The hussars and pandours* [Footnote * Hungarian foot soldiers] are dreadful only to those
who do not know them. They are never brave but when animated by the hope of plunder, or
when they can annoy others without exposing themselves. The first species of their bravery
they exercise against convoys and baggage, and the other against troops who are obliged to
retire, whom they endeavor to teaze in their retreat. Our troops have nothing serious
to dread from them, but as a march is often retarded by their manner of skirmishing, and
as some men will unavoidably be lost, and that too at a very inconvenient season, I shall
explain the best method that I am acquainted with of getting rid of these gentry.
When we retreat through plains, the hussars are to be driven away by a few discharges
of cannon, and the pandours by means of the dragoons and hussars, of whom they are in a
very great dread. The most difficult retreats, and those in which the pandours have it in
their power to do the greatest mischief are those where we have to pass woods, defiles,
and mountains. In such cases, the loss of some men is almost inevitable.
In these situations, then, the heights should be occupied by the advanced guard with
their front towards the enemy, and at the same time troops are to be detached on the flank
of the line of march, who keeping along on the side of the army will always pass over the
heights or through the woods. Some squadrons should also be at hand to be employed where
the ground will allow of it.
On these occasions, we are never to halt, but keep constantly moving, for halting would
certainly be an unseasonable sacrifice of some of your men.
The pandours fire as they lie down, and by that means keep themselves concealed; and
when the marching of the army makes it necessary for the rear guard and the small parties
that were detached to quit the heights and follow the main body, they then possess
themselves of those situations, and being under cover, pick off those who are retreating.
Neither musketry or cannon loaded with cartridge can do them much mischief, as they are
scattered and concealed behind the heights and trees.
I made two retreats of this kind in the year 1745; one by the valley of Liebenthal,
when marching to Staudenitz, and the other from Trautenau to Schatzlar. Notwithstanding
every possible precaution, we lost sixty men killed and wounded
in the first retreat, and more than two hundred in the second.
When we have to retreat through difficult ways, our marches should be very short, that
we may be the more readily and perfectly on our guard. the longest march should not exceed
two leagues, or one German mile, and as then we are not hurried, we are sometimes able to
force the pandours, especially if they are imprudent enough to take shelter in a wood,
which it is in our power to turn.
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