八喜电子书 > 经管其他电子书 > history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19 >

第31部分

history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第31部分

小说: history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



 love of Peace; but one has to take the tone of one's position。 This is all I can tell you at present。 In three or four weeks the ways of correspondence will be freer。F。〃 ' OEuvres de Frederic;  xxiii。 60; 61。'

No。 4。 TO PRINCE FERDINAND。 Two days later: has got on foot again; end of his first march upon Soltikof again:

〃BAUNAU; 24th September; 1759。

〃Thank you for the news you send of the wounded Officers;〃 Wurtemberg; Seidlitz and the others。 〃You may well suppose that in the pass things are at; I am not without cares; inquietudes; anxieties; it is the frightfulest crisis I have had in my life。 This is the moment for dying unless one conquer。 Daun and my Brother Henri are marching side by side 'not exactly!'。 It is possible enough all these Armies may assemble hereabouts; and that a general Battle may decide our fortune and the Peace。 Take care of your health; dear Brother。F。〃 ' OEuvres de Frederic;  xxvi。 545。'

Baunau is on Silesian ground; as indeed Sagan itself is; at Baunau Friedrich already; just on arriving; has done a fine move on Soltikof; and surprisingly flung the toll…gate in Soltikof's face。 As we shall see by and by;and likewise that Prince Henri; who emerges to…morrow morning (September 25th); has not been 〃marching side by side with Daun;〃 but at a pretty distance from that gentleman!

Soltikof is a man of his word; otherwise one suspects he already saw his Siege of Glogau to be impossible。 Russians are not very skilful at the War…minuet: fancy what it will be dancing to such a partner! Friedrich; finding they are for Glogau; whisks across the Oder; gets there before them: 〃No Glogau for you!〃 They stand agape for some time; then think 〃Well then Breslau!〃 Friedrich again whisks across from them; farther up; and is again ahead of them when they cross: 〃No Breslau either!〃 In effect; it is hopeless; and we may leave the two manoeuvring in those waste parts; astride of Oder; or on the eastern bank of it; till a fitter opportunity; and attend to Henri; who is now the article in risk。

Zweibruck's report of himself; on that day of the general Colloquy; was not in the way of complaint; like that of the Russians; though there did remain difficulties。 〃Dresden gloriously ours; Maguire Governor there; and everything secure; upon my honor。 But in the northwest part; those Fincks and Wunsches; Excellenz?〃 And the actual truth is; Wunsch has taken Leipzig; day before yesterday (September 13th); as Daun sorrowfully knows; by news come in overnight。 And six days hence (September 21st); Finck and Wunsch together will do their 〃ACTION OF KORBITZ;〃 and be sending Haddick a bad road! These things Zweibruck knows only in part; but past experience gives him ominous presentiment; as it may well do; and he thinks decidedly: 〃Excellenz; more Austrian troops are indispensable there; in fact; your Excellenz's self; were that possible; which one feels it is not; in the presence of these Russians!〃

Russians and Reichsfolk; these are a pair of thumbscrews on both thumbs of Daun; screwing the cunctation out of him; painfully intimating: 〃Get rid of this Prince Henri; you must; you must!〃 And; in the course of the next eight days Daun has actually girt himself to this great enterprise。 Goaded on; I could guess; by the 〃Action of Korbitz 〃 (done on Friday; thirty hours ago); the news of which; and that Haddick; instead of extinguishing Finck; is retreating from him upon Dresden;what a piece of news! thinks Daun: 〃You; Zweibruck; Haddick; Maguire and Company; you are 36;000 in Saxony; Finck has not 12;000 in the field: How is this?〃and indignantly dismisses Haddick altogether: 〃Go; Sir; and attend to your health!〃 'Tempelhof; iii。 276; 258…261。'  News poignantly astonishing to Daun; as would seem;like an ox…goad in the lazy rear of Daun。 Certain it is; Daun had marched out to Gorlitz in collected form; and; on Saturday afternoon; SEPTEMBER 22d is personally on the Heights (not Moys Hill; I should judge; but other points of vision); taking earnest survey of Prince Henri's position on the Landskron there。 〃To…morrow morning we attack that Camp;〃 thinks Daun; 〃storm Prince Henri and it: be rid of him; at any price!〃 'Ib。 iii。 253…256 (for the March now ensuing): iii。 228…234; 241…247 (for Henri's anterior movements)。'

〃To…morrow morning;〃 yes:but this afternoon; and earlier; Prince Henri has formed a great resolution; his plans all laid; everything in readiness; and it is not here you will find Prince Henri to…morrow。 This is his famous March of Fifty Hours; this that we are now come to; which deserves all our attention;and all Daun's much more! Prince Henri was habitually a man cautious in War; not aggressive; like his Brother; but defensive; frugal of risks; and averse to the lion…springs usual with some people; though capable of them; too; in the hour of need。 Military men are full of wonder at the bold scheme he now fell upon; and at his style of executing it。 Hardly was Daun gone home to his meditations on the storm of the Landskron to…morrow; and tattoo beaten in Prince Henri's Camp there; when; at 8 that Saturday evening; issuing softly; with a minimum of noise; in the proper marching columns; baggage…columns; Henri altogether quitted this Camp; and vanished like a dream。 Into the Night; men and goods; every item:who shall say whitherward? Leaving only a few light people to keep up the watch…fires and sentry…cries; for behoof of Daun! Let readers here; who are in the secret; watch him a little from afar。

Straight northward goes Prince Henri; down Neisse Valley; 20 miles or so; to Rothenburg; in columns several…fold; with much delicate arranging; which was punctually followed: and in the course of to…morrow Prince Henri is bivouacked; for a short rest of three hours;hidden in unknown space; 20 miles from Daun; when Daun comes marching up to storm him on the Landskron! Gone veritably; but whitherward Daun cannot form the least guess。 Daun can only keep his men under arms there; all day; while his scouts gallop far and wide;bringing in this false guess and the other; and at length returning with the eminently false one; misled by some of Henri's baggage…columns; which have to go many routes; That the Prince is on march for Glogau:〃Gone northeast; that way went his wagons; these we saw with our eyes。〃 〃Northeast? Yes; to Glogau possibly enough;〃 thinks Daun: 〃Or may not he; cunning as he is and full of feints; intend a stroke on Bautzen; in my absence?〃and hastens thither again; and sits down on the Magazine…lid; glad to find nothing wrong there。

This is all that Daun hears of Henri for the next four days。 Plenty of bad news from Saxony in these four days: the Finck… Haddick Action of Korbitz; a dismal certainty before one started; and Haddick on his road to some Watering Place by this time! But no trace of Henri farther; since that of the wagons wending northeast。 〃Gone to Glogau; to his Brother: no use in pushing him; or trying to molest him there!〃 thinks Daun; and waits; in stagnant humor; chewing the cud of bitter enough thoughts; till confirmation of that guess arrive:as it never will in this world! Read an important Note:

〃To northward of Bautzen forty miles; and to westward forty miles; the country is all Daun's; only towards Glogau; with the Russians and Friedrich thereabouts; does it become disputable; or offer Prince Henri any chance。 Nevertheless it is not to Glogau; it is far the reverse; that the nimble Henri has gone。 Resting himself at Rothenburg 'three hours' (speed is of all things the vitalest); Prince Henri starts again; SUNDAY afternoon; straight westward this time。 Marches; with his best swiftness; with his best arrangements; through many sleeping Villages; to Klitten; not a wakeful one: a march of 18 miles from Rothenburg;direct for the Saxon side of things; instead of the Silesian; as Daun had made sure。

〃At Klitten; MONDAY morning; bivouac again; for a few hours;'has no Camp; only waits three hours;' is Archenholtz's phrase: but I suppose the meaning is; Waits till the several Columns; by their calculated routes; have all got together; and till the latest in arriving has had 'three hours' of rest;the earliest having perhaps gone on march again; in the interim? There are 20 miles farther; still straight west; to Hoyerswerda; where the outmost Austrian Division is: 'Forward towards that; let us astonish General Wehla and his 3;000; and our March is over!' All this too Prince Henri manages; never anything more consummate; more astonishing to Wehla and his Master。

〃Wehla and Brentano; readers perhaps remember them busy; from the Pirna side; at the late Siege of Dresden。 Siege gloriously done; Wehla was ordered to Hoyerswerda; on the northwest frontier; Brentano to a different point in that neighborhood; where Brentano escaped ruin; and shall not be mentioned; but Wehla suddenly found it; and will require a word。 Wehla; of all people on the War… theatre; had been the least expecting disturbance。 He is on the remotest western flank; to westward of him nothing but Torgau and the Finck…Wunsch people; from whom is small likelihood of danger: from the eastern what danger can there be? A Letter of Dauns; some days ago; had expressly informed him that; to all appearance; there was none。

〃And now suddenly; on the Tuesday morning; What is this? Prussians reported to be visible in the Woods! 'Impossible!' answered Wehla;did get ready; however; what he could; Croat Regiments; pieces of Artillery behind the Elster River and on good points; laboring more and more diligently; as the news proved true。 But all his efforts were to no purpose。 General Lentulus with his Prussians (the mute Swiss Lentulus; whom we sometimes meet); who has the Vanguard this day; comes streaming out of the woods across the obstacles; cannonades Wehla both in front and rear; entirely swallows Wehla and Corps: 600 killed; the General himself; with 28 Field…Officers; and of subalterns and privates 1;785; falling prisoners to us; and the remainder scattered on the winds; galloping each his own road towards covert and a new form of life。 Wehla is eaten; in this manner; Tuesday; September 25th: metaphorically speaking; the March of Fifty Hours ends in a comfortable twofold meal (military…cannibal; as w

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的