Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/66

 52 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.

the enemies cruelty were before their eyes, the. country defolated on every fide, and the villages in flames all round the (vAd of battte.

At nine o'clock in the morn- ing the battle began by a (ire of cannon and mortars, which rained on the right wing of the Rtiffians, without the Icall inter- miOion, for near two hours. No- thing could exceed the havock made by this terrible fire, nor the conilancy with which the IVIuf- covite foot, raw and unexperi- enced, fujlained a flaughter' that would have confounded and dif- perfed the compleateft veterans. They fell in their ranks; new regiments ftill prefTed forward to fill their places, and to fupply new flaughter. When the firft line had fired away all their charges,- they rufhed forward on the Pruf- fians. That firm body of the Piufiian infantry which had often Hood, and often given fo many terrible fliocks, by one of thofe unaccountable movements of the human mind, that render every thing in war fo precjirious, gave way in the prefencc of their love- reign, and when they had in a manner fecured the vi<5tory, retired in diforder before the half broken battalions of the Mufcovites. Had the RulTian otiicers known how to profit of this diforder; had they immediately thrown in their horfe with vigour to com pleat it and entirely break that body; this had probably been the lalt day of the Pruflian greatnefs. The King was not fo negligent. For uift in this anxious moment, whiiit , the battle was yet in fufpence, by a very rapid and mailcrly motion, he brought all the cavalry of his right to the center, which with

General Scdlitz at their head, burfUng in upon the Ruffian foot, uncovered by their horfe, and dif- ordcred even by their advantage, they pufhed them back with a molt miferablc flaughter. The rcpulfed battalions of Pruflia had time to reco'lecl:, and to form tlierufelves; and now f.-turning to the onfet with a rage exalpcrated by their late dil'gracc, they en- tirely turned the balance of the fight. The Ruffians were thrown into the moil horrible confufion. The wind blew the dult and fmoke full in their faces. '1 hey no longer diilinguilhed friends from enemies, 'f hey fired u-ion each other, in this diflraftion they plundered their own baggage which flood be- tween the lines, and intoxicated themfelves with brandy. Orders were novv no more heard or obeyed. The ranks fell in upon one another; and being crammed together in a narrow fpace, everv ihot dii- charged by the Pruffians had its full efted; whilll the RufF.ans kept up only a fcattered fire without direftion or efFeft, and quite o\'cr the heads of their ene- mies. It was now no longer battle, but a horrid and undiliin- guiihed carnage. Yet flill (which is a wonderful circumflance) the Ruflian.s thus diflraded and flaugh- tered, kept their, ground. The adion continued "without inter- mifuon from nine in the morn- ing until feven at night. At laft the night itfelf, the fatigue of the Pruflians, and a judkioui attack on their right wing, which drew their attention on that fide, gave the Ruffiah arnjy lome' rcfpite to recover their order, and an oppor- tunity of retiring a little from the fcene of their difafter. On their fjde near lo,oco fell upon

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