It is about 1 p.m.. After making all those concessions to the value of positions, Prince Louis, a very bold and enterprising man of action, decides to attack. He attacks straight in front of him with all the forces available: six battalions out of twelve (without artillery, without any kind of preparation). Four battalions are in the first line and two in the second. As soon as that attack takes place going up east of the line Crosten-Beulwitz, its right is immediately fired upon by the numerous swarms of French skirmishers filling the gardens, orchards and hollow roads near the villages, still invisible and pouring a hail of bullets on the right of the attack. The Prussian line wavers, stops, answers by volley fire - without much result - when, at the same moment, it is attacked in flank by two battalions of the 34th, which after marching under the cover of the slopes, appear and charge in column with drums beating, General Suchet at their head. The ordeal is too severe. The Xavier regiment falls back, the left of the line withdraw's in the same way (regiment of the Elector). The 17th Leger follows on their heals into Crosten, but is taken in flank by the reformed Prussians, mainly by the regiment of the Elector, which had not suffered too badly. The 17th, having no cartridges left, loses Crosten and retires on Beulwitz, where it is relieved by the 64th, and goes over to the reserve. More 1806 Battle of Saalfeld Introduction I: Grand Army and Lannes' Movement Prior to Battle II: Initial Situation at Saalfeld III: Events and Intents from the Prussian Side IV: Lannes' Initial Disposition and Deployment V: Preliminary Action on Prussian Side VI: Prussian Attack VII: Lannes' Attack VIII: Combats Around Garnsdorf, Saalfeld, and the Pursuit IX: Conclusions X: Further Conclusions XI: The Battlefield Today Back to Empire, Eagles, & Lions Table of Contents Vol. 2 No. 6 Back to EEL List of Issues Back to MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1994 by Emperor's Headquarters This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com