Battle of Walcourt

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Battle of Walcourt

The Battle of Walcourt was fought on 25 August 1689 near the old walled town of Walcourt in what is now Belgium, during the Nine Years’ War. It was the only notable clash in the 1689 campaign and ended in a clear Allied victory.

Forces and commanders
- The Grand Alliance (Dutch Republic, England, Scotland, Holy Roman Empire, and others) was led in the field by the Prince of Waldeck, with about 30,000–35,000 troops. The English contingent of roughly 8,000 men was commanded by the Earl of Marlborough.
- The French army was commanded by the duc de Humières and numbered about 24,000–30,000.

What happened
- In the months leading up to the battle, Allied forces moved around the Sambre and took position near Walcourt. On 25 August, foraging parties were sent out from the Allied camp, escorted by 600 English troops. The French attacked the outposts to drive off the foragers.
- By mid-morning, Marlborough arrived and ordered the English out of the vulnerable position on a hill as the main Allied force formed. Waldeck’s troops held the town itself, which had modest defenses but was protected by higher ground and a nearby river.
- Humières pressed several assaults on Walcourt, but the town’s defenders, reinforced by English and German troops, repelled the attacks. Around 14:00 Brigadier-General Tollemache and the Coldstream Guards helped secure Walcourt.
- In the late afternoon, Waldeck launched a strong counterattack on both flanks: Slangenburg’s Dutch on the left and Aylva with Dutch and English forces on the right, supported by Marlborough. The French fought hard but began to reel back. Villars’s cavalry kept the French from a complete rout, allowing Humières to withdraw.

Aftermath
- French losses were heavy, around 2,000 killed or wounded and several guns lost. Allied casualties were lighter, estimated at 100–700.
- Marlborough earned high praise from Waldeck and King William III and was rewarded with the colonelcy of the 7th Foot (later the Royal Fusiliers) on 5 September.
- Humières’ reputation suffered; in the next year he was replaced by the duc de Luxembourg. The victory at Walcourt boosted Allied morale, and the war soon returned to the broader theaters of Flanders and beyond.