LACOLLE MILL, BATTLE OF.—Operations were commenced early in the spring of 1814. An American army, commanded by General Wilkinson, and amounting to upwards of 3000 men, entered Lower Canada on the western shore of Lake Champlain. They attacked and completely invested Lacolle Mill, which was defended by Major Handcock, of the 13th regiment, and about 180 men. They were vigorously repulsed from this little fortress and driven back to the United States. LA HOGUE, BATTLE OF.—Between the English and Dutch combined fleets under Admirals Russel and Rooke, and the French under Tourville. The Allies gained a complete victory, burning thirteen ships of the French, and destroying eight more, and forcing the rest to fly, and so preventing the threatened invasion of England, May 19th, 1692.
LA ROTHIèRE, BATTLE OF.—Between the French, commanded by Napoleon, and the Prussian and Russian armies, which were defeated after a desperate engagement with the loss of some thousands slain, and 3000 prisoners and 30 pieces of cannon, February 1st, 1814. This was about one of the last victories of Napoleon.
LA VENDéE, WAR OF.—Many battles in this war were fought between the French Royalists of La Vendée and the Republican armies in 1793–4. The war terminated January 10th, 1800.
LAKES CHAMPLAIN, ERIE, AND ONTARIO.—These lakes were the scene of many engagements between the English and American[184] colonists in the War of Independence, and also in the war of 1812–15, the chief of which was the capture of the British fleet by the Americans after a severe action, September 11th, 1813.
LANDEN, BATTLE OF.—Between the Allies and French, in which William III of England commanded. Owing chiefly to the cowardice of the Dutch horse, this sanguinary engagement ended in the defeat of the Allies, July 19, 1693. The Duke of Berwick, illegitimate son of James II, who was fighting on the side of France, was taken prisoner in this battle by Brigadier Churchill, afterwards the great Duke of Marlborough.
LANGSIDE, BATTLE OF.—Fought, May 13th, 1568, between the forces of Queen Mary of Scotland and the Regent. “Many powerful Barons called their vassals to their banners, and hastened to support the Queen. In a few days her camp at Hamilton contained 6000 men. The Regent had with difficulty mustered 4000, but he determined to bring the Queen’s army to battle at once. She broke up her camp at Hamilton, and marched towards Dumbarton. The village of Langside lay on her line of march, and her troops must pass through a narrow lane leading up the face of the hill on which the village stood. Moray posted his hag-butters, or matchlock-men, among the cottages, and lined with them the garden-hedges on both sides of the lane. The Queen took her station on an eminence half a mile distant, from which she had the battle full in sight. She saw her troops press up the hill, and endeavour to force the passage of the lane. She saw them reel under the close and deadly fire of the hagbut-men who lined the hedges. She saw them come on again stoutly, and meet the shock of Moray’s spearmen. She saw the mass of combatants swaying to and fro in doubtful conflict. And then she saw her troops swept down the hill, broken and scattered, the Regent’s men fiercely pursuing and spearing the wretched fugitives.”
LAON, BATTLE OF.—In France.—Between the Allies, chiefly the Prussian army, and the French. This battle or rather succession of actions, was fought under the walls of the town, and ended, after a sanguinary and obstinate contest in the defeat of the latter with great loss, March 9th, 1814.
LARGS, BATTLE OF.—Fought between the ancient inhabitants of Scotland and the Northmen. A bloody battle, fought 30th September,[185] 1263. The following description is from the pen of an eminent Scottish modern writer:
“It was about the middle of August when the fleet of Haco, which counted 160 ships, rounded the Mull of Cantyre and entered the Frith of Clyde. Time is everything in war. Haco should have landed immediately. Every day was bringing the storms of Autumn nearer, and every day was giving time to the King of Scotland to increase his forces. Haco was a veteran who had been King of Norway forty-six winters. Alexander was a young man who had lived fewer than half the years that Haco had reigned. But the youth fairly outwitted the veteran. He sent an embassy of barefooted friars on board of Haco’s ship to propose terms of peace. The barefooted envoys came and went between the two kings, and the time was spun out in negociations till the weather began to break; the fleet was running short of provisions, and the Scots in formidable numbers were assembling on the shore.
“It was now the last day of September. At night there came on a storm so sudden and so wild that the Norwegians believed it to have been raised by the spells of the Scotch witches. The ships were torn from their anchors and ran ashore, or dashed against each other in the pitchy darkness. Haco ordered the attendance of his priests, took to his boat, and landed on the island of Cumbrae, where, amid the howling of the storm, he had mass performed. In stranger circumstances, surely, mass was never said or sung. Unluckily for Haco, the strong-winged tempest heeded it not. It continued with unabated fury all night and all the next day. The fleet drove up the channel, scattering the sea with wreck, and the shore with stranded vessels. The heights above the coast were covered by a multitude of armed peasants, who watched their opportunity and rushed down to attack the stranded ships.
“When the second morning broke, and the violence of the tempest had somewhat abated, Haco, by means of his boats, landed with a large force to protect his stranded vessels from the armed peasantry, and if possible to tow them off. While the Norwegians were engaged in the operation of floating off their ships, the sun rose, and his level rays caught the surrounding hills. Through the grey sheet of morning mist which covered the landscape, flashes as of fire were seen. It was the sun’s rays glancing upon the polished armour of the Scottish army. They advanced rapidly, and the Norwegians could soon discern their pennons and banners waving above their wood of spears, and the knights and leaders, blazing in complete steel, marshalling the line. They were commanded by King Alexander in person.
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“They attacked with fury, and drove back the advanced body of the Norwegians. It seemed as if the whole force of the enemy was about to be swept into the sea before the fierce onset of the Scots. But the Norsemen, who fought entirely on foot, threw themselves into a circle with their long spears pointing out to the foe, like a huge hedgehog with prickles of steel. All day long the battle raged around this ring of spears. The storm had renewed its violence, so that it was impossible to send help on shore. Again and again the Scottish horse repeated their furious charge. The circle of steel was slowly forced back along the shore, but it could not be broken. A Scottish knight, Sir Piers de Curry, rode round and round it brandishing his spear and challenging any Norse captain to single combat. He wore a helmet inlaid with gold and set with precious stones; his mail was gold-embossed; his sword-belt studded with jewels. A leader of the Northmen accepted his challenge, and stepped out from the circle of spears. The Scottish knight spurred his horse and rushed down upon him with levelled lance. The Norseman with his great sword parried the spear-thrust, and as the knight passed him in his career, smote him with his whole strength upon the thigh. The sword cut sheer into the saddle through steel and bone, so that the limb was separated from the body, and the proud knight fell dead beneath his horse.
“A re-inforcement from the ships at length succeeded in landing through the surf; and with the aid of these fresh troops the Norwegians bore back the Scots from the shore. Night fell upon the weary combatants, and under cover of the darkness the Norwegians got on board their ships.”
LAYBACH, CONGRESS OF.—Attended by the Sovereigns of Russia, Prussia, and Austria, and resulting in two circulars, stating that Naples should be occupied with the Austrian troops, May 6th, 1821.
LEGHORN.—Entered by the French revolutionary army, July 27th, 1796, but the immense amount of British property in the city had been previously removed. Evacuated by the French in 1799, and retaken the next year. The Austrian took the city May 12th, 1849.
LEGION.—A Roman body of soldiers, about 6000 men. The 10th legion was a favourite one with C?sar. Ancient Britain was generally protected by three legions.
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LEIPSIC, BATTLE OF.—This battle fought, October 16th, 17th, and 18th, 1813, between the allied army of Russia, Prussia, and Austria on the one side, and Napoleon on the other, was one of the greatest, bloodiest, and most decisive of modern times. The French numbered 160,000 men, and the Allies 260,000 strong. This great battle was lost by the French, chiefly owing to the seventeen German battalions, then Saxon allies, turning upon them in the heat of the action; 80,000 perished on the field, of whom more than 40,000 were French, who also lost sixty-five pieces of cannon and many standards. This victory of the allied army was followed by that of the capture of Leipsic, and the rear guard of the French army next day. The King of Saxony and his family were also made prisoners.
LEPANTO, BATTLE OF.—The great naval battle between the combined fleets of Spain, Venice, and Pius V, and the whole maritime force of the Turks. Don John of Austria commanded the allied fleet, which consisted of 206 galleys and 30,000 men. The Turks had 200 galleys. After a dreadful engagement they lost 150 galleys, and 30,000 men in killed and prisoners. Fought, October 7th, 1571.
LEUCTRA, BATTLE OF.—One of the most famous in ancient history, fought July 8th, 371 B.C. In this battle 4000 Spartans, with their King, were slain, and not more than 300 Thebans. After this battle the Spartans lost their position in Greece, which they had held for 500 years.
LEWES, BATTLE OF.—Between Henry III of England and Montfort, Earl of Leicester. Fought, May 14th, 1264. The Royal army was overthrown, and the King, his brother and son Prince Edward, were taken prisoners.
LEXINGTON, BATTLE OF.—The first battle fought between Great Britain and her revolted colonies of America; gained by the British, who destroyed the stores of the colonists, but they lost in battle 273 men killed and wounded. Fought, April 19th, 1775.
LEYDEN, SIEGE OF.—A memorable siege sustained against the armies of Spain; 6000 of the inhabitants died during the siege, of famine and pestilence, A.D. 1574. A University was afterwards founded in commemoration of this event.
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LIEUTENANT.—An officer who supplies the place of a superior in his absence. In military affairs the second commissioned officer in a company of infantry, cavalry or artillery. In ships of war, a lieutenant is next in rank to the captain.
LIGNY, BATTLE OF.—Fought, June 16th, 1815, just before the celebrated battle of Waterloo, between the Prussians under Blucher, and the French commanded by Napoleon. The French gained the victory.
LINCELLES, BATTLE OF.—Between the allied English and Dutch armies and the French, in which the French were defeated August 18th, 1793. In this battle, General Lake commanded the 3rd battalion of Foot Guards, who so much distinguished themselves. Colonel Bosville, of the Coldstreams, was killed; the French lost 11 cannon.
LINCOLN, BATTLE OF.—A battle was fought at Lincoln between the armies of the Princess Maud and King Stephen of England. Stephen was defeated and captured, February 2nd, 1141. Another battle was fought here between the Dauphin of France and Henry III of England. This was a bloody engagement, in which the French and their English adherents were completely defeated, and Louis withdrew his pretensions to the English crown, May 19th, 1217.
LINLITHGOW-BRIDGE, BATTLE OF.—Between the forces of the Earl of Angus, and the forces of Lenox, who fought to get possession of the person of James V, then a minor. Lenox was slain by Sir James Hamilton, 1525.
LIPPSTADT, BATTLE OF.—One of the most bloody battles ever fought in the world. Called also Lutzen, which see.
LISLE, SIEGE OF.—Besieged by the Duke of Marlborough and the Allies, and taken after three months, in 1708. Restored at the treaty of Utrecht, 1713—this siege is accounted one of the most famous in modern times. It also sustained a severe bombardment by the Austrians in the revolutionary war, but they were obliged to raise the siege, October 7th, 1792.
LISSA, BATTLE OF.—This battle, fought December 5th, 1757, closed the campaign, in which the King of Pruss............