Klundert and Willemstad 1793

Dutch During the
Revolutionary Wars Part 10

Siege of Willenstad: March 8-13

by Geert van Uythoven, Netherlands

Friday, 8 March

Illustration 103; The sally and capture of a French battery behind the Westdijk After an engraving taken from Oldenborgh’s “De Belegering en Verdediging van de Willemstad” Depicted is the described sally. Two cannon can be seen, directed to the Hollandsch Diep to shoot at the Dutch ships. Note the holes dug in the dike to give cover against the Dutch counter-battery fire.

This day was the birthday of the Stadtholder. Therefore, on all batteries the orange flag was hoisted, in spite of the presence of the enemy. At dawn, it was observed from the fortress that the French were throwing up another battery behind the burned down manor house at the Westdijk. Immediately the Dutch tried to prevent this, firing all guns on the walls that could bear. As a result, the French opened fire with their battery at the Oostdijk, killing a Dutch bombardier. The French tried also to construct another battery on the outer verge of the Westdijk, led by the able French Captain of the Engineers Jean-Baptiste Dubois-Crancé, recently arrived. Captain Dubois-Crancé had advised to construct the siege batteries much closer to the fortress, and at this point the French were able to advance using the cover of the dike.

Illustration 102; A French siege battery, south of the fortress Willemstad After an engraving taken from Oldenborgh’s “De Belegering en Verdediging van de Willemstad” The battery is located opposite the courtine between the ‘Utrecht’ and ‘Friesland’ Bastion. The engraving depicts four heavy guns in battery, and a mortar. On the left cannonballs are heated to be used against the city. From the city you see from left to right the government house, church tower, tower of the town hall, and the windmill.

This was however noticed by Captain Detmers from the guardship ‘De Zeehond’ on the Hollandsch Diep, who opened fire on the French which had naturally no cover from this side. Detmers was supported by the fire of the two armed cutters ‘De Brak’, commanded by Lieutenant Grotenray, and ‘De Panther’, commanded by Lieutenant Van Hoey. As a result of this fire the French had to abandon their plans temporarily and retreated. French light infantry came close to the city, sniping at the defenders, and abusing them calling them Orange-Vee (‘Orange-cattle’) During the evening, another message came in from the Stadholder, saying that it would be tried to relieve the garrison, and again promising ships if an evacuation of the fortress would be necessary. Things were going well in the east, and the government thought their might be a chance that Willemstad would hold out.

Princess Wilhelmina, wife of the Stadtholder, wrote to her daughter: “Willemstad has already been bombarded for eight days now, but the heroic Carel van Boetzelaer defends himself like a lion and there is hope that he will be able to maintain himself.” Van Boetzelaer was informed about the events in the eastern part of the Dutch Republic, were the Allies were victorious at Aldenhoven (1 March), Maastricht was relieved, and in addition the fortress St.Michel, on the other side of the Meuse, opposite Venlo, retaken. Later that day, another messenger arrived, telling that the city Roermond was also retaken. During the following night a detachment of artillerymen arrived, commanded by two officers. Although these officers were senior in rank then Lieutenant Colthof, Colthof remained in charge of the artillery, because of his excellent behaviour and his knowledge of the situation. The garrison was now about 520-530 men strong, of which about seventy were from the artillery.

Saturday, 9 March

Around ten o’clock in the morning, the French again started bombarding the city. The bombardment lasted until seven in the evening, and it caused a number of fires, which were luckily extinguished quickly. The counter-battery fire of the Dutch did considerable damage to the French, not in the least by the efforts of the already mentioned French immigrant De Verclay.

Sunday, 10 March

At dawn it became clear to the garrison that the French had used the cover of darkness to advance their siege works at the Oostdijk, while they had completed the battery on the outer verge of the Westdijk, armed with two guns, of which the construction had been prevented two days before by the fire of the Dutch warships. The besieged immediately directed all guns that could bear on this battery, which consisted of two heavy guns, aided again by the fire of the guardship ‘De Zeehond’ and both armed cutters. However, the French had expected action of the Dutch warships this time and were ready for it.

When the ships approached they were taken under heavy fire by French guns, firing red-hot ball. The Dutch bravely kept up the fight for a while, but when the ‘De Zeehond’ lost its main mast the ships retreated to the other side of the Hollandsch Diep, out of reach of the French guns. The French were now able to hamper the approach and to damage the ships maintaining communications with Willemstad, and the Dutch were afraid the French would be able to cut of contact with the other side of the Hollandsch Diep completely. It seemed that Berneron was not bluffing, and was prepared to take Willemstad at all costs. To make things worse, the French used the retreat of the Dutch warships to advance two field guns to the first bend in the Westdijk, even closer to the fortress.

During the afternoon the French resumed their bombardment of the city, which fire was answered by the guns on the walls. A red-hot cannonball, fired at the ‘Holland’ Bastion, hit a powder-chest which exploded, causing much damage to roofs and windows of the nearby houses, and also causing panic among the citizens. Luckily for the Dutch, because of the explosion only a grenadier of the Regiment Saxen-Gotha was badly wounded. At this time Van Boetzelaer had a weak moment. Calling together the council of war he proposed to capitulate. The other officers however opposed him unanimously, convincing him to wait events the next day. Van Boetzelaer agreed, and so the dangerous moment passed.

Monday, 11 March

Van Boetzelaer decided that the French positions along the Westdijk were the most weak, but also the most dangerous for the Dutch because they severed communications across the Hollandsch Diep. Therefore, during the night, the garrison fired a great number of bombs and grenades behind the Westdijk, in an effort to dislodge the French. It was also noticed that the French kept a number of fires burning at their positions along the Oostdijk, because of which it was expected that the French were making ready red-hot ball to resume their bombardment. These expectations were fulfilled. The batteries along the Oostdijk opened fire, and soon managed to set fire to the tower of the town hall. A heavy north-eastern wind was blowing and the fire spread. Only with utmost effort, the citizens managed to extinguish the fire before it grew out of control.

At daybreak the guards on the walls and the gunners at the batteries came under fire from French light infantry, who had used the cover of darkness to take up positions just outside the fortress. Their fire was answered by the Dutch garrison, killing two French and badly wounding one of them. At two o’clock in the afternoon French infantry advanced, apparently to storm the fortress. Their advance was however hampered by the inundations, and the heavy fire from the defenders. Before the storming could be conducted the French retreated with heavy loss. The French artillery concentrated its efforts on the ships entering and leaving the harbour of Willemstad, inflicting severe damage to several of them.

Tuesday, 12 March

The French continued sniping at the defenders on the walls of Willemstad, as well as firing at the ships within reach. A grenadier on the wall was mortally wounded by this fire. A French battery southwest of the fortress fired during the afternoon a few howitzer shells in the city. The Dutch continued lobbing shells behind the Westdijk, to hamper French activities there.

Wednesday, 13 March

At dawn it became clear to the Dutch that their efforts to hamper the French labour had not succeeded. Two new batteries had been erected. One opposite the ‘Zeeland’ Bastion, armed with two guns; the other one at the Westdijk, at the first bend of the dike, very close to the fortress, armed with three guns. The last one immediately came under heavy Dutch fire, from cannon on the walls and howitzers, and was completely destroyed in a short period of time.

The French returned fire, shooting red-hot ball. However, the French continued their work behind the Westdijk which gave them good cover, working on several more batteries. The Dutch decided to despatch an officer to inform the guard ships on the Hollandsch Diep before Ooltgensplaat about the danger to the fortress from these batteries, and to reconnoitre the French positions behind the Westdijk, in order to direct the fire from the fortress. The Ensign Rost from the Regiment Saxen-Gotha volunteered for this mission, and left the fortress in a small sailing boat. During the night the garrison randomly fired shots at the French positions, which was answered by the French with eighteen shots red-hot ball. Although the Governor, Baron van Boetzelaer did his utmost to defend the fortress entrusted to him, and had high hopes to succeed in doing so, many had a different opinion. Lord Auckland wrote this day to Lord Melville: “I am sorry for the fate of poor Willemstadt and of its garrison; they cannot be expected to hold out.”

Siege of Willemstad 1793 Dutch in Revolutionary Wars Part 10

The Dutch During the Revolutionary Wars

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