Grovestins' Cavalry Raid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Grovestins' cavalry raid in 1712
Part of the War of the Spanish Succession
A Dutch dragoon by Tibout Regters
Date 10 June 1712 - 21 June 1712 Location Champage, Three Bishoprics Result Convention on Contributions to the Dutch Republic enforced
Belligerents
Dutch Republic	Kingdom of France
Commanders and leaders
Frederik Sirtema van Grovestins	Pomponne de Refuge
Strength
1833 men-strong raiding party	200 men-strong Metz garrison

The Grovestins' Cavalry Raid was a quick military trip into northern France. It was carried out by a group of Dutch soldiers on horseback, called a cavalry brigade. This happened between June 10 and July 28, 1712. Major-General Frederik Sirtema van Grovestins led this mission. It took place during the final part of a big conflict called the War of the Spanish Succession.

Why the Raid Happened

During this war, both sides used a tactic called Petite Guerre, which means "small war" in French. This involved cavalry raids, which were fast attacks by soldiers on horseback. These raids had several goals. They aimed to scare people in enemy areas and disrupt their supplies. They also tried to capture valuable items, known as war booty, to help pay for the war.

One common method was to demand "contributions." These were sums of money that towns and villages had to promise to pay. If they paid, the soldiers would not burn or loot their homes. This practice was so common that local leaders often let citizens pay these "contributions" instead of their regular taxes. This way, the government lost money, not the people.

The Grovestins' Raid happened because of a problem with these "contributions." In 1708, the French province of Champagne and the areas of Metz, Toul, and Verdun had agreed to pay money. However, they claimed they owed it to another region, not the Dutch Republic. The Dutch did not agree with this. So, the Dutch government ordered this raid to make sure they got the money they were owed.

The Raid Begins

General Grovestins planned this raid, and Prince Eugene, the main Allied commander, approved it. The raid happened just before the Battle of Denain, which was a very bad battle for the Allied forces.

Grovestins' group of about 1,800 cavalry soldiers, including hussars and dragoons, left their camp on June 10, 1712. They rode through many towns in northern France. Their journey covered about 800 kilometers (500 miles) in 48 days. They finally arrived in Tournai on July 28, 1712.

Key Events During the Raid

The main part of the raid, where they faced resistance, lasted only 11 days. It ended on June 21 in Lötzbeuren. The remaining 37 days were spent traveling at a slower pace, with many rest days.

The first action happened on June 11 in Vervins. The town first refused to let the soldiers in, but then agreed to pay the contribution without a fight. The next day, a small group of soldiers reached Crécy-sur-Serre. A yearly fair was happening there. The soldiers started looting, causing panic. The townspeople threatened to fight back, so the colonel ordered the town to be set on fire. They captured 80 large oxen. However, important people, like the Archbishop of Reims, escaped. This meant Grovestins couldn't take them as valuable hostages.

Also on June 12, the main group reached Neufchâtel-sur-Aisne. The town raised its drawbridge, but then sent a priest to talk. They agreed the soldiers could pass through peacefully, with the priest as a voluntary hostage. So, nothing bad happened. The same day, Suippes surrendered without a fight after its priest talked to the soldiers. The town agreed to pay the contribution the next morning.

On June 13, the soldiers reached Sainte-Menehould. This town also seemed ready to fight. But with many threats, the local leaders agreed to pay and gave up some hostages. The next day, they entered the land of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine. He was friendly with the Dutch. Grovestins told his soldiers to behave well and not harm anyone. When a soldier disobeyed near St. Mihiel, he was immediately executed as an example.

In St. Mihiel, the local governor welcomed Grovestins. After a friendly meeting, the soldiers passed through the city without any problems. In Xivray, a messenger from the Duke promised help with food. The brigade continued peacefully until June 15. They crossed the Moselle river at Pont-à-Mousson without trouble. The same day, they reached Nomeny and crossed the Selle river.

Confrontation at Metz

On June 16, the soldiers reached the high ground overlooking the fortress city of Metz. The acting governor of Metz, the Marquis de Refuge, had his soldiers get ready and fired cannons at the Dutch. Grovestins tried to talk, sending a messenger. They exchanged polite but threatening letters, but couldn't agree.

Grovestins then blocked the road to Verdun, where many French soldiers were. Next, he sent soldiers to burn the suburbs of Metz. Other groups did the same in the countryside, burning several castles and villages. The French soldiers in Metz could only watch. They tried to attack, but the Dutch easily pushed them back. The main Dutch force stayed on the high ground. Many local landowners came to ask for Safe conduct, which was always given. The French soldiers in Verdun did not try to help Metz. That evening, the Dutch soldiers returned with many hostages and rich loot. That day, 18 castles and 35 villages around Metz were destroyed. After this, the brigade left the area.

Crossing the Saar

On June 17, the brigade reached the Saar river. There were small forts, called redoubts, meant to stop crossings. Grovestins told the closest fort to stay quiet, and its soldiers agreed. So, the Dutch vanguard (the first group) started crossing the river. The current was strong, and it got even stronger when the governor of Saarlouis opened the sluices (water gates). But that night, they successfully crossed the river.

The next day, the 25 soldiers in the fort who had agreed to stay quiet started firing anyway, causing some Dutch losses. But the Dutch fired back strongly, stopping them quickly. The brigade then continued along the Hunsrück, staying far from Saarlouis. The commander of Saarlouis sent out patrols, but they did not bother the Dutch. After two more days (one for rest), they reached Lötzbeuren on June 21.

The raid gathered a lot of war booty and new "contributions." Grovestins also had about 40 villages burned to show what would happen if the French ignored their threats. The threat of the raid even worried King Louis XIV of France himself. He even thought about moving from Versailles to the safer Chambord when the panic was highest.

The Dutch lost relatively few soldiers: 165 men and 359 horses.

What Happened Next?

After the raid, Grovestins was ordered to be the governor of the fortress of Bouchain again. Soon, he was surrounded and attacked by a French general named Villars. Grovestins had to surrender and became a prisoner of war. However, the French admired his actions. Villars allowed him to go back to the Dutch Republic for three months, promising to return. After three months, Grovestins went back to comfortable imprisonment.

The raid by Grovestins was later avenged by a French commander named Jacques Pastur. Between August 24 and 28, 1712, Pastur led his own cavalry raid into Dutch territory. He had 1,500 dragoons. He also took hostages to force "contributions" from the countryside of North Brabant. In return for Grovestins' actions, Pastur even set the city of Tholen on fire.