m 
THE BEOME-WALTON FAMILY. 
whole army gave way one single step during the whole action." 1 
The number of the killed and wounded will indicate the direction 
and impetus of the charge. 2 
(L.) 
Killed and 
wounded. 
12th Regiment. 32rd Regiment. 
17 officers, 262 men. 9 +197. 
20th Regiment. 26th Regiment. 
18 + 314. 7 + 138. 
37th Regiment. 
16 + 231. 
61st Regiment. 
10 + 98. 
(R.) 
1 
! Total 
j 76 + 1240 
Lieutenant Robert Brome, who had received his commission at the 
By fleet Royal Camp, 1756, had the colours of the 37th regiment, as 
junior lieutenant, and fell mortally wounded 3 by a round shot from the 
enemy's 30-gun battery. 
We have now to turn from popular history to the evidences of the 
Minden commanders, in 1760, in order to ascertain the further role of 
the Royal Artillery in this crowning battle. Brilliant and unprecedented 
as was the heroism of the infantry of our right, is it not rational to 
maintain that but for the judgment and intrepidity of Forbes Macbean 
in moving the 12-pr. brigade without orders, in the nick of time, and 
the audacity of Phillips in command, history would have had to record 
the infantry attack at Minden as Balaclava charge No. 1 ? On receiving 
the order to advance, Lord Sackville put the first line of cavalry in 
motion, but halted at request of a Lieut.-Colonel, who had not thrown 
away his picket ropes, and in this fatal moment two other aides from the 
Prince arrived simultaneously with orders, contradictory in letter but not 
in spirit, and in the delay caused by Sackville's seeking out the Prince 
for direct orders, the opportunity fled for our cavalry giving the coup 
de grace to the discomfited enemy's : yet it was mainly upon this Lieut.- 
Colonel's evidence the unhappy Lord Sackville was convicted of “ dis¬ 
obedience of orders." 4 At the moment of putting his cavalry in motion, 
Lord Sackville sent his aides in different directions to the front to recon¬ 
noitre : Captain Joseph Brome (whose evidence on the court-martial 
evinced the highest rectitude, discretion, and loyalty to his chief, pp. 
107-8), passed through the wood, galloped under fire to the front where 
he found the battle raging, and the clouds of smoke from the artillery 
fire so dense that friends could hardly be distinguished from foes, and 
was back in “ 25 minutes " with his report to his chief. 
Although the battle lasted until 10 p.m., the sequel is soon told. 
At 8.20 a.m. the charge was repulsed on all sides, and the French 
cavalry retired, only in order to re-form; meanwhile, the second line 
had advanced from the wood, under Lord Granby, by direct orders of 
the Prince; and while Granby's cavalry shortly halted, by order of 
1 London Gazette, No. 9920, of 1769. 
2 <f Campaign,” 1759, pp. 108-9. 
3 “Campaign,” 1759, p. 109. 
4 Court-Martial proceedings in loco. If it were possible to justify disobedience of orders, a 
genuine case could be presented in extenuation of the temporary “paralysis of will” of Lord Sack¬ 
ville, whose defence was not skilfully conducted ; and the justificatory pamphlet of the time (copy 
in R.A. Institution) bears internal evidence of having been compiled by a civilian special pleader. 
The disposal of the Allied Army, compared with the then “ Regulations for the Order of Battle,” 
proves that Ferdinand had not anticipated the enemy so completely falling into his trap. 
