CHAP. XIV.] 



FRENCH CAVALRY. 



283 



steadiness and extraordinary courage was still nearly 

 securing the victory. Three times did the French cavalry 

 under their brilliant leader charge vehemently upon their 

 serried ranks, but in vain. The Spaniards had formed in 

 hollow squares with their artillery in the centre. With 

 the coolness of a parade movement they poured in a tre- 

 mendous fire of musketry, and when the French horsemen 

 had arrived within fifty yards they opened spaces through 

 which the cannon vomited forth a storm of missiles that 

 carried terrible destruction among the advancing cavalry. 

 Three times in this way the troops of Condd were driven 

 back as waves from a rock. Then he ordered the whole 

 of his reserve to advance, and the Spaniards, hemmed in 

 on all sides, asked for quarter. Condd advanced to grant 

 it, when the enemy, misunderstanding his movement, and 

 thinking he was about to charge, fired a heavy volley, 

 which so exasperated the French, who attributed it to 

 treachery, that they fell upon them and massacred almost 

 the whole force.' A reinforcement of Spaniards, under 

 General Beck, which was coming up, meeting the fugi- 

 tives, fell back on the approach of Gassion, whom Condd 

 had detached to check their advance, so that the victorv 

 was of the most decisive character, and may be attributed 

 almost entirely to the cavalry. 



This action is remarkable as showing the extraordinary 

 effect that the presence of one man of genius can have 

 upon the results of a cavalry action. Wherever a great 

 cavalry officer has appeared his influence has almost 

 invariably affected materially not only the tactics of the 

 service, but the issue of the war. 



This action revived the credit of the cavalry service, 

 and for a short time, checked the growing reputation of 

 the infantry. It did not add anything to the military 

 art, for the conduct of Cond6 was much like that of 

 Alexander at Arbela. 



Two years after this, on the 4th August, 1645, an 

 action took place at Nordlingen between the French and 

 Bavarians, in which the cavalry also performed an im- 

 portant part. The Bavarian army took up a strong 



' Life of Cond6, 20, 2 L 



