Battles of the nineteenth century, vol. 1 of 7

Name: Battles of the nineteenth century, vol. 1 of 7
Author: Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)

Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)

Battles; Military history, Modern -- 19th century

But von Norman had barely started on his long and perilous ride when,
lo and behold! another officer, Major von Ungar, came spurring in to
the quarters of the Red Prince with a great piece of news. Attended
by only a few dragoons, this officer had gone out scouting in the
direction of Königgrätz, and discovered that the bulk of the Austrian
army was without doubt on the right, or Prussian, side of the Elbe,
holding a strong position on the further bank of the Bistritz brook,
which ran very nearly parallel with the Elbe at a distance from it
of some four miles. The position was strong, but not half so much so
as the dreaded one beyond the Elbe, and the hearts of the Prussians
jumped for joy. It seemed to them as if God had already delivered the
Austrians into their hands, as Cromwell avowed of the Scots when they
left their high ground at Dunbar and descended to meet his Ironsides
on the plain. After gleaning this priceless intelligence, von Norman
had to ride for his life. A squadron of Austrian cavalry made a dash to
catch him, but he rode like an English fox-hunter, and only left behind
him, as a souvenir of his audacious visit to the enemy’s lines, a part
of his tunic which had been carried away by an Austrian lance-thrust.

  [Illustration: BATTLE OF KÖNIGGRÄTZ.]

This, then, was the news which Voigts-Rhetz had brought to Moltke and
the King at Gitschin, and then the situation underwent an immediate and
final change. It was resolved to assail the Austrian position early
on the morrow with the whole force of the united Prussian armies, and
another message to this effect, cancelling all previous ones, as a
codicil does a will, was at midnight despatched to the Crown Prince on
one hand and Herwarth on the other, informing them of the altered state
of things, and desiring them on the morrow to assail the flanks of
the Austrians as fast and furiously as ever they could; while the Red
Prince would apply his battering-rams to their elevated and strongly
entrenched centre. This urgent message was entrusted to Colonel von
Finckenstein, who, after a very dark and dangerous ride of twenty
miles, reached the Crown Prince’s quarters about four o’clock on the
morning of the 3rd July.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Battles of the nineteenth century, vol. 1 of 7Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)

History

Battles of the nineteenth century, vol. 1 of 7

Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)

Battles; Military history, Modern -- 19th century

But von Norman had barely started on his long and perilous ride when,
lo and behold! another officer, Major von Ungar, came spurring in to
the quarters of the Red Prince with a great piece of news. Attended
by only a few dragoons, this officer had gone out scouting in the
direction of Königgrätz, and discovered that the bulk of the Austrian
army was without doubt on the right, or Prussian, side of the Elbe,
holding a strong position on the further bank of the Bistritz brook,
which ran very nearly parallel with the Elbe at a distance from it
of some four miles. The position was strong, but not half so much so
as the dreaded one beyond the Elbe, and the hearts of the Prussians
jumped for joy. It seemed to them as if God had already delivered the
Austrians into their hands, as Cromwell avowed of the Scots when they
left their high ground at Dunbar and descended to meet his Ironsides
on the plain. After gleaning this priceless intelligence, von Norman
had to ride for his life. A squadron of Austrian cavalry made a dash to
catch him, but he rode like an English fox-hunter, and only left behind
him, as a souvenir of his audacious visit to the enemy’s lines, a part
of his tunic which had been carried away by an Austrian lance-thrust.

  [Illustration: BATTLE OF KÖNIGGRÄTZ.]

This, then, was the news which Voigts-Rhetz had brought to Moltke and
the King at Gitschin, and then the situation underwent an immediate and
final change. It was resolved to assail the Austrian position early
on the morrow with the whole force of the united Prussian armies, and
another message to this effect, cancelling all previous ones, as a
codicil does a will, was at midnight despatched to the Crown Prince on
one hand and Herwarth on the other, informing them of the altered state
of things, and desiring them on the morrow to assail the flanks of
the Austrians as fast and furiously as ever they could; while the Red
Prince would apply his battering-rams to their elevated and strongly
entrenched centre. This urgent message was entrusted to Colonel von
Finckenstein, who, after a very dark and dangerous ride of twenty
miles, reached the Crown Prince’s quarters about four o’clock on the
morning of the 3rd July.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Battles of the nineteenth century, vol. 1 of 7

Battles of the nineteenth century, vol. 1 of 7

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