six o'clock in the morning; so that our line was
quite visible to theirs; and the whole of this great plain was black and
swarming with troops for hours before the cannonading began.

On one side and the other this cannonading lasted many hours. The French
guns being in position in front of their line, and doing severe damage
among our horse especially, and on our right wing of Imperialists under
the Prince of Savoy, who could neither advance his artillery nor his
lines, the ground before him being cut up by ditches, morasses, and very
difficult of passage for the guns.

It was past midday when the attack began on our left, where Lord Cutts
commanded, the bravest and most beloved officer in the English army. And
now, as if to make his experience in war complete, our young aide de camp
having seen two great armies facing each other in line of battle, and had
the honour of riding with orders from one end to other of the line, came
in for a not uncommon accompaniment of military glory, and was knocked on
the head, along with many hundred of brave fellows, almost at the very
commencement of this famous day of Blenheim. A little after noon, the
disposition for attack being completed with much delay and difficulty, and
under a severe fire from the enemy's guns, that were better posted and
more numerous than ours, a body of English and Hessians, with
Major-General Wilkes commanding at the extreme left of our line, marched
upon Blenheim, advancing with great gallantry, the major-general on foot,
with his officers, at the head of the column, and marching, with his hat
off, intrepidly in the face of the enemy, who was pouring in a tremendous
fire from his guns and musketry, to which our people were instructed not
to reply, except with pike and bayonet when they reached the French
palisades. To these Wilkes walked intrepidly, and struck the woodwork with
his sword before our people charged it. He was shot down at the instant,
with his colonel, major, and several officers; and our troops cheering and
huzzaing, and coming on, as they did, with immense resolution and
gallantry, were nevertheless stopped by the murderous fire from behind the
enemy's defences, and then attacked in flank by a furious charge of French
horse which swept out of Blenheim, and cut down our men in great numbers.
Three fierce and desperate assaults of our foot were made and repulsed by
the enemy; so that our columns of foot were quite shattered, and fell
back,