The Dutch During
The Revolutionary Wars

Prussian Campaign
in Holland 1787
Part II

The Capture of Dordrecht

by Geert van Uythoven, The Netherlands

3rd Division: The Capture of Dordrecht

During his stay in the camp at Meerkerk on 17 September, the Duke of Brunswick received messages about the misbehaviour of the retreating patriots while they were passing the Alblasserwaard Polder on their way to the city Dordrecht. The inhabitants of this polder were predominantly hard working farmers, not interested in politics and because of that did not support the patriots. These now took revenge, plundering many farms and houses, and naturally, the inhabitants turned for help to the Duke of Brunswick. Von Brunswick ordered the commandant of Gorkum, Colonel von Romberg, to detach Captain von Wintzingerode with 100 infantry (fusiliers and grenadiers), 20 Fussjäger, 20 hussars and two guns, to pursue the patriots and protect the inhabitants. On the 18th, Von Wintzingerode left for the village Giessendam, which was completely plundered and destroyed by the patriots.

The patriots who still lingered there were taken prisoner and severely punished, after which order was restored in the Alblasserwaard. From the inhabitants Von Wintzingerode learned that most patriots had retreated to the city Dordrecht: forming together with Amsterdam and Utrecht a patriotic bulwark. After relaying this information to the Duke of Brunswick, he received the order to advance to this city by way of Sliedrecht and Papendrecht, and to capture it. Although many patriots were present in Dordrecht, the Duke of Brunswick was sure that Von Wintzingerode's small force would suffice to capture the city, taking into account the bad discipline and behaviour of the patriots who up till now were encountered.

On his way to Dordrecht, moving along the north bank of the river Merwe (the lower course of the river Meuse and Waal) the Prussians overtook two ships, manned by members of the garrison of Gorkum and loaded with guns. The ships were damaged, and moved very slowly. When Von Wintzingerode noticed these ships, he at first wanted to fire with the guns at them, but changed his mind when he noticed that the patriots abandoned ship and took flight on the south bank of the river.

With a boat, an NCO and six Fussjäger crossed the river, and brought over both ships, together with another two ships loaded with gunpowder that were discovered. One boat was loaded with 27 iron guns, while the other one was loaded with only 16 guns (eight guns had been thrown into the river by the patriots to lighten the ship. Arriving near Papendrecht, some suspicious individuals were taken. After they had been searched, letters were found, informing the inhabitants of Dordrecht that the Prussians were on the way to their city, and urging them not to resist, because the Prussians would surely do the same as with Gorkum: bombard the city and cause much damage. Because this message was not disadvantageous to Von Wintzingerode but more likely to his advantage, he let them go to continue their journey to Dordrecht.

At the same day, the Duke of Brunswick despatched Lieutenant von Eichstedt with 20 hussars from Nieuwpoort to Papendrecht, to patrol the Alblasserwaard and then to reinforce Von Wintzingerode. The Dutch Captain d'Ankers, who knew the countryside, also aided him. Von Wintzingerode advanced to the location were the ferryboats crossed the Merwe to Dordrecht. The guns unlimbered near the windmill, while the hussars took up a position in sight of Dordrecht, in such a way that their number could not exactly be counted. At the sight of the Prussians, many inhabitants gathered in front of the city, along the waterside, and many boarded boats and started crossing the Merwe. Von Wintzingerode forbade most of them to disembark on his side of the river, being not sure of their intentions, and allowed only as many to disembark in order to have enough boats for himself to cross with part of his troops if that would be necessary.

The passengers of these boats were promised payment for its use, and were persuaded to return to Dordrecht with the remainder of the boats, and to tell the magistrate of Dordrecht that if he surrendered his town, no harm would be done to the inhabitants and their belongings. It took a long time before the council reached a decision. Dordrecht was an open city with virtually no fortifications. However, in order to reach Dordrecht the Prussians would have to cross the Merwe, very wide at that point, covered by some guns that were positioned along the waterside. Nevertheless, in the evening the council decided to capitulate, out of fear for the Prussian military might, and to take in a Prussian garrison and to disarm the patriots and the militia. At 01.00 O'clock, the capitulation was signed. The same morning, on the 19th, the Prussians started crossing the river, and without any trouble occupied the city. In the arsenals, the Prussians found 720 guns, 70,000(!) muskets, and an amount of brass pontoons.

Sending message to Colonel von Romberg and the Duke of Brunswick about the taking of Dordrecht, Von Wintzingerode was reinforced by Von Romberg with 150 infantry. After their arrival, ordered to do so by the Duke of Brunswick, Von Wintzingerode despatched Lieutenant von Vogel with 30 infantry and six hussars to Krimpen, to occupy the ferry to Lekkerkerk, and to chase away some armed patriots who terrorised the inhabitants. Von Vogel had no trouble complying, disarming the patriots at the villages Krimpen and Streefkerk, and taking prisoner some whom had been members of the garrison of Gorkum prisoner.

The Alblasserwaard polder was now secure. A few days later, some troops at Dordrecht crossed the water to the island of Beyerland, to keep the patriots in check and to protect its inhabitants.

After having received the news that the stadtholder had occupied Utrecht, it became clear that the patriot centre and right wing did not exist anymore. The patriots had only one defendable place left to retreat to: the city of Amsterdam. This city was easy to defend, as lakes surrounded it, and if the polders were inundated, could be reached only by some dikes which were of course easy to defend, even by less trained troops. Therefore, the Duke of Brunswick reorganised the 2nd and 3rd Division. The 2nd Division would lose part of its units and stay behind at Vianen, marching back a few days later to Kuilenburg, to guard against any French moves, while the 3rd Division was strengthened with these units, to move on Amsterdam, accompanied by the Duke of Brunswick.

Schoonhoven became the base of operations, connected with the other side of the river Lek by a pontoon bridge. The order of battle for the 2nd and 3rd Division became as shown below. The 1st Division now had to pin down the patriot forces, while the 3rd Division would turn the flank of the patriots, and advance on Amsterdam from the south. Time was critical, because the longer it took the more chance the patriots had to inundate the terrain and to strengthen the defences.

Next: The Advance to Amsterdam.

Footnotes

[1] Although not always because they were Orangist: the farmers were normally opposed to inundations because of the damage done to their crops, pastures and farmsteads, and often tried to undo the damage done to dikes and sluices. To prevent repairs, cuttings and sluices had to be guarded, and death penalties were applied on anyone caught repairing inundations.
[2] Colonel Alexander Philip van der Capellen was a very tragic figure. Born on 5 February 1745, he enlisted in the Dutch army, eventually on 8 April 1772 became a Colonel with the cavalry, and was enlisted in the Garde du Corps squadron. During 1759 he became also chamberlain of the stadtholder William V. Although it appears he was an Orangist, his three brothers were very active patriots. During 1783, rumours became strong that he had kept in close contact with them and had betrayed secrets. Relations with the stadtholder cooled, and in the end Van der Capellen sought and received his discharge as a chamberlain. In 1787, apparently against his will, the States of Holland assigned him to the command of Gorkum. After his surrender, he was taken prisoner by the Prussians, who threw him in prison in Wesel like an ordinary criminal. Mistreated and with a broken heart, he died in Utrecht just two days after his release.
[3] He would come to his end on 25 July 1794 in Paris, dying under the knife of the guillotine.
[4] It is not so strange that the inhabitants were unwilling repairing the bridge, because it was not at all clear if the Prussians would stay in the vicinity, and returning patriots could easily take revenge on the inhabitants for collaborating with the Prussians!
[5] The garrison of Naarden consisted of about 2,500 men, made up of five regular battalions of the Dutch Regiments No. 8 Onderwater (at least the 2nd battalion), No. 18 von Pabst (at least the 1st battalion), and No. 23 Stuart, 300 auxiliaries from Amsterdam, and artillery gunners.
[6] One Dutch historian (L.M.A. von Schmid) is of the opinion that the patriot 'garrison' staged the easy taking of the redoubt on purpose (Oude en Nieuwe Literatuur betreffende den veldtocht van 1787, an article that appeared in the magazine Militaire Spectator, 1896).
[7] Officially commanding the Kürassier Rgt von Kalkreuth, Lt-Col von Borstell was out of a job, because Major General von Kalkreuth led the regiment himself.
[8] They would become free again when Nieuwersluis capitulated.
[9] Both Burghers and auxiliaries. Most of them had already deserted, with only 64 made prisoner.

Next issue: The advance to Amsterdam

Large Map 8 (slow: 113K)

More Prussian Campaign in Holland 1787 Part II

The Dutch During the Revolutionary Wars

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