little.

The 1st Hussars took part in all the battles fought at this time
in Piedmont, and suffered many losses in encounters with the Austrian
heavy cavalry. After some marching and countermarching, and a series
of almost daily minor engagements, General Championet, having
concentrated the centre and left of his army between Coni and
Mondovi, attacked, at the end of December, several divisions of the
enemy army.

The encounter took place on a plain dotted with small hills and
clumps of trees. The 1st Hussars, attached to General Beaumont's
brigade, were positioned on the extreme right of the French army. As
the number of officers and men who make up a squadron is laid down in
the regulations, our regiment, having suffered casualties in the
previous affairs, instead of putting four squadrons into the line
could put only three; but having done this, there were some thirty
men left over, of which five were sergeants. I was one of this
number, as were both the Pertelays. We were formed into two sections
and Pertelay the younger was put in command. General Beaumont merely
instructed him to scout on the right flank of the army, and act as
the situation seemed to require. We then left the regiment and went
to explore the countryside.

In the meanwhile, a fierce battle commenced between the two
armies, and an hour later, when we were returning to our own lines
without having spotted anything on the flank, young Pertelay saw,
opposite us, and consequently on the extreme left of the enemy line,
a battery of eight guns whose fire was raking the French ranks.
Very unwisely, this Austrian battery, in order to have a better field