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2 March
In one stroke the French defences were pierced deeply, the army shaken and in disarray. With the Austrians concentrated there was no hope for the French to maintain positions on the east bank of the river Meuse. The next day, the Austrian columns that had encamped in Aldenhoven (Avant-Garde and Hauptkorps, consisting of the 1. Treffen and 2. Treffen), continued their advance in the direction of Rolduc. The Arch-duke Charles, leading the advance with the Avant-Garde, found Rolduc and its
surrounding entrenchments abandoned by maréchal de camp Auguste-Marie-Henri Picot, marquis de Dampierre, who retreated with about 6,000 men in the direction of Aachen. The Archduke continued his advance in the direction of Heerlen.
Encountering the French on some heights before this place, he quickly pushed them back, the French evacuating Heerlen during the night. FML Prinz von Württemberg moved directly to Aachen. Aachen was already abandoned by the shaken French, retreating in the direction of Liège. When Dampierre arrived in front of the gate of Aachen, he found it closed by the citizens, glad to be rid of the French. However, Dampierre was not prepared to give up Aachen so easily, blew up the gate with a few cannon balls, and entered the city again. All gates were quickly occupied and barricaded. Apparently Aachen was occupied by about 6,000 French. Also present were elements of the Avant-Garde of the Armée des Ardennes, which originally was positioned south of Aachen around Verviers and Eupen.
Around afternoon, FML Prinz von Württemberg arrived before the city. After a bombardment lasting an hour, the Austrians attacked, and soon managed to capture two city gates. Not captured was the Maastricht gate in the west, which was defended by Captain Pierre-André Miquel of the 1er bat/ 56me Régiment d’infanterie with fifty
men of this battalion. [12]
Miquel managed to hold on for three hours against enormous odds, French sources saying as much as 3,000 Austrian’ before retreating and linking up wit Dampierre’s rear guard. Miquel’s losses were only six men! [13]
FML Prinz von Württemberg dispatched a column to advance south of Aachen, and to attack from the east, trying to surround the French occupying the city. In the meanwhile, his main force entered the city through the captured gates, and heavy house to house fighting followed, they French not only having to fight the Austrians, but also citizens who sided with them. These discharged pistols and muskets at the French, from rooftops and windows, and bombarded them with heavy objects. Other guided Austrian soldiers through the streets and alleys, enabling them to cut off and surround French soldiers still resisting.
The French fought for every inch of ground, fighting for every street and alley, but slowly they had to give way. Local sources indicate that especially the Tyrolean Jäger gave no quarter to the blue-coated national guard and volunteer units, killing them on the spot. [14]
According to Allied sources, the French lost 4,000 killed and wounded, 1,600 prisoners, and over a hundred guns during the fighting in Aachen. The battle ended only when the column that FML Prinz von Württemberg had send around the city reached the road to Hervé. Only then Dampierre retreated in the direction of Hervé, deploying his troops again on some heights. But again he was dislodged, the French losing seven guns. Another small encounter took place when maréchal de camp Miaczynski arrived at Rolduc, to his surprise running into Austrians. Not knowing that opposing him was the Austrian main force he went over to the attack with the troops at his disposal, but was immediately counterattacked by the Austrians, which of course greatly outnumbered him. Ably, Miaczynski went over to the defence and managed to extricate his force and to retreat northwest, losing only four guns and a few prisoners. FML von Latour this day moved from Linnich to the west and the northwest, crossed the Wurm river and occupied Geilenkirchen, Randeradt and Palenberg. He encountered no French troops, which all had retreated. General Von Wenkheim moved from the village Erkelenz to the village Doveren, to take part in the attack on the Prussian attack on French defences be-hind the Swalme brook on the 3rd.
The Relief of Maastricht, 3 March
The Austrian advance was swift. Therefore, FM Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld continued his advance to relieve Maastricht, without waiting for any Dutch troops to arrive. On the 3rd the main Austrian army, commanded by FM Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld himself, reached this fortress-city, since 20 February besieged by the French. 15 On the approach of the Austrians the French lifted the siege and retreated in the direction of Tongern. FM Sachsen-Coburg-Saalfeld placed his headquarters in Maastricht, concentrating his troops there for the next move. Arch-duke Charles had no time rest. With most of his Avant-Garde he crossed the Meuse the same day, in close pursuit of the French.
FML Prinz vonWürttemberg, after having left sufficient troops in Aachen, advanced further along the road to Hervé, reaching Henri-Chapelle in the evening. FML von Latour moved west reaching Sittart.
Next part: The battle of Neerwinden
Footnotes
[1] Although in reality it would execute one of the main attacks during the day!
[2] These stories are all taken from Beyer, Peter sr., Der Kampf um Eschweiler während der Schlacht bei Aldenhoven am 1. März 1793 (Eschweiler 1918)
[3] ‘Chevau-légers’ or ‘dragoons’ ; both terms are used, even in the same source. During the Napoleonic period, designation of various regiments changed several times, between dragoons, light dragoons and chevau-légers. Officially, at this date the Regiment No. 31 “Latour" were chevau-léger.
[4] Source: Romberg, Winfried & Meißner, Armin, “L’Affaire d’Aix-la-Chapelle – Die erste Schlacht von Aldenhoven 1793 Jülicher Geschichtsblätter” (Jülich 1996) p.67.
[5] Again sources differ, some (Allied) sources stating French losses as much as 2,000 men, others 800 to 1,000 men, but only 7 guns. It is unlikely though that the French would have succeeded in pulling back most of their artillery, with their positions already turned.
[6] Source: “Politischer Zuschauer für die Niedern Reichslande” (Aachen, 11 march 1793), as quoted in Beyer, Peter sr., “Der Kampf um Eschweiler während der Schlacht bei Aldenhoven am 1. März 1793” (Eschweiler 1918) p.40.
[7] The details of this story come from Chassin Ch.-L. et Hennet L., Les Volontaires Nationaux pendant la Révolution Tome 1er (Paris 1899), although I checked several other sources to verify the facts. As has been said, most of the prisoners were wounded by multiple sabre cuts and shot wounds, proving the ferocity with which the émigré Hussards de Royal-Allemand charged into their fellow countrymen, although not without reason. To give you some idea: caporal Coquet, died of wounds 17 March; caporal Couriois, died of wounds 11 April; volontaire Guilloux, shot wound in his left shoulder; volontaire Bernard, shot wound in his right leg, sabre cut in his right hand; sergent La Feuillade, several sword cuts on his head and his right hand; fourrier Fiancette, seven sword cuts on the head and in his right hand; volontaire Damour, died of his wounds 4 March; fourrier Fouinat, sabre cut in his left arm; volontaire Bernouyille, died of wounds 21 March; volontaire Plet, died of wounds 4 April; volontaire Gouthier, died of wounds 3 April; volontaire François, six sabre cuts on his head, a sabre cut on his left arm, and a bullet in his right thigh; voluntaire Baudry, three sabre cuts on his head, a sabre cut on his throat, two more sabre cuts in his left hand, a sabre cut in his belly, and several bullets in his legs and his left shoulder. But he stayed alive!; capitaine Aujard, a bullet in his left thigh, and five sabre cuts in his face; sous-lieutenant Béthune, two sabre cuts on his right temple and a pistol bullet in his right arm; sergent de canonniers Guiot, sabre cut on his head, a bullet in his face, a sabre cut on his skull, a sabre cut and a bullet in his left shoulder, two sabre cuts in his left hand, and a sabre cut in his right hand. Many more would die of their wounds during the next months. After this debacle, not surprisingly the 3me bat/de Paris was in no state to continue fighting. Therefore, it was pulled back to Guise, were it was reorganized between 3 and 9 April after which it already went to the front again: there was no more time to spare!
[8] I could find no proof if these columns equal the brigades FML Prinz von Württemberg’s Linke Flanke consisted of.
[9] Source: Romberg, Winfried & Meißner, Armin, “L’Affaire d’Aix-la-Chapelle – Die erste Schlacht von Aldenhoven 1793 Jülicher Geschichtsblätter” (Jülich 1996) p.62.
[10] According to eye-witnesses in Aachen, the first French refugees reached the city just after noon, followed by wagons loaded with wounded. From 14.00 pm on, the road coming from Haaren ‘was covered with refugees’. This would coincide with the defeat of the French troops at Eschweiler.
[11] One source says 45 guns. The number 23 can be reached by adding up 2 guns captured at Weisweiler, 7 at Höngen, 3 at the Engelsdorfer Burgacker, and 11 at the Aldenhovener Hill. As I already explained in note 5, I believe that the French lost 16 guns instead of 7, adding up to 32 guns. Taking in account the mass rout of the French, chances are big that more guns
were abandoned along the road, making a loss of 45 guns most likely. Still this is only my guess.
[12] This battalion originated of the Armée des Ardennes, so the detachment came from the north of the Ardennes, as previously mentioned. I could not ascertain if the whole battalion was present.
[13] Source: Lievyns, Verdot & Bégat, “Fastes de la Légion-d’Honneur – biographie de tous les décorés“ Tome 3 (Paris 1843) p.406.
[14] Source: Romberg, Winfried & Meißner, Armin, “L’Affaire d’Aix-la-Chapelle – Die erste Schlacht von Aldenhoven 1793 Jülicher
Geschichtsblätter” (Jülich 1996) p.105.
[15] The siege of Maastricht is described in part 7 of the series, that appeared in First Empire No. 58 (May/Jun 2001).
[16] Strengths given are the official returns of 1 March 1793. Source: Desbriére E. et Sautai M., Organisation et tactique des trois armes – Cavalerie-IIe Fascicule: La Cavalerie pendant la Révolution du 14 Juillet 1789 au 26 Juin 1794 (Paris, Nancy 1907). Note that the locations given are the locations of the cantonments of the various units; all troops rotated into the forward positions along the west bank of the Ruhr. For example, the 3me bat/de Pars, cantoned at the village Brakel, relieved on 28 February the 1er bat/de la Charente located at the village Merzenhausen. This explains the presence of units on 1 March on various parts of the battlefield far from their cantonments.
[17] Although there is still some uncertainty, I believe that this the Mihailovich or Slavonian Freikorps, consisting of six companies. With Colonel Mihailovich receiving a brigade command, the Freikorps is named after the second in command Branovaczky. Some sources, as for example Romberg, Winfried & Meißner, Armin in their “L’Affaire d’Aix-la-Chapelle” list this unit as the 6 battalion strong Branovaczky-Grenzer, although such strength is contradicting their order of battle.
[18] 6 companies strong, composed from the grenadier divisions of the Infantry Regiments No. 2 “Erzherzog Ferdinand”, No. 32 “Gyulai”, and No. 34 “Anton Esterházy”.
[19] 6 companies strong, composed from the grenadier divisions of the Infantry Regiments No. 9 “Clerfayt”, No. 30 “Ligne”, and No. 58 “Vierset”.
[20] To each battalion in the Austrian army, two battalion guns were attached, of various calibres.
[21] In the Austrian army, the 1st battalion was called the Leib-Bataillon, the 2nd battalion the Oberst-Bataillon. The 3rd or Garrison battalion, which served as the depot, was called the Oberstleutnant’s-Bataillon.
[22] 6 companies strong, composed from the grenadier divisions of the Infantry Regiments No. 33 “Sztaray”, No. 39 “Thomas Nadasdy”, and No. 52 “Erzherzog Anton Victor”.
[23] 6 companies strong, composed from the grenadier divisions of the Infantry Regiments No. 19 “Alvinczy”, No. 37 “de Vins”, and No. 53 “Johann Jellaèiæ”.
[24] 4 companies strong, composed from the grenadier divisions of the Infantry Regiments No. 38 “Württemberg”, and No. 55 “Murray”.
[25] According to some sources this brigade was led by Lt-Col Heinrich Fürst von Reuss-Plauen.
[26] This regiment was composed of 1 1/2 dragoon squadron of the Wurzbourg Bishopric, and ½ dragoon squadron of the Anhalt principalities. Wurzbourg as well as Anhalt were part of the Holy Roman Empire, and provided a small contingent for the Austrian army.
Bibliography (for the battles of Aldenhoven and Swalmen)
Aa, Cornelis van der Geschiedenis van den jongst-geëindigden oorlog, tot op het sluiten van den vrede te Amiëns, bijzonder met betrekking tot de Bataafsche Republiek Dl 1 (Amsterdam 1802)
An. ‘Geschichte des Feldzuges von 1793 in den Niederlanden’ in: Militärisches Taschenbuch 1ster Jahrgang (Leipzig 1819)
Bas, F. de Prins Frederik der Nederlanden en zijn tijd part 1 (Schiedam 1887)
Beyer, Peter sr. Der Kampf um Eschweiler während der Schlacht bei Aldenhoven am 1. März 1793 (Eschweiler 1918)
Blanchard, Pierre Histoire des battailles, siéges et combats des Français, depuis 1792 jusqu’en 1815 (Paris 1818)
Chassin Ch.-L. et Hennet L. Les Volontaires Nationaux pendant la Révolution Tome 1er (Paris 1899)
Chuquet, Arthur Les guerres de la révolution – Tome V: La Trahison de Dumouriez (Paris 1887)
Cruyplants, Eugène La Belgique sous la Domination Française (1792-1815) – Dumouriez dans les Ci-Devant Pays-Bas Autrichiens Tome II (Bruxelles / Paris 1912)
Desbriére E. et Sautai M. Organisation et tactique des trois armes – Cavalerie-IIe Fascicule: La Cavalerie pendant la Révolution du 14 Juillet 1789 au 26 Juin 1794 (Paris, Nancy 1907)
Dohna, Albrecht zu Der Feldzug der Preussen gegen die Franzosen in den Niederlanden im Jahr 1793 1er Band (Stendal 1798)
Guillaume, G. Histoire des Régiments Nationaux Belges, pendant les Guerres de la Révolution Française, 1792-1801 (Bruxelles 1855)
Hertenberger, H. & Wiltschek, F.-Erzherzog Karl, der Sieger von Aspern (Graz 1983)
Lievyns, Verdot & Bégat Fastes de la Légion-d’Honneur – biographie de tous les décorés Tome 3 (Paris 1843)
Prokesch-Osten, Ritter Anton von ‘Der Feldzug in den Niederlanden, 1793’ in Kleine Schriften (Stuttgart 1842)
Romberg, Winfried & Meißner, Armin-L’Affaire d’Aix-la-Chapelle – Die erste Schlacht von Aldenhoven 1793 Jülicher Geschichtsblätter (Jülich 1996)
Sabron. kapitein F.H.A. De oorlog van 1794-95 op het grondgebied van de Republiek der Vereenigde Nederlanden dl 1 (Breda 1892)
Schels, Hauptmann ‘Die Eroberung der Niederlande durch den Prinzen von Sachsen-Koburg, k.k. Feldmarschall. Im Jahre 1793’ in Neue Militärische Zeitschrift I (Wien 1813)
Six, Georges Dictionnaire Biographique des Généraux & Amiraux Français de la Révolution et de l’Empire (1792-1814) (Paris 1934 / Paris 1974)
Battle of Aldenhoven / Aix-La-Chapelle, 1793 Dutch in Revolutionary Wars Part 13
The Dutch During the Revolutionary Wars
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