262 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period III. 



I; 



mander-in-chief, occupied the centre, while Furstenburg 

 commanded the right, and Pappenheim, the boldest 

 cavalry officer in the Imperial forces, commanded the 

 left. The army was drawn up in one line of great 

 depth, the cavalry upon the wings, the artillery ranged 

 upon a hill along the rear of the line. 



The Swedish and Saxon army advanced in two columns, 

 having to pass a small rivulec near Podelwitz in Tilly's 

 front. In order to defend the passage of this stream the 

 battle was begun by a charge of 2,000 cuirassiers, led by 

 the fiery Pappenheim, upon the van of the Swedish 

 army, which consisted of three regiments of Scott .>h 

 infantry. The Scots had some advantage of ground, 

 and, being supported by a body of dragoons, drove back 

 the enemy.' Pappenheim soon rallied his troops and 

 attacked the flank of the advancing Swedes. General 

 Banner immediately wheeled the leading divisions to the 

 right, and held the opposing cavalry in check, while the 

 king was drawing up the army in battle array. 



The cuirassiers, being repulsed, retreated so precipi- 

 tately back to their lines that they left the Holstein 

 regiment of infantry, which had been despatched to their 

 assistance, alone upon the plain, subject to the onslaught 

 of the pursuing Swedish horsemen. Their heavy and 

 unwieldy tactics here proved very faulty. They formed 

 square with the pikemen, by some oversight or mistake 

 in the centre, surrounded by musketeers who were at 

 once cut down by a charge of the Finland cavalry. The 

 spearmen, although able to defend themselves against 

 the horsemen, were attacked by two companies of 

 Swedish musketeers and completely routed, their colonel, 

 the Duke of Holstein, being slain. ^ 



The king's army, 20,000 strong, then formed for 

 action, inspirited by the result of this preliminary 

 skirmish. It was drawn up in two lines and a reserve. 

 Gustavus commanded the right wing himself. General 

 Horn commanded the left, and Teuffel the centre. 



It is said that Gustavus in this action had a reserve 

 of artillery, being the first instance of the kind 

 • Mitchell, 189. '^ Ibid. 190. 



in 



