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history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第81章

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ir Camp again; leaving only the artillery to respond; so far as needful; and bow…wow across the Zabern ground; till the Russians lay down again。

Friedrich's Hussars knew of the Russian WAGENBURG; or general baggage reservoirs; at Klein Kamin; by this time。 The Hussars had been in it; last night; rummaging extensively; at discretion for some time; and had brought away much money and portable plunder。 Why Friedrich; who lay direct between Fermor and his Wagenburg; did not; this day; extinguish said Wagenburg; I do not know; but guess it may have been a fault of omission; in the great welter this was now grown to be to the weary mind。 Beyond question; if one had blown up Fermor's remaining gunpowder; and carried off or burnt his meal…sacks; he must have cowered away all the faster towards Landsberg to seek more。 Or perhaps Friedrich now judged it immaterial; and a question only of hours?

About midnight of Saturday…Sunday; there again rose bow…wowing; bellowing of Russian cannon; not from beyond the Zabern ground this time; nor stationary anywhere; but from the south some transient part of it; and not far off;one ball struck a carriage near the King's tent; and shattered it。 Thick mist mantles everything; and it is difficult to know what the Russians have on hand in their sylvan seclusions。 After a time; it becomes manifest the Russians are on retreat; winding round; through the southern woods; behind Zorndorf and the charred Villages; to Klein Kamin; Landsberg way。 Friedrich; following now on the heel of them; finds all got to Klein Kamin; to breakfast there in their Wagenburg refectory; sharply vigilant; many FLECHES (little arrow…shaped redoubts; so named) and much artillery round them。 Nothing considerable to be done upon them; now or afterwards; except pick up stragglers; and distress their rear a little。 The King himself; in the first movement; was thought to be in alarming peril; such a blaze of case…shot rose upon him; as he went reconnoitring foremost of all。 'Tempelhof; ii。 216…238; Tielcke; ii。 79…154; Archenholtz; i。 253…264;  Helden…Geschichte;  v。 156…179 (with many LISTS; private LETTERS and the like details); &c。 &c。'

And this was; at last; the end of Zorndorf Battle; on the third day this。 Was there ever seen such a fight of Theseus and the Minotaur! Theseus; rapid; dexterous; with Heaven's lightning in his eyes; seizing the Minotaur; lassoing him by the hinder foot; then by the right horn; pouring steel and destruction into him; the very dust darkening all the air。 Minotaur refusing to die when killed; tumbling to and fro upon its Theseus; the two lugging and tugging; flinging one another about; and describing figures of 8 round each other for three days before it ended。 Minotaur walking off on his own feet; after all。 It was the bloodiest battle of the Seven…Years War; one of the most furious ever fought; such rage possessing the individual elements; rage unusual in modern wars。 Must have altered Friedrich's notion of the Russians; when he next comes to speak with Keith。 It was not till the fourth day hence (August 31st); so unattackably strong was this position at Klein Kamin; that the Russian Minotaur would fairly get to its feet a second time; and slowly stagger off; in real earnest; Landsberg way and Konigsberg way;Friedrich right glad to leave Dohna in attendance on it; and hasten off (September 2d) towards Saxony and Prince Henri; where his presence is now become very needful。

  MAP GOES HERE FACING PAGE 138; BOOK XVIII…


Fermor; walking off in this manner;not till the third day; nay not conclusively till the seventh day; after Zorndorf;strove at first to consider himself victorious。 〃I passed the night on the field of battle 'or NOT far from it; for good reasons; Mutzel being bridgeless': may not I; in the language of enthusiasm; be considered conqueror? Here are 26 of their cannon; got when I cried 'Arah' prematurely。 (Where the 103 pieces of my own are; and my 27 flags; and my Army…chest and sundries? Dropped somewhere; they will probably turn up again!)〃 thinks Fermor;or strives to think; and says。 So that; at Petersburg; at Paris and Vienna; in the next three weeks; there were TE…DEUMS; Ambrosian chantings; fires…of… joy; and considerable arguing among the Gazetteers on both parts; till the dust settled; and facts appeared as they were。 To the effect: 〃TE DEUM non LAUDAMUS; alas no; we must retract; and it was good gunpowder thrown after bad!〃

On always homewards; but at its own pace; waited on by Dohna; goes the Russian Monster: violently case…shotting if you prick into its rearward parts。 One Palmbach;under Romanzow; I think; who had not taken part in the Battle; being out Stettin way; and unable to join till now;Palmbach; with a Detachment of 15;000; which was thought sufficient for the object; did try to make a dash on Colberg;how happy had we any port on the Baltic; to feed us in this Country! But though Colberg is the paltriest crow's…nest (BICOQUE); according to all engineers; and is defended only by 700 militia (the Colonel of them; one Heyde; a gray old Half…pay; not yet renowned in the soldier world; as he here came to be); Palmbach; with his best diligence; could make nothing of it; but; after battering; bombarding; even scalading; and in all ways blurting and blazing at a mighty rate for four weeks; and wasting a great deal of gunpowder and 2;000 Russian lives; withdrew on those remarkable terms。 'In  Helden…Geschichte;  v。 349…365 (〃3d…3lst October; 1758〃); a complete and minute JOURNAL of this First Siege of Colberg; which is interesting to read of; as all the Three of them are。' And did then; as tail of Fermor; what Fermor and the Russian Monster was universally doing; make off at a good pace;having nothing to live upon farther;and vanish from those Countries; to the relief of Dohna and mankind。

September 2d; Friedrich; leaving all that; had marched for Saxony; his presence urgently required there。 Daun ought to be far on with the conquest of that Country? Might have had it; say judges; if he had been as swift as some。At Zorndorf; among the Russian Prisoners were certain Generals; Soltikof; Czernichef; Sulkowski the Pole; proud people in their own eyes: no lodging for them but the cellars of Custrin。 Russian Generals complained; 〃Is this a lodging for Field…Officers of rank!〃 Friedrich was not used to profane swearing; or vituperative outbursts; but he answered to the effect: 〃Silence; ye incendiary individuals。 Is there a choice left of lodgings; and for you above others!〃 Upon which they lay silent for some days; till better suited; in fact; till exchanged;and perhaps will soon turn up on us again。



Chapter XIV。

BATTLE OF HOCHKIRCH。

So soon as Friedrich quitted Bohemia and Silesia for his Russian Enterprise; there rose high question at Vienna; 〃To what shall our Daun now turn himself?〃 A Daun; a Reichs Army; free for new employment; in Saxony not much to oppose them; in Silesia almost nothing in comparison。 〃Recapture of Silesia?〃 Yes truly; that is the steady pole…star at Vienna。 But they have no Magazines in Silesia; no Siege…furnitures; and the season is far spent。 They decide that there shall be a stroke upon Dresden; and recovery of Saxony; in Friedrich's absence。 Nothing there at present but a Prince Henri; weak in numbers; say one to two of the Reichs Army by itself。 Let the Reichs Army rise now; and advance through the Metal Mountains from southeast on Prince Henri; let Daun circle round on him; through the Lausitz from northeast: cannot they extinguish Henri between them; snatch Dresden; a weak ill…fortified place; by sudden onslaught; and recapture Saxony? That will be magnanimous to our august Allies;and that will be an excellent scaffolding for recapture of Silesia next year。 And cannot Daun leave a Force in the Silesian vicinities;Deville with so many thousands; Harsch with so many;to besiege one of their Frontier Places; Neisse; for example? Siege…furnitures to come from Mahren: Neisse is not farther from Olmutz than Olmutz was from it。

That was the scheme fallen upon; now getting executed while Friedrich is at Zorndorf well away。 And that; if readers fix it intelligently in their memory; will suffice t

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