iege of Bonn, a strongly fortified
town held by the French, and of great importance to them, as being
the point by which they kept open communication between France and
their strong army in Germany. Marlborough himself commanded the
siege operations, having under him forty battalions, sixty
squadrons, and a hundred guns. General Overkirk, who, owing to the
death of the Earl of Athlone, was now second in command, commanded
the covering army, which extended from Liege to Bonn.

The siege commenced on the 3rd of May, and with such vigour was it
carried on that on the 9th the fort on the opposite side of the
Rhine was carried by storm; and as from this point the works
defending the town could all be taken in reverse, the place
surrendered on the 5th; the garrison, 3600 strong, being permitted
by the terms of capitulation to retire to Luxemburg.

Marshal Villeroi, who commanded the French army on the frontier,
finding that he could give no aid to Bonn, advanced against
Maestrich, which he hoped to surprise, before Overkirk could arrive
to its aid. On the way, however, he had to take the town of
Tangres, which was held by two battalions of infantry only. These,
however, defended themselves with astonishing bravery against the
efforts of a whole army, and for twenty-eight hours of continuous
fighting arrested the course of the enemy. At the end of that time
they were forced to surrender, but the time gained by their heroic
defence afforded time for Overkirk to bring up his army, and when
Villeroi arrived near Maestrich, he found the allies already there,
and so strongly posted that although his force was fully twice as
strong as theirs, he did not venture to attack.

Marlborough, upon the fall of Bonn, marched with the greatest
expedition to the assistance of his colleague. His cavalry reached
Maestrich on the 21st, his infantry three days later. On the 26th
of May he broke up the camp and advanced to undertake the grand
operation of the siege of Antwerp. The operation was to be
undertaken by a simultaneous advance of several columns.
Marlborough himself with the main wing was to confront Marshal
Villeroi. General Spaar was to attack that part of the French lines
which lay beyond the Scheldt. Cohorn was to force the passage of
that river in the territory of Hulst, and unite Spaar's attack with
that of Obdam, who with twenty-one battalions and sixteen squadrons
was to advance from Bergen op Zoom.

The commencement of this