public mortification attending it. His had been one of countless bodies that swung in the wind that summer. Nathan had met his end fearlessly. Daniel had been inspired by that. In his eyes, his father was no mere rebel but a hero prepared to fight for what he truly believed in. There was dignity in that.
He knelt beside the grave for a long time, pulling out weeds that had sprouted up since his last visit and clearing away the twigs that had been blown on to it. Before he rose to leave, he offered up his usual prayer for the salvation of his father's soul. A bond had been renewed. His visit to the past was over. Daniel rode slowly away from the village, his sorrow fringed with a strange feeling of pride. It stayed with him all the way back to London.
The Duke of Marlborough spent the winter months in the company of his beloved wife, Sarah, bemoaning his long absences and assuring her that the end of the war might be in sight if his calculations were proved to be correct. Details of his strategy were discussed at length with his inner circle, Daniel Rawson among them. Plans were put in place to guarantee that there would be adequate provisions for a large army on a longer march than had ever before been attempted during the war. Marlborough was brimming with confidence. He had the support of Queen Anne and of his close friend, Sidney Godolphin, Lord Treasurer and skilful manipulator of Parliament. Everything boded well for the new offensive.
Unfortunately, it was the French army that seized the initiative.
While the commander-in-chief of the Confederate armies was refining his strategy in England in April, 1706, a strong French force under Marshal Vendome defeated a Hapsburg army at Calcinato in northern Italy. Instead of deploying his armies in defensive positions as he was wont to do, Louis XIV elected to engage the enemy. Marlborough and his staff crossed to The Hague almost a week later to be met by delay, disappointment and confusion. The Dutch had welcomed the idea of reinforcing Italy from the north. Once they realised that Marlborough intended to go there in person, they feared that he'd weaken their defences in doing so and render them vulnerable to attack.
Dutch vacillation was followed by a blank refusal to cooperate from other quarters. The Danish, Hessian, Hanoverian and Prussian commanders reneged on their earlier undertakings and withheld their support. The prospect of taking the war to Italy frightened them. It was a crushing setback for Marlborough, made worse by the fact that the careful preparations needed for a sustained march were well short of completion. There had been a woeful lack of urgency in setting up depots. It was as bad as in the previous year. Marlborough was furious and dismayed. It was almost as if his allies were deliberately holding him back. Though he tried to rectify the situation with commendable energy, it was an impossible task. The strategy he'd nurtured for so many months was now in danger of falling apart.
The final crippling blow came early in May. With great secrecy, Marshal Villars and Marshal Marsin had prepared an offensive against the position held in Alsace by the Margrave of Baden. They took the Imperialist troops by surprise and captured Haguenau, forcing Baden's men to retreat in disarray across the Rhine. The fortress of Landau, which had changed hands many times, was under siege once more. The dramatic change in French tactics had been rewarded. In Alsace, as in northern Italy, signal victories had been secured. It was an ideal start to the new campaign. At the same time, it was a declaration of intention. France was on the attack.
Daniel was at his side when Marlborough received a dispatch, telling him of the Allied defeat in Alsace. All hope of marching to Italy vanished. His bold plan would never be put into operation. They were back where they had been the previous year, losing ground to the enemy and compelled to restrict their activities to the Low Countries. Overcoming his frustration, Marlborough adapted swiftly to the change of perspective. He even found cause for optimism.
'Our intelligence from Versailles was inaccurate,' he said. 'The King has realised that you can only win a battle if you engage with the enemy. If he's ready to sanction an attack, we don't have to provoke the French any longer. They'll come at us of their own volition.'
'That will make a change, Your Grace,' said Daniel.
'It's a very welcome change.'
'What's brought it about, do you think?'
'King Louis wished to remind the Dutch of his power,' said Cardonnel. 'We know from our spies that he secretly offered peace to the States-General during the winter. Naturally, he wishes it to be negotiated on his terms. By securing these early triumphs in Italy and Alsace, he's sending a message to The Hague.'
'Unfortunately,' said Daniel, 'many people will heed it. The closer the French encroach on us, the louder are the calls in Holland for a peace settlement.'
Marlborough was adamant. 'The only way to achieve peace is to defeat the French,' he said. 'I firmly believe that we have the money, men and spirit to do it.'
'We're somewhat short of men, Your Grace,' Cardonnel told him. 'The Hanoverians and Hessians have not yet arrived and the Danish cavalry will not be here for a week or more.'
'What about the Prussians?' asked Daniel.
'King Frederick is having another tantrum, alas. He's refusing to send his contingents until we've listened to his grievances.'
'I thought they'd all been remedied, sir.'
'Since our visit, he's invented some new ones.'
'His support is more trouble than it's worth.'
'Forget about the Prussians,' said Marlborough, shaking off his depression at the prospect of action. 'Forget about the Hanoverians and the Hessians. The time for talking is over at last. Everything points to the possibility of a battle against Marshal Villeroi. By the time it takes place, we'll have sufficient forces. We may have lost our chance of a telling attack in northern Italy but we've gained something in return. We now have an opportunity for a decisive engagement on our own doorstep, so to speak. I feel exhilarated, gentlemen,' he went on, raising a fist. 'For the first time since Blenheim, I feel that destiny is at hand. Nothing will content me more than to offer battle to the French. I have every confidence that we'll achieve a complete victory.'
Chapter Sixteen
'Greetings to you, stranger!' said Welbeck, sardonically. 'This regiment is the 24 ^th Foot. It's always a privilege to welcome a new officer.'
'There's no need for sarcasm, Henry.
'How do you come to know my name, sir?'
'It was a lucky guess,' said Daniel.
'Wonders never cease.'
'Stop this horseplay, will you?'
'Why?' said the sergeant, pretending to recognise him for the first time. 'I do believe it might be our long-lost Captain Rawson.'
'You know bloody well it is.'
'We thought we'd never see you again, sir.'
'I haven't been away that long,' said Daniel. 'In fact, it seems like no time at all since I saw that hideous visage of yours. What's been happening in my absence?'
'There's been nothing of consequence, Dan.'
'Something must have occurred.'
'You know what winter quarters are like. We get up, visit the latrines, eat, drill, eat again, go back to the latrines, drill again then moan about the fools who're supposed to lead us. Whenever I look at our officers,' said Welbeck, mordantly, 'I think that a lot of villages back in England must be missing their idiots.'
'It's good to know that you have such faith in us, Henry.'
'Present company excepted, of course.'
Daniel laughed. 'Thank you.'
It was months since he'd seen his friend. For most of them, he'd not even been in the same country as Welbeck. While it was rewarding to be one of Marlborough's aides-de-camp, it did distance him from so many
