ACHIEVEMENTS OF FIELD ARTILLERY. 
529 
inroad, and advanced to the support of the centre, which was clinging 
to some woods behind the village, with his whole corps from Heiners- 
dorf. The ground being favourable for the employment of artillery, 
and the heavy rain having rendered muskets useless, the Allies covered 
their advance with a great mass of guns, which preceded the infantry 
and commenced the engagement in an unusually bold manner. 
Thirty-six Prussian pieces and a Russian 12-pr. battery under Lieut. - 
Colonel von Holzendorf opened fire at 1800 paces, and kept up a lively 
cannonade, while the guns pressed forward by alternate batteries. 
The infantry followed at a distance of 300 paces. The French 
guns were numerous and caused much destruction to the Allied 
artillery. It, therefore, speedily became necessary to reinforce it, 
and sixty-four pieces were accordingly brought up within 700 or 
800 yards of the French position, and soon this number was further 
increased to eighty-two, while a Swedish battery was sent to the right 
to take the French in flank. Regnier’s artillery ere long began to show 
the effect of this concentrated fire, and by degrees became almost 
completely silent. Then Billow led his infantry to the attack, and 
their enemy’s position was carried at the point of the bayonet. 
When this advance was made Colonel Holzendorf mounted his gun¬ 
ners on the carriages of the 6-prs., in a manner then quite original, 
and they were thus enabled to press forward rapidly and co-operate 
with the infantry at the shortest ranges. The village was soon gained 
by this well prepared assault, and the defeat of the French, who were 
cut off by the nature of the country from any help from their comrades 
on either side, was completed by the cavalry of the Allies. Holzen- 
dorf’s promptness in mounting his gunners and pressing on with the 
infantry has been much praised, and, indeed, the manner in which the 
artillery was handled throughout the day appears especially deserving 
of notice. While the early massing of guns must chiefly attract atten¬ 
tion, it should also be noted that the foot and horse artillery were 
likewise separated in an unusual way, and, while the former acted 
against the front, the latter engaged the flank of the enemy’s position. 
General Billow 1 in his account of this battle has warmly eulogised 
the courage shown by officers and men, and has particularly praised 
the activity of the artillery, which contributed so largely to the victory, 
not only by its concentrated fire at the commencement of the fight but 
by the general manner in which it subsequently supported the advance. 
1 “ Recueil des plans de combats et de batailles livrees par l’armee Prussienne, 1813-1815.” 
(To be Continued.) 
