THE BATTLE OF CLISSOW 259

His army was twelve thousand strong, while that of
Augustus was nearly double that strength, and was very
strongly posted, his camp being surrounded by morasses,
although situated on rising ground which commanded the
whole of the country round it. ‘The bogs in the front were
found to be so impassable, that the Swedes were forced to
make a circuit to the left, where the ground was firmer.
This movement obliged the enemy also to change front, a
movement that caused considerable confusion, as they
themselves were forced to traverse boggy ground to take
up a new position facihg that by which the Swedes would
now advance.

The attack was commenced by the division commanded
by the Duke of Holstein, but scarcely had he set his
troops in motion than he was mortally wounded by a ball
from a falconet. His troops, however, pushed forward
vigorously; the Polish division opposed to them resisted
the two first assaults bravely, but gave way at the third
attack, and were driven from the ground in such confusion
that they took no further part in the engagement.

While this was going on the Saxon cavalry had been
repulsed by that of Charles, and passing in their retreat
under the fire of three infantry regiments, suffered so
heavily that they left the field. The Swedish foot now
advanced all along the line, and in the centre destroyed
several battalions of Saxons. But the Swedish right was
attacked so vigorously by the Saxon left under Field-
marshal Steinau, that for a time the conflict was doubtful.
The Swedish horse-guards and other cavalry, however,
charged with such determination that the Saxon horse on
this flank were also defeated and driven off the field, while
the Swedish infantry, advancing without firing, drove
several battalions of Saxon foot into a village, where, be-
ing surrounded, almost all were killed or taken prisoners.
The Saxon horse gathering once more attempted bravely