Marquis de St Ruth
Encyclopedia
Charles Chalmont Marquis of St Ruth (circa 1650 – 12 July 1691) was a French general. Early in his military career, he fought against Protestants in France
. Later, he fought in Ireland
on the Jacobite
side in the Williamite wars, where he was killed at the Battle of Aughrim
.
in 1685, there was an exodus of thousands of Protestants from France in the direction of Geneva
. France
exerted much pressure upon the Duchy of Savoy for the Protestants fleeing to Geneva to be arrested and handed over. The duke was not in a position to accept another new war or another French occupation. The marquis de Saint-Ruth, the general of the King of France, ordered the burning of the dwellings if " the Ternier clann and the Gaillard clann did not pay the eight quarter and a half (tax) of the normal, plus 8 other quarters to the contribution of war that one had just imposed by the king". The population, confronted with a dilemma, had to pay the tax to le marquis de Saint-Ruth.
, among other battles. He directed the operations against le château d'Aléry. Today, le château d' Aléry that belongs to the family Aussedat has been restored.
from Brest
, France
, with the lieutenants-general and the governor. At his landing on the quay he was saluted by a discharge of the artillery from the castle. Proceeding, he found the soldiery of the town ranged on each side of the street. The viceroy
came to meet him a hundred paces from his palace, gave him the bien-venu into Ireland
, and brought him to dinner. In the evening he was lodged in a house prepared for his residence. Along with St. Ruth came a fleet bringing arms, clothes for several regiments, powder, ball, and a considerable quantity of oats, meal, biscuit, wine
, and brandy
, which was much appreciated in the country. A few days later, the general began to apply himself to his charge and issued orders that the army should prepare to take the battlefield, except such battalions as were posted for the defence of a few important towns which remained in the possession of the loyal party, such as Limerick
, Galway
, Athlone, and Sligo
, besides some petty holds.
In April the Dutch Baron de Ginkel
, general of the prince of Orange's army, issued commands that his troops should leave their quarters and march to the town of Mullingar
in the county of Westmeath, some twenty miles from Athlone, to rendez-vous there, and from there to begin the battle campaign. In compliance with these commands, some regiments arrived there on 27 April; the rest of the Williamite soldiers were still marching there.
On the Jacobite
side the marquis de St. Ruth sent forth similar orders, that King James's army should march out of their quarters to Athlone and encamp near-by, on the Connaught
side of the Shannon
, having understood that general Ginkel intended to open the campaign with the siege of Athlone in order to enter into the province of Connaught. From there the plan was to obtain entire possession of Ireland. In order to do so, several foot-soldier regiments came there in the beginning of May. At the same time their cavalry was marching from all parts.
By the beginning of June, William of Orange's English
, Danish
, German
, Dutch
, and Huguenot
army was assembled at Mullingar
, and on 6 June they began their march towards Athlone, with the intention of taking that great pass into Connaught. On 7 June, they came to the village of Ballymore
, on the road, and midway between Mullingar and Athlone. There was a fort close by it at the side of a lough, which had been fortified a little by the Irish the previous winter.
St. Ruth, hearing the town of Athlone had been taken, fell into a sensible grief. However, he ordered a few troops to march down and retrieve the place if it was practicable. But the officers observed that the entrenchment was extraordinarily guarded and might be supported by the hostile army, so they returned to their camp.
The loss of Athlone on 13 June supported the judgment against the Tyrconnell opponents of this decision, which, if it had not been taken, would have preserved Athlone town, and by the same occasion, the province of Connaught. When the news of this misfortune came to the Duke of Tyrconnell, then at Limerick
, he redoubled his sorrow that he was so unfortunate as not to be believed when he proposed clear and sure ways of saving his country from a total ruin. However, he needed to deliver his opinion concerning the operation of the remaining campaign. He would not now lay the kingdom upon a single battle, having heard of such a design, but he would make a defensive and delaying war in the expectation of being superior the next year with reinforcements from France. In the interim and ad-hoc (the foot being brought to Limerick), he would send the Irish cavalry over Banagher
bridge into the province of Leinster
, to bring away from thence great booty, and also recruits from the Catholic inhabitants.
, proceeding with small marches until he arrived a little beyond the village of Aughrim
, 20 miles from Athlone, and some 30 miles from Limerick, in the county of Galway
. Viewing the surrounding ground, he judged it convenient for his purposes, and so encamped there, waiting for the enemy. His army faced towards Athlone to the east. In front of his position were marsh-lands, over which foot-soldiers could come but not cavalry. At each end of these marsh-lands there was a passage, through which the enemy's horse could come towards his right and left flank.
The passage on the right was a little ford at a stream issuing from the marsh-lands. That on the left was an old broken causeway, only large enough for two horses to pass it at a time, which was sixty yards long. Beyond this causeway, and on the left within forty yards, was the castle of Aughrim, into which St. Ruth put Colonel Walter Bourk and two hundred men on that day. St. Ruth marshalled his army in two lines. The cavalry on his right were the regiments of the Duke of Tyrconnell, of the Earl of Abercorn
, and of Colonel Edmund Prendergast, in front of the regiment of Sutherland and the dragoons. This wing was to see that the enemy's horse did not break in on the right of the army through the pass of the ford and through the narrow ground lying between two morasses after passing the ford. The English had double the number in cavalry; however, the Irish had some advantage in infantry.
It was here Lieutenant-General de Tessé
and Major-General Patrick Sarsfield, by then Earl of Lucan, were posted. The other Lieutenant-General, the Marquis d'Usson, went to Galway after the siege of Athlone. On the left St. Ruth placed the Earl of Lucan's regiment of horse, and those of Colonel Henry Luttrell, of Colonel John Parker
, and Colonel Nicholas Purcell
, with a body of dragoons. Lord Galmoy, with his regiment, was put behind the second line of the foot, in the nature of a reserve for contingencies. The conduct of this left wing was given to Major-General Sheldon, the first line of which Brigadier Henry Luttrell commanded. Their business was to defend the pass of the causeway, near to which there were set two regiments of foot.
Observing the Williamite force was losing the battle, General Ginkel, seeing that his centre was totally and wholly broken, and that his left wing had had massive losses without being able to have gained their objective, that his right wing could not get over to the left of the Irish with any safety, and that the foe was on his field of battle, apparently became so disturbed in his thoughts that he could not well resolve what to do, unless it were to take flight, of which some indications appeared immediately. On the Jacobite side, General St. Ruth, noting the condition of the enemy and his own success, cried out with joy: "The day is ours, my children."
General St. Ruth, having sent his command to the horse-men to march and oppose the enemy at the pass, himself felt the need go along to see them perform their duty, that there might be no failure in the last scene of this bloody tragedy with victory within their grasp. They moved and General St. Ruth followed with his guards. While he was riding down a little hill, a cannonball from the other side, directed by the cannoneer amongst the troops that were going to defend the pass, missed all other soldiers targeted and struck the Marquis of St. Ruth in the head, knocking him unconscious.
His body was carried off and brought to the town of Loughrea
and interred privately. His death was immediately made known to the enemy by a deserter, who thereupon advanced in haste to the pass.
Without direction and coordination a winning battle was turned into yet another battle lost by the Jacobites in this succession of circumstances. More than 7,000 European soldiers of different nations were killed.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Later, he fought in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
on the Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
side in the Williamite wars, where he was killed at the Battle of Aughrim
Battle of Aughrim
The Battle of Aughrim was the decisive battle of the Williamite War in Ireland. It was fought between the Jacobites and the forces of William III on 12 July 1691 , near the village of Aughrim in County Galway....
.
Edict of Nantes
After the revocation of the Edict of NantesEdict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes, issued on 13 April 1598, by Henry IV of France, granted the Calvinist Protestants of France substantial rights in a nation still considered essentially Catholic. In the Edict, Henry aimed primarily to promote civil unity...
in 1685, there was an exodus of thousands of Protestants from France in the direction of Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
. France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
exerted much pressure upon the Duchy of Savoy for the Protestants fleeing to Geneva to be arrested and handed over. The duke was not in a position to accept another new war or another French occupation. The marquis de Saint-Ruth, the general of the King of France, ordered the burning of the dwellings if " the Ternier clann and the Gaillard clann did not pay the eight quarter and a half (tax) of the normal, plus 8 other quarters to the contribution of war that one had just imposed by the king". The population, confronted with a dilemma, had to pay the tax to le marquis de Saint-Ruth.
In Savoy
In 1690, the Marquis de Saint Ruth besieged the town of Annecy and played a part in the victory at the Battle of StaffardaBattle of Staffarda
The Battle of Staffarda was fought during Nine Years' War in Piedmont-Savoy, modern-day northern Italy, on 18 August 1690. The engagement was the first major encounter in the Italian theatre since Victor Amadeus, the Duke of Savoy, had joined the Grand Alliance in opposition to France earlier that...
, among other battles. He directed the operations against le château d'Aléry. Today, le château d' Aléry that belongs to the family Aussedat has been restored.
Arrival in Ireland
On 20 March, the general St. Ruth arrived at LimerickLimerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
from Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, with the lieutenants-general and the governor. At his landing on the quay he was saluted by a discharge of the artillery from the castle. Proceeding, he found the soldiery of the town ranged on each side of the street. The viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
came to meet him a hundred paces from his palace, gave him the bien-venu into Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and brought him to dinner. In the evening he was lodged in a house prepared for his residence. Along with St. Ruth came a fleet bringing arms, clothes for several regiments, powder, ball, and a considerable quantity of oats, meal, biscuit, wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
, and brandy
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink...
, which was much appreciated in the country. A few days later, the general began to apply himself to his charge and issued orders that the army should prepare to take the battlefield, except such battalions as were posted for the defence of a few important towns which remained in the possession of the loyal party, such as Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, Athlone, and Sligo
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
, besides some petty holds.
In April the Dutch Baron de Ginkel
Godert de Ginkell, 1st Earl of Athlone
Godert de Ginkell, 1st Earl of Athlone, or in his own country of the Netherlands born Baron Godard van Reede was a Dutch general in the service of England....
, general of the prince of Orange's army, issued commands that his troops should leave their quarters and march to the town of Mullingar
Mullingar
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
in the county of Westmeath, some twenty miles from Athlone, to rendez-vous there, and from there to begin the battle campaign. In compliance with these commands, some regiments arrived there on 27 April; the rest of the Williamite soldiers were still marching there.
On the Jacobite
Jacobitism
Jacobitism was the political movement in Britain dedicated to the restoration of the Stuart kings to the thrones of England, Scotland, later the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the Kingdom of Ireland...
side the marquis de St. Ruth sent forth similar orders, that King James's army should march out of their quarters to Athlone and encamp near-by, on the Connaught
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
side of the Shannon
River Shannon
The River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
, having understood that general Ginkel intended to open the campaign with the siege of Athlone in order to enter into the province of Connaught. From there the plan was to obtain entire possession of Ireland. In order to do so, several foot-soldier regiments came there in the beginning of May. At the same time their cavalry was marching from all parts.
By the beginning of June, William of Orange's English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, and Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
army was assembled at Mullingar
Mullingar
Mullingar is the county town of County Westmeath in Ireland. The Counties of Meath and Westmeath Act of 1542, proclaimed Westmeath a county, separating it from Meath. Mullingar became the administrative centre for County Westmeath...
, and on 6 June they began their march towards Athlone, with the intention of taking that great pass into Connaught. On 7 June, they came to the village of Ballymore
Ballymore
Ballymore may refer to:*Ballymore , an Irish property company*Ballymore, County Cork, village on Great Island, Cork Harbour, Ireland*Ballymore, County Donegal, Ireland*Ballymore, County Westmeath, Ireland*Ballymore, County Wexford, Ireland...
, on the road, and midway between Mullingar and Athlone. There was a fort close by it at the side of a lough, which had been fortified a little by the Irish the previous winter.
The Siege of Athlone
The town of Athlone was defended well for many days; however, a combination of Jacobite underestimation and bad judgement played a large role in the loss.St. Ruth, hearing the town of Athlone had been taken, fell into a sensible grief. However, he ordered a few troops to march down and retrieve the place if it was practicable. But the officers observed that the entrenchment was extraordinarily guarded and might be supported by the hostile army, so they returned to their camp.
The loss of Athlone on 13 June supported the judgment against the Tyrconnell opponents of this decision, which, if it had not been taken, would have preserved Athlone town, and by the same occasion, the province of Connaught. When the news of this misfortune came to the Duke of Tyrconnell, then at Limerick
Limerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, he redoubled his sorrow that he was so unfortunate as not to be believed when he proposed clear and sure ways of saving his country from a total ruin. However, he needed to deliver his opinion concerning the operation of the remaining campaign. He would not now lay the kingdom upon a single battle, having heard of such a design, but he would make a defensive and delaying war in the expectation of being superior the next year with reinforcements from France. In the interim and ad-hoc (the foot being brought to Limerick), he would send the Irish cavalry over Banagher
Banagher
Banagher is a town in Ireland, located in the midlands on the western edge of County Offaly in the province of Leinster, on the banks of the River Shannon. The name Banagher comes from its Irish name which translates to English as "the place of the pointed rocks on the Shannon"...
bridge into the province of Leinster
Leinster
Leinster is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the east of Ireland. It comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Mide, Osraige and Leinster. Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the historic fifths of Leinster and Mide gradually merged, mainly due to the impact of the Pale, which straddled...
, to bring away from thence great booty, and also recruits from the Catholic inhabitants.
Arrival at Aughrim
General St. Ruth, knowing that he could not justify his loss of Athlone while at the head of a considerable army to King James, thought fit not to share Tyrconnell's sentiment, and chose to risk the kingdom upon a fair combat, being unalterably resolved to bury his body in Ireland or regain the country speedily. Whereupon, observing the strength of his army, he commanded it to decamp from Athlone in the afternoon of that day, 30 June 1691. He marched towards LimerickLimerick
Limerick is the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, and the principal city of County Limerick and Ireland's Mid-West Region. It is the fifth most populous city in all of Ireland. When taking the extra-municipal suburbs into account, Limerick is the third largest conurbation in the...
, proceeding with small marches until he arrived a little beyond the village of Aughrim
Aughrim, County Galway
Aughrim is a small village in County Galway, Ireland. It is located in the west of Ireland, between the towns of Loughrea and Ballinasloe, along the N6 national primary road that connects Galway and Dublin....
, 20 miles from Athlone, and some 30 miles from Limerick, in the county of Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
. Viewing the surrounding ground, he judged it convenient for his purposes, and so encamped there, waiting for the enemy. His army faced towards Athlone to the east. In front of his position were marsh-lands, over which foot-soldiers could come but not cavalry. At each end of these marsh-lands there was a passage, through which the enemy's horse could come towards his right and left flank.
The passage on the right was a little ford at a stream issuing from the marsh-lands. That on the left was an old broken causeway, only large enough for two horses to pass it at a time, which was sixty yards long. Beyond this causeway, and on the left within forty yards, was the castle of Aughrim, into which St. Ruth put Colonel Walter Bourk and two hundred men on that day. St. Ruth marshalled his army in two lines. The cavalry on his right were the regiments of the Duke of Tyrconnell, of the Earl of Abercorn
Abercorn
Abercorn is a village and parish in West Lothian, Scotland. Close to the south coast of the Firth of Forth, the village is around west of South Queensferry.-History:...
, and of Colonel Edmund Prendergast, in front of the regiment of Sutherland and the dragoons. This wing was to see that the enemy's horse did not break in on the right of the army through the pass of the ford and through the narrow ground lying between two morasses after passing the ford. The English had double the number in cavalry; however, the Irish had some advantage in infantry.
It was here Lieutenant-General de Tessé
Philibert-Emmanuel de Froulay, chevalier de Tessé
Philibert-Emmanuel de Froulay, chevalier de Tessé , was baron d'Ambrières and a French army commander, fighting in the Williamite War in Ireland....
and Major-General Patrick Sarsfield, by then Earl of Lucan, were posted. The other Lieutenant-General, the Marquis d'Usson, went to Galway after the siege of Athlone. On the left St. Ruth placed the Earl of Lucan's regiment of horse, and those of Colonel Henry Luttrell, of Colonel John Parker
John Parker
John Parker may refer to:*John Parker , English-born merchant, politician and judge*John Parker , senior member of the judiciary during the interregnum, father of the Bishop of Oxford Samuel Parker...
, and Colonel Nicholas Purcell
Nicholas Purcell of Loughmoe
Nicholas Purcell, 13th Baron of Loughmoe was the son of James Purcell of Loughmoe and the maternal nephew of James Butler, 1st Duke of Ormonde....
, with a body of dragoons. Lord Galmoy, with his regiment, was put behind the second line of the foot, in the nature of a reserve for contingencies. The conduct of this left wing was given to Major-General Sheldon, the first line of which Brigadier Henry Luttrell commanded. Their business was to defend the pass of the causeway, near to which there were set two regiments of foot.
Death at the Battle of Aughrim
On Sunday 12 June, during the celebration of the soldiers' 6:00 am mass, the Williamite army was perceived arriving from the Ballinasloe direction.Observing the Williamite force was losing the battle, General Ginkel, seeing that his centre was totally and wholly broken, and that his left wing had had massive losses without being able to have gained their objective, that his right wing could not get over to the left of the Irish with any safety, and that the foe was on his field of battle, apparently became so disturbed in his thoughts that he could not well resolve what to do, unless it were to take flight, of which some indications appeared immediately. On the Jacobite side, General St. Ruth, noting the condition of the enemy and his own success, cried out with joy: "The day is ours, my children."
General St. Ruth, having sent his command to the horse-men to march and oppose the enemy at the pass, himself felt the need go along to see them perform their duty, that there might be no failure in the last scene of this bloody tragedy with victory within their grasp. They moved and General St. Ruth followed with his guards. While he was riding down a little hill, a cannonball from the other side, directed by the cannoneer amongst the troops that were going to defend the pass, missed all other soldiers targeted and struck the Marquis of St. Ruth in the head, knocking him unconscious.
His body was carried off and brought to the town of Loughrea
Loughrea
Loughrea is a town in County Galway, Ireland. The town lies north of a range of wooded hills, the Slieve Aughty Mountains.The town expanded in recent years as it increasingly becomes a commuter town for the city of Galway.- Name :...
and interred privately. His death was immediately made known to the enemy by a deserter, who thereupon advanced in haste to the pass.
Without direction and coordination a winning battle was turned into yet another battle lost by the Jacobites in this succession of circumstances. More than 7,000 European soldiers of different nations were killed.