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history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第62部分
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to the Frankfurt people;night of Tuesday…Wednesday; Friedrich; having persuaded the Russians that his crossing…place will be their Redoubt at Schaumburg; marches ten or twelve miles down the River; silently his 30;000 and he; till opposite the Village of Gustebiese; rapidly makes his Bridges there; unmolested: Fermor; with his eye on the cannonaded Redoubt only; has expected no such matter; and is much astonished when he hears of it; twenty hours after。 Friedrich; across with the vanguard; at an early hour of Wednesday; gets upon the knoll at Gustebiese for a view; and all Gustebiese; hearing of him; hurries out; with low…voiced tremulous blessings; irrepressible tears: 〃God reward your Majesty; that have come to us!〃and there is a hustling and a struggling; among the women especially; to kiss the skirts of his coat。 Poor souls: one could have stood tremendous cheers; but this is a thing I forgive Friedrich for being visibly affected with。
Friedrich leaves his baggage on the other side of the Oder; and the Bridge guarded; our friend Hordt; with his Free…Corps; doing it; Friedrich marches forward some ten miles that night; eastward; straight for Gross Kamin; as if to take the Russians in rear; encamps at a place called Klossow; spreading himself obliquely towards the Mutzel (black sluggish tributary of the Oder in those parts); meaning to reach Neu Damm on the Mutzel to…morrow; there almost within wind of the Russians; and be ready for crossing on them。 It was at Klossow (23d August; evening); that the Hussars brought in their dozen or two of Cossacks; and he had his first sight of Russian soldiery; by no means a favorable one; 〃Ugh; only look!〃As we are now approaching Zorndorf; and the monstrous tug of Battle which fell out there; readers will be glad of the following:
〃From Damm on the Mutzel; where Friedrich intends crossing it to…morrow night; south to Gross Kamin; not far from the Warta; where Fermor's head…quarter lately was; may be about five miles。 From Custrin; Kamin lies northeast about eight or ten miles: Zorndorf; the most considerable Village in this tract; lieslittle dreaming of the sad glory coming to itpretty much in the centre between big Warta and smaller Mutzel。 The Country is by nature a peat wilderness; far and wide; but it has been tamed extensively; grows crops; green pastures; is elsewhere covered with wood (Scotch fir; scraggy in size; but evidently under forest management); perhaps half the country is in Fir tracts; what they call HEIDEN (Heaths); the cultivated spaces lying like light…green islands with black…green channels and expanses of circumambient Fir。 The Drewitz Heath; the Massin or Zither Heath; and others about Zorndorf; will become notable to us。 The Country is now much drier than in Friedrich's time; the human spade doing its duty everywhere: so that much of the Battle…ground has become irrecognizable; when compared with the old marshy descriptions given of it。 Zorndorf; a rough substantial Hamlet; has nothing of boggy now visible near by; lies east to west; a firm broad highway leading through: a sea of forest before it; to south; to north; good dry barley…grounds or rye…grounds; sensibly rising for half a mile; then waving about in various slow slight changes of level towards Quartschen; Zicher; &c。: forming an irregular cleared 'island;' altogether of perhaps four miles by three; with unlimited circumambiencies of wood。 It was here; on this island as we call it; that the Battle; which has made Zorndorf famous; was fought。
〃Zorndorf (or even the open ground half a mile to north of it; which will be more important to us) is probably not 50 feet above the level of the Mutzel; nor 100 above Warta and Oder; six miles off; but it is the crown of the Country;the ground dropping therefrom every way; in lazy dull waves or swells; towards Tamsel and Gross Kamin on southeast; towards Birken…Busch; Quartschen; Darmutzel 'DAR of the Mutzel; whatever 〃DAR〃 may be。' on northwest; as well as towards Damm and its Bridge northeast; where Friedrich will soon be; and towards Custrin southwest; where he lately was; each a five or six miles from Zorndorf。
〃Such is the poor moorland tract of Country; Zorndorf the centre of it;where the battle is likely to be:Zorndorf and environs a bare quasi…island among these woods; extensive bald crown of the landscape; girt with a frizzle of firwoods all round。 Boggy pools there are; especially on the western side (all drained in our time)。 Mutzel; or north side; is of course the lowest in level: and accordingly;〃 what is much to be marked by readers here; 〃from the south; or Zorndorf side; at wide intervals; there saunter along; in a slow obscure manner; Three miserable continuous Leakages; or oozy Threads of Water; all making for Quartschen; to north or northwest; there to disembogue into the Mutzel。 Each of these has its little Hollow; of which the westernmost; called Zabern Hollow (ZABERNGRUND); is the most considerable; and the most important to us here: GALGENGRUND (Gallows…Hollow) is also worth naming in this Battle; the third Leakage; though without importance; invites us to name it; HOSEBRUCH; quasi STOCKING… quagmire;because you can use no stockings there; except with manifest disadvantage。〃Take this other concluding trait:
。。。 〃Inexpressible fringe of marsh; two or three miles broad; mostly bottomless; woven with sluggish creeks and stagnant pools; borders the Warta for many miles towards Landsberg; Custrin…Landsberg Causeway the alone sure footing in it; after which; the country rises insensibly; but most beneficially; and is mainly drier till you get to the Mutzel again; and find the same fringe of mud lace…work again; Zorndorf we called the crown of it。 Tamsel; Wilkersdorf; Klein Kamin; Gross Kamin; and other places known to us; lie on the dry turf…fuel country; but looking over close upon the hem of that marsh…fringe; and no doubt getting peats; wild ducks; pike…fishes; eels; and snatches of summer pasture and cow…hay out of it。〃
Thursday; August 24th; Friedrich is again speeding on; occupying Darmutzel and other crossing…places of the Mutzel; 'Mitchell to Holderness; 〃DErmItzel; 24th August; 1758〃 (MEMOIRS AND PAPERS; i。 425; Ib。 ii。 40…47; Mitchell's Private Journal)。' by no means himself crossing there; on the contrary; carefully breaking all the Bridges before he go (〃No retreat for those Russian vagabonds; only death or surrender for them!〃)himself not intending to cross till he be up at Damm; Neu Damm; well eastward of his Russians; and have got them all pinfolded between Mutzel and Oder in that way。 In the evening; he reaches Damm and the Mill of Damm; some three or four miles higher up the Mutzel;and there pushes partly across at once。 That is to say; his vanguard at once; and takes a defensive position; his Artillery and other Divisions by degrees; in the silent night hours; and; before daybreak to…morrow; every soul will be across; and the Bridge broken again; and Fermor had better have his accounts settled。
Fermor's roving Cossack clouds seldom bring him in intelligence; but only return stained with charcoal grime and red murder: up to late last night; he had not known where Friedrich was at all; had idly thought him busy with the Schaumburg Redoubt; on the other side of Oder; fencing and precautioning: but now (night of the 23d); these Cossacks do come in with news; 〃Indisputable to our poor minds; the Prussians are at Klossow yonder;captured a dozen green vagabonds of us; and have sent us galloping!〃which news; with the night closing in on him; was astonishing; thrice and four times important to Fermor。
Instantly he raises the siege of Custrin; any siege there was; gets his immense baggage…train shoved off that night to Klein Kamin; Landsberg way; summons the force from Landsberg to join him without loss of a moment;and in the meanwhile pitches himself in long bivouac in the Drewitz Wood or Fir…Heath; with the quaggy Zaberngrund in front。 Quaggy Zaberngrund;do readers remember it; one of those 〃Three continuous Leakages;〃 very important; to Fermor and us at present? This is the safest place Fermor can find for himself; scraggy firs around; good quagmires and Zabern Hollow in front; looking to the east; waiting what a new day will bring。 That was Fermor's posture; while Friedrich quitted Klossow in the dawn of the 24th。 Be busy; ye Cossack doggeries; return with news; not with mere grime and marks of blood on your mouths!
Evening of the 24th; Cossacks report that Friedrich has got to Damm Mill; has hold of the Bridge there; and may be looked for; sure as the daylight; to…morrow。 Fermor is 50;000 odd; his Landsberg forces all coming in; one Detachment out Stettin way; which cannot come in; Fermor finds that his baggage…train is fairly on the road to Klein Kamin;and that he will have to quit this bosky bivouac; and fight for himself in the open ground; or do worse。
THESEUS AND THE MINOTAUR OVER AGAIN;THAT IS TO SAY; FRIEDRICH AT HAND…GRIPS WITH FERMOR AND HIS RUSSIANS (25TH AUGUST; 1758)。
Artless Fermor draws out to the open ground; north of Zorndorf; south of Quartschen; arranges himself in huge quadrilateral mass; with his 〃staff…baggage〃 (lighter baggage) in the centre; and his front; so to speak; everywhere。 'Excellent Plan of him; or rather Plans; in his successive shapes; in Tielcke; ii。 (PLATES 4; 5; 6; 7; 8)。' Mass; say two miles long by one mile broad; but it is by no means regular; and has many zigzags according to the ground; and narrows and droops southward on the eastern end: one of the most artless arrangements; but known to Fermor; and the readiest on this pinch of time。 Munnich devised this quadrilateral mode; and found it good against the Turks; and their deluges of raging horse and foot: Fermor could perhaps do better; but there is such a press of hurry。 Fermor's western flank; or biggest breadth of quadrilateral; leans on that Zabern Hollow; with its fine quagmires; his eastern; narrowest part; droops down on certain mud…pools and conveniences towards Zicher。 Gallows Hollow; a slighter than the Zabern; runs through the centre of him; and with his best people he fronts towards the Mutzel Bridges; especially towards Damm…Mill Bridge whence Friedrich will emerge; sure as the sunrise; one knows not with what iss
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