history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第69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！


f　confused　details；　and　wearisome　enumeration　of　particulars；　which　nobody　would　listen　to　or　understand；　we　will　give　one　intelligent　young　gentleman's　experience；　our　friend　Tempelhof's；　who　stood　in　this　part　of　the　Prussian　Line；　experience　distinct　and　indubitable　to　us；　and　which　was　pretty　accurately　symbolical；　I　otherwise　see；　of　what　befell　on　all　points　thereabouts。　Faithfully　copied；　and　in　the　essential　parts　not　even　abridged；　here　it　is：

Tempelhof；　at　that　time　a　subaltern　of　artillery；　was　stationed　with　a　couple　of　24…pounders　in　attendance　on　the　Battalion　Plothow；　which　with　three　others　and　some　cavalry　lay　to　the　south　side　of　Hochkirch；　forming　a　kind　of　fore…arm　or　POTENCE　there　to　right　of　the　big　Battery；　with　their　rear　to　Hochkirch；　and　keeping　vedettes　and　Free…corps　parties　spread　out　into　the　woods　and　Devil's　Hills　ahead。　Tempelhof　had　risen　about　three；　as　usual；　had　his　guns　and　gunners　ready；　and　was　standing　by　the　watch…fire；　〃expecting　the　customary　Pandourade；〃　and　what　form　it　would　take　this　morning。　〃Close　on　five　o'clock；　and　not　a　mouse　stirring！　We　are　not　to　have　our　Pandourade；　then？〃　On　a　sudden；　noise　bursts　out；　noise　enough；　sharp　fire　among　the　Free…corps　people；　fire　growing　ever　sharper；　noisier；　for　the　next　half…hour；　but　nothing　whatever　to　be　seen。　〃Battalion　Plothow　had　soon　got　its　clothes　on；　all　to　the　spatterdashes；　and　took　rank　to　right　and　left　of　the　FLECHE；　and　of　my　two　guns；　in　front　of　its　post：　but　on　account　of　the　thick　fog　everything　was　totally　dark。　I　fired　off　my　cannons　＇shall　we　say　straight　southward？＇　to　learn　whether　there　was　anything　in　front　of　us。　No　answer：　'Nothing　therePshaw；　a　mere　crackery　（GEKNACKER）　of　Pandours　and　our　Free…　corps　people；　after　all！'　But　the　noise　grew　louder；　and　came　ever　nearer；　I　turned　my　guns　towards　it　＇southward；　southeastward；　or　perhaps　a　gun　each　way？＇and　here　we　had　a　salvo　in　response；　from　some　battalions　who　seemed　to　be　two　hundred　yards　or　so　ahead。　The　Battalion　Plothow　hereupon　gave　fire；　I　too　plied　my　cannons　what　I　could；and　had　perhaps　delivered　fifteen　double　shots　from　them；　when　at　once　I　tumbled　to　the　ground；　and　lost　all　consciousness〃　for　some　minutes　or　moments。

Awakening　with　the　blood　running　down　his　face；　poor　Tempelhof　concluded　it　had　been　a　musket…shot　in　the　head；　but　on　getting　to　his　hands　and　knees；　he　found　the　place　〃full　of　Austrian　grenadiers；　who　had　crept　in　through　our　tents　to　rear；　and　that　it　had　been　a　knock　with　the　butt　of　the　musket　from　one　of　those　fellows；　and　not　a　bullet〃　that　had　struck　him　down。　Battalion　Plothow；　assailed　on　all　sides；　resisted　on　all　sides；　and　Tempelhof　saw　from　the　ground；I　suppose；　by　the　embers　of　watch…fires；　and　by　rare　flashes　of　musketry；　for　they　did　not　fire　much；　having　no　room；　but　smashed　and　stabbed　and　cut；〃an　infantry　fight　which　in　murderous　intensity　surpasses　imagination。　I　was　taken　prisoner　at　this　turn；　but　soon　after　got　delivered　by　our　cavalry　again。〃　＇Tempelhof；　ii。　324　n。＇　

This　latter　circumstance；　of　being　delivered　by　the　Cavalry；　I　find　to　be　of　frequent　occurrence　in　that　first　act　of　the　business　there：　the　Prussian　Battalion；　surprised　on　front　and　rear；　always　makes　murderous　fight　for　itself：　is　at　last　overwhelmed；　obliged　to　retire；　perhaps　opening　its　way　by　bayonet　charge；upon　which　our　Cavalry　（Ziethen's；　and　others　that　gathered　to　him）　cutting　in　upon　the　disordered　surprisers；　cut　them　into　flight；　rescue　the　prisoners；　and　for　a　time　reinstate　matters。　The　Prussian　battalions　do　not　run　（nobody　runs）；　but　when　repulsed　by　the　endless　odds；　rally　again。　The　big　Battery　is　not　to　be　had　of　them　without　fierce　and　dogged　struggle；　and　is　retaken　more　than　once　or　twice。　Still　fiercer；　more　dogged；　was　the　struggle　in　Hochkirch　Village；　especially　in　Hochkirch　Church　and　Churchyard；whither　the　Battalion　Margraf…Karl　had　flung　themselves；　the　poor　Village　soon　taking　fire　about　them。　Soon　taking　fire；　and　continuing　to　be　a　scene　of　capture　and　recapture；　by　the　flame…light；　while　Battalion　Margraf…Karl　stood　with　invincible　stubbornness；　pouring　death　from　it；　not　to　be　compulsed　by　the　raging　tide　of　Austrian　grenadiers；　not　by　〃six　Austrian　battalions；〃　by　〃eight；〃　or　by　never　so　many。　Stood　at　bay　there；　levelling　whole　masses　of　them；till　its　cartridges　were　spent；　all　to　one　or　two　per　man；　and　Major　Lange；　the　heroic　Captain　of　it；　said；　〃We　shall　have　to　go；　then；　my　men；　let　us　cut　ourselves　through！〃and　did　so；　in　an　honorably　invincible　manner；　some　brave　remnant　actually　getting　through；　with　Lange　himself　wounded　to　death。

I　think　it　was　not　till　towards　six　o'clock　that　the　right　wing　generally　became　aware　what　the　case　was：　〃More　than　a　Pandourade；　yes；〃though　what　it　might　be；　in　the　thick　fog　which　had　fallen；　blotting　out　all　vestiges　of　daylight；　nobody　could　well　say。　Rallied　Battalions；　reinforced　by　this　or　the　other　Battalion　hurrying　up　from　leftward；　always　charge　in　upon　the　enemy；　in　Hochkirch　or　wherever　he　is　busy；　generally　push　him　back　into　the　Night；　but　are　then　fallen　upon　on　both　flanks　by　endless　new　strength；　and　obliged　to　draw　back　in　turn。　And　Ziethen's　Horse；　in　the　mean　while；　do　execution；　breaking　in　on　the　tumultuous　victors；　new　Cuirassiers；　Gens…d'Armes　dashing　up　to　help；　so　soon　as　saddled；　and　charging　with　a　will：　so　that；　on　the　whole；　the　enemy；　variously　attempting；　could　make　nothing　of　us　on　that　western；　or　rearward　side；thanks　mainly　to　Ziethen　and　the　Horse。　〃Had　we　but　waited　till　three　or　four　of　our　Battalions　had　got　up！〃　say　the　Prussian　narrators。　But　it　is　thick　mist；　few　yards　ahead　you　cannot　see　at　all；　unless　it　be　flame；　and　close　at　hand；　all　things　and　figures　waver　indistinct；hairy　outlines　of　blacker　shadows　on　a　ground　of　black。

It　must　have　been　while　Lange　was　still　fighting；　perhaps　before　Lange　took　to　the　Church　of　Hochkirch；　scarcely　later　than　half…　past　six　（but　nobody　thought　of　pulling　out　his　watch　in　such　a　business！）about　six；　or　half…past　six；　when　Keith；　who　has　charge　of　this　wing；　and　lodges　somewhere　below　or　north　of　Hochkirch；　came　to　understand　that　his　big　Battery　was　taken；　that　here　was　such　a　Pandourade　as　had　not　been　before；　and　that；　of　a　surety；　said　Battery　must　be　retaken。　Keith　springs　on　horseback；　hastily　takes　〃Battalion　Kannacker〃　and　several　remnants　of　others；　rushes　upwards；　〃leaving　Hochkirch　a　little　to　right；　direct　upon　the　big　Battery。〃　Recaptures　the　big　Battery。　But　is　set　upon　by　overwhelming　multitudes；　bent　to　have　it　back；is　passionate　for　new　assistance　in　this　vital　point；　but　can　get　none：　had　been　〃DISARTED　by　both　his　Aide…de…camps；〃　says　poor　John　Tebay；　a　wandering　English　horse…soldier；　who　attends　him　as　mounted　groom；　〃asked　twenty　times；　and　twenty　more；　'Where　are　my　Aide…de…　camps！'〃　＇〃Captens　Cockcey　and　Goudy〃　he　calls　them（COCCEJI　whose　Father　the　Kanzler　we　have　seen；　and　GAUDI　whose　self）；who　both　had；　in　succession；　struck　into　Hochkirch　as　the　less　desperate　place；　according　to　Tebay：　see　TEBAY'S　LETTER　to　Mitchell；　〃Crossen；　October　29th〃　（in　MEMOIRS　AND　PAPERS；　ii。　501…505）；　which　is　probably　true　every　word；　allowing　for　Tebay's　temper；　but　is　highly　indecipherable；　though　not　entirely　so　after　many　readings　and　researehings。＇but　could　get　no　response　or　reinforcement；　and　at　length；　quite　surrounded　and　overwhelmed；　had　to　retire；　opening　his　way　by　the　bayonet；　and　before　long；　suddenly　stopping　short；falling　dead　into　Tebay's　arms；　shot　through　the　heart。　Two　shots　on　the　right　side　he　had　not　regarded；　but　this　on　the　left　side　was　final：　Keith's　fightings　are　suddenly　all　done。　Tebay；　in　distraction；　tried　much　to　bring　away　the　body；　but　could　by　no　present　means；　distractedly　〃rid　for　a　coach；〃　found；　on　return；　that　the　Austrians　had　the　ground；　and　the　body　of　his　master；　Hochkirch；　Church　and　all；　now　undisputedly　theirs。

To　appearance；　it　was　this　news　of　Keith's　repulse　（I　know　not　whether　of　Keith's　DEATH　as　yet）　that　first　roused　Friedrich　to　a　full　sense　of　what　was　now　going　on；　two　miles　to　south　of　him。　Friedrich；　according　to　his　habits；　must　have　been　awake　and　afoot　when　the　Business　first　broke　out；　though；　for　some　considerable　time；　treating　it　as　nothing　but　a　common　crackery　of　Pandours。　Already；　finding　the　Pandourade　louder　than　usual；　he　had　ordered　out　to　it　one　battalion　and　the　other　that　lay　handy：　but　now　he　pushes　forward　several　battalions　under　Franz　of　Brunswick　（his　youngest　Brother…in…law）；　with　Margraf　Karl　and　Prince　Moritz：　〃Swift　you；　to　Hochkirch　yonder！〃and　himself　springs　on　horseback　to　deal　with　the　affair。　Prince　Franz　of　Brunswick；　poor　young　fellow；　cheerily　coming　on；　near　Hochkirch　had　his　head　shorn　off　by　a　cannon…ball。　Moritz　of　Dessau；　too；　〃riding　within　twenty　yards　of　the　Austrians；〃　so　dark　was　it；　he　so　near…sighted；　got　badly　hit；and　soon　after；　driving　to　Bautzen　for　surgery；　was　made　prisoner　by　Pandours；　＇In　ARCHENHOLTZ　（i。　289；　290）　his　dangerous　adventures　on　the　road　to　Bautzen；　in　this　wounded　condition。＇　never　fought　again；　〃died　next　year　of　cancer　in　the　lip。〃　Nothing　but　triumphant　Austrian　shot　and　cannon…shot　going　yonder；　these　battalions　too　have　to　fall　back　with　sore　loss。

Friedrich　himself；　by　this　time；　is　forward　in　the　thick　of　the　tumult；　with　another　body　of　battalions；　storming　furiously　along；　has　his　horse　shot　under　him；　storms　through；　〃successfully；　by　the　other　side　of　Hochkirch〃　（Hochkirch　to　his　left）：but　finds；　as　the　mist　gradually　sinks；　a　ring　of　Austrians　massed　ahead；　on　the


MAP　GOES　HERE；　FACING　PAGE　160；　BOOK　XVIII


Heights；　as　far　as　Steindorfel　and　farther；　a　general　continent　of　Austrians　enclosing　all　the　south　and　southwest；　and；　in　fact；　that　here　is　now　nothing　to　be　done。　That　the　question　of　his　flank　is　settled；　that　the　question　now　is　of　his　front；　which　the　appointed　Austrian　parties　are　now　upon　attacking。　Question　especially　of　the　Heights　of　Drehsa；　and　of　the　Pass　and　Brook　of　Drehsa　（rearward　of　his　centre　part）；　where　his　one　retreat　will　lie；　Steindorfel　being　now　lost。　Part　first　of　the　Affair　is　ended；　Part　second　of　it　begins。

Rapidly　enough　Friedrich　takes　his　new　measures。　Seizes　Drehsa　Height；　which　will　no