BLENHEIM, blen'ini, or BLINDHEIM, Bavaria, village about 23 miles from Augsburg, the theatre of a great battle, fought 13 Aug. 1704 (also called the battle of Hochstadt, from another village of this name in the vicinity), in which Marlborough and Prince Eugene, com manding the allied forces of England and the German empire, gained a brilliant victory over the French and Bavarians. The latter armies were drawn into the engagement under the most unfavorable circumstances. Both these armies amounted to 56,000 men, while the forces of Marlborough and Eugene were about 52,000. The first had thrown their troops chiefly into the two villages of Blenheim and Kinzingen, which they considered as points of support for their wings, though at too great a distance in front of their main position. A large propor tion of cavalry was in the centre, since each army, the Bavarian as well as the French, had their horse on their wings, and in this way those of two wings must necessarily join each other. Both the commanders would undoubt edly have perceived and corrected this mistake, as Tallard, the French general, had in Blen heim alone 27 battalions of infantry; but they expected so little to be attacked, that when the line of the allies began to move, 13 August, at 2 o'clock in the morning, they supposed them to be marching off. The greatest part of their cavalry was sent to forage. Even at 7 o'clock, when the heads of the eight columns with which Eugene and Marlborough advanced toward the Nebelbach were to be seen Tallard thought the whole a stratagem intended to cover the retreat; but he soon saw his error. The dispersed
troops were recalled in the greatest hurry, and the cannons were drawn up in line. The French and Bavarians made every exertion to prevent the passage of the enemy over the small stream of Nebelbach, and the capture of the two villages, the conquest of which was considered by Marlborough and Eugene as decisive. Their line of attack was un commonly long, about four and a half miles. Marlborough, in order to secure his right wing, attacked Blenheim, but without success; he then changed his plan, and threw himself with his principal forces into the wide interval be tween the right wing and the centre of the enemy, leaving only as many troops before Blenheim as were necessary to check the body which occupied this position. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon he succeeded, after great efforts, in passing the Nebelbach, by which his victory was decided. Tallard himself was among the prisoners; his son was killed. Of 56,000 French and Bavarians, 14,000 were taken prisoners and 25,000 perished. The victors lost about 5,000 killed and 8,000 wounded. The consequences of the battle were decisive. Bavaria, as Marl borough had anticipated, fell into the power of