history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第23部分
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e besieged; within a week; Dresden itself is ours; if only YOU please! Come into the Lausitz with us; Magazines are there; loaves in abundance: Saxony done; Dresden ours; cannot we turn to Silesia together; besiege Glogau together (I am myself about trying Neisse; by Harsch again); capture Glogau as well as Neisse; and crown the successfulest campaign that ever was? Oh; Excellenz!'〃
In a word; Excellenz; strictly fixing that condition of the loaves; consents。 Will get ready to leave those Frankfurt Wine…Hills in about a week。 〃But the loaves; you recollect: no Bread; no Russian!〃 Daun returns to Triebel a victorious man;though with an onerous condition incumbent。 Tempelhof; minutely computing; finds that to cart from Bohemia such a cipher of human rations daily into these parts; will surpass all the vehiculatory power of Daun。 'Tempelhof; iii。 225。''
THE 〃REICHS ARMY〃 80 CALLED HAS ENTERED SAXONY; UNDER FINE OMENS; DOES SOME FEATS OF SIEGING (August 7th…23d); WITH AN EYE ON DRESDEN AS THE CROWNING ONE。
The Reichs Army; though it had been so tumbled about; in Spring; with such havoc on its magazines and preparations; could not wait to refit itself; except superficially; and showed face over the Mountains almost earlier than usual。 The chance was so unique: a Saxony left to its mere Garrisons;as it continued to be; for near two months this Year。 On such golden opportunity the Reichs Armyfirst; in light mischievous precursor parties; who roamed as far as Halle or even as Halberstadt; then the Army itself; well or ill appointed; under Generalissimo the Prince von Zweibruck;did come on; winding through Thuringen towards the Northwestern Towns; various Austrian Auxiliary…Corps making appearance on the Dresden side。 Eight Austrian regiments; as a permanency; are in the Reichs Army itself。 Commander; or part Commander; of the eight is (what alone I find noteworthy in them) 〃Herr General Thomas von Blonquet:〃 Irish by nation; says a foot…note; 'Seyfarth; ii。 831 n。'sure enough some adventurous 〃Thomas PLUNKET;〃 visible this once; soldiering; in those circumstances; never heard of by a sympathetic reader before or after。 It was while the King was hunting the Haddick…Loudon people in Sagan Country in such vehement fashion; that Zweibruck came trumpeting into Saxony;King; Prince Henri and everybody; well occupied otherwise; far away!
The Reichs Army has a camp at Naumburg (Rossbach neighborhood): and has light troops out in Halle neighborhood; which have seized Halle; are very severe upon Halle; and other places thereabouts; till chased away。 August 7th; the Reichs Army begirt Leipzig; summoned the weak garrison there。 It is a Town capable of ruin; but not of defence: 〃Free…withdrawal;〃 proposes the Reichs Army;and upon these terms gets hold of Leipzig; for the time being。 Leipzig; Torgau; Wittenberg; in a fortnight or less; all the Prussian posts in those parts fall to the Reichs Army。 Its marchings and siegings; among those Northwestern places; not one of them capable of standing above a few days' siege; are worth no mention; except to Parish History: enough that; by little after the middle of August; Zweibruck had got all these places; 〃Free… withdrawal〃 the terms for all; and that; except it be the following feature in their Siege of Torgau; feature mainly Biographic; and belonging to a certain Colonel Wolfersdorf concerned; there is not one of those Sieges now worth a moment's attention from almost any mortal。 This is the Torgau feature;feature of human nature; soldiering under difficulties:
COLONEL VON WOLFERSDORF BEAUTIFULLY DEFENDS HIMSELF IN TORGAU (August 9th…14th)。 Two days after Leipzig was had; there appeared at Torgau a Body of Pandours; 2;000 and more; who attempted some kind of scalade on Torgau and its small Garrison (of 700 or so); where are a Magazine; a Hospital and other properties: not capable; by any garrison; of standing regular siege; but important to defend till you have proper terms offered。 The multitudinous Pandours; if I remember; made a rush into the Suburbs; in their usual vociferous way; but were met by the 700 silent Prussians;silent except through their fire…arms and field…pieces;in so eloquent a style as soon convinced the Pandour mind; and sent it travelling again。 And in the evening of the same day (August 9th); Colonel Wolfersdorf arrives; as new Commandant; and with reinforcements; small though considerable in the circumstances。
Wolfersdorf; one dimly gathers; had marched from Wittenberg on this errand; the whole force in Torgau is now of about 3;000; still with only field…cannon; but with a Captain over them;who; as is evident; sets himself in a very earnest manner to do his utmost in defence of the place。 Next morning Reichs General Kleefeld (〃Cloverfield〃); with 6 or 8;000 Pandour and Regular; summons Wolfersdorf: 〃Surrender instantly; or!〃 〃We will expect you!〃 answers Wolfersdorf。 Whereupon; same morning (August 10th); general storm; storm No。 1: beautifully handled by Wolfersdorf; who takes it in rear (to its astonishment); as well as in front; and sends it off in haste。 On the morrow; Saturday; a second followed; and on Sunday a third; both likewise beautifully handled。 This third storm; readers see; was 〃Sunday; August 12th:〃 a very busy stormful day at Torgau here;and also; for some others of us; during the heats of Kunersdorf; over the horizon far away! Wolfersdorf tumbles back all storms; furthermore makes mischievous sallies: a destructive; skilled person; altogether prompt; fertile in expedients; and evidently is not to be managed by Kleefeld。 So that Prince von Stolberg; Second to supreme Zweibruck himself; has to take it in hand。 And;
MONDAY; 13th; at break of day; Stolberg arrives with a train of battering guns and 6;000 new people; summons Wolfersdorf: 〃No;〃 as before。 Storms him; a fourth time; likewise 〃No;〃 as before: attacks; thereupon; his Elbe Bridge; and his Redoubt across the River; finds a Wolfersdorf party rush destructive'y into his rear there。 And has to withdraw; and try battering from behind the Elbe Dam。 Continues this; violently for about two hours; till again Wolfersdorf; whose poor fieldpieces; the only artillery he has; 〃cannot reach so far with leaden balls〃 (the iron balls are done; and the powder itself is almost done); manages; by a flank attack; to quench this also。 Which produces entire silence; and considerable private reflection; on the part of indignant Stolberg。 Stolberg offers him the favorablest terms devisable: 〃Withdraw freely; with all your honors; all your properties; only withdraw!〃 Which Wolfersdorf; his powder and ball being in such a state of ebb; and no relief possible; agrees to; with stipulations very strict as to every particular。 'In Anonymous of Hamburg (iii。 350) the Capitulation; 〃August 14th。〃 given IN EXTENSO。'
COLONEL VON WOLFERSDORF WITHDRAWS; ALSO BEAUTIFULLY (August 15th)。 Accordingly; Wednesday; August 15th; at eight in the morning; Wolfersdorf by the Elbe Gate moves out; across Elbe Bridge; and the Redoubt which is on the farther shore yonder。 Near this Redoubt; Stolberg and many of his General Officers are waiting to see him go。 He goes in state; flags flying; music playing。 Battalion Hessen…Cassel; followed by all our Packages; Hospital convalescents; King's Artillery; and whatever is the King's or ours; marches first。 Next comes; as rear…guard to all this; Battalion Grollmann;along with which is Wolfersdorf himself; knowing Grollmann for a ticklish article (Saxons mainly); followed on the heel by Battalion Hofmann; and lastly by Battalion Salmuth; trusty Prussians both of these。
Battalion Hessen…Cassel and the Baggages are through the Redoubt; Prince of Stolberg handsomely saluting as saluted。 But now; on Battalion Grollmann's coming up; Stolberg's Adjutant cries out with a loud voice of proclamation; many Officers repeating and enforcing: 〃Whoever is a brave Saxon; whoever is true to his Kaiser; or was of the Reichs Army; let him step out: Durchlaucht will give him protection!〃 At sound of which Grollmann quivers as if struck by electricity; and instantly begins dissolving;dissolves; in effect; nearly all; and is in the act of vanishing like a dream! Wolfersdorf is a prompt man; and needs to be so。 Wolfersdorf; in Olympian rage; instantly stops short; draws pistol: 〃I will shoot dead every man that quits rank!〃 vociferates he; and does; with his pistol; make instant example of one; inviting every true Prussian to do the like: 〃Jagers; Hussars; a ducat for every traitor you shoot down!〃 continues Wolfersdorf (and punctually paid it afterwards): unable to prevent an almost total dissolution of Grollmann。 For some minutes; there is a scene indescribable: storm of vociferation; menace; musket…shot; pistol… shot; Grollmann disappearing on every side;〃behind the Redoubt; under the Bridge; into Elbe Boats; under the cloaks of the Croats;〃 in spite of Wolfersdorf's Olympian rages and efforts。
At sight of the shooting; Prince Stolberg; a hot man; had said indignantly; 〃Herr; that will be dangerous for you (DAS WIRD NICHT GUT GEHN)!〃 Wolfersdorf not regarding him a whit; regarding only Grollmann; and his own hot business of coercing it at a ducat per head。 Grollmann gone; and Battalion Hofmann in due sequence come up; Wolfersdorfwho has sent an Adjutant; with order; 〃Hessen… Cassel; HALT〃gives Battalion Hofmann these three words of command: 〃Whole Battalion; halt!Front!Make ready!〃 (with due simultaneous click of every firelock; on utterance of that last); and turning to Prince Stolberg; with a brow; with a tone of voice: 〃Durchlaucht; Article 9 of the Capitulation is express on this point; 'ALL DESERTION STRICTLY PROHIBITED; NO DESERTER TO BE RECEIVED EITHER ON THE IMPERIAL OR ON THE PRUSSIAN SIDE!' 'Durchlaucht silently gives; we suppose; some faint sniff。' Since your Durchlaucht does not keep the Capitulation; neither will I regard it farther。 I will now take you and your Suite prisoners; return into the Town; and again begin defending myself。 Be so good as ride directly into that Redoubt; or I will present; and give fire!〃
A dangerous moment for the Durchlaucht of Stolberg; Battalion Salmuth actually taking possession of the wall again; Hofmann here with its poised firelock on the cock; 〃re