusiliers (1 bat.)
Gardes du Corps (3 sq.)	Gardes Françaises (2)	Picardie (1 bat.)
Cuirrassiers (2 sq.)	Gardes Suisses (2)	Dragoons (1 sq.)
		Nonant (1 sq.)
		Carcado (1 sq.)
		Varennes (1 sq.)

And this largely corresponds with the two French accounts:

Quincy –

The Duke of Luxembourg was instructed to attack them from the side of the wood with the regiments of Enghien, Condé, Conti, and Auvergne, while the Prince of Condé had them attacked from the other by the Gardes Françoises and Suisses, supported by other regiments. It was here that there was a bloody fight which the night could not put an end to.

Aumale –

While Luxembourg presses with his flanking movement, Condé surrounds the village with almost all of his infantry formed in two lines. The engagement was long and very intense. The entire second line filled the gaps in the first. On the right, the three battalions of the French Guards, supported by the Swiss Guards, advance in a splendid order. Led vigorously and skillfully by Brigadier Rubentel, this "superb" regiment gains enough ground at the cost of cruel losses: seven captains and many officers and soldiers were killed. The Guards take a defensive position, forming a protective hook. Deployed on both sides of the road, the regiments of the King, Royal des Vaisseaux, Navarre, and La Reine, supported by the "little Swiss" (Stoppa, Erlach, Pfiffer, Salis), establish themselves in the orchards and the first houses. However, they are devastated by artillery and musketry and could not reach the church. Enghien, Condé, Conti, and Auvergne troops extend to the left; the command on this side belongs to the Duke of Navailles.

The frontal attack could only succeed with support from a flanking movement. This was what M. de Luxembourg attempted with the right wing. He began the operation with the Guards of the Body, cleared the approaches to the Haine woods, and then, shifting to the left, joined his main force (Picardie Regiment, Dragoons, and King's Cuirassiers), and attacked the troops attempting to extend the enemy's battle line to the west. Himself leading Picardie, he created a genuine breach in the masses trying to envelop him; his cavalry charged, defeated several battalions, and captured cannons. The Château de l'Escaille was taken, the woods and the Rœulx hedge were crossed, and the ravine was crossed. The Prince, accompanied by the Swiss Guards and some cavalry withdrawn from the center, moved towards his right to support, or rather to reinforce, his lieutenant; as Condé had prescribed to him to face right to stop a group of allied troops attempting to reach the rear of the French army through a circuit through the Haine woods. Luxembourg gained another advantage there: the flanking force did not have time to form; it was charged and dispersed. Its remnants retreated disorderly towards Braine-le-Comte. The victor abandoned the pursuit to return via Château de l'Escaille to his battle position and resume the attack he had temporarily suspended. He found the situation changed. Pressed by superior forces, the cavalry (King's House) he had left as a curtain to mark the position had to cross the ravine again. They stood in battle formation on the other side, being shot and bombarded by a brigade of the Imperial army led by a Frenchman, Count de Chavagnac*. They were so close to each other that Chavagnac heard French officers telling their men, decimated by bullets, "It's nothing, boys. Tighten ranks, tighten!"

* Compare with the Imperial account of the battle. 

 

Conclusions

It is clear to me that these diagrams are incomplete, especially the one illustrating the attack on Fayt. Aumale mentions units certainly present that do not appear on the diagram, such as the "little" Swiss brigade. The boxes represent units, but may not accurately represent their full strength, as most cavalry regiments had 2-3 squadrons, and most infantry regiments had 2 battalions at least. Though, perhaps some squadrons and battalions were brigaded together. Still, this diagram is an invaluable resource in reconstructing the French Order of Battle at Seneffe. I suspect this document was used as a source for either Quincy or Aumale, or perhaps both.

Soli Deo Gloria!