The shouldered muskets were the first thing that was visible as the French had lowered their banners. The British cavalry reported the contact with the enemy back before trotting ahead to try to get around their flank.
General Long received the report and forwarded it on to Marlborough. There was no need to trouble him with the details, the French must be in some serious disorder, he thought. He was surprised they had stopped at all but spurred his horse ahead to see how many of them were there.
He came up to the top of the hill and looked at a 5 French and 1 Bavarian regiment were spread across the small plateau. The men were just reaching the top of the hill when so Long ordered that the artillery be brought up as quickly as possible.
Peeling units off left and right from the column Long sent the cavalry forward quickly to try to turn the French right.
That is when the plan, such as it was, started to fall apart. Instead of sitting on their heels the French infantry advanced and began firing into his men, the cavalry was raked by fire as it road across the front of three enemy units.
The enemy artillery was booming too although most of the shot was passing over the heads of his men.
Long sent two regiments to the right to engage the French left past the field in the center of the plateau.
The French continued forward firing, the cavalry in the lead was withering under the combined fire of two regiments and now his lead infantry elements were being chewed up by the third.
"Where is that cannon! Bring it up now!" Long screamed to his subordinates in between orders for the infantry to get out of the way.
The infantry seemed confused but were trying to deploy into a line. The French were pouring fire into them and they were returning it as best they could in their disordered state.
Long saw the cannon was up and directed it to open up on the French battery.
He then looked and saw his cavalry, much depleted, forming up for a charge now that they had made it to the rear of the enemy force. Just then though a small body of enemy cavalry, whom Long took to be the French commanders life guard, charged the British cavalry before they had reformed and scattered them.
The cavalry were being fired into by the French infantry as they streamed back towards the British lines. Long knew he would get no further use from them this day.
Still the artillery duel was somewhat successful. His men were forming into line on the right flank now as well. The reserves were coming up and all was starting to turn.
That was when the disaster struck. The lead regiment on the right finally broke from enemy fire and ran and then the second element was surprised by a unit of French cavalry that had worked it's way onto their flank and was hidden by a corn field.
The unit turned to face the cavalry exposing their flank to the infantry who raked them with withering fire.
Then the cavalry and the infantry charged them. The unit fled, panic stricken back through the British ranks.
The confusion caused by this allowed the French units to withdraw in safety while Long struggled to reorder his troops and begin the march. This little rearguard action had cost the British at least a day in the race for the French border.
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