r, yes; but Wangenheim's right, observe, has no support
within three miles of it: tear Wangenheim out, Ferdinand's flank is
bare!' These things seemed to Contades the very chance he had been
waiting for; and brought him triumphantly out of his rabbit-hole, into
the Heath of Minden, as Ferdinand hoped they would do.

"And so, TUESDAY EVENING, JULY 31st, things being now all ripe, upwards
of 50,000 French are industriously in motion. Contades has nineteen
bridges ready on the Bastau Brook, in front of him; TATTOO this night,
in Contades's Camp, is to mean GENERAL MARCH, 'March, all of you, across
these nineteen Bridges, to your stations on the Plain or Heath of Minden
yonder,--and be punctual, like the clock!' Broglio crosses Weser by
the town Bridge, ranks himself opposite Todtenhausen; and through the
livelong night there is, on the part of the 50,000 French, a very great
marching and deploying. Contades and Broglio together are 51,400 foot
and horse. Ferdinand's entire force will be near 46,000; but on the day
of Battle he is only 36,000,--having detached the Hereditary Prince on
Gohfeld, in what view we know.--The BATTLE OF MINDEN, called also of
TONHAUSEN (meaning TODTENhausen), which hereupon fell out, has still its
fame in the world; and, I perceive, is well worth study by the soldier
mind: though nothing but the rough outline of it is possible here.

"Ferdinand's posts extend from the Weser river and Todtenhausen round by
Stemmern, Holzhausen, to Hartum and the Bog of Bastau (the chief part
of him towards Bastau),--in various Villages, and woody patches and
favorable spots; all looking in upon Minden, from a distance of five
or seven miles; forming a kind of arc, with Minden for centre. He
will march up in eight Columns; of course, with wide intervals between
them,--wide, but continually narrowing as he advances; which will
indeed be ruinous gaps, if Ferdinand wait to be attacked; but which will
coalesce close enough, if he be speedy upon Contades. For Contades's
line is also of arc-like or almost semicircular form, behind it Minden
as centre; Minden, which is at the intersection of Weser and the Brook;
his right flank is on Weser, Broglio VERSUS Wangenheim the extreme
right; his left, with infantry and artillery, rests on that black Brook
of Bastau with its nineteen Bridges. As the ground on both wings is
rough, not so fit for Cavalry, Contades puts his Cavalry wholly in the
centre: they are the flower of the Fre