Klundert and Willemstad 1793
Dutch During the
Revolutionary Wars Part 9
The Capture of Klundert
by Geert van Uythoven, Netherlands
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Already two times the French had demanded the surrender of the fortress. Von Kropff refused both times, as the French were not present in force yet. On 25 February, between 13.00 and 14.00 pm, about fifty French dragoons arrived, in the name of Berneron demanding for the third time the surrender of the fortress. Von Kropff was in no position to resist a serious attack, with the defences in decline and commanding such a small garrison. However, he still refused, and as a result at around 15.00 pm the French opened fire with a battery consisting of four cannon and two small mortars, positioned at the Bloemendaalschen Dike and later also at the Lockersgors, in preparation of an attack on the cities feeble defences.
When Von Kropff met the vicar of Klundert he apparently told him: “please, pray for me! I have no time to pray myself, because I have to fight!” The bombardment of the city lasted until 23.00 pm, at which time the French infantry stormed the cities defences. In front was a detachment of the Belgian 1er Bataillon de chasseurs Belges, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Jean-Pierre Osten and Lieutenant-Colonel Joseph-Leonard de Serret. The attack was made on the Waterpoort. The garrison resisted fiercely, but had no chance, outnumbered as they were, behind their feeble defences. Lieutenant Colthof and his artillerymen were taken prisoner by the French that managed to penetrate into the fortress in their first attack, but not before Colthof managed to nail the gun at the Waterpoort, assisted in doing so by the gunner Wielen.
Von Kropff, not wanting to surrender, retreated through the city fighting, and managed to escape out of the fortress through the Helpoort with about forty men. Inside the fortress, the French captured 53 guns, 2 mortars and a huge amount of bombs, cannon balls and 18,000 pounds of gunpowder. At least ten of these guns would be used to besiege Willemstad. Then the French troops moved on, leaving behind a garrison of not less then 1,200 men!
Moving through the dark along the Oostdijk in the direction of Willemstad, in order to join its garrison, Captain von Kropff and his men moved on. Eventually French cavalry discovered them, and at the hamlet Tonnekreek von Kropff ran into battalion of the Légion Batave (Batavian Legion).
Heavily outnumbered and surrounded, Von Kropff formed his men into a loose square, and in the exchange of fire Lieutenant-Colonel L. Hartman, an exiled patriot commanding the Batavian troops was killed. Finally, when Captain von Kropff was wounded and his small troop completely surrounded, he had to surrender with his remaining men. But instead of being treated in accordance to his brave conduct the Captain was executed with a shot in the head and killing Von Kropff instantly by Captain Boogmans. [2]
In his pockets they found the keys of the city, which Von Kropff had refused to give up to the French. The Batavian soldiers, enraged by the death of their Colonel, were not satisfied with this execution and mutilated the corpse, finally fixing a heavy stone to the neck and throwing him into a canal. [3]
Klundert and Willemstad 1793 Dutch in Revolutionary Wars Part 9
The Dutch During the Revolutionary Wars
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While Breda was besieged the French Advance Guard, commanded by Adjudant Général Berneron, advance as ordered north, to the fortress-cities Klundert and Willemstad, both lying at the Hollandsch Diep. The defences of Klundert were in a very sorry state. During an inspection that took place in August 1792, it was for example concluded that the masonry of the walls on both sides of the Helpoort (‘Hells Gate’) was in such a bad state that it was impossible to repair it anymore, and that it had to be replaced with new masonry. Needless to say,
after what I already wrote in my previous articles, that nothing was done about it. The garrison of Klundert consisted of sixty infantry of the Regiment No. 8 Bosc de la Calmette, twenty artillerymen and a few Invaliden (‘Invalids’), commanded by the Westphalian Captain baron Joost Maurits von Kropff. Lieutenant Pieter Christiaan Colthof commanded the artillery. [1]
Illustration 9.2; The funeral with military honours of Captain J.M. Baron von Kropff in Willemstad. After an engraving taken from Oldenborgh’s “De Belegering en Verdediging van de Willemstad”. In the centre the harbour entrance can be seen, with on the right the barricaded Waterpoort. Left of the harbour entrance stands the tower of the town hall, with further to the left the church tower and the windmill. The bastions that can be seen are the ‘Groningen’ Bastion on the left, and the ‘Gelderland’ Bastion on the right. In the foreground, some captured guns and other materials are depicted.