ise.

We marched for Silesia, to enter on our second campaign: which, to the
Prussians, was as bloody and murderous as it was glorious.

The King's head-quarters were fixed at the convent of Kamentz, where we
rested fourteen days, and the army remained in cantonments. Prince
Charles, instead of following us into Bohemia, had the imprudence to
occupy the plain of Strigau, and we already concluded his army was
beaten. Whoever is well acquainted with tactics, and the Prussian
manoeuvres, will easily judge, without the aid of calculation or
witchcraft, whether a well or ill-disciplined army, in an open plain,
ought to be victorious.

The army hastily left its cantonments, and in twenty-four hours was in
order of battle; and on the 14th of June, eighteen thousand bodies lay
stretched on the plain of Strigau. The allied armies of Austria and
Saxony were totally defeated.

The body guard was on the right; and previous to the attack, the King
said to our squadron, "Prove today, my children, that you are my body
guard, and give no Saxon quarter."

We made three attacks on the cavalry, and two on the infantry. Nothing
could withstand a squadron like this, which for men, horses, courage, and
experience, was assuredly the first in the world. Our corps alone took
seven standards and five pairs of colours, and in less than an hour the
affair was over.

I received a pistol shot in my right hand, my horse was desperately
wounded, and I was obliged to change him on the third charge. The day
after the battle all the officers were rewarded with the Order of Merit.
For my own part, I remained four weeks among the wounded, at Schweidnitz,
where there were sixteen thousand men under the torture of the army
surgeons, many of whom had not their wounds dressed till the third day.

I was near three months before I recovered the use of my hand: I
nevertheless rejoined my corps, continued to perform my duty, and as
usual accompanied the King when he went to reconnoitre. For some time
past he had placed confidence in me, and his kindness towards me
continually increased, which raised my gratitude even to enthusiasm.

I also performed the service of adjutant during this campaign, a
circumstantial account of which no person is better enabled to write than
myself, I having been present at all that passed. I was the scholar of
the greatest master the art of war ever knew, and who believed me worthy
to receive his instructions; but the