At half-past seven all was ready, and the fog which had hitherto
hung over the low ground cleared up, and the two armies came into
view of each other, and the artillery on both sides opened a heavy
fire. The whole line advanced; but the left was halted for awhile,
while Count Lottum, with his twenty-two battalions formed in three
lines, attacked the right of the wood of Taisniere; and
Schulemberg, with whom was Eugene himself, attacked their left.
Without firing a single shot, Schulemberg's men marched through the
storm of grape which swept them until within twenty paces of the
entrenchments, when the musketry fire of the French troops was so
terrible that the attacking columns recoiled two hundred yards;
where they were steadied, and brought back to the charge by the
heroic efforts of Eugene, who exposed himself in front of the line.
While this conflict was raging, some Austrian battalions which had
formed the extreme right of Schulemberg's corps, but had been
unable to advance, owing to a deep marsh, stole round unperceived
into the northeastern angle of the wood of Taisniere, and were soon
in conflict with the French. Lottum's division had, with immense
bravery, crossed a deep morass under a tremendous fire, and stormed
a portion of the entrenchments; but Villars, who was directly in
rear, led on a fresh brigade, who drove back the assailants.
Marlborough then charged at the head of d'Auvergne's cavalry, and
some of Lottum's battalion again forced their way in.
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