In the Autumn of 1793 the Allied forces of
Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld were poised to invade France. The
Hereditary Prince of Orange held
Menin with 10,000 Dutch troops, with instructions to cover the movement of the corps of
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany in his advance towards
Dunkirk. To facilitate this and take advantage of York's nearby support Orange decided to lead a column against the French-held village of
Lincelles, while another under the
Friedrich Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont attacked La Blaton slightly to the north. News of the attack reached the French forces under command of
Jean-Baptiste Jourdan and
Antoine Anne Lecourt Béru, who were mustering to launch their own raid against Menin. Immediately Jourdan directed these forces, 5,000 strong, to retake the lost posts. This was achieved, Béru's column retaking Lincelles, whilst the brigade of
Jacques MacDonald advanced from
Quesnoy-sur-Deûle, surprised the Dutch at Blaton and captured 7 cannon. Representative
Jean Pierre Dellard, who came up after the action, later wrote, "The interior of the redoubts, which had just been taken, afforded a spectacle of fearful carnage". The Prince of Orange appealed to the Duke of York for reinforcements, and at around 2.00 pm the nearest troops,
Gerard Lake's brigade consisting of three battalions of Foot Guards, were dispatched. Lake arrived on the field at 6.00 pm and attempted to rally some of the scattered Dutch, but it quickly became apparent they had no more stomach for fighting. So, despite being vastly outnumbered, he determined to attack alone with just 1,122 men. On top of the hill in front of Lincelles the French held two large redoubts plus other works that covered the road, as well as their flanks being covered by woods and ditches. Lake deployed on the hill under a heavy artillery fire, the
1st Guards at the front, with the
Coldstream Guards and
3rd Guards forming up on their left. The Guards delivered three or four musket volleys and charged the position, stormed the earthworks, chased the Republicans through the village and captured 10 guns. Lake then re-formed on the other side of the hill. Béru attempted another stand but was again charged and broken, his men fleeing to
Bondues. Jourdan, who tried to stem the flight with a battalion in reserve, wrote, "It was not a retreat but a rout". ==Aftermath==