298 



A HISTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[period hi. 



I 



occurred at the passage of the lines of the Mehaigne in 

 1705. These lines were very formidable, and had 

 occupied three years in their construction. They ex- 

 tended from Namur on the Meuse to Antwerp. The 

 strongest position or. the whole line was that between 

 Leuwe and Helishoim, where the steep and slippery 

 banks of the little Gheet, formed a ditch in front of the 

 entrenchment, which consisted of a series of redans 

 connected with a curtain. Marlborough decided to 

 attack at that point, as being likely to be less carefully 

 guarded than the more exposed portions. 



On the 1 7th July, Marlborough made a feigned attack 

 on the other extremity of the lines, near Namur, and 

 made a general movement of his whole force to the left, 

 as if to support it. This deceived Villeroy, who moved 

 the great bulk of his forces to the right, leaving the 

 lines near Leuwe but thinly guarded. Then ordering all 

 his cavalry to provide themselves with trusses of hay 

 instead of fascines, which would have given an intimation 

 of the projected attack, Marlborough moved rapidly 

 during the night with a large force of cavalry and twenty 

 battalions of infantry, and the cavalry fording the Gheet, 

 and filling the ditch of the entrenchments with their 

 trusses of hay, soon effected a passage, and charging the 

 French who were coming up to attack them, gave time 

 for sufl&cient troops to arrive and cross the entrenchments, 

 so that a secure lodgment was effected, and the whole 

 French army obliged precipitately to retreat.* 



In the passage of the lines of Bouchain in 1711, the 

 cavalry also performed most valuable services, and 

 covered the crossing of the main body and its formation 

 in line of battle. 



The battle of Ahnanza, fought in Spain in 1707, was 

 a most hard-fought and decisive battle. The English 

 infantry fought most gallantly, and broke the French 

 centre ; but the Duke of BerwicV , who commanded the 

 French, had a much superior force of cavalry, with which 

 he defeated the wings of the allied army, and then 



' Coxe's Life of Marlborough. 



