Chess Generalship, Vol. I. Grand ReconnaissanceYoung, Franklin K. (Franklin Knowles)
History
Chess Generalship, Vol. I. Grand Reconnaissance
Young, Franklin K. (Franklin Knowles)
Chess
But the King had doubly prevented him; first by laying his bridge so low
that none of Tilly’s shot could hurt it, for the bridge lay not above
half a foot above the water’s edge; and the angle of the river secured it
against the batteries on the other side, while the continual fire beat
the Imperialists from those places where they had no works to cover them.
Now, in the second place, the King sent over four hundred men who cast
up a large ravelin on the other bank just where he planned to land; and
while this was doing the King laid over his bridge.
Both sides wrought hard all the day and all the night as if the spade,
not the sword, was to decide the controversy; meanwhile the musketry
and cannon-balls flew like hail and both sides had enough to do to make
the men stand to their work. The carnage was great; many officers were
killed. Both the King and Tilly animated the troops by their presence.
About one o’clock about the time when the King had his bridge finished
and in heading a charge of 3000 foot against our ravelin was brave old
Tilly slain by a musket bullet in the thigh.
We knew nothing of this disaster befallen them, and the King, who looked
for blows, the bridge and ravelin being finished, ordered to run a line
of palisades to take in more ground and to cover the first troops he
should send over. This work being finished the same night, the King sent
over his Guards and six hundred Scots to man the new line.
Early in the morning a party of Scots under Capt. Forbes of Lord Rae’s
regiment was sent abroad to learn something of the enemy and Sir John
Hepburn with the Scots Brigade was ordered to pass the bridge, draw up
outside the ravelin, and to advance in search of the enemy as soon as the
horse were come over.
The King was by this time at the head of his army in full battle array,
ready to follow his van-guard and expecting a hot day’s work of it. Sir
John sent messenger after messenger entreating for permission to advance,
but the King would not suffer it; for he was ever on his guard and would
not risk a surprise. So the army continued on this side of the Lech all
day and the next night.
In the morning the King ordered 300 horse, 600 horse and 800 dragoons
to enter the wood by three ways, but sustaining each other; the Scots
Brigade to follow to the edge of the wood in support of all, and a
brigade of Swedish infantry to cover Sir John’s troops. So warily did
this famous warrior proceed.
The next day the cavalry came up with us led by Gustavus Horn; and the
King and the whole army followed, and we marched on through the heart of
Bavaria. His Majesty when he saw the judgment with which old Tilly had
prepared his works and the dangers we had run, would often say, “That
day’s work is every way equal to the victory of Leipsic.”
* * * * *
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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