Siege of Breda (1637) when word came that the Dutch had suddenly invested the city of Breda with a besieging army of 18,000. Breda was the capital city of the baronial fief that had once been the crown jewel in the Dutch estates of the Nassau family in the Habsburg Netherlands before the war started. Frederick Henry had therefore a personal interest in recapturing the city and its surroundings. The siege was preceded by an attempt to surprise the garrison on 21 July 1637 by Dutch cavalry under Henry Casimir I of Nassau-Dietz. However, the gates were closed in time and the Dutch skirmishers
Capture of Breda (1590) arrived at Willemstad, thirty kilometers from Breda. There they would have to wait for the warning of Heraugiere if all had gone well. On the 26th Heraugiere and their men embarked on van Bergen's boat; but he was too ill or overslept and thus sent his two nephews who would pilot the barge. Overcoming the Mark in the direction of Breda, they had to overcome the extreme cold of the Dutch winter, ice caused difficulties thus making navigation difficult which delayed the voyage by a number of days. By Saturday evening however they had reached Breda and were at the