Crossing of the Somme
Encyclopedia
The Crossing of the Somme took place on 5 August 1636 during the Thirty Years' War
and the Franco-Spanish War when units of the Spanish Army of Flanders
, the Imperial Army and the Duchy of Lorraine under Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano
, lieutenant of the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria, crossed the Somme river
near Bray-sur-Somme
during its offensive in French territory. Despite the fierce resistance of the French army led by Louis de Bourbon, Count of Soissons, the Spanish troops successfully crossed the river and drove off the French troops along the Oise river
, proceeding over the following weeks to invest the important fortress of Corbie
, located two leagues of Amiens
, which caused a spread of panic among the population of Paris
.
and Gaspard III de Coligny
, allied with the Dutch States Army
, invaded the Spanish Netherlands from two sides and threatened Brussels
before investing
Leuven
. The siege ended in a costly failure because of bad logistics and organization, and as the French army was decimated by the plague. The Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand, governor of the Spanish Netherlands, counterattacked and expelled the invaders, concentrating his resources against the Dutch over the following months. The recapture by the statholder Frederick Henry of Orange of the key fortress of Schenkenschans
did not discouraged the Spanish, and the Count-Duke of Olivares continued determined to concentrate the war effort against the Dutch.
After suffer further defeats against the armies of the Duke Charles of Lorraine
and the Imperial generalissimo Matthias Gallas
in the Rhine, Alsace
and Lorraine, the French armies remained focused in the defense and reconquest of strategic places in these territories. The conquest of the Franche-Comté
, entrusted to Henri de Bourbon, Prince de Condé and Charles de La Porte de La Meilleraye
, soon became an absolute priority to the Cardinal Richelieu. The Holy Roman Emperor
, Ferdinand II
, whose position in Germany had strengthened since the Peace of Prague
, meanwhile, projected an invasion of the eastern France under Matthias Gallas, but as logistical and financial problems diminished his force, he proposed a joint invasion to the Cardinal-Infante. Philip IV of Spain
and Olivares rapidly agreed.
A lightly equipped army ranging from 10,000–12,000 infantry and 13,000 cavalry soldiers to 18,000 soldiers of both types, including an imperialist contingent under Ottavio Piccolomini was gathered at Mons
during June. On 4 July the Cardinal-Infante crossed the frontier via Avesnes
and took the fortresses of Le Catelet
and La Capelle
. Though having large garrisons, La Capelle surrendered after only four days of siege and Le Catelet, one of the strongest fortresses of France, after three days thanks to the exploding shells used by the Spanish army, a recent innovation yet unfamiliar to the French. The alarming advance of the Cardinal-Infante forced Louis XIII to return to Paris from Fontainebleau
. By then Ferdinand was in Cambrai
and had left the command of his army to the Prince Thomas Francis of Carignano, the commander of the Army of Flanders
.
with the aim of continue the invasion and attract Louis de Bourbon, Count of Soissons, who was in Picardie
in command of a force of 14,000 soldiers, and his army to the town. Having arrived at the fields in front of Saint Quentin, the Prince changed the route of the army and advanced towards the Somme river
. The Cardinal Infante sent to him don Esteban de Gamarra, a gentleman in his confidence, to transmit the order to cross the Somme at the village Bray-sur-Somme
or at an easier place even if the French armies were guarding the riverside. Pontoon
s and boats were dispatched from Cambrai for this purpose.
The Prince put on alert his Maestres de Campo and Colonel
s and set route to Bray. On 4 August his troops occupied a small island in middle of the river and soon a skirmish began with the French troops on the other riverside. The Count of Soissons, who were stationed with his troops on a nearby hill, believed that the Spanish were attempting to cross the river in that place and detached its batallions and squadron
s near the riverside to reject every attempt. The Marquis of Fontenay, who led these troops, set fire to the village and entrenched his soldiers in a series of forts built in the riverside. The skirmish continued a long time with artillery and musketry fire. According to the French, only 20 of his soldiers were killed, among them the Comte de Matha, captain of a company of the Régiment des Gardes
.
The Prince ordered his Tercios of Spaniards march to the village of Cerisy
, located a league south of Bray, and cross there the river. A pontoon bridge
was promptly tended from one bank to the opposite, and large amounts of s previously prepared were spread on the marsh
y land to facilitate the crossing of the soldiers. Only the Régiment de Piedmont was in that place to confront the Spaniards. These formed in squadron at the riverside and became involved in a stubborn fight that lasted for three hours. The Régiment de Piedmont, reinforced by a company of the Régiment des Gardes, tried to expel them from the pontoons and the road of faggots with great fierceness, but thanks to the presence of the Prince, who took the command of the attack, the Spaniards managed to cross the river and drove off the Régiment de Piemont from the riverside.
The Maestro de Campo Alonso Pérez de Vivero y Menchaca, Count of Fuensaldaña, put then his soldiers to work in the digging of trench
es to cover them from a possible counterattack. The Spanish artillery and some musketeer
s riddled the forest where the Régiment de Piedmont had sought coverage and forced the few surviving troops to retreat leaving behind about 300 corpses. The Prince lost that day around 35 soldiers killed and 50 wounded. The French losses could had been higher if the Spanish cavalry
had crossed the river on time to pursuit them, but this did not happened and Soissons was able to withdraw his troops in good order.
The Prince of Carignano, searching the destruction of the retreating French army, dispatched Ottavio Piccolomini in command of his cavalry and Johann von Werth
with the Spanish cavalry behind the Count of Soissons, who was forced to pass the Oise river
. The harassment of the German and Spanish cavalry diminished the strength of the French army, finding the Spanish-Imerial troops abandoned corpses and weapons at his advance. Piccolomini's persecution of the retreating French army lead him to Roye
, which he captured and from where he reached Compiègne
and advanced further into French territory, which caused consternation in Paris. Meanwhile, Soissons retreated to Noyon
pursued by Johann von Werth. The Bavarian
general destroyed 5 French cavalry regiments near the town, but he had not enough forced to attempt its capture.
On 7 Agusut the Prince of Carignano, by orders of the Cardinal-Infante, invested the vital fortress of Corbie
, which surrendered to him a week later. The following day Louis XIII wrote to the Prince of Condé
ordering him to abandon the siege of Dôle
and to withdraw from the Franche-Comté to help to defend Paris. At the French court it was believed that after Corbie the Spanish would advance further into France. Piccolomini, who was wishing of do so, tried to persuade the Cardinal-Infante, but this considered that more ambitious operations could risk his army and was resolved to retreat. He was back in Cambrai in early September, before Matthias Gallas' invasion of France had begun, and the French armies regained most of the lost ground over the following months.
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
and the Franco-Spanish War when units of the Spanish Army of Flanders
Army of Flanders
The Army of Flanders was a Spanish Habsburg army based in the Netherlands during the 16th to 18th centuries. It was notable for being the longest standing army of the period, being in continuous service from 1567 until its disestablishment in 1706...
, the Imperial Army and the Duchy of Lorraine under Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano
Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano
Thomas Francis of Savoy was an Italian military commander, the founder of the Savoy-Carignano branch of the House of Savoy which reigned as kings of Sardinia from 1831 to 1861, and as kings of Italy from 1861 until the...
, lieutenant of the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria, crossed the Somme river
Somme River
The Somme is a river in Picardy, northern France. The name Somme comes from a Celtic word meaning tranquility. The department Somme was named after this river....
near Bray-sur-Somme
Bray-sur-Somme
Bray-sur-Somme is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The communes is situated on the D1 and D329 road junction, some east-northeast of Amiens....
during its offensive in French territory. Despite the fierce resistance of the French army led by Louis de Bourbon, Count of Soissons, the Spanish troops successfully crossed the river and drove off the French troops along the Oise river
Oise River
The River Oise is a right tributary of the River Seine, flowing for 302 km in Belgium and France. Its source is in the Belgian province Hainaut, south of the town Chimay. It crosses the border with France after about 20 km. It flows into the Seine in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, near Paris...
, proceeding over the following weeks to invest the important fortress of Corbie
Corbie
Corbie is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. It lies in the valley of the River Somme, at the confluence of the River Ancre. The town...
, located two leagues of Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, which caused a spread of panic among the population of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Background
Shortly after France declared the war on Spain in May 1635, a French army under the Marshals of France Urbain de Maillé-BrézéUrbain de Maillé-Brézé
Urbain de Maillé-Brézé , was a Marshal of France during the Thirty Years' War and Franco-Spanish War .- Biography :...
and Gaspard III de Coligny
Gaspard III de Coligny
Gaspard III de Coligny, Maréchal de Châtillon, of the House of Coligny , comte de Coligny and seigneur de Châtillon-sur-Loing, then duc de Coligny, marquis d'Andelot, Peer of France, Marshal of France , was a French Protestant general.He was the son of François de Coligny and his wife Marguerite...
, allied with the Dutch States Army
Dutch States Army
The Dutch States Army was the army of the Dutch Republic. It was usually called this, because it was formally the army of the States-General of the Netherlands, the sovereign power of that federal republic...
, invaded the Spanish Netherlands from two sides and threatened Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
before investing
Siege of Leuven
The Siege of Leuven was an important siege in the Thirty Years' War in which a Franco-Dutch army under Frederick Henry of Orange and the French Marshals Urbain de Maillé-Brezé and Gaspard III de Coligny, who had invaded the Spanish Netherlands from two sides, laid siege to the Spanish city of...
Leuven
Leuven
Leuven is the capital of the province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region, Belgium...
. The siege ended in a costly failure because of bad logistics and organization, and as the French army was decimated by the plague. The Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand, governor of the Spanish Netherlands, counterattacked and expelled the invaders, concentrating his resources against the Dutch over the following months. The recapture by the statholder Frederick Henry of Orange of the key fortress of Schenkenschans
Siege of Schenkenschans
The Siege of Schenkenschans was one of the more important sieges of the Eighty Years' War. The capture of the strategically located fortress by the Spanish army of the Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Austria opened up the Dutch Republic to a possible invasion...
did not discouraged the Spanish, and the Count-Duke of Olivares continued determined to concentrate the war effort against the Dutch.
After suffer further defeats against the armies of the Duke Charles of Lorraine
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
Charles IV was Duke of Lorraine from 1624 to 1634, when he abdicated under French pressure in favor of his younger brother, and again from 1661 until 1675.- Biography :...
and the Imperial generalissimo Matthias Gallas
Matthias Gallas
Matthias Gallas, Graf von Campo und Herzog von Lucera , was an Austrian soldier, who first saw service in Flanders, then in Savoy with the Spaniards, and subsequently joined the forces of the Catholic League as captain during the Thirty Years' War.On the general outbreak of hostilities in Germany,...
in the Rhine, Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
and Lorraine, the French armies remained focused in the defense and reconquest of strategic places in these territories. The conquest of the Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
, entrusted to Henri de Bourbon, Prince de Condé and Charles de La Porte de La Meilleraye
Charles de La Porte
Charles de La Porte was a French nobleman and general. He was marquis then duke of La Meilleraye, duke of Rethel and peer of France, baron of Parthenay and of Saint-Maixent, count of Secondigny, seigneur of Le Boisliet, La Lunardière, La Jobelinière and Villeneuve.In 1639 he became Marshal of...
, soon became an absolute priority to the Cardinal Richelieu. The Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
, Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
, whose position in Germany had strengthened since the Peace of Prague
Peace of Prague (1635)
The Peace of Prague of 30 May 1635 was a treaty between the Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand II and the Electorate of Saxony representing most of the Protestant states of the Holy Roman Empire...
, meanwhile, projected an invasion of the eastern France under Matthias Gallas, but as logistical and financial problems diminished his force, he proposed a joint invasion to the Cardinal-Infante. Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
and Olivares rapidly agreed.
A lightly equipped army ranging from 10,000–12,000 infantry and 13,000 cavalry soldiers to 18,000 soldiers of both types, including an imperialist contingent under Ottavio Piccolomini was gathered at Mons
Mons
Mons is a Walloon city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut, of which it is the capital. The Mons municipality includes the old communes of Cuesmes, Flénu, Ghlin, Hyon, Nimy, Obourg, Baudour , Jemappes, Ciply, Harmignies, Harveng, Havré, Maisières, Mesvin, Nouvelles,...
during June. On 4 July the Cardinal-Infante crossed the frontier via Avesnes
Avesnes
Avesnes is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.-Geography:The commune is a very small village situated some 12 miles northeast of Montreuil-sur-Mer, on the D 129 E 1.-Population:-References:* -External links:*...
and took the fortresses of Le Catelet
Le Catelet
Le Catelet is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-References:*...
and La Capelle
La Capelle
La Capelle is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France.-Population:-References:*...
. Though having large garrisons, La Capelle surrendered after only four days of siege and Le Catelet, one of the strongest fortresses of France, after three days thanks to the exploding shells used by the Spanish army, a recent innovation yet unfamiliar to the French. The alarming advance of the Cardinal-Infante forced Louis XIII to return to Paris from Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
. By then Ferdinand was in Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
and had left the command of his army to the Prince Thomas Francis of Carignano, the commander of the Army of Flanders
Army of Flanders
The Army of Flanders was a Spanish Habsburg army based in the Netherlands during the 16th to 18th centuries. It was notable for being the longest standing army of the period, being in continuous service from 1567 until its disestablishment in 1706...
.
Battle
The Prince of Carignano took over the army and headed to Saint QuentinSaint-Quentin, Aisne
Saint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century....
with the aim of continue the invasion and attract Louis de Bourbon, Count of Soissons, who was in Picardie
Picardie
Picardy is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northern part of France.-History:The historical province of Picardy stretched from north of Noyon to Calais, via the whole of the Somme department and the north of the Aisne department...
in command of a force of 14,000 soldiers, and his army to the town. Having arrived at the fields in front of Saint Quentin, the Prince changed the route of the army and advanced towards the Somme river
Somme River
The Somme is a river in Picardy, northern France. The name Somme comes from a Celtic word meaning tranquility. The department Somme was named after this river....
. The Cardinal Infante sent to him don Esteban de Gamarra, a gentleman in his confidence, to transmit the order to cross the Somme at the village Bray-sur-Somme
Bray-sur-Somme
Bray-sur-Somme is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The communes is situated on the D1 and D329 road junction, some east-northeast of Amiens....
or at an easier place even if the French armies were guarding the riverside. Pontoon
Pontoon (boat)
A pontoon is a flotation device with buoyancy sufficient to float itself as well as a heavy load. A pontoon boat is a flattish boat that relies on pontoons to float. Pontoons may be used on boats, rafts, barges, docks, floatplanes or seaplanes. Pontoons may support a platform, creating a raft. A...
s and boats were dispatched from Cambrai for this purpose.
The Prince put on alert his Maestres de Campo and Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
s and set route to Bray. On 4 August his troops occupied a small island in middle of the river and soon a skirmish began with the French troops on the other riverside. The Count of Soissons, who were stationed with his troops on a nearby hill, believed that the Spanish were attempting to cross the river in that place and detached its batallions and squadron
Squadron
Squadron has different meanings:*Squadron , a cavalry or other unit that consists of a number of troops.*Squadron , a unit of aircraft that consists of three or four "flights", with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, depending on aircraft type and air force.*Squadron , a unit of 3-4 major naval vessels...
s near the riverside to reject every attempt. The Marquis of Fontenay, who led these troops, set fire to the village and entrenched his soldiers in a series of forts built in the riverside. The skirmish continued a long time with artillery and musketry fire. According to the French, only 20 of his soldiers were killed, among them the Comte de Matha, captain of a company of the Régiment des Gardes
Gardes Françaises
The Gardes Françaises was one of the two non-ceremonial infantry regiments in the "Maison du Roi" of the French Army under the Ancien Régime. The other regiment was the Gardes Suisses, which made the Gardes Françaises the only one recruited from France.-History:The regiment was created in 1563 by...
.
The Prince ordered his Tercios of Spaniards march to the village of Cerisy
Cerisy
Cerisy is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Cerisy is a small village in the district known as the Santerre, to the east of Amiens and 12 km from Albert.-Population:-External links:* *...
, located a league south of Bray, and cross there the river. A pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
was promptly tended from one bank to the opposite, and large amounts of s previously prepared were spread on the marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
y land to facilitate the crossing of the soldiers. Only the Régiment de Piedmont was in that place to confront the Spaniards. These formed in squadron at the riverside and became involved in a stubborn fight that lasted for three hours. The Régiment de Piedmont, reinforced by a company of the Régiment des Gardes, tried to expel them from the pontoons and the road of faggots with great fierceness, but thanks to the presence of the Prince, who took the command of the attack, the Spaniards managed to cross the river and drove off the Régiment de Piemont from the riverside.
The Maestro de Campo Alonso Pérez de Vivero y Menchaca, Count of Fuensaldaña, put then his soldiers to work in the digging of trench
Trench
A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground. Trenches are generally defined by being deeper than they are wide , and by being narrow compared to their length ....
es to cover them from a possible counterattack. The Spanish artillery and some musketeer
Musketeer
A musketeer was an early modern type of infantry soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern armies, particularly in Europe. They sometimes could fight on horseback, like a dragoon or a cavalryman...
s riddled the forest where the Régiment de Piedmont had sought coverage and forced the few surviving troops to retreat leaving behind about 300 corpses. The Prince lost that day around 35 soldiers killed and 50 wounded. The French losses could had been higher if the Spanish cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
had crossed the river on time to pursuit them, but this did not happened and Soissons was able to withdraw his troops in good order.
Aftermath
Johann von Werth
Count Johann von Werth , also Jan von Werth or in French Jean de Werth, was a German general of cavalry in the Thirty Years' War.-Biography:...
with the Spanish cavalry behind the Count of Soissons, who was forced to pass the Oise river
Oise River
The River Oise is a right tributary of the River Seine, flowing for 302 km in Belgium and France. Its source is in the Belgian province Hainaut, south of the town Chimay. It crosses the border with France after about 20 km. It flows into the Seine in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, near Paris...
. The harassment of the German and Spanish cavalry diminished the strength of the French army, finding the Spanish-Imerial troops abandoned corpses and weapons at his advance. Piccolomini's persecution of the retreating French army lead him to Roye
Roye, Somme
Roye is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Roye is situated at the junction of the A1 autoroute and the N17 road, on the banks of the Avre, some southeast of Amiens.-Population:-History:...
, which he captured and from where he reached Compiègne
Compiègne
Compiègne is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Oise.The city is located along the Oise River...
and advanced further into French territory, which caused consternation in Paris. Meanwhile, Soissons retreated to Noyon
Noyon
Noyon is a commune in the Oise department in northern France.It lies on the Oise Canal, 100 km north of Paris.-History:...
pursued by Johann von Werth. The Bavarian
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
general destroyed 5 French cavalry regiments near the town, but he had not enough forced to attempt its capture.
On 7 Agusut the Prince of Carignano, by orders of the Cardinal-Infante, invested the vital fortress of Corbie
Corbie
Corbie is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:The small town is situated up river from Amiens, in the département of Somme and is the main town of the canton of Corbie. It lies in the valley of the River Somme, at the confluence of the River Ancre. The town...
, which surrendered to him a week later. The following day Louis XIII wrote to the Prince of Condé
Prince of Condé
The Most Serene House of Condé is a historical French house, a noble lineage of descent from a single ancestor...
ordering him to abandon the siege of Dôle
Dole, Jura
Dole is a commune in the Jura department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France, of which it is a subprefecture ....
and to withdraw from the Franche-Comté to help to defend Paris. At the French court it was believed that after Corbie the Spanish would advance further into France. Piccolomini, who was wishing of do so, tried to persuade the Cardinal-Infante, but this considered that more ambitious operations could risk his army and was resolved to retreat. He was back in Cambrai in early September, before Matthias Gallas' invasion of France had begun, and the French armies regained most of the lost ground over the following months.