友情提示:如果本网页打开太慢或显示不完整,请尝试鼠标右键“刷新”本网页!
合租小说网 返回本书目录 加入书签 我的书架 我的书签 TXT全本下载 『收藏到我的浏览器』

history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第23部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完,想下次继续接着阅读,可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能!


e tenderest esteem; with which I am; my dearest Sister; your 'in truth; affectionate Brother at all times'      F。〃 ' OEuvres de Frederic;  xxvii。 i。 294; 295; 296…298。' 


PRINCE AUGUST WILHELM FINDS A BAD PROBLEM AT JUNG…BUNZLAU; AND DOES IT BADLY: FRIEDRICH THEREUPON HAS TO RISE FROM LEITMERITZ; AND TAKE THE FIELD ELSEWHERE; IN BITTER HASTE AND IMPATIENCE; WITH OUTLOOKS WORSE THAN EVER。

The Prince of Prussia's Enterprise had its intricacies; but; by good management; was capable of being done。 At least; so Friedrich thought;though; in truth; it would have been better had Friedrich gone himself; since the chief pressure happened to fall there! The Prince has to retire; Parthian…like; as slowly as possible; with the late Kolin or Moritz…Bevern Army; towards the Lausitz; keeping his eye upon Silesia the while; of course securing the passes and strong places in his passage; for defence of his own rear at lowest; especially securing Zittau; a fine opulent Town; where his chief Magazine is; fed from Silesia now。 The Army is in good strength (guess 30;000); with every equipment complete; in discipline; in health and in heart; such as beseems a Prussian Army;probably longing rather; if it venture to long or wish for anything not yet commanded; to have a stroke at those Austrians again; and pay them something towards that late Kolin score。

The Prince arrived at Jung…Bunzlau; June 30th; Winterfeld with him; and; at his own request; Schmettau。 The Austrians have not yet stirred: if they do; it may be upon the King; it may be upon the Prince: in three or even in two marches; Prince and King can be together;the King only too happy; in the present oppressive coil of doubts; to find the Austrians ready for a new passage of battle; and an immediate decision。 The Austrians did; in fact; break out; seemingly; at first; upon the King; but in reality upon the Prince; whom they judge safer game; and the matter became much more critical upon him than had been expected。

The Prince was thought to have a good judgment (too much talk in it; we sometimes feared); and fair knowledge in military matters。 The King; not quite by the Prince's choice; has given him Winterfeld for Mentor; Winterfeld; who has an excellent military head in such matters; and a heart firm as steel;almost like a second self in the King's estimation。 Excellent Winterfeld;but then there are also Schmettau; Bevern and others; possibly in private not too well affected to this Winterfeld。 In fact; there is rather a multitude of Counsellers;and an ingenuous fine…spirited Prince; perhaps more capable of eloquence on the Opposition side; than of condensing into real wisdom a multitude of counsels; when the crisis rises; and the affair becomes really difficult。 Crisis did rise: the victorious Austrians; after such delay; had finally made up their minds to press this one a little; this one rather than the King; and hang upon his skirts; Daun and Prince Karl set out after him; just about the time of his arrival; 〃70;000 strong;〃 the Prince hears; including plenty of Pandours。 Certain it is; the poor Prince's mind did flounder a good deal; and his procedures succeeded extremely ill on this occasion。 Certain; too; that they were extremely ill…taken at head…quarters: and that he even died soon after;chiefly of broken heart; said the censorious world。 It is well known how Europe rang with the matter for a long while; and Books were printed; and Documents; and COLLECTIONS BY A MASTER'S HAND。 ' Lettres Secretes touchant la Deniere Guerre; de Main de Maitre; divisees en deux parties  (Francfort et Amsterdam; 1772): this is the Prince's own Statement; Proof in hand。 By far the clearest Account is in  Schmettau's Leben  (by his Son); pp。 353…384。 See also Preuss; ii。 57…61; and especially ii。 407。' We; who can spend but a page or two on it; must carefully stand by the essential part。

〃JUNE 30th…JULY 3d; Prince at Jung…Bunzlau; in chief command。 Besides Winterfeld; the Generals under him are Ziethen; Schmettau; Fouquet; Retzow; Goltz; and two others who need not be of our acquaintance。 Impossible to stay there; thinks the Prince; thinks everybody; and they shift to Neuschloss; westward thirty miles。 July 1st; Daun had crossed the Elbe (Daun let us say for brevity; though it is Daun and Karl; or even Karl and Daun; Karl being chief; and capable of saying so at times; though Daun is very splendent since Kolin);crossed the Elbe above Brandeis; Nadasti; with precursor Pandours; now within an hour's march of Jung…Bunzlau;and it was time to go。

〃JULY 3d…6th; At Neuschloss; which is thought a strong position; key of the localities there; and nearer Friedrich too; the Prince stayed not quite four days; shifted to Bohm (BohmISCH) Leipa; JULY 7th;rather off from Leitmeritz; but a march towards Zittau; where the provisions are。 'A bad change;' said the Prince's friends afterwards; (change advised by Winterfeld;who never mentioned that circumstance to his Majesty; many as he did mention; not in the best way!'Prince gets to Bohm Leipa July 7th; stays there; in questionable circumstances; nine days。

〃Bohm Leipa is still not above thirty miles northeastward of the King; and it is about the same distance southwestward from Zittau; out of which fine Town; partly by cross…roads; the Prince gets his provisions on this march。 From Zittau hitherward; as far as the little Town of Gabel; which lies about half way; there is broad High Road; the great Southern KAISER…STRASSE: from Gabel; for Bohm Leipa; you have to cross southwestward by country roads; the keys to which; especially Gabel; the Prince has not failed to secure by proper garrison parties。 And so; for about a week; not quite uncomfortably; he continues at Bohm Leipa; getting in his convoys from Zittau。 Diligently scanning the Pandour stragglings and sputterings round him; which are clearly on the increasing hand。 Diligently corresponding with the King; meanwhile; who much discourages undue apprehension; or retreat movement till the last pinch。 'Edging backward; and again backward; you come bounce upon Berlin one day; and will then have to halt!'which is not pleasant to the Prince。 But; indisputably; the Pandour spurts on him do become Pandour gushings; with regulars also noticeable: it is certain the Austrians are out;pretending first to mean the King and Leitmeritz; but knowing better; and meaning the Prince and Bohm Leipa all the while。〃By way of supplement; take Daun's positions in the interim:

Daun and Karl were at Podschernitz 26th June; 1st July; cross the Elbe; above Brandeis (Nadasti now within an hour's march of Jung… Bunzlau); 7th July (day while the Prince is flitting to Bohm Leipa); Daun is through Jung…Bunzlau to Munchengratz; thence to Liebenau; 14th; to Niemes; not above four miles from the Prince's rightmost outpost (rightmost or eastmost; which looks away from his Brother); while a couple of advanced parties; Beck and Maguire; hover on his flank Zittau…ward; and Nadasti (if he knew it) is pushing on to rear。

〃THURSDAY; 14th JULY; About six in the evening; at Bohm Leipa; distinct cannon…thunder is heard from northeast: 'Evidently Gabel getting cannonaded; and our wagon convoy 'empty; going to Zittau for meal; General Puttkammer escorting' is in a dangerous state!' And by and by hussar parties of ours come in; with articulate news to that bad effect: 'Gabel under hot attack of regulars; Puttkammer with his 3;000 vigorously defending; will expect to be relieved within not many hours!' Here has the crisis come。 Crisis sure enough;and the Prince; to meet it; summons that refuge of the irresolute; a Council of War。

〃Winterfeld; who is just come home in these moments; did not attend;not; till three next morning。 Winterfeld had gone to bed; fairly 'tired dead;' with long marching and hurrying about。 To the poor Prince there are three courses visible。 Course FIRST; That of joining the King at Leitmeritz。 Gabel; Zittau lost in that case; game given up;reception likely to be bad at Leitmeritz! Course SECOND;the course Friedrich himself would at once have gone upon; and been already well ahead with;That of instantly taking measures for the relief of Puttkammer。 Dispute Gabel to the last; retreat; on loss of it; Parthian…like; to Zittau; by that broad Highway; short and broad; whole distance hence only thirty miles。 'Thirty miles;' say the multitude of Counsellors: 'Yes; but the first fifteen; TO Gabel; is cross…road; hilly; difficult; they have us in flank!' 'We are 25;000;' urges the Prince; 'fifteen miles is not much!' The thing had its difficulties: the Prince himself; it appears; faintly thought it feasible: '25;000 we; 20;000 they; only fifteen miles;' said he。 But the variety of Counsellors: 'Cross…roads; defiles; flank…march; dangerous;' said they。 And so the third course; which was incomparably the worst; found favor in Council of War: That of leaving Gabel and Puttkammer to their fate; and of pushing off for Zittau leftwards through the safe Hills; by Kamnitz; Kreywitz; Rumburg;which; if the reader look; is by a circuitous; nay quite parabolic course; twice or thrice as far:'In that manner let us save Zittau and our Main Body!' said the Council of War。 Yes; my friends: a cannon…ball; endeavoring to get into Zittau from the town…ditch; would have to take a parabolic course;and the cannon… ball would be speedy upon it; and not have Hill roads to go by! This notable parabolic circuit of narrow steep roads may have its difficulties for an Army and its baggages!〃 Enough; the poor Prince adopted that worst third course; and even made no despatch in getting into it; and it proved ruinous to Zittau; and to much else; his own life partly included。

〃JULY 16th…22d。 Thursday night; or Friday 3 A。M。; that third and incomparably worst course was adopted: Gabel; Puttkammer with his wagons; ensigns; kettledrums; all this has to surrender in a day: High Road to Zittau; for the Austrians; is a smooth march; when they like to gather fully there; and start。 And in the Hills; with their jolts and precipitous windings; infested too by Pandours; the poor Prussian Main Body; on its wide parabolic circuit; has a time of it! Loses its pontoons; loses most of its baggage; obliged to set fire; not to 
返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0
快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
温馨提示: 温看小说的同时发表评论,说出自己的看法和其它小伙伴们分享也不错哦!发表书评还可以获得积分和经验奖励,认真写原创书评 被采纳为精评可以获得大量金币、积分和经验奖励哦!