Capture of Ootmarsum (1597)
Part of theEighty Years' War & theAnglo–Spanish War
Cannonball from the siege lodged in the church in Ootmarsum today
Date 19–21 October 1597 Location Ootmarsum (present-dayNetherlands) Result Dutch & English victory[1]
Belligerents
Dutch Republic England	Spanish Empire
Commanders and leaders
Count Van Duivenvoorde	Otto van den Sande
Strength
2,800	120[2]
Casualties and losses
Unknown (light)	All captured

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TheCapture of Ootmarsum in 1597 was a short siege, that took place during theEighty Years' War and theAnglo–Spanish War by a Dutch and English army led by Count Van Duivenvoorde whileMaurice of Nassau was besiegingOldenzaal. The siege lasted from 19 to 21 October, where the Spanish garrison of Ootmarsum under the governor, Otto Van Den Sande, surrendered and was then occupied by the besiegers. The siege was part of Maurice's successful offensive against the Spaniards during the same year.^[2]

After thecapture of Enschede and with the exodus of the surrendered Spanish garrison, Maurice went with the Dutch and English army to Oldenzaal.^[3] Before Maurice got there however he decided then to split his army with the main army headed to Oldenzaal and a force under Count Van Duivenvoorde sent toOotmarsum in order to submit the city to his authority.^[4]

As with the capture of Enschede the same process took place; a Dutch trumpeter under a flag of truce was sent to the gate of Ootmarsum to demand the surrender. Duivenvoorde threatened that under Maurice's orders his army would inflict the same destruction that befellBredevoort andGroenlo during their capture a few weeks before.^[5] The garrison commander Otto van den Sande replied that theKing had commanded him to defy the besiegers and hold firm and that he himself could not surrender as only someone with a higher authority could so.^[4] Sande thus ordered continuous cannon fire from the ramparts which continued over the whole night, causing casualties amongst the English troops digging a siege trench.^[4]

Upon hearing the report of the resistance, Maurice subsequently sent four heavy guns to Ootmarsum. The following evening, Dutch engineers began advancing toward the city's southern ramparts, spending the time positioning two large siege guns. Meanwhile, on the north side, English troops and engineers did the same, bringing three artillery cannons into position. The next day in Ootmarsum, the new siege works were observed, and the incessant bombardment resumed on these newly dug positions.^[4]

Van den Sande soon realized his position was hopeless and with no hope of relief, he asked for the written terms of Maurice to be handed over.^[5] This time there was immediate capitulation, and the company of Spanish and German troops consisting of 120 men pulled out of the city, taking with them two banners, two guns, 800 pounds of gunpowder, 2000 fuses, four tons of flour, and other provisions.^[4] The written honors of war was that the garrison was to remain behind theMeuse for the allotted time of three months where they were not to engage in combat.^[4]

Dutch and English troops took over and Van Duivenvoorde ordered the fortifications and outer moat of Ootmarsum to be demolished as had been done in Enschede. At the same time, Maurice with the main army was busy with the siege of Oldenzaalwhich capitulated a day later.^[1]

• List of stadtholders in the Low Countries
• List of governors of the Spanish Netherlands
• Siege of Bredevoort (1597)
• Siege of Groenlo (1597)

Citations

Bibliography

• Fissel, Mark Charles (2001).English warfare, 1511–1642; Warfare and history. London, UK: Routledge.ISBN 978-0-415-21481-0.
• Motley, John Lothrop.History of the United Netherlands: from the death of William the Silent to the Synod of Dort, with a full view of the English-Dutch struggle against Spain, and of the origin and destruction of the Spanish armada (Volume 3). New York, Harper.
• van Nimwegen, Olaf (2010).The Dutch Army and the Military Revolutions, 1588-1688 Volume 31 of Warfare in History Series. Boydell & Brewer.ISBN 9781843835752.
• Markham, C. R. (2007).The Fighting Veres: Lives Of Sir Francis Vere And Sir Horace Vere. Kessinger Publishing.ISBN 978-1432549053.
• Israel, Jonathan. (1997).Conflicts of Empires: Spain, the Low Countries and the Struggle for World Supremacy, 1585-1713. Continuum.ISBN 9780826435538.
• Jan Wagenaar et al. (1753):Vaderlandsche Historie, Vervattende Geschiedenislessen der Vereenigde Nederlanden, in Zonderheid die van Holland, van de Vroegste Tyden af - Achtste Deel Amsterdam:Isaak Tirion (Dutch)

• Conflicts in 1597
• 1597 in the Dutch Republic
• 1590s in the Habsburg Netherlands
• 16th-century military history of the Kingdom of England
• 16th-century military history of Spain
• Battles of the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604)
• Eighty Years' War (1566–1609)
• Sieges of the Eighty Years' War
• Sieges involving the Dutch Republic
• Sieges involving England
• Sieges involving Spain
• History of Overijssel
• Dinkelland

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