 The general engagement on 25 March was brutal and bloody . Before daybreak , at close to 0500 , Saint Cyr opened by sending his forces in a headlong attack on the Austrian right , coordinated with Souham and Ferino 's assault on the Austrian left . The ferocious attack forced the Austrians out of the woods in which they had been positioned overnight , and down the road to the village of Schwandorf . Fearing that his forces would be flanked , Charles directed some reinforcements to back up General Mervelt 's force on the Austrian right , six squadrons of lancers of the First Regiment . At this point , Vandamme 's small corps , which had moved into position in the night of 24 March , attacked from the rear . Saint Cyr 's forces had taken hold of the woods outside Stockach , named by the Austrians as the gruesome wood , with the conflict there described as " obstinate and bloody . " The Archduke himself arrived with six battalions of Hungarian grenadiers and twelve squadrons of cuirassiers and led them into the fight . His grenadiers , experienced and battle @-@ hardened , objected to his exposure and one actually grabbed the bridle of Charles ' horse , to stop him . As the archduke prepared to dismount and lead his men on foot , Karl Aloys zu Fürstenberg stepped forward to volunteer , reportedly stating that he would die first , before allowing the archduke to put himself in such danger . As Karl Aloys Fürstenberg led the hussars and grenadiers into a counter @-@ attack , he was hit by French case shot and killed . Archduke Charles eventually did lead his grenadiers , and the French momentum was not only arrested , but reversed . The Prince of Anhalt was also killed in the battle . Saint Cyr made no progress until Vandamme 's assault , but both withered under the Archduke 's response . In the melee , Claude Juste Alexandre Legrand , a general of brigade of Saint Cyr 's III . Division , lost both his brother at his side , and his aide @-@ de @-@ camp , and Jourdan himself had barely escaped being trampled to death or captured , as he tried to rally his own troops . The superior number of Austrians stalled the main French assault on the Habsburg center . 
