ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.
44
It was evident that whilft the French only continued to retire, it would prove impollible for them to hinder the allies from executing the plan they propofed. They there- fore thought it advifeable to change their countenance. They had fall- en back as far as !Nuys; they now leturned on their fteps, and ad- vanced as far as Crevell, within a few miles of Prince Ferdinand's camp. The Prince made the difpofitions for a battle, with his ufual vigour and prudence. He carefully recon- noitred the fituation of the enemy. He found that their right was at a •\-ilIage called Vifchelon; their left extended towards Anrath, where it was covered with a wood; Crevelt, which was in the front of their right, was occupied by a party of their troops. His highnefs refolvcd upon three attacks. The firft and Teal attack was on the flank of the enemy's left wing ; the other two were defigned to divert their atten- tion, and prevent their fuccouring the objeft of his principal attack ; for which purpofe he recommended to his generals to make the bed nfe of their heavy artillery, and not io advance too far unlefs they were perfefvly affured of the fuccefs of the main operation.
Having made thefe wife difpofi- j tions, and perfedly learned
June 23. ^j^^ ^^j, routes by which
the enemy might be approached, his highnefs put himfelf at the head of the grenadiers of his right wing, and advanced on the fide of Anrath ^n two columns. A cannonading violent and well fupported opened the ac- tion. The Hanoverian artillery was freatly fuperinr to that of the F rench ; ut though the French lolt many men, they loft no ground in this way, and their pofiticn in the wood
made a clofe attack abfolutely ne- ceffary. The hereditary Prince of Brunfwick put himfelf at the head of the firft line of foot, and with his ufual fpirit, advanced with the whole front diredlly to the wood. Here a furious fire of fniall arms commenced, which continued with- out the fmalleft intermiifion for two hours and a half. All the Hano- verian battalions threw thefnfelves into the wood. Two ditches well lined with infantry were oppofed to their fury. They were forced one after another. The enemies bat- talions were pufhed back, they were entirely broken, and fled out of the wood in a diforder which was irre- parable. Their cavalry, who kept the beft countenance poflible, in fpiie of the terrible lire of the Hanove- rian artillery, and in fpite oi the vi- gorous attempts of the Hanoverian horfe, who had by this time found means to gain the plain, covered the retreat of their fcattered infantry, andfaved them from utter ruin. The right wing and the center, though they fuffered grievoufly by the can- nonading, were no where broken, but retreated towards Nuys in the moft perfeft order.
Seven thoufand of their beft troops were killed, wounded, and taken prifoners; but there was nothing in this battle fo grievous to France, and fo aftedting even to the enemy, as the fate of the Count de Gifors. This young nobleman, the only fon of the Duke de Belieifle, not above twenty-five years of age, newly married to the heirefs of an illuftrious houfe, himfelf the laft hope of a moft noble family, was mortally wounded at the head of his regiment, which he brought up with the moft heroic courage, and infpired by his example to make
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