Battle of Caesar's Camp
1793 CE.
Shown on the map at 50.212°, 3.087°.
The Battle of Caesar's Camp (7–8 August 1793) saw the Coalition army led by Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld try to envelop a Republican French army under Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine. Numerically superior Habsburg Austrian, British and Hanoverian columns converged on the fortified French camp, but Kilmaine wisely decided to slip away toward Arras. The War of the First Coalition skirmish was fought near Cambrai, France, and the village of Marquion located 12 kilometres (7 mi) northwest of Cambrai. Adam Philippe, Comte de Custine, the previous commander of the Army of the North was ordered to Paris, where he was soon arrested and guillotined. Kilmaine was requested to lead the army until a permanent replacement arrived. Two Austrian columns set out to strike the French front while a British and Hanoverian column under Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany marched completely behind the French army. Though one representative on mission urged Kilmaine to attack, the general determined to escape to the west. On 8 August, the Coalition trap snapped shut on only two battalions and even these got away when Kilmaine intervened with his massed cavalry.
Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of Caesar's Camp, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.