The siege of Bergen op Zoom (the historian Gaston Bodart referred to it as the raid and engagement at Bergen-op-Zoom) took place on 8 March 1814 during the War of the Sixth Coalition between a British force led by Thomas Graham, 1st Baron Lynedoch and a French garrison under Guilin Laurent Bizanet and Jean-Jacques Ambert. The initial British assault force seized part of the defences, but a well-managed French counterattack compelled much of the assault force to surrender. Bergen op Zoom is a port in the Netherlands about south of Rotterdam and north of Antwerp in Belgium.

Assault French General Guilin Laurent Bizanet had 2,700 soldiers in the garrison when, under cover of night and using local intelligence, Graham attacked. The French, however, were positioned well, and the population allied with them as they fought in the streets. The attacking British troops took heavy casualties. General Bizanet remained in control of Bergen op Zoom until a peace accord was signed.

Forces and casualties One source named Bizanet as the governor and Jean-Jacques Ambert as the French commander. The 2,700-man French garrison sustained 500 killed and wounded and 100 captured during the action. Depending on sources, the British assault force consisted of between 4,000 and 9,000 men. Of them, between 2,100 and 4,000 were killed, wounded or captured. In addition to the units listed below, the source counted the 2nd Battalion of the 35th Foot in the assault force. The Guards Brigade consisted of three companies of the 1st Foot Guards and four companies each of the 2nd Foot Guards and 3rd Foot Guards, all from the 2nd Battalions of the regiments.

British Order of Battle Graham formed his troops into four columns as follows: CommanderUnitNumber of Men 1st Column Colonel Lord Proby Brigade of Guards 1,000 2nd Column Lieutenant-colonel Morrice, 69th Foot 55th Foot 250 69th Foot 350 33rd Foot 6003rd Column Lieutenant-colonel Henry, 21st Foot 21st Foot 400 91st Foot 100 37th Foot 150 4th Column Brigadier-general Gore / Lieutenant-colonel Carleton 44th Foot 300 Flank companies of the 21st and 37th Foot 200 1st Foot 600 Total 3,950

Notes

References

Further reading

External links