GERMAN MANOEUVRES. 
9 
ing, were crossing in country boats. I then returned to Zwingenberg 
to inarch with the central column. I was told that the whole operation 
from the start, at 6.30 a.m., to the time when the whole of the force 
was over and ready to march off was an hour and a half. 
The cavalry on both sides were soon far to the front, one officer’s 
patrol of the Western Force managed to elude all those of the enemy and 
came upon the head of the central column from Zwingenberg, on which 
it galloped back and gave exact information as to where the enemy’s 
main column was at a certain hour. The concentration of the Western 
Force was completed and a strong position taken up on the Lerchenherg, 
the three batteries of the right column coming into action on this hill, 
those of the left on some high ground 200 yards to the north. In the 
meantime the left and centre columns of the Eastern Force had between 
Aglasterhausen and Unter Schwarzaeh, and on the enemy’s opening 
fire the three batteries were brought into action in front of the latter 
place. The artillery duel then took place at 2700 yards; the prepon¬ 
derance of artillery of the Western Force, six batteries against 
three, soon led the umpires to decide that the latter was over¬ 
come, and then came a general advance of the former’s infantry, who 
gained the road from Miclielbach to Helmstadt, by a front and right 
flank attack and drove the enemy back in the direction of Ober 
Schwarzaeh, the artillery taking up a second position half left to their 
former one. The Eastern artillery had now been reinforced by three 
batteries of the main body, but it was too late to save the day, and 
General von Braunschweig retreated on Neunkirchen, where his troops 
went into bivouacs, with an outpost line in front of Unter Schwarzaeh. 
The Western Force went into bivouacs about Reichartshausen, with 
outposts running from the cross roads west of Aglasterhausen across 
the Lerchenberg to Waldwimmersbach. The night was very wet. 
During the battle Major von Brunschweig received the following 
order at Neunkirchen at 11.30 a.m. from Army Head-quarters :— 
“The enemy has been strongly reinforced on his right flank from 
the direction of Sinnsheim and threatens to turn our left. The in¬ 
tention therefore of the Commander-in-Chief to hold the heights east 
of the Warterschaft-Bach in the general line, Michelbach-Helmstadt 
is abandoned, and the movement for that purpose is to be stopped. 
The Eastern Corps will take up a position about Neunkirchen in con¬ 
junction with the XIII. Corps (imaginary) which has crossed the 
Neckar to-day and which is marching by Bargen and Ingelsheimerhof. 
You will take up a suitable position about Neunkirchen with all the 
troops at your disposal to cover the deployment of the Eastern Corps 
(imaginary), the greater part of which will not be across the Neckar at 
Gundelsheim before to-morrow morning. 
The 1st Abtheilung F. Arty. Regt. 30 is placed under your orders 
and will reach you about 11.30 a.m.” 
(Signed) Commander-in-Chief, 
Eastern Army. 
At 2.30 p.m., after the conclusion of the battle, Major-General 
2 
