tween two hills, he withdrew his post from Latford. The
French then made two attacks, one at the point of the wood, and the
other higher up in the same wood, opposite to the grenadiers commanded
by major-general Hardenberg, but they failed in both; and though the
fire of their artillery was very hot, they were obliged to retire.
The French army encamping on the heights opposite to the duke of
Cumberland's posts, the intelligence received, that M. d'Etrees had
assembled all his troops, and was furnished with a very considerable
train of artillery, left his royal highness no room to doubt of his
intending to attack him. He, therefore, resolved to change his camp for
a more advantageous situation, by drawing up his army on the eminence
between the Weser and the woods, leaving the Hamelen river on his right,
the village of Hasten-beck in his front, and his left close to the
wood, at the point of which his royal highness had a battery of twelve
pounders and haubitzers. There was a hollow way from the left of the
village to the battery, and a morass on the other side of Hastenbeck
to his right. Major-general Schulenberg, with the hunters, and two
battalions of grenadiers, was posted in the corner of the wood upon
the left of the battery; his royal highness ordered the village of
Hastenbeck to be cleared to his front, to prevent it being in the power
of the enemy to keep possession of it, and the ways by which the allies
had a communication with that village during their encampment to be
rendered impassable. In the evening-he withdrew all his outposts, and
in this position the army lay upon their arms all night. On the
twenty-fifth, in the morning, the French army marched forwards in
columns, and began to cannonade the allies very severely, marching and
counter-marching continually, and seeming to intend three attacks, on
the right, the left, and the centre. In the evening their artillery
appeared much superior to that of the allies. The army was again ordered
to lie all night on their arms; his royal highness caused a battery at
the end of the wood to be repaired; count Schulenberg to be reinforced
with a battalion of grenadiers, and two field pieces of cannon; and
that battery to be also supported by four more battalions of grenadiers,
under the command of major-general Hardenberg. He likewise caused a
battery to be erected of twelve six-pounders, behind the village of
Hastenbeck, and took all the precautions he could think of