BEL 



BEL 



eapf \v!t!i an army much fuperior in number to his own, 

 He accordingly began to call uplines of circumvallatiou and 

 contravallution, tlrengthening them with entrenchments, re- 

 doubts, and other fiL-ld works of the nectffary defcriotion. 

 Within ihcfe lines the army encamped to the fouth of Bel- 

 grade ; its front towards the open country, its left refting 

 upon the Danube ; its right extending towards the Save. 

 A bridge of boats was thrown acrofs the latter river, and, 

 as well as tliat already conftrutted on the Danube, fccu-ed 

 by ftrong tetes tfe Jiont. The line of contravailation, looking 

 towards Scmedria, confifted of a ditch, fixtcen feet wide, of 

 proportii-.nable depth, and defended by a (Irong parapet. The 

 proper openings were left for the troops to ilFue andform inor- 

 der of battle witho'.'.t confufion, coveredin frontby vaveli ;s and 

 redans ; and upon the right, a Isrg: ^cr/je, or redoubt, was 

 ereiled for the parpofe of corrmanding a hollow ground, 

 wliic!> the Turks might otherwile have found ferviceable in 

 their approaches. The field pieces of all the different bat- 

 talions, planted at regular dilfances along the front of the 

 contravailation, fecuvtd it from any fudden infult. As, how- 

 ever, the army was not fufRciently numerous to occupy the 

 whole extent of ground between the two rivers, crofs en- 

 trenchments were formed, connecting the principal lines on 

 the right and left, and flill preferving a communication with 

 the different bridges. 



As the Turkifli garrifon confifted of between twenty and 

 thirty thoufand regular troops, and had alio a ftrong flotilla 

 on the Danube, prince Eugene found it abfolutely neceffary 

 to maintain two flying camps ; one of feveral thoufand men 

 at Semlin, to keep up a communication with Petcrwaradin, 

 from whence the Imperialiils derived their fupplies of pro- 

 vlfions, under Count de Hauben ; and another of five batta- 

 hons and fome cavalry to cover the head of the bridge over 

 the Danube. Four ihips of war proteiled the navigation 

 of that river, and watched the motions of the Turkifh flotilla. 

 But a violent ftorm which happened on the 1 3th of July, had 

 nearly rendered abortive the projects of the befiegcrs. The 

 bridges of the Danube and Save were broken by the force 

 of the tcmpeft. Several vciTcls, dttached from the reft, 

 were carried floating at random down the ftream, and the 

 I'urks took advantage of this accident to make a fally acrofs 

 the Save, and attack the redoubt which covered the liead 

 of the bridge. The gallant defence of a captain and 64 

 men, who alone garriloned the poft, preferved it, together 

 with that parti of the bridge which remained on the north 

 fide of the river, from falling into the hands of the enemy. 

 To prevent fuch forties in future, the camp of Semlin was 

 ilrongly reinforced, and the command entrufttd to count 

 Martigny. More ferious operations commenced ; and du- 

 ring the night of the iSth, trenches we're opened againft 

 Belgrade to the north of the Save by 1,200 pioneers, cover- 

 ed by a large detachment under general Marfigli. The Turks, 

 however, the following morning, opened a dreadful fire upon 

 them from all tiie batteries of the place, the flotilla on 

 the Danube, and the illands in that river, and making a 

 foitie with 4000 men in boats, aftaulted fo furioufly 

 the guaid of the trenches, that if prince Eugene had not 

 animated the troops by his pcrf'jin.l prefence and bravery, 

 in repulfing the attack, a total defeat miift haveeiifued. As 

 it was, general Marfigli, with twenty other officers of note, 

 and 400 ioldiers, perifhed in this affair. It became necef- 

 fary to augment the guard of tlie trenches to nine batta- 

 lions, and coiiftrufl new lines. In fix days a complete chain 

 of works was elhibliftied from the bridge along the Save to 

 its influx with the Daiuihe, and from thence afcending the 

 courfe of the latter river to the camp of Semlin, defended 

 ■with redaubts, and well provided with artillery ; iufomucli, 



that from the moment of their completion, the garrifon at- 

 tempted no farther fallics. 



On the Z3-d of July, the cannonade and bombardment 

 commenced from all the Auftrian batteries, with dreadful 

 efFe£l, and by the 30th, Belgrade refembled, towards the 

 water, a heap of ruins. But the excellent ftate of their 

 fortifications on the fide of the beficging camp, and expecta- 

 tions of approaching fuccours, animated the garrifon to main- 

 tain a nioft vigorous refilfaiice. Their expeftations were 

 not delufive. Tiie grand vizier, having drained the Turkifh 

 province:! of fo'diers to complete his army, had already began 

 his march, and on the 28th his advanced parties appeared 

 in fight, and began to flcirmifli with the Auftrian out-pofts. 

 The iiur.iber of thefe marauders daily increafed, and on the 

 laft of July, tlie vizir with his whole army arrived in prefence 

 of the Imperialifts. But inftead of attacking prince Eugene 

 as the latter expefted, he encamped upon the heights above 

 the Auftrian camp with all his forces, fupporting his right 

 flank by the Danube, and llretching his left towards the 

 Save. The following days were fpent in preparing batteries, 

 throwing up entrenchments, and making approaches againft 

 the works of the Imperialifts, as if they had literally been a 

 town befieged. Eugene found himfelf compelled, by this 

 mode of attack, to adopt new difpofitions. He inftituted 

 additional arlillery on his own lines, defended all the ave- 

 nues with chcvaux de frize, mined the ground before the 

 jlecJie already mentioned, and called in part of his troops 

 from the oppofite bank of the Save. Neverthelefs, the 

 Turks, purfuing their projefted plan of operations, pufhed 

 their approaches in fpite of the dreadful havock which the 

 Auftrian bombs and grenades incefTantly made among them 

 to within mulket Ihot of the contravailation. Their army 

 amounted to upwards of 200,000 men. Their works were 

 mounted with 140 pieces of cannon and mortars. The gar- 

 rifon, who now fullained fome refpite from tne fire of the 

 Auftrian batteries, direfted their own upon the tents of the 

 befiegers, and thus fituated, between two hoftilc arnucs, who 

 from their iituation commanded more or lefs ever)- part of 

 his pofition, Eugene found himfelf enfiladed by the fire of 

 upwards of 250 pieces of artillery. His fituation became 

 every day more precarious. The dyfentery, which for the 

 laft month had done great mifchief in his camp, now raged 

 to fuch a degree that hundreds were buried in a day. A 

 mortality prevailed among the horfcs, in confequence of 

 which half of the K:avalry were difmounttd ; and an army 

 \shieh, at the opening of the campaign, amounted to above 

 8o,coo men, could not now mufter60jOOO efteftive. Though 

 no immediate fearcity of provifions or ammunition was 

 experienced, yet the difappointment of the expeftations 

 prince Eugene had conceived, that the Turks would be 

 obliged to retire for want of provifions, obliged him to de- 

 termine without delay on fome decifive meafure ; cfpecially 

 as the vizier hnd occupied an eminence adjoining the Save, 

 with a confiderable body of troops, and might, by fending 

 10 or 30,000 men acrofs the ri^er, have rendered a re- 

 treat, in cafe of defeat, impracticable to the Auflrians, 

 Under thefe civcun-.ftances, it was refolved, in a general 

 council of war held on the r5th of Augnft, to be before- 

 hand with the enemy, by making a decifive attack on tlieir 

 camp. The detachmciita beyond the Save were imme- 

 diately called ill, except about 1,400 foot, and 300 horfe. 

 Seven regiments of cavalry and ten battalions, with all 

 the difmcunted horfe and dragoous, wire left in the lines 

 to ob;^: ve the garrifon. Eleven regiments of cavalry, com- 

 mandi-d by field marfhal count Palfi, and general count 

 Merci, compofcd two lines on the right, and marched out 

 before midnight. The left wing, confifting of 12 regi- 

 ments 



