The Capture of Geertruidenberg was a military event that took place on 28 August 1573 during the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...

and the Anglo–Spanish War. The capture was conducted by an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, French

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , also , ) were a religious group of French Protestants who held to the Reformed, or Calvinist, tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, the Genevan burgomaster Be ...

, and Fleming force led by Colonel de Poyet. A small assault force led by Walter Morgan captured the main gate which enabled the complete surprise of the garrison, most of whom were put to the sword.Caldecott-Baird pp 99-102Knight, Charles Raleigh: ''Historical records of The Buffs, East Kent Regiment (3rd Foot) formerly designated the Holland Regiment and Prince George of Denmark's Regiment''. Vol I. London, Gale & Polden, 1905
p. 45
/ref>

Events

Background

The Spanish held town of Middelburg was under siege, which relied on a Spanish fleet to relieve the place. The

Sea Beggars Geuzen (; ; french: Les Gueux) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen (; ; frenc ...

(known as the Guezen) however were successful in defeating and holding any relief attempts the Spanish made in the waters of

Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...

in April at the Battle of Borsele. A second Spanish relief force was turned back after Fort Rammekens surrendered to an Anglo-Rebel force in August. A beggar fleet as a result was able to sail and meet up with the

Prince of Orange Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands. The title ...

Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a city and municipality in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the province's fifth-largest city after R ...

. A small force was detached which consisted of English, Scottish, French Huguenot, and Flemish soldiers led by a French Huguenot Lieutenant Colonel de Poyet, numbering 300, with its aim of the capture of Geertruidenberg. The fleet sailed in the night towards the city. The garrison in Geertruidenberg composed of a company of

Walloons Walloons (; french: Wallons ; wa, Walons) are a Gallo-Romance ethnic group living native to Wallonia and the immediate adjacent regions of France. Walloons primarily speak '' langues d'oïl'' such as Belgian French, Picard and Walloon. Walloo ...

from

Cristóbal de Mondragón Cristóbal de Mondragón y Otálora de Mercado (1514–1596) was a Spanish general during the Eighty Years' War. He was a prominent military figure of the sixteenth century, and was colonel of one of the Tercios of Flanders under the Duke of Alv ...

's regiment, which included a number of Spanish officers, led by a French nobleman Captain Draek, in total a hundred and seventy men. The Protestant force landed at night on the coast of North

Brabant Brabant is a traditional geographical region (or regions) in the Low Countries of Europe. It may refer to: Place names in Europe * London-Brabant Massif, a geological structure stretching from England to northern Germany Belgium * Province of Bra ...

and approached the city.

Capture

In the early morning of 31 August 1573 Colonel de Poyet ordered Walter Morgan and a Frenchman Captain Malion with eighteen hand-picked troops, including four Dutchmen who had lived and worked in the city, to scale the ramparts of the city and to open the Breda Gate. This was the key to the city, and, once opened, the attackers would be able to attack the city with speed and surprise. They went unnoticed, scaled the walls, then dispatched the sleeping guards, after which they were able to open the gate and let in the main force. The garrison troops then only became aware that the city was under attack and were taken completely by surprise. They attempted to fight back but all were killed, and only a few managed to escape, including Captain Draek; though wounded in the back he escaped through a back window. In his haste he had left on the table the entire pay to his men, much to the delight of the attackers. The citizens were treated fairly well, despite a priest being killed and a

monk A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...

hanged. An English soldier recalled that this was the first city to be captured for over a year and was a major boost to the morale of the Protestant forces. Only a few of the garrison escaped including Draek and they then fled to

Breda Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...

Aftermath

After a garrison was established Poyet and Morgan returned via Dordrecht. The prince appointed Jerome Tseraarts as the garrison commander of Geertruidenberg, in whom he put great trust. On 8 September the first Protestant sermon was held. The city stayed in States hands until April 1589 when an English and Dutch garrison under John Wingfield ''sold'' the place to the Spanish under the

Duke of Parma The Duke of Parma and Piacenza () was the ruler of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, a historical state of Northern Italy, which existed between 1545 and 1802, and again from 1814 to 1859. The Duke of Parma was also Duke of Piacenza, except ...

.Luc Duerloo p 46 The Spanish occupation would not last however, and on 25 June 1593 after a siege the city was back in Dutch hands for good.Ungerer p 128

References

;Citations ;Bibliography * * * * * * * {{cite book, last1=Ungerer, first1=Gustav, title=A Spaniard in Elizabethan England: The Correspondence of Antonio Pérez's Exile, Volume 1, date=1974, publisher=Tamesis Books, isbn=9780900411847

Geertruidenberg Geertruidenberg () is a city and municipality in the province North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands. The city, named after Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, received city rights in 1213 from the count of Holland. The fortified city prospered un ...

1573 in the Dutch Republic 1573 in the Habsburg Netherlands 16th-century military history of Spain Eighty Years' War (1566–1609) Geertruidenberg (1573) Geertruidenberg (1573) Geertruidenberg (1573) Geertruidenberg (1573)

Geertruidenberg