Читать книгу The Battles of the World or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military events онлайн

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ARCOLA.—This battle was fought between the French, under General Bonaparte, and the Austrians, under Field-Marshal Alvinzy, November 19th, 1796. The result of this bloody conflict, which was fought for eight successive days, was the loss on the part of the Austrians of 12,000 men in killed, wounded, and prisoners, with 4 flags and 18 guns.

ARGENTARIA.—This battle was one of the most renowned of its times. It was fought A.D. 378, in Alsace, between the Allemanni and the Romans, the former being defeated by the latter, with the loss of more than 35,000 men, out of their whole army of 40,000.

ARKLOW.—This battle was fought June 10th, 1798, between the insurgent Irish, amounting to 31,000, and a small regular force of British, which signally defeated them.

ARMADA.—Philip, king of Spain, after some years of preparation in all the ports of his extensive dominions, had assembled in the river Tagus a fleet of 130 large vessels, carrying nearly 30,000 men, and the Prince of Parma had collected, in the ports of the Netherlands, ships and boats for the embarkation of an equal number of his veteran troops. To resist these formidable preparations, Elizabeth had only a navy of 34 ships, but the nobility and the seaports fitted out such a number of vessels at their own expense, that there soon was at sea a fleet of 180 vessels of all kinds, large and small. The chief command was committed to Howard of Effingham, Lord High-Admiral of England, and Drake, Hawkins, and Frobisher held commands under him. The fleet was stationed at Plymouth. A land army of 30,000 men was posted at Tilbury, in Essex, under the command of Lord Leicester, for the protection of the city of London, while another of equal strength was destined for the guard of the Queen’s person.