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The Siege of Antwerp

As the siege and capture of Antwerp was in its day considered as the most important military occurrence of the age, the history of its progress merits a detailed notice. The city of Antwerp stands upon the right bank of the river Scheldt. The stream is deep and the tides are rapid, so that the largest vessels could approach its banks. Below the city the river divides into several large branches or arms, and thus forms the islands which compose the province of Zealand, by which there are safe communications by water with the several towns of that province, which was then in the possession of the Dutch. These towns were filled with seamen, and they were in possession of powerful naval armaments, and of arsenals where other vessels could be equipped with facility. They also contained abundance of storehouses filled with all the implements of war, and others provided with necessary articles for subsistence, such as were indispensable in a large city when in a state of siege.

The mouth of this river on both sides was commanded by powerful forts in the hands of the friends of the defenders of the city, but which at the commencement of the siege were taken by the assailants. By the possession of Ghent, which the Spaniards had gained soon after the commencement of the siege, and of the other strong places near the upper part of the river, no means of relieving the besieged could be drawn from that quarter ; but supplies, which were conveyed by the Scheldt from Friesland, forbade the expectation that by means of famine the city could ever be compelled to surrender. The extent of the works surrounding the city, the strength of the citadel that commanded it, the number of men under arms within it, and especially the tried courage, skill, and inflexibility of the commander, whom Prince Maurice of Orange, the successor of the assassinated prince, had recommended, rendered inoperative all the efforts on land to reduce the place.

The commander was Philippe de Marnix, lord of St Aldegonde, and generally known by that name; he was the intimate confidant of William, and one of those who opened the first scene of the opposition to the tyrannical measures of the king of Spain.

The Duke of Parma soon saw that, in spite of the forts which he had erected on the banks of the river, the vessels from Friesland, laden with provisions, could with little risk, when favoured by the rapid tide and a good breeze, pass to the city and return with very little or no injury. He then conceived and planned the execution of a bridge over the stream, at a bend of the river near to Lillo and Lief'enschoeck ; and thus, by shutting up the passage, hoped to reduce the city by famine. At the spot selected, the breadth of the stream is 24-00 feet, or about half a mile. The execution of this work was intrusted to acelebrated Italian engineer named Barroccio, who had been sent by King Philip for the purpose, as soon as the project of the duke had been communicated to him ; a man well calculated to carry into effect the great project which Parma had originally formed in his own mind, without intimation from any of the general officers, many of whom opposed his views, as being impracticable.

The first steps were the erecting of two strong forts on the opposite sides of the river, and then throwing forward two piers from each side, which were to correspond in the middle when half the waterway was closed. The piers were formed of stakes driven firmly into the bed of the river, and rested on hard sand below the mud ; and they were cemented with masses of earth and stones, and, when at a proper height, were covered with planks, and defended by parapets, on which cannon were mounted.

The vacancy between the termination of the two piers was filled up by a bridge of boats fastened together by chains, and secured by anchors. They were thus moored so as to yield to the rising and falling of the tide, and were armed with a great number of cannon. For the construction of this work, almost all the labour of the country was put in requisition. Carpenters, shipwrights, smiths, and even masons, were all compelled to work at this erection; whilst great numbers of other men were employed in cutting down the trees in the neighbouring district of Waaslande to furnish materials. Heavy contributions were extorted from every part under the Spanish authority; and thus, as neither money nor labor was spared, a few months were sufficient to complete the bridge, which was twelve feet in breadth, so that eight men could march abreast, and were under the protection of wooden bulwarks, which were musket-proof.

But the work was not suffered to proceed without some interrnptions. The Antwerpers burned some and captured others of the boats on which the bridge was to be erected, and many vessels succeeded in forc'ing their passage through the unfinished bridge, and conveyed cargoes of provisions to the besieged. Some of these, however, being captured, orders were issued in Zealand that no single ship should attempt to force a passage, but should wait till a fleet had been collected, to proceed in concert. By way of creating a diversion in favour of the besieged, an attempt was made by the Frieslanders under Prince Hohenlohe to seize the city of Bois-le-Duc, then garrisoned by Spaniards ; but though at first successful, the ultimate issue was a repulse, with considerable loss of life to the Frieslanders.

The approach of winter caused the S aniards some apprehension for the fate of their yet an ished work, and for a time totally suspended it; and when the frost broke up, some fears were entertained that the great masses of ice brought down from the upper art of the river might carry away the works by their weight ; but fortunately the larger bodies of ice grounded near the piles, and melting there, caused little or no damage. When the ice had thus been removed, the work was completed, and the entrance closed. Other contrivances were adopted to impede the passage of ships, especially some rafts, composed of thirty vessels loaded with ballast, and armed with sharp iron points to entangle vessels attempting to ascend.

This prodigious work, which required six months to complete, so securely barred the entrance of provisions and stores from Zealand, that the destruction of it required the most sedulous exertions of the besieged; and efforts were immediately commenced to effect that object. An Italian by birth, but who had been long established in Antwerp, named Giambelli, had intrusted to him the construction of the engines to destroy the bridge, and to open a passage fora fleet loaded with provisions which had been prepared in Zealand.

The consternation excited in Antwerp at the prospect of the completion of the bridge was so great, that when nown it was considered as the operation of the Evil Spirit; but that view soon gave way to a firm resolution to counteract this work of the demons. Giambelli, being skilful as a fire-worker as well as an engineer, determined, by means of explosion and mining, to destroy the bridge. To effect his purpose, be required three of the largest ships lying at Antwerp to be used as mines, and sixty smaller and fiat-bottomed vessels to be converted into fire-ships; but motives of economy had such weight with the inhabitants, that he was compelled to contract the plan of his operations; He could only prevail on the council to give him two ships, and those of small size, and thirty-two flat-bottomed barges.

The mining-ships had a magazine built of masonry three feet in height, the same in breadth, and sixty feet in length, to be filled with gunpowder. It was covered with a roof formed of mill and other hard stones, six feet in thickness, that by its weight the explosion should take effect in a sideway direction. These mines were charged with between six and seven thousand pounds of the finest gunpowder, and between it and the roof was laid a vast quantity of stones, iron bars, and all such other pieces of iron as could be most easily got together. Through a hole in the mine, a due quantity of match to ignite it was introduced. The whole was on the outside so finished as to have the appearance of only a common fire-ship. The interior of the mining ships were furnished with mechanical clock-work, by which, when the hand reached a certain point, it would move a spring connected with a musket-lock, by which the match would kindle, and the explosion would be produced.

The flat bottomed vessels were filled with combustibles to act as fire-ships, as the destruction of the bridge was to depend on the mines; but these were thought necessary to hide the main design of destroying the bridge by the floating volcanoes, and to attract the attention of the enemy’s artillery whilst the volcanoes were getting to their proper station. This formidable fleet, on the 4th of April, at the close of the day, departed from Antwerp, at the moment of the first reflux of the tide. First proceeded a small fireboat, then the thirty-two fire-ships, in four tiers of eight each, fastened together with chains. The two floatingmines closed the squadron. The direction of the vessels was intrusted to a number of boats, well manned with rowers, by which means the whole was brought into and kept in the middle of the stream.

The report of some great intended effort of the besieged had been spread in the Spanish army, and proper measures of watchfulness were adopted, by strengthening the guards on the forts, on the banks of the river, and on the bridge, so that, at the first appearance of the squadron, each corps was at its proper post, waiting tranquilly the approach of the enemy. The outposts on the river first observed the fire-boat in flames, and then the others appeared with their burning fires, hiding the mining vessels in their rear. Every man was quickly in motion. The whole bridge, from one end to the other, was crowded with troops, as well as the forts at each end of it, and the batteries on both shores; and each gunner stood with his linstock ready to discharge the cannon. The Duke of Parma was himself present giving his orders, and observing the astonishing spectacle. Not only the combustibles in the vessels, but the vessels themselves, appeared to be in flames. The stream was illuminated, and the bank blazed with the reflection. The squadron had approached to within two thousand feet of the bridge, when the preparation of the mines was completed, and the boats that had towed them cut offand removed to a distance to wait the expected explosion.

The squadron, thus too early left to the sole direction of the tide, was drifted in different directions. Some of the fire-ships got on shoals, and there burned out without doing any mischief; the smallest of the two mines got on shore, sprung a leak, and sunk ; others of the fire-ships became entangled in the floating vessels, and burnt themselves out. All danger' seemed to the Spaniards to be ever, and they enjoyed their jests at the expense of those who had expended so much time, labour, and money, so inefi'ectually. In a few minutes, however, the largest of the mining-ships descended the stream, and fell on the bridge on the Flemish side, near to where the pier terminated in the fort. The duke was standing near it, and, urged by a young officer who had been an engineer, and knew the skill of Giambelli, to retire from the spot on which he stood, he refused to do so, when the young man seized him by the cloak and pulled him away. At that moment the great magazine exploded.

The report and the shock were tremendous. Even the bottom of the river was turned up by its force, and rushed with impetuosity over the banks. A concussion of the earth, resembling an earthquake, was felt over a circle of ten miles. The contents of the floating volcano, mingled with the ruins of the bridge, with shot, weapons, and the bodies of soldiers and sailors, were blown to an invisible height in the air, and in their fall were scattered over so vast an extent, that scarcely any particle of what they had been was distinguishable. The Duke of Parma with his statf-otiicers were thrown down senseless, and himself severely wounded by one of the beams, which was forced between his head and his shoulders. The Marquis of Richebourg, with two other superior officers, Roubais and Billi, near him, were killed, and more than 800 so!diers perished. The casualties were produced, some by the flood, others by flames; and the fragments of their bodies were scattered far and wide.

When the duke had recovered from his fainting, he immediately gave directions to repair in some degree the damage which his works had sustained. In the night when the explosion took place, and the following day, expectation was alive, in both the opposing forces, for the appearance of the Zealand fleet, to the progress of which the remains of the bridge would have been no obstacle. By some want of combination, that fleet was detained, and the prince inspired those under his command with so much energy, that, directing their united powers to one object, they were enabled, by sinking boats and vessels in the open places, by driving piles, and by fastening chains, to oppose such powerful impediments as prevented the Zealanders from attempting to force the passage up to Antwerp.

The besieged, although thus disappointed, did not give way to despair. Giambelli prepared another floating mine, to which was given the presumptuous name of the End of the \Var; but this machine grounded in descending the stream, and was destroyed without producing any effect on the enemy. There was one resource left to the besieged, which was recommended by the example of the siege of Leyden, where it had been attended with success. It was that of inundating the whole country between Lillo and Stabroch, including the Spanish camp at Bevern. In order to accomplish this, it was necessary to cut through the dike or bank which defended it against the irruption of the Eastern Scheldt. The whole plain intended to be covered with water was traversed by a high and wide counter-dike, called the Dike of Couvestien; and the Duke of Parma, knowing its importance, had early taken possession of it, and had protected it by several strong forts. The garrison, aided by the Zealanders, made two spirited attacks on this series of works, in the latter of which the blood of both parties was most prof usely shed.

Each fought with the most desperate valor; but finally the confederates were repulsed, leaving three thousand dead upon the dike, or at its base, and the Spaniards lost more than eight hundred men. The unsuccessful issue of these several efforts had its effect on the population of Antwerp. The scarcity of provisions already felt, and the prospect of the famine which evidently impended, made some clamorous and most anxious for peace. This disposition led to negotiations for surrender, and the commander Aldegonde hilnselfrepaired to the camp of Parma to open a treaty; but the duke would not listen to the terms proposed, which required an amnesty for all past transactions, and permission to the Protestants to be allowed to follow their own religious opinions.

Other negotiations followed, and, while they were depending, the surrender of Mechlin to the Spaniards cut off the little hope of a supply of provisions which had hitherto existed. The clamours of the inhabitants became so loud, that the council and the commander were compelled to yield: they proceeded in a body to the Spanish camp, and there, after a close siege of fourteen months’ duration, a capitulation was signed on the 17th of August 1585. The terms of it were, that the city should submit itself to the king of Spain in his character of Duke of Brabant; that all past events should be forgotten ; that the Catholic religion alone should be exercised, and that those of other persuasions be allowed four years to dispose of their property and withdraw ; that the churches should be rebuilt at the expense of the citizens.

The capture of Antwerp was one of those Important events the consequences of which became of less weight as time advanced; but these consequences were ultimately more in favour of the vanquished than of the triumphant party. Both parties had been weakened by the long contests which had been carried on ; and both had nearly exhausted their powers in the struggle, which left them in such a state that a great degree of inactivity prevailed. Spain had acquired in the ten provinces a full authority, which no exertions on their part could shake off. The united provinces had also secured their independence and self-government, and, from the nature of their country, and the adaptation thereto of their naval power, were enabled to bid defiance to any attempts made to subjugate them to the power of Spain.