Neisse, which Friedrich calls a paltry hamlet (BICOQUE) is a pleasant
strongly fortified Town, then of perhaps 6 or 8,000 inhabitants, now of
double that number; stands on the right or south bank of the Neisse,--at
this day, on both banks. Pleasant broad streets, high strong houses,
mostly of stone. Pleasantly encircled by green Hills, northward
buttresses of the Giant Mountains; itself standing low and level,
on rich ground much inclined to be swampy. A lesser river, Biele,
or Bielau, coming from the South, flows leisurely enough into the
Neisse,--filling all the Fortress ditches, by the road. Orchard-growth
and meadow-growth are lordly (HERRLICH); a land rich in fruit,
and flowing with milk and honey. Much given to weaving, brewing,
stocking-making; and, moreover, trades greatly in these articles, and
above all in Wine. Yearly on St. Agnes Day, "21st January, if not a
Sunday," there is a Wine-fair here; Hungarian, of every quality from
Tokay downward, is gathered here for distribution into Germany and all
the Western Countries. While you drink your Tokay, know that it comes
through Neisse. St. Agnes Day falls but unhandily this year; and I think
the Fair will, as they say, AUSBLEIBEN, or not be held.
Neisse is a Nest of Priests (PFAFFEN-NEST), says Friedrich once; which
came in this way. About 600 years ago, an ill-conditioned Heir-Apparent
of the Liegnitz Sovereign to whom it then belonged, quarrelled with his
Father, quarrelled slightly with the Universe; and, after moping about
for some time, went into the Church. Having Neisse for an apanage
already his own, he gave it to the Bishop of Breslau; whose, in spite
of the old Father's protestings, it continued, and continues. Bishops of
Breslau are made very grand by it; Bishops of Breslau have had their own
difficulties here. Thus once (in our Perkin-Warbeck time, A.D. 1497), a
Duke of Oppeln, sitting in some Official Conclave or meeting of magnates
here,--zealous for country privilege, and feeling himself insufferably
put upon,--started up, openly defiant of Official men; glaring
wrathfully into Duke Casimir of Teschen (Bohemian-Austrian Captain of
Silesia), and into the Bishop of Breslau himself; nay at last, flashed
out his sword upon those sublime dignitaries. For which, by and by, he
had to lay his head on the block, in the great square here; and died
penitent, we hope.
This place, my Dryasdust informs me, had many accidents by floodage and
by fire; was seized and re-seized in the Thirty-Years War especially, at
a great rate: Saxon Arnheim, Austrian Holk, Swedish Torstenson; no end
to the battering and burning poor Neisse had, to the big ransoms "in new
Reichs-thalers and 300 casks of wine." But it always rebuilt itself, and
began business again. How happy when it could get under some effectual
Protector, of the Liegnitz line, of the Austrian-Bohemian line, and
this or the other battering, just suffered, was to be the last for some
time!--Here again is a battering coming on it; the first of a series
that are now imminent.
The reader is requested to look at Neisse; for besides the Tokay wine,
there will things arrive there.--Neisse River, let us again mention, is
one of four bearing that name, and all belonging to the Oder:--could not
they be labelled, then, or NUMBERED, in some way? This Neisse, which we
could call Neisse the FIRST (and which careful readers may as well make
acquaintance with on their Map, where too they will find Neisse the
SECOND, "the WUTHENDE or Roaring Neisse," and two others which concern
us less), rises in the "Western Snow-Mountains (SCHNEEGEBIRGE),"
Southwestern or Glatz district of the Giant Mountains; drains Glatz
County and grows big there; washes the Town of Glatz; then eastward
by Ottmachau, by Neisse Town; whence turning rather abruptly north or
northeast, it gets into the Oder not far south of Brieg.
Neisse as a Place of Arms, the chief Fortress of Silesia and the nearest
to Austria, is extremely desirable for Friedrich; but there is no hope
of it without some kind of Siege; and Friedrich determines to try in
that way. From Ottmachau, accordingly, and from the other sides, the
Siege-Artillery being now at hand, due force gathers itself round
Neisse, Schwerin taking charge; and for above a week there is
demonstrating and posting, summoning and parleying; and then, for three
days, with pauses intervening, there is extremely furious bombardment,
red-hot at times: "Will you yield, then?"--with steady negative from
Neisse. Friedrich's quarter is at Ottmachau, twelve miles off; from
which he can ride over, to see and superintend. The fury of his
bombardment, which naturally grieved him, testifies the intensity of his
wish. But it was to no purpose. The Commandant, Colonel von Roth (the
same who was proposed for Breslau lately, a wise head and a stout, famed
in defences) had "poured water on his ramparts," after well repairing
them,--made his ramparts all ice and glass;--and done much else. Would
the reader care to look for a moment? Here, from our waste Paper-masses,
is abundance, requiring only to be abridged:--
"JANUARY, 1741: MONDAY, 9th-WEDNESDAY, 11th. Monday, 9th, day when that
sputter at Ottmachau began,--Prussian light-troops appeared transiently
on the heights about Neisse, for the first time. Directly on sight of
whom, Commandant Roth assembled the Burghers of the place; took a new
Oath of Fidelity from one and all; admonished them to do their utmost,
as they should see him do. The able-bodied and likeliest of them (say
about 400) he has had arranged into Militia Companies, with what drill
there could be in the interim; and since his coming, has employed every
moment in making ready. Wednesday, 11th, he locks all the Gates, and
stands strictly on his guard. The inhabitants are mostly Catholic; with
sumptuous Bishops of Breslau, with KREUZHERREN (imaginary Teutsch or
other Ritters with some reality of money), with Jesuit Dignitaries,
Church and Quasi-Church Officialities, resident among them: population,
high and low, is inclined by creed to the Queen of Hungary. Commandant
Roth has only 1,200 regular soldiers; at the outside 1,600 men under
arms: but he has gunpowder, he has meal; experience also and courage;
and hopes these may suffice him for a time. One of the most determined
Commandants; expert in the defence of strong places. A born Silesian
(not Saxon, as some think),--and is of the Augsburg Confession; but that
circumstance is not important here, though at Breslau Browne thought it
was.
"THURSDAY, 12th. The Prussians, in regular force, appear on the
Kaninchen Berg (Cony Hill, so called from its rabbits), south of the
River, evidently taking post there. Roth fires a signal shot; the
Southern Suburbs of Neisse, as preappointed, go up in flame; crackle
high and far; in a lamentable manner (ERBARMLICH), through the grim
winter air." This is the day Friedrich came over to Ottmachau, and
settled the sputter there.
"Next day, and next again, the same phenomena at Neisse; the Prussians
edging ever nearer, building their batteries, preparing to open their
cannonade. Whereupon Roth burns the remaining Suburbs, with lamentable
crackle; on all sides now are mere ashes. Bishop's Mill, Franciscan
Cloister, Bishop's Pleasure-garden, with its summer-houses; Bishop's
Hospital, and several Churches: Roth can spare none of these things,
with the Prussians nestling there. Surely the Bishop himself,
respectable Cardinal Graf von Sinzendorf, had better get out of these
localities while time yet is?" "Saturday, 14th," that was the day
Friedrich, at Ottmachau, wrote as above to Jordan (Letter No. 1), while
the Neisse Suburbs crackled lamentably, twelve miles off, "Schwerin gets
order to break up, in person, from Ottmachan to-morrow, and begin actual
business on the Kaninchen Hill yonder.
"SUNDAY, 15th. Schwerin does; marches across the River; takes post on
the south side of Neisse: notable to the Sunday rustics. Nothing but
burnt villages and black walls for Schwerin, in that Cony-Hill quarter,
and all round; and Roth salutes him with one twenty-four pounder,
which did no hurt. And so the cannonade begins, Sunday, 15th; and
intermittently, on both sides of the River, continues, always bursting
out again at intervals, till Wednesday; a mere preliminary cannonade
on Schwerin's part; making noise, doing little hurt: intended more to
terrify, but without effect that way on Roth or the Townsfolk. The poor
Bishop did, on the second day of it, come out, and make application to
Schwerin; was kindly conducted to his Majesty, who happened to be over
there; was kept to dinner; and easily had leave to retire to Freywalde,
a Country-House he has, in the safe distance. [_Helden-Geschichte,_ i.
683.] There let him be quiet, well out of these confused batterings and
burnings of property.
"His Majesty's Head-quarter is at Ottmachau, but in two hours he can be
here any day; and looks into everything; sorry that the cannonade does
not yet answer. And remnants of suburbs are still crackling into
flame; high Country-Houses of Kreuzherren, of Jesuits; a fanatic people
seemingly all set against us. 'If Neisse will not yield of good-will,
needs is it must be beaten to powder,' wrote his Majesty to Jordan in
these circumstances, as we read above. Roth is sorry to observe, the
Prussians have still one good Bishop's-mansion, in a place called the
Karlau (Karl-Meadow), with the Bishop's winter fuel all ready stacked
there; but strives to take order about the same.
"WEDNESDAY, 18th. This day two provocations happened. First, in the
morning by his Majesty's order, Colonel Borck (the same we saw at
Herstal) had gone with a Trumpeter towards Roth; intending to inform
Roth how mild the terms would be, how terrible the penalty of not
accepting them. But Roth or Roth's people singularly disregard Borck
and his Parley Trumpet; answer its blasts by musketry; fire upon it, nay
again fire worse when it advances a step farther; on these terms Borck
and Trumpet had to return. Which much angered his Majesty at Ottmachau
that evening; as was natural. Same evening, our fine quarters in the
Karlau crackled up in flame, the Bishop's winter firewood all along with
it: this was provocation second. Roth had taken order with the Karlau;
and got a resolute Butcher to do the feat, under pretext of bringing us
beef. It is piercing cold; only blackened walls for us now in the Karlau
or elsewhere. His Majesty, naturally much angered, orders for the morrow
a dose of bomb-shells and red-hot balls. Plant a few mortars on the
North side too, orders his Majesty.
"THURSDAY, 19th. Accordingly, by 8 of the clock, cannon batteries
reawaken with a mighty noise, and red-hot balls are noticeable; and at
10 the actual bombarding bursts out, terrible to hear and see;--first
shell falling in Haubitz the Clothier's shop, but being happily got
under. Roth has his City Militia companies, organized with water-hose
for quenching of the red-hot balls: in which they became expert. So that
though the fire caught many houses, they always put it out. Late in the
night, hearing no word from Roth, the Prussians went to bed.
"FRIDAY, 20th. Still no word; on which, about 4 P.M., the Prussian
batteries awaken again: volcanic torrent of red-hot shot and shells,
for seven hours; still no word from Roth. About 11 at night his Majesty
again sends a Drum (Parley Trumpet or whatever it is) to the Gate;
formally summons Roth; asks him, 'If he has well considered what this
can lead to? Especially what he, Roth, meant by firing on our first
Trumpet on Wednesday last?' Roth answered, 'That as to the Trumpet, he
had not heard of it before. On the other hand, that this mode of sieging
by red-hot balls seems a little unusual; for the rest, that he has
himself no order or intention but that of resisting to the last.' Some
say the Drum hereupon by order talked of 'pounding Neisse into powder,
mere child's-play hitherto;' to which Roth answered only by respectful
dumb-show.
"SATURDAY, 21st-MONDAY, 23d. Midnight of Friday-Saturday, on this answer
coming, the fire-volcanoes open again;--nine hours long; shells, and
red-hot material, in terrible abundance. Which hit mostly the churches,
Jesuits' Seminariums and Collegiums; but produced no change in Roth.
From 9 A.M. the batteries are silent. Silent still, next morning:
Divine Service may proceed, if it like. But at 4 of the afternoon, the
batteries awaken worse than ever; from seven to nine bombs going at
once. Universal rage, of noise and horrid glare, making night hideous,
till 10 of the clock; Roth continuing inflexible. This is the last night
of the Siege."
Friedrich perceived that Roth would not yield; that the utter
smashing-down of Neisse might more concern Friedrich than Roth;--that,
in fine, it would be better to desist till the weather altered. Next
day, "Monday, 23d, between noon and 1 o'clock," the Prussians drew
back;--converted the siege into a blockade. Neisse to be masked, like
Brieg and Glogau (Brieg only half done yet, Jeetz without cannon till
to-morrow, 24th, and little Namslau still gesticulating): "The
only thing one could try upon it was bombardment. A Nest of Priests
(PFAFFEN-NEST); not many troops in it: but it cannot well be forced
at present. If spring were here, it will cost a fortnight's work."
[FRIEDRICH TO THE OLD DESSAUER: Fraction of Letter (Ottmachau, 16th-21st
January, 1741) cited by Orlich, i. 51;--from the Dessau Archives, where
Herr Orlich has industriously been. To all but strictly military people
these pieces of Letters are the valuable feature of Orlich's Book; and
a general reader laments that it does not all consist of such, properly
elucidated and labelled into accessibility.]
A noisy business; "King's high person much exposed: a bombardier and
then a sergeant were killed close by him, though in all he lost only
five men." [_Helden-Geschichte,_ i. 680-690.]
BROWNE VANISHES IN A SLIGHT FLASH OF FIRE.
Browne all this while has hung on the Mountain-side, witnessing these
things; sending stores towards Glatz southwestward, and "ruining the
ways" behind them; waiting what would become of Neisse. Neisse done,
Schwerin is upon him; Browne makes off Southeastward, across the
Mountains, for Moravia and home; Schwerin following hard. At a little
place called Gratz, [The name, in old Slavic speech, signifies TOWN; and
there are many GRATZES: KONIGINgratz (QUEEN'S, which for brevity is
now generally called KONIGSgratz, in Bohemia); Gratz in Styria;
WINDISCHgratz (Wendish-town); &c.] on the Moravian border, Browne faced
round, tried to defend the Bridge of the Oppa, sharply though without
effect; and there came (January 25th) a hot sputter between them for
a few minutes:--after which Browne vanished into the interior, and we
hear, in these parts, comparatively little more of him during this War.
Friend and foe must admit that he has neglected nothing; and fairly made
the best of a bad business here. He is but an interim General, too;
his Successor just coming; and the Vienna Board of War is frequently
troublesome,--to whose windy speculations Browne replies with sagacious
scepticism, and here and there a touch of veiled sarcasm, which was not
likely to conciliate in high places. Had her Hungarian Majesty been
able to retain Browne in his post, instead of poor Neipperg who was sent
instead, there might have been a considerably different account to give
of the sequel. But Neipperg was Tutor (War-Tutor) to the Grand-Duke;
Browne is still of young standing (age only thirty-five), with a touch
of veiled sarcasm; and things must go their course.
In Schlesien, Schwerin is now to command in chief; the King going off to
Berlin for a little, naturally with plenty of errand there. The Prussian
Troops go into Winter-quarters; spread themselves wide; beset the good
points, especially the Passes of the Hills,--from Jagerndorf, eastward
to the Jablunka leading towards Hungary;--nay they can, and before long
do, spread into the Moravian Territories, on the other side; and levy
contributions, the Queen proving unreasonable.
It was Monday, 23d, when the Siege of Neisse was abandoned: on
Wednesday, Friedrich himself turns homeward; looks into Schweidnitz,
looks into Liegnitz; and arrives at Berlin as the week ends,--much
acclamation greeting him from the multitude. Except those three masked
Fortresses, capable of no defence to speak of, were Winter over, Silesia
is now all Friedrich's,--has fallen wholly to him in the space of about
Seven Weeks. The seizure has been easy; but the retaining of it, perhaps
he himself begins to see more clearly, will have difficulties! From this
point, the talk about GLOIRE nearly ceases in his Correspondence. In
those seven weeks he has, with GLOIRE or otherwise, cut out for himself
such a life of labor as no man of his Century had.