26 
GERMAN MANOEUVRES. 
It will be seen that the Corps Manoeuvres opened on the night of 
the 13th Sept., with orders from the commanders of both sides to their 
Cavalry Brigades, to advance one day ahead of the divisions in the 
following morning. The Western Cavalry being at Helmstadt, the 
Eastern at Osterbiirken. Distance apart about 25 miles. The Western 
Brigade crossed the Neckar, but near Mosbach was encountered by an 
equal force of the enemy’s cavalry with two Horse Artillery batteries, 
before which it was forced to retire across the Neckar, the bridges over 
which at Neckarelz and Diedesheim it rendered impassable. During 
the night the Cavalry Brigades faced one another on either bank of the 
Neckar. The Western Brigade in the afternoon collected a number of 
boats and bridging material for the repair of the bridges next morning, 
one of which is a permanent bridge of boats, and during the night the 
Eastern cavalry managed by sending men over in boats to carry off or 
cast loose all the collected boats and material. 
On the morning of the 15th two battalions of Jagers arrived by 
train early at Mosbach to support their civalryat Diedesheim and 
Neckarelz, so that the West Brigade could do nothing but watch their 
side of the river and await the arrival of their division. The two 
Horse Artillery batteries on the East side were sent up to a very 
commanding eminence called the Schreckhof, from which the whole of 
the road from Aglasterhauson to Obrigheim, from the point at which 
it debouches from the wooded height above the latter place, was exposed 
to their fire. About 9 a.m. the head of the left column, Western Force, 
came into sight at a distance of about 2500 yards from the Schreckhof, 
the two Horse Artillery batteries which were in a commanding but 
very exposed position, at once opened fire. The six batteries of the 
left column of the enemy were hurried up, and were soon decided to 
have crushed and silenced the two Horse Artillery batteries which were 
ordered to retire for the day. 
The left column then pressed on, occupied Obrigheim, extended 
right and left in great force, and soon cleared the opposite bank, 
repaired the bridges and crossed the river. The enemy (East) beat a 
hasty retreat and retired on their main body, while the Western 
column, preceded by their cavalry, pushed through Mosbach and went 
into bivouacs on the high ground about Dalian. In the meantime the 
right column reached the Neckar at Hochhausen, the river was greatly 
swollen from the rains, being about 100 yards broad with a very 
rapid current. The Pioneers, who had goue in advance, had collected 
a number of boats and the f folding boats’ of the Cavalry Brigade 
were also there. The work of taking the infantry across was rapidly 
carried out, but it was long before a bridge could be thrown over, and 
it was not till six o’clock that the right column arrived at Sulzbach 
and went into bivouacs^ the heights between the river and that place 
being very steep and the ground very soft and deep from the incessant 
rain. 
The right column had been on the move more than ten hours, aud 
rain had fallen almost all the time. The outpost line of the West 
extended from the Hoh-Berg, over the Birken Berg to Sulzbach, and 
