3 E L 



BEL 



menl.'v, mnrclicd out a\ the fame time, commaniltd by j^cne- r.icnt clearing up, difcovcicd to priiice Eugene the difoaC 



v;-.! Mon'.ecuciili and Martigiiy. The infantry, uirUt prince tion of both armies, and his own perilous lituaf.on. 'I'iic 



Alexander of Wirtcmberg, in chief, was drawn up in the advance of tlie fccond line prevented his total defeat. The 



centre-, the firfl line of 22 battalions, condufted by count prince of Bcvcrn, who coniniandtd it, marched up to the 



Maxim'ilian of Slarcmberg, and count Harrach ; the fecond, Turks, whofc fuccefs had thrown them into diforder, and 



of 18 battalions, Ly the prince of Bcvern. The corps dereferve, charged with fiich fury, tiiat the infidels, unable to fullaiu 



with which m^rfhal Scckendorf remained in the lines, ready the fhock, fled in dil'order, and were pmfued up to their 



to aSt as occafioii (liould require, was compofcd of nine bat- very trenches, leaving the fpace where they had been dc- 



talioni. The efTcotive forc<- of the two lines, on v.-hom the fcated covered with their dead. This fuccefs gave a new 



fuccefs of the day in a great mtafure depended, did not tun; to affairs. No time was loft in fiUing up the interval 



amount to more tl'.an 40,000 men ; yet, notvvithftanding this that had been fo unwarily lelt, and in lorming the two 



immcnfe i;-feriority, the confidence of the foldievs in their wings of the Imperialills for a new eflort. The impatience 



commander was fuch, that they received the orders to pre- 

 pare for action with the grenteft cher.rfnlnefs, and march- 

 td out, as if infpired with a certainty of victory. 



At one in the mon:ing the Imperialills, favuiu-ed by a 

 thick fog, quitted their trenches : the right advancing to- 

 wards ihc Jak; which was affigned as its point of forma- 

 tion, and the left over the open ground adjoining the Da- 

 nube. Two hours were fpent in making the neceir:'.ry pre 



of the foldiers to engage piognofticated fuccefs. The rijiht 

 began the att;iek ; carried with irrefiilible impetuofity the 

 batteries whofe \'nx they had hitherto fulhiined, and turned 

 the cannon againft tlie entrenchments which protedlcd the 

 Turkifncamp. The left experienced more oppofilion. Tlie 

 enemy had tlieir principal forces on that fide, and thefe, re- 

 inforced by feveral corps w'lom the fixceis of count Palfi had 

 driven from the right, conftitutcd animmenfe fuperiority. The 

 raratorv movements ; but the fog, which had hitherto janizaries deiei ded themfelvcs with great bravery, and repul- 

 favoured the Imperialills, increafed to fuch a degree fed the Aullrians in their firtl attack ; but thefe rallying, re- 

 as to become produSive of ferious inconvenience. The turned to the charge, beat the Turks from their outermolt 

 right win"-, mifnng its way, Humbled, inftcad of the feche, entrenchment, and pufliing their advantage, advr.nced regu- 

 iipon one of the Turkifh advanced works. The furprife la'ly up to the fecond, without firing a muflcet till they 

 was equal (Ui both fides ; but a difcharge which immediately came within ten paces of the enemy. This work was car- 

 opened upon the Auftrian cavalry from the guard of the ried in lefs time than the firft : the Turkirti entrenchments 

 trenches, fpread the alarm throughout the whol". of the were forcid one after another, as well as lever?.! coupures 

 jjrand vizier's army. His troops hafiily rufhed from every with vvl.ich their camp was defended ; and notwiihftanding 

 part of the camo towards the fcene of action, and in a few rcfiftauce was attempted at each of them, and the Auftrians 

 ininutes count Palfi became hotly engaged. The Aullrians, experienced every where a terrible fire, yet the courage and 

 formed in a hurry, and their battalion-t, through fear of conduft of prince Eugene furmountcd every obfiacle, and 

 lofing the fupport of the cavalry, inclining fiicccffively to obliged victory, after a ftruggle of fix hours, to declare in 

 the right flank, a wide vacancy was left in the centre, and his favour. The iaft ferious Hand made by the infidels, was 

 afforded the Turks an advantage of which they did not at a grand battery mounted with 18 pieces of c-annon, and 

 fail to profit. Meantime, the combat, onee engaged on the defended by 20,000 janizaries, fullained by lo,cco fpahis, 

 right, quickly commenced on the oppofite flank. I'lir.ce the bravell troops in the Turkifh army. It was ueceffary 

 Eugene had intended to begin the attack with both wings to halt and form tlie troops anew for this perilous attempt ; 

 at the fame time ; but convinced by the heavy firing he but when the word to charge was given, they rufiicd for- 

 heard towards the Save, that Palii had already began the ward with an impetus nothing was capable of refilling. The 

 battle, he was himfclf obliged to come to blows, before the Imperial grenadiers, in defiance of the fire from the battery, 

 battalion; of his left wing were completely formed. It was bore down all oppofition, mounted through the embrafures, 

 now between four and five o'clock in the morning. The and drove the Turks from their guns ; while the rell of the 

 fog continued fo thick as to prevent the combatants from army made fuch (laughter, that the bodies of the flain rofe in 

 discerning each other till they arrived almoft clofe to the heaps round the redoubt. The routed forces, driven on all 

 riuzzlcs of their adverfarles pieces ; and owing to this ob- fides from their entrenchmentf, retired into the plain, as if 

 fcurity feveral imall detachments of AuPLrians, whom a defire to form once more for the defence of their camp ; but ob- 

 to fignalize themfelves carried unawares into the thickeft of ferving the Imperialills, after having gained the heights, 

 the enemy, were entirely cut off. The affailants nevcrthe- advancing towards them in good order, they betook them- 

 lefs gained ground. As the darknefs obliged them to march felves to flight in every direction, leaving their camp, bag- 

 with their firelocks always prefentcd, the fire they poured gage, and ammunition, at the mercy of the conquerors. Tlie 

 in, the moment they perceived their enemies, was fo cloft, viiElory was complete by 9 o'clock in the morning. The 

 veil dire&ed, and did fuch prodigious execution, that the plunder of the infidels' camp, which refemblcd a large city, 

 Turkifh battalions, as they advanced in fucceffion, were was given to the foldiers. 



broken, difmnyed, and precipitated headlong into their This battle, fought on the i6th of Auguft 17 17, coft the 

 trenches, where the bayonet and fubre made dreadful ha- Turks lo,coo of their bell troops killed in the action, and 

 voc among them. The cavalry were not equally fuccefs- 3,000 in the purfuit. About 5,000 were wounded, and 

 fill ; the broken nature of the ground obliged them to per- nearly the fame number made prifoners. In the Turkifh 

 form frequent evolutions in order to find fome paffages of camp and lines were found 131 pieces of brafs cannon, 30 

 tafieraccefo, and the Turks, who lined the trenches, galled mortars, and an immenfe quantity of powder, bullets, bombs, 

 them with fevere and inceffant firings. The centre of the and grenadocs. There were alfo taken 52 colours, 9 liorfe- 

 enemy's army too, finding nothing to oppofe them, threw tails, and other military trophies. The lofs on the German 

 fcveial battalions into the void fpace between the flanks of fide, by rea£;>n of the fog, was not in proportion to the length 

 the Impcrialifls, and completely intercepting all communi- of the fight. Their killed amounted to nearly 3,000 men, 

 cation, opened a heavy fire to right and left upon the divi- among vviiom were the generals count Hanben and Dalberg ; 

 ded forces. The battle, under the prefent circumflances, and about 4,500 were wounded. Of the latter, however, 

 fccmed irrecoverably loft, but .the fog, at this critical mo- only about 2,000 recovered. In confequencc of this great 



viftory, 



