A Relation of the Siege Laid and Raised again before MALMOO, &c.
WHen his Excellency the Field-Marshal and General Governour Van Fersen was safely returned the 28th day of May into Malmoo, from the Camp at Ronneberga, and well knew that His Majesty of Sweden had an intention to draw himself something back towards the old Limits of Swedeland, for to joyn with his other Troops, that had kept there their Winter-quarters, made immediately his estimate, that the Enemy would lay hold on such an advantageous a time; having fresh Men and great Forces, for the conquering of Malmoo, the most important Place of the Dukedom of Schonen: And therefore immediately dispatched his Orders into the Countrey about Ystad and Trelleborg, for those Troops that as yet stayed there in their Quarters, to come in to him, and to avoid a surprizal by the Enemy: Whereupon some of the said Troops came in, but some neglected to do it; which, if they be come to our Army, or have been intercepted by the Enemy, we as yet do not know: And his Excellency having brought along with him into Malmoo Garrison the Garrison of Borby, sent also his Order to the Lieutenant of the Gedinger Fort to come into him which he also readily obeyed unto: This being done, his Excellency mustered all the Forces, as well Foot as Horse, that were in the Fortress, and formed certain Troops thereof, under the Command of such Officers, as then were in Malmoo, distributed the several Posts upon the Castle and in Town amongst them, and recommanding to them as well the reparation as the defence thereof, exhorted them altogether to an undaunted Courage and Loyalty to their King and Sovereign; and furnished all the Posts with a sufficient and requisite a quantity of all sorts of Ammunition and Arms, that so by an un [...] expected Attack no want might be in any place: After this he ordered the Burghers with all sorts of Engines to have a care of any firing, and put every where things in so regular a way and order, tha [...] every man, as well by day as by night, could know his station, and [Page 4]what he was to do: Further more did he engage all those Officers, that were in Town, by an Obligation under Oath, not to think of any Capitulation, much less to speak thereof, or to suffer, that any body should speak about it, but to defend the place to the utmost for His Majesties service. His Excellency also did dispose, in case of mortality, about the succession in his Command, for to avoid any confusion and neglect of due defence. On the 6th day of June the Enemy did appear upon Kirsberg before Malmoo, early in the Morning, with Eight Squadrons, under the Command of Major General Walter, and took some Cattel away; continued his station till Noon by Skereweling, and about Evening drew up towards Hukansdorff, where he lodged himself and distributed his Sentinels. The 7th of June came more Troops down by the way of Lunden, with whom was the Generals-Staff, and did seek out the approaches of the Castle, and about Limhambn. In the Afternoon Major General Walter sent a Trumpet to our Horse-Guard, and demanded in the King his Masters name the exchange of Prisoners; whereupon our Governour sent back to him by a Trumpet a project of the desired Exchange. On the 8th ditto did most of their Troops by break of day draw up to Limhambn, and some other Troops came down from Lunden: About 7 a clock in the Evening came one Danish Manof War before Malmoo. The 9th ditto [...]ame the Enemies whole Army, Cavalry, Artillery, and Infantry, con [...]isting in 23 Battallions, marching down from Lunden, and encamped [...]rom Skrewelingen up till Holle. The 10th ditto, in the Morning, did [...]he Enemy fire nine Guns upon the Castle and Town, which was an [...]wered with four of ours from the Bastion of Malmoo, against their [...]amp under the Long Mountain: The same day came another Da [...]ish Man of War to anchor before Malmoo, and in the Evening a Da [...]ish Cavalier was brought in Prisoner. On the 11th ditto the Enemy [...]dged himself before the Castle and the East and South Gates, open [...]d his Trenches, and made his Batteries upon all the Posts. In the [...]orning, the Adjutant of Duke de Croy's Regiment was brought in [...]isoner, who made large speeches of the Enemies great Forces and [...]esigns. In the Afternoon there was another Prisoner brought in, be [...]nging to the Munster Troops; and about the same time did the [...]nemy fire some Guns into the Town before the South Gate, and [Page 5]wrought very hard about all them three places; causing many Fassins to be carried by the Countrey-people for their purpose. On the 12th ditto did the Enemy advance with his Works very notably. On the 13th he did the like, and all the night over was continually fired upon their Workmen. On the 14th advanced the Enemy with his Work upon all the Posts very considerably, and there was a terrible shooting on both sides: By break of day did the Enemy endeavour to make himself Master of our hidden way, but was repulsed with loss. The Enemy continued his Works on the 15th ditto, but the Governour caused a Sally to be made by 150 Horse upon their Workmen about the Castle, who killed many of them, and return'd without any loss. In the Morning there were thrown before the South-Gate some Granadoes out of little Mortar-pieces, and some Pieces of Cannon brought up to the Batteries before the South and East Gates. On the 16th ditto the Enemy continued his Works before the said Gates, and made a Redout about the Shore: In the Evening they did beset their approaches a great deal stronger than ever they had done before. On the 17th the Enemy did approach very hard, chiefly about the South-Gate, and flung divers Granadoes; but about the Castle and the East Gate, did our Horse-guard often allarm him, and hinder him in his Works: Besides, there was continually fired from the three Posts, and stones flung by the Mortar-pieces upon the Workmen: To day did the Enemy very furiously fire into the Town, but, God be praised, without doing any harm. On the 18th at night, when the Enemy began to work, his Excellency gave order to allarm him by our Cavalry before the Castle and East-Gate, but before the South-Gate he caused a Sally to be made by the Regiments-Quarter-Master Williamson with 60 Cavaliers, who were a foot, and provided with Pistols and Short-Pikes; and this was done with so good a success, that they beat the Enemy out of his Lines, killed very many of them, and brought Major Rockling, with Lieut. Bulow and four Common Soldiers, Prisoners into the Town. In the Morning did the Enemy begin to throw Granadoes out of three Mortar-Pieces into the Castle, [...]nd threw this day 42 Granadoes and 6 Fire-balls, but without doing [...]ny harm. On the 19th ditto there was little done, onely the Enemy [...]id stregnthen his Lines, and beset them more than ordinary, fearing [Page 6]a further Sally. In the Morning about five a Clock did our Governour at the Shore by the East-Gate, make a Sally with 250 Horse and 150 Musqueteers, under the Command of Lieutenant Collonel Wachmeyster, upon Major General Bibow's Post, and beat them out fo their Lines and one Redout, killed above one hundred, amongst whom there were many Officers; the Musqueteers took Captain Ropstorff of Prince George's Regiment, and some Common Soldiers Prisoners: On our side was slain Captain Lieutenant Crutsch of the Vickish Regiment, one Cavalier, and one Musqueteer. On the 20th ditto the Enemy continued very eagerly his Works upon all the Posts, strengthened his Lines, and flung several Bombes into the Castle, but without any hurt. The 21th ditto the Enemy did still go on with his Works, began early in the Morning to fire upon the Bastion of Malmoo, and threw 14 Granadoes into the Castle, but without doing harm. On the 22th ditto, about Midnight, the Enemy having given the Signal with Cannons upon all their Posts, fell with great violence and fury upon the Counterscarps; but was beat off with a great loss in all the places: yet they did lodge themselves before Stockholm-Bastion upon the Esplanade, before the South-Gate they ran with their Line out of the Traverse into the Meadows. By break of day the Enemy did fire from all the Batteries very hard, and flang very many Bombes into the Castle. In the Afternoon came two French men running over from their Camp, and informed that▪ they had lost upon their Post before the Castle in this Attack above 300 men, and that every Night very many had been killed in their Works. The 23th ditto did the Enemy fling in the Night 42, and in the Day time 32 Bombes, but without any effect, fired from all the Batteries, and continued his Works. On the 24th they threw again in the Night 27 Bombes, shot from the Batteries, and very hotly pursued their Works against the Castle and the South-Gate: About the East-Gate, under the Stockholm-Bastion they lodged themselves upon the Breast-work of the hidden way, and made a Buttery there. On the 25th ditto did the Enemy work very hard at Night before the Castle, and drew a New Line from the Shore against the Damm, and threw 12 Bombes, but without doing any harm. About the South-Gate they drew yet a New Line before the Right Face of the Ravelin, [Page 7]and played hard with their Cannons. Before the Stockholm-Bastion we did not perceive any New Works, but they strengthened their other Works, and advanced towards the Ditch. In the Day-time did they throw 20 Granadoes into the Castle, but without any considerable harm. This Evening was Captain Norman shot through his head with two Bullets, whereof he immediately died. In the Night the Enemy was observed to march hard in all the Approaches, and to be extraordinary busie in all Preparations, whereby our Governour did conclude, that the Enemy designed a general Attack and Storm; and therefore according to his custom, which he kept Day and Night, did ride about all the Posts, and having disposed the Artillery, Infantry, and Cavalry in a good order and posture, encouraged them all to a stout and brave resistance: About Midnight the Enemy began upon all the Posts round about the Town and the Castle, on eight places at once, with all his Infantry and Dragoons to storm; and shot during the said Storm 42 Granadoes into the Castle. The Storm was very obstinate, and lasted till the Morning; and although the Enemy had made himself Master of the Works about the Shore-Gate (wherein Captain Matherne courageously fighting, was killed) as also had taken Post by the Counterguard and before the Stockholme-Bastion, and besides had already passed the Ditch betwixt Gothenborough and Malmoo, and between Malmoo and Norkioping, and climbed up the Wall with several hundred men, and also made himself Master of the Caponiere before the Ravelin of the Castle, yet by the Divine assistance, and by our Governours great ca [...]e, and the Officers and Common Soldiers good Conduct and Courage, hath he been beaten off and repulsed from all the Posts with a very great Loss as well of Men, as also of many Tinn and Woodden Pontons, which are now laid up in the Castle. In the Afternoon the Enemy did desire a Truce, for to bury the Dead, which our Governour, for that time, for certain and important reasons, did refuse to grant. The next following Day, viz. the 27th ditto, they again desired an Armistice for to bury their Dead, which then accordingly upon certain Conditions was granted; and there were a great number of Dead Corpses from the Wall; the Ditch, and the Hidden Ways delivered to them, which they took and presently buried: [Page 8]amongst whom there was many Officers. By those that are taken Prisoners, and by the Deserters, We are informed, that Major General Duke Van Croy and Major General Bibow, as also Collonels Bush, Keller, Warnstett, Meldom, and Ramstett, and the Lieutenant Collonels Pless, Bruneker, and some others, whose Names we not as yet do know; and many Majors, Captains, Lieutenants, and Ensigns, are killed; Collonel Brokhousen, Collonel Schulenburg, and several others are sore wounded. The Regiments of Guards, Prince Georges, Weyhers, Walters, Schonberghs, Shulenburghs, Baudises, Grandvillers, and Count Tecklenburghs, are totally ruined; wherefore also, according to the Deserters report, they have been fain to make a reduction of their Foot, and [...]o form one Battalion out of three. According to their unanimous report, we hear that the Enemy hath lost above 4000 Men in that [...]torm, and that all his Foot is ruined. It is to be wondered at, that [...]he Enemy had perswaded himself so firmly about the good success of that general Storm, that the next Day after (by break of Day) above 60 Galliots, Yachts, and Ketches, hath been seen on the Shore [...]ide, which were arrived for to carry the hopes Booty to Copenha [...]en; but meeting with no other than the sharp Salute of our Guns, [...]hey were obliged to go back as empty as they came. On the 28th [...]itto was observed a great noise in the Enemies Approaches, when [...]hey carried off their Cannon: About the Evening they drew their [...]sen out of the Approaches before the South and East Gates, and [...]ept only at the end thereof their Centinels. The Munster Troops [...]ept as yet their Posts beset, but did not continue in their Works. On the 29th ditto there was likewise observed much noise of Wag [...]ons going to and fro in the Night. On the 30th did the Munste [...]ans burn their Approaches, and quitted them; the Camp as yet [...]d stand, and we were hard at work, for to raze the Approaches. [...]he 5th of July about Noon the Enemy broke up for good and all, [...]t fire to the Camp, and bent his March towards Lunden; but [...]d left some Regiments about Lamhambn, which likewise the [...]ext following Day in the Morning, with all the Vessels that lay [...]ere, removed and followed the Army.