Dictionary of Battles. Thomas Benfield Harbottle
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and outflanked it, but was then assailed by the main body, and driven off with heavy loss.
Antium (War of Chiozza).
Fought May 30, 1378, when Vittorio Pisani, with 14 Venetian galleys, defeated the Genoese fleet under Fieschi. The Genoese lost 6 ships, and Fieschi was taken prisoner.
Antwerp (Netherlands War of Independence).
This city was sacked by the Spaniards, November 4, 1576. It was defended by 6,000 troops, mostly Walloons, who offered little resistance to the 5,600 Spaniards under Sancho d'Avila, who formed the attacking force. Having effected an entrance, the Spaniards proceeded to massacre the inhabitants, of whom 8,000 are said to have perished. This event is known as the Spanish Fury.
Antwerp (Liberation of Belgium).
When Holland refused to recognize the London Protocol creating Belgium into an independent State, the French laid siege to Antwerp, November, 1832. The city, which was defended by Chassé, held out till December 23, when, the citadel being demolished by the French fire, it was forced to capitulate.
Aong (Indian Mutiny).
Fought July 15, 1857, between the British relieving force under Havelock and the mutineers who were opposing their advance on Cawnpore. The rebels were defeated and driven from their entrenchments.
Aquae Sextiae (Cimbric War).
Fought B.C. 102, when the Teutones under the king Teutobod, were totally routed by the Romans under Marius.
Aquidaban (Paraguayan War).
The last stand of the Paraguayans against the allied armies of the Argentine Republic, Brazil, and Uruguay, May 1, 1870. Lopez, with a small force of Paraguayans and 5,000 Indians, met the attack of the allies under General Camera on the banks of the Aquidaban, and after a sanguinary engagement, in which he and the Vice-President Sanchez fell, his army was cut to pieces, and the war ended. During the war the population of Paraguay was reduced from 1,500,000 to 221,000, of whom only 29,000 were males over fifteen years of age.
Aquileia (Eugenius' Usurpation).
Fought September 6 and 7, 394, between Theodosius, Emperor of the East, and Eugenius, the usurping Emperor of the West, whose army was commanded by Arbogastes. The first day's fighting went against Theodosius, who was only saved by darkness from a severe reverse, but during the night a force sent by Arbogastes to secure the passes in Theodosius' rear, deserted to his standard, and thus reinforced and aided by a dust storm which blew in the faces of his antagonists and disordered their ranks, he on the following day gained a signal victory.
Aras (First Mahratta War).
Fought May 18, 1775, between Raghunath Rao, the claimant to the Peshwaship, with 20,000 Mahrattas, and 2,500 British troops under Colonel Keating, and the army of the Mahratta chieftains, 25,000 strong under Hari Pant Phunhay. Raghunath's undisciplined levies fled, and threw the British line into confusion; but they rallied, and after hard fighting repulsed the Mahrattas with heavy loss. The British lost 222, including 11 officers.
Arausio (Fourth Gallic Invasion).
Fought B.C. 105, when the Gauls under Boiorix totally routed two consular armies under Cæpio and Cn. Mallius Maximus. It is said that 80,000 Romans fell.
Arbela (Alexander's Asiatic Campaign).
Fought October 31, 331 B.C., between 47,000 Macedonians under Alexander the Great, and the Persian army, three or four times as numerous, under Darius Codomannus. Alexander, who led the Macedonian right wing, forced a passage between the Persian left and centre, and attacked the centre on the flank. After a stubborn resistance, and though meanwhile the Macedonian left had been hard pressed, the Persians gave way, and Darius taking to flight, the whole army fled in confusion, and was routed with enormous loss, especially at the passage of the Lycas, which barred their retreat. This victory made Alexander master of Asia.
Arcis-sur-Aube (Allied Invasion of France).
Fought March 21, 1814, between 23,000 French under Napoleon, and 60,000 allies under Schwartzenberg. The French made a gallant stand against superior numbers, and in the end effected an orderly retreat, with a loss of about 2,000. The allies' losses were considerably heavier.
Arcola (Napoleon's Italian Campaigns).
Fought November 15, 16, and 17, 1796, between the main Austrian army under Alvinzi, and the French under Napoleon. Napoleon's object was to drive back Alvinzi before he could effect a junction with Davidowich, who was descending from the Tyrol. The village of Arcola was occupied on the 15th, after severe fighting, in which Napoleon was in great personal danger on the bridge, but it was evacuated during the night. On the 16th Napoleon again attacked the village, but the Austrians held their ground. On the 17th he turned the position, and Davidowich still remaining inactive, Alvinzi was driven back, with losses variously estimated at from 8,000 to 18,000. The French also lost heavily.
Arcot.
This fortress was captured by Clive, with a force of 200 Europeans and 300 Sepoys, in August, 1751. The garrison, 1,100 strong, offered no resistance, but marched out on Clive's approach. In the course of the autumn Arcot was beleaguered by an army of 10,000 natives, and 150 Frenchmen under Chunda Sahib, the French nominee for the Nawabship of Arcot. Against this overwhelming force, Clive, whose garrison had been reduced by sickness to 120 Europeans, and less than 200 Sepoys, held out for seven weeks, till the approach of a Mahratta army forced Chunda Sahib to raise the siege. The garrison had 45 Europeans and 30 Sepoys killed.