David Carnegie Andrew Agnew

“ But it was the invasion of Silesia by Frederick of Prussia that gave its shape to the war. It was fortunate for the honour of England that the Parliament, in the spring of 1741, sent to the royal lady a subsidy of £300,000; and that this sum, turned to account and augmented by the devoted loyalty of the Hungarians, was of great service to her. It atoned for the scrape into which our King George thrust himself by his inopportune visit to Hanover in the month of May, when the approach of the French compelled him to promise to be neutral for a year. ”

“ After various marches and counter-marches an action happened between the right wing of the French and the left of the allied army at Roucoux, near Liege. Ligonier led the whole left wing, and when, after great loss and gallant conduct, some battalions gave way, he rallied them and brought them again to the charge. At the close of the action he made a retreat that did him great honour — a retreat much admired and praised by Marshal Saxe. ”

“ Ligonier’s regiment suffered much, and gained great reputation. After the victory, the king invested him with the insignia of a Knight of the Bath on the field, under the royal standard. [3]
The year 1744 is remarkable, so far as Britain is concerned, for the beginning of the last plot to win the British crown for a Stuart. France became so demonstrative, that it was compelled by common honesty to issue a formal declaration of war with our country, and to become a principal belligerent. No blow was struck on British soil, either in 1744 or the greater part of 1745. ”

“ The scene of action was Flanders. On the 1st May 1745 was fought the Battle of Fontenoy (or Tournay) . “The French army of 76,000 men under Marshal Saxe,” says the Student’s Hume, “occupied a strong position; the allied army numbered only about 50,000 men, of whom 28,000 were English and Hanoverians.” The latter would have carried the French lines if the Dutch had not stood aloof. Voltaire declares that if the Dutch had advanced while the British infantry were repeatedly driving back the enemy, there would have been no escape for the French king (Louis XV.) , or for his army. ”

“ Jean Louis de Ligonier was born at Castres [1] on the 7th November 1680; he came to England in the year 1697. On the declaration of war in 1702, he accompanied the British army to Flanders as a volunteer, and immediately, by prodigious bravery, attracted the attention of the Duke of Marlborough. On the 23rd October 1702, he and another volunteer, the Honourable Allan Wentworth, brother of Lord Raby, were the two first who mounted the breach at the storming of the citadel of Liege. Wentworth was killed at the side of John Ligonier. ”

“ The French accounts at the time speak of the intrepidity of the English infantry, and of their prodigious fire. And our Gazette stated, that “the honour gained by the infantry was in a great measure owing to the conduct and bravery of Lieutenant General Sir John Ligonier.” Mr. Jacob gives the particulars. The famous attack of the French intrenchments was commanded by Sir John Ligonier in person. Everything gave way to British intrepidity, the troops remaining masters of the field of battle for upwards of two hours. ”

“ However, in 1742, the British in Flanders, under the command of the Earl of Stair, were hampered by the apathy of the Dutch, and got no opportunity of acting. Ligonier became a Lieutenant-General on the 8th of February 1743. A European war had now set in; and on the 16th of June the battle of Dettingen was fought. Lieutenant-General Ligonier was, with General Honeyman, Lieutenant-General Campbell, &c., placed at the head of the first line of the cavalry; and after the retreat of the, French, was ordered with Campbell to pass the morass and march with the horse straight to Dettingen. ”

“ Round the pyramid are medallions representing the four sovereigns whom the Earl served about seventy years. The following is the inscription : — In memory of John, Earl Ligonier, Baron of Ripley, in Surrey, Viscount of Inniskilling, and Viscount of Clonmell, Field-Marshal and Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty’s Forces, Master-General of the Ordnance, Colonel of the First Regiment of Foot Guards, one of His Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council, and Knight of the Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath. Died 28th of April 1770, aged ninety-two years. ”

“ Some time ago I had the honour to inform your Excellency that the Spanish fleet was in sight of this island; a few days after they landed at Majorca, and have met since with all the good success they could desire. By the ill defence of the Governor of Alcudia, they are masters of all except the capital, Palma, where the Viceroy [Marquis de Ruby] is with 2500 regular troops; and as the town is strong, and they attack him but with 7000 men, I believe the siege will be long. ”

“ And he was raised to the peerage on the 21st of December by the title of Viscount Ligonier of Enniskillen, in the kingdom of Ireland. An Irish peer may represent an English constituency in parliament, so he retained his seat in the House of Commons. Lord George Sackville succeeded him in the Ordnance Office. ”

“ His territorial dominions now belonged to his only child and heiress, Henrietta Maria. The nearest male relative was Charles, Elector of Bavaria, who had the prospect of being elected to the dignity of Emperor ”