patrols, the Austrians and Saxons emerged from the hills at
Hohenfriedberg with bands playing and colours flying. Their advanced
guard of infantry and cavalry spread out into the plain, making for a
line of hills spreading north-west from Striegau, where the army was to
encamp. But the main body moved slowly, and at last Prince Charles and
Weissenfels decided to put off the occupation of the line of hills till
the morrow. The army bivouacked therefore in two separate wings, the
Saxons (with a few Austrian regiments) between Gunthersdorf and
Pilgramshain, the Austrians near Hausdorf. They were about 70,000
strong, Frederick 65,000.
[Illustration: Hohenfriedberg, June 4, 1745.]
The king had made his arrangements in good time, aided by the enemy's
slowness, and in the evening he issued simple orders to move. About 9
P.M. the Prussians marched off from Alt-Jauernigk towards Striegau, the
guns on the road, the infantry and cavalry, in long open columns of
companies and squadrons, over the fields on either side--a night march
well remembered by contrast with others as having been executed in
perfect order. Meanwhile General Dumoulin, who commanded an advanced
detachment between Striegau and Stanowitz, broke camp silently and moved
into position below the hill north-west of Striegau, which was found to
be occupied by Saxon light infantry outposts. The king's orders were for
Dumoulin and the right wing of the main army to deploy and advance
towards Haslicht against the Saxons, and for the left wing infantry to
prolong the line from the marsh to Gunthersdorf, covered by the
left-wing cavalry on the plain near Thomaswaldau. On the side of the
Austrians, the outlying hussars are said to have noticed and reported
the king's movement, for the night was clear and starlit, but their
report, if made, was ignored.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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