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
"TUESDAY, 28th. Junction with Keith,--Bridge rightly secured, due party
of dragoons and foot left on the right bank, to occupy a height which
covers Leitmeritz. 'Clearing of the Pascopol' (that is, sweeping the
Pandours out of it) is the first business; Colonel Loudon with his
Pandours, a most swift sharpcutting man, being now here in those parts;
doing a deal of mischief. Three days ago, Saturday, 25th, Keith had sent
seven battalions, with the proper steel-besoms, on that Pascopol affair;
Tuesday, on junction, Majesty sends three more: job done on Wednesday;
reported 'done,'--though I should not be surprised," says Westphalen,
"if some little highway robbery still went on among the Mountains up
there."
No;--and before quitting hold, what is this that Loudon (on the very
day of the King's arrival, June 27th), on the old Field of Lobositz
over yonder, has managed to do! General Mannstein, wounded at Kolin,
happened, with others in like case, to be passing that way, towards
Dresden and better surgery,--when Loudon's Croats set upon them,
scattering their slight escort: "Quarter, on surrender! Prisoners?"
"Never!" answered Mannstein; "Never!" that too impetuous man, starting
out from his carriage, and snatching a musket: and was instantly cut
down there. And so ends;--a man of strong head, and of heart only too
strong. [Preuss, ii. 58; _Militair-Lexikon,_ iii. 10.]
From Prag onwards, here has been a delicate set of operations; perfectly
executed,--thanks to Friedrich's rapidity of shift, and also to the
cautious slowly puzzling mind of Daun. Had Daun used any diligence,
had Daun and Prince Karl been broad awake, together or even singly! But
Friedrich guessed they seldom or never were; that they would spend
some days in puzzling; and that, with despatch, he would have time for
everything. Daun, we could observe, stood singing TE-DEUM, greatly at
leisure, in his old Camp, 20th June, while Friedrich, from the first
gray of morning, and diligently all day long, was withdrawing from the
trenches of Prag,--Friedrich's people, self and goods getting folded
out in the finest gradation, and with perfect success; no Daun to hinder
him,--Daun leisurely doing TE-DEUM, forty miles off, helping on the
WRONG side by that exertion! [Cogniazzo, ii. 367.]--"Poor Browne, he
is dead of his wounds, in Prag yonder," writes Westphalen, in his
Leitmeritz Journal, "news came to us July 1st: men said, 'Ah, that was
why they lay asleep.'"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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