Shorn down by the company, by
the regiment, in those terrible 800 yards, -- then and
afterwards.
the regiment, in those terrible 800 yards, -- then and
afterwards.
Thomas Carlyle
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? 114 FEIEDR1CH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [BOOX XX.
2d Nov. 1760.
The Hill Siptitz, with this Rohrgraben at the
southern basis of it, makes a very main figure in the
Battle now imminent. Siptitz Height is, in fact, Daun's
Camp; where he stands entrenched to the utmost, re-
peatedly changing his position, the better to sustain
Friedrich's expected attacks. It is a blunt broad-
backed Elevation, mostly in vineyard, perhaps on the
average 200 feet above the general level, and of five
or six square miles in area: length, east to west, from
Grosswig neighbourhood to the environs of Torgau,
may be about three miles; breadth, south to north, from
the Siptitz to the Zinna neighbourhoods, above half
that distance. The Height is steepish on the southern
side, all along to the south-west angle (which was
Daun's left flank in the great Action coming), but
swells up with easier ascent on the west, north and
other sides. Let the reader try for some conception of
its environment and it, as the floor or arena of a great
transaction this day.
Daun stands fronting southward along these Siptitz
Heights, looking towards Schilda and his dangerous
neighbour; heights, woods, ponds, and inaccessibilities,
environing his Position and him. One of the strongest
positions imaginable; which, under Prince Henri, proved
inexpugnable enough to some of us. A position not to
be attacked on that southern front, nor on either of its
flanks: -- where can it be attacked? Impregnable,
under Prince Henri in far inferior force: how will you
take it from Daun in decidedly superior? A position
not to be attacked at all, most military men would
say; -- though One military man, in his extreme ne-
cessity, must and will find a way into it.
One fault, the unique military man, intensely pon-
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 115
3d Nov. 1760.
dering, discovers that it has: it is too small for Daun;
not area enough for manoeuvering 65,000 men in it;
who will get into confusion if properly dealt with. A
most comfortable light-flash, the eweka of this terrible
problem. "We will attack it on rear and on front
simultaneously; that is the way to handle it! " Yes;
simultaneously, though that is difficult, say military
judges; perhaps to Prussians it may be possible. It
is the opinion of military judges who have studied
the matter, that Friedrich s plan, could it have been
perfectly executed, might have got not only victory
from Daun, but was capable to fling his big Army and
him pellmell upon the Elbe Bridge, that is to say, in
such circumstances, into Elbe River, and swallow him
bodily at a frightful rate! That fate was spared poor
Daun.
Monday, 3d November 1760, at half-past 6 in the
morning, Friedrich is on march for this great enter-
prise. The march goes northward, in Three Columns,
with a Fourth of Baggage; through the woods, on four
different roads; roads, or combinations of those intricate
sandy avenues already noticed. Northward all of it, at
first; but at a certain point ahead (at crossing of the
Eilenburg-Torgau Road, namely), the March is to
divide itself in two. Half of the force is to strike off
rightward there with Ziethen, and to issue on the south
side of Siptitz Hill; other half, under Friedrich him-
self, to continue northward, long miles farther, and
then at last bending round, issue, -- simultaneously
with Ziethen, if possible, -- upon Siptitz Hill from the
north side. We are about 44,000 strong, against Daun,
who is 65,000.
8*
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? 116 FllIEDRICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
Simultaneously with Ziethen, so far as humanly
possible: that is the essential point! Friedrich has
taken every pains that it shall be correct, in this and
all points; and to take double assurance of hiding it
from Daun, he yesternight, in dictating his Orders on
the other heads of method, kept entirely to himself
this most important Ziethen-portion of the Business.
And now, at starting, he has taken Ziethen in his car-
riage with him a few miles, to explain the thing by
word of mouth. At the Eilenburg road, or before it,
Ziethen thinks he is clear as to everything; dismounts;
takes in hand the mass intrusted to him; and strikes
off by that rightward course: "Rightward, Herr Ziethen;
rightward till you get to Klitschen, your first con-
siderable island in this sea of wood; at Klitschen strike
to the left into the woods again, -- your road is called
the Butter-Strasse (Butter-Street); goes by the north-
west side of Siptitz Height; reach Siptitz by the Butter-
Street, and then do your endeavour! "
With the other Half of his Army, specially with
the First Column of it, Friedrich proceeds northward
on his own part of the adventure. Three Columns he
has, besides the Baggage one: in number about equal
to Ziethen's; if perhaps otherwise, rather the chosen
Half; about 8,000 grenadier and footguard people,
with Kleist's Hussars, are Friedrich's own Column.
Friedrich's Column marches nearest the Daun positions;
the Baggage-column farthest; and that latter is to halt,
under escort, quite away to left or westward of the
disturbance coming; the other Two Columns, Hiilsen's
of foot, Holstein's mostly of horse, go through inter-
mediate tracks of wood, by roads more or less parallel;
and are all, Friedrich's own Column, still more the
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 1173d Nov. 1760.
t
others, to leave Siptitz several miles to right, and to
end, not at Siptitz Height, but several miles past it,
and then wheeling round, begin business from the
northward or rearward side of Daun, while Ziethen at-
tacks or menaces his front, -- simultaneously, if pos-
sible. Friedrich's march, hidden all by woods, is more
than twice as far as Ziethen's, -- some 14 or 15 miles
in all; going straight northward 10 miles; thence bending
eastward, then southward through woods; to emerge
about Neiden, there to cross a Brook (Striebach), and
strike home on the north side of Daun. The track of
march is in the shape somewhat of a shepherd's crook;
the long handle of it, well away from Siptitz, reaches
up to Neiden, this is the straight or wooden part of
said crook; after which comes the bent, catching, or
iron part, -- intended for Daun and his fierce flock.
Ziethen has hardly above six miles; and ought to be
deliberate in his woodlands, till the King's party have
time to get round.
The morning, I find, is wet; fourteen miles of
march: fancy such a Promenade through the dripping
Woods; heavy, toilsome, and with such errand ahead!
The delays were considerable; some of them accidental.
Vigilant Daun has Detachments watching in these
Woods: -- a General Ried, who fires cannon and gets
off: then a General St. Ignon and the St. Ignon Regi-
ment of Dragoons; who, being between Column First
and Column Second, cannot get away; but, after some
industry by Kleist and those of Column Two, are
caught and pocketed, St. Ignon himself prisoner among
the rest. This delay may perhaps be considered pro-
fitable: but there were other delays absolutely without
profit. For example, that of having difficulties with
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? 118 FRIEDRICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
your artillery-wagons in the wet miry lanes; that of
missing your road, at some turn in the solitary woods,
which latter was the sad chance of Column Third,
fatally delaying it for many hours.
Daun, learning by those returned parties from the
Woods what the Royal intentions on him are, hastily
whirls himself round, so as to front north, and there
receive Friedrich: best line northward for Friedrich's
behoof; rear line or second-best will now receive
Ziethen or what may come. Daun's arrangements are
admitted to be prompt and excellent. Lacy, with his
20,000 -- who lay, while Friedrich's attack was ex-
pected from south, at Loswig, as advanced guard, east
side of the Grosse Teich (supreme pond of all, which is
a continuation of the Duck-trap, Entenfang, and hangs
like a chief goitre on the goitry neck of Torgau), --
-- Lacy is now to draw himself north and westward,
and looking into the Entenfang over his left shoulder
(so to speak), be rearguard against any Ziethen or
Prussian party that may come. Daun's baggage is all
across the Elbe, all in wagons since yesterday; three
Bridges hanging for Daun and it, in case of adverse
accident. Daun likewise brings all or nearly all his
cannon to the new front, for Friedrich's behoof: 200
new pieces hither; Archenholtz says 400 in whole; cer-
tainly such a weight of artillery as never appeared in
Battle before. Unless Friedrich's arrangements prove
punctual, and his stroke be emphatic, Friedrich may
happen to fare badly.
On the latter point, of emphasis, there is no
dubiety for Friedrich: but on the former, -- things are
already past doubt, the wrong way! For the last hour
or so of Friedrich's march, there has been continual
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 119
3d Nov. 1760.
storm of cannonade and musketry audible from Ziethen's
side: -- "Ziethen engaged! " thinks everybody; and
quickens step here, under this marching music from
the distance. Which is but a wrong reading or mis-
take, nothing more; the real phenomenon being as fol-
lows: Ziethen punctually got to Klitschen at the due
hour; struck into the Butter Strasse, calculating his
paces; but, on the edge of the Wood, found a small
Austrian party, like those in Friedrich's route; and,
pushing into it, the Austrian party replied with cannon
before running. Whereupon Ziethen, not knowing how
inconsiderable it was, drew out in battle-order; gave it
a salvo or two; drove it back on Lacy, in the Duck-
trap direction, -- a long way east of Butter Street, and
Ziethen's real place; -- unlucky that he followed it so
far! Ziethen followed it; and got into some languid
dispute with Lacy: dispute quite distant, languid, on
both sides, and consisting mainly of cannon; but lasting
in this way many precious hours. This is the pheno-
menon which friends in the distance read to be, "Ziethen
engaged! " Engaged, yes, and alas with what? What
Ziethen's degree of blame was, I do not know. Fried-
rich thought it considerable: -- "Stupid, stupid, mem
lieber! " which Ziethen never would admit; -- and,
beyond question, it was of high detriment to Friedrich
this day. Such accidents, say military men, are in-
herent, not to be avoided, in that double form of at-
tack: which may be true, only that Friedrich had no
choice left of forms just now.
About noon, Friedrich's Vanguard (Kleist and Hus-
sars), about 1 o'clock Friedrich himself, 7 or 8,000
Grenadiers, emerged from the Woods about Neiden.
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? 120 FRIEDRICH NOT TO ISE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
This Column, which consists of choice troops, is to be
Front-line of the Attack. But there is yet no Second
Column under Hulsen, still less any Third under Hol-
stein, come in sight: and Ziethen's cannonade is but
too audible. Friedrich halts; sends Adjutants to hurry
on these Columns; -- and rides out reconnoitering,
questioning peasants; earnestly surveying Daun's ground
and his own. Daun's now right wing well eastward
about Zinna, had been Friedrich's intended point of
attack; but the ground, out there, proves broken by
boggy brooks and remnant stagnancies of the Old Elbe:
Friedrich finds he must return into the Wood again;
and attack Daun's left. Daun's left is carefully drawn
down en potence, or gallows-shape there; and has,
within the Wood, carefully built by Prince Henri last
year, an extensive Abatis, or complete western wall, --
only the north part of which is perhaps now passable,
the Austrians having in the cold time used a good deal
of it as firewood lately. There, on the north-west
corner of Daun, across that weak part of the Abatis,
must Friedrich's attack lie. But Friedrich's Columns
are still fatally behind, -- Holstein, with all the
cavalry we have, so precious at present, is wandering
by wrong paths; took the wrong turn at some point,
and the Adjutant can hardly find him at all, with his
precept of "Haste, Haste! "
We may figure Friedrich's humour under these ill
omens. Ziethen's cannonade becomes louder and louder;
which Friedrich naturally fancies to be death or life to
him, -- not to mean almost nothing, as it did. "Mrin
"Golf, Ziethen is in action, and I have not my Infantry
"up! "* cried he. And at length decided to attack as
* Tempolhof, Iv. 303.
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? chAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 121
3d Nov. 1760.
he was: Grenadiers in front, the chosen of his Infantry;
Ramin's Brigade for second line; and, except about
800 of Kleist, no Cavalry at all. His battalions march
out from Neiden hand, through difficult brooks, Strie-
bach and the like, by bridges of Austrian build, which
the Austrians are obliged to quit in hurry. The Prus-
sians are as yet perpendicular to Daun, but will wheel
rightward, into the Domitsch Wood again; and then
form, -- parallel to Daun's north-west shoulder; and
to Prince Henri's Abatis, which will be their first ob-
stacle in charging. Their obstacles in forming were
many and intricate; ground so difficult, for artillery
especially: seldom was seen such expertness, such will-
ingness of mind. And seldom lay ahead of men such
obstacles after forming! Think only of one fact: Daun,
on sight of their intention, has opened 400 pieces of
artillery on them, and these go raging and thundering
into the hem of the Wood, and to whatever issues from
it, now and for hours to come, at a rate of deafening
uproar and of sheer deadliness, which no observer can
find words for.
Archenholtz, a very young officer of fifteen, who
came into it perhaps an hour hence, describes it as a
thing surpassable only by Doomsday: clangorous rage
of noise risen to the infinite; the boughs of the trees
raining down on you, with horrid crash; the Forest,
with its echoes, bellowing far and near, and reverber-
ating in universal deathpeal; comparable to the Trump
of Doom. Friedrich himself, who is an old hand, said
to those about him: "What an infernal fire {kollischef
"Feuer)\ Did you ever hear such a cannonade before?
"I never. "* Friedrich is between the Two Lines of
* Tempelhof, iv. 304; Archenholtz, u. 164.
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? 122 FRIBDEICn NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
his Grenadiers, which is his place during the attack:
the first Line of Grenadiers, behind Prince Henri's
Abatis, is within 800 yards of Daun; Ramin's Brigade
is to rear of the Second Line, as a Reserve. Horse
they have none, except the 800 Kleist Hussars; who
stand to the left, outside the Wood, fronted by Austrian
Horse in hopeless multitude. Artillery they have, in
effect, none: their Batteries, hardly to be got across
these last woody difficulties of trees growing and trees
felled, did rank outside the Wood, on their left; but
could do absolutely nothing (gun-carriages and gunners,
officers and men, being alike blown away); and when
Tempelhof saw them afterwards, they never had been
fired at all. The Grenadiers have their muskets, and
their hearts and their right-hands.
With amazing intrepidity, they, being at length all
ready in rank within 800 yards, rush into the throat
of this Fire-volcano; in the way commanded, -- which is the alone way; such a problem as human bravery
seldom had. The Grenadiers plunge forward upon the
throat of Daun; but it is into the throat of his iron
engines and his tearing billows of cannon-shot that
most of them go.
Shorn down by the company, by
the regiment, in those terrible 800 yards, -- then and
afterwards. Regiment Stutterheim was nearly all killed
and wounded, say the Books. You would fancy it was
the fewest of them that ever got to the length of selling
their lives to Daun, instead of giving them away to his
400 cannon. But it is not so. The Grenadiers, both
Lines of them, still in quantity, did get into contact,
with Daun. And sold him their lives, hand to hand,
at a rate beyond example in such circumstances; --
Daun having to hurry up new force in streams upon
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 123
3d Nov. 1760.
them; resolute to purchase, though the price, for a long
while, rose higher and higher.
At last the 6,000 Grenadiers, being now reduced
to the tenth man, had to fall back. Upon which certain
Austrian Battalions rushed down in chase, counting it
Victory come: but were severely admonished of that
mistake; and driven back by Ramin's people, who ac-
companied them into their ranks, and again gave Daun
a great deal of trouble before he could overpower them.
This is Attack First, issuing in failure first: one of the
stiffest bits of fighting ever known. Began about 2 in
the afternoon; ended, I should guess, rather after 3.
Daun, by this time, is in considerable disorder of
line; though his 400 fire-throats continue belching ruin,
and deafening the world, without abatement. Daun
himself had got wounded in the foot or leg during this
Attack, but had no time to mind it: a most busy,
strong and resolute Daun; doing his very best. Fried- rich, too, was wounded, -- nobody will tell me in which
of these attacks; -- but I think not now, at least will
not speak of it now. What his feelings were, as this
Grenadier Attack went on, -- a struggle so unequal,
but not to be helped, from the delays that had risen,
-- nobody, himself least of all, records for us: only by
this little symptom: Two Grandsons of the Old Des-
sauer's are Adjutants of his Majesty, and well loved
by him; one of them now at his hand, the other head-
ing his regiment in this charge of Grenadiers. Word
comes to Friedrich that this latter one is shot dead.
On which, Friedrich, turning to the Brother, and not
hiding his emotion as was usual in such moments,
said: "All goes ill today; my friends are quitting me.
"I have just heard that your Brother is killed {Tout
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? 124 FRIEDRICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
"va mal aujourd'hui; mes amis me quittent. On vient de
"m'annoncer la mort de votre frere) /"* Words which
the Anhalt kindred, and the Prussian military public,
treasured up with a reverence strange to us. Of Anhalt
perhaps some word by and by, at a fitter season.
Shortly after 3, as I reckon the time, Hiilsen's
Column did arrive: choice troops these too, the Po-
meranian Manteuffel, one regiment of them; -- young
Archenholtz of Forcade (first Battalion here, second and
third are with Ziethen, making vain noise) was in this
Column; came, with the others, winding to the Wood's
edge, in such circuits, poor young soul; rain pouring,
if that had been worth notice; cannon-balls plunging,
boughs crashing, such a Todes-Posaune, or Doomsday-
Thunder, broken loose: -- they did emerge steadily,
nevertheless, he says, "like sea-billows or flow of tide,
"under the smoky hurricane. " Pretty men are here
too, Manteuffel Pommerners; no hearts stouter. With
these, and the indignant Remnants which waited for
them, a new assault upon Daun is set about. And
bursts out, on that same north-west corner of him; say
about halfpast 3. The rain is now done, "blown away
by the tremendous artillery," thinks Archenholtz, if
that were any matter.
The Attack, supported by a few more Horse (though
Column Three still fatally lingers), and, I should hope,
by some practicable weight of Field-batteries, is spurred
by a grimmer kind of indignation, and is of fiercer
spirit than ever. Think how Manteuffel of Foot will
blaze out; and what is the humour of those once-over-
whelmed Remnants, now getting air again! Daun's line
is actually broken in this point, his artillery surmounted
* Freusa, u. 226.
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 125
3d Nov. 1760.
and become useless; Daun's potence and north front
are reeling backwards, Prussians in possession of their
ground. "The field to be ours! " thinks Friedrich, for
some time. If indeed Ziethen had been seriously busy
on the southern side of things, instead of vaguely can-
nonading in that manner! But resolute Daun, with
promptitude, calls in his Reserve from Grosswig, calls
in whatsoever of disposable force he can gather; Daun
rallies, rushes again on the Prussians in overpowering
number; and, in spite of their most desperate resist-
ance, drives them back, ever back; and recovers his
ground.
A very desperate bout, this Second one; probably
the toughest of the Battle: but the result again is
Daun's; the Prussians palpably obliged to draw back.
Friedrich himself got wounded here; -- poor young
Archenholtz too, only wounded, not killed, as so many
were: -- Friedrich's wound was a contusion on the
breast; came of some spent bit of case-shot, deadened
farther by a famed pelisse he wore, -- "which saved
"my life," he said afterwards to Henri. The King
himself little regarded it (mentioning it only to Brother
Henri, on inquiry and solicitation), during the few
weeks it still hung about him. The Books intimate
that it struck him to the earth, void of consciousness
for some time, to the terror of those about him; and
that he started up, disregarding it altogether in this
press of business, and almost as if ashamed of himself,
which imposed silence on people's tongues. In military
circles there is still, on this latter point, an Anecdote;
which I cannot confirm or deny, but will give for the
sake of Berenhorst and his famed Book on the Art of
War. Berenhorst, -- a natural son of the Old Des-
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? 126 FRIEDEICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
sauer's, and evidently enough a chip of the old block,
only gone into the articulate-speaking or intellectual
form, -- was, for the present, an Adjutant or Aide-de-
camp of Friedrich's; and at this juncture was Seen
bending over the swooned Friedrich, perhaps with an
over-pathos or elaborate something in his expression of
countenance; when Friedrich re-opened his indignant
eyes: "Was macht Er hier? " cried Friedrich: "Er
"sammle Fuyards! What have you to do here? Go and
"gather runaways" (be of some real use, can't you)!
-- which unkind cut struck deep into Berenhorst, they
say, and could never after be eradicated from his
gloomy heart. It is certain he became Prince Henri's
Adjutant soon after, and that in his Kricgpkunst, amidst
the clearest orthodox admiration, he manifests, by little
touches up and down, a feeling of very fell and pallid
quality against the King; and belongs, in a peculiarly
virulent though taciturn way, to the Opposition Party.
His Book, next to English Lloyd's (or perhaps superior,
for Berenhorst is of much the more cultivated intellect,
highly condensed too, though so discursive and far-
read, were it not for the vice of perverse diabolic tem-
per), seemed, to a humble outsider like myself, greatly
the strongest-headed, most penetrating, and humanly
illuminative, I had had to study on that subject. Who
the weakest-headed was (perhaps Jommi, among the
widely-circulating kind? ), I will not attempt to decide,
so great is the crush in that bad direction. To return.
This Second Attack is again a repulse to the indig-
nant Friedrich; though he still persists in fierce effort
to recover himself: and indeed Daun's interior, too, it
appears, is all in a whirl of confusion; his losses too
having been enormous: -- when, see, here at length,
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORQAU. 127
3d Nov. 1760.
about half-past 4, Sun now down, is the tardy Holstein,
with his Cavalry, emerging from the Woods. Comes
wending on yonder, half a mile to north of us; straight
eastward or Elbe-ward (according to the order of last
night), leaving us and our death-struggles unregarded,
as a thing that is not on his tablets, and is no concern
of Holstein's. Friedrich halts him, not quite too late;
organises a new and third Attack. Simultaneous uni-
versal effort of foot and horse upon Daun's Front;
Holstein himself, who is almost at Zinna by this time,
to go upon Daun's right wing. This is Attack Third;
and is of sporadic intermittent nature, in the thicken-
ing dusk and darkness: part of it successful, none of
it beaten, but nowhere the success complete. Thus,
in the extreme west or leftmost of Friedrich's attack,
Spaen Dragoons, -- one of the last Horse Regiments
of Holstein's Column, -- Spam Dragoons, under their
Lieutenant-Colonel Dalwig (a beautiful manceuverer,
who has stormed through many fields, from Mollwitz
onwards), cut in, with an admired impetuosity, with an
audacious skill, upon the Austrian Infantry Regiments
there; broke them to pieces, took two of them in the
lump prisoners; bearded whole torrents of Austrian
cavalry rushing up to the rescue, -- and brought off
their mass of prisoner regiments and six cannon; --
the Austrian rescuers being charged by some new
Prussian party, and hunted home again. * "Had these
"Prussian Horse been on their ground at 2 o'clock,
"and done as now, it is very evident," says Tempel-
hof, "what the Battle of Torgau had by this time
heen! "
Near by, too, farther rightwards, if in the bewilder-
* Tempelhof, iv. 305.
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? 128 FRIGDUICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
ing indistinctness I might guess where (but the where
is not so important to us), Bayreuth Dragoons, they of
the 67 standards at Striegau long since, plunged into
the Austrian Battalions at an unsurpassable rate; tum-
bled four regiments of them (Regiment Kaiser, Regi-
ment Neipperg, -- nobody now cares which four) heels
over head, and in few minutes took the most of them
prisoners; bringing them home too, likeDalwig, through
crowds of rescuers. Eastward, again, or Elbe-ward,
Holstein has found such intricacies of ground, such
boggy depths and rough steeps, his Cavalry could come
to no decisive sabering with the Austrian; but stood
exchanging shot; -- nothing to be done on that right
wing of Daun.
Daun's left flank, however, does appear, after Three
such Attacks, to be at last pretty well ruined: Tempel-
hof says, "Daun's whole Front Line was tumbled to
"pieces; disorder had, sympathetically, gone rearward,
"even in those eastern parts; and on the western and
"north-western the Prussian Horse Regiments were now
"standing in its place. " But indeed such charging
and recharging, pulsing and repulsing, has there been
hereabouts for hours past, the rival Hosts have got
completely interpenetrated; Austrian parties, or whole
regiments, are to rear of those Prussians who stand
ranked here, and in victorious posture, as the Night
sinks. Night is now sinking on this murderous day:
"Nothing more to be made of it; try it again tomorrow! "
thinks the King; gives Hiilsen charge of bivouacking
and rearranging these scattered people; and rides with
escort north-westward to Elsnig, north of Neiden, well
to rear of this bloody arena, -- in a mood of mind
which may be figured as gloomy enough.
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 129
3d Nov. 17C0.
Daun, too, is home, to Torgau, -- I think, a little
earlier, -- to have his wound dressed, now that the
day seems to him secure. Buccow, Daun's second, is
killed; Daun's third is an Irish Graf O'Donnell, me-
morable only on this one occasion; to this O'Donnell,
and to Lacy, who is firm on his ground yonder, un-
touched all day, the charge of matters is left. Which
cannot be a difficult one, hopes Daun. Daun, while
his wound is dressing, speeds off a courier to Vienna.
Courier did enter duly there, with glorious trumpeting
postillions, and universal Hep-hep-hurrah; kindling that
ardently loyal City into infinite triumph and illumina-
tion, -- for the space of certain hours following.
Hiilsen meanwhile has been doing his best to get
into proper bivouac for the morrow; has drawn back
those eastward horse regiments, drawn forward the in-
fantry battalions; forward, I think, and well rightward,
where, in the daytime, Daun's left flank was. On the
whole, it is north-westward that the general Prussian
Bivouac for this night is; the extremest soul/i-western-
most portion of it is Infantry, under General Lestwitz;
a gallant useful man, who little dreams of becoming
famous, this dreary uncertain night.
It is 6 o'clock. Damp dusk has thickened down
into utter darkness, on these terms: -- when, lo, can-
nonade and musketade from the south, audible in the
Lestwitz-Hiilsen quarters: seriously loud; red glow of
conflagration visible withal, -- some unfortunate Village
going up ("Village of Siptitz, think you? "); and need
of Hiilsen at his fastest! Hiilsen, with some readiest
Foot Regiments, circling round, makes thitherward;
Carlyle, Frederick the Great. XII. 9
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? 130 FRIEDRICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
Lestwitz in the van. Let us precede him thither, and
explain a little what it was.
Ziethen, who had stood all day making idle noises,
-- of what a fatal quality we know, if Ziethen did not,
-- waiting for the King's appearance, must have been
considerably displeased with himself at nightfall, when
the King's fire gradually died out farther and farther
north, giving rise to the saddest surmises. Ziethen's
Generals, Saldern and the Leuthen Mollendorf, are full
of gloomy impatience, urgent on him to try something.
"Push westward, nearer the King? Some stroke at the
enemy on their south or south-western side, where we
have not molested them all day? No getting across the
Rohrgraben on them, says your Excellenz? Siptitz
Village, and their Battery there, is on our side of the
Rohrgraben: -- um Gottes Willen, something, Hen-
General! " Ziethen does finally assent: draws leftward,
westward; unbuckles Saldern's people upon Siptitz; who
go like sharp hounds from the slip; fasten on Siptitz
and the Austrians there, with a will; wrench these out,
force them to abandon their Battery, and to set Siptitz
on fire, while they run out of it. Comfortable bit of
success, so far, -- were not Siptitz burning, so that
we cannot get through. "Through, no: and were we
through, is not there the Rohrgraben? " thinks Ziethen,
not seeing his way.
How lucky that, at this moment, Mollendorf comes
in, with a discovery to westward; discovery of our old
friend "the Butter Street," -- it is nothing more, --
where Ziethen should have marched this morning: there
would he have found a solid road across the Rohr-
graben, free passage by a bridge between two bits of
ponds, at the Schaferei (Sheep-Farm) of Siptitz yonder.
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 131
3d Nov. 1760.
? 114 FEIEDR1CH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [BOOX XX.
2d Nov. 1760.
The Hill Siptitz, with this Rohrgraben at the
southern basis of it, makes a very main figure in the
Battle now imminent. Siptitz Height is, in fact, Daun's
Camp; where he stands entrenched to the utmost, re-
peatedly changing his position, the better to sustain
Friedrich's expected attacks. It is a blunt broad-
backed Elevation, mostly in vineyard, perhaps on the
average 200 feet above the general level, and of five
or six square miles in area: length, east to west, from
Grosswig neighbourhood to the environs of Torgau,
may be about three miles; breadth, south to north, from
the Siptitz to the Zinna neighbourhoods, above half
that distance. The Height is steepish on the southern
side, all along to the south-west angle (which was
Daun's left flank in the great Action coming), but
swells up with easier ascent on the west, north and
other sides. Let the reader try for some conception of
its environment and it, as the floor or arena of a great
transaction this day.
Daun stands fronting southward along these Siptitz
Heights, looking towards Schilda and his dangerous
neighbour; heights, woods, ponds, and inaccessibilities,
environing his Position and him. One of the strongest
positions imaginable; which, under Prince Henri, proved
inexpugnable enough to some of us. A position not to
be attacked on that southern front, nor on either of its
flanks: -- where can it be attacked? Impregnable,
under Prince Henri in far inferior force: how will you
take it from Daun in decidedly superior? A position
not to be attacked at all, most military men would
say; -- though One military man, in his extreme ne-
cessity, must and will find a way into it.
One fault, the unique military man, intensely pon-
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 115
3d Nov. 1760.
dering, discovers that it has: it is too small for Daun;
not area enough for manoeuvering 65,000 men in it;
who will get into confusion if properly dealt with. A
most comfortable light-flash, the eweka of this terrible
problem. "We will attack it on rear and on front
simultaneously; that is the way to handle it! " Yes;
simultaneously, though that is difficult, say military
judges; perhaps to Prussians it may be possible. It
is the opinion of military judges who have studied
the matter, that Friedrich s plan, could it have been
perfectly executed, might have got not only victory
from Daun, but was capable to fling his big Army and
him pellmell upon the Elbe Bridge, that is to say, in
such circumstances, into Elbe River, and swallow him
bodily at a frightful rate! That fate was spared poor
Daun.
Monday, 3d November 1760, at half-past 6 in the
morning, Friedrich is on march for this great enter-
prise. The march goes northward, in Three Columns,
with a Fourth of Baggage; through the woods, on four
different roads; roads, or combinations of those intricate
sandy avenues already noticed. Northward all of it, at
first; but at a certain point ahead (at crossing of the
Eilenburg-Torgau Road, namely), the March is to
divide itself in two. Half of the force is to strike off
rightward there with Ziethen, and to issue on the south
side of Siptitz Hill; other half, under Friedrich him-
self, to continue northward, long miles farther, and
then at last bending round, issue, -- simultaneously
with Ziethen, if possible, -- upon Siptitz Hill from the
north side. We are about 44,000 strong, against Daun,
who is 65,000.
8*
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? 116 FllIEDRICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
Simultaneously with Ziethen, so far as humanly
possible: that is the essential point! Friedrich has
taken every pains that it shall be correct, in this and
all points; and to take double assurance of hiding it
from Daun, he yesternight, in dictating his Orders on
the other heads of method, kept entirely to himself
this most important Ziethen-portion of the Business.
And now, at starting, he has taken Ziethen in his car-
riage with him a few miles, to explain the thing by
word of mouth. At the Eilenburg road, or before it,
Ziethen thinks he is clear as to everything; dismounts;
takes in hand the mass intrusted to him; and strikes
off by that rightward course: "Rightward, Herr Ziethen;
rightward till you get to Klitschen, your first con-
siderable island in this sea of wood; at Klitschen strike
to the left into the woods again, -- your road is called
the Butter-Strasse (Butter-Street); goes by the north-
west side of Siptitz Height; reach Siptitz by the Butter-
Street, and then do your endeavour! "
With the other Half of his Army, specially with
the First Column of it, Friedrich proceeds northward
on his own part of the adventure. Three Columns he
has, besides the Baggage one: in number about equal
to Ziethen's; if perhaps otherwise, rather the chosen
Half; about 8,000 grenadier and footguard people,
with Kleist's Hussars, are Friedrich's own Column.
Friedrich's Column marches nearest the Daun positions;
the Baggage-column farthest; and that latter is to halt,
under escort, quite away to left or westward of the
disturbance coming; the other Two Columns, Hiilsen's
of foot, Holstein's mostly of horse, go through inter-
mediate tracks of wood, by roads more or less parallel;
and are all, Friedrich's own Column, still more the
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 1173d Nov. 1760.
t
others, to leave Siptitz several miles to right, and to
end, not at Siptitz Height, but several miles past it,
and then wheeling round, begin business from the
northward or rearward side of Daun, while Ziethen at-
tacks or menaces his front, -- simultaneously, if pos-
sible. Friedrich's march, hidden all by woods, is more
than twice as far as Ziethen's, -- some 14 or 15 miles
in all; going straight northward 10 miles; thence bending
eastward, then southward through woods; to emerge
about Neiden, there to cross a Brook (Striebach), and
strike home on the north side of Daun. The track of
march is in the shape somewhat of a shepherd's crook;
the long handle of it, well away from Siptitz, reaches
up to Neiden, this is the straight or wooden part of
said crook; after which comes the bent, catching, or
iron part, -- intended for Daun and his fierce flock.
Ziethen has hardly above six miles; and ought to be
deliberate in his woodlands, till the King's party have
time to get round.
The morning, I find, is wet; fourteen miles of
march: fancy such a Promenade through the dripping
Woods; heavy, toilsome, and with such errand ahead!
The delays were considerable; some of them accidental.
Vigilant Daun has Detachments watching in these
Woods: -- a General Ried, who fires cannon and gets
off: then a General St. Ignon and the St. Ignon Regi-
ment of Dragoons; who, being between Column First
and Column Second, cannot get away; but, after some
industry by Kleist and those of Column Two, are
caught and pocketed, St. Ignon himself prisoner among
the rest. This delay may perhaps be considered pro-
fitable: but there were other delays absolutely without
profit. For example, that of having difficulties with
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? 118 FRIEDRICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
your artillery-wagons in the wet miry lanes; that of
missing your road, at some turn in the solitary woods,
which latter was the sad chance of Column Third,
fatally delaying it for many hours.
Daun, learning by those returned parties from the
Woods what the Royal intentions on him are, hastily
whirls himself round, so as to front north, and there
receive Friedrich: best line northward for Friedrich's
behoof; rear line or second-best will now receive
Ziethen or what may come. Daun's arrangements are
admitted to be prompt and excellent. Lacy, with his
20,000 -- who lay, while Friedrich's attack was ex-
pected from south, at Loswig, as advanced guard, east
side of the Grosse Teich (supreme pond of all, which is
a continuation of the Duck-trap, Entenfang, and hangs
like a chief goitre on the goitry neck of Torgau), --
-- Lacy is now to draw himself north and westward,
and looking into the Entenfang over his left shoulder
(so to speak), be rearguard against any Ziethen or
Prussian party that may come. Daun's baggage is all
across the Elbe, all in wagons since yesterday; three
Bridges hanging for Daun and it, in case of adverse
accident. Daun likewise brings all or nearly all his
cannon to the new front, for Friedrich's behoof: 200
new pieces hither; Archenholtz says 400 in whole; cer-
tainly such a weight of artillery as never appeared in
Battle before. Unless Friedrich's arrangements prove
punctual, and his stroke be emphatic, Friedrich may
happen to fare badly.
On the latter point, of emphasis, there is no
dubiety for Friedrich: but on the former, -- things are
already past doubt, the wrong way! For the last hour
or so of Friedrich's march, there has been continual
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 119
3d Nov. 1760.
storm of cannonade and musketry audible from Ziethen's
side: -- "Ziethen engaged! " thinks everybody; and
quickens step here, under this marching music from
the distance. Which is but a wrong reading or mis-
take, nothing more; the real phenomenon being as fol-
lows: Ziethen punctually got to Klitschen at the due
hour; struck into the Butter Strasse, calculating his
paces; but, on the edge of the Wood, found a small
Austrian party, like those in Friedrich's route; and,
pushing into it, the Austrian party replied with cannon
before running. Whereupon Ziethen, not knowing how
inconsiderable it was, drew out in battle-order; gave it
a salvo or two; drove it back on Lacy, in the Duck-
trap direction, -- a long way east of Butter Street, and
Ziethen's real place; -- unlucky that he followed it so
far! Ziethen followed it; and got into some languid
dispute with Lacy: dispute quite distant, languid, on
both sides, and consisting mainly of cannon; but lasting
in this way many precious hours. This is the pheno-
menon which friends in the distance read to be, "Ziethen
engaged! " Engaged, yes, and alas with what? What
Ziethen's degree of blame was, I do not know. Fried-
rich thought it considerable: -- "Stupid, stupid, mem
lieber! " which Ziethen never would admit; -- and,
beyond question, it was of high detriment to Friedrich
this day. Such accidents, say military men, are in-
herent, not to be avoided, in that double form of at-
tack: which may be true, only that Friedrich had no
choice left of forms just now.
About noon, Friedrich's Vanguard (Kleist and Hus-
sars), about 1 o'clock Friedrich himself, 7 or 8,000
Grenadiers, emerged from the Woods about Neiden.
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? 120 FRIEDRICH NOT TO ISE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
This Column, which consists of choice troops, is to be
Front-line of the Attack. But there is yet no Second
Column under Hulsen, still less any Third under Hol-
stein, come in sight: and Ziethen's cannonade is but
too audible. Friedrich halts; sends Adjutants to hurry
on these Columns; -- and rides out reconnoitering,
questioning peasants; earnestly surveying Daun's ground
and his own. Daun's now right wing well eastward
about Zinna, had been Friedrich's intended point of
attack; but the ground, out there, proves broken by
boggy brooks and remnant stagnancies of the Old Elbe:
Friedrich finds he must return into the Wood again;
and attack Daun's left. Daun's left is carefully drawn
down en potence, or gallows-shape there; and has,
within the Wood, carefully built by Prince Henri last
year, an extensive Abatis, or complete western wall, --
only the north part of which is perhaps now passable,
the Austrians having in the cold time used a good deal
of it as firewood lately. There, on the north-west
corner of Daun, across that weak part of the Abatis,
must Friedrich's attack lie. But Friedrich's Columns
are still fatally behind, -- Holstein, with all the
cavalry we have, so precious at present, is wandering
by wrong paths; took the wrong turn at some point,
and the Adjutant can hardly find him at all, with his
precept of "Haste, Haste! "
We may figure Friedrich's humour under these ill
omens. Ziethen's cannonade becomes louder and louder;
which Friedrich naturally fancies to be death or life to
him, -- not to mean almost nothing, as it did. "Mrin
"Golf, Ziethen is in action, and I have not my Infantry
"up! "* cried he. And at length decided to attack as
* Tempolhof, Iv. 303.
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? chAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 121
3d Nov. 1760.
he was: Grenadiers in front, the chosen of his Infantry;
Ramin's Brigade for second line; and, except about
800 of Kleist, no Cavalry at all. His battalions march
out from Neiden hand, through difficult brooks, Strie-
bach and the like, by bridges of Austrian build, which
the Austrians are obliged to quit in hurry. The Prus-
sians are as yet perpendicular to Daun, but will wheel
rightward, into the Domitsch Wood again; and then
form, -- parallel to Daun's north-west shoulder; and
to Prince Henri's Abatis, which will be their first ob-
stacle in charging. Their obstacles in forming were
many and intricate; ground so difficult, for artillery
especially: seldom was seen such expertness, such will-
ingness of mind. And seldom lay ahead of men such
obstacles after forming! Think only of one fact: Daun,
on sight of their intention, has opened 400 pieces of
artillery on them, and these go raging and thundering
into the hem of the Wood, and to whatever issues from
it, now and for hours to come, at a rate of deafening
uproar and of sheer deadliness, which no observer can
find words for.
Archenholtz, a very young officer of fifteen, who
came into it perhaps an hour hence, describes it as a
thing surpassable only by Doomsday: clangorous rage
of noise risen to the infinite; the boughs of the trees
raining down on you, with horrid crash; the Forest,
with its echoes, bellowing far and near, and reverber-
ating in universal deathpeal; comparable to the Trump
of Doom. Friedrich himself, who is an old hand, said
to those about him: "What an infernal fire {kollischef
"Feuer)\ Did you ever hear such a cannonade before?
"I never. "* Friedrich is between the Two Lines of
* Tempelhof, iv. 304; Archenholtz, u. 164.
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? 122 FRIBDEICn NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
his Grenadiers, which is his place during the attack:
the first Line of Grenadiers, behind Prince Henri's
Abatis, is within 800 yards of Daun; Ramin's Brigade
is to rear of the Second Line, as a Reserve. Horse
they have none, except the 800 Kleist Hussars; who
stand to the left, outside the Wood, fronted by Austrian
Horse in hopeless multitude. Artillery they have, in
effect, none: their Batteries, hardly to be got across
these last woody difficulties of trees growing and trees
felled, did rank outside the Wood, on their left; but
could do absolutely nothing (gun-carriages and gunners,
officers and men, being alike blown away); and when
Tempelhof saw them afterwards, they never had been
fired at all. The Grenadiers have their muskets, and
their hearts and their right-hands.
With amazing intrepidity, they, being at length all
ready in rank within 800 yards, rush into the throat
of this Fire-volcano; in the way commanded, -- which is the alone way; such a problem as human bravery
seldom had. The Grenadiers plunge forward upon the
throat of Daun; but it is into the throat of his iron
engines and his tearing billows of cannon-shot that
most of them go.
Shorn down by the company, by
the regiment, in those terrible 800 yards, -- then and
afterwards. Regiment Stutterheim was nearly all killed
and wounded, say the Books. You would fancy it was
the fewest of them that ever got to the length of selling
their lives to Daun, instead of giving them away to his
400 cannon. But it is not so. The Grenadiers, both
Lines of them, still in quantity, did get into contact,
with Daun. And sold him their lives, hand to hand,
at a rate beyond example in such circumstances; --
Daun having to hurry up new force in streams upon
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 123
3d Nov. 1760.
them; resolute to purchase, though the price, for a long
while, rose higher and higher.
At last the 6,000 Grenadiers, being now reduced
to the tenth man, had to fall back. Upon which certain
Austrian Battalions rushed down in chase, counting it
Victory come: but were severely admonished of that
mistake; and driven back by Ramin's people, who ac-
companied them into their ranks, and again gave Daun
a great deal of trouble before he could overpower them.
This is Attack First, issuing in failure first: one of the
stiffest bits of fighting ever known. Began about 2 in
the afternoon; ended, I should guess, rather after 3.
Daun, by this time, is in considerable disorder of
line; though his 400 fire-throats continue belching ruin,
and deafening the world, without abatement. Daun
himself had got wounded in the foot or leg during this
Attack, but had no time to mind it: a most busy,
strong and resolute Daun; doing his very best. Fried- rich, too, was wounded, -- nobody will tell me in which
of these attacks; -- but I think not now, at least will
not speak of it now. What his feelings were, as this
Grenadier Attack went on, -- a struggle so unequal,
but not to be helped, from the delays that had risen,
-- nobody, himself least of all, records for us: only by
this little symptom: Two Grandsons of the Old Des-
sauer's are Adjutants of his Majesty, and well loved
by him; one of them now at his hand, the other head-
ing his regiment in this charge of Grenadiers. Word
comes to Friedrich that this latter one is shot dead.
On which, Friedrich, turning to the Brother, and not
hiding his emotion as was usual in such moments,
said: "All goes ill today; my friends are quitting me.
"I have just heard that your Brother is killed {Tout
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? 124 FRIEDRICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
"va mal aujourd'hui; mes amis me quittent. On vient de
"m'annoncer la mort de votre frere) /"* Words which
the Anhalt kindred, and the Prussian military public,
treasured up with a reverence strange to us. Of Anhalt
perhaps some word by and by, at a fitter season.
Shortly after 3, as I reckon the time, Hiilsen's
Column did arrive: choice troops these too, the Po-
meranian Manteuffel, one regiment of them; -- young
Archenholtz of Forcade (first Battalion here, second and
third are with Ziethen, making vain noise) was in this
Column; came, with the others, winding to the Wood's
edge, in such circuits, poor young soul; rain pouring,
if that had been worth notice; cannon-balls plunging,
boughs crashing, such a Todes-Posaune, or Doomsday-
Thunder, broken loose: -- they did emerge steadily,
nevertheless, he says, "like sea-billows or flow of tide,
"under the smoky hurricane. " Pretty men are here
too, Manteuffel Pommerners; no hearts stouter. With
these, and the indignant Remnants which waited for
them, a new assault upon Daun is set about. And
bursts out, on that same north-west corner of him; say
about halfpast 3. The rain is now done, "blown away
by the tremendous artillery," thinks Archenholtz, if
that were any matter.
The Attack, supported by a few more Horse (though
Column Three still fatally lingers), and, I should hope,
by some practicable weight of Field-batteries, is spurred
by a grimmer kind of indignation, and is of fiercer
spirit than ever. Think how Manteuffel of Foot will
blaze out; and what is the humour of those once-over-
whelmed Remnants, now getting air again! Daun's line
is actually broken in this point, his artillery surmounted
* Freusa, u. 226.
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 125
3d Nov. 1760.
and become useless; Daun's potence and north front
are reeling backwards, Prussians in possession of their
ground. "The field to be ours! " thinks Friedrich, for
some time. If indeed Ziethen had been seriously busy
on the southern side of things, instead of vaguely can-
nonading in that manner! But resolute Daun, with
promptitude, calls in his Reserve from Grosswig, calls
in whatsoever of disposable force he can gather; Daun
rallies, rushes again on the Prussians in overpowering
number; and, in spite of their most desperate resist-
ance, drives them back, ever back; and recovers his
ground.
A very desperate bout, this Second one; probably
the toughest of the Battle: but the result again is
Daun's; the Prussians palpably obliged to draw back.
Friedrich himself got wounded here; -- poor young
Archenholtz too, only wounded, not killed, as so many
were: -- Friedrich's wound was a contusion on the
breast; came of some spent bit of case-shot, deadened
farther by a famed pelisse he wore, -- "which saved
"my life," he said afterwards to Henri. The King
himself little regarded it (mentioning it only to Brother
Henri, on inquiry and solicitation), during the few
weeks it still hung about him. The Books intimate
that it struck him to the earth, void of consciousness
for some time, to the terror of those about him; and
that he started up, disregarding it altogether in this
press of business, and almost as if ashamed of himself,
which imposed silence on people's tongues. In military
circles there is still, on this latter point, an Anecdote;
which I cannot confirm or deny, but will give for the
sake of Berenhorst and his famed Book on the Art of
War. Berenhorst, -- a natural son of the Old Des-
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? 126 FRIEDEICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
sauer's, and evidently enough a chip of the old block,
only gone into the articulate-speaking or intellectual
form, -- was, for the present, an Adjutant or Aide-de-
camp of Friedrich's; and at this juncture was Seen
bending over the swooned Friedrich, perhaps with an
over-pathos or elaborate something in his expression of
countenance; when Friedrich re-opened his indignant
eyes: "Was macht Er hier? " cried Friedrich: "Er
"sammle Fuyards! What have you to do here? Go and
"gather runaways" (be of some real use, can't you)!
-- which unkind cut struck deep into Berenhorst, they
say, and could never after be eradicated from his
gloomy heart. It is certain he became Prince Henri's
Adjutant soon after, and that in his Kricgpkunst, amidst
the clearest orthodox admiration, he manifests, by little
touches up and down, a feeling of very fell and pallid
quality against the King; and belongs, in a peculiarly
virulent though taciturn way, to the Opposition Party.
His Book, next to English Lloyd's (or perhaps superior,
for Berenhorst is of much the more cultivated intellect,
highly condensed too, though so discursive and far-
read, were it not for the vice of perverse diabolic tem-
per), seemed, to a humble outsider like myself, greatly
the strongest-headed, most penetrating, and humanly
illuminative, I had had to study on that subject. Who
the weakest-headed was (perhaps Jommi, among the
widely-circulating kind? ), I will not attempt to decide,
so great is the crush in that bad direction. To return.
This Second Attack is again a repulse to the indig-
nant Friedrich; though he still persists in fierce effort
to recover himself: and indeed Daun's interior, too, it
appears, is all in a whirl of confusion; his losses too
having been enormous: -- when, see, here at length,
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORQAU. 127
3d Nov. 1760.
about half-past 4, Sun now down, is the tardy Holstein,
with his Cavalry, emerging from the Woods. Comes
wending on yonder, half a mile to north of us; straight
eastward or Elbe-ward (according to the order of last
night), leaving us and our death-struggles unregarded,
as a thing that is not on his tablets, and is no concern
of Holstein's. Friedrich halts him, not quite too late;
organises a new and third Attack. Simultaneous uni-
versal effort of foot and horse upon Daun's Front;
Holstein himself, who is almost at Zinna by this time,
to go upon Daun's right wing. This is Attack Third;
and is of sporadic intermittent nature, in the thicken-
ing dusk and darkness: part of it successful, none of
it beaten, but nowhere the success complete. Thus,
in the extreme west or leftmost of Friedrich's attack,
Spaen Dragoons, -- one of the last Horse Regiments
of Holstein's Column, -- Spam Dragoons, under their
Lieutenant-Colonel Dalwig (a beautiful manceuverer,
who has stormed through many fields, from Mollwitz
onwards), cut in, with an admired impetuosity, with an
audacious skill, upon the Austrian Infantry Regiments
there; broke them to pieces, took two of them in the
lump prisoners; bearded whole torrents of Austrian
cavalry rushing up to the rescue, -- and brought off
their mass of prisoner regiments and six cannon; --
the Austrian rescuers being charged by some new
Prussian party, and hunted home again. * "Had these
"Prussian Horse been on their ground at 2 o'clock,
"and done as now, it is very evident," says Tempel-
hof, "what the Battle of Torgau had by this time
heen! "
Near by, too, farther rightwards, if in the bewilder-
* Tempelhof, iv. 305.
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? 128 FRIGDUICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
ing indistinctness I might guess where (but the where
is not so important to us), Bayreuth Dragoons, they of
the 67 standards at Striegau long since, plunged into
the Austrian Battalions at an unsurpassable rate; tum-
bled four regiments of them (Regiment Kaiser, Regi-
ment Neipperg, -- nobody now cares which four) heels
over head, and in few minutes took the most of them
prisoners; bringing them home too, likeDalwig, through
crowds of rescuers. Eastward, again, or Elbe-ward,
Holstein has found such intricacies of ground, such
boggy depths and rough steeps, his Cavalry could come
to no decisive sabering with the Austrian; but stood
exchanging shot; -- nothing to be done on that right
wing of Daun.
Daun's left flank, however, does appear, after Three
such Attacks, to be at last pretty well ruined: Tempel-
hof says, "Daun's whole Front Line was tumbled to
"pieces; disorder had, sympathetically, gone rearward,
"even in those eastern parts; and on the western and
"north-western the Prussian Horse Regiments were now
"standing in its place. " But indeed such charging
and recharging, pulsing and repulsing, has there been
hereabouts for hours past, the rival Hosts have got
completely interpenetrated; Austrian parties, or whole
regiments, are to rear of those Prussians who stand
ranked here, and in victorious posture, as the Night
sinks. Night is now sinking on this murderous day:
"Nothing more to be made of it; try it again tomorrow! "
thinks the King; gives Hiilsen charge of bivouacking
and rearranging these scattered people; and rides with
escort north-westward to Elsnig, north of Neiden, well
to rear of this bloody arena, -- in a mood of mind
which may be figured as gloomy enough.
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 129
3d Nov. 17C0.
Daun, too, is home, to Torgau, -- I think, a little
earlier, -- to have his wound dressed, now that the
day seems to him secure. Buccow, Daun's second, is
killed; Daun's third is an Irish Graf O'Donnell, me-
morable only on this one occasion; to this O'Donnell,
and to Lacy, who is firm on his ground yonder, un-
touched all day, the charge of matters is left. Which
cannot be a difficult one, hopes Daun. Daun, while
his wound is dressing, speeds off a courier to Vienna.
Courier did enter duly there, with glorious trumpeting
postillions, and universal Hep-hep-hurrah; kindling that
ardently loyal City into infinite triumph and illumina-
tion, -- for the space of certain hours following.
Hiilsen meanwhile has been doing his best to get
into proper bivouac for the morrow; has drawn back
those eastward horse regiments, drawn forward the in-
fantry battalions; forward, I think, and well rightward,
where, in the daytime, Daun's left flank was. On the
whole, it is north-westward that the general Prussian
Bivouac for this night is; the extremest soul/i-western-
most portion of it is Infantry, under General Lestwitz;
a gallant useful man, who little dreams of becoming
famous, this dreary uncertain night.
It is 6 o'clock. Damp dusk has thickened down
into utter darkness, on these terms: -- when, lo, can-
nonade and musketade from the south, audible in the
Lestwitz-Hiilsen quarters: seriously loud; red glow of
conflagration visible withal, -- some unfortunate Village
going up ("Village of Siptitz, think you? "); and need
of Hiilsen at his fastest! Hiilsen, with some readiest
Foot Regiments, circling round, makes thitherward;
Carlyle, Frederick the Great. XII. 9
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? 130 FRIEDRICH NOT TO BE OVERWHELMED. [book XX.
3d Nov. 1760.
Lestwitz in the van. Let us precede him thither, and
explain a little what it was.
Ziethen, who had stood all day making idle noises,
-- of what a fatal quality we know, if Ziethen did not,
-- waiting for the King's appearance, must have been
considerably displeased with himself at nightfall, when
the King's fire gradually died out farther and farther
north, giving rise to the saddest surmises. Ziethen's
Generals, Saldern and the Leuthen Mollendorf, are full
of gloomy impatience, urgent on him to try something.
"Push westward, nearer the King? Some stroke at the
enemy on their south or south-western side, where we
have not molested them all day? No getting across the
Rohrgraben on them, says your Excellenz? Siptitz
Village, and their Battery there, is on our side of the
Rohrgraben: -- um Gottes Willen, something, Hen-
General! " Ziethen does finally assent: draws leftward,
westward; unbuckles Saldern's people upon Siptitz; who
go like sharp hounds from the slip; fasten on Siptitz
and the Austrians there, with a will; wrench these out,
force them to abandon their Battery, and to set Siptitz
on fire, while they run out of it. Comfortable bit of
success, so far, -- were not Siptitz burning, so that
we cannot get through. "Through, no: and were we
through, is not there the Rohrgraben? " thinks Ziethen,
not seeing his way.
How lucky that, at this moment, Mollendorf comes
in, with a discovery to westward; discovery of our old
friend "the Butter Street," -- it is nothing more, --
where Ziethen should have marched this morning: there
would he have found a solid road across the Rohr-
graben, free passage by a bridge between two bits of
ponds, at the Schaferei (Sheep-Farm) of Siptitz yonder.
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? CHAP. v. ] BATTLE OF TORGAU. 131
3d Nov. 1760.
