The Battle of Boxtel was fought in the Duchy of Brabant on 14–15 September 1794, during the War of the First Coalition. It was part of the Flanders Campaign of 1793–94 in which British, Dutch and Austrian troops had attempted to launch an invasion of France through Flanders. It is often remembered as being the debut action of Arthur Wellesley, who later became the 1st Duke of Wellington.
Background
For almost two years the combined Coalition army under the overall command of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg had struggled against the Republican French armies in attempts to invade France from the north through Flanders. The Coalition had initially been successful but following rebuffs at Tourcoing and Fleurus, by the summer of 1794 the balance had turned and the allies began to retreat northwards, pursued by an increasingly resurgent French army led by Jean-Charles Pichegru. By 24 July the Allies had separated, with the Austrian forces under Clerfayt withdrawing with ever greater haste towards Liége, obliging the now independent Anglo-Hanoverian contingent under the Duke of York to pull back across the Dutch frontier.
On 29 July York's forces took up a new position defending the line of the River Aa, from 's-Hertogenbosch south eastwards towards the Peel morass. Outposts were placed eight miles in advance on the River Dommel, one of the chief of these being some 1,500 men under Hesse-Darmstadt Major General Georg von Düring at the small town of Boxtel, consisting of two Hessian infantry battalions (Leib Grenadiers and Landgraf regiments), two companies of Jägers, two cannon, two squadrons of British 15th Light Dragoons (under Lt. Colonel George Churchill), four squadrons of Irvine's Émigré Hussars and two squadrons each of Hompesch and Choiseul Hussars. Nearby outposts consisted of the Hesse-Kassel infantry and a cavalry contingent (one battalion and five squadrons) at Ollaud under General Major Karl von Linsingen, and further still to Düring's left at St. Oedenrode, the Hanovarian Corps and the remainder of the British light cavalry under General Major Rudolf von Hammerstein.
The battle
On 14 September Pichegru, wishing to secure the line of the Dommel as he besieged Breda, sent a French force under Antoine Delmas, variously described as a division or "a strong party of observation" – perhaps 10,000 men – to occupy Boxtel. This force advanced from Oisterwijk and fell upon the Hessian piquets at around 3 pm, forcing these back to the other side of the Dommel, but were unable to seize the bridges near Boxtel, which were broken down by the defenders. Similarly, further to the east: They arrived on the plain in front of St. Oedenrode with a superior cavalry force, and an infantry column on the road from Beest, whose strength could not be ascertained because of the intersected and closed terrain. Our outposts were immediately pushed back to the main pickets, and the enemy attacked with two columns. They could not make much progress, because of the resistance offered by the pickets... they tried to take these [bridges], but were prevented from doing this by the heavy and effective fire of the Hanoverian Jäger and the Loyal Emigrés, supported by an amusette.
Though the French captured the bridge at Nijnsel, the Hessians defended their outposts east of Boxtel until around 6 pm, when Chef d'Escadron Jacob Marulaz, at the head of 30 troopers of the 8th Hussars, was able to cross a ford west of St. Oedenrode, "partly by swimming, and partly by rafts". This force swept behind the Hessian positions at Boxtel, attacked the infantry in the rear and quickly overran them. The two infantry battalions surrendered or were cut down, while the allied cavalry, which was unable to form up in the narrow streets, were driven off towards Middelrode. The Hessian losses were around 300 infantry, some 50 men each for Irwine's and Hompesch's cavalry, plus the two cannon.
Lieutenant Powell of the British 14th Foot was with his unit at the village of Middelrode and reports how: We met Unwin's (Irwine's) Hussars coming in as hard as they could gallop, with swords drawn, saying that all the troops that were at Boxtel had been cut to pieces, except them & they owed their safety to their horses, (which I believe very true & with their own inclination for they had not the least wish to stay with (us) which they ought to have done, nor do I believe there was a single man wounded.