History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
Wied, divided into Three, is diligently pushing up on Ludwigsdorf by the
slacker eastern ascents; meets firm enough battalions, potent, dangerous
and resolute in their strong posts; but endeavors firmly to be more
dangerous than they. Dislodges everything, on his right, on his left;
comes in sight of the batteries and ranked masses atop, which seem to
him difficult indeed; flatly impossible, if tried on front; but always
some Colonel Lottum, or quick-eyed man, finds some little valley, little
hollow; gets at the Enemy side-wise and rear-wise; rushes on with fixed
bayonets, double-quick, to co-operate with the front: and, on the whole,
there are the best news from Wied, and we perceive he sees his way
through the affair.
Upon which, Mollendorf gets in motion, upon his specific errand.
Mollendorf has been surveying his ground a little, during the leisure
hour; especially examining what mode of passage there may be, and
looking for some road up those slacker western parts: has found no road,
but a kind of sheep track, which he thinks will do. Mollendorf, with all
energy, surmounting many difficulties, pushes up accordingly; gets into
his sheep-track; finds, in the steeper part of this track, that horses
cannot draw his cannon; sets his men to do it; pulls and pushes, he
and they, with a right will;--sees over his left shoulder, at a certain
point, the ranked Austrians waiting for him behind their cannon (which
must have been an interesting glimpse of scenery for some moments); tugs
along, till he is at a point for planting his cannon; and then, under
help of these, rushes forward,--in two parts, perhaps in three, but with
one impetus in all,--to seize the Austrian fruit set before him.
Surely, if a precious, a very prickly Pomegranate, to clutch hold of
on different sides, after such a climb! The Austrians make stiff fight;
have abatis, multiplex defences; and Mollendorf has a furious wrestle
with this last remnant, holding out wonderfully,--till at length the
abatis itself catches fire, in the musketry, and they have to surrender.
This must be about noon, as I collect: and Feldmarschall Daun himself
now orders everybody to fall back. And the tug of fight is over;--though
Friedrich's scenic effects did not cease; and in particular his big
battery raged till 5 in the afternoon, the more to confirm Daun's
rearward resolutions and quicken his motions. On fall of night, Daun,
everybody having had his orders, and been making his preparations for
six hours past, ebbed totally away; in perfect order, bag and baggage.
Well away to southward; and left Friedrich quit of him. [Tempelhof. vi.
100-115: compare _Bericht von der bey Leutmannsdorf den 21sten Julius
1762 vorgefallenen Action_ (Seyfarth, _Beylagen,_ iii. 302-308);
_Anderweiter Bericht von der &c._ (ib. 308-314); Archenholtz, &c. &c.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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