FRIEDRICH BESIEGES DRESDEN.
From and after the Evening of Wednesday, July 9th, it is upon a Siege of
Dresden that Friedrich goes;--turning the whole war-theatre topsy-turvy;
throwing Daun, Loudon, Lacy, everybody OUT, in this strange and sudden
manner. One of the finest military feats ever done, thinks Tempelhof.
Undoubtedly a notable result so far, and notably done; as the impartial
reader (if Tempelhof be a little inconsistent) sees for himself.
These truly are a wonderful series of marches, opulent in continual
promptitudes, audacities, contrivances;--done with shining talent,
certainly; and also with result shining, for the moment. And in a
Fabulous Epic I think Dresden would certainly have fallen to Friedrich,
and his crowd of enemies been left in a tumbled condition.
But the Epic of Reality cares nothing for such considerations; and
the time allowable for capture of Dresden is very brief. Had Daun,
on getting warning, been as prompt to return as he was to go, frankly
fronting at once the chances of the road, he might have been at Dresden
again perhaps within a week,--no Siege possible for Friedrich, hardly
the big guns got up from Magdeburg. But Friedrich calculated there would
be very considerable fettling and haggling on Daun's part; say a good
Fortnight of Siege allowed;--and that, by dead-lift effort of all hands,
the thing was feasible within that limit. On Friedrich's part, as we can
fancy, there was no want of effort; nor on his people's part,--in spite
of his complainings, say Retzow and the Opposition party; who insinuate
their own private belief of impossibility from the first. Which is
not confirmed by impartial judgments,--that of Archenholtz, and others
better. The truth is, Friedrich was within an inch of taking Dresden by
the first assault,--they say he actually could have taken it by storm
the first day; but shuddered at the thought of exposing poor Dresden to
sack and plunder; and hoped to get it by capitulation.
One of the rapidest and most furious Sieges anywhere on record. Filled
Europe with astonishment, expectancy, admiration, horror:--must be very
briefly recited here. The main chronological epochs, salient points of
crisis and successive phases of occurrence, will sufficiently indicate
it to the reader's fancy.
"It was Thursday Evening, 10th July, when Lacy got to his Reichsfolk,
and took breath behind Plauen Chasm. Maguire is Governor of Dresden. The
consternation of garrison and population was extreme. To Lacy himself it
did not seem conceivable that Friedrich could mean a Siege of Dresden.
Friedrich, that night, is beyond the River, in Daun's old impregnability
of Reichenberg: 'He has no siege-artillery,' thinks Lacy; 'no means, no
time.'
"Nevertheless, Saturday, next day after to-morrow,--behold, there is
Hulsen, come from Schlettau to our neighborhood, on our Austrian side
of the River. And at Kaditz yonder, a mile below Dresden, are not
the King's people building their Pontoons; in march since 2 in the
morning,--evidently coming across, if not to besiege Dresden, then to
attack us; which is perhaps worse! We outnumber them,--but as to trying
fight in any form? Zweibruck leaves Maguire an additional 10,000;--every
help and encouragement to Maguire; whose garrison is now 14,000: 'Be of
courage, Excellenz Maguire! Nobody is better skilled in siege-matters.
Feldmarschall and relief will be here with despatch!'--and withdraws,
Lacy and he, to the edge of the Pirna Country, there to be well out of
harm's way. Lacy and he, it is thought, would perhaps have got beaten,
trying to save Dresden from its misery. Lacy's orders were, Not, on any
terms, to get into fighting with Friedrich, but only to cover Dresden.
Dresden, without fighting, has proved impossible to cover, and Lacy
leaves it bare." [Tempelhof, iv. 65.]
"At Kaditz," says Mitchell, "where the second bridge of boats took a
great deal of time, I was standing by his Majesty, when news to the
above effect came across from General Hulsen. The King was highly
pleased; and, turning to me, said: 'Just what I wished! They have saved
me a very long march [round by Dippoldiswalde or so, in upon the rear
of them] by going of will.' And immediately the King got on horseback;
ordering the Army to follow as fast as it could." [Mitchell, ii. 168.]
"Through Preisnitz, Plauen-ward, goes the Army; circling round the
Western and the Southern side of Dresden; [a dread spectacle from the
walls]; across Weistritz Brook and the Plauen Chasm [comfortably left
vacant]; and encamps on the Southeastern side of Dresden, at Gruna,
behind the GREAT GARDEN; ready to begin business on the morrow. Gruna,
about a mile to southeast of Dresden Walls, is head-quarter during this
Siege.
"Through the night, the Prussians proceed to build batteries, the best
they can;--there is no right siege-artillery yet; a few accidental
howitzers and 25-pounders, the rest mere field-guns;--but to-morrow
morning, be as it may, business shall begin. Prince von Holstein [nephew
of the Holstein Beck, or "Holstein SILVER-PLATE," whom we lost long
ago], from beyond the River, encamped at the White Hart yonder, is to
play upon the Neustadt simultaneously.
MONDAY 14th, "At 6 A.M., cannonade began; diligent on Holstein's part
and ours; but of inconsiderable effect. Maguire has been summoned: 'Will
[with such a garrison, in spite of such trepidations from the Court
and others] defend himself to the last man.' Free-Corps people [not
Quintus's, who is on the other side of the River], [Tempelhof, v. 67.]
with regulars to rear, advance on the Pirna Gate; hurl in Maguire's
Out-parties; and had near got in along with them,--might have done so,
they and their supports, it is thought by some, had storm seemed the
recommendable method.
"For four days there is livelier and livelier cannonading; new batteries
getting opened in the Moschinska Garden and other points; on the
Prussian part, great longing that the Magdeburg artillery were here.
The Prussians are making diligently ready for it, in the mean while
(refitting the old Trenches, 'old Envelope' dug by Maguire himself in
the Anti-Schmettau time; these will do well enough):--the Prussians
reinforce Holstein at the Weisse, Hirsch, throw a new bridge across
to him; and are busy day and night. Maguire, too, is most industrious,
resisting and preparing: Thursday shuts up the Weistritz Brook (a dam
being ready this long while back, needing only to be closed), and lays
the whole South side of Dresden under water. Many rumors about Daun:
coming, not coming;--must for certain come, but will possibly be
slowish."
FRIDAY 18th. "Joy to every Prussian soul: here are the heavy guns from
Magdeburg. These, at any rate, are come; beds for them all ready;
and now the cannonading can begin in right earnest. As it does with a
vengeance. To Mitchell, and perhaps others, 'the King of Prussia says He
will now be master of the Town in a few days. And the disposition he has
made of his troops on the other side of the River is intended not only
to attack Dresden on that side [and defend himself from Daun], but also
to prevent the Garrison from retiring.... This morning, Friday, 18th,
the Suburb of Pirna, the one street left of it, was set fire to, by
Maguire; and burnt out of the way, as the others had been. Many of the
wretched inhabitants had fled to our camp: "Let them lodge in Plauen,
no fighting there, quiet artificial water expanses there instead." Many
think the Town will not be taken; or that, if it should, it will cost
very dear,--so determined seems Maguire. [Mitchell, iii. 170, 171.] And,
in effect, from this day onwards, the Siege became altogether fierce,
and not only so, but fiery as well; and, though lasting in that violent
form only four, or at the very utmost seven, days more, had near ruined
Dresden from the face of the world."
SATURDAY, 19th, "Maguire, touched to the quick by these new artilleries
of the Prussians this morning, found good to mount a gun or two on the
leads of the Kreuz-Kirche [Protestant High Church, where, before now,
we have noticed Friedrich attending quasi-divine service more than
once];--that is to say, on the crown of Dresden; from which there is
view into the bottom of Friedrich's trenches and operations. Others say,
it was only two or three old Saxon cannon, which stand there, for firing
on gala-days; and that they hardly fired on Friedrich more than once.
For certain, this is one of the desirablest battery-stations,--if only
Friedrich will leave it alone. Which he will not for a moment; but
brings terrific howitzers to bear on it; cannon-balls, grenadoes; tears
it to destruction, and the poor Kreuz-Kirche along with it. Kirche
speedily all in flames, street after street blazing up round it, again
and again for eight-and-forty hours coming; hapless Dresden, during two
days and nights, a mere volcano henceforth." "By mistake all that, and
without order of mine," says Friedrich once;--meaning, I think, all that
of the Kreuz-Kirche: and perhaps wishing he could mean the bombardment
altogether, [Schoning, ii. 361 "To Prince Henri, at Giessen [Frankfurt
Country], 23d July, 1760."]--who nevertheless got, and gets, most of the
credit of the thing from a shocked outside world.
"This morning," same Saturday, 19th, "Daun is reported to have arrived;
vanguard of him said to be at Schonfeld, over in THIRSTY-SWEETHEART
Country yonder which Friedrich, going to reconnoitre, finds tragically
indisputable: 'There, for certain; only five miles from Holstein's post
at the WHITE HART, and no River between;--as the crow flies, hardly
five from our own Camp. Perhaps it will be some days yet before he do
anything?' So that Friedrich persists in his bombardment, only the more:
'By fire-torture, then! Let the bombarded Royalties assail Maguire, and
Maguire give in;--it is our one chance left; and succeed we will and
must!' Cruel, say you?--Ah, yes, cruel enough, not merciful at all. The
soul of Friedrich, I perceive, is not in a bright mood at this time, but
in a black and wrathful, worn almost desperate against the slings and
arrows of unjust Fate: 'Ahead, I say! If everybody will do miracles,
cannot we perhaps still manage it, in spite of Fate?'" Mitchell is very
sorry; but will forget and forgive those inexorable passages of war.
"I cannot think of the bombardment of Dresden without horror," says he;
"nor of many other things I have seen. Misfortunes naturally sour men's
temper [even royal men's]; and long continued, without interval, at
last extinguish humanity." "We are now in a most critical and dangerous
situation, which cannot long last: one lucky event, approaching to a
miracle, may still save all: but the extreme caution and circumspection
of Marshal Daun--!" [Mitchell, ii. 184, 185.]
If Daun could be swift, and end the miseries of Dresden, surely Dresden
would be much obliged to him. It was ten days yet, after that of the
Kreuz-Kirche, before Dresden quite got rid of its Siege: Daun never was
a sudden man. By a kind of accident, he got Holstein hustled across
the River that first night (July 19th),--not annihilated, as was very
feasible, but pushed home, out of his way. Whereby the North side of
Dresden is now open; and Daun has free communication with Maguire.
Maguire rose thereupon to a fine pitch of spirits; tried several things,
and wished Daun to try; but with next to no result. For two days after
Holstein's departure, Daun sat still, on his safe Northern shore;
stirring nothing but his own cunctations and investigations, leaving the
bombardment, or cannonade, to take its own course. One attempt he did
make in concert with Maguire (night of Monday 21st), and one attempt
only, of a serious nature; which, like the rest, was unsuccessful. And
would not be worth mentioning,--except for the poor Regiment BERNBURG'S
sake; Bernburg having got into strange case in consequence of it.
"This Attempt [night of 21st-22d July] was a combined sally and
assault--Sally by Maguire's people, a General Nugent heading them, from
the South or Plauen side of Dresden, and Assault by 4,000 of Daun's from
the North side--upon Friedrich's Trenches. Which are to be burst in upon
in this double way, and swept well clear, as may be expected.
Friedrich, however, was aware of the symptoms, and had people ready
waiting,--especially, had Regiment BERNBURG, Battalions 1st and 2d; a
Regiment hitherto without stain.
"Bernburg accordingly, on General Nugent's entering their trenches from
the south side, falls altogether heartily on General Nugent; tumbles him
back, takes 200 prisoners, Nudent himself one of them [who is considered
to have been the eye of the enterprise, worth many hundreds this night]
all this Bernburg, in its usually creditable manner, does, as expected
of it. But after, or during all this, when the Dann people from the
north come streaming in, say four to one, both south and north, Bernburg
looked round for support; and seeing none, had, after more or less
of struggle, to retire as a defeated Bernburg,--Austrians taking
the battery, and ruling supreme there for some time. Till Wedell, or
somebody with fresh Battalions, came up; and, rallying Bernburg to him,
retook their Battery, and drove out the Austrians, with a heavy loss of
prisoners. [Tempelhof, iv. 79.]
"I did not hear that Bernburg's conduct was liable to the least fair
censure. But Friedrich's soul is severe at this time; demanding miracles
from everybody: 'You runaway Bernburg, shame on you!'--and actually
takes the swords from them, and cuts off their Hat-tresses: 'There!'
Which excited such an astonishment in the Prussian Army as was seldom
seen before. And affected Bernburg to the length almost of despair, and
breaking of heart,--in a way that is not ridiculous to me at all,
but beautiful and pathetic. Of which there is much talk, now and long
afterwards, in military circles. 'The sorrows of these poor Bernburgers,
their desperate efforts to wash out this stigma, their actual washing
of it out, not many weeks hence, and their magnificent joy on the
occasion,--these are the one distinguishing point in Daun's relief of
Dresden, which was otherwise quite a cunctatory, sedentary matter."
Daun built three Bridges,--he had a broad stone one already,--but did
little or nothing with them; and never himself came across at all.
Merely shot out nocturnal Pandour Parties, and ordered up Lacy and the
Reichsfolk to do the like, and break the night's rest of his Enemy. He
made minatory movements, one at least, down the River, by his own shore,
on Friedrich's Ammunition-Boats from Torgau, and actually intercepted
certain of them, which was something; but, except this, and vague
flourishings of the Pandour kind, left Friedrich to his own course.
Friedrich bombarded for a day or two farther; cannonaded, out of more or
fewer batteries, for eight, or I think ten days more. Attacks from Daun
there were to be, now on this side, now on that; many rumors of attack,
but, except once only (midnight Pandours attempting the King's lodging,
"a Farm-house near Gruna," but to their astonishment rousing the whole
Prussian Army "in the course of three minutes" [Archenholtz, ii. 81 (who
is very vivid, but does not date); Rodenbeck, ii. 24 (quotes similar
account by another Eye-witness, and guesses it to be "night of July
22d-23d").]), rumor was mainly all. For guarding his siege-lines,
Friedrich has to alter his position; to shift slightly, now fronting
this way, now the other way; is "called always at midnight" (against
these nocturnal disturbances), and "never has his clothes off."
Nevertheless, continues his bombardment, and then his cannonading,
till his own good time, which I think is till the 26th. His
"ricochet-battery," which is good against Maguire's people, innocent
to Dresden, he continued for three days more;--while gathering
his furnitures about Plauen Country, making his arrangements at
Meissen;--did not march till the night of June 29th. Altogether calmly;
no Daun or Austrian molesting him in the least; his very sentries
walking their rounds in the trenches till daylight; after which they
also marched, unmolested, Meissen-ward.
Unfortunate Friedrich has made nothing of Dresden, then. After such a
June and July of it, since he left the Meissen Country; after all these
intricate manoeuvrings, hot fierce marchings and superhuman exertions,
here is he returning to Meissen Country poorer than if he had stayed.
Fouquet lost, Glatz unrelieved--Nay, just before marching off, what is
this new phenomenon? Is this by way of "Happy journey to you!" Towards
sunset of the 29th, exuberant joy-firing rises far and wide from the
usually quiet Austrian lines,--"Meaning what, once more?" Meaning that
Glatz is lost, your Majesty; that, instead of a siege of many weeks (as
might have been expected with Fouquet for Commandant), it has held out,
under Fouquet's Second, only a few hours; and is gone without remedy!
Certain, though incredible. Imbecile Commandant, treacherous Garrison
(Austrian deserters mainly), with stealthy Jesuits acting on them: no
use asking what. Here is the sad Narrative, in succinct form.
CAPTURE OF GLATZ (26th July, 1760).
"Loudon is a swift man, when he can get bridle; but the curb-hand of
Daun is often heavy on him. Loudon has had Glatz blockaded since June
7th; since June 23d he has had Fouquet rooted away, and the ground clear
for a Siege of Glatz. But had to abstain altogether, in the mean time;
to take camp at Landshut, to march and manoeuvre about, in support of
Daun, and that heavy-footed gallop of Daun's which then followed: on
the whole, it was not till Friedrich went for Dresden that the
Siege-Artillery, from Olmutz, could be ordered forward upon Glatz; not
for a fortnight more that the Artillery could come; and, in spite of
Loudon's utmost despatch, not till break of day, July 26th, that
the batteries could open. After which, such was Loudon's speed
and fortune,--and so diligent had the Jesuits been in those seven
weeks,--the 'Siege,' as they call it, was over in less than seven hours.
"One Colonel D'O [Piedmontese by nation, an incompetent person, known to
loud Trenck during his detention here] was Commandant of Glatz, and had
the principal Fortress,--for there are two, one on each side the Neisse
River;--his Second was a Colonel Quadt, by birth Prussian, seemingly
not very competent he either, who had command of the Old Fortress, round
which lies the Town of Glatz: a little Town, abounding in Jesuits;--to
whose Virgin, if readers remember, Friedrich once gave a new gown;
with small effect on her, as would appear. The Quadt-D'O garrison was
2,400,--and, if tales are true, it had been well bejesuited during those
seven weeks. [_OEuvres de Frederic,_ v. 55.] At four in the morning,
July 26th) the battering began on Quadt; Quadt, I will believe,
responding what he could,--especially from a certain Arrowhead Redoubt
(or FLECHE) he has, which ought to have been important to him. After
four or five hours of this, there was mutual pause,--as if both parties
had decided upon breakfast before going farther.
"Quadt's Fortress is very strong, mostly hewn in the rock; and he has
that important outwork of a FLECHE; which is excellent for enfilading,
as it extends well beyond the glacis; and, being of rock like the rest,
is also abundantly defensible. Loudon's people, looking over into
this FLECHE, find it negligently guarded; Quadt at breakfast, as would
seem:--and directly send for Harsch, Captain of the Siege, and even for
Loudon, the General-in-Chief. Negligently guarded, sure enough; nothing
in the FLECHE but a few sentries, and these in the horizontal position,
taking their unlawful rest there, after such a morning's work. 'Seize me
that,' eagerly orders Loudon; 'hold that with firm grip!' Which is
done; only to step in softly, two battalions of you, and lay hard hold.
Incompetent Quadt, figure in what a flurry, rushing out to recapture
his FLECHE,--explodes instead into mere anarchy, whole Companies of him
flinging down their arms at their Officers' feet, and the like. So
that Quadt is totally driven in again, Austrians along with him; and
is obliged to beat chamade;--D'O following the example, about an hour
after, without even a capitulation. Was there ever seen such a defence!
Major Unruh, one of a small minority, was Prussian, and stanch; here is
Unruh's personal experience,--testimony on D'O's Trial, I suppose,--and
now pretty much the one thing worth reading on this subject.
"MAJOR ULZRUH TESTIFIES: 'At four in the morning, 26th July, 1760, the
Enemy began to cannonade the Old Fortress [that of Quadt]; and about
nine, I was ordered with 150 men to clear the Envelope from Austrians.
Just when I had got to the Damm-Gate, halt was called. I asked the
Commandant, who was behind me, which way I should march; to the
Crown-work or to the Envelope? Being answered, To the Envelope, I
found on coming out at the Field-Gate nothing but an Austrian
Lieutenant-colonel and some men. He called to me, "There had been
chamade beaten, and I was not to run into destruction (MICH UNGLUCKLICH
MACHEN)!" I offered him Quarter; and took him in effect prisoner, with
20 of his best men; and sent him to the Commandant, with request that
he would keep my rear free, or send me reinforcement. I shot the Enemy a
great many people here; chased him from the Field-Gate, and out of
both the Envelope and the Redoubt called the Crane [that is the FLECHE
itself, only that the Austrians are mostly not now there, but gone
THROUGH into the interior there!]--Returning to the Field-Gate, I
found that the Commandant had beaten chamade a second time; there were
marching in, by this Field-Gate, two battalions of the Austrian Regiment
ANDLAU; I had to yield myself prisoner, and was taken to General Loudon.
He asked me, "Don't you know the rules of war, then; that you fire after
chamade is beaten?" I answered in my heat, "I knew of no chamade; what
poltroonery or what treachery had been going on, I knew not!" Loudon
answered, "You might deserve to have your head laid at your feet, Sir!
Am I here to inquire which of you shows bravery, which poltroonery?"'
[Seyfarth, ii. 652.] A blazing Loudon, when the fire is up!"--
After the Peace, D'O had Court-Martial, which sentenced him to death,
Friedrich making it perpetual imprisonment: "Perhaps not a traitor, only
a blockhead!" thought Friedrich. He had been recommended to his post by
Fouquet. What Trenck writes of him is, otherwise, mostly lies.
Thus is the southern Key of Silesia (one of the two southern Keys,
Neisse being the other) lost to Friedrich, for the first time; and
Loudon is like to drive a trade there; "Will absolutely nothing prosper
with us, then?" Nothing, seemingly, your Majesty! Heavier news Friedrich
scarcely ever had. But there is no help. This too he has to carry with
him as he can into the Meissen Country. Unsuccessful altogether; beaten
on every hand. Human talent, diligence, endeavor, is it but as lightning
smiting the Serbonian Bog? Smite to the last, your Majesty, at any rate;
let that be certain. As it is, and has been. That is always something,
that is always a great thing.
Friedrich intends no pause in those Meissen Countries. JULY 30th, on his
march northward, he detaches Hulsen with the old 10,000 to take Camp at
Schlettau as before, and do his best for defence of Saxony against the
Reichsfolk, numerous, but incompetent; he himself, next day, passes on,
leaving Meissen a little on his right, to Schieritz, some miles farther
down,--intending there to cross Elbe, and make for Silesia without loss
of an hour. Need enough of speed thither; more need than even Friedrich
supposes! Yesterday, July 30th, Loudon's Vanguard came blockading
Breslau, and this day Loudon himself;--though Friedrich heard nothing,
anticipated nothing, of that dangerous fact, for a week hence or more.
Soltikof's and Loudon's united intentions on Silesia he has well known
this long while; and has been perpetually dunning Prince Henri on the
subject, to no purpose,--only hoping always there would probably be
no great rapidity on the part of these discordant Allies. Friedrich's
feelings, now that the contrary is visible, and indeed all through the
Summer in regard to the Soltikof-Loudon Business, and the Fouquet-Henri
method of dealing with it, have been painful enough, and are growing
ever more so. Cautious Henri never would make the smallest attack on
Soltikof, but merely keep observing him;--the end of which, what can the
end of it be? urges Friedrich always: "Condense yourselves; go in
upon the Russians, while they are in separate corps;"--and is very
ill-satisfied with the languor of procedures there. As is the Prince
with such reproaches, or implied reproaches, on said languor. Nor is his
humor cheered, when the King's bad predictions prove true. What has it
come to? These Letters of King and Prince are worth reading,--if indeed
you can, in the confusion of Schoning (a somewhat exuberant man, loud
rather than luminous);--so curious is the Private Dialogue going
on there at all times, in the background of the stage, between the
Brothers. One short specimen, extending through the June and July just
over,--specimen distilled faithfully out of that huge jumbling sea of
Schaning, and rendered legible,--the reader will consent to.
DIALOGUE OF FRIEDRICH AND HENRI (from their Private Correspondence: June
7th-July 29th, 1760).
FRIEDRICH (June 7th; before his first crossing Elbe: Henri at Sagan;
he at Schlettau, scanning the waste of fatal possibilities). ...
Embarrassing? Not a doubt, of that! "I own, the circumstances both of
us are in are like to turn my head, three or four times a day." Loudon
aiming for Neisse, don't you think? Fouquet all in the wrong.--"One
has nothing for it but to watch where the likelihood of the biggest
misfortune is, and to run thither with one's whole strength."
HENRI... "I confess I am in great apprehension for Colberg:"--shall
one make thither; think you? Russians, 8,000 as the first instalment
of them, have ARRIVED; got to Posen under Fermor, June 1st:--so the
Commandant of Glogau writes me (see enclosed).
FRIEDRICH (June 9th). Commandant of Glogau writes impossibilities:
Russians are not on march yet, nor will be for above a week.
"I cross Elbe, the 15th. I am compelled to undertake something of
decisive nature, and leave the rest to chance. For desperate disorders
desperate remedies. My bed is not one of roses. Heaven aid us: for human
prudence finds itself fall short in situations so cruel and desperate as
ours." [Schoning, ii. 313 ("Meissen Camp, 7th June, 1760"); ib. ii. 317
("9th June").]
HENRI. Hm, hm, ha (Nothing but carefully collected rumors, and
wire-drawn auguries from them, on the part of Henri; very intense
inspection of the chicken-bowels,--hardly ever without a shake of the
head).
FRIEDRICH (June 26th; has heard of the Fouquet disaster).... "Yesterday
my heart was torn to pieces [news of Landshut, Fouquet's downfall
there], and I felt too sad to be in a state for writing you a sensible
Letter; but to-day, when I have come to myself a little again, I will
send you my reflections. After what has happened to Fouquet, it is
certain Loudon can have no other design but on Breslau [he designs Glatz
first of all]: it will be the grand point, therefore, especially if
the Russians too are bending thither, to save that Capital of Silesia.
Surely the Turks must be in motion:--if so, we are saved; if not so, we
are lost! To-day I have taken this Camp of Dobritz, in order to be more
collected, and in condition to fight well, should occasion rise,--and
in case all this that is said and written to me about the Turks is TRUE
[which nothing of it was], to be able to profit by it when the time
comes." [Schoning, ii. 341 ("Gross-Dobritz, 26th June, 1760").]
HENRI (simultaneously, June 26th: Henri is forward from Sagan, through
Frankfurt, and got settled at Landsberg, where he remains through the
rest of the Dialogue).... Tottleben, with his Cossacks, scouring
about, got a check from us,--nothing like enough. "By all my accounts,
Soltikof, with the gross of the Russians, is marching for Posen. The
other rumors and symptoms agree in indicating a separate Corps, under
Fermor, who is to join Tottleben, and besiege Colberg: if both these
Corps, the Colberg and the Posen one, act, in concert, my embarrassment
will be extreme.... I have just had news of what has befallen General
Fouquet. Before this stroke, your affairs were desperate enough; now I
see but too well what we have to look for." [Ib. ii. 339 ("Landsberg,
26th June, 1760").] (How comforting!)
FRIEDRICH. "Would to God your prayers for the swift capture of Dresden
had been heard; but unfortunately I must tell you, this stroke has
failed me.... Dresden has been reduced to ashes, third part of the
Altstadt lying burnt;--contrary to my intentions: my orders were, To
spare the City, and play the Artillery against the works. My Minister
Graf von Finck will have told you what occasioned its being set on
fire." [Schoning, ii. 361 ("2d-3d July").]
HENRI (July 26th; Dresden Siege gone awry).... "I am to keep the
Russians from Frankfurt, to cover Glogau, and prevent a besieging of
Breslau! All that forms an overwhelming problem;--which I, with my
whole heart, will give up to somebody abler for it than I am." [Ib. ii.
369-371 ("Landsherg, 26th July").]
FRIEDRICH (29th July; quits the Trenches of Dresden this night). ...
"I have seen with pain that you represent everything to yourself on the
black side. I beg you, in the name of God, my dearest Brother, don't
take things up in their blackest and worst shape:--it is this that
throws your mind into such an indecision, which is so lamentable. Adopt
a resolution rather, what resolution you like, but stand by it, and
execute it with your whole strength. I conjure you, take a fixed
resolution; better a bad than none at all.... What is possible to man,
I will do; neither care nor consideration nor effort shall be spared, to
secure the result of my plans. The rest depends on circumstances. Amid
such a number of enemies, one cannot always do what one will, but must
let them prescribe." [Ib. ii. 370-372 ("Leubnitz, before Dresden, 29th
July, 1760").]
An uncomfortable little Gentleman; but full of faculty, if one can
manage to get good of it! Here, what might have preceded all the above,
and been preface to it, is a pretty passage from him; a glimpse he has
had of Sans-Souci, before setting out on those gloomy marchings and
cunctatory hagglings. Henri writes (at Torgau, April 26th, just back
from Berlin and farewell of friends):--
"I mean to march the day after to-morrow. I took arrangements with
General Fouquet [about that long fine-spun Chain of Posts, where we are
to do such service?]--the Black Hussars cannot be here till to-morrow,
otherwise I should have marched a day sooner. My Brother [poor little
invalid Ferdinand] charged me to lay him at your feet. I found him
weak and thin, more so than formerly. Returning hither, the day before
yesterday, I passed through Potsdam; I went to Sans-Souci [April 24th,
1760]:--all is green there; the Garden embellished, and seemed to me
excellently kept. Though these details cannot occupy you at present,
I thought it would give you pleasure to hear of them for a moment."
[Schoning, ii. 233 ("Torgau, 26th April, 1760").] Ah, yes; all is so
green and blessedly silent there: sight of the lost Paradise, actually
IT, visible for a moment yonder, far away, while one goes whirling in
this manner on the illimitable wracking winds!--
Here finally, from a distant part of the War-Theatre, is another Note;
which we will read while Friedrich is at Schieritz. At no other place so
properly; the very date of it, chief date (July 31st), being by accident
synchronous with Schieritz:--
DUKE FERDINAND'S BATTLE OF WARBURG (31st July, 1760).
Duke Ferdinand has opened his difficult Campaign; and especially--just
while that Siege of Dresden blazed and ended--has had three sharp
Fights, which were then very loud in the Gazettes, along with it. Three
once famous Actions; which unexpectedly had little or no result, and are
very much forgotten now. So that bare enumeration of them is nearly
all we are permitted here. Pitt has furnished 7,000 new English, this
Campaign,--there are now 20,000 English in all, and a Duke Ferdinand
raised to 70,000 men. Surely, under good omens, thinks Pitt; and still
more think the Gazetteers, judging by appearances. Yes: but if Broglio
have 130,000, what will it come to? Broglio is two to one; and has,
before this, proved himself a considerable Captain.
Fight FIRST is that of KORBACH (July 10th): of Broglio, namely, who has
got across the River Ohm in Hessen (to Ferdinand's great disgust with
the General Imhof in command there), and is streaming on to seize the
Diemel River, and menace Hanover; of Broglio, in successive sections, at
a certain "Pass of Korbach," VERSUS the Hereditary Prince (ERBPRINZ of
Brunswick), who is waiting for him there in one good section,--and who
beautifully hurls back one and another of the Broglio sections; but
cannot hurl back the whole Broglio Army, all marching by sections that
way; and has to retire, back foremost, fencing sharply, still in a
diligently handsome manner, though with loss. [Mauvillon, ii. 105.] That
is the Battle of Korbach, fought July 10th,--while Lacy streamed through
Dresden, panting to be at Plauen Chasm, safe at last.
Fight SECOND (July 16th) was a kind of revenge on the Erbprinz's part:
Affair of EMSDORF, six days after, in the same neighborhood; beautiful
too, said the Gazetteers; but of result still more insignificant.
Hearing of a considerable French Brigade posted not far off, at that
Village of Emsdorf, to guard Broglio's meal-carts there, the indignant
Erbprinz shoots off for that; light of foot,--English horse mainly, and
Hill Scots (BERG-SCHOTTEN so called, who have a fine free stride, in
summer weather);--dashes in upon said Brigade (Dragoons of Bauffremont
and other picked men), who stood firmly on the defensive; but were cut
up, in an amazing manner, root and branch, after a fierce struggle, and
as it were brought home in one's pocket. To the admiration of military
circles,--especially of mess-rooms and the junior sort. "Elliot's
light horse [part of the new 7,000], what a regiment! Unparalleled for
willingness, and audacity of fence; lost 125 killed,"--in fact, the
loss chiefly fell on Elliot. [Ib. ii. 109 (Prisoners got "were
2,661, including General and Officers 179," with all their furnitures
whatsoever, "400 horses, 8 cannon," &c.).] The BERG-SCHOTTEN too,--I
think it was here that these kilted fellows, who had marched with such
a stride, "came home mostly riding:" poor Beauffremont Dragoons being
entirely cut up, or pocketed as prisoners, and their horses ridden in
this unexpected manner! But we must not linger,--hardly even on WARBURG,
which was the THIRD and greatest; and has still points of memorability,
though now so obliterated.
"Warburg," says my Note on this latter, "is a pleasant little Hessian
Town, some twenty-five miles west of Cassel, standing on the north or
left bank of the Diemel, among fruitful knolls and hollows. The famous
'BATTLE OF WARBURG,'--if you try to inquire in the Town itself, from
your brief railway-station, it is much if some intelligent inhabitant,
at last, remembers to have heard of it! The thing went thus: Chevalier
du Muy, who is Broglio's Rear-guard or Reserve, 30,000 foot and horse,
with his back to the Diemel, and eight bridges across it in case of
accident, has his right flank leaning on Warburg, and his left on a
Village of Ossendorf, some two miles to northwest of that. Broglio,
Prince Xavier of Saxony, especially Duke Ferdinand, are all vehemently
and mysteriously moving about, since that Fight of Korbach; Broglio
intent to have Cassel besieged, Du Muy keeping the Diemel for him;
Ferdinand eager to have the Diemel back from Du Muy and him.
"Two days ago (July 29th), the Erbprinz crossed over into these
neighborhoods, with a strong Vanguard, nearly equal to Du Muy; and,
after studious reconnoitring and survey had, means, this morning (July
31st), to knock him over the Diemel again, if he can. No time to be
lost; Broglio near and in such force. Duke Ferdinand too, quitting
Broglio for a moment, is on march this way; crossed the Diemel, about
midnight, some ten miles farther down, or eastward; will thence bend
southward, at his best speed, to support the Erbprinz, if necessary, and
beset the Diemel when got;--Erbprinz not, however, in any wise, to
wait for him; such the pressure from Broglio and others. A most busy
swift-going scene that morning;--hardly worth such describing at this
date of time.
"The Erbprinz, who is still rather to northeastward, that is to
rightward, not directly frontward, of Du Muy's lines; and whose plan of
attack is still dark to Du Muy, commences [about 8 A.M., I should guess]
by launching his British Legion so called,--which is a composite body,
of Free-Corps nature, British some of it ('Colonel Beckwith's people,'
for example), not British by much the most of it, but an aggregate of
wild strikers, given to plunder too:--by launching his British Legion
upon Warburg Town, there to take charge of Du Muy's right wing. Which
Legion, 'with great rapidity, not only pitched the French all out, but
clean plundered the poor Town;' and is a sad sore on Du Muy's right, who
cannot get it attended to, in the ominous aspects elsewhere visible.
For the Erbprinz, who is a strategic creature, comes on, in the style
of Friedrich, not straight towards Du Muy, but sweeps out in two
columns round northward; privately intending upon Du Muy's left wing
and front--left wing, right wing, (by British Legion), and front, all
three;--and is well aided by a mist which now fell, and which hung on
the higher ground, and covered his march, for an hour or more. This mist
had not begun when he saw, on the knoll-tops, far off on the right, but
indisputable as he flattered himself,--something of Ferdinand emerging!
Saw this; and pours along, we can suppose, with still better step and
temper. And bursts, pretty simultaneously, upon Du Muy's right wing
and left wing, coercing his front the while; squelches both these wings
furiously together; forces the coerced centre, mostly horse, to plunge
back into the Diemel, and swim. Horse could swim; but many of the Foot,
who tried, got drowned. And, on the whole, Du Muy is a good deal wrecked
[1,600 killed, 2,000 prisoners, not to speak of cannon and flags], and,
but for his eight bridges, would have been totally ruined.
"The fight was uncommonly furious, especially on Du Muy's left;
'Maxwell's Brigade' going at it, with the finest bayonet-practice,
musketry, artillery-practice; obstinate as bears. On Du Muy's right, the
British Legion, left wing, British too by name, had a much easier job.
But the fight generally was of hot and stubborn kind, for hours, perhaps
two or more;--and some say, would not have ended so triumphantly, had
it not been for Duke Ferdinand's Vanguard, Lord Granby and the English
Horse; who, warned by the noise ahead, pushed on at the top of their
speed, and got in before the death. Granby and the Blues had gone at the
high trot, for above five miles; and, I doubt not, were in keen humor
when they rose to the gallop and slashed in. Mauvillon says, 'It was
in this attack that Lord Granby, at the head of the Blues, his own
regiment, had his hat blown off; a big bald circle in his head rendering
the loss more conspicuous. But he never minded; stormed still on,' bare
bald head among the helmets and sabres; 'and made it very evident that
had he, instead of Sackville, led at Minden, there had been a different
story to tell. The English, by their valor,' adds he, 'greatly
distinguished themselves this day. And accordingly they suffered by far
the most; their loss amounting to 590 men:' or, as others count,--out
of 1,200 killed and wounded, 800 were English." [Mauvillon, ii. 114.
Or better, in all these three cases, as elsewhere, Tempelhof's specific
Chapter on Ferdinand (Tempelhof, iv. 101-122). Ferdinand's Despatch
(to King George), in _Knesebeck,_ ii. 96-98;--or in the Old Newspapers
(_Gentleman's Magazine,_ xxx. 386, 387), where also is Lord Granby's
Despatch.]
This of Granby and the bald head is mainly what now renders Warburg
memorable. For, in a year or two, the excellent Reynolds did a
Portrait of Granby; and by no means forgot this incident; but gives him
bare-headed, bare and bald; the oblivious British connoisseur not now
knowing why, as perhaps he ought. The portrait, I suppose, may be in
Belvoir Castle; the artistic Why of the baldness is this BATTLE OF
WARBURG, as above. An Affair otherwise of no moment. Ferdinand had soon
to quit the Diemel, or to find it useless for him, and to try other
methods,--fencing gallantly, but too weak for Broglio; and, on the
whole, had a difficult Campaign of it, against that considerable Soldier
with forces so superior.