History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 09Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 09
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
FIRST, That no French help came, or as good as none; the minatory
War-fleet having landed a poor 1,500 men, headed by the Comte de Plelo,
who had volunteered along with them; that they attempted one onslaught
on the Russian lines, and that Plelo was shot, and the rest were blown
to miscellaneous ruin, and had to disappear, not once getting into
Dantzig.
SECONDLY, That the Saxons, under Weissenfels, our poor old friend, with
proper siege-artillery, though not with enough, did, by effort (end
of May), get upon the scene; in which this is to be remarked, that
Weissenfels's siege-artillery "came by post;" two big mortars expressly
passing through Berlin, marked as part of the Duke of Weissenfels's
Luggage. And
THIRDLY, That Munnich, who had succeeded Lacy as Besieging General, and
was in hot haste, and had not artillery enough, made unheard-of assaults
(2,000 men, some say 4,000, lost in one night-attack upon a post they
call the Hagelberg; rash attack, much blamed by military men); [_OEuvres
de Frederic,_ xxvii. part 2d, p. 31.]--but nevertheless, having now
(by Russian Fleet, middle of June) got siege-artillery enough, advances
irrepressibly day by day.
So that at length, things being now desperate, Stanislaus, disguised as
a cattle-dealer, privately quitted Dantzig, night of 27th June, 1734;
got across the intricate mud-and-water difficulties of the Weichsel and
its mouths, flying perilously towards Preussen and Friedrich Wilhelm's
protection. [Narrative by himself, in HISTORY, pp. 235-248.] Whereby the
Siege of Dantzig ended in chamade, and levying of penalties; penalties
severe to a degree, though Friedrich Wilhelm interceded what he could.
And with the Siege of Dantzig, the blazing Polish Election went out
in like manner; [Clear account, especially of Siege, in Mannstein
(pp. 71-83), who was there as Munnich's Aide-de-damp.]--having already
kindled, in quarters far away from it, conflagrations quite otherwise
interesting to us. Whitherward we now hasten.
Chapter IX. -- KAISER'S SHADOW-HUNT HAS CAUGHT FIRE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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