5 - The gendarmes

Summary

“BEING VICTORS THEIR DAMAGE IS GREATER”

The day after the battle of Dreux, Admiral Coligny, leader of the Huguenot army, wrote a dispatch describing the battle and its outcome to Queen Elizabeth of England. In the dispatch, which was soon to be published widely abroad, Coligny listed a number of great Catholic noblemen whom he believed to have been killed or seriously wounded in the battle. In addition, some others,

chevaliers of the order, along with several leaders, lieutenants and men-at-arms, prisoners, up to a hundred or more, who have not yet been identified; such that in truth, if they had suffered any higher losses, their army would have been entirely ruined. On our side, the capture of the Prince of Condé is a great misfortune…Besides that, we have lost some infantry captains and some gentlemen and soldiers, but in very small numbers. We thank God that our losses do not even compare to those suffered by our enemies. Not a single one of our principal leaders was wounded… They have but one sole point of advantage: because of the night and lack of horses, we left them four field pieces. But we consider that more than compensated for by the loss they sustained of so many great lords and captains.