completed.
Blenheim, moreover, had been surrounded by very heavy and strong
palisades, altogether impassable by infantry, and, as the allies
could not hope to get cannon across the stream and swamps, it
seemed to defy any attack. From Oberglau the army of Marshal de
Marcin and the Elector stretched to the village of Lutzingen. We
had some five-and-twenty cannon at Oberglau.

"The weak point, as it afterwards turned out to be, was the crest
between us and Blenheim. Considering that both the artillery and
musketry fire from both villages swept the slope, and as in
numbers we equalled the enemy, it was thought well-nigh impossible
for him to cross the swamps and advance to the attack; and almost
the whole of the French cavalry were massed on the crest, in order
to charge them, should they succeed in crossing and try to ascend
the slope.

"At first the battle went altogether favourably. We had opposite
to us the English, Dutch, Hanoverians, and Danish troops under
Marlborough, while facing our left were Prussians, Imperialists,
and other German troops under Eugene. Marlborough's Danish and
Hanoverian cavalry first crossed, but were at once charged and
driven back. Then they tried again, supported by English infantry.
Then Marlborough led up a still stronger force, drove back our
light cavalry, and began to ascend the hill. We were attacked by
ten battalions--Hanoverians, Danes, and Prussians, while the
English bore against Blenheim. The fighting at both places was
desperate, and I must do the Germans the justice to say that
nothing could have exceeded the gallantry they showed, and that,
in spite of the heavy fire we maintained, they pressed up the
slope.

"We remained in our entrenchments, till it could be seen that the
English were falling back from Blenheim, whose palisade, manned by
twenty-seven battalions of infantry, offered an obstacle that
would have defied the best troops in the world to penetrate.

"Immediately this was seen, nine battalions, headed by our three
regiments, leapt from the trenches and poured down on the Germans.
The enemy could not withstand our onslaught. Two of their
regiments were utterly destroyed, the rest suffered terribly, and
were driven back. On the left, Marcin held his ground against all
the attacks of Eugene, and it seemed to us that the battle was
won.

"However, it was not over yet. While the fierce fighting had been
going on in front of Oberglau and Blenheim, Marlborough had