Danish Foot at Aughrim

[Friedrich August I.]

It is that kind of Jiggsaw puzzle that drives some of us mad

Dan Schorr once pointed out to me that one has to consider that certain Regiments were split up into several Battalions if the strenght of the Regiment permits. So those are named after the name of their Owner, the Colonnel or even the Lt. Colonnel in command of the Battallion This may be here the reason for three Hamilton's

The other thing is some kind of language barrier
Some OOBs in the Marburg Archive are drawn in German while others are in the language of the Courts - in French - as the OOB I have linked here.

[barr7430]

Yes indeed Portlands/Gard te Paard.

Another anomaly is the mention of Zuylenstein's Horse in the text of McNally but no mention of them on the orbat.

Returning to the Danish Guards. They don't appear on the Marburg sketch, Sapherson MAY have used that as his reference and they don't appear on his OOB either. They don't appear on McNally's orbat. Wurttemberg mentions them which is significant but it does not reconcile the 6 v 7 argument. If only 6 Danish regiments were at Aughrim and the previous names mentioned: Zealand, Christian, Frederik, George, Jyske and Funen are considered... one of these either wasn't there, the Guards were not there OR someone can't count and there were 7 battalions at the battle.
If so, this pushes the number of Williamite battalions up. Marburg shows 32, McNally says 28, Sapherson mentions 27.

Never fear, I have not joint the rivet counting brigade. I need the info for a piece I am writing

[barr7430]

In reply to Gunter, yes I have noticed that some Marburg names are in a French form whilst others are in a German form examples:

Tiffeni - Tiffin's
Berlai - Byerley's
Wolselai - Wolseley's
Trojada - Drogheda's
Pr Cretien - Prince Christian

etc

Having done all of that 'decyphering' the unidentified units(from my efforts at least) were listed previously:

Treloani quite obviously Trelawney if the above notation conventions are followed but who I cannot find on any other OOB material.

Pridehofe or Pridehose. These could be the missing Guards but we'd have to know the name of their Colonel/Lt Colonel - They are a Foot regiment but seem to be out of position in the line relative to the other Danes IF they are the Guards.

Wolstai another foot regiment - could be the Guards but same argumentation as point above applies.

Nassau.. a regiment of Horse (Zuylenstein and the Dutch GDC do not appear on Marburg). McNally mentions them both although lists only 1 on the OOB.

Lord..... (no name) a regiment of Horse. Might be easier to track down if we look at th titles of the colonels.. not everyone was a Lord!

More concerned with the Danish Infantry at this stage though. Thanks for your collegiate detective work team !!

[Friedrich August I.]

. one of these either wasn't there, the Guards were not there OR someone can't count and there were 7 battalions at the battle.
If so, this pushes the number of Williamite battalions up. Marburg shows 32, McNally says 28, Sapherson mentions 27....

There you may have the possibility that one of those existing 6 Regiments has split up into a 7th Battalion because of the need to fill a gap in the intended Order of Battle.

Had the same thing with one, to me unknown, Officer commanding a Saxon Guard unit and that has been placed as a 3rd German Guard Battalion in the Line of Battle to plug a gap.

[barr7430]

very wise words Gunter! This may well be the answer to the increased number of battalions. Having more than one brain on a problem is definitely an advantage!

[Friedrich August I.]

very wise words Gunter! This may well be the answer to the increased number of battalions. Having more than one brain on a problem is definitely an advantage!

Thanks Barry, we are all in the same boat!

download/file.php?id=299

Here is what I was mentioning, First Infantry Line right most unit "Denikoff..."

[Rebel]

Came a bit late to the thread, but will recheck my original notes for you - That said given "real world" commitments it may be a number of days rather than hours - that said I don't think the thread will disappear that quickly.

Few quick points though - Marburg is useful but not infallible, language aspects aside some units across the myriad of OOB's have been named with commanders out of sync with the actual date of the enagagement. A good reason for this is that the commander on the day wasn't necessarily the regimental colonel - best example is Robt Byerley who was apparently doing prodigious feats on his wonderhorse at the Boyne but who, according to the offical accounts, was crapping through the eye of a needle with his duties being assumed by Cornelius Wood. Thus at Aughrim both Abraham Creighton and Henry Rowe command units despite not geing regimental proprietors.

Ref "Danish Force" the bit reproduced by Old John is an extract and indeed the orignal IMC edition form the sixties is itself an extract as Danaher and Simms were working to a certain target and thus did not use much of the detail that we would have sleepless nights trying to find out. One day I'll get to Copenhagen and use up a few invites ....


- Mike.

[Graf Bretlach]

just little snippet

Dutch horse regiment 672c

1688 Colonel George, baron de Riedesel
1690? Colonel Erik Gustaaf van Steinbeck

the same regiment, so all your source agree, just not on the name.

only the year is mentioned for the changeover so obviously information isn't good, a new colonel may have taken over but members of the army often still call them by the name they are used to.

on the Danes - I personally would stick with 6 battalions and replace prince George's with the Guard on the Marburg OOB (they are in the right position - senior regiments on the left when the brigade is on the left flank, in the first line. - but this is just pure fiddling.

[Dfogleman2]

For what it's worth, this 19th century Danish article on the history of the Guard, says the Guard was at Aughrim.

[Dfogleman2]

According to those history of the Danske Lvgardern, the Garde was at Aughrim.

http://books.google.com/books?id=iYhBAA ... de&f=false

[quindia]

In Kjeld Hald Galster's book, Danish Troops in the Williamite Army, he refers to the Guard as the Royal Life Guards, citing several times early in the book that this refers to the foot.

He does mention that the exact OOB of Aughrim is confusing, with some sources offering different accounts, on usually refers to the formation as the 'Danish brigade', but on page 192, he specifically mentions the guard...

While for two hours the right struggled in vain to dislodge the enemy from the castle and the eastern edge of the bog, and the centre's attack was repulsed, on the left the Danish battalions advanced foot by foot. Four Jacobite battalions tried to force back the Danish Royal Life Guards, but they were repelled by intensive well-timed musket fire. By 7p.m. - in spite of resistance, Wurttemberg's wing had taken possesion of the extreme left, but for the moment no further advance was possible.

On 195 is the bit about the impressive bravery shown by the guard at Aughrim...

[Graf Bretlach]

Where is the

Pridehofe or Pridehose

on the Marburg camp OOB?

[barr7430]

Pridehose(could be my bad eyesight but that is what it looks like0 CENTRE LEFT OF THE SECOND LINE to the left of Brandenburg.


Huge thanks to Dan Schorr for the extra source material sent which seems to confirm the Danish Foot Guards present and Prince George absent... now, on to the other gaps

[karamustafapasha]

Here is what I was mentioning, First Infantry Line right most unit "Denikoff..."

I came across this unit as well and asked my friend about it, I found out it is Polish. It is the 'Gwardii Krolewski' (King's or royal Guard) regiment under the command of Denhoff.

I hope this helps.

[Graf Bretlach]

OK Pr. de Hesse [-Darmstadt] not sure about this, Babington's 6F should be this but they are also further up
7-4-1688 Philip Babington (retired 1691)
15-4-1691 Prince George of Hesse-Darmstadt († at fort Montjuich)

I think the Marburg OOB is also confused with Bruar and Wolstai
Bruar would be Brewer's 12F and Wolstai some more squadrons of Wolseleys horse.

I think the extra Hamilton is also Gustavus Hamilton!!
20F 1-6-1689 Gustavus Hamilton
36Fa 20-6-1689 Gustavus Hamilton - 13-7-1691 Abraham Creighton (disbanded later)

I believe Erles is not the 19F but a disbanded regiment
19F 22-1-1691 Thomas Erle (in England)
32Fa 8-3-1689 Thomas Erle (disbanded later)

Some Dutch horse I think were there
672d Boncour – Dutch horse
672a Portland – Dutch Horse-Guards
672g Montpouillan – Dutch horse
625b Ginckell – Dutch horse
672i Schack – Dutch horse
672c Reidesell – Dutch horse
672b? Nieuheuse or Ninhausen – Dutch horse (Robert, baron van Ittersum tot Nyenhuis) but this is guesswork
588b Dutch Nassau-Zuylenstein