The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military eventsBorthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
History
The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military events
Borthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
Battles; Military history
PULTOWA, BATTLE OF.--Fought, July 8th, 1709, between Charles XII
of Sweden and Peter the Great of Russia. In this celebrated battle
the Czar entirely defeated the Hero of Sweden, and forced him to
flee to Turkey. This battle was lost on account of Charles having
been wounded just before, being obliged to issue his orders from
a litter, his soldiers thus having no opportunity of seeing their
loved commander.
PULTUSK, BATTLES OF.--One between the Saxons and Swedes, in which
the former were defeated, 1703; and the other between the French,
under Napoleon, and the Russian and Prussian armies. Both sides
claimed the victory, but it inclined in favour of the French.
PYRAMIDS, BATTLE OF THE.--Fought between the French and Turks,
1798. “The sight of the Pyramids, and the anxious nature of the
moment, inspired the French General with even more than usual
ardour; the sun glittered on those immense masses, which seemed to
arise in height every step the soldiers advanced, and the army,
sharing his enthusiasm, gazed, as they marched, on the everlasting
monuments. “Remember,” said he, “that from the summit of those
Pyramids forty centuries contemplate your actions.”
With his usual sagacity, the General had taken extraordinary
precautions to ensure success against the formidable cavalry of
the Desert. The divisions were all drawn up as before, in hollow
squares six deep, the artillery at the angles, the general and
baggage in the centre. When they were in mass, the two sides
advanced in column, those in front and rear moved forward in their
ranks, but the moment they were charged, the whole were to halt,
and face outward on every side. When they were themselves to
charge, the three front ranks were to break off and form the column
of attack, those in the rear remaining behind, still in square, but
three deep only, to constitute the reserve. Napoleon had no fears
for the result, if the infantry were steady; his only apprehension
was, that his soldiers, accustomed to charge, would yield to their
impetuosity too soon, and would not be brought to the immovable
firmness which this species of warfare required.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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