太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18 >

第20节

history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第20节

小说: history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18 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!



 of having spoken at all; and brought such a matter into the streets and their pie…powder adjudications。 'In KUTZEN; pp。 217…237; a long dissertation on it。' For the present; he is Adjutant to Moritz; busy obeying to the letter。

Friedrich; withdrawing to his Height again; and looking back on Moritz; finds that he is making right in upon the Austrian line; which was by no means Friedrich's meaning; had not he been so brief。 Friedrich; doubtless with pain; remembers now that he had said only; 〃Face to right!〃 and had then got into Olympian tempest; which left things dark to Moritz。 〃HALB…LINKS; Half to left withal!〃 he despatches that new order to Moritz; with the utmost speed: 〃Face to right; THEN; forward half to left。〃 Had Moritz; at the first; got that commentary to his order; there had probably been no remonstrance on Moritz's part; no Olympian scene to keep silent; and Moritz; taking that diagonal direction from the first; had hit in at or below Kreczor; at the very point where he was needed。 Alas for overhaste; short…cuts; if they are to be good; ought at least to be made clear! Moritz; on the new order reaching him; does instantly steer half…left: but he arrives now above Kreczor; strikes the Austrian line on this side of Kreczor; disjoined from Hulsen; where he can do no good to Hulsen: in brief; Moritz; and now the whole line with him; have to do as Mannstein and sequel are doing; attack in face; not in flank; and try what; in the proportion of one to two; uphill; and against batteries; they can make of it in that fashion!

And so; from right wing to left; miles long; there is now universal storm of volleying; bayonet…charging; thunder of artillery; case… shot; cartridge…shot; and sulphurous devouring whirlwind; the wrestle very tough and furious; especially on the assaulting side。 Here; as at Prag; the Prussian troops were one and all in the fire; each doing strenuously his utmost; no complaint to be made of their performance。 More perfect soldiers; I believe; were rarely or never seen on any field of war。 But there is no reserve left: Mannstein and the rest; who should have been reserve; and at a General's disposal; we see what they are doing! In vain; or nearly so; is Friedrich's tactic or manoeuvring talent; what now is there to manoeuvre? All is now gone up into one combustion。 To fan the fire; to be here; there; fanning the fire where need shows: this is now Friedrich's function; 〃everywhere in the hottest of the fight;〃 that is all we at present know of him; invisible to us otherwise。 This death…wrestle lasted perhaps four hours; till seven or towards eight o'clock in the June evening; the sun verging downwards; issue still uncertain。

And; in fact; at last the issue turned upon a hair;such the empire of Chance in War matters。 Cautious Daun; it is well known; did not like the aspect of the thing; cautious Daun thinks to himself; 〃If we get pushed back into that Camp of yesternight; down the Kamhayek Heights; and right into the impassable swamps; the reverse way; Heights now HIS; not ours; and impassable swamps waiting to swallow us? Wreck complete; and surrender at discretion!〃 Daun writes in pencil: 〃The retreat is to Suchdol〃 (Kuttenberg way; southward; where we have heights again and magazines); Daun's Aide…de…camp is galloping every…whither with that important Document; and Generals are preparing for retreat accordingly;one General on the right wing has; visibly to Hulsen and us; his cannon out of battery; and under way rearwards; a welcome sight to Hulsen; who; with imperfect reinforcement; is toughly maintaining himself there all day。

And now the Daun Aide…de…camp; so Chance would have it; cannot find Nostitz the Saxon Commandant of Horse in that quarter; finds a 〃Saxon Lieutenant…Colonel B…〃 (〃Benkendorf〃 all Books now write him plainly); who; by another little chance; had been still left there: 〃Can the Herr Lieutenant…Colonel tell me where General Nostitz is?〃 Benkendorf can tell;will himself take the message: but Benkendorf looks into the important Pencil Document; thinks it premature; wasteful; and that the contrary is feasible! persuades Nostitz so to think; persuades this regiment and that (Saxon; Austrian; horse and foot); though the cannon in retreat go trundling past them: 〃Merely shifting their battery; don't you see:Steady!〃 And; in fine; organizes; of Saxon and Austrian horse and foot in promising quantity (Saxons in great fury on the Pirna score; not to say the Striegau; and other old grudges); a new unanimous assault on Hulsen。

The assault was furious; and became ever more so; at length irresistible to Hulsen。 Hulsen's horse; pressing on as to victory; are at last hurled back; could not be rallied; 'That of 〃RUCKER; WOLLT IHR EWIG LEBEN; Rascals; would you live forever?〃 with the 〃Fritz; for eight groschen; this day there has been enough!〃is to be counted pure myth; not unsuccessful; in its withered kind。' fairly fled (some of them); confusing Hulsen's foot;foot is broken; instantly ranks itself; as the manner of Prussians is; ranks itself in impromptu squares; and stands fiercely defensive again; amid the slashing and careering: wrestle of extreme fury; say the witnesses。 〃This for Striegau!〃 cried the Saxon dragoons; furiously sabring。 'Archenholtz; i。 100。' Yes; and is there nothing to account of Pirna; and the later scores? Scores unliquidated; very many still; but the end is; Hulsen is driven away; retreats; Parthian…like; down…hill; some space; whose sad example has to spread rightwards like a powder…train; till all are in retreat;northward; towards Nimburg; is the road;and the Battle of Kolin is finished。

Friedrich made vehement effort to rally the Horse; to rally this and that; but to no purpose: one account says he did collect some small body; and marched forth at the head of it against a certain battery; but; in his rear; man after man fell away; till Lieutenant…Colonel Grant (not 〃Le Grand;〃 as some call him; and indeed there is an ACCENT of Scotch in him; still audible to us here) had to remark; 〃Your Majesty and I cannot take the battery ourselves!〃 Upon which Friedrich turned round; and; finding nobody; looked at the Enemy through his glass; and slowly rode away 'Retzow; i。 139。'on a different errand。

Seeing the Battle irretrievably lost; he now called Bevern and Moritz to him; gave them charge of the retreat〃To Nimburg; cross Elbe there 'fifteen good miles away'; and in the defiles of Planian have especial care!〃 and himself rode off thitherward; his Garde…du…Corps escorting。 Retzow says; 〃a swarm of fugitive horse… soldiers; baggage…people; grooms and led horses gathered in the train of him: these latter; at one point;〃 Retzow has heard in Opposition circles; 〃rushed up; galloping: 'Enemy's hussars upon us!' and set the whole party to the gallop for some time; till they found the alarm was false。〃 'Ib。 i。 140。' Of Friedrich we see nothing; except as if by cloudy moonlight in an uncertain manner; through this and the other small Anecdote; perhaps semi…mythical; and true only in the essence of it。

Daun gave no chase anywhere; on his extreme left he had; perhaps as preparative for chasing; ordered out the cavalry; 〃General Stampach and cavalry from the centre;〃 with cannon; with infantry and appliances; to clear away the wrecks of Mannstein; and what still stands; to right of him; on the Planian Highway yonder。 But Stampach found 〃obstacles of ground;〃 wet obstacles and also dry;Prussian posts; smaller and greater; who would not stir a hand…breadth: in fact; an altogether deadly storm of Negative; spontaneous on their part; from the indignant regiments thereabouts; King's First Battalion; and two others; who blazed out on Stampach in an extraordinary manner; tearing to shreds every attempt of his; themselves stiff as steel: 〃Die; all of us; rather than stir!〃 And; in fact; the second man of these poor fellows did die there? 'Kutzen; p。 138 (from the canonical; or 〃STAFF…OFFICER'S〃 enumeration: see SUPRA; p。 403 n。)。' So that Bevern; Commander in that part; who was absent speaking with the King; found on his return a new battle broken out; which he did not forbid but encourage; till Stampach had enough; and withdrew in rather torn condition。 This; if this were some preparative for chasing; was what Daun did of it; in the cavalry way; and this was all。 The infantry he strictly prohibited to stir from their position;〃No saying; if we come into the level ground; with such an enemy!〃and passed the night under arms。 Far on our left; or what was once our left; Ziethen with all his squadrons; nay Hulsen with most of his battalions; continued steady on the ground; and marched away at their leisure; as rear…guard。

〃It seemed;〃 says Tempelhof; in splenetic tone; 〃as if Feldmarschall Daun; like a good Christian; would not suffer the sun to go down on his wrath。 This day; nearly the longest in the year; he allowed the Prussian cavalry; which had beaten Nadasti; to stand quiet on the field till ten at night 'till nine'; he did not send a single hussar in chase of the infantry。 He stood all night under arms; and next day returned to his old Camp; as if he had been afraid the King would come back。 Arriving there himself; he could see; about ten in the morning; behind Kaurzim and Pl

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 1

你可能喜欢的