The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military eventsBorthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
History
The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military events
Borthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
Battles; Military history
The Austrian troops in Brada, and the
Saxons and Austrians in Diletz were quite separated by the capture
of the village of Podultz, and the former were almost entirely
taken; the latter were cut off from retreat in large numbers, for
Von Werder was pressing towards Gitschin, the roads were crowded,
and the little river formed on the right of the broken allies
a wide extent of marshy ground, which it was almost impossible
to cross. The loss of the Saxons between Diletz and Gitschin was
tremendous; they fell thickly, and the ground was covered with
corpses. The Prussians suffered much, but they fought most bravely,
and, with only four regiments, and half as many guns as their
opponents, carried a very strong position held by a much superior
force; for the Prussians had in the field but 16,000 men, and the
allied strength is estimated at 30,000. Under a crushing fire they
advanced to the attack of Podultz and Diletz, and the vacancies
in the muster-roll show how fearfully they suffered; but every
man who fell on the Prussian side was trebly avenged, and a long
broad track of fallen enemies marks the line of march of the four
regiments who so well fought and won Diletz.
The field of Diletz is almost more thickly strewn with killed and
wounded. Here the Prussians lie more thickly than at Lochow, for
the more numerous artillery of the defenders ploughed with terrible
effect through the dense columns of the assailants as they advanced
to the attack. But between Diletz and Gitschin the ground is
covered with broken arms, knapsacks, shakos, and fallen men, who
are mostly either Saxons or Austrians, for here the needle-gun was
more used than artillery.
The Prussians took 7000 prisoners in the two combats, and many
officers: and the Austrian loss in killed and wounded is estimated
at 3000, so that yesterday evening has withdrawn 10,000 soldiers
from under the Austrian colours.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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