SENEFFE 1674

I have been researching the Battle of Seneffe over the last year but, being an amateur with a limited range of sources and access to them, I have only managed to accumulate a certain amount of information. There is a reasonable amount available on the Dutch Army at Seneffe, as well as the French Army, although I have come across contradictions in the sources I have been able to study. However, I have found it very difficult to find readily available information on both the Spanish Army and the Imperial Army at the battle. As for details on uniforms and standards, these seem to be impossible to obtain.

Anyway, I thought if I presented the information I have unearthed for anyone with an interest in the conflicts of the 1670s, I might get some additional references or advice or corrections. There may be a book or article that would provide everything I have found; if so, I would welcome heartily being guided in its direction.

To start, then, here is a summary of the Spanish Army at Seneffe which contains all the senior officers and regiments which I am pretty certain were present at the battle.

However, I also have a long list of other units and officers who might have been there was well, but I have not found enough to corroborate the fact, i.e. they appear in only one source. If I find such evidence, I will update the list presented here.

The figures given for the strength of the Spanish Army do vary considerably. Owing to financial constraints on the government of the Spanish Netherlands at the time, I am inclined to favour the lower figures. The infantry units is close to the suggested number; the cavalry units are well below the number suggested; the dragoon regiment is correct, there definitely was only one Spanish dragoon regiment at Seneffe. I have indicated as well the Colonel of each regiment and the nationality of the unit, for although it was a Spanish Army, many units were Walloon, i.e. from the Spanish Netherlands, or were raised by German colonels for Spain.

The Spanish Army at the Battle of Seneffe, August 11^th 1674/

Strength:

5,000-10,000 Spanish Troops

From 4,000 to 6,000 Infantry in 6 Regiments OR in 8 Battalions

From 3,000 to 5,000 Cavalry in 20-22 Regiments (36-38 Squadrons), plus 5 Guard Companies

From 500 to 800 Spanish Dragoons in One Regiment

Senior Officers:

Major General Pedro de Acuña y Meneses Marquis d’Assentar

Lieutenant General of Horse Duke de Villahermosa

Lieutenant General Prince Charles Henri de Lorraine-Vaudemont

Lieutenant General Maximilian Count de Mérode-Westerloo

Major General Louvigny

Infantry Units:

Tercio Viejo/Departmental de Holanda [Colonel – Rodrigo Tello] Spanish

Tercio Viejo/Departmental del Brabante [Colonel – Fransisco Antonio de Agurto y Salcedo] Spanish

Tercio de Pedro Aldao Barbeito [Colonel – Pedro de Aldao Barbeito] Spanish

Tercio de Sarmiento y Zarmadio [Colonel – Juan Antonio Sarmiento y Zarmadio] Spanish

Tercio de Mérode-Westerloo [Colonel – Maximilian Count de Mérode-Westerloo] Walloon

Beaumont [Colonel – Count de Beaumont] One Battalion German

Reuss [Colonel – Reuss] One Battalion Walloon

Cavalry Units:

De Aerschot [Colonel – Philippe Charles d’Arenberg-De Aerschot] Walloon

Chanay-Beaumont [Colonel – Charles-Louis Antoine d’Henin Chanay-Beaumont] Walloon

Coraceros de Galicia [Colonel – Bernado Sarmiento de Sotomayor] Spanish

D’Ennetières [Colonel – Jean François d’Ennetières] Walloon

Holstein [Colonel – Duke of Holstein] German

Javier [Colonel – Antonio Francisco Javier] Spanish

Jauregui [Colonel – Antonio de Jauregui] Spanish

La Motterie [Colonel – La Motterie] Walloon

Lorrena [Colonel – Prince Charles Henri de Lorraine-Vaudemont] German

Moerbeck [Colonel – Margrave von Moerbeck] German

Orsbeck [Colonel – Baron von Orsbeck] German

Quincy [Colonel – Quincy] Walloon

Del Valle [Colonel – Antonio Luis del Valle] Spanish

Waldenburg [Colonel – Colonel Waldenburg] German

Dragoon Units:

Verlóo [Jean de Verlóo] Spanish