THE BEOME-WALTON FAMILY. 
249 
rode up from the second line, and as senior took command. 1 2 Phillips 
put; the brigade to the trot (reporting to Sackville and getting his 
lordship's approval) (175), and passing through the cavalry in front 
entered the wood—two of his wagons colliding in the race to be in first 
(113)—and immediately on emerging out of the wood he had one horse 
killed and one wagon hit (127, 151). 
C’est dans cette cirConstance qu’ eut lieu un fait d’armes remar quable 
et caracteristique qui n’appartient encore que la battaile de Minden . 3 
A spectacle presented itself to Captain Phillips, on clearing the wood, 
akin to the charge of the light brigade on the plain of Balaclava. Our 
infantry were on the point of attacking the 63 squadrons of Contades' 
cavalry in face of their infantry and artillery! Alarmed at the temerity 
of the British, Ferdinand galloped towards the wood, sending ahead, 
to Sackville, Captain Wintzingerade, A.-D.-C., who in French ordered 
Sackville “to form the cavalry into a third line to support the infantry, 
and to advance" (109). On the way the Prince met Phillips and 
returned with him into action. Phillips doubled up ten 12-prs. abreast 
(87), unlimbered at 900 yards (82), loaded, and within half-an-hour of 
passing through the cavalry had opened fire upon the enemy (80). He had 
only time to pour a few rounds of “shot" (? “case"—oh, gunners, where 
are you ?) into the enemy before the first charge of the French cavalry 
(80)—four of these guns being pointed by Griffiths Williams, who 
judged of their effect by the emptied saddles. Phillips then massed 
his 12-prs. upon the enemy's 30-gun battery, which he silenced in “ten 
minutes" (80)—although this battery had been superior to all that had 
been opposed to it (6-prs. of battalions, and of Drummond and Foy's 
light brigades) 3 —-then turned upon the enemy's,cavalry and infantry. 4 
From the journal of this campaign and the court-martial evidences, 
our infantry, after forming up in the corn-fields on the Minden side 
of the wood, with round shot rolling among them, saw the head of 
the French cavalry ascending the slope from the plain, and without 
orders started off to attack the enemy. For 150 paces they sustained 
a very smart cross fire from the two batteries; but notwithstand¬ 
ing their losses before getting at the cavalry, the fire of musketry well 
kept up by the enemy's infantry, the desperate charge of 10,000 cavalry— 
cette fleur de la noblesse frangaise et Vorgueil de Varmee (Decker)— 
notwithstanding their being thus exposed in front and flank, such was 
the unshaken firmness of those troops in the confidence infused by the 
arrival of our heavy artillery, that the whole body of French cavalry 
was broken and retired, thereby unmasking the enemy's artillery of the 
centre. 5 “The British troops and Hanoverian guards performed 
wonders. Every regiment distinguished itself. Not one platoon in the 
1 A similar instance occurred at St. Privat, when the Prussian infantry and artillery rehearsed 
the initial parts taken by the British at Minden. —“ Prince Kraft’s Letters,” p. 158. 
2 “Decker,” p. 268. 
3 “ Prince Ferdinand’s Order and Letter.” “ Cleaveland MSS.,” item 1st August. 
4 See “ Prince Kraft’s Letters,” p. 134. 
6 “Campaigns,” p. 181. “Decker,” p. 268. Lord Sackyille’s testimony (“Court-Martial,” 
pp. 175, 196), Court-Martial proceedings, 1760, ubi swpra. 
