history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第57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！


es　move　inwards　a　march　or　so；　to　Zwittau；　to　Gewitsch　（still　thirty　miles　to　west　of　Olmutz）；　still　thinking　of　Bohemia；　not　of　any　siege；　still　hanging　by　the　mountains　and　the　bread…basket。　And　there；about　Gewitsch；　siege　or　no　siege；　Daun　sits　down　again；　pretty　much　immovable；　through　the　five　weeks　of　bombardment；　and；except　that　Loudon　and　the　Light　Horse　are　very　diligent　to　do　a　mischief；　〃attempting　our　convoys；　more　than　once；　to　no　purpose；　and　alarming　some　of　our　outposts　almost　every　night；　but　every　night　beaten　off；〃does；　in　a　manner；　nothing；　sits　quiet；　behind　his　impenetrable　veil　of　Pandours；　and　lets　the　bombardment　take　its　course。　Had　not　express　Order　come　from　Vienna　on　him；　it　is　thought　Daun　would　have　sat　till　Olmutz　was　taken；　and　would　then　have　gone　back　to　Leutomischl　and　impregnable　posts　in　the　Hills。　On　express　order；　he　But　gather；　first；　these　poor　sparks　in　elucidation：

〃The　'destructive　sallies'　and　the　like；　at　Olmutz；　were　principally　an　affair　of　the　gazetteers　and　the　imagination：　but　it　is　certain；　Olmutz　this　time　was　excellently　well　defended；　the　Commandant；　a　vigorous　skilful　man；　prompt　to　seize　advantages；　and　Garrison　and　Townsfolk　zealously　helping：　so　that　Friedrich's　progress　was　unusually　slow。　Friedrich's　feelings；　all　this　while；　and　Balbi's　（who　'spent　his　first　1；220　shots　entirely　in　vain；'　beginning　so　far　off）；　may　be　judged　of；the　sound　of　him　to　Balbi　sometimes　stern　enough！　As　when　（June　9th）　he　personally　visits　Balbi's　parallels　（top　of　the　Tafelberg　yonder）；　and　inquires；　'When　do　you　calculate　to　get　done；　then？'　West　side　of　Olmutz　and　of　the　River　（east　side　lies　mostly　under　water）；　there　is　the　bombarding；　seventy…one　heavy　guns；　Keith；　in　his　expertest　manner；　doing　all　the　captaincies：　Keith　has　about　8；000　of　foot　and　horse；　busy　and　vigilant；　with　their　faces　to　the　east。　In　a　ring　of　four　camps；　or　principally　three　（Prossnitz；　Littau；　and　Neustadt；　which　is　across　the　River）；　all　looking　westward　or　northwestward；　some；　ten　or　twenty　miles　from　Keith；　Friedrich　（head…quarters　oftenest　Prossnitz；　the　chief　camp）　stands　facing　Daun；　who　lies　concentric　to　him；　at　the　distance　of　another　ten　or　twenty　miles；　in　good　part　still　thirty　or　forty　miles　from　Olmutz；　veiled　mostly　under　a　cloud　of　Pandours。

〃Of　Friedrich's　impatiences　we　hear　little；　though　they　must　have　been　great。　Prince　Henri　is　ready　for　Prag；　many　things　are　ready；　were　Olmutz　but　done！　May　22d；　Prince　Henri　had　followed　Mayer　in　person；　with　a　stronger　corps；　to　root　out　the　Reichsfolk；and　is　now　in　Bamberg　City　and　Country。　And　is　even　in　Baireuth　itself；　where　was　lately　the　Camp　of　the　new　Reichs　General；　Serene　Highness　of　Zweibruck；　and　his　nascent　Reichs　Army；　who　are　off　bodily　to　Bohemia；　'to　Eger　and　the　Circle　of　Saatz；'　a　week　before。　＇　Helden…Geschichte；　　v。　206…209。　Wilhelmina's　pretty　Letter　to　Friedrich　（〃Baireuth；　10th　May〃）；　Friedrich's　Answer　（〃Olmutz；　June；　1758〃）；　in　　OEuvres　de　Frederic；　　xxvii。　i。　313…315。＇　Fancy　that　visit　of　Henri's　to　a　poor　Wilhelmina；　the　last　sight　she　ever　had　of　a　Brother；　or　of　the　old　Prussian　uniforms；　clearing　her　of　Zweibrucks　and　sorrowful　guests！　Our　poor　Wilhelmina；　alas　she　is　sunk　in　sickness　this　year　more　than　ever；　journeying　towards　death；　in　fact；　and　is　probably　the　most　pungent；　sacredly　tragic；　of　Friedrich's　sorrows；　now　and　onwards。　June　12th；　Friedrich's　pouting　Brother；　the　Prince　of　Prussia；　died；　this　also　he　had　to　hear　in　Camp　at　Olmutz。　'What　did　he　die　of？'　said　Friedrich　to　the　Messenger；　a　Major　Something。　'Of　chagrin；'　said　the　Major；　'AUS　GRAM。'　Friedrich　made　no　answer。

〃On　the　last　night　of　May；　by　beautiful　management；　military　and　other；　Duke　Ferdinand　is　across　the　Rhine；　again　chasing　the　French　before　him；　who；　as　they　are　far　more　numerous；　cannot　surely　but　make　some　stand：　so　that　a　Battle　there　may　be　expected　soon；let　us　hope；　a　Victory；　as　indeed　it　beautifully　proved　to　be；　three　weeks　after。　＇Battle　of　Crefeld；　23d　June。＇　On　the　other　hand；　Fermor　and　his　Russians　are　astir；　continually　wending　towards　Brandenburg；　in　their　voluminous　manner；　since　June　16th；　though　at　a　slow　rate。　How　desirable　the　Siege　of　Olmutz　were　done！〃

On　express　from　Vienna；　Daun　did　bestir　himself；　cautiously　got　on　foot　again；　detached；　across　the　River；　an　expert　Hussar　General　（〃Be　busy　all　ye　Loudons；　St。　Ignons；　Ziskowitzes；　doubly　now！〃）；　expert　Hussar　General；　one　item　of　whose　force　is　1；100　chosen　grenadiers；and　himself　cautiously　stept　southward　and　eastward；　nearer　the　Siege　Lines。　The　Hussar　General's　meaning　seemed　to　be　some　mischief　on　our　Camp　of　Neustadt　and　the　outposts　there；　but　in　reality　it　was　to　throw　his　1；100　into　Olmutz　（useful　to　the　Commandant）；　whichby　ingenious　manoeuvring；　and　guidance　from　the　peasants　〃through　bushy　woods　aud　by…paths〃　on　that　east　side　of　the　Riverthe　expert　Hussar　General；　though　Ziethen　was　sent　over　to　handle　him；　did　perfectly　manage；　and　would　not　quit　for　Ziethen　till　he　saw　it　finished。　Which　done；　Daun　keeps　stepping　still　farther　southward；　nearer　the　Siege　Lines；　and；　at　Prossnitz；　morning　of　June　22d；　Friedrich；　with　his　own　eyes；　sees　Daun　taking　post　on　the　opposite　heights；　says　to　somebody　near　him；　〃VOILA　LES　AUTRICHIENS；　ILS　APPRENNENT　A　MARCHER；　There　are　the　Austrians；　they　are　learning　to　march；　though！〃getting　on　their　feet；　like　infants　in　a　certain　stage　（〃MARCHER〃　having　that　meaning　too；　though　I　know　not　that　the　King　intended　it）；they　have　learned　a　great　many　things；　since　your　Majesty　first　met　them。　Friedrich　took　Daun　to　be；　now　at　last；　meaning　Battle　for　Olmutz；　and　made　some　slight　arrangements　accordingly；　but　that　is　not　Daun's　intention　at　all；　as　Friedrich　will　find　to　his　cost；　in　few　days。　That　very　day；　Daun　has　vanished　again；　still　in　the　southerly　direction；　again　under　veil　of　Pandours。

Meanwhile；　in　spite　of　all　things；　the　Siege　makes　progress；　〃June　22d；　Balbi's　sap　had　got　to　their　glacis；　and　was　pushing　forward　there；〃June　22d；　day　when　Daun　made　momentary　appearance；　and　the　reinforcement　stole　in：within　a　fortnight　more；　Balbi　promises　the　thing　shall　be　done。　But　supplies　are　indispensable：　one　other　convoy　from　Troppau；　and　let　it　be　a　big　one；　〃between　3　and　4；000　wagons；〃　meal；　money；　iron；　powder；　Friedrich　hopes　this　one；　if　he　can　get　it　home；　will　suffice。　Colonel　Mosel　is　to　bring　this　Convoy；　a　resolute　expert　Officer；　with　perhaps　7；000　foot　and　horse：　surely　sufficient　escort：　but；　as　Daun　is　astir；　and　his　Loudons；　Ziskowitzes　and　light　people　are　gliding　about；　Friedrich　orders　Ziethen　to　meet　this　important　Convoy；　with　some　thousands　of　new　force；　and　take　charge　of　bringing　it　in。　Mosel　was　to　leave　Troppau　June　26th；　Ziethen　pushes　out　to　meet　him　from　the　Olmutz　end；　on　the　second　day　after；　and；　one　hopes；　all　is　now　safe　on　that　head。

The　driving　of　3；000　four…horse　wagons；　under　escort；　ninety　miles　of　road；　is　such　an　enterprise　as　cannot　readily　be　conceived　by　sedentary　pacific　readers；much　more　the　attack　of　such！　Military　science；　constraining　chaos　into　the　cosmic　state；　has　nowhere　such　a　problem。　There　are　twelve　thousand　horses；　for　one　thing；　to　be　shod；　geared；　kept　roadworthy　and　regular；　say　six　thousand　country　wagoners；　thick…soled　peasants：　then；　hanging　to　the　skirts　of　these；　in　miscellaneous　crazy　vehicles　and　weak　teams；　equine　and　asinine；　are　one　or　two　thousand　sutler　people；　male　and　female；　not　of　select　quality；　though　on　them；　too；　we　keep　a　sharp　eye。　The　series　covers　many　miles；　as　many　as　twenty　English　miles　（says　Tempelhof）；　unless　in　favorable　points　you　compress　them　into　five；　going　four　wagons　abreast　for　defence's　sake。　Defence；　or　escort；　goes　in　three　bulks　or　brigades；　vanguard；　middle；　rear…guard；　with　sparse　pickets　intervening；　wider　than　five　miles；　you　cannot　get　the　parts　to　support　one　another。　An　enemy　breaking　in　upon　you；　at　some　difficult　point　of　road；　woody　hollow　or　the　like；　and　opening　cannon；　musketry　and　hussar　exercise　on　such　an　object；　must　make　a　confused　transaction　of　it！　Some　commanders；　for　the　road　has　hitherto　been　mainly　pacific；　divide　their　train　into　parts；　say　four　parts；　moving　with　their　partial　escorts；　with　an　interval　of　one　day　between　each　two：　this　has　its　obvious　advantages；　but　depends；　of　course；　on　the　road　being　little　infested；　so　that　your　partial　escort　will　suffice　to　repel　attacks。　Toiling　forward；　at　their　diligent　slow　rate；　I　find　these　trains　from　Troppau　take　about　six　days　（from　Neisse　to　Olmutz　they　take　eleven；　but　the　first　five　are　peaceable　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　48。＇）；can't　be　hurried　beyond　that　pace；　if　you　would　save　your　laggards；　your　irregulars；　and　prevent　what　we　may　call　RAGGERY　in　your　rearward　parts；　the　skirts　of　your　procession　get　torn　by　the　bushes　if　you　go　faster。　This　time　Colonel　Mosel　will　have　to　mend　his　pace；　however；　and　to　go　in　the　lump　withal；　the　case　being　critical；　as　Mosel　knows；　and　MORE　than　he　yet　knows。

Daun；　who　has　friends　everywhere；　and　no　lack　of　spies　in　this　country；　generally　hears　of　the　convoys。　He　has　heard；　in　particular；　of　this　important　one；　in　good　time。　Hitherto　Daun　had　not　attempted　much　upon　convoys；　nor　anything　with　success：　King's　posted　corps　and　other　precautions　are　of　such　a　kind；　not　even　Loudon；　when　he　tried　his　best；　could　do　any　good；　and　common　wandering　hussar　parties　are　as　likely　to　get　a　mischief　as　to　do　one；　on　such　service。　Cautious　Daun　had　been　busy　enough　keeping　his　own　Camp　safe；　and　flinging　a　word　of　news　or　encouragement；　at　the　most　a　trifle　of　reinforcement；　into　Olmutz。　when　possible。　But　now　it　becomes　evident　there　must　be　one　of　two　things：　this　convoy　seized；　or　else　a　battle　risked；and　that　in　defect　of　both　these；　the　inevitable　third　thing　is；　Olmutz　will　straightway　go。

Major…General　Loudon；　the　best　partisan　soldier　extant；　and　ripening　for　better　things；　has　usually　a　force　of　perhaps　10；000　under　him；　four　regiments　of　them　regular　grenadiers；　and　has　been　active　on　the　convoys；　though　hitherto　unsuccessful。　Let　an　active　Loudon；　with　increased　force；　try　this；　their　vitally　important　convoy；　from　the　west　side　of　the　River；　an　active　Ziskowitz　co…opera