attempted to rally them. Officers and men alike were panic stricken.
The two generals then rode to Turenne's army and advanced against
the defence of trees. For a long time the battle raged without
any marked success on either side. Several times the French made
their way in to the intrenchments and were as often repulsed. Merci
ordered his cavalry to dismount, and led them into the fray, but,
darkness falling suddenly, the assailants ceased to attack, and
occupied for the night the ground on which the struggle had taken
place. The fight that day had cost them two thousand troops,
and the Bavarians twelve hundred, but as the latter had lost half
their infantry in the first day's fighting the French were still
superior in numbers. During the night Turenne had all the wounded
of both nationalities carried to Breisach. After giving the army
four days' rest, Enghien determined to resort to the tactics that
Turenne had from the first recommended, and, marching along the
plain, ascended the valley of Bloterthal and made for St. Pierre,
where he would cut the Bavarian line of retreat. As soon as Merci
saw the movement he gave orders for his army to fall back with all
haste, and although Turenne pressed hard on his rear he succeeded
in drawing his troops off, though, in order to do so, he was obliged
to abandon his baggage and cannon. Altogether he lost between eight
and nine thousand men, with their artillery and most of their
horses. The French loss was equally great, and though the battle
was claimed as a victory by them owing to the Bavarians having
finally fallen back, it was really a drawn one.



CHAPTER XIV: JUST IN TIME