302 



A riSTORY OF CAVALRY. 



[PKRIOD III. 



change to an offensive policy, he covered the front of his 

 position by a line of seven detached redoubts, separated 

 by great intervals, and containing two battalions each. 

 By this means his infantry and cavalry could readily 

 advance between the redoubts, and attack or pursue the 

 enemy if they were repulsed. 



Charles XII., although badly wounded and obliged to 

 be carried in a litter, made the attack on the morning of 

 the 27th June, just before daylight, with a large body of 

 cavalry supported by infantry. The Russians resisted 

 bravely, and the Swedes were only able to capture two 

 redoubts which were not finished. Six battalions of the 

 Swedish infantry and ten squadrons of cavalry of their 

 right wing were repulsed, cut off from the remainder of 

 their army, and obliged to retreat to the shelter of a 

 wood. ' 



The struggle between the cavalry swayed backwards 

 and forwards with varying success, the Swedes being well 

 supported by their infantry, the Russian horse not being 

 able to receive such prompt aid from their foot soldiers, 

 who being in entrenchments could not move up so rapidly, 

 liieut. -General Baur was therefore ordered to fall back 

 from the right side of the entrenchments to give the 

 Russian infantry an opportunity to come into position. 

 He was also ordered to fall back if attacked by infantry, 

 but to stand firm against the cavalry. The result was 

 that tbo Swedish cavalry were checked by the infantry 

 and cannon of the Russian lines, and suffered such heavy 

 losses as to be obliged to fall back out of range of the 

 artillery. The Russians then under Prince Mentchikoff 

 and Lieut. -General Renzel, with five regiments of cavalry 

 and five battalions of infantry, moved upon the Swedish 

 troops which had been cut off and driven into the wood, 

 and charged them, defeated them completely, and made 

 the greater part prisoners. 



The Emperor then arranged his army to renew the 



action. H ! moved a portion of his infantry forward on the 



flank of the line of entrenchments, so that if the Swedes 



attacked they would be met in front with determined 



' Journal de Pierre le Grand, ii. 12 to 2ii. 



