In the first line were the 12th, 37th, and 23rd Regiments; in the second line, the 20th, 51st, and 25th, the latter that famous regiment raised in Scotland in the year 1688 by the Earl of Leven, and then called “Leven’s” or the Edinburgh Regiment.  At Minden it fought as Sempil’s Regiment, later it was known as the King’s Own Borderers, and now it is familiar to all as the King’s Own Scottish Borderers.  Entirely unsupported, these two lines of scarlet-clad men marched steadily against a mass of cavalry, the flower of the French army.  Without haste, without even a sign of hesitation or of wavering, over ground swept by the fire of more than sixty cannon, they moved—­a fire that ploughed through their ranks and mowed down men as the hurricane blast smites to the earth trees in a forest of pines.  Not till the threatening squadrons of horse began to get into motion did these British regiments halt, and then, pausing coolly till the galloping ranks were all but within striking distance, they fired a volley so withering that men and horses fell in swathes, while the survivors reeled in confusion back on their supports.  Never before had volley so crushing been fired by British troops.  Up to that day, musketry had seldom been blasting in effect; firelocks then in use were singularly clumsy weapons, noted for anything but accuracy, and, to add to their inefficiency, it was not the practice to bring the cumbersome piece to the shoulder, and thus to take aim, but rather, the method was to raise the firelock breast high and trust to chance that an enemy might be in the line of fire.  Now all was changed.  During the Peace troops had been taught to aim from the shoulder, and Minden showed the effect.

In spite of their losses, however, the French horse rallied and came again to the attack, this time supported by four brigades of infantry and thirty-two guns.  “For a moment the lines of scarlet seemed to waver under the triple attack; but, recovering themselves, they closed up their ranks and met the charging squadrons with a storm of musketry which blasted them off the field, then turning with equal fierceness upon the French infantry, they beat them back with terrible loss."[2]

[2:  Fortescue, History of the Army.]

Yet again the enemy came on; squadrons that up to now had not encountered those terrible islanders, thundered down upon them, undaunted.  Through the first line this time the horsemen burst their way, and surely now they must carry all before them.  But no farther went the measure of their success; the second line shattered them to fragments, and all was over.  Back behind the ramparts fell the French, crushed and dispirited, for nothing now remained to them but surrender.  And for this great victory Prince Ferdinand’s thanks were chiefly bestowed on those British regiments whose magnificent valour and steadiness had alone made it possible.