A. D. city were coming to strengthen the garrison of Nissa; he fends 1689. Selim Gyeray, Khân of the Tatars, with part of the Turkish army, who falling upon them, now within fight of Nifa, foon puts them to flight. This victory revives the hopes of the Othmans; and the Wazir, to render God propitious to their arms, orders prayers to be made without intermiffion, both day and night, at Conftantinople, Adrianople, and in the camp. Finding likewife that there were in the army a great number of boys unfit for arms, brought by profligate perfons for deteftable uses, he commanded by proclamation that all boys should be sent back, and if any should be discovered with any perfon for the future, he fhould be put to death without further examination: fince that fin above all others deprived those polluted with it of the divine bleffing; and the most pure God could not favour with his prefence the camp where fuch an impurity was practifed. Takes HAVING made those regulations, he marches into Servia, Shahr- and affaults Shahrkyoy (C), a little city, which being better kyoy, fortified by nature than art, five hundred Hayduks, who were in garrifon, finding no fuccours appear on the fourth day, furrendered the castle, on condition of leave to depart (D); and when the Fanizaries would have plundered them, they are restrained by the threats of Kyoprili-ogli, who told them it was neither honourable nor of advantage to take away the arms of the Gyawrs, fince they could not injure the Musulmâns with them. He then admonishes thofe Hayduks not to go to Nila, becaufe as he intended to befiege that city, if any of them fhould be found there when it was taken, they could not expect to escape death. The Haydûks however, as foon as they left the Turks, retire to Niffa. and Niffa. PRESENTLY after the Wazir lays clofe fiege to that city, which was defended by count Staremberg, with three thoufand German foot and fourteen hundred horfe. Although that general made a brave defence more with a view to gain the imperialists time to fecure Belgrade, than with any hopes puli derbend, or the paffage of (C) The fame with Piroth in the Chriftian hiftorians. (D) Ricaut fays there were but one hundred and fifty men in garrifon at Pyroth; and that after three or four days fiege they conditioned to be conducted to Niffa. to 1689. to fave the place; yet the Turks pushed the fiege with fuch A. D. vigour, that on the 25th day (E) the garrifon furrendered on condition of going out with their arms. Some of the Shahrkyoy Haydûks, though in difguife, being discovered by the Janizaries, are forced by torture to confefs all their companions, who were mixed with the German troops, and Staremberg obliged to deliver them up to the Wazir. He hangs part, and condemns the reft to the gallies, laying the fame injunction on Staremberg, and under the fame penalty, not to retire to Belgrade, towards which city the Wazir marched; and having by the way taken poffeffion of Semendria and Widdin, whofe garrifons had abandoned them, comes in fight of it in the month of Zilkaadeh. But before we enter upon the fiege of this important fortrefs, it will be proper to add fome particulars from the Chriftian hiftorians, relating to that of the places already mentioned. WHILE the fiege of Nilla was going on, prince Lewis of Widdin Baden joined Veterani at Jagodina, where matters were con- taken. certed for the relief of that city: but news arriving of general Heufler's defeat by the Serafkier and Tekeli in Tranfilvania, it was refolved to march thither with the greater part of the army; fo that nothing could be done towards raifing the fiege, the Germans being then very weak in Servia. The Wazir, understanding that prince Lewis was on the retreat, and had withdrawn his forces from Widdin and Semendria, detached part of his army (which was reported to be thirty thousand foot and fifty thoufand horfe, befides fifteen thousand Tatars daily expected) to besiege Widdin: whofe garrifon at that time being no more than eight hundred men, they furrendered on the 29th of Auguft, before any breach was made in the walls; and on the 11th of September joined the prince's army. MEAN time the garrifon of Niffa being reduced to two Sementhoufand men, by the continual playing of cannon and bombs, dria ftormand the counterscarp taken, general Staremberg surrendered ed. on the 8th of September; on condition of marching out with bag and baggage, arms, and all other marks of honour. But the enemy did not faithfully obferve the agreement; for the Turks robbed and difarmed many; and the Tatars pursued them as far as Semendria with design to cut them off. They found 90 cannon and mortars in Nissa, from whence they CANT. p. 368. RICAUT. (E) It was fummoned on the 14th of August, and surrendered the 8th of September. Ricaut. marched A. D. marched directly to Belgrade, by way of Semendria: whofe 1689. garrifon, though confifting of no more than one thoufand men,under lieutenant-colonel Weingartler, bravely sustained a ftorm of their whole army; but being overpowered were all put to the fword d. 66 Belgrade As foon as the Wazîr arrives at Belgrade he calls a council befieged, of the Pafbás, to deliberate whether it was better to proceed by way of fiege or blockade. They all advise the latter courfe; alledging, "That the city being well fortified by nature, and wonderfully ftrengthened by new works (F), as "well as defended by a garrifon of eight thousand Germans, "befides fo many regiments of Bulgarians and Servians, "could not be fubdued within the campaign, nor befieged "without great lofs: That if the garrifon fhould make a vigorous resistance, and repulfe the Othmans, they would "immediately lofe the courage they had hardly yet recovered "by their prefent fucceffes: but that if the Wazir, leaving Belgrade behind him, would with his army pass the Save, or fortify the banks, to prevent the enemies from paffing, "the garrifon would that fummer, or at farthest in winter, "be obliged by famine to furrender. They added, that nothing was to be feared from the imperial army, fince the greater part of it was employed in the war against France; and the reft, being abandoned by the Hungarians, would "be more folicitous to defend their own camp than attack "the Othman." 66 66 THE Wazir, though far from being of this mind, gives way to the majority, and furrounds the walls of the city for feveral days: But being informed that the imperialists were hafting to its relief, he fees his error in complying unseasonably with his officers, and instantly opens the fiege with one half of his army, appointing the other to hinder the enemy from paffing the Save. By this change of measures he gained the city but probably would have failed in his design, if, on the eighth day of the fiege, a tower had not blown-up by means of a bomb, or by treachery, and demolished great part of the wall. For, hereupon, the Turks crying out, that it was an evident proof of God's miraculous affiftance, rush into d RICAUT, ubi fupra. : (F) The architect was Andreas Cornare, a Greek of Kandia. He is charged by fome authors with betraying Belgrade, but unjustly; for being taken by the Turks, and difcecovered to be an architect, be was obliged to perform that fe vice, and others: for which le was well rewarded. Cant. the the breaches before the Germans could prevent them, and for an hour refift the whole force of the garrifon; who, overpowered by numbers, are then forced to retreat, after a great lofs, though not unrevenged. A few, with their general de la Croy, escape in boats across the Danube . A. D. 1689. ACCORDING to the Chriftian historians there were not above three thousand two hundred then in Belgrade fit for fervice. by blowThe Wazir invested this city on the first of October, with his ing-up troops; who having fired their artillery without waiting till the 8th (on which day the duke of Croy arrived by boat), ftormed the palifades like madmen. Next morning the blue steeple of the castle, which was the principal magazine for powder, took fire, which was foon put out: But in the afternoon it took fire again, and blew up with fuch violence that it quite overturned the great bulwark which defended the caftle; and destroyed one thousand of the garrifon, who were drawn-up as well on the parade, as on the walls. So that there were not men enough to defend the breach against the enemy, who were ready to take advantage of the blow, and might have entered with whole fquadrons. The duke of Groy alfo was wounded, and half buried in the rubbish of his lodgings. gazines. IT is thought this misfortune happened by the treachery of the ma of a Turk disguised in German habit; or of fome Frenchmen, who had been employed in the magazines, and had that morning deferted. However, the befieged made the best resistance poffible, till their remaining magazines and store-houses took fire, and blew-up one after the other in fuch a dreadful manner, that not only the greater part of the garrifon perished, but one thousand Turks, at that time storming the walls, and entering the city, were also destroyed; while fuch as remained alive were forced to retreat to their camp, unable to proceed for the smoke. But fo foon as it had cleared up a little, the enemy, obferving the confternation which the remaining people were in, returned, and rather entered than stormed the city, where they found very few Chriftians living, or houses standing. Most of the boats were funk with the rubbish which fell into them thofe who efcaped faved themselves by fwimming over the Danube or the Save. General Afpremont, who got-off with the duke of Croy, being blamed afterwards for neglect on this occafion, was cleared by an atteftation under the hand of prince Lewis of Baden *. : e CANT. P. 370. f RICAUT, ubi fupra. THE A. D. Temef waer relieved. THE Wazir, having thus reduced the bulwark of all Hun1689. gary fooner than he expected, fends five hundred Spâhi's, each with two horfes, and as many bushels of meal, to the relief of Temifwar; which the Germans had blocked up. for three years, after finding it impracticable, by reafon of its difficult fituation, to take it by affault. The city was defended by Koja Fâffer Pâsbâ (G), whofe authority was fo great with the foldiers, that although many pérished by famine, yet the reft refused to feed upon cats and dogs, which are esteemed impure animals by the Turks. They were now reduced to fuch a degree of neceffity, that when the Spahi's arrived, the Janizaries feized on the meal like ravenous wolves. This occafioned a difpute which ended in a bloody fight between the two parties (H): of whom a great number on both fides being killed upon the facks, the reft of the Spahi's, with their Pasha, are forced by the Fanizaries to a speedy flight. Lippa re duced, 1 KYOPRILI Pafbá, having repaired the ruins of Belgrade, paffes the Danube, and taking Lippa, drives the German garrifon from Orfova. He then affaults Effek, a city at the conflux of that river with the Drave; in hopes by fubduing it to fecure his new acquifitions from the enemies incurfions, and recover Sclavonia but he was forced to abandon his design, by the refolution of the garrifon joined to the approach of winter; and efpécially by the alteration of affairs in Tranfil vania. with other AFTER the lofs of Belgrade, the duke of Croy, having ralplaces. lied about four hundred men, marched by the way of Titul and Peterwaradin to Effek, drawing all the force he could out of the garrifons to fecure that place; which the Wazir had ordered the Pâlbâ of Bofnia to attack, while he paffed the Danube and befieged Lippa, on the Marofk, near Arad. At his approach the Germans quitted Lugos and Karanzebes. Lippa furrendered for want of all provifions, on very honour CANT. p. 370, & feq. (G) That is, old Jaffer. He was famous for his military skill, prudence, and integrity. He fought feveral battles with the Germans, and held out Temefwar and Belgrade against them. He was flain at the battle of Zenta by the rebellious Janizaries. Cant. (H) Ricaut mentions nothing of this affair. He only fays, that on the news of the march of the Turkish horse being ordered for Upper Hungary, the Germans were fo alarmed that they quitted the blockade of Great Waradin. able |