Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/49

 HISTORY O

du(5l of every part of this affair : a bold countenance became necefTary, and it was ailumed; they marched with the utmoft diligence to the town, and encountered the enemy at the bridge ; a fierce fire, well fupported on either fide, enfued. The ground was fuch, that the Prince could iict bring up his whole detachment equally. Senfible of this difad vantage, he formed a defign to overcome it, as judicious as it was refolute, which was to turn the ene- my by attacking them in the rear ; to execute this defign, it was necef- fary to make a circuit about the town. Everv thinir fccceeded : the attack on the enemies rear was made with bayonet iixxd; a terrible flaughter enfued. The Frenchaban- doned the bridge, and fled in confu- fion: the Prince having cleared the town of the enemy, joined the party he had left. The Count de Chabot threw iiimfelf with two battalions into the caftle, with a refolution to maintain himfelf there; but, in a lit- tle time, he capitulated, furrendering the place, his fcorcs and magazines, his troops being permitted to march out. The Prince, who had no artil- lery, and who, on account of the bad- nefs of the reads, defpaired of bring- ing up heavy cannon, fuffered them to depart. Six hundred and feventy men were made prifoners in the aftion, and a place of much im- portance, and which opened a paf- fage over the Wefer, fecured to the Hanoverians, with the lofs of lefs than IOC men killed and wounded. I have dwelt on this action, and defcribed it as particularly as I could, though nothing decifive in itfelf, becaufe it is not in pitched battles between great armies, where the moft malterly flrokes of conduct are always difplayed ; tkefe kffer

F THE W A R. 2§

affairs frequently call for as much or more of fagacity, refolution, and prefence of mind, in tie com- mander; yet are they often flio-htly pafTed by, as matters of no confe- quence, by the generality of peo- ple, who rather confider the great- nefs of the event, than the fpiric of the aCiion.

Prince Ferdinand continued to ad- vance v\Ilh his right on one fide of the Wefer, and his left on the other; the French continued to retire, and iucceillvely abandoned all the places they had occupied in the eledorate, except Minden. A garrifon of 4000 men defended that place; but it was clofely invefled, and in nine days the whole garrifon fur- ■. ,, rendered prifoners of war. ^^ Several fkirmifhes happened between the advanced parties of the Hanoverian army and the French, always to the advantage of the former. The wretched condition, of the French troops is hardly to be defcribed or imagined: ofncers and foldiers involved in one com- mon dillrefs; the cflicers foro-ot their rank, and the foldiers their obedience; full hofpitals and empty magazines; a rigorous fcafon, and bad covering; their baggage fcized Of abandoned, and the huiTars and hunters of the allied army conti- nually haralTing, pillaging, and cutting them otf. It was no alle- viation to their mifery, that the inhabitants of the country, which they abandoned, were reduced to the fame extremities. The favage behaviour of fome of their corps at their departure, took away all compaffion from their fufFering-s : but this was not univerfal. The Duke de Randan, who commanded in Hanover, quitted the place with, the fame virtue, that he had {q D z ioDg