thoroughly disconcerted, left off the pursuit of our infantry, and had to defend themselves. Our cavalry was at last overcome by the power of numbers. Ligonier, espying a squadron of the Enniskillen Dragoons in order, endeavoured to effect a junction, but on his way he fell among a squadron of French Carabineers, and was taken prisoner.[1] The Pictorial History of England says:— “The gallant Ligonier, with the British cavalry, checked the advance of the French, and saved the allies from destruction.”
The commander of the French carabineers was the Chevalier de Lagé; he accepted Sir John Ligonier’s parole, and would not take either his sword or pistols. He sent his great prisoner to Prince Clermont, who brought him to Marshal Saxe. The Marshal introduced him to the French King, saying, “Sir, I present to your Majesty, a man who, by a glorious action, has disconcerted all my project.” The French monarch received him with great marks of distinction. He asked him if he had received any wound, to which he answered in the negative. His Majesty then complimented him on his generalship, having seen the whole affair from the hill of Herderen, about 300 paces from the place of action. Sir John had much conversation with Marshal Saxe who told him that the French had lost an immense number of officers and men, and that their disaster was worse than that of the allies.
The greatest compliment which Louis XV. paid to Ligonier on this memorable occasion was his consultation with him as to possible terms of peace. His Majesty pointedly, though delicately, indicated his opinion that the prolongation of war was the King of England’s doing. Lord Chesterfield, who had distinguished himself as our ambassador at the Hague, was at this date a Secretary of State; I therefore borrow from that Earl’s biography the following paragraph:—
“It is well known that in the evening of that day in which the gallant General Ligonier risked his life and lost his liberty to save both the army and his royal general, the French King, to whom he was presented, received him with all the regard due to his rank and merit. He asked him in a most condescending style and manner when he might hope to obtain peace from his sovereign, and ordered his generals to enter into conference with him upon the subject. The terms proposed were by no means dictated by an enemy flushed with success and the spirit of conquest; they were moderate and more favourable than those that were accepted at Aix-la-Chapelle. But the new Ministers in Holland and the Cabinet at St. James’s thought proper, notwithstanding Lord Chesterfield’s entreaties, to refer the articles to the Congress, for the same reason, says his apologist, that mysterious points of faith are referred to general councils, to be frittered away in squabbles without end. Note. — The King of France’s expression is said to have been, ‘He Bien! Monsieur de Ligonier, quand est-ce que le roi votre maitre notes donnera la Paix’?” — (Maty’s Memoirs of Chesterfield.)
Wolfe’s biographer states that the Duke of Cumberland was enabled by Ligonier’s chivalrous charge to collect his scattered forces, and to retire to Maestricht without molestation. Thus, although the French won the battle, the allies succeeded in reinforcing the city, which they continued masters of during the campaign. Sir John Ligonier was allowed complete liberty in France upon his parole. On an exchange of prisoners he returned to his duty with the allied army, which went into winter quarters in October. He arrived in London on the 13th November. He embarked on his last visit to foreign camps at Harwich, in the end of February 1748. Haag sums up his foreign service, by stating that he had taken part in nineteen pitched battles and twenty-three sieges, and had never been wounded. The general peace (signed at Aix-la-Chapelle, October 7-18, 1748), found him in his sixty-eighth year.
Field-Marshal George Wade died in the beginning of 1748. Marshal Wade was Member of Parliament for Bath; and, a writ for a new election being ordered on the 13th March, his place was supplied by General Sir John Ligonier. Sir John not only stepped into the Marshal’s vacant seat in the House of Commons, but also into his post of Lieutenant-General of the Ordnance. He was made a privy councillor on the 1st February 1749. He became Director of the French Hospital of London on the 13th April, and on the 5th of October its Governor. He also received a new grant of the office of Chief Ranger, &c, of all the king’s parks in Ireland. On the 24th July he was transferred to the colonelcy of the 2nd Dragoon Guards. This regiment was vacant by the death of John, Duke of Montague, Master-General of
- ↑ It was stated at the time that it was a private of the French carabineers who took Ligonier prisoner. And this seems to be confirmed by the minutes of the National Assembly at Paris, 8th January 1792:— Guillaume Pierre, a veteran, aged seventy-four, claimed the honour of having taken General Ligonier at the battle of Lawfelt, “whose talents made him so important a prisoner,” and stated that he had refused the offer both of his purse and diamonds, with which he endeavoured to buy his release. The Assembly, on the recommendation of its committee, presented him with 7000 livres, and ordered his annual pension of 150 livres to be continued.
