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much weaker than that of the invading enemy, yet we had the
advantage of better supplies, one of the greatest Generals in the
world: and, I was going to add, of British valour, but the less we
say about THAT the better. My Lord George Sackville did not exactly
cover himself with laurels at Minden; otherwise there might have
been won there one of the greatest victories of modern times.
Throwing himself between the French and the interior of the
Electorate, Prince Ferdinand wisely took possession of the free town
of Bremen, which he made his storehouse and place of arms; and round
which he gathered all his troops, making ready to fight the famous
battle of Minden.
Were these Memoirs not characterised by truth, and did I deign to
utter a single word for which my own personal experience did not
give me the fullest authority, I might easily make myself the hero
of some strange and popular adventures, and, after the fashion of
novel-writers, introduce my reader to the great characters of this
remarkable time. These persons (I mean the romance-writers), if they
take a drummer or a dustman for a hero, somehow manage to bring him
in contact with the greatest lords and most notorious personages of
the empire; and I warrant me there's not one of them but, in
describing the battle of Minden, would manage to bring Prince
Ferdinand, and my Lord George Sackville, and my Lord Granby, into
presence. It would have been easy for me to have SAID I was present
when the orders were brought to Lord George to charge with the
cavalry and finish the rout of the Frenchmen, and when he refused to
do so, and thereby spoiled the great victory. But the fact is, I was
two miles off from the cavalry when his Lordship's fatal hesitation
took place, and none of us soldiers of the line knew of what had
occurred until we came to talk about the fight over our kettles in
the evening, and repose after the labours of a hard-fought day. I
saw no one of higher rank that day than my colonel and a couple of
orderly officers riding by in the smoke--no one on our side, that
is. A poor corporal (as I then had the, disgrace of being) is not
generally invited into the company of commanders and the great; but,
in revenge, I saw, I promise you, some very good company on the
FRENCH part, for their regiments of Lorraine and Royal Cravate were
charging us all day; and in THAT sort of MELEE high and low are
pretty equally received. I hate bragging, but I cannot help saying
that I made a very close acquaintance with the colonel of the
Cravates; for I drove my bayonet into his body, and finished off a
poor little ensign, so young, slender, and small, that a blow from
my pigtail would have despatched him, I think, in place of the butt
of my musket, with which I clubbed him down. I killed, besides, four
more officers and men, and in the poor ensign's pocket found a purse
of fourteen louis-d'or, and a silver box of sugar-plums; of which
the former present was very agreeable to me.
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