Imagens das páginas
PDF
ePub

army destroyed, he escapes with a few followers, perceiving, too late, the vanity of his fuperftition. After this, the Germans over-run at once all Servia, take Widdîn, Niffa, Shehirkioi, and burn Siopia, a city of Bulgaria ".

A. D. 1688,

A great

battle.

As the merit of a victory depends much on the knowlege of the ftrength of both armies, an hiftorian cannot shew greater partiality, or want of skill, than in omitting to mention what number of men each confifted of. According to the foregoing account of the Serafkier's defeat, the reader will be apt to conclude, that the Turks were much inferior to the imperialifts in force; whereas, if the Chriftian writers. may be credited, they had twice or thrice the advantage in numbers. Prince Lewis of Baden, having reinforced Belgrade with two thoufand foot, and fortified Semendria, marched with his army, and encamped near Morava: but on news of the Turks retreat, on the 2d of August, he pursued them towards Niffa with the rest of his army, which confifted only of eighteen thousand men ; whereas the Turks amounted to forty thoufand, befides undifciplined troops. They had not marched far, before their out-guards were attacked by a body of Tatars; two of whom being taken, informed them, The Turks that a great body of Turks and Tatars under Soltán Galga, routed. the Khan's fon, defigned to attack them on one fide near Paffarovitz, while the Serafkier inclosed them on the other fide, with an army of fifty thousand men, in order to cut-off their provifions. The prince thereupon refolved to dislodge the Serafkier, who was encamped within two hours march, and, on the 29th of August, advanced briskly against him. On this unexpected motion the Turks retreated for three hours; when coming to a pafs, they ftood their ground, but were foon routed, and difperfed in the woods, with the lofs of four hundred horse and twelve standards. Many were killed afterwards by the huffars who hunted them; and the roads ftrewed with arms and cloaths, which to escape the better, they threw away.

The Ta

ENCOURAGED with this fuccefs, owing chiefly to the con- tars purduct of the generals Veterani and Picolomini, the prince re- fued. paffed the Morava; in order to attack Soltân Galga encamped with his Tatars beyond that river, before he could join with the Turkish cavalry lately defeated. As the road lay by a very narrow paffage through a thick wood, half an hour's march in length, which opened into a small plain; five hundred men were fent under count Solaro to fecure that paffage. In this design they were oppofed by three thoufand Janizaries, and a good body of horfe. But general Heifler coming to CANT. p. 360, & feqq.

A. D. their affiftance, fo advantageously posted himself within the 1688. woods and thick bushes, that he maintained the pafs till next morning; when prince Lewis advanced with his main force in a great fog, and posted himself before the wood. On the right hand, he was fheltered by thickets, and bufhy grounds almost impaffable; and his left wing extended to the bank of the Morava.

Join the

Turks.

Both ar mies rout

ed.

Battle of

Niffa.

BUT before the cavalry could arrive, the fog diffipated, and unexpectedly difcovered the whole Turkish army drawn up in order of battle, juft fronting the imperial infantry; which the Turks inftantly attacked with fuch unufual violence, that prince Lewis had fcarce time to range his fecond line in a pofture of defence. However the imperialists stood the fhock from their great and fmall fhot, with much firmness; then playing their parts, the fight grew very hot for two hours together within piftol-fhot; when the mufic of the cavalry, which now came up, founding without the forest, the enemy was ftruck with fuch fear, that they retreated into the neighbouring wood, and thence into a plain behind it, where they entrenched themselves. Here being followed by the imperialists, the cannon was played hotly on both fides for an hour and half; after which, the Turks retired to another trench encompassed with a ditch of water, and acceffible only in one place.

HEREUPON Count Palfi was ordered with his regiment, to enter the wood, and found all his warlike inftruments, in order to make the enemy believe fome great body was advancing to fall on their rear, while count Picolomini with the van attacked them in front. This he did with fuch refolution, in fpite of their cannon, that they prefently quitted that poft alfo, and retreated in diforder through the woods, followed by the imperialists; who would have made a dreadful flaughter had not the ways been narrow, and unknown to them however they purfued them to their camp at Patafchin, which they abandoned, leaving behind all their artillery (R), ammunition, provifion, and baggage. In their way to Jagodina on the Morava, whither they fled in great diforder, numbers of them were cut-off by the Hungarians and Rafcians; who brought alfo to the camp many prisoners, and thirty-fix pieces of cannon of the largest fize *.

THE prince, after he had refreshed his forces, began his march to Nissa, twenty leagues diftant, through woods and

* RICAUT, ubi fupr.

(R) 105 brafs cannon, and three mortars.

mountains.

mountains. The Turks had still most of their army intire, and were befides reinforced with twenty thousand men; yet on his approach, the Serafkier quitted that city, and encamped near it by the fide of the Nifava. The princepitched his tents within a league of Nija, near a little river which falls into the Niffava; and on the 24th of September, about five in the evening, poffeffed himself of the fides of the hill over the enemy's camp, in spite of all their opposi

This done, left the Turks fhould fortify their camp in the night, he refolves to attack them off-hand; extending his right wing towards the foot of the hill, and his left along the plain to the banks of the Nifava. The Serafkier hereupon caused the greater part of his cavalry, drawn-up on the declivity of the hill, to charge the infantry of the left wing: but feeing them advance with their cannon in front, they wheeled about towards the right wing; and attacked them at the foot of the hill on the flank, which could not be fecured.

A. D. 1688.

THIS produced fome confufion among the Huffars: but The Turks being timely fupported by other troops, the Turkish horfe overmust have been routed, had not fome of their own troops thrown, fired on them, and forced them to stand their ground. However the main body under Heisler, being ordered to attack the enemy on the hill, after a long conflict gained the top; whither the duke of Croy, who commanded towards the river, foon after arriving, the Turks were quickly driven from thence with great flaughter. Notwithstanding this, the enemy's horse rallying again in the plains, made another vigorous affault on the left wing, but were repulfed; when the Janizaries, who were making new trenches, fired on them, and forced them to ftand another charge, which they did with great firmness against the Hufars. However thefe, being fuccoured by the Regiment of Caprara, at last forced them intirely to quit the field, and furiously pursued them to their very camp. Mean time another party of horfe attacked their main body but count Staremberg coming to their affistance, the enemy was put to a diforderly flight, and pursued till night parted them.

:

In this action ten thoufand Turks were killed, and not above three hundred Germans; which was the more furprifing, as the former were reckoned to amount to eighty thoufand, the latter to scarce fifteen thousand men. The booty too was very great, confifting of thirty pieces of cannon, many thousands of tents, and divers ftandards, befides ftore of provifion.

AFTER

A. D. 1688.

AFTER this fecond victory, prince Lewis ordered Nissa to be strongly fortified, and fent out a party; who, having advanced as far as Dragoman within four hours of Sofia, Tekeli de- brought word that the Turks had deferted the fortrefs of

feated.

Widdin

taken.

renewed.

Moftafa Pafba Palanka, and other caftles in that abandoned country, The news of this great defeat was carried to court by Moftafa Aga, who had been sent thither with letters by Julfigar, the Turkish ambassador at Vienna, and detained for fome months by prince Lewis. Mean time that general being informed, that Orfowa and FetiЛlau were burnt, and Tekeli, with fome Turkish troops, was encamped near Widdin, where he had a stately houfe, he refolved to return that way to the Danube, and defeat him. Accordingly, fetting out October 4th with but a few forces, on the 14th came unexpectedly on the enemy; who, haftily getting in order of battle to the number of twelve thousand men, maintained a doubtful fight for fome time with unufual bravery, but, at length, were routed, leaving one thousand flain, with a great quantity of ammunition and provision, behind them. The castle, refufing to furrender, was fo battered, that, on the 19th, the besieged, to the number of two thousand five hundred fifty-nine, capitulated to be convoyed to Nikopolis, whither Tekeli had fled before the battle; and there, with tears in his eyes, came out to meet them. The taking of Widdin was the more important, as it fecured all the country gained by the two laft victories; and cut off relief from Temefwar, and other Turkisb garrisons in Hungary.

SECT. II.

Adminiftration of Ahmed Kyoprili, with the Recovery of Belgrade, and other Conquefts.

The treaty UPON the news of these misfortunes, Soleymán haftens from Sofia to Adrianople, and returns an anfwer, till then deferred, to his ambassadors at the German court; ordering them to infift only on the restoration of Belgrade, without mentioning the other provinces of Hungary. But Maurocordatus finding fuch things could not be propofed, conceals his orders; and pretends the Soltán would not give up any-thing, excepting what he had before-mentioned, Yet afterwards being reminded by his colleague, that both their lives would be in danger, if they should be found to neglect the Soltan's commands, he communicates the real ftate of the affair to the emperor; and receives fuch an anfwer as he expected: for although Leopold, who was unable

[ocr errors]

to carry on the war with success against two enemies, would A. D. gladly have made a truce upon terms, yet he was obliged to 1688. put off the affair to another time; because the Turkish am- ✔ baffadors had not full power to make a peace; and he thought it dishonourable, after fo many victories, to fend any of his own to the Porte, as it were to fue for peace.

THUS great advantages were lost which were never to be but put off. procured again, only to preserve a trifling punctilio. Soltân Soleymân, before he left Sofia, with consent of his council, had agreed to almost all the demands of the confederates; and caufed inftructions to be drawn up for his ambassador, to the following purpose: "that he should use his utmost en"deavours to procure a peace, and give no ear to the French "promises; that he should labour to perfuade the emperor

66

to restore Belgrade, and make it the limit of both domi"nions; that, in cafe of any fcruple, he should first offer "Kanifia, then Giula, Temefwar, or elfe Great Waradin, in"stead of it; that, to content the Poles, he should propose "to demolish Kaminiek; and, if that would not do, to fur"render it. Laftly, as to the Venetians, that they should "keep what they had taken, and no mention be made of "Negropont. These instructions were carried back by Mof"tafa Aga, who brought the letters from the ambaffador "."

MEAN time the two armies in Poland do nothing but shew Ruffians themselves to each other, being divided by the river Tyras, or befiege Or. Neifter. But the Czars of Ruffia, raifing, it is faid, four hundred thousand men, send them, with fourteen hundred cannon, under the conduct of Bafilius Galliczin, against the Tatars. Yet these vaft preparations were rendered useless by the Czar's own regiment, which revolted while the Ruffians were befieging the city Or, commonly called Prakop (S); and, by drawing into their party many of the moft confiderable officers, the army is forced to return home without fuccefs. In their retreat, they are attacked by the Tatars; and, thro' the perfidiousness of their inteftine enemies, fuffer a great Obliged to lofs in the rear. At their return, Peter Alexiowitz, who retreat. then reigned alone, making a strict enquiry into the fedition, fhuts up his fifter, who had been the chief cause of the rebellion, in a monastery; banishes Galliczin, as privy to the confpiracy, to Archangel, and confifcates his eftate; kills, like wild beafts, twelve thoufand Streltzi's (T), publickly in the

Y RICAUT, ubi fupr.

(S) It stands on the ifthmus, which gives entrance to the peninfula of Krim, called from

thence, by fome, Precopenfan
Tartary.

(T) Or Sterlits.

market

« AnteriorContinuar »