History of Friedrich II of Prussia - Frederick the Great Chapter III. - Battle of Liegnitz.
by Thomas Carlyle
Friedrich stayed hardly one day in Neissen Country; Silesia, in the
jaws of destruction, requiring such speed from him. His new Series
of Marches thitherward, for the next two weeks especially, with
Daun and Lacy, and at last with Loudon too, for escort, are still
more singular than the foregoing; a fortnight of Soldier History
such as is hardly to be paralleled elsewhere. Of his inward gloom
one hears nothing. But the Problem itself approaches to the
desperate; needing daily new invention, new audacity, with imminent
destruction overhanging it throughout. A March distinguished in
Military Annals;--but of which it is not for us to pretend
treating. Military readers will find it in TEMPELHOF, and the
supplementary Books from time to time cited here. And, for our own
share, we can only say, that Friedrich's labors strike us as
abundantly Herculean; more Alcides-like than ever,--the rather as
hopes of any success have sunk lower than ever. A modern Alcides,
appointed to confront Tartarus itself, and be victorious over the
Three-headed Dog. Daun, Lacy, Loudon coming on you simultaneously,
open-mouthed, are a considerable Tartarean Dog! Soldiers judge that
the King's resources of genius were extremely conspicuous on this
occasion; and to all men it is in evidence that seldom in the Arena
of this Universe, looked on by the idle Populaces and by the
eternal Gods and Antigods (called Devils), did a Son of Adam fence
better for himself, now and throughout.
This, his Third march to Silesia in 1760, is judged to be the most
forlorn and ominous Friedrich ever made thither; real peril, and
ruin to Silesia and him, more imminent than even in the old Leuthen
days. Difficulties, complicacies very many, Friedrich can foresee:
a Daun's Army and a Lacy's for escort to us; and such a Silesia
when we do arrive. And there is one complicacy more which he does
not yet know of; that of Loudon waiting ahead to welcome him, on
crossing the Frontier, and increase his escort thenceforth!--Or
rather, let us say, Friedrich, thanks to the despondent Henri and
others, has escaped a great Silesian Calamity;--of which he will
hear, with mixed emotions, on arriving at Bunzlau on the Silesian
Frontier, six days after setting out. Since the loss of Glatz (July
26th), Friedrich has no news of Loudon; supposes him to be trying
something upon Neisse, to be adjusting with his slow Russians;
and, in short, to be out of the dismal account-current just at
present. That is not the fact in regard to Loudon; that is far from
the fact.
LOUDON IS TRYING A STROKE-OF-HAND ON BRESLAU, IN THE
GLATZ FASHION, IN THE INTERIM (July 30th-August 3d).
Hardly above six hours after taking Glatz, swift Loudon, no Daun
now tethering him (Daun standing, or sitting, "in relief of
Dresden" far off), was on march for Breslau--Vanguard of him
"marched that same evening (July 26th):" in the liveliest hope of
capturing Breslau; especially if Soltikof, to whom this of Glatz
ought to be a fine symbol and pledge, make speed to co-operate.
Soltikof is in no violent enthusiasm about Glatz; anxious rather
about his own Magazine at Posen, and how to get it carted out of
Henri's way, in case of our advancing towards some Silesian Siege.
"If we were not ruined last year, it was n't Daun's fault!" growls
he often; and Montalembert has need of all his suasive virtues
(which are wonderful to look at, if anybody cared to look at them,
all flung into the sea in this manner) for keeping the barbarous
man in any approach to harmony. The barbarous man had, after haggle
enough, adjusted himself for besieging Glogau; and is surly to
hear, on the sudden (order from Petersburg reinforcing Loudon),
that it is Breslau instead. "Excellenz, it is not Cunctator Daun
this time, it is fiery Loudon." "Well, Breslau, then!" answers
Soltikof at last, after much suasion. And marches thither;
[Tempelhof, iv. 87-89 ("Rose from Posen, July 26th").] faster than
usual, quickened by new temporary hopes, of Montalembert's raising
or one's own: "What a place-of-arms, and place of victual, would
Breslau be for us, after all!"
And really mends his pace, mends it ever more, as matters grow
stringent; and advances upon Breslau at his swiftest:
"To rendezvous with Loudon under the walls there,--within the walls
very soon, and ourselves chief proprietor!"--as may be hoped.
Breslau has a garrison of 4,000, only 1,000 of them stanch;
and there are, among other bad items, 9,000 Austrian Prisoners in
it. A big City with weak walls: another place to defend than rock-
hewn little Glatz,--if there be no better than a D'O for Commandant
in it! But perhaps there is.
"WEDNESDAY, 30th JULY, Loudon's Vanguard arrived at Breslau;
next day Loudon himself;--and besieged Breslau very violently,
according to his means, till the Sunday following. Troops he has
plenty, 40,000 odd, which he gives out for 50 or even 60,000;
not to speak of Soltikof, 'with 75,000' (read 45,000), striding on
in a fierce and dreadful manner to meet him here. 'Better surrender
to Christian Austrians, had not you?' Loudon's Artillery is not
come up, it is only struggling on from Glatz; Soltikof of his own
has no Siege-Artillery; and Loudon judges that heavy-footed
Soltikof, waited on by an alert Prince Henri, is a problematic
quantity in this enterprise. 'Speedy oneself; speedy and fiery!'
thinks Loudon: 'by violence of speed, of bullying and bombardment,
perhaps we can still do it!' And Loudon tried all these things to a
high stretch; but found in Tauentzien the wrong man.
"THURSDAY, 3lst, Loudon, who has two bridges over Oder, and the
Town begirt all round, summons Tauentzien in an awful sounding
tone: 'Consider, Sir: no defence possible; a trading Town, you
ought not to attempt defence of it: surrender on fair terms, or I
shall, which God forbid, be obliged to burn you and it from the
face of the world!' 'Pooh, pooh,' answers Tauentzien, in brief
polite terms; 'you yourselves had no doubt it was a Garrison, when
we besieged you here, on the heel of Leuthen; had you? Go to!'--
Fiery Loudon cannot try storm, the Town having Oder and a wet ditch
round it. He gets his bombarding batteries forward, as the one
chance he has, aided by bullying. And to-morrow,
"FRIDAY, AUGUST 1st, sends, half officially, half in the friendly
way, dreadful messages again: a warning to the Mayor of Breslau
(which was not signed by Loudon), 'Death and destruction, Sir,
unless'--!--warning to the Mayor; and, by the same private half-
official messenger, a new summons to Tauentzien: 'Bombardment
infallible; universal massacre by Croats; I will not spare the
child in its mother's womb.' 'I am not with child,' said
Tauentzien, 'nor are my soldiers! What is the use of such talk?'
And about 10 that night, Loudon does accordingly break out into all
the fire of bombardment he is master of. Kindles the Town in
various places, which were quenched again by Tauentzien's
arrangements; kindles especially the King's fine Dwelling-house
(Palace they call it), and adjacent streets, not quenchable till
Palace and they are much ruined. Will this make no impression?
Far too little.
"Next morning Loudon sends a private messenger of conciliatory
tone: 'Any terms your Excellency likes to name. Only spare me the
general massacre, and child in the mother's womb!' From all which
Tauentzien infers that you are probably short of ammunition;
and that his outlooks are improving. That day he gets guns brought
to bear on General Loudon's own quarter; blazes into Loudon's
sitting-room, so that Loudon has to shift else-whither.
No bombardment ensues that night; nor next day anything but
desultory cannonading, and much noise and motion;--and at night,
SUNDAY, 3d, everything falls quiet, and, to the glad amazement of
everybody, Loudon has vanished." [Tempelhof, iv. 90-100;
Archenholtz, ii. 89-94; HOFBERICHT VON DER BELAGERUNG VON BRESLAU
IM AUGUST 1760 (in Seyfarth, Beylagen,
ii. 688-698); also in Helden-Geschichte,
vi. 299-309: in Anonymous of Hamburg
(iv. 115-124), that is, in the OLD NEWSPAPERS, extremely particular
account, How "not only the finest Horse in Breslau, and the finest
House [King's Palace], but the handsomest Man, and, alas, also the
prettiest Girl [poor Jungfer Muller, shattered by a bomb-shell on
the streets], were destroyed in this short Siege,"--world-famous
for the moment. Preuss, ii. 246.]
Loudon had no other shift left. This Sunday his Russians are still
five days distant; alert Henri, on the contrary, is, in a sense,
come to hand. Crossed the Katzbach River this day, the Vanguard of
him did, at Parchwitz; and fell upon our Bakery; which has had to
take the road. "Guard the Bakery, all hands there," orders Loudon;
"off to Striegau and the Hills with it;"--and is himself gone
thither after it, leaving Breslau, Henri and the Russians to what
fate may be in store for them. Henri has again made one of his
winged marches, the deft creature, though the despondent; "march of
90 miles in three days [in the last three, from Glogau, 90; in the
whole, from Landsberg, above 200], and has saved the State," says
Retzow. "Made no camping, merely bivouacked; halting for a rest
four or five hours here and there;" [Retzow, ii. 230 (very vague);
in Tempelhof (iv. 89, 90, 95-97) clear and specific account.] and
on August 5th is at Lissa (this side the Field of Leuthen);
making Breslau one of the gladdest of cities.
So that Soltikof, on arriving (village of Hundsfeld, August 8th),
by the other side of the River, finds Henri's advanced guards
intrenched over there, in Old Oder; no Russian able to get within
five miles of Breslau,--nor able to do more than cannonade in the
distance, and ask with indignation, "Where are the siege-guns,
then; where is General Loudon? Instead of Breslau capturable, and a
sure Magazine for us, here is Henri, and nothing but steel to eat!"
And the Soltikof risen into Russian rages, and the Montalembert
sunk in difficulties: readers can imagine these.
Indignant Soltikof, deaf to suasion, with this dangerous Henri in
attendance, is gradually edging back; always rather back, with an
eye to his provisions, and to certain bogs and woods he knows of.
But we will leave the Soltikof-Henri end of the line, for the
opposite end, which is more interesting.--To Friedrich, till he got
to Silesia itself, these events are totally unknown. His cunctatory
Henri, by this winged march, when the moment came, what a service
has he done!--
Tauentzien's behavior, also, has been superlative at Breslau;
and was never forgotten by the King. A very brave man, testifies
Lessing of him; true to the death: "Had there come but three, to
rally with the King under a bush of the forest, Tauentzien would
have been one." Tauentzien was on the ramparts once, in this
Breslau pinch, giving orders; a bomb burst beside him, did not
injure him. "Mark that place," said Tauentzien; and clapt his hat
on it, continuing his orders, till a more permanent mark were put.
In that spot, as intended through the next thirty years, he now
lies buried. [ Militair-Lexikon, iv. 72-75; Lessing's Werke; &c. &c.]
FRIEDRICH ON MARCH, FOR THE THIRD TIME, TO RESCUE SILESIA
(August 1st-15th).
AUGUST 1st, Friedrich crossed the Elbe at Zehren, in the Schieritz
vicinity, as near Meissen as he could; but it had to be some six
miles farther down, such the liabilities to Austrian disturbance.
All are across that morning by 5 o'clock (began at 2); whence we
double back eastward, and camp that night at Dallwitz,--are quietly
asleep there, while Loudon's bombardment bursts out on Breslau, far
away! At Dallwitz we rest next day, wait for our Bakeries and
Baggages; and SUNDAY, AUGUST 3d, at 2 in the morning, set forth on
the forlornest adventure in the world.
The arrangements of the March, foreseen and settled beforehand to
the last item, are of a perfection beyond praise;--as is still
visible in the General Order, or summary of directions given out;
which, to this day, one reads with a kind of satisfaction like that
derivable from the Forty-seventh of Euclid: clear to the meanest
capacity, not a word wanting in it, not a word superfluous, solid
as geometry. "The Army marches always in Three Columns, left Column
foremost: our First Line of Battle [in case we have fighting] is
this foremost Column; Second Line is the Second Column; Reserve is
the Third. All Generals' chaises, money-wagons, and regimental
Surgeons' wagons remain with their respective Battalions; as do the
Heavy Batteries with the Brigades to which they belong. When the
march is through woody country, the Cavalry regiments go in between
the Battalions [to be ready against Pandour operations
and accidents].
"With the First Column, the Ziethen Hussars and Free-Battalion
Courbiere have always the vanguard; Mohring Hussars and Free-
Battalion Quintus [speed to you, learned friend!] the rear-guard.
With the Second Column always the Dragoon regiments Normann and
Krockow have the vanguard; Regiment Czetteritz [Dragoons, poor
Czetteritz himself, with his lost MANUSCRIPT, is captive since
February last], the rear-guard. With the Third Column always the
Dragoon regiment Holstein as head, and the ditto Finkenstein to
close the Column.--During every march, however, there are to be of
the Second Column 2 Battalions joined with Column Third; so that
the Third Column consists of 10 Battalions, the Second of 6, while
on march.
"Ahead of each Column go three Pontoon Wagons; and daily are 50
work-people allowed them, who are immediately to lay Bridge, where
it is necessary. The rear-guard of each Column takes up these
Bridges again; brings them on, and returns them to the head of the
Column, when the Army has got to camp. In the Second Column are to
be 500 wagons, and also in the Third 500, so shared that each
battalion gets an equal number. The battalions--" [In TEMPELHOF
(iv. 125, 126) the entire Piece.] ... This may serve as specimen.
The March proceeded through the old Country; a little to left of
the track in June past: Roder Water, Pulsnitz Water;
Kamenz neighborhood, Bautzen neighborhood,--Bunzlau on Silesian
ground. Daun, at Bischofswerda, had foreseen this March; and, by
his Light people, had spoiled the Road all he could; broken all the
Bridges, HALF-felled the Woods (to render them impassable).
Daun, the instant he heard of the actual March, rose from
Bischofswerda: forward, forward always, to be ahead of it, however
rapid; Lacy, hanging on the rear of it, willing to give trouble
with his Pandour harpies, but studious above all that it should not
whirl round anywhere and get upon his, Lacy's, own throat. One of
the strangest marches ever seen. "An on-looker, who had observed
the march of these different Armies," says Friedrich, "would have
thought that they all belonged to one leader. Feldmarschall Daun's
he would have taken for the Vanguard, the King's for the main Army,
and General Lacy's for the Rear-guard." [ OEuvres de
Frederic, v. 56.] Tempelhof says: "It is given only to
a Friedrich to march on those terms; between Two hostile Armies,
his equals in strength, and a Third [Loudon's, in Striegau Country]
waiting ahead."
The March passed without accident of moment; had not, from Lacy or
Daun, any accident whatever. On the second day, an Aide-de-Camp of
Daun's was picked up, with Letters from Lacy (back of the cards
visible to Friedrich). Once,--it is the third day of the March
(August 6th, village of Rothwasser to be quarter for the night),--
on coming toward Neisse River, some careless Officer, trusting to
peasants, instead of examining for himself and building a bridge,
drove his Artillery-wagons into the so-called ford of Neisse;
which nearly swallowed the foremost of them in quicksands.
Nearly, but not completely; and caused a loss of five or six hours
to that Second Column. So that darkness came on Column Second in
the woody intricacies; and several hundreds of the deserter kind
took the opportunity of disappearing altogether. An unlucky,
evidently too languid Officer; though Friedrich did not annihilate
the poor fellow, perhaps did not rebuke him at all, but merely
marked it in elucidation of his qualities for time coming."
This miserable village of Rothwasser" (head-quarters after the
dangerous fording of Neisse), says Mitchell, "stands in the middle
of a wood, almost as wild and impenetrable as those in North
America. There was hardly ground enough cleared about it for the
encampment of the troops." [Mitchell, ii. 190; Tempelhof, iv. 131.]
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7th, Friedrich--traversing the whole Country, but
more direct, by Konigsbruck and Kamenz this time--is at Bunzlau
altogether. "Bunzlau on the Bober;" the SILESIAN Bunzlau, not the
Bohemian or any of the others. It is some 30 miles west of
Liegnitz, which again lies some 40 northwest of Schweidnitz and the
Strong Places. Friedrich has now done 100 miles of excellent
marching; and he has still a good spell more to do,--dragging
"2,000 heavy wagons" with him, and across such impediments within
and without. Readers that care to study him, especially for the
next few days, will find it worth their while.
Tempelhof gives, as usual, a most clear Account, minute to a
degree; which, supplemented by Mitchell and a Reimann Map, enables
us as it were to accompany, and to witness with our eyes.
Hitherto a March toilsome in the extreme, in spite of everything
done to help it; starting at 3 or at 2 in the morning; resting to
breakfast in some shady place, while the sun is high, frugally
cooking under the shady woods,--"BURSCHEN ABZUKOCHEN here," as the
Order pleasantly bears. All encamped now, at Bunzlau in Silesia, on
Thursday evening, with a very eminent week's work behind them.
"In the last five days, above 100 miles of road, and such road;
five considerable rivers in it"--Bober, Queiss, Neisse, Spree,
Elbe; and with such a wagon-train of 2,000 teams. [Tempelhof, iv.
123-150.]
Proper that we rest a day here; in view of the still swifter
marchings and sudden dashings about, which lie ahead. It will be by
extremely nimble use of all the limbs we have,--hands as well as
feet,--if any good is to come of us now! Friedrich is aware that
Daun already holds Striegau "as an outpost [Loudon thereabouts,
unknown to Friedrich], these several days;" and that Daun
personally is at Schmottseifen, in our own old Camp there, twenty
or thirty miles to south of us, and has his Lacy to leftward of
him, partly even to rearward: rather in advance of US, both of
them,--if we were for Landshut; which we are not. "Be swift enough,
may not we cut through to Jauer, and get ahead of Daun?" counts
Friedrich: "To Jauer, southeast of us, from Bunzlau here, is 40
miles; and to Jauer it is above 30 east for Daun: possible to be
there before Daun! Jauer ours, thence to the Heights of Striegau
and Hohenfriedberg Country, within wind of Schweidnitz, of Breslau:
magazines, union with Prince Henri, all secure thereby?" So reckons
the sanguine Friedrich; unaware that Loudon, with his corps of
35,000, has been summoned hitherward; which will make important
differences! Loudon, Beck with a smaller Satellite Corps, both
these, unknown to Friedrich, lie ready on the east of him:
Loudon's Army on the east; Daun's, Lacy's on the south and west;
three big Armies, with their Satellites, gathering in upon this
King: here is a Three-headed Dog, in the Tartarus of a world he now
has! On the fourth side of him is Oder, and the Russians, who are
also perhaps building Bridges, by way of a supplementary or
fourth head.
AUGUST 9th (BUNZLAU TO GOLDBERG), Friedrich, with his Three Columns
and perfect arrangements, makes a long march: from Bunzlau at 3 in
the morning; and at 5 afternoon arrives in sight of the Katzbach
Valley, with the little Town of Goldberg some miles to right.
Katzbach River is here; and Jauer, for to-morrow, still fifteen
miles ahead. But on reconnoitring here, all is locked and bolted:
Lacy strong on the Hills of Goldberg; Daun visible across the
Katzbach; Daun, and behind him Loudon, inexpugnably posted:
Jauer an impossibility! We have bread only for eight days;
our Magazines are at Schweidnitz and Breslau: what is to be done?
Get through, one way or other, we needs must! Friedrich encamps for
the night; expecting an attack. If not attacked, he will make for
Liegnitz leftward; cross the Katzbach there, or farther down at
Parchwitz:--Parchwitz, Neumarkt, LEUTHEN, we have been in that
country before now:--Courage!
AUGUST 10th-11th (TO LIEGNITZ AND BACK). At 5 A.M., Sunday, August
10th, Friedrich, nothing of attack having come, got on march again:
down his own left bank of the Katzbach, straight for Liegnitz;
unopposed altogether; not even a Pandour having attacked him
overnight. But no sooner is he under way, than Daun too rises;
Daun, Loudon, close by, on the other side of Katzbach, and keep
step with us, on our right; Lacy's light people hovering on our
rear:--three truculent fellows in buckram; fancy the feelings of
the way-worn solitary fourth, whom they are gloomily dogging in
this way! The solitary fourth does his fifteen miles to Liegnitz,
unmolested by them; encamps on the Heights which look down on
Liegnitz over the south; finds, however, that the Loudon-Daun
people have likewise been diligent; that they now lie stretched out
on their right bank, three or four miles up-stream or to rearward,
and what is far worse, seven miles downwards, or ahead: that, in
fact, they are a march nearer Parchwitz than he;--and that there is
again no possibility. "Perhaps by Jauer, then, still? Out of this,
and at lowest, into some vicinity of bread, it does behoove us to
be!" At 11 that night Friedrich gets on march again; returns the
way he came. And,
AUGUST 11th, At daybreak, is back to his old ground; nothing now to
oppose him but Lacy, who is gone across from Goldberg, to linger as
rear of the Daun-Loudon march. Friedrich steps across on Lacy,
thirsting to have a stroke at Lacy; who vanishes fast enough,
leaving the ground clear. Could but our baggage have come as fast
as we! But our baggage, Quintus guarding and urging, has to groan
on for five hours yet; and without it, there is no stirring.
Five mortal hours;--by which time, Daun, Lacy, Loudon are all up
again; between us and Jauer, between us and everything helpful;--
and Friedrich has to encamp in Seichau,--"a very poor Village in
the Mountains," writes Mitchell, who was painfully present there,
"surrounded on all sides by Heights; on several of which, in the
evening, the Austrians took camp, separated from us by a deep
ravine only." [Mitchell, ii. 194.]
Outlooks are growing very questionable to Mitchell and everybody.
"Only four days' provisions" (in reality six), whisper the Prussian
Generals gloomily to Mitchell and to one another: "Shall we have to
make for Glogau, then, and leave Breslau to its fate? Or perhaps it
will be a second Maxen to his Majesty and us, who was so indignant
with poor Finck?" My friends, no; a Maxen like Finck's it will
never be: a very different Maxen, if any! But we hope
better things.
Friedrich's situation, grasped in the Three-lipped Pincers in this
manner, is conceivable to readers. Soltikof, on the other side of
Oder, as supplementary or fourth lip, is very impatient with these
three. "Why all this dodging, and fidgeting to and fro? You are
above three to one of your enemy. Why don't you close on him at
once, if you mean it at all? The end is, He will be across Oder;
and it is I that shall have the brunt to bear: Henri and he will
enclose me between two fires!" And in fact, Henri, as we know,
though Friedrich does not or only half does, has gone across Oder,
to watch Soltikof, and guard Breslau from any attempts of his,--
which are far from HIS thoughts at this moment;--a Soltikof fuming
violently at the thought of such cunctations, and of being made
cat's-paw again. "Know, however, that I understand you," violently
fumes Soltikof, "and that I won't. I fall back into the Trebnitz
Bog-Country, on my own right bank here, and look out for my own
safety."--"Patience, your noble Excellenz," answer they always;
"oh, patience yet a little! Only yesterday (Sunday, 10th) the day
after his arrival in this region), we had decided to attack and
crush him; Sunday very early: [Tempelhof, iv. 137, 148-150.] but he
skipped away to Liegnitz. Oh, be patient yet a day or two: he skips
about at such a rate!" Montalembert has to be suasive as the Muses
and the Sirens. Soltikof gloomily consents to another day or two.
And even, such his anxiety lest this swift King skip over upon HIM,
pushes out a considerable Russian Division, 24,000 ultimately,
under Czernichef, towards the King's side of things, towards Auras
on Oder, namely,--there to watch for oneself these interesting
Royal movements; or even to join with Loudon out there, if that
seem the safer course, against them. Of Czernichef at Auras we
shall hear farther on,--were these Royal movements once got
completed a little.
MORNING OF AUGUST 12th, Friedrich has, in his bad lodging at
Seichau, laid a new plan of route: "Towards Schweidnitz let it be;
round by Pombsen and the southeast, by the Hill-roads, make a sweep
flankward of the enemy!"--and has people out reconnoitring the
Hill-roads. Hears, however, about 8 o'clock, That Austrians in
strength are coming between us and Goldberg! "Intending to enclose
us in this bad pot of a Seichau; no crossing of the Katzbach, or
other retreat to be left us at all?" Friedrich strikes his tents;
ranks himself; is speedily in readiness for dispute of such
extremity;--sends out new patrols, however, to ascertain.
"Austrians in strength" there are NOT on the side indicated;--
whereupon he draws in again. But, on the other hand, the Hill-roads
are reported absolutely impassable for baggage; Pombsen an
impossibility, as the other places have been. So Friedrich sits
down again in Seichau to consider; does not stir all day.
To Mitchell's horror, who, "with great labor," burns all the
legationary ciphers and papers ("impossible to save the baggage if
we be attacked in this hollow pot of a camp"), and feels much
relieved on finishing. [Mitchell, ii. 144; Tempelhof, iv. 144.]
Towards sunset, General Bulow, with the Second Line (second column
of march), is sent out Goldberg-way, to take hold of the passage of
the Katzbach: and at 8 that night we all march, recrossing there
about 1 in the morning; thence down our left bank to Liegnitz for
the second time,--sixteen hours of it in all, or till noon of the
13th. Mitchell had been put with the Cavalry part; and "cannot but
observe to your Lordship what a chief comfort it was in this long,
dangerous and painful March," to have burnt one's ciphers and dread
secrets quite out of the way.
And thus, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13th, about noon, we are in our old
Camp; Head-quarter in the southern suburb of Liegnitz (a wretched
little Tavern, which they still show there, on mythical terms):
main part of the Camp, I should think, is on that range of Heights,
which reaches two miles southward, and is now called "SIEGESBERG
(Victory Hill)," from a modern Monument built on it, after nearly
100 years. Here Friedrich stays one day,--more exactly, 30 hours;--
and his shifting, next time, is extremely memorable.
BATTLE, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF LIEGNITZ, DOES ENSUE
(Friday morning, 15th August, 1760).
Daun, Lacy and Loudon, the Three-lipped Pincers, have of course
followed, and are again agape for Friedrich, all in scientific
postures: Daun in the Jauer region, seven or eight miles south;
Lacy about Goldberg, as far to southwest; Loudon "between
Jeschkendorf and Koischwitz," northeastward, somewhat closer on
Friedrich, with the Katzbach intervening. That Czernichef, with an
additional 24,000, to rear of Loudon, is actually crossing Oder at
Auras, with an eye to junction, Friedrich does not hear till
to-morrow. [Tempelhof, iv. 148-151; Mitchell, ii. 197.]
The scene is rather pretty, if one admired scenes. Liegnitz, a
square, handsome, brick-built Town, of old standing, in good repair
(population then, say 7,000), with fine old castellated edifices
and aspects: pleasant meeting, in level circumstances, of the
Katzbach valley with the Schwartz-wasser (BLACK-WATER) ditto, which
forms the north rim of Liegnitz; pleasant mixture of green poplars
and brick towers,--as seen from that "Victory Hill" (more likely to
be "Immediate-Ruin Hill!") where the King now is. Beyond Liegnitz
and the Schwartzwasser, northwestward, right opposite to the
King's, rise other Heights called of Pfaffendorf, which guard the
two streams AFTER their uniting. Kloster Wahlstatt, a famed place,
lies visible to southeast, few miles off. Readers recollect one
Blucher "Prince of Wahlstatt," so named from one of his Anti-
Napoleon victories gained there? Wahlstatt was the scene of an
older Fight, almost six centuries older, [April 9th, 1241 (Kohler,
REICHS-HISTORIE).]--a then Prince of Liegnitz VERSUS hideous Tartar
multitudes, who rather beat him; and has been a CLOISTER Wahlstatt
ever since. Till Thursday, 14th, about 8 in the evening, Friedrich
continued in his Camp of Liegnitz. We are now within reach of a
notable Passage of War.
Friedrich's Camp extends from the Village of Schimmelwitz, fronting
the Katzbach for about two miles, northeastward, to his Head-
quarter in Liegnitz Suburb: Daun is on his right and rearward, now
come within four or five miles; Loudon to his left and frontward,
four or five, the Katzbach separating Friedrich and him; Lacy lies
from Goldberg northeastward, to within perhaps a like distance
rearward: that is the position on Thursday, 14th. Provisions being
all but run out; and three Armies, 90,000 (not to count Czernichef
and his 24,000 as a fourth) watching round our 30,000, within a few
miles; there is no staying here, beyond this day. If even this day
it be allowed us? This day, Friedrich had to draw out, and stand to
arms for some hours; while the Austrians appeared extensively on
the Heights about, apparently intending an attack; till it proved
to be nothing: only an elaborate reconnoitring by Daun; and we
returned to our tents again.
Friedrich understands well enough that Daun, with the facts now
before him, will gradually form his plan, and also, from the lie of
matters, what his plan will be: many are the times Daun has
elaborately reconnoitred, elaborately laid his plan; but found, on
coming to execute, that his Friedrich was off in the interim, and
the plan gone to air. Friedrich has about 2,000 wagons to drag with
him in these swift marches: Glogau Magazine, his one resource,
should Breslau and Schweidnitz prove unattainable, is forty-five
long miles northwestward. "Let us lean upon Glogau withal," thinks
Friedrich; "and let us be out of this straightway! March to-night;
towards Parchwitz, which is towards Glogau too. Army rest till
daybreak on the Heights of Pfaffendorf yonder, to examine, to wait
its luck: let the empty meal-wagons jingle on to Glogau;
load themselves there, and jingle back to us in Parchwitz
neighborhood, should Parchwitz not have proved impossible to our
manoeuvrings,--let us hope it may not!"--Daun and the Austrians
having ceased reconnoitring, and gone home, Friedrich rides with
his Generals, through Liegnitz, across the Schwartzwasser, to the
Pfaffendorf Heights. "Here, Messieurs, is our first halting-place
to be: here we shall halt till daybreak, while the meal-wagons
jingle on!" And explains to them orally where each is to take post,
and how to behave. Which done, he too returns home, no doubt a
wearied individual; and at 4 of the afternoon lies down to try for
an hour or two of sleep, while all hands are busy packing,
according to the Orders given.
It is a fact recorded by Friedrich himself, and by many other
people, That, at this interesting juncture, there appeared at the
King's Gate, King hardly yet asleep, a staggering Austrian Officer,
Irish by nation, who had suddenly found good to desert the Austrian
Service for the Prussian--("Sorrow on them: a pack of"--what shall
I say?)--Irish gentleman, bursting with intelligence of some kind,
but evidently deep in liquor withal. "Impossible; the King is
asleep," said the Adjutant on duty; but produced only louder
insistence from the drunk Irish gentleman. "As much as all your
heads are worth; the King's own safety, and not a moment to lose!"
What is to be done? They awaken the King: "The man is drunk, but
dreadfully in earnest, your Majesty." "Give him quantities of weak
tea [Tempelhof calls it tea, but Friedrich merely warm water];
then examine him, and report if it is anything." Something it was:
"Your Majesty to be attacked, for certain, this night!" what his
Majesty already guessed:--something, most likely little; but nobody
to this day knows. Visible only, that his Majesty, before sunset,
rode out reconnoitring with this questionable Irish gentleman, now
in a very flaccid state; and altered nothing whatever in prior
arrangements;--and that the flaccid Irish gentleman staggers out of
sight, into dusk, into rest and darkness, after this one appearance
on the stage of history. [ OEuvres de Frederic,
v. 63; Tempelhof, iv. 154.]
From about 8 in the evening, Friedrich's people got on march, in
their several columns, and fared punctually on; one column through
the streets of Liegnitz, others to left and to right of that;
to left mainly, as remoter from the Austrians and their listening
outposts from beyond the Katzbach River;--where the camp-fires are
burning extremely distinct to-night. The Prussian camp-fires, they
too are all burning uncommonly vivid; country people employed to
feed them; and a few hussar sentries and drummers to make the
customary sounds for Daun's instruction, till a certain hour.
Friedrich's people are clearing the North Suburb of Liegnitz,
crossing the Schwartzwasser: artillery and heavy wagons all go by
the Stone-Bridge at Topferberg (POTTER-HILL) there; the lighter
people by a few pontoons farther down that stream, in the
Pfaffendorf vicinity. About one in the morning, all, even the right
wing from Schimmelwitz, are safely across.
Schwartzwasser, a River of many tails (boggy most of them, Sohnelle
or SWIFT Deichsel hardly an exception), gathering itself from the
southward for twenty or more miles, attains its maximum of north at
a place called Waldau, not far northwest of Topferberg. Towards
this Waldau, Lacy is aiming all night; thence to pounce on our
"left wing,"--which he will find to consist of those empty watch-
fires merely. Down from Waldau, past Topferberg and Pfaffendorf
(PRIEST-town, or as we should call it, "Preston"), which are all on
its northern or left bank, Schwartzwasser's course is in the form
of an irregular horse-shoe; high ground to its northern side,
Liegnitz and hollows to its southern; till in an angular way it do
join Katzbach, and go with that, northward for Oder the rest of its
course. On the brow of these horse-shoe Heights,--which run
parallel to Schwartzwasser one part of them, and nearly parallel to
Katzbach another (though above a mile distant, these latter, from
IT),--Friedrich plants himself: in Order of Battle;
slightly altering some points of the afternoon's program, and
correcting his Generals, "Front rather so and so; see where their
fires are, yonder!" Daun's fires, Loudon's fires; vividly visible
both:--and, singular to say, there is nothing yonder either but a
few sentries and deceptive drums! All empty yonder too, even as our
own Camp is; all gone forth, even as we are; we resting here, and
our meal-wagons jingling on Glogau way!
Excellency Mitchell, under horse-escort, among the lighter baggage,
is on Kuchelberg Heath, in scrubby country, but well north behind
Friedrich's centre: has had a dreadful march; one comfort only,
that his ciphers are all burnt. The rest of us lie down on the
grass;--among others, young Herr von Archenholtz, ensign or
lieutenant in Regiment FORCADE: who testifies that it is one of the
beautifulest nights, the lamps of Heaven shining down in an
uncommonly tranquil manner; and that almost nobody slept.
The soldier-ranks all lay horizontal, musket under arm;
chatting pleasantly in an undertone, or each in silence revolving
such thoughts as he had. The Generals amble like observant spirits,
hoarsely imperative. [Archenholtz, ii. 100-111.] Friedrich's line,
we observed, is in the horse-shoe shape (or PARABOLIC, straighter
than horse-shoe), fronting the waters. Ziethen commands in that
smaller Schwartzwasser part of the line, Friedrich in the Katzbach
part, which is more in risk. And now, things being moderately in
order, Friedrich has himself sat down--I think, towards the middle
or convex part of his lines--by a watch-fire he has found there;
and, wrapt in his cloak, his many thoughts melting into haze, has
sunk ito a kind of sleep. Seated on a drum, some say; half asleep
by the watch-fire, time half-past 2,--when a Hussar Major, who has
been out by the Bienowitz, the Pohlschildern way, northward,
reconnoitring, comes dashing up full speed: "The King? where is the
King?" "What is it, then?" answers the King for himself.
"Your Majesty, the Enemy in force, from Bienowitz, from
Pohlschildern, coming on our Left Wing yonder; has flung back all
my vedettes: is within 500 yards by this time!"
Friedrich springs to horse; has already an Order speeding forth,
"General Schenkendorf and his Battalion, their cannon, to the crown
of the Wolfsberg, on our left yonder; swift!" How excellent that
every battalion (as by Order that we read) "has its own share of
the heavy cannon always at hand!" ejaculate the military critics.
Schenkendorf, being nimble, was able to astonish the Enemy with
volumes of case-shot from the Wolfsberg, which were very deadly at
that close distance. Other arrangements, too minute for recital
here, are rapidly done; and our Left Wing is in condition to
receive its early visitors,--Loudon or whoever they may be. It is
still dubious to the History-Books whether Friedrich was in clear
expectation of Loudon here; though of course he would now guess it
was Loudon. But there is no doubt Loudon had not the least
expectation of Friedrich; and his surprise must have been intense,
when, instead of vacant darkness (and some chance of Prussian
baggage, which he had heard of), Prussian musketries and case-shot
opened on him.
Loudon had, as per order, quitted his Camp at Jeschkendorf, about
the time Friedrich did his at Schimmelwitz; and, leaving the lights
all burning, had set forward on his errand; which was (also
identical with Friedrich's), to seize the Heights of Pfaffendorf,
and be ready there when day broke. scouts having informed him that
the Prussian Baggage was certainly gone through to Topferberg,--
more his scouts did not know, nor could Loudon guess,--"We will
snatch that Baggage!" thought Loudon; and with such view has been
speeding all he could; no vanguard ahead, lest he alarm the Baggage
escort: Loudon in person, with the Infantry of the Reserve,
striding on ahead, to devour any Baggage-escort there may be.
Friedrich's reconnoitring Hussar parties had confirmed this belief:
"Yes, yes!" thought Loudon. And now suddenly, instead of Baggage to
capture, here, out of the vacant darkness, is Friedrich in person,
on the brow of the Heights where we intended to form!--
Loudon's behavior, on being hurled back with his Reserve in this
manner, everybody says, was magnificent. Judging at once what the
business was, and that retreat would be impossible without ruin, he
hastened instantly to form himself, on such ground as he had,--
highly unfavorable ground, uphill in part, and room in it only for
Five Battalions (5,000) of front;--and came on again, with a great
deal of impetuosity and good skill; again and ever again, three
times in all. Had partial successes; edged always to the right to
get the flank of Friedrich; but could not, Friedrich edging
conformably. From his right-hand, or northeast part, Loudon poured
in, once and again, very furious charges of Cavalry; on every
repulse, drew out new Battalions from his left and centre, and
again stormed forward: but found it always impossible. Had his
subordinates all been Loudons, it is said, there was once a fine
chance for him. By this edging always to the northeastward on his
part and Friedrich's, there had at last a considerable gap in
Friedrich's Line established itself,--not only Ziethen's Line and
Friedrich's Line now fairly fallen asunder, but, at the Village of
Panten, in Friedrich's own Line, a gap where anybody might get in.
One of the Austrian Columns was just entering Panten when the Fight
began: in Panten that Column has stood cogitative ever since;
well to left of Loudon and his struggles; but does not, till the
eleventh hour, resolve to push through. At the eleventh hour;--and
lo, in the nick of time, Mollendorf (our Leuthen-and-Hochkirch
friend) got his eye on it; rushed up with infantry and cavalry;
set Panten on fire, and blocked out that possibility and the too
cogitative Column.
Loudon had no other real chance: his furious horse-charges and
attempts were met everywhere by corresponding counter-fury.
Bernburg, poor Regiment Bernburg, see what a figure it is making!
Left almost alone, at one time, among those horse-charges;
spending its blood like water, bayonet-charging, platooning as
never before; and on the whole, stemming invincibly that horse-
torrent,--not unseen by Majesty, it may be hoped; who is here where
the hottest pinch is. On the third repulse, which was worse than
any before, Loudon found he had enough; and tried it no farther.
Rolled over the Katzbach, better or worse; Prussians catching 6,000
of him, but not following farther: threw up a tine battery at
Bienowitz, which sheltered his retreat from horse:--and went his
ways, sorely but not dishonorably beaten, after an hour and half of
uncommonly stiff fighting, which had been very murderous to Loudon.
Loss of 10,000 to him: 4,000 killed and wounded; prisoners 6,000;
82 cannon, 28 flags, and other items; the Prussian loss being 1,800
in whole. [Tempelhof, iv. 159.] By 5 o'clock, the Battle, this
Loudon part of it, was quite over; Loudon (35,000) wrecking himself
against Friedrich's Left Wing (say half of his Army, some 15,000)
in such conclusive manner. Friedrich's Left Wing alone has been
engaged hitherto. And now it will be Ziethen's turn, if Daun and
Lacy still come on.
By 11 last night, Daun's Pandours, creeping stealthily on, across
the Katzbach, about Schimmelwitz, had discerned with amazement that
Friedrich's Camp appeared to consist only of watch-fires; and had
shot off their speediest rider to Daun, accordingly; but it was one
in the morning before Daun, busy marching and marshalling, to be
ready at the Katzbach by daylight, heard of this strange news;
which probably he could not entirely believe till seen with his own
eyes. What a spectacle! One's beautiful Plan exploded into mere
imbroglio of distraction; become one knows not what! Daun's watch-
fires too had all been left burning; universal stratagem, on both
sides, going on; producing--tragically for some of us--a TRAGEDY of
Errors, or the Mistakes of a Night! Daun sallied out again, in his
collapsed, upset condition, as soon as possible: pushed on, in the
track of Friedrich; warning Lacy to push on. Daun, though within
five miles all the while, had heard nothing of the furious Fight
and cannonade; "southwest wind having risen," so Daun said, and is
believed by candid persons,--not by the angry Vienna people, who
counted it impossible: "Nonsense; you were not deaf; but you
loitered and haggled, in your usual way; perhaps not sorry that,
the brilliant Loudon should get a rebuff!"
Emerging out of Liegnitz, Daun did see, to northeastward, a vast
pillar or mass of smoke, silently mounting, but could do nothing
with it. "Cannon-smoke, no doubt; but fallen entirely silent, and
not wending hitherward at all. Poor Loudon, alas, must have got
beaten!" Upon which Daun really did try, at least upon Ziethen;
but could do nothing. Poured cavalry across the Stone-bridge at the
Topferberg: who drove in Ziethen's picket there; but were torn to
pieces by Ziethen's cannon. Ziethen across the Schwartzwasser is
alert enough. How form in order of battle here, with Ziethen's
batteries shearing your columns longitudinally, as they march up?
Daun recognizes the impossibility; wends back through Liegnitz to
his Camp again, the way he had come. Tide-hour missed again;
ebb going uncommonly rapid! Lacy had been about Waldau, to try
farther up the Schwartzwasser on Ziethen's right: but the
Schwartzwasser proved amazingly boggy; not accessible on any point
to heavy people,--"owing to bogs on the bank," with perhaps poor
prospect on the other side too!
And, in fact, nothing of Lacy more than of Daun, could manage to
get across: nothing except two poor Hussar regiments; who, winding
up far to the left, attempted a snatch on the Baggage about
Hummeln,--Hummeln, or Kuchel of the Scrubs. And gave a new alarm to
Mitchell, the last of several during this horrid night; who has sat
painfully blocked in his carriage, with such a Devil's tumult,
going on to eastward, and no sight, share or knowledge to be had of
it. Repeated hussar attacks there were on the Baggage here,
Loudon's hussars also trying: but Mitchell's Captain was
miraculously equal to the occasion; and had beaten them all off.
Mitchell, by magnanimous choice of his own, has been in many Fights
by the side of Friedrich; but this is the last he will ever be in
or near;--this miraculous one of Liegnitz, 3 to 4.30 A.M., Friday,
August 15th, 1760.
Never did such a luck befall Friedrich before or after. He was
clinging on the edge of slippery abysses, his path hardly a foot's-
breadth, mere enemies and avalanches hanging round on every side:
ruin likelier at no moment, of his life;--and here is precisely the
quasi-miracle which was needed to save him. Partly by accident too;
the best of management crowned by the luckiest of accidents.
[Tempelhof, iv. 151-171; Archenholtz, ubi supra; HO BERICHT VON DER
SCHLACHT SO AM 15 AUGUST, 1760, BEY LIEGNITZ, VORGEFALLEN
(Seyfarth, Beylagen, ii. 696-703); &c. &c.]
Friedrich rested four hours on the Battle-field,--if that could be
called rest, which was a new kind of diligence highly wonderful.
Diligence of gathering up accurately the results of the Battle;
packing them into portable shape; and marching off with them in
one's pocket, so to speak. Major-General Saldern had charge of
this, a man of many talents; and did it consummately. The wounded,
Austrian as well as Prussian, are placed in the empty meal-wagons;
the more slightly wounded are set on horseback, double in possible
cases: only the dead are left lying: 100 or more meal-wagons are
left, their teams needed for drawing our 82 new cannon;--the wagons
we split up, no Austrians to have them; usable only as firewood for
the poor Country-folk. The 4 or 5,000 good muskets lying on the
field, shall not we take them also? Each cavalry soldier slings one
of them across his back, each baggage driver one: and the muskets
too are taken care of. About 9 A.M., Friedrich, with his 6,000
prisoners, new cannon-teams, sick-wagon teams, trophies,
properties, is afoot again. One of the succinctest of Kings.
I should have mentioned the joy of poor Regiment Bernburg;
which rather affected me. Loudon gone, the miracle of Battle done,
and this miraculous packing going on,--Friedrich riding about among
his people, passed along the front of Bernburg, the eye of him
perhaps intimating, "I saw you, BURSCHE;" but no word coming from
him. The Bernburg Officers, tragically tressless in their hats,
stand also silent, grim as blackened stones (all Bernburg black
with gunpowder): "In us also is no word; unless our actions perhaps
speak?" But a certain Sergeant, Fugleman, or chief Corporal, stept
out, saluting reverentially: "Regiment Bernburg, IHRO MAJESTAT--?"
"Hm; well, you did handsomely. Yes, you shall have your side-arms
back; all shall be forgotten and washed out!" "And you are again
our Gracious King, then?" says the Sergeant, with tears in his
eyes.--"GEWISS, Yea, surely!" [Tempelhof, iv. 162-164.] Upon which,
fancy what a peal of sound from the ecstatic throat and heart of
this poor Regiment. Which I have often thought of; hearing mutinous
blockheads,"glorious Sons of Freedom" to their own thinking, ask
their natural commanding Officer, "Are not we as good as thou? Are
not all men equal?" Not a whit of it, you mutinous blockheads;
very far from it indeed!
This was the breaking of Friedrich's imprisonment in the deadly
rock-labyrinths; this success at Liegnitz delivered him into free
field once more. For twenty-four hours more, indeed, the chance was
still full of anxiety to him; for twenty-four hours Daun, could he
have been rapid, still had the possibilities in hand;--but only
Daun's Antagonist was usually rapid. About 9 in the morning, all
road-ready, this latter Gentleman "gave three Salvos, as Joy-fire,
on the field of Liegnitz;" and, in the above succinct shape,--
leaving Ziethen to come on, "with the prisoners, the sick-wagons
and captured cannon," in the afternoon,--marched rapidly away.
For Parchwitz, with our best speed: Parchwitz is the road to
Breslau, also to Glogau,--to Breslau, if it be humanly possible!
Friedrich has but two days' bread left; on the Breslau road, at
Auras, there is Czernichef with 24,000; there are, or there may be,
the Loudon Remnants rallied again, the Lacy Corps untouched, all
Daun's Force, had Daun made any despatch at all. Which Daun seldom
did. A man slow to resolve, and seeking his luck in leisure.
All judges say, Daun ought now to have marched, on this enterprise
of still intercepting Friedrich, without loss of a moment. But he
calculated Friedrich would probably spend the day in TE-DEUM-ing on
the Field (as is the manner of some); and that, by to-morrow,
things would be clearer to one's own mind. Daun was in no haste;
gave no orders,--did not so much as send Czernichef a Letter.
Czernichef got one, however. Friedrich sent him one; that is to
say, sent him one TO INTERCEPT. Friedrich, namely, writes a Note
addressed to his Brother Henri: "Austrians totally beaten this day;
now for the Russians, dear Brother; and swift, do what we have
agreed on!" [ OEuvres de Frederic, v. 67.]
Friedrich hands this to a Peasant, with instructions to let himself
be taken by the Russians, and give it up to save his life.
Czernichef, it is thought, got this Letter; and perhaps rumor
itself, and the delays of Daun, would, at any rate, have sent him
across. Across he at once went, with his 24,000, and burnt his
Bridge. A vanished Czernichef;--though Friedrich is not yet sure of
it: and as for the wandering Austrian Divisions, the Loudons,
Lacys, all is dark to him.
So that, at Parchwitz, next morning (August 16th), the question,
"To Glogau? To Breslau?" must have been a kind of sphinx-enigma to
Friedrich; dark as that, and, in case of error, fatal. After some
brief paroxysm of consideration, Friedrich's reading was, "To
Breslau, then!" And, for hours, as the march went on, he was
noticed "riding much about," his anxieties visibly great. Till at
Neumarkt (not far from the Field of LEUTHEN), getting on the
Heights there,--towards noon, I will guess,--what a sight!
Before this, he had come upon Austrian Out-parties, Beck's or
somebody's, who did not wait his attack: he saw, at one point, "the
whole Austrian Army on march (the tops of its columns visible among
the knolls, three miles off, impossible to say whitherward);"
and fared on all the faster, I suppose, such a bet depending;--and,
in fine, galloped to the Heights of Neumarkt for a view: "Dare we
believe it? Not an Austrian there!" And might be, for the moment,
the gladdest of Kings. Secure now of Breslau, of junction with
Henri: fairly winner of the bet;--and can at last pause, and take
breath, very needful to his poor Army, if not to himself, after
such a mortal spasm of sixteen days! Daun had taken the Liegnitz
accident without remark; usually a stoical man, especially in other
people's misfortunes; but could not conceal his painful
astonishment on this new occasion,--astonishment at unjust fortune,
or at his own sluggardly cunctations, is not said.
Next day (August 17th), Friedrich encamps at Hermannsdorf, head-
quarter the Schloss of Hermannsdorf, within seven miles of Breslau;
continues a fortnight there, resting his wearied people, himself
not resting much, watching the dismal miscellany of entanglements
that yet remain, how these will settle into groups,--especially
what Daun and his Soltikof will decide on. In about a fortnight,
Daun's decision did become visible; Soltikof's not in a fortnight,
nor ever clearly at all. Unless it were To keep a whole skin, and
gradually edge home to his victuals. As essentially it was, and
continued to be; creating endless negotiations, and futile
overtures and messagings from Daun to his barbarous Friend, endless
suasions and troubles from poor Montalembert,--of which it would
weary every reader to hear mention, except of the result only.
Friedrich, for his own part, is little elated with these bits of
successes at Liegnitz or since; and does not deceive himself as to
the difficulties, almost the impossibilities, that still lie ahead.
In answer to D'Argens, who has written ("at midnight," starting out
of bed "the instant the news came"), in zealous congratulation on
Liegnitz, here is a Letter of Friedrich's: well worth reading,--
though it has been oftener read than almost any other of his.
A Letter which D'Argens never saw in the original form; which was
captured by the Austrians or Cossacks; [See OEuvres de
Frederic, xix. 198 (D'Argens himself, "19th October"
following), and ib. 191 n.; Rodenbeck, ii. 31, 36;--mention of it
in Voltaire, Montalembert, &c.] which got copied everywhere, soon
stole into print, and is ever since extensively known.
FRIEDRICH TO MARQUIS D'ARGENS (at Berlin).
"HERMANNSDORF, near Breslau, 27th August, 1760.
"In other times, my dear Marquis, the Affair of the 15th would have
settled the Campaign; at present it is but a scratch. There will be
needed a great Battle to decide our fate: such, by all appearance,
we shall soon have; and then you may rejoice, if the event is
favorable to us. Thank you, meanwhile, for all your sympathy.
It has cost a deal of scheming, striving and much address to bring
matters to this point. Don't speak to me of dangers; the last
Action costs me only a Coat [torn, useless, only one skirt left, by
some rebounding cannon-ball?] and a Horse [shot under me]: that is
not paying dear for a victory.
"In my life, I was never in so bad a posture as in this Campaign.
Believe me, miracles are still needed if I am to overcome all the
difficulties which I still see ahead. And one is growing weak
withal. 'Herculean' labors to accomplish at an age when my powers
are forsaking me, my weaknesses increasing, and, to speak candidly,
even hope, the one comfort of the unhappy, begins to be wanting.
You are not enough acquainted with the posture of things, to know
all the dangers that threaten the State: I know them, and conceal
them; I keep all the fears to myself, and communicate to the Public
only the hopes, and the trifle of good news I may now and then
have. If the stroke I am meditating succeed [stroke on Daun's Anti-
Schweidnitz strategies, of which anon], then, my dear Marquis, it
will be time to expand one's joy; but till then let us not flatter
ourselves, lest some unexpected bit of bad news depress us
too much.
"I live here [Schloss of Hermannsdorf, a seven miles west of
Breslau] like a Military Monk of La Trappe: endless businesses, and
these done, a little consolation from my Books. I know not if I
shall outlive this War: but should it so happen, I am firmly
resolved to pass the remainder of my life in solitude, in the bosom
of Philosophy and Friendship. When the roads are surer, perhaps you
will write me oftener. I know not where our winter-quarters this
time are to be! My House in Breslau is burnt down in the
Bombardment [Loudon's, three weeks ago]. Our enemies grudge us
everything, even daylight, and air to breathe: some nook, however,
they must leave us; and if it be a safe one, it will be a true
pleasure to have you again with me.
"Well, my dear Marquis, what has become of the Peace with France
[English Peace]! Your Nation, you see, is blinder than you thought:
those fools will lose their Canada and Pondicherry, to please the
Queen of Hungary and the Czarina. Heaven grant Prince Ferdinand may
pay them for their zeal! And it will be the innocent that suffer,
the poor officers and soldiers, not the Choiseuls and--... But here
is business come on me. Adieu, dear Marquis; I embrace you.--F."
[ OEuvres de Frederic, xix. 191.]
Two Events, of opposite complexion, a Russian and a Saxon,
Friedrich had heard of while at Hermannsdorf, before writing as
above. The Saxon Event is the pleasant one, and comes first.
HULSEN ON THE DURRENBERG, AUGUST 20th. "August 20th, at Strehla, in
that Schlettau-Meissen Country, the Reichsfolk and Austrians made
attack on Hulsen's Posts, principal Post of them the Durrenberg
(DRY-HILL) there,--in a most extensive manner; filling the whole
region with vague artillery-thunder, and endless charges, here,
there, of foot and horse; which all issued in zero and minus
quantities; Hulsen standing beautifully to his work, and Hussar
Kleist especially, at one point, cutting in with masterly
execution, which proved general overthrow to the Reichs Project;
and left Hulsen master of the field and of his Durrenberg, PLUS
1,217 prisoners and one Prince among them, and one cannon: a Hulsen
who has actually given a kind of beating to the Reichsfolk and
Austrians, though they were 30,000 to his 10,000, and had counted
on making a new Maxen of it." [Archenholts, ii. 114; BERICHT VON
DER OM 20 AUGUST 1780 BEY STREHLA VORGEFALLONEN ACTION (Seyfarth,
Beylagen, ii. 703-719).] Friedrich writes a
glad laudatory Letter to Hulsen: "Right, so; give them more of that
when they apply next!" [Letter in SCHONING, ii. 396, "Hermsdorf"
(Hermannsdorf), "27th August, 1760."]
This is a bit of sunshine to the Royal mind, dark enough otherwise.
Had Friedrich got done here, right fast would he fly to the relief
of Hulsen, and recovery of Saxony. Hope, in good moments, says,
"Hulsen will be able to hold out till then!" Fear answers, "No, he
cannot, unless you get done here extremely soon!"--The Russian
Event, full of painful anxiety to Friedrich, was a new Siege of
Colberg. That is the sad fact; which, since the middle of August,
has been becoming visibly certain.
SECOND SIEGE OF COLBERG, AUGUST 26th. "Under siege again, that poor
Place; and this time the Russians seem to have made a vow that take
it they will. Siege by land and by sea; land-troops direct from
Petersburg, 15,000 in all (8,000 of them came by ship), with
endless artillery; and near 40 Russian and Swedish ships-of-war,
big and little, blackening the waters of poor Colberg. August 26th
[the day before Friedrich's writing as above], they have got all
things adjusted,--the land-troops covered by redoubts to rearward,
ships moored in their battering-places;--and begin such a
bombardment and firing of red-hot balls upon Colberg as was rarely
seen. To which, one can only hope old Heyde will set a face of
gray-steel character, as usual; and prove a difficult article to
deal with, till one get some relief contrived for him.
[Archenholtz, ii. 116: in Helden-Geschichte,
(vi.73-83), "TAGEBUCH of Siege, 26th August-18th September," and
other details.]