Verdugo with his whole force, yelling "Victoria! Victoria!" made a
shirt-attack, or camiciata--the men wearing their shirts outside their
armour to distinguish each other in the darkness--upon that portion of
the camp which was under command of Hohenlo. They were met with
determination and repulsed, after fighting all night, with a loss of
three hundred killed and a proportionate number of wounded. The
Netherlanders had but three killed and six wounded. Among the latter,
however, was Lewis William, who received a musket-ball in the belly, but
remained on the ground until the enemy had retreated. It was then
discovered that his wound was not mortal--the intestines not having been
injured--and he was soon about his work again. Prince Maurice, too, as
usual, incurred the remonstrances of the deputies and others for the
reckless manner in which he exposed himself wherever the fire was hottest
He resolutely refused, however, to permit his cavalry to follow the
retreating enemy. His object was Coeworden--a prize more important than
a new victory over the already defeated Spaniards would prove--and this
object he kept ever before his eyes.

This was Verdugo's first and last attempt to relieve the city. He had
seen enough of the young prince's tactics and had no further wish to
break his teeth against those scientific entrenchments. The Spaniards at
last, whether they wore their shirts inside or outside their doublets,
could no longer handle the Dutchmen at pleasure. That people of butter,
as the iron duke of Alva was fond of calling the Netherlanders, were
grown harder with the pressure of a twenty-five years' war.

Five days after the sanguinary 'camiciata' the besieged offered to
capitulate. The trumpet at which the proud Van den Berg had hinted for
six months later arrived on the 12th September. Maurice was glad to get
his town. His "little soldiers" did not insist, as the Spaniards and