The Dutch During
The Revolutionary Wars
The Prussian Campaign
In Holland 1787
Part III
1st Division:
Surrender of Weesp and Naarden
by Geert van Uythoven, The Netherlands
 |
1st Division: The Surrender of Weesp and NaardenAs already described in the previous article, Lieutenant von Pirch had occupied the small town Abcoude on 20 September. After the surrender of Nieuwersluis on the 21th, during the next day Maj-Gen von Kalkreuth arrived at Abcoude, accompanied by part of his cuirassiers and a musketeer-company of Rgt von Eichmann. He was followed by the Grenadier Battalion von Schlottheim and the two 12pdr guns. Immediately, Captain von Quitzow was ordered to reconnoitre in the direction of Ouderkerk, while Captain von Rohr had to do the same in the direction of Duivendrecht. They found the patriots entrenched in strength at these places, and after some skirmishing retreated to Abcoude, were Von Kalkreuth was strengthening his defences. On the 22nd, Von Kalkreuth personally reconnoitred the defences of Weesp.
[1]
Noticing that part of the defence works was not ready yet, he planned an attack on the fortress-city. He asked Lieut-Gen von Lottum to make feint attacks on the Southeast side of Weesp from the direction of the Uitermeersche and Hinderdamsche Schans during the following night. Von Lottum allotted for this task Major von Miltitz with 200 infantry and two 3pdr guns, and another force of 100 infantry under Major von Puttkamer. The reserve consisted of 50 cavalry. Thirty infantry under the command of Lieutenant von Wirsebitzki would attack the 'breach' in the walls. 100 infantry, thirty cuirassiers and a gun would support them.
Arriving at the breach, Von Wirsebitzki noticed that the defence work was nearly finished, and defended by two 18pdr and a 3pdr gun. Nevertheless, he decided to attack, so that at least the patriots could not concentrate their efforts on the feint attacks. However, he had no luck. Coincidentally, patriot deserters from Weesp encountered the advancing Prussians, which believed that they were under attack, and opened fire. The alerted patriot defenders were warned by the musketry, and received the small party with a withering fire, after which the Prussians quickly retreated. Von Wirsebitzki was badly wounded during the attack and died. From the troops executing the feint attacks, Major von Miltitz was not able to reach the city at all because of the inundations. Major von Puttkamer attacked Weesp from the south, but soon had to retreat because the patriots opened some sluices to cause a new inundation that nearly cut off the retreat of his force. The cavalry was of no use at all because of the bad terrain. Prussian losses were nine dead and 32 wounded.
On the 23rd, Von Kalkreuth staged a reconnaissance in the direction of Amsterdam, which he led in person. In spite of the resistance encountered during the reconnaissances of Captain von Quitzow and Captain von Rohr on the 21st, apparently Von Kalkreuth was convinced he could end the campaign on his own. With him, he took two companies of the Grenadier Battalion von Schlottheim, both 12pdr guns at his disposal and a 3pdr gun of the horse artillery created by himself. Von Quitzow was ordered to advance again on Ouderkerk, taking with him 100 infantry and a 3pdr regimental gun. Again, he could make no impression on Ouderkerk, and received heavy gunfire from the patriots. [2]
Von Kalkreuth advanced to the village Diemerbrug. At the tollhouse there, the patriots had taken up positions, but were quickly dislodged by Prussian gunfire.
When the Prussians arrived near the bridge, it became clear that the patriots were still busy entrenching themselves, but Von Kalkreuth judged it too risky to attack the bridge with his outnumbered force, threatened in both flanks by the garrisons of Weesp and Ouderkerk. Therefore, Von Kalkreuth broke of the action and returned to Abcoude. Again, he asked the Duke of Brunswick for reinforcements, and received the Grenadier Battalion von Diebitsch (Rgt von Budberg) and four 10pdr howitzer under the command of Captain von Eckenbrecher. Now Von Kalkreuth more or less had his own Division, and operated totally independent of his superior Lieut-Gen von Lottum, who limited his own actions to keeping busy the garrisons of Naarden Weesp and Muyden.
However, these garrisons were not completely idle. On 22 September, Lieut-Gen van Rijssel commanding at Naarden ordered a sally to capture a transport of provisions, destined for the Prussian camp at Hilversum. Quickly Von Lottum despatched 150 cuirassiers of the Rgt von Rohr, who managed to bring in the transport safely. Colonel van de Pol, commanding the garrison of Weesp, also ordered a sally to attack a Prussian outpost, consisting of a NCO, seven infantrymen from the Rgt von Eichmann, and twelve cuirassiers of the Rgt von Rohr. The attacking force consisted of 50 infantry of the Regiment Amsterdam and eight hussars of the Rgt Huzaren van Mattha, commanded by two captains. The Dutch attacked vigorously and the Prussian outpost was nearly overwhelmed. Luckily, Captain von Boineburg at the Uitermeersche Schans noticed the sally, and took the Dutch in the flank. Surprised as the Dutch were, they were not able to defend themselves, and both Captains and 35 infantry were taken prisoner, while fifteen infantrymen who refused to surrender were driven into the water of the inundations. Four were shot, while the other eleven drowned. Only the hussars managed to escape and reached Weesp again.
Political Developments
The next day it became clear that the political developments had their results. The stadtholder had arrived at The Hague after being reinstated in all his duties by the States General, and had issued marching orders to all the Dutch regular troops still supporting the patriots, to move to the 'Generaliteitslanden' and to stay out of the conflict. Consequently, many regular troops left the patriots to their fate. The three regular battalions present at Ouderkerk (two battalions of Regiment No. 7 van Hardenbroek and the 2nd battalion of Regiment No. 12 van Bylandt) let the Defence-Commission at Amsterdam know that they would obey the marching orders.
After the arrival of their replacements, they left for the cities of Hertogenbosch and Heusden in the province Brabant. Colonel van de Pol, commander of the fortress-city Weesp, also received marching orders, and consequently concluded a treaty with Von Kalkreuth. On the 26th, he surrendered Weesp to Von Kalkreuth, and in the morning of the 27th, he left for the province Brabant with the regular troops (2 bats/Rgt Walen van Grenier and the dragoon Rgt van Bylandt). The patriot Regiment Amsterdam, auxiliaries, and French gunners were allowed to leave for Amsterdam, after which the Grenadier Battalion von Schlottheim occupied the fortress.
Lieut-Gen van Rijssel, commanding at Naarden, was also ordered by the States General to surrender the fortress to the Prussians. Not wanting to comply, he laid down his command and left for Brussels. His command was taken over by Colonel baron de Mattha. On the 25th, Von Lottum demanded the surrender of Naarden, but De Mattha first wanted to confer with the Defence-Commission, and left for Amsterdam in person accompanied by some French artillery officers. When Von Lottum learned of the departure of De Mattha, he repeated his demand, this time to the acting commander, Colonel van Levingston. Levingston decided to comply with the orders of the States General and during the night from 26 to 27 September Naarden was occupied by 100 dragoons (Rgt von Lottum) and six infantry companies (Rgt von Eichmann).
The same thing happened at the fortress Muiderberg. The Dutch garrisons remained for the moment inside the fortresses and both Dutch and Prussian soldiers lived more or less peacefully together. De Mattha, returning from Amsterdam, was furious to find Naarden in Prussian hands, and immediately took over command of the fortress-city Muyden [3], assuring the Defence-Commission that he never would surrender. In addition, the Prussian movements were hampered by the appearance of some Dutch frigates on the Zuiderzee. Still, Von Kalkreuth prepared for the seemingly inevitable attack by collecting wood to build bridges, and gathering Dutch workmen to do the building.
More Dutch During The Revolutionary Wars
The Dutch During the Revolutionary Wars
|