The third part of the principles of the art military practised in the warres of the United Provinces vnder the Lords the States Generall and His Highnesse the Prince of Orange : treating of severall peeces of ordnance ... : together with a list of all necessary preparations appertaining to an armie ... / written and composed by Henry Hexham.

A Dialogue. CHAPTER IX.

Generall.

HAving brought your Approches neere unto a Towne or a Forttesse, whether would you choose a Bulwarke or a Curtaine to be battered with your Ordnance?

Captaine

A. Towne may be assaulted in divers places, sometimes you assault one side, when as you make your Batterie on an other, Sometimes you choose a Bulwarke, other∣whiles a Curtaine to be battered, with this intention, to take in the Towne, assoone as po∣ssible may bee. As for mee, if I were to take in a great Towne which is populous, I had rather choose to batter a Curtaine, then a Bulwarke, which hath a high catt, or mount upon it: especially, seeing that in great Townes the Bulwarkes lying one far from an other, they doe show the skirt of the Curtaine very open.

Gen.

Why would you rather choose a Curtain then a Bulwark?

Capt.

Because your Bulwarks are alwaies stronger and better fortified then your Curtain, and being as it is the principall strength of a place, and better furnished with platformes, flancks, &c. will require more time, labour, and charge to batter then your Curtaine.

Gen.

But what Generall is so ill experienced, as to labour to batter a Curtaine, having two strong Bulwarkes on both sides of him, to flanker him when hee is to put over his Gallerie, and to giue an assault upon the Curtaine: peradventure for his labour and paines, hee may bee well beaten.

Capt.

Soft (Good Sir,) Suppose that after a great deale of labour and paines you haue bat∣tered a Bulwarke, and falling up to the breach to assault it, you finde it cut off, and an Enemy lodged in it, must you not then beginne to sap forward againe, to make a new batterie, whereas on a Curtaine there is not that meanes of cutting it off, as upon a large Bulwarke.

Gen.

Haue you ever seene the experience of it?

Capt.

Yes Sir, the Prince of Orange tooke in the Bosch by a Bulwark, and also Breda, but Mastricht was taken in by making a breach, and springing of a mine, upon the Curtain bet∣ween Jonger Port and a bulwark, howsoever the Town of Cortes upon the frontiers of France, was first battered by the Arch-duke of Austria upon the point of a Bulwark, neer unto the very ioynt of the Curtain, where a high, and a strong turret stood, which did annoy us much, so that we could not advance forward, but were constrayned to leaue off our approach on that side, and began to make a new Batterie for a breach in a Curtain on the Field-side, where there lay a strong Bulwark to defend it, which did our men a great deal of harm, but wohsoever with great difficulty and much adoe, we took in the Town that way, by lodging our selues in the Curtain: Likewise the city of Cambray was battered, and taken in upon a Curtain, for all there were two strong Bulwarks that flanked it, which if we had run our line upon a Bulwark, we should not haue forced it so soon, yea such an occasion might present it self, that a Generall may be forced to batter both the one and the other, or to find out some secret way by undermining a wall, and blowing it up with powder.

Gen.

This is for your great Townes, but what say you to a Castle, a Cattadel, or some nar∣row Fortresse, how will you goe to worke to take in those with the best advantage.

Capt.

As for your Forts, and Castles, it is much better to batter them upon a mount or a Bulwark, then upon a Curtain: my reason is this, that in these your Bulwarks lying close one by an other, will flank one an other with the greater force, and hide the Curtain much better to defend it, so that one cannot so easily force it, if the said defences be not taken away.

Gen.

Go to then; a Town then being to be battered, either upon a Curtain or a Bulwark how many peeces of Ordnance would you haue to do it, and how, and in what manner would you place, and plant your Ordnance upon your batteries to make a good breach?

Capt

To effect this, I would haue 18. peeces of canon and halfe canon, (for lesser peeces for batterie are novv grovvne out of use).

Gen.

Whether would you choose more whole canon or halfe canon?

Capt.

To batter a place well either upon an stony or a earthy wall, you may assure your self,

the more whole canon you haue, the greater and the moresufficient your breach will be: for your great battering peeces doe spoile, and beate downe any thing, which doth meete with their great force and violence: howsoever of late yeares, experience hath taught at divers seiges that your halfe Canon vvhich are more portable, having good store of them, vvill doe the businesse asvvell as your vvhole canon.

Gen.

But at what distance would you make your batteries, for these 18. peece. of Canons and how neere unto the place, which you intend to batter.

Capt.

I would counsell a Generall to approach as neere unto that place as possible may bee, and make his batteries some two or three hundred paces one from an other, and that if it were possible to advance covertly the Approch and sap, even up to the Counter-scharfe, and very brinke of the moate, to prepare a way for his Gallerie: not onely to batter that place being at hand with the greater force, but also to keepe in, and hinder an Enemie from Sallying out upon the beseigers, to discover and dismount their Ordnance in Casemates, or if they haue sunke any in their walles or False-bray, and so to terrifie them, that they dare not stirre out.

Gen.

I am also of your opinion, and hold it for good, yet I feare this will not be so soon done, and is sooner spoken, then executed, and that before you can bring your approach and sapp so far it will cost you warme blood, and a great many mens liues, if you haue a stout Enemie within to deale withall, and one that is very Vigilant, and carefull to stand upon his Guard, and his defence.

Capt.

T'is true, this cannot bee done without danger, and the losse of men, but hee that is fearefull must stay at home, and not come into the warres where there is neither place nor time, which doth free or exempt him from danger: yet the danger is not alwaies so great, especially in such places, where you haue Earth enough to worke with, to cast up your sapps, and to heighthen and deepen your Approaches, which will show you the more higher you finde the ground in Approching to the edge of the moate, the deeper trenches you may make and cover your selfe by casting up of blinds continually, to keepe you from the sight of the besieged, and it is better when you haue brought your approach as it were under them, then if you were 200. or 300. paces distant from them.

Gene.

I pray you Good Sir, how would you plant, and devide these 18. peeces of Canon?

Capt.

I would make a great batterie with 8. of them to beate upon a right line, either upon a Curtaine or the point of a Bulwarke (which the Generall shall finde fittest) Two batteries with each 3. Canon to play slope-wise from the great batterie as the ninth plate and 28. and 29. figures showes, and two batteries, with two halfe Canon a peece to play as it were cross-wise upon the breach, and thus you see your 18. peeees planted upon 5. bate∣ries, as you may obserue in the ninth plate and the two figures of a Curtaine and of a Bul∣warke following.

Gen.

Good Sir tell mee I pray you how many shot will these 18. peeces of Canon make in 10. howers, and how much powder will they require.

Capt.

In 10. howres they may make some 1500. shott, and will require a matter of 25000. pound weight of powder, that is 150. barrels full, each barrell contayning 160. pound weight in it.

Gen.

You make your account then that every peece in the space of 10. howers is to shoot 80. shot, that is 8. shot an hower for every peece.

Capt.

You may make 10 shot in an howre if you please, if your peeces be renforced, but as for your ordinary peeces, they haue not mettailline substance enough to beare it: consi∣dering also that after you haue made 40. shot out of a peece, it will be so heated, that it must haue a cooling time, which must bee at least an hower, for otherwise your peece being growne over hot, it may cause danger.

Gen.

Me thinkes that 80. shot for a peece in so long a time were too little, having often heard, that in that while, a peece may wellbe shot of 130. times, can you giue me your resolution upon this?

Capt.

I will tell you Sir what hapned once in the Iland of Bomble Anno 1599. we planted a peece by a mill, by which we did annoy the Enemy very much, so that they were forced to

make a battery, and planted a whole Canon and a demy-canon upon it, seeking to dismount ours. Now shooting with this peece from foure of the clock in the morning, till eleven to∣ward noone, this peece had a cooling time the space of two howers, and about one of the clock, wee began to play with it againe, and continued shooting with it till 4. a clock in the afternoon: but this peece being not able to endure the force and heating of so many shot, we were constrain'd to leaue off with it and yet ceased not shooting with our other peeces from an other batterie by command from Don Lewes de Valasco Generall of our Ordnance, and shooting croswise with some other of our peeces, wee put the Enemies two peeces to silence in the space of an hower, a Souldier of ours standing by, was curious to keepe a taily of the number of all the shot we made from the morning till foure a clock in the afternoone, and showed mee 80. notches, which deducting the two howers cooling, our peece planted at the mill made 8 shot in an hower, which was as much as could be required of it.

Senior Diego Vffano giue your Translatour leaue to interrupt you a little, and so to conclude this discourse. If you remember at the seige of Ostend which you mention often in your Chapters and dialogues you were without, and I was within the Towne, that on the seventh of January Anno 1602. Stilo Novo, After Sir Francis Vere of famous memory (who defended and kept the Towne against you) had deluded you with a Parley, onely to gaine time, and to make up our Canon and Sea-beaten workes, along the skirt of the old Towne, his highnesse the Archduke re∣solved to assault us, and that morning began to batter Sand-hill and Schotenburgh, to make a breach for you against that night, with intent to Assault us (as you did) and to haue entred the Towne, and haue put us all to the sword, the Relation whereof you shall heare in the end of this booke. Now you had placed and planted your 20. peeces of Canon to batter them in this manner, 8. from your batterie at the foote of the downes, 8. from a batterie on the right hand of the downes, 6. more which you had made upon the sand, and as it were raised out of the sea: the first shot upon the breach in a right line, and the other 2. slopewise, as your two figures following doe demonstrate. These 20. peeces of Canon towards noone had a cooling time, for a matter of some 2. howers, just as you haue said, and afterward you began to batter the breach and old Towne againe, till it was almost twilight, and then they cooled againe, till you were readie to giue us an assault, and before you fell on as I doe well remember, you shot of one of your Canons with a hollow bullet which flew over the Towne and made a great humming noise as a warning peece to the Count of Bucquoy, who lay on the East side, that you were then ready to fall on, and that he should doe the like, this was your Signall: Now Generall Vere knowing well your intent, gaue order to the Gentleman of our Ordnance who had the guard upon Sandhill, that hee should keepe a true taily, and an account of all the shot you made that day with your 20. peeces of Canon upon the breach and the old Towne which being cast up, there were found to be made that day from morning till night 2200. shot, which was found to be an 110. shotfor every peece, and 11 shot an houre for every peece, which is more then 8. but I verely beleeue your peeces were renforced. This by the way, and so I returne againe to your owne dialogue.

Gen.

(Good Sir) I pray you show mee how you would batter the point of a Bulwarke (as the figure 28. following demonstrates,) and giue mee some reasons aswell defensiue as offensiue.

Capt.

I am willing to giue your Lordship content, and say, If I were to batter the point of a Bulwarke or a Bastion, I would haue the same number of battering Canon, and planted in the same for me and manner as they were for the Curtaine and to shoot sloope and cros∣swise also, and if your approaches were advanced so farre they should be planted upon the very brinke of the moate and upon the Counterscharfe, I would plant 4. of them so, that they should dismount the Enemies Canon in their Casemates, or any if they had sunk them in their Falsebray which should waite vpon that occasion.

Gen.

I am of your mind and preferre such a battery before all others who are of the opi∣nion that they had rather choose a Curtaine then a Bulwarke to be battered.

Capt.

You haue heard my reasons for that, and see the figures following traced out to you. But as for your Bulwark the besieged may cut it off (as you may mark in the figurs of retrenchments and Cuttings off in the second part of this booke) for indeed it will be a hard matter to force an Enemy out of a Bulwark, who is resolved to loose it by peecemeale and

degrees and there is not so much danger in assaulting of a Curtaine, which being once well battered and beaten down with your Ordnance, you have an easier way and entrance to fall on with your troupes of men, to enter the Towne or Fortresse, but for the defence which is made from your flanking Bulwarks, or your Casemates, you must make batteries upon the brinke of the moate against them, (as is said) to dismount the Enemies peeces, and to flanker with your Ordnance the parapets of the Bulwarkes to beate them about their eares, that the bulwarks may lie the more open to you, and I think this way is the least danger.

Gen.

But the besieged their cuttings off, may they not be made aswell upon a Curtaine as upon a Bulwark?

Cap.

No, for the Rampier being thinner, you have neither so much ground, nor the like accommodation in a Curtain as in a Bulwark, and indeed, a Governour of a town or of a for∣tresse if he were put to his choise, had rather to be assaulted on a Bulwark (then on a Curtain) by cutting it off into the form of a halfe moone, that he might make a new resistance, and de∣fend it with a lesse number of men: Besides, in a Bulwark the besieged have this advantage o∣ver the Assailants, which is very dangerous for them, that they may make a mine within the bowels of their Bulwark, when an enemy shall attempt to assault it, and thinking to enter the breach, and take the town, they may be blown up into the aire by a countermine, the like also may happen to the besieged, the Assaillants springing their mine also in a Bulwark, when they think they stand upon their best defence.

Gen.

May not the like be done also in a Curtain?

Cap.

No, It will not take the like effect as in a Bulwark, for a breach being once made in a Curtaine, for as an enemy may assault it at large, so they may bring a greater number of men to fight to help to defend it, whereas in a bulwark they are pend up and straighted in a narrow place, which may be cut off, and will require a fewer number of men to defend it, whereas those which are to force it, must be constrayned to bring up a great many men to assault, who in an instant may be in danger of blowing up.

Gen.

Your reasons (good Captain) are not to be slighted, but as for me, I hold it safer to batter and assault the breach of a bulwark then of a curtaine. For though the besieged may cut it off, and defend it with a fewer number of men, yet the Assaulters have this advantage o∣ver the besieged defendants, that they have more place and elbow room, and may find a lesse resistance then in a Curtain, seeing that one may make as great a breach in a Bulwarke, as in a Curtain, because your Ordnance may beat it flat and levell with the ground, and choosing rather a Bulwark: I will here with conclude this discourse, and now shew you the figures both of the one and of the other in this plate following.

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