came up
with the enemy in the village of Caudry, through which they charged,
putting the cavalry to flight, and putting a number of infantry to the
sword, and taking the cannon. Gen. Chapuis, perceiving the attack on
the village of Caudry, sent down the regiment of carabineers to support
those troops; but the succour came too late, and this regiment was
charged by the English light dragoons and the hussars, and immediately
gave way with some little loss. The charge was then continued against a
battery of eight pieces of cannon behind a small ravine, which was soon
carried; and, with equal rapidity, the heavy cavalry rushed on to
attack a battery of fourteen pieces of cannon, placed on an eminence
behind a very steep ravine, into which many of the front ranks fell;
and the cannon, being loaded with grape, did some execution: however, a
considerable body, with Gen. Mansel at their head, passed the ravine,
and charged the cannon with inconceivable intrepidity, and their
efforts were crowned with the utmost success. This event decided the
day, and the remaining time was passed in cutting down battalions, till
every man and horse was obliged to give up the pursuit from fatigue. It
was at the mouth of this battery that the brave and worthy Gen. Mansel
was shot: one grape-shot entering his chin, fracturing the spine, and
coming out between the shoulders; and the other breaking his arm to
splinters; his horse was also killed under him, his Brigade-Major
Payne's horse shot, and his son and aide-de-camp, Capt. Mansel, wounded
and taken prisoner; and it is since known that he was taken into {371}
Arras. The French lost between 14,000 and 15,000 men killed; we took
580 prisoners. The loss in tumbrils and ammunition was immense, and in
all fifty pieces of cannon, of which thirty-five fell to the English;
twenty-seven to the heavy, and eight to the light cavalry. Thus ended a
day which will redound with immortal honour to the bravery of the
British cavalry, who, assisted by a small body of Austrians, the whole
not amounting to 1500, gained so complete a victory over 22,000 men in
sight of their _corps de reserve_, consisting of 6000 men and twenty
pieces of cannon. Had the cavalry been more numerous, or the infantry
able to come up, it is probable few of the French would have escaped.
History does not