British Campaigns in Flanders 1690-1794: Being Extracts from "A History of the British Army"Fortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
History
British Campaigns in Flanders 1690-1794: Being Extracts from "A History of the British Army"
Fortescue, J. W. (John William), Sir
Flanders -- History, Military; Great Britain -- History, Military -- 18th century
Still the British, in spite of all losses, pressed furiously on; and
famous French regiments, spoiled children of victory, wavered and gave
way before them. Bourbonnois, unable to face the Guards and Danes,
doubled its left battalion in rear of its right; Chartres, which
stood next to them, also gave way and doubled itself in rear of its
neighbour Orléans. A wide gap was thus torn in the first French line,
but not a regiment of the second line would step into it. The colonel
of the brigade in rear of it ordered, entreated, implored his men to
come forward, but they would not follow him into that terrible fire.
Suddenly the wild voice ceased, and the gesticulating figure fell in
a heap to the ground: the colonel had been shot dead, and the gap was
still unfilled.
The first French line was broken; the second and third were dismayed
and paralysed: a little more and the British would carry the French
camp. Luxemburg perceived that this was a moment when only his best
troops could save him. In the fourth line stood the flower of his
infantry, the seven battalions of French and Swiss Guards. These
were now ordered forward to the gap; the princes of the blood placed
themselves at their head, and without firing a shot they charged down
the slope upon the British and Danes. The English Guards, thinned to
half their numbers, faced the huge columns of the Swiss and stood
up to them undaunted, till by sheer weight they were slowly rolled
back. On their right the Royal Scots also were forced back, fighting
desperately from hedge to hedge and contesting every inch of ground.
Once, the French made a dash through a fence and carried off one of
their colours. The Colonel, Sir Robert Douglas, instantly turned back
alone through the fence, recaptured the colour, and was returning with
it when he was struck by a bullet. He flung the flag over to his men
and fell to the ground dead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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