Page:Sketch of the life and character of His Royal Highness the late Duke of York (1).pdf/12

 12 rear. Every exertion of gallantry was unavailing, against such fearful odds, disposed; and the re treat was with difficulty, and with a loss propor- tionate to the arduous nature of a contest, main- tained against large masses of troops, whose atten- tion was to have been engaged by the Archduke Charles on the one side, and General Clerfayt on the other. It is proper to mention, that in this affair of Tournay, the English army was quite surrounded by the French, and no resource was left but to cut their way through an enemy in- finitely superior in numbers; this was no sooner thought of than measures were adopted for the purpose. The French, however, not daring to oppose so brave a band, made a lane for them to T'ass through, an coolly received them on each side with showers of musketry. In this movement, II.R. H. the Duke of York narrowly escaped being made prisoner. Accom- panied by an Austrian General and two other officers, he reached a village which had been taken the preceding day from the enemy, and supposing it still in the hands of the allies, they rode through it at full gallop. In turning the corner of one of the streets rather sharply, they discovered that the village was then in the hands of the French, and 2 column of the enemy facing them; the latter, supposing the Duke was at the head of a body of troops, at first fled, after having fired a volley at them, which killed the Austrian General by the side of His Royal Highness. Recovering, how- ever, from this error, the French pursued the Duke and his two companions until they came near a river. The Duke threw himself off his horse, and so did one of the officers, and they waded through the river, the third taking the water with his horse.