Page:Life and surprising adventures of Frederick Baron Trenck.pdf/15

 men, had surrounded the small number of Brandenburgh and Pomeranian troops with more than eighty-six thousand men, and was in hopes of taking them all prisoners.

About midnight the King came into my tent, went likewise into those of the other officers  wake them; he ordered the horses to be saddled without noise, the baggage to be left behind,  the whole army to hold themselves in readiness for action.

Eight field pieces were placed behind a rising ground opposite the defile through which the King meant to pass, and where it was intended begin the action. He must have received information of all the designs of the Austrian General, for he had called in all the advanced posts on the heights to inspire him with greater confidence.

At the dawn of day, the Austrian artillery planted on the heights, unloaded our camp, and the cavalry, advancing to attack us, entered the defile.

We immediately drew up in order of battle, and in less than ten minutes began the attack; notwithstanding our small number of men, (there were only five regiments of cavalry with our army) and fell with the greatest rapidy on the enemy at that moment employed in slowly forming  squadrons in the front of the defile. We them back into the defile, which was crowded full of men. The King immediately ordered eight field pieces to be unmasked, and they made terrible havoc.

Nadaste, Trenck, and the light troops, that were to have attacked us in the rear, stopped to pillage our camp: it is worthy of remark, that when news was brought to the King, that the Croats were pillaging the camp, he answered: