A History of the British Army, Vol. 2: First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' WarFortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
History
A History of the British Army, Vol. 2: First Part—to the Close of the Seven Years' War
Fortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
Great Britain -- History, Military; Great Britain. Army -- History
Thereupon the Dutch and Austrians, in the centre and left, advanced
against Fontenoy and Anthoin, but flinching from the fire in
front, and above all from that in their flank from the battery on
the other side of the Scheldt, soon shrank back under cover and
could not be induced to move forward again.[189] Worst of all,
the Dutch cavalry was smitten with panic, galloped back on to
the top of some of the British squadrons, and fled away wildly
to Hal crying out that all was lost. Things therefore went ill
on the Allied left; and meanwhile on the right there was enacted
a blunder still more fatal. For Ingoldsby, misconceiving his
instructions, hesitated to make his attack on the Redoubt d'Eu,
and despite repeated orders from Cumberland never delivered it at
all. Cumberland, however, was impatient. Without further delay
he placed himself at the head of the British, who were standing
as Ligonier had arrayed them, in most beautiful order. In the
first line, counting from right to left, stood a battalion of
the First Guards, another of the Coldstreams, and another of
the Scots Guards, the First, Twenty-first, Thirty-first, Eighth,
Twenty-fifth, Thirty-third, and Nineteenth; in the second line
the Buffs occupied the post of honour on the right, and next to
them came in succession the Twenty-third, Thirty-second, Eleventh,
Twenty-eighth, Thirty-fourth, and Twentieth. Certain Hanoverian
battalions joined them on the extreme left. The drums beat, the men
shouldered arms, and the detachments harnessed themselves to the
two light field-guns that accompanied each battalion. Ingoldsby saw
what was going forward and aligned his battalions with them on the
right. Then the word was given to advance, and the two lines moved
off with the slow and measured step for which they were famous in
Europe.
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