History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 18Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 18
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
Wild Cossack parties are scouring over all parts of the field; robbing
the dead, murdering the wounded; doing arson, too, wherever possible;
and even snatching at the Prussian cannon left rearwards, so that the
Hussars have to go upon them again. One large mass of them plundering in
the Hamlet of Zicher, the Hussars surrounded: the Cossacks took to the
outhouses; squatted, ran, called in the aid of fire, their constant
friend: above 400 of them were in some big barn, or range of straw
houses; and set fire to it,--but could not get out for Hussars; the
Hussars were at the outgate: Not a devil of you! said the Hussars; and
the whole four hundred perished there, choked, burnt, or slain by
the Hussars,--and this poor Planet was at length rid of them.
[_Helden-Geschichte,_ v. 166.]
Friedrich sends for his tent-equipages; and the Army pitches its camp in
two big lines, running north and south, looking towards the Russian side
of things; Friedrich's tent in front of the first line; a warrior King
among his people, who have had a day's work of it. The Russian loss
turns out, when counted, to have been 21,529 killed, wounded and
missing, 7,990 of them killed; the Prussian sum-total is 11,390 (above
the Prussian third man), of whom 3,680 slain. And on the shores of
Acheron northward yonder, there still is a simmering. And far and wide
the country is alight with incendiary fires,--many devils still abroad.
Excellency Mitchell, about eight in the evening, is sent for by the
King; finds various chief Generals, Seidlitz among them, on their
various businesses there; congratulates "on the noble victory [not so
conclusive hitherto] which Heaven has granted your Majesty." "Had it not
been for him," said Friedrich,--"Had it not been for him, things
would have had a bad look by this time!" and turned his sun-eyes upon
Seidlitz, with a fine expression in them. [Preuss, ii. 153. Mitchell
(ii. 432) mentions the Interview, nothing of Seidlitz.] To which
Seidlitz's reply, I find, was an embarrassed blush and of articulate
only, "Hm, no, ha, it was your Majesty's Cavalry that did their
duty,--but Wakenitz [my second] does deserve promotion!"--which
Wakenitz, not in a too overflowing measure, got.
Fermor, during the night-watches, having cobbled himself into some kind
of ranks or rows, moves down well westward of Zabern Hollow; to the
Drewitz Heath, where he once before lay, and there makes his bivouac in
the wood, safe under the fir-trees, with the Zabern ground to front of
him. By the above reckoning, 28 or 29,000 still hang to Fermor, or
float vaporously round him; with Friedrich, in his two lines, are some
18,000:--in whole, 46,000 tired mortals sleeping thereabouts; near
12,000 others have fallen into a deeper sleep, not liable to be
disturbed;--and of the wounded on the field, one shudders to imagine.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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