History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 17Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 17
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
In fine, after some three hours more of desperate tugging and
struggling, cannon on both sides going at a great rate, and infinite
musketry ("ninety cartridges a man on our Prussian side, and ammunition
falling done"), not without bayonet-pushings, and smitings with the butt
of your musket, the Austrians are driven into Lobositz; are furiously
pushed there, and, in spite of new battalions coming to the rescue,
are fairly pushed through. These Village-streets are too narrow for
new battalions from Browne; "much of the Village should have been burnt
beforehand," say cool judges. And now, sure enough, it does get burnt;
Lobositz is now all on fire, by Prussian industry. So that the Austrians
have to quit it instantly; and rush off in great disorder; key of the
Battle, or Battle itself, quite lost to them.
The Prussian infantry, led by the Duke of Brunswick-Bevern ("Governor of
Stettin," one of the Duke-Ferdinand cousinry, frugal and valiant), gave
the highest satisfaction; seldom was such firing, such furious pushing;
they had spent ninety cartridges a man; were at last quite out of
cartridges; so that Bevern had to say, "Strike in with bayonets, MEINE
KINDER; butt-ends, or what we have; HERAN!" Our Grenadiers were mainly
they that burnt Lobositz. "How salutary now would it have been," says
Epimetheus Lloyd, "had Browne had a small battery on the other side of
the Elbe;" whereby he might have taken them in flank, and shorn them
into the wind! Epimetheus marks this battery on his Plan; and is wise
behindhand, at a cheap rate.
Browne's Right Wing, and probably his Army with it, would have gone much
to perdition, now that Lobositz was become Prussian,--had not Browne,
in the nick of the moment, made a masterly movement: pushed forward
his Centre and Left Wing, numerous battalions still fresh, to interpose
between the chasing Prussians and those fugitives. The Prussians,
infantry only, cannot chase on such terms; the Prussian cavalry, we
know, is far rearward on the high ground. Browne retires a mile
or two,--southward, Budin-ward,--not chased; and there halts, and
rearranges himself; thinking what farther he will do. His aim in
fighting had only been to defend himself; and in that humble aim he has
failed. Chase of the Prussians over that Homolka-Lobosch country, with
the high grounds rearward and the Metal Mountains in their hands, he
could in no event have attempted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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