Battle of Caesar's Camp

Battle of Caesar's Camp (1793)
Part of the Flanders campaign of the War of the First Coalition
Prince Josias of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld planned to crush the French army, but his opponents escaped.
Date 7–8 August 1793 Location Marquion, France Result Coalition victory
Belligerents
Habsburg Monarchy  Great Britain  Electorate of Hanover	French Republic
Commanders and leaders
Prince of Coburg Duke of York Wenzel Colloredo Count of Clerfayt	Charles Kilmaine
Strength
43,000	35,000
Casualties and losses
light	light, 3 guns

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. Kilmaine was dismissed and later arrested, though he avoided the guillotine and served in Italy under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796.