BAT 



350 



Battle. 



tack the enemy's left, while the rest of their line 

 formed in an oblique direction, gradually diverging 

 as it extended. The Prussian right wing according- 

 ly attacked and repelled the Austrian left, and, seizing 

 an eminence which it had occupied, planted a battery 

 of cannon, that decided the fate of the day. In this 

 battle the Austrians were 60,000 strong, and the 

 Prussians no more than 30,000 ; but still the science 

 and able disposition of Frederick reduced the supe- 

 rior number of the enemy to nothing, and gave him 

 a most important victory. 



The motives that may induce an experienced gene- 

 ral to hazard a battle arise from various considera- 

 tions. The consequences that may result from it, 

 when decisive, are so important and momentous, that 

 nothing but the fullest confidence of success, on the 

 one hand, or imperious necessity on the other, could 

 induce a man of reflection to venture so great a stake, 

 especially as he must be aware that the issue depends 

 upon so many contingencies. The greatest captains 

 of all ages have occasionally committed errors, and 

 miscalculated the extent of their own powers, as well 

 as those of the enemy ; but in many instances, a tri- 

 vial circumstance, unexpectedly occurring, has deci- 

 ded a battle, contrary to all expectation. The dis- 

 cipline and spirit of the troops, conjoined to a confi- 

 dence in the skill of their commander, are great 

 means of ensuring success ; and the expectation of 

 victory often stimulates to extraordinary exertions. 



There are certain common rules which ought to 

 be observed by every general before he engages in 

 battle. He ought to know the nature of the enemy's 

 ground as well as his own ; the strong or weak posi- 

 tions which it presents ; and by what local advantages 

 his own flanks can be supported, or those of the ene- 

 my attacked ; and also to be acquainted with the 

 weak points of his own and antagonist's disposition, 

 that he may be prepared to strengthen the one, or to 

 assault the other. For the purpose of supporting 

 or attacking weak points, a corps-de-reserve is ge- 

 nerally stationed in rear, and the exertions of that 

 body have sometimes produced the most important 

 consequences. The reserve under Dessaix decided 

 the battle of Marengo in favour of the French, by 

 charging the Austrian centre, which had been too 

 much weakened. 



A genius for war is a peculiar gift which few men 

 possess ; and although it may be improved by study 

 and experience, yet no man can ever be a great gene- 

 ral, unless he be naturally active, and at the same time 

 cool and considerate, but above all, endowed with a 

 quickness of perception, that enables him instantly 

 to discover every contingency that may arise amidst 

 the bloody scene of a battle. He must be capable 

 of opposing the sudden movements of the enemy, by 

 new schemes instantaneously adopted, and readily ex- 

 ecuted ; as it is by a general's address that he can 

 take advantage of circumstances, and may sometimes 

 make a motion conducive to the whole success of the 

 battle. 



The order and disposition of the troops depend en- 

 tirely upon the commander, whose duty it is to give 

 them every possible advantage ; but the faithful exe- 

 cution of his orders depend upon his general officers, 

 who ought to have as. much knowledge of the busi- 



B A V 



ness of the day, as to be able to vary them according 

 to circumstances, when in such situations as that the 

 commander himself cannot direct their operations. 

 The multiplicity of intricate movements that must 

 necessarily occur in battle, and which are connected 

 with many unforeseen circumstances, preclude the 

 possibility of previously arranging all the different 

 parts of an army, so as not to require, during action, 

 the constant watchfulness of those who command ; 

 and he is the best general who is able to profit from 

 every varying incident that may be presented to him 

 in such a scene of bloodshed, uproar, and confusion. 

 See Rollin's Ancient History, vol. ii. p. 123, 126", 

 132, 244, 245 ; vol. iii. p. 95, 99; vol. iv. p. 310, 

 311, 4-10; vol. v. p. 251 ; vol. vi. p. 21 ; vol. ix. 

 p. 79. Gillies' History of Greece, vol. i. p. 39T, 

 398 ; vol. iii. p. 257, 368 ; 'vol. iv. p. 208, 220. Rol- 

 lin's Roman History, vol. v. p. 60, 61 ; vol. xiv. p. 1 1. 

 Poll/bins, book iii. Adams' Roman Antiq. p. 378, 

 379, 382, 3S3. Vcgetius, book ii. and iii. Potter's 

 Antiq. vol. ii. p. 76 79. Gillies' View of the Reign 

 of Frederick of Prussia, p. 12, 116, 162, 255, 262. 

 (x) 



BATTLE, or Battel, a small town in the coun- 

 ty of Sussex, which received its present name from 

 William the Conqueror, after the decisive victory 

 which he gained at Hastings, when he founded the 

 magnificent abbey which still adorns this town. Battle 

 is remarkable only for the peculiar excellence of 

 its gunpowder, which is esteemed the best in Europe, 

 and is known by the name of " Battle powder." 

 Count Rumford found, that the best powder made 

 in this place is stronger than government powder in 

 the ratio of 4 to 3, but that it is 41y per cent, dearer 

 than it ought to be. Number of houses in 1801, 

 291 ; population 2040, of whom 230 were returned 

 as employed in trade and manufactures. (/) 



BATTUECAS, the name of two uncultivated 

 vallies in the bishoprick of Soria, in the kingdom of 

 Leon, eight leagues from Castel Rodrigo, and four- 

 teen from Salamanca. These valiies are scarcely a 

 league in length, and are so completely embosomed 

 among lofty and rugged mountains, that, in winter, 

 the sun is only seen four hours a day. Groupes of 

 rocks curiously shaped, excavations in the mountains, 

 and a great variety of trees and animals, are among 

 the curiosities of the Battuecas. A convent of bare- 

 footed Carmelites, established here in 1559, and bu- 

 ried among the trees of the impending rocks, is the 

 only habitation of importance. It was long the re- 

 ceived opinion, that these vallies were completely un- 

 known to the Spaniards, and that they were disco- 

 vered during the last century by two lovers, who had 

 fled in search of an asylum from the vengeance of 

 their parents. This notion, however, has been com- 

 pletely refuted by Father Feyjov, and also by Thomas 

 Sanchez, who, in the year 1659, published, at Ma- 

 drid, a work entitled Verdadera Relacion y manifesto 

 Apologetico de la Antiguedad di las Battuecas. See 

 Bourgomg's Travels in Spain, chap. xxiv. ; and La- 

 horde's View of Spain, vol. iii. p. 353. (q) 



BAVARIA, one of the circles of Germany, is 

 bounded on the north by Franconia and Bohemia ; 

 on the east and south by the circle of Austria ; and 

 on the west by Swabia. The whole extent of this 



Battle 



II 

 Bavaria. 



