aring the preponderating growth of his neighbour Prussia
as a menace to his Hanoverian dominions, assembled a force of Danes,
Hessians, Hanoverians, and British, under the Earl of Stair, numbering
forty-four battalions, twenty of which were British, with fifty-three
squadrons. This army, about 35,000 strong, met the French, some
25,000 in number, and composed of twenty-four battalions, and thirty
squadrons, in position on the left bank of the Maine. The Allies were
at Aschaffenburg and Klein Ostheim, and prepared to march through
Dettingen on the right bank to join with a Hessian force at Hanau.

Noailles, who commanded the French army, forming a _tête du pont_ at
Selegenstadt on his left, and massing the centre and right opposite
Aschaffenburg, crossed by his left to head the allies off. Thus when
the battle began, both held positions at right angles to the Maine,
the British left and the French right respectively resting on the
stream. The offensive was continued by the French, and led to a wild
and injudicious advance of the right wing through and beyond Dettingen,
a movement contrary to what the general commanding, who now wished to
assume the defensive, intended, so that finally the French were beaten
and driven across the stream. Except for incidents in the battle it has
few points of interest.

The regiments engaged were the Life Guards and Blues; the 1st and 7th
Dragoons Guards; the 1st, 2nd, and 6th Dragoons; and the 3rd, 4th, and
7th Light Dragoons, now classed as Hussars. Of the infantry the 3rd,
8th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 20th, 21st, 23rd, 31st, 32nd, 33rd, and 37th
Regiments were engaged. The present Devonshire Regiment, from their
heavy losses here, at Ostend, and later on at Salamanca, was long
known, it is said, as the “Bloody Eleventh”; and the old 30th acquired
the name of the “Young Buffs,” from their facings in this battle,
which caused the king to exclaim, “Well done, old Buffs,” and on being
reminded of his mistake, and told it was the 31st, and not the 3rd,
replied, “Well done, t