Page "Battle of Nieuwpoort" Paragraph 11

Meanwhile on the Dutch left, the English regiments faced the veteran tercios of Monroy and Villar ; the elite of the Spanish infantry.

The English, well drilled in Maurice's new tactics, kept a rolling fire on the Spaniards and advanced up the slope at a steady pace, covered by a screen of skirmisher harquebusiers.

The fight was even for a time, until it came to the push of pike, the Spaniards finally dislodging the English from the top of the hill.

Francis Vere, seeing the risk, asked for reinforcements, but they did not arrive in time and the English were finally routed.

However, the Spaniards, exhausted after a day of fighting and marching on difficult terrain, pressed their advantage very slowly.

Even more dangerously, they were disordered, with musket and pike units mixed.

Maurice sent his reserve cavalry against them, only 3 cornets strong.

Their well-timed charge was unexpectedly very successful.

The Spaniards were thrown into confusion and started a slow retreat.

Vere, who had been able to rally some English companies behind a battery, joined the fight, and he was reinforced by the regiments in the third line that had finally arrived.

The Spaniards, heavily assailed, retreated in disorder.