ly to saddle,
leave the baggage in the rear, and that the men should stand ready to
mount at the word of command."

Lieutenant Studnitz and myself attended the King, who went in person, and
gave directions through the whole army; meantime, break of day was
expected with anxiety.

Opposite the defile through which the enemy was to march to the attack
eight field-pieces were concealed behind a hill. The King must
necessarily have been informed of the whole plan of the Austrian general,
for he had called in the advanced posts from the heights, that he might
lull him into security, and make him imagine we should be surprised in
the midst of sleep.

Scarcely did break of day appear before the Austrian artillery, situated
upon the heights, began to play upon our camp, and their cavalry to march
through the defile to the attack.

As suddenly were we in battle array; for in less than ten minutes we
ourselves began the attack, notwithstanding the smallness of our number,
the whole army only containing five regiments of cavalry. We fell with
such fury upon the enemy (who at this time were wholly employed in
forming their men at the mouth of the defile, and that slowly, little
expecting so sudden and violent a charge), that we drove them back into
the defile, where they pressed upon each other in crowds; the King
himself stood ready to unmask his eight field-pieces, and a dreadful and
bloody slaughter ensued in this narrow place; from which the enemy had
not the power to retreat. This single incident gained the battle, and
deceived all time hopes of Prince Charles.

Nadasti, Trenck, and the light troops, sent to attack our rear, were
employed in pillaging the camp. The ferocious Croats met no opposition,
while this their error made our victory more secure. It deserves to be
noticed that, when advice was brought to the King that the enemy had
fallen upon and were plundering the camp, his answer was, "So much the
better; they have found themselves employment, and will be no impediment
to our main design."

Our victory was complete, but all our baggage was lost; the headquarters,
utterly undefended, were totally stripped; and Trenck had, for his part
of the booty, the King's tent and his service of plate.

I have mentioned this circumstance here, because that, in the year 1740,
my cousin Trenck, having fallen into the power of his enemies, who had
instituted a legal, process against him, was accused, by some villanous
w