history of friedrich ii of prussia v 19-第37部分
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Finck; truer to the letter than to the spirit; determined to remain。 Did; all that Monday; his best to prepare himself; called in his outposts (〃Was not I ordered?〃 thinks Finck; too literally); and sees his multitudes of enemies settle round him;Daun alone has 27;000 men; who take camp at Dippoldiswalde; and in sum…total they are as 4 to 1 of Finck:a Finck still resolute of face; though internally his thoughts may be haggard enough。 Doubtless he hopes; too; that Friedrich will do something:unaware that none of his messages reach Friedrich。 As for Daun; having seen his people safely encamped here; he returns to Dresden for the night; to see that Friedrich is quiet。 Friedrich is quiet enough: Daun; at seven next morning (TUESDAY; 20th); appeared on the ground again; and from all sides Finck is assaulted;from Daun's side nearest and soonest; with Daun's best vigor。
Dippoldiswalde is some seven miles from Maxen。 Difficult hill…road all the way: but the steepest; straitest and worst place is at Reinhartsgrimma; the very first Hamlet after you are out of Dippoldiswalde。 There is a narrow gullet there; overhung with heights all round。 The roads are slippery; glazed with sleet and frost; Cavalry; unroughened; make sad sliding and sprawling; hardly the Infantry are secure on their feet: a terrible business getting masses of artillery…wagons; horse and man; through such a Pass! It is thought; had Finck garnished this Pass of Reinhartsgrimma; with the proper batteries; the proper musketries; Daun never would have got through。 Finck had not a gun or a man in it: 〃Had not I order?〃 said he;again too literally。 As it was; Daun; sliding and sprawling in the narrow steeps; had difficulties almost too great; and; they say; would have given it up; had it not been that a certain Major urged; 〃Can be done; Excellenz; and shall!〃 and that the temper of his soldiers was everywhere excellent。 Unfortunate Finck had no artillery to bear on Daun's transit through the Pass。 Nothing but some weak body of hussars and infantry stood looking into it; from the Hill of Hausdorf: even these might have given him some slight hindrance; but these were played upon by endless Pandours; 〃issuing from a wood near by;〃 with musketries; and at length with cannon batteries; one and another;and had to fall back; or to be called back; to Maxen Hill; where the main force is。
In the course of yesterday; by continual reconnoitring; by Austrian deserters; and intense comparison of symptoms; Finck had completely ascertained where the Enemy's Three Attacks were to be;〃on Maxen; from Dippoldiswalde; Trohnitz; Dohna; simultaneously three attacks;〃 it appears;and had with all his skill arranged himself on the Maxen summits to meet these。 He stands now elaborately divided into Three groups against those Three simultaneities; forming (sadly wide apart; one would say; for such a force as Finck's) a very obtuse…angled triangle:the obtuse vertex of which (if readers care to look on their Map) is Trohnitz; the road Brentano and Sincere are coming。 On the base…angles; Maxen and Dohna; Finck expects Daun and the Reich。 From Trohnitz to Maxen is near two miles; from Maxen to Dohna above four。 At Dohna stands Wunsch against the Reich; Finck himself at Maxen; expecting Daun; as the pith of the whole affair。 In this triangular way stands Finck at the topmost heights of the country;〃Maxen highest; but Hausdorf only a little lower;〃and has not thought of disputing the climb upwards。 Too literal an eye to his orders: alas; he was not himself king; but only king's deputy!
The result is; about 11 A。M。; as I obscurely gather; Daun has conquered the climb; Daun's musketries begin to glitter on the top of Hausdorf; and 26 or 32 heavy cannon open their throats there; and the Three Attacks break loose。 Finck's Maxen batteries (scarcely higher than Daun's; and far inferior in weight) respond with all diligence; the poor regimental fieldpieces helping what they can。 Mutual cannonade; very loud for an hour and half; terrific; but doing little mischief; after which Daun's musketries (the ground now sufficiently clear to Daun); which are the practical thing; begin opening; first from one point; then from another: and there ensues; for five hours coming; at Maxen and at the other two points of Finck's triangle; such a series of explosive chargings; wheelings; worryings and intricate death… wrestlings; as it would provoke every reader to attempt describing to him。 Except indeed he were a soldier; bound to know the defence of posts; in which case I could fairly promise him that there are means of understanding the affair; and that he might find benefit in it。 'Tempelhof; iii。 307…317。 JOURNAL UND NACHRICHT VON DER GEFANGENNEHMUNG DES FINCK'SCHEN CORPS BEY MAXEN; IM JAHRE 1759 (Seyfarth; Beylagen; ii。 637…654)。'
Daun's Grenadiers; and Infantry generally; are in triumphant spirits; confident of victory; as they may reasonably be。 Finck's people; too; behave well; some of them conspicuously well; though in gloomier mood; and make stubborn fight; successful here and there; but; as a whole; not capable of succeeding。 By 3 in the afternoon; the Austrians have forced the Maxen Post; they 〃enter Maxen with great shoutings;〃 extrude the obstinate Prussian remnants; and; before long; have the poor Village 〃on fire in every part。〃 Finck retreating northward to Schmorsdorf; towards the obtuse angle of his triangle; if haply there may be help in that quarter for him。 Daun does not push him much; has Maxen safely burning in every part。
From Schmorsdorf Finck pushes out a Cavalry charge on Brentano。 〃Could we but repulse Brentano yonder;〃 thinks he; 〃I might have those Four Battalions to hand; and try again!〃 But Brentano makes such cannonading; the Cavalry swerve to a Hollow on their right; then find they have not ground; and retire quite fruitless。 Finck's Cavalry; and the Cavalry generally; with their horses all sliding on the frosty mountain…gnarls; appear to be good for little this day。 Brentano; victorious over the Cavalry; comes on with such storm; he sweeps through the obtuse angle; home upon Finck; and sweeps him out of Schmorsdorf Village to Schmorsdorf Hill; there to take refuge; as the night sinks;and to see himself; if his wild heart will permit him to be candid; a ruined man。 Of the Three Attacks; Two have completely succeeded on him; only Wunsch; at Dohna; stands victorious; he has held back the Reich all day; and even chased it home to its posts on the Rothwasser (RED WATER); multitudinous as it was。
Finck's mood; as the November shadows gathered on him;the equal heart may at least pity poor Finck! His resolution is fixed: 〃Cut ourselves through; this night: Dohna is ours: other side that Red Water there are roads;perish or get through!〃 And the Generals (who are rallied now 〃on the Heights of Falkenhain and Bloschwitz;〃 midway between Maxen and Dohna) get that Order from him。 And proceed to arrange for executing it;though with outlook more and more desperate; as their scouts report that every pass and post on the Red Water is beset by Reichsfolk。 〃Wunsch; with the Cavalry; he at least may thread his way out; under cloud of night; by the opposite or Daun side;〃 calculates Finck。 And Wunsch sets out accordingly: a very questionable; winding; subterranean march; difficult in the extreme;the wearied SLIPshod horses going at a snail's pace; and; in the difficult passes; needing to be dragged through with bridle and even to be left altogether:in which; withal; it will prove of no use for Wunsch to succeed! Finck's Generals endeavoring to rank and rearrange through the night; find that their very cartridges are nearly spent; and that of men; such wounding; such deserting has there been; they have; at this time; by precise count; 2;836 rank and file。 Evidently desperate。
At daylight; Daun's cannon beginning again from the Maxen side; Finck sends to capitulate。 〃Absolute surrender;〃 answers Daun: 〃prisoners of war; and you shall keep your private baggage。 General Wunsch with the Cavalry; he too must turn back and surrender!〃 Finck pleaded hard; on this last score: 〃General Wunsch; as head of the Cavalry; is not under me; is himself chief in that department。〃 But it was of no use: Wunsch had to return (not quite got through Daun's Lines; after such a night); and to surrender; like everybody else。 Like Eight other Generals; like Wolfersdorf of Torgau; and many a brave Officer and man。 Wednesday morning; 21st November; 1769: it is Finck's fourth day on Maxen; his last in the Prussian Service。
That same Wednesday Afternoon there were ranked in the GROSSE GARTEN at Dresden; of dejected Prussian Prisoners from Maxen; what exact number was never known: the Austrians said 15;000; but nobody well believed them; their last certain instalment being only; in correct numbers; 2;836。 Besides the killed; wounded and already captured; many had deserted; many had glided clear off。 It is judged that Friedrich lost; by all these causes; about 12;000 men。 Gone wholly;with their equipments and appurtenances wholly; which are not worth counting in comparison。 Finck and the other Generals; 8 of them; and 529 Officers;Finck; Wunsch; Wolfersdorf; Mosel (of the Olmutz Convoy); not to mention others of known worth; this is itself a sore loss to Friedrich; and in present circumstances an irreparable。 'Seyfarth; ii。 576; in Helden…Geschichte; (v。 1115); the Vienna Account。'
The outburst and paroxysm of Gazetteer rumor; which arose in Europe over this; must be left to the imagination; still more the whirlwind of astonishment; grief; remorse and indignation that raged in the heart of Friedrich on first hearing of it。 〃The Caudine Forks;〃 〃Scene of Pirna over again; in reverse form;〃 〃Is not your King at last over with it?〃 said and sang multifariously the Gazetteers。 As counter…chorus to which; in a certain Royal Heart: 〃That miserable purblind Finck; unequal to his task;that overhasty I; who drove him upon it! This disgrace; loss nigh ruinous; in fine; this infernal Campaign (CETTE CAMPAGNE INFEMALE)!〃 The Anecdote…Books abound in details of Friedrich's behavior at Wilsdruf that day; mythical all; or in good part; but symbolizing a case that is conceivable to everybody。 Or would readers ca