▁an ▁extremely ▁dangerous ▁position , ▁their ▁b agg age ▁blocking ▁the ▁main ▁bridge ▁and ▁the ▁Add a ▁behind ▁them . ▁V end ôme ▁real ised ▁what ▁was ▁happening ▁and ▁joined ▁his ▁brother ▁with ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁caval ry ; ▁he ▁ordered ▁the ▁b agg age ▁train ▁to ▁be ▁thrown ▁into ▁the ▁river , ▁formed ▁a ▁line ▁along ▁the ▁canal ▁and ▁man ned ▁the ▁bridge ▁red ou b ts ▁with ▁his ▁best ▁troops . ▁This ▁included ▁all ▁five ▁reg iments ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁Brigade , ▁four ▁of ▁which ▁held ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁line ; ▁most ▁contemporary ▁accounts ▁in ▁English ▁come ▁from ▁those ▁connected ▁to ▁the ▁Brigade . ▁ ▁After ▁bitter ▁fighting , ▁the ▁Imperial ists ▁captured ▁the ▁Ret ort o ▁bridge ▁giving ▁them ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁sl u ice ▁gates ; ▁these ▁were ▁now ▁closed , ▁lower ing ▁the ▁water ▁level ▁in ▁the ▁canal ▁by ▁three ▁feet ▁and ▁making ▁it ▁possible ▁to ▁walk ▁across ▁it . ▁Prince ▁Eug ene ▁ordered ▁the ▁Prince ▁of ▁An halt - D ess au ▁and ▁his ▁Pr us si ans ▁into ▁the ▁canal ▁to ▁assault ▁the ▁French ▁left ; ▁they ▁managed ▁to ▁se ize ▁the ▁further ▁bank ▁but ▁suffered ▁heavily ▁in ▁doing ▁so . ▁The ▁battle ▁sur ged ▁back ▁and ▁forth ▁across ▁the ▁river ▁for ▁several ▁hours ; ▁contemporary ▁accounts ▁claimed ▁ 1 4 , 0 0 0 ▁cas ual ties ▁on ▁both ▁sides , ▁with ▁ 7 , 8 0 0 ▁dead ▁including ▁nearly ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁French ▁troops ▁who ▁d