▁force ▁under ▁Sir ▁Ralph ▁Aber c rom by ▁took ▁no ▁direct ▁part ▁in ▁this ▁action ; ▁consequ ently ▁the ▁al lied ▁troops ▁engaged ▁amount ed ▁to ▁no ▁more ▁than ▁between ▁ 1 5 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 1 8 , 0 0 0 ▁men . ▁The ▁corps ▁under ▁Sir ▁Ralph ▁Aber c rom by ▁began ▁their ▁march ▁on ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁ 1 8 ▁September , ▁but ▁his ▁advance ▁was ▁delayed ▁by ▁the ▁bad ▁state ▁of ▁the ▁roads , ▁and ▁he ▁arrived ▁at ▁Ho orn ▁many ▁hours ▁later ▁than ▁was ▁expected . ▁The ▁object ives ▁that ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁gained ▁by ▁this ▁column ▁would ▁have ▁had ▁a ▁material ▁effect ▁on ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁whole ▁expedition , ▁and ▁could ▁only ▁be ▁attempted ▁while ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁York ▁possessed ▁the ▁superior ▁force . ▁ ▁The ▁battle ▁was ▁comm enced ▁by ▁Russian ▁forces , ▁which ▁had ▁by ▁ 8 ▁am , ▁September ▁ 1 9 , ▁obtained ▁possession ▁of ▁Ber gen . ▁In ▁vain ▁did ▁they ▁expect ▁support ▁from ▁their ▁British ▁al lies , ▁which ▁had ▁not ▁even ▁l ined ▁up ▁for ▁the ▁battle , ▁because ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁Russian ▁command ers ▁had ▁neglect ed ▁to ▁synchron ize ▁their ▁clock s . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁Russian ▁forces ▁were ▁rapidly ▁enc irc led ▁by ▁the ▁French , ▁Hermann ▁was ▁made ▁prisoner ▁and ▁his ▁second - in - command ▁J ere ps off ▁killed , ▁while ▁their ▁troops ▁were ▁forced ▁back ▁through ▁Ber gen ▁to ▁Sch oor l , ▁which ▁they ▁also ▁had ▁to