The
"History" or Series of Lectures on the Battles, &c.
"History" or Series of Lectures on the Battles, &c.
Thomas Carlyle
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? CHAP, n. ] BATTLE OP PRAG. 27
2d May 1757.
"cipitous brow, suddenly puts a stop to them, in that particu-
"lar direction. From Ziscaberg top to Weissenberg top may
"be about five English miles; from the Hradschin to the foot
"of Ziscaberg, north-west to south-east, will be half that
"distance, the greatest length of Prag City. Which is rather
"rhomboidal in shape, its longer diagonal this that we men-
"tion. The shorter diagonal, from northmost base of Zisca- "berg to southmost of Hradschin, is perhaps a couple of
"miles. Prag stands nestled in the lap of mountains; and is
"not in itself a strong place in war: but the country round it,
"Moldau ploughing his rugged chasm of a passage through
"the piled table-land, is difficult to manoeuvre in.
"Moldau Valley comes straight from the south, crosses
"Prag; and, -- making, on its outgate at the northern end of
"Prag (end of "shortest diagonal" just spoken of), one big
"loop, or bend and counter-bend, of horse-shoe shape," which
will be notable to us anon, -- "again proceeds straight north-
"ward and Elbe-ward. It is narrow every where, especially
"when once got fairly north of Prag; and runs along like a
"Quasi-Highland Strath, amid rocks and Hills. Big Hill-
"ranges, not to be called barren, yet with rock enough on
"each hand, and fine side valleys opening here and there: the
"bottom of your Strath, which is green and fertile, with
"pleasant busy Villages (much intent on water-power and
"cotton-spinning in our time), is generally of few furlongs in
"breadth. And so it lasts, this pleasant Moldau-Valley, mile
"after mile, on the northern or Lower Moldau, generally
"straight north, though with one big bend eastward just
"before ending; and not till nearMelnick, or the mouth of
"Moldau, do we emerge on that grand Elbe Valley, --
"glanced at once already, from Pascopol or other Height, in
"the Lobositz times. "
Friedrich's first problem is the junction with
Schwerin: junction not to be accomplished south of the
Ziscaberg in the present circumstances; and which
Friedrich knows to be a ticklish operation, with those
Austrians looking on from the high grounds there.
Tuesday 3d May, in the way of reconnoitring, and
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? 28 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XvUI.
4th & 5th May 1757.
decisively on Wednesday 4th, Friedrich is off north-
ward, along the western heights of Lower Moldau,
proper force following him, to seek a fit place for the
pontoons, and get across in that northern quarter.
"How dangerous that Schwerin is a day too late! "
murmurs he; but hopes the Austrians will undertake
nothing. Keith, with 30,000, he has left on the Weis-
senberg, to straiten Prag and the Austrian Garrison on
that side: our wagon-trains arrive from Leitmeritz on
that side, Elbe-boats bring them up to Leitmeritz; very indispensable to guard that side of Prag. Fried-
rich's fixed purpose also is to beat the Austrians, on
the other side of it, and send them packing; but for
that, there are steps needful!
Up so far as Lissoley, the first day, Friedrich has
found no fit place; but on the morrow, Thursday 5th,
farther up, at a place called Seltz, Friedrich finds his
side of the Strath to be "a little higher than the other,"
-- proper, therefore, for cannonading the other, if need
be; -- and orders his pontoons to be built together
there. He knows accurately of the Schwerin Column,
of the comfortable Bevern Victory at Reichenberg, and
how they have got the Jung-Buntzlau Magazine, and
are across the Elbe, their bridges all secured, though
with delay of one day; and do now wait only for the
word, -- for the three cannon-shot, in fact, which are
to signify that Friedrich is actually crossing to their
side of Lower Moldau.
Friedrich's Bridge is speedily built (trained human
hands can be no speedier), his batteries planted, his
precautions taken: the three cannon-shot go off, audible
to Schwerin; and Friedrich's troops stream speedily
across, hardly a Pandour to meddle with them. Nay,
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? CHAP, n. ] BATTLE OF PRAG. 29
6th May 1757.
before the passage was complete -- what light-horse
squadrons are these? Hussars, seen to be Seidlitz's
(missioned by Schwerin), appear on the outskirts: a
meeting worthy of three-cheers, surely, after such a
march on both sides! Friedrich lies on the eastern Hill-
tops that night (Hamlet of Czimitz his Headquarter,
discoverable if you wish it, scarcely three miles north
of Prag); and accurate appointment is made with
Schwerin as to the meeting-place tomorrow morning.
Meeting-place is to be the environs of Prossik Village,
south-eastward over yonder, short way north of the
Prag-Koniggratz Highway, and rather nearer Prag
than we now are, in Czimitz here: time at Prossik to
be 6 a. m. by the clock; and Winterfeld and Schwerin
to come in person and speak with his Majesty. This
is the program for Friday, May 6th, which proves to
be so memorable a day.
Schwerin is on foot by the stroke of midnight;
comes along "over the heights of Chaber," by half-a-
dozen, or I know not how many roads; visible in due
time to Friedrich's people, who are likewise punctually
on the advance: in a word, the junction is accomplished
with all correctness. And, while the Columns are
marching up, Schwerin and Winterfeld ride about in
personal conference with his Majesty; taking survey,
through spyglasses, of those Austrians encamped yonder
on the broad back of their Zisca Hill, a couple of miles
to southward. "What a set of Austrians," exclaim
military critics; "to permit such junction, without effort
to devour the one half or the other, in good time! "
Friedrich himself, it is probable, might partly be of
the same opinion; but he knew his Austrians, and had
made bold to venture. Friedrich, we can observe, al-
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? 3b SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XVBI.
6th May 1757.
ways got to know his man, after fighting him a month
or two; and took liberties with him, or did not take,
accordingly. And, for most part,-- not quite always,
as one signal exception will show, -- he does it with
perfect accuracy; and often with vital profit to his
measures. "If the Austrian cooking-tents are a-smoke
"before eight in the morning," note she, "you may cal-
culate, n such case, the Austrians will march that
"day. "* With a surprising vividness of eye and mind
(beautiful to rival, if one could), he watches the signs
of the times, of the hours and the days and the places;
and prophesies from them; -- reads men and their
procedures, as if they were mere handwriting, not too
cramp for him. -- The Austrians have, by this time,
got their Konigseck home, very unvictorious, but still
on foot, all but a thousand or two: they are already
stronger than the Prussians by count of heads; and till
even Daun come up, what hurry in a Post like this?
The Austrians are viewing Friedrich, too, this morning;' -
but in the blankest manner: their outposts fire a can-
non-shot or two on his group of adjutants and him,
without effect; and the Head people send their cavalry
out to forage, so little prophecy have they from signs
seen.
Zisca Hill, where the Austrians now are, rises
sheer up, of well-nigh precipitous steepness, though
there are trees and grass on it, from the eastern side
of Prag, say five or six hundred feet. A steep, pic-
turesque, massive green Hill; Moldau River, turning
suddenly to right, strikes the north-west corner of it
(has flowed well to west of it, till then), and winds
eastward round its northern base. As will be noticed
* Military Instructions.
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? CHAP. n. ] BATTLE OP PRAG. 31
6th May 1757.
presently. The ascent of Ziscaberg, by roads, is steep
and tedious: but once at the top, you find that it is
precipitous on two sides only, the City or westward
side, and the Moldau or northward. Atop it spreads
out, far and wide, into a waving upland level; bare of
hedges; ploughable all of it, studded with littery hamlets
and farmsteadings: far and wide, a kind of Plain,
sloping with extreme gentleness, five or six miles to
eastward, and as far to southward, before the level
perceptibly rise again.
Another feature of the Ziscaberg, already hinted at,
is very notable: that of the Moldau skirting its northern
base, and scarping the Hill, on that side too, into a
precipitous, or very steep condition. Moldau having
arrived from southward, fairly past the end of Zisca-
berg, had, so to speak, made up his mind to go right
eastward, quarrying his way through the lower uplands
there. And he proceeds, accordingly, hugging the
northern base of Ziscaberg, and making it steep
enough; but finds, in the course of a mile or so, that
he can no more; upland being still rock-built, not
underminable farther; and so is obliged to wind round
again, to northward, and finally straight westward, the
way he came, or parallel to the way he came; and has
effected that great Horse-shoe Hollow we heard of
lately. An extremely pretty Hollow, and curious to
look upon; pretty villas, gardens, and a "Belvedere
Park," laid out in the bottom part; with green mountain-
walls rising all round it, and a silver ring of river at
the base of them: length of Horse-shoe, from heel to
toe, or from west to east, is perhaps a mile; breadth,
from heel to heel, perhaps half as much. Having ar-
rived at his old distance to west, Moldau, like a re-
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? 32 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book Xvm.
6th May 1757.
pentant prodigal, and as if ashamed of his frolic, just
over against the old point he swerved from, takes
straight to northward again. Straight northward; and
quarries out that fine narrow valley, or Quasi-High-
land Strath, with its pleasant busy villages, where he
turns the overshot machinery, and where Friedrich and
his men had their pontoons swimming yesterday.
It is here, on this broad back of the Ziscaberg, that
the Austrians now lie; looking northward over to the
King, and trying cannon-shots upon him. There they
have been encamping, and diligently entrenching them-
selves for four days past; diligent especially since
yesterday, when they heard of Friedrich's crossing the
River. Their groups of tents, and batteries at all the
good points, stretch from near the crown of Ziscaberg
eastward to the Villages of Hlaupetin, Kyge, and their
Lakes, near four miles; and rearward into the interior
one knows not how far; -- Prince Karl, hardly awake
yet, lies at Nussel, near the Moldau, near the Wischerad
or south-eastmost point of Prag; six good miles west-
by-south of Kyge, at the other end of the diagonal
line. About the same distance, right east from Nussel,
and a mile or more to south of Kyge over yonder, is
a littery Farmstead named Sterbohol, which is not yet
occupied by the Austrians, but will become very famous
in their War-Annals, this day! --
Where the Austrian Camp or various Tent-groups
were, at the time Friedrich first cast eye on them, is
no great concern of his or ours; inasmuch as, in two
or three hours hence, the Austrians were obliged, rather
suddenly, to take Order of Battle; and that, and not
their camping, is the thing we are curious upon. Let
us step across, and take some survey of that Austrian
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? CHAP. n. ] BATTLE OF PRAG. 33
6th May 1757.
ground, which Friedrich is now surveying from the
distance, fully intending that it shall be a battle-ground
in few hours; and try to explain how the Austrians
drew up on it, when they noticed the Prussian symptoms
to become serious more and more. By nine in the
morning, -- some two hours after Friedrich began his
scanning, and the Austrian outposts their firing of stray
cannon-shots on him, -- it is Battle-lines, not empty
Tents (which there was not time to strike), that salute
the eye over yonder.
From behind that verdant Horse-shoe Chasm we
spoke of, buttressed by the inaccessible steeps, and the
Moldau, double-folded in the form of Horse-shoe, all
along the brow of that sloping expanse, stands (by 9
a. m. "foragers all suddenly called in") the Austrian
front; the second line and the reserve, parallel to it,
at good distances behind. Ranked there; say, 65,000
regulars (Prussian force little short of the same), on
the brow of Ziscaberg slope, some four miles long.
Their right wing ends, in strong batteries, in intricate
marshes, knolls, lakelets, between Hlaupetin and Kyge:
the extreme of their left wing looks over on that Horse-
shoe Hollow, where Moldau tried to dig his way, but
could not, and had to turn back. They have numerous
redoubts, in front and in all the good places; and are
busy with more, some of them just now getting finished,
treble-quick, while the Prussians are seen under way.
As many as sixty heavy cannon in battery up and
down: of field-pieces they have a hundred and fifty.
. Excellent always with their Artillery, these Austrians;
plenty of it, well placed, and well served: thanks to
Prince Lichtenstein's fine labours, within these ten
Carlyle, Frederick the Great. X. 3
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? 34 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XvIII.
6th May 1757,
years past. * The villages, the farmsteads, are occupied;
every rising ground especially has its battery, -- Ho-
moly Berg, Tabor Berg, "Mount of Tabor;" say Knoll
of Tabor (nothing like so high as Battersea Rise, hardly
even as Constitution Hill), though scriptural Zisca
would make a Mount of it; -- these, and other Berijg
of the like type.
That is the Austrian Battle Order (as it stood about
nine, though it had still to change a little, as we shall
see): their first line, straight or nearly so, looking north-
ward, stands on the brow of the Zisca Slope; their second
and their third, singularly like it, at the due distances
behind; -- in the intervals, their tents, which stand scat-
tered, in groups wide apart, in the ample interior to
southward. The cavalry is on both wings; left wing,
behind that Moldau Chasm, cannot attack nor be at-
tacked, -- except it were on hippogriffs, and its enemy
on the like, capable of fighting in the air, overhead of
these Belvedere Pleasure-grounds: perhaps Prince Karl
will remedy this oversight; fruit of close following of
the orthodox practice? Prince Karl, supreme Chief,
commands on the left wing; Browne on the right, where
he can attack or be attacked, not on hippogriffs. As
we shall see, and others will! Light horse, in any
quantity, hang scattered on all outskirts. With foot,
with cannon batteries, with horse, light or heavy, they
cover in long broad flood the whole of that Zisca Slope,
to near where it ceases, and the ground to eastward
begins perceptibly to rise again.
In this latter quarter, Zisca Slope, now nearly,
ended, begins to get very swampy in parts; on the
eastern border of the Austrian Camp, at Kyge, Hosta-
* (Euvres de Frederic (in several places); sec Hormayr, ? Lichtenstein.
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? CHAP. H. ] BATTLE OF PRAG. 35
6th May 1757.
witz, and beyond it southward, about Sterbohol and
Michelup, there are many little lakelets; artificial fish-
ponds, several of them, with their sluices, dams and
apparatus: a ragged broadish lacing of ponds and
lakelets (all well dried in our day) straggles and zigzags
along there, connected by the miserablest Brook in
nature, which takes to oozing and serpentising forward
thereabouts, and does finally get emptied, now in a
rather livelier condition, into the Moldau, about the
toe-part of that Horse-shoe or Belvedere region. It
runs in sight of the King, I think, where he now is;
this lower livelier part of it: little does the King know
how important the upper oozing portion of it will be to
him this day. Near Michelup are lakelets worth
noticing; a little under Sterbohol, in the course of this
miserable Brook, is a string of fish-ponds, with their
sluices open at this time, the water out, and the mud
bottom sown with herb-provender for the intended carps,
which is coming on beautifully, green as leeks, and
nearly ready for the fish getting to it again.
Friedrich surveys diligently what he can of all this,
from the northern verge. We will now return to
Friedrich: and will stay on his side, through the terrible
Action that is coming. Battle of Prag, one of the
furious Battles of the World; loud as Doomsday; --
the very Emblem of which, done on the Piano by
females of energy, scatters mankind to flight who love
their ears! Of this great Action the Narratives old
and modern are innumerable; false some of them, un-
intelligible well nigh all. There are three in Lloyd,
known probably to some of my readers. Tempelhof,
with criticisms of these three, gives a fourth, -- perhaps
the one Narrative which human nature, after much
3*
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? 36 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XVIII.
6th May 1757.
study, can in some sort understand. Human readers,
especially military, I refer to that as their finale. * Other
interest than military-scientific the Action now has not
much. The stormy fire of soul that blazed that day
(higher in no ancient or modern Fight of men) is ex-
tinct, hopeless of resuscitation for English readers. Ap-
proximately what the thing to human eyes might be
like; what Friedrich's procedure, humour and phy-
siognomy of soul was in it: this, especially the latter
head, is what we search for, -- had lazy Dryasdust
given us almost anything on this latter head! What
little can be gleaned from him on both heads let us
faithfully give, and finish our sad part of the combat.
Friedrich, with his Schwerin and Winterfeld, sur-
veying these things from the northern edge, admits that
the Austrian position is extremely strong; but he has
no doubt that it must be, by some good method, at-
tacked straightway, and the Austrians got beaten. In-
disputably the enterprise is difficult. Unattackable
clearly, the Austrians, on that left wing of theirs; not
in the centre well attackable, nor in the front at all,
with that stiff ground, and such redoubts and points
of strength: but round on their right yonder; take them
* In Lloyd, I. 38 et seq. (the Three): in Tempelhof, 1. 123 (the Fourth)
ib. i. 144 (strength of each Army), 105-149 (remarks of Tempelhof).
The
"History" or Series of Lectures on the Battles, &c. of this War, "by the
Royal Staff-Offcers" -- which, for the last thirty or forty years, is used as
Text-Book, or Military Euclid, in the Prussian Cadet-Schools, -- appears
to possess the fit professorial lucidity and amplitude; and, in regard to
all Official details, enumerations and the like, is received as of canonical
authority: it is not accessible to the general Public, -- though liberally
enough conceded in special cases; whereby, in effect, the main results of
it are now become current in modern Prussian Books. By favour in high
quarters, Iihad once possession of a copy, for some months; but not, at
that time, the possibility of thoroughly reading any part of it.
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? CHAP. II. ] BATTLE OP PRAG. Zf
6lh May 1757.
in flank, -- cannot we? On as far as Kyge, the Three
have ridden reconnoitring; and found no possibility
upon the front; nor at Kyge, where the front ends in
batteries, pools and quagmires, is there any. "Diffi-
cult, not undoable," persists the King: "and it must
be straightway set about, and got done. " Winter-
feld, always for action, is of that opinion, too; and,
examining farther down along their right flank, reports
that there the thing is feasible.
Feasible perhaps: "but straightway? " objects
Schwerin. His men have been on foot since midnight,
and on forced marches for days past: were it not better
to rest for this one day? "Rest: -- and Daun, coming
on with 30,000 of reinforcement to them, might arrive
this night? Never, my good Feldmarschall;" -- and
as the Feldmarschall was a man of stiff notions, and
had a tongue of some emphasis, the Dialogue went on,
probably with increasing emphasis on Friedrich's side
too, till old Schwerin, with a quite emphatic flash of
countenance, crushing the hat firm over his brow, ex-
claims: "Well, your Majesty: the fresher fish the better
fish (frische Fische, gute Fische): straightway, then! "
and springs off on the gallop southward, he too, seeking
some likely point of attack. He too, -- conjointly or
not with Winterfeld, I do not know: Winterfeld him-
self does not say; whose own modest words, on the
subject, readers shall see before we finish. But both
are mentioned in the Books as searching, at hand-
gallop, in this way: and both, once well round to south,
by the Podschernitz quarter,* with the Austrian right
flank full in view, were agreed that here the thing was
* "Podschernitz," is pronounced Pots/iernilz (should we happen to
mention it again); "Kyge," Kcega.
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? 38 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XVni.
6th May 1757.
possible. "Infantry to. push from this quarter towards
Sterbohol yonder, and then plunge into their redoubts
and them! Cavalry may sweep still farther southward,
if found convenient, and even take them in rear. " Both
agree that it will do in this way: ground tolerably
good, slightly downwards for us, then slightly upwards
again; tolerable for horse even: -- the intermediate
lacing of dirty lakelets, the fishponds with their sluices
drawn, Schwerin and Winterfeld either did not notice
at all, or thought them insignificant, interspersed with
such beautiful "pasture-ground," -- of unusual verdure
at this early season of the year.
The deployment, or "marching up (Aufmarschiren)"
of the Prussians was wonderful; in their squadrons, in
their battalions, horse, foot, artillery, wheeling, closing,
opening; strangely chequering a country-side, -- in
movements intricate, chaotic to all but the scientific
eye. Conceive them, flowing along, from the Heights
of Chaber, behind Prossik Hamlet (right wing of in-
fantry plants itself at Prossik, horse westward of them);
and ever onwards in broad many-chequered tide-stream,
eastward, eastward, then southward ("our artillery
"went through Podschernitz, the foot and horse a little
"on this westward side of it"): intricate, many-glancing
tide of coming battle; which, swift, correct as clock-
work, becomes two lines, from Prossik to near Chwala
("baggage well behind at Grbell"); thence round by
Podschernitz quarter; and descends, steady, swift,
tornado - storm so beautifully hidden in it, towards
Sterbohol, there to grip-to. Gradually, in stirring up
those old dead pedantic record-books, the fact rises on
us: silent whirlwinds of old Piatt-Deutsch fire, beauti-
fully held down, dwell in those mute masses; better
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? CHAP. II. ] BATTLE OP PRAG. 39
6:h May 1757.
human stuff there is not than that old Teutsch (Dutch,
English, Platt-Deutsch, and other varieties); and so
disciplined as here it never was before or since. "In
an hour and half," what military men may count
almost incredible, they are fairly on their ground, mo-
tionless the most of them by 9 a. m. ; the rest wheeling
rightward, as they successively arrive in the Chwala-
Podschernitz localities; and, descending diligently,
Sterbohol way; and will be at their harvest-work anon.
Meanwhile the Austrians, seeing, to their astonish-
ment, these phenomena to the north, and that it is a
quite serious thing, do also rapidly bestir themselves;
swarming like bees; -- bringing in their foraging Ca-
valry, "No time to change your jacket for a coat:"
rank, double-quick! Browne is on that right wing of
theirs: "Bring the left wing over hither," suggests
Browne; "cavalry is useless yonder, unless they had
hippogriffs! " -- and (again Browne suggesting) the
Austrians make a change in the position of their right
wing, both horse and foot: change which is of vital
importance, though unnoted in many Narratives of this
Battle. Seeing, namely, what the Prussians intend,
they wheel their right wing (say the last furlong or
two of their long Line of Battle) half round to right;
so that the last furlong or two stands at right angles
("ere potence," gallows-wise, or joiner's-square-wise to
the rest); and, in this way, make front to the Prussian
onslaught, -- front now, not flank, as the Prussians
are anticipating. This is an important wheel to right,
and formation in joiner's-square manner; and involves
no end of interior wheeling, marching and deploying;
which Austrians cannot manage with Prussian velocity.
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? 40 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XVIIt.
lith M. ny 1757.
"Swift with it, here about Sterbohol at least, my men!
For here are the Prussians within wind of us! " urges
Browne. And here straightway the hurricane does
break loose.
Winterfeld, the van of Schwerin's infantry (Schwerin's
own regiment, and some others, with him), is striding
rapidly on Sterbohol; Winterfeld catches it before Browne
can. But near by, behind that important post, on the
Homoly Hill (Berg or "Mountain," nothing like so high
as Constitution Mountain), are cannon-batteries of
devouring quality, which awaken on Winterfeld, as he
rushes out double-quick on the advancing Austrians;
and are fatal to Winterfeld's attempt, and nearly to
Winterfeld himself. Winterfeld, heavily wounded,
sank in swoon from his horse; and awakening again in
a pool of blood, found his men all off, rushing back
upon the main Schwerin body; "Austrian grenadiers
"gazing on the thing, about eighty paces off, not
"venturingto follow. " Winterfeld, half-dead, scrambled
across to Schwerin, who is now come up with the main
body, his front line fronting the Austrians here. And
there ensued, about Sterbohol and neighbourhood, led
on by Schwerin, such a death-wrestle as was seldom seen
in the Annals of War. Winterfeld's miss of Sterbohol
was the beginning of it; the exact course of sequel
none can describe, though the end is well known.
The Austrians now hold Sterbohol with firm grip,
backed by those batteries from Homoly Hill. Redoubts,
cannon-batteries, as we said, stud all the field; the
Austrian stock of artillery is very great; arrangement
of it cunning, practice excellent; does honour to Prince
Lichtenstein, and indeed is the real force of the Austrians
on this occasion. Schwerin must have Sterbohol, in.
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? CHAP, n. ] BATTLE OF PRAG. 41
6th May 1757.
spite of batteries and ranked Austrians, and Winter-
feld's recoil tumbling round him: -- and rarely had
the oldest veteran such a problem. Old Schwerin (fiery
as ever, at the age of 73) has been in many battles,
from Blenheim onwards; and now has got to his hottest
and his last. "Vanguard could not do it; main body,
we hope, kindling all the hotter, perhaps may! " A
most willing mind is in these Prussians of Schwerin's:
fatigue of over-marching has tired the muscles of them;
but their hearts, -- all witnesses say, these (and
through these, their very muscles, 'always fresh again,
after a few minutes of breathing time') were beyond
comparison, this day!
Schwerin's Prussians, as they 'march up' (that is,
as they front and advance upon the Austrians), are
everywhere saluted by case-shot, from Homoly Hill
and the batteries northward of Homoly; but march on,
this main line of them, finely regardless of it or of
Winterfeld's disaster by it. The general Prussian Order
this day is: "By push of bayonet; no firing, none, at
any rate, till you see the whites of their eyes! " Swift,
steady as on the parade-ground, swiftly making up
their gaps again, the Prussians advance, on these terms,
and are now near those "fine sleek pasture-grounds,
unusually green for the season. " Figure the actual
stepping upon these "fine pasture-grounds:" -- mud-
tanks, verdant with mere "bearding oat-crop" sown
there as carp-provender! Figure the sinking of whole
regiments to the knee; to the middle, some of them;
the steady march become a wild sprawl through viscous
mud, mere case-shot singing round you, tearing you
away at its ease! Even on those terrible terms, the
Prussians, by dams, by footpaths, sometimes one man
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? 42 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XvIII.
6th May 1757.
abreast, sprawl steadily forward, trailing their cannon
with them; only a few regiments, in the footpath parts,
cannot bring their cannon. Forward; rank again, when
the ground will carry; ever forward, the case-shot
getting ever more murderous! No human pen can
describe the deadly chaos which ensued in that quarter.
Which lasted, in desperate fury, issue dubious, for
above three hours; and was the crisis, or essential
agony, of the Battle. Foot-chargings (once the mud-
transit was accomplished), under storms of grape-shot
from Homoly Hill; by and by, Horse-chargings, Prus-
sian against Austrian, southward of Homoly and Ster-
bohol, still farther to the Prussian left; huge whirlpool
of tumultuous death-wrestle, every species of spasmodic
effort, on the one side and the other; -- King himself
present there, as I dimly discover; Feldmarschall Browne
eminent, in the last of his fields; and, as the old
Niebelungcn has it, "a murder grim and great" going on. Schwerin's Prussians, in that preliminary struggle
through the mud-tanks (which Winterfeld, I think, had
happened to skirt, and avoid), were hard bested. This,
so far as I can learn, was the worst of the chaos, this
preliminary part. Intolerable to human nature, this, or
nearly so; even to human nature of the Platt-Teutsch
type, improved by Prussian drill. Winterfeld's repulse
we saw; Schwerin's own Regiment in it. Various
repulses, I perceive, there were, -- "fresh regiments
from our Second Line" storming in thereupon; till the
poor repulsed people "took breath," repented, "and
themselves stormed in again," say the Books. Fearful
tugging, swagging and swaying is conceivable, in this
Sterbohol problem! And after long scanning, I rather
judge it was in the wake of that first repulse, and not
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? CHAP. II. ] BATTLE OF PEAG. 43
tth May 1757.
of some other farther on, that the veteran Schwerin
himself got his death. No one times it for us; but the
fact is unforgettable; and in the dim whirl of sequences,
dimly places itself there. Very certain it is, "at sight
of his own regiment in retreat," Feldmarschall Schwerin
seized the colours, -- as did other Generals, who are
not named, that day. Seizes the colours, fiery old
man: "Heron, meine Kinder (This way, my sons)! "
and rides ahead, along the straight dam again; his
'sons' all turning, and with hot repentance following.
"On, my children, Heranl" Five bits of grape-shot,
deadly each of them, at once hit the old man; dead
he sinks there on his flag; and will never fight more.
"Heranl" storm the others with hot tears; Adjutant
von Platen takes the flag; Platen, too, is instantly
shot; but another takes it. "Heran, On! " in wild
storm of rage and grief: -- in a word, they managed
to do the work at Sterbohol, they and the rest. First
line, Second line, Infantry, Cavalry (and even the
very Horses, I suppose), fighting inexpressibly; con-
quering one of the worst problems ever seen in War.
For the Austrians too, especially their grenadiers there,
stood to it toughly, and fought like men; -- and "every
"grenadier that survived of them," as I read afterwards,
"got double pay for life. "
Done, that Sterbohol work; -- those Foot-charg- ings, Horse-chargings; that battery of Homoly Hill;
and, hanging upon that, all manner of redoubts and
batteries to the rightward and rearward: -- but how it
was done no pen can describe, nor any intellect in clear
sequence understand. An enormous melee there: new
Prussian battalions charging, and ever new, irre-
pressible by case-shot, as they successively get up:
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? 44 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT. [BOOK XVIII
(ith May 1757.
Marshal Browne too sending for new battalions at
double-quick from his left, disputing stiffly every inch
of his ground. Till at length (hour not given), a
cannon-shot tore away his foot; and he had to be car-
ried into Prag, mortally wounded. Which probably
was a most important circumstance, or the most im-
portant of all.
Important too, I gradually see, was that of the
Prussian Horse of the Left Wing. Prussian Horse of
extreme left, as already noticed, had, in the mean
while, fallen in, well southward, round by certain
lakelets about Michelup, on Browne's extreme right;
furiously charging the Austrian Horse, which stood
ranked there in many lines; breaking it, then again
half broken by it; but again rallying, charging it a
second time, then a third time, "both to front and
"flank, amid whirlwinds of dust" (Ziethen busy there,
not to mention indignant Warnery and others); -- and
at length, driving it wholly to the winds: "beyond
"Nussel, towards the Sazawa Country;" never seen
again that day. Prince Karl (after Browne's death-
wound, or before, I never know) came galloping to
rally that important Right Wing of horse. Prince Karl
did his very utmost there; obtesting, praying, raging,
threatening: -- but to no purpose; the Zietheners and
others so heavy on the rear of them: -- and at last there
came a cramp, or intolerable twinge of spasm, through
Prince Karl's own person (breast or heart), like to take
the life of him: so that he too had to be carried into
Prag to the doctors. And his Cavalry fled at discre-
tion; chased by Ziethen, on Friedrich's express order,
and sent quite over the horizon. Enough, "by about
"half-past one," Sterbohol work is thoroughly done:
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? CHAP. n. ] BATTLE OP PRAG. 45
6th May 1757.
and the Austrian Battle, both its Commanders gone,
has heeled fairly downwards, and is in an ominous way.
The whole of this Austrian Right Wing, horse and
foot, batteries and redoubts, which was put en potence,
or square-wise, to the main battle, is become a ruin;
gone to confusion; hovers in distracted clouds, seeking
roads to run away by, which it ultimately found. Done
all this surely was; and poor Browne, mortally wounded,
is being carried off the ground; but in what sequence
done, under what exact vicissitudes of aspect, special
steps of cause and effect, no man can say; and only
imagination, guided by these few data, can paint to it-
self. Such a chaotic whirlwind of blood, dust, mud,
artillery-thunder, sulphurous rage, and human death
and victory, -- who shall pretend to describe it, or
draw, except in the gross, the scientific plan of it?
For, in the mean time, -- I think, while the dispute
at Sterbohol, on the extreme of the Austrian right
wing "in joiner's-square form," was past the hottest
(but nobody will give the hour), -- there has occurred
another thing, much calculated to settle that. And,
indeed, to settle everything; -- as it did. This was a
volunteer exploit, upon the very elbow or angle of
said "joiner's square;" in the wet grounds between
Hlaupetin and Kyge, a good way north of Sterbohol. Volunteer exploit; on the part of General Mannstein,
our old Russian friend; which Friedrich, a long way
off from it, blames as a rash fault of Mannstein's, made
good by Prince Henri and Ferdinand of Brunswick
running up to mend it; but which Winterfeld, and sub-
sequent good judges, admit to have been highly salu-
tary, and to have finished everything. It went, if I
read right, somewhat as follows.
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?
? CHAP, n. ] BATTLE OP PRAG. 27
2d May 1757.
"cipitous brow, suddenly puts a stop to them, in that particu-
"lar direction. From Ziscaberg top to Weissenberg top may
"be about five English miles; from the Hradschin to the foot
"of Ziscaberg, north-west to south-east, will be half that
"distance, the greatest length of Prag City. Which is rather
"rhomboidal in shape, its longer diagonal this that we men-
"tion. The shorter diagonal, from northmost base of Zisca- "berg to southmost of Hradschin, is perhaps a couple of
"miles. Prag stands nestled in the lap of mountains; and is
"not in itself a strong place in war: but the country round it,
"Moldau ploughing his rugged chasm of a passage through
"the piled table-land, is difficult to manoeuvre in.
"Moldau Valley comes straight from the south, crosses
"Prag; and, -- making, on its outgate at the northern end of
"Prag (end of "shortest diagonal" just spoken of), one big
"loop, or bend and counter-bend, of horse-shoe shape," which
will be notable to us anon, -- "again proceeds straight north-
"ward and Elbe-ward. It is narrow every where, especially
"when once got fairly north of Prag; and runs along like a
"Quasi-Highland Strath, amid rocks and Hills. Big Hill-
"ranges, not to be called barren, yet with rock enough on
"each hand, and fine side valleys opening here and there: the
"bottom of your Strath, which is green and fertile, with
"pleasant busy Villages (much intent on water-power and
"cotton-spinning in our time), is generally of few furlongs in
"breadth. And so it lasts, this pleasant Moldau-Valley, mile
"after mile, on the northern or Lower Moldau, generally
"straight north, though with one big bend eastward just
"before ending; and not till nearMelnick, or the mouth of
"Moldau, do we emerge on that grand Elbe Valley, --
"glanced at once already, from Pascopol or other Height, in
"the Lobositz times. "
Friedrich's first problem is the junction with
Schwerin: junction not to be accomplished south of the
Ziscaberg in the present circumstances; and which
Friedrich knows to be a ticklish operation, with those
Austrians looking on from the high grounds there.
Tuesday 3d May, in the way of reconnoitring, and
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? 28 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XvUI.
4th & 5th May 1757.
decisively on Wednesday 4th, Friedrich is off north-
ward, along the western heights of Lower Moldau,
proper force following him, to seek a fit place for the
pontoons, and get across in that northern quarter.
"How dangerous that Schwerin is a day too late! "
murmurs he; but hopes the Austrians will undertake
nothing. Keith, with 30,000, he has left on the Weis-
senberg, to straiten Prag and the Austrian Garrison on
that side: our wagon-trains arrive from Leitmeritz on
that side, Elbe-boats bring them up to Leitmeritz; very indispensable to guard that side of Prag. Fried-
rich's fixed purpose also is to beat the Austrians, on
the other side of it, and send them packing; but for
that, there are steps needful!
Up so far as Lissoley, the first day, Friedrich has
found no fit place; but on the morrow, Thursday 5th,
farther up, at a place called Seltz, Friedrich finds his
side of the Strath to be "a little higher than the other,"
-- proper, therefore, for cannonading the other, if need
be; -- and orders his pontoons to be built together
there. He knows accurately of the Schwerin Column,
of the comfortable Bevern Victory at Reichenberg, and
how they have got the Jung-Buntzlau Magazine, and
are across the Elbe, their bridges all secured, though
with delay of one day; and do now wait only for the
word, -- for the three cannon-shot, in fact, which are
to signify that Friedrich is actually crossing to their
side of Lower Moldau.
Friedrich's Bridge is speedily built (trained human
hands can be no speedier), his batteries planted, his
precautions taken: the three cannon-shot go off, audible
to Schwerin; and Friedrich's troops stream speedily
across, hardly a Pandour to meddle with them. Nay,
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? CHAP, n. ] BATTLE OF PRAG. 29
6th May 1757.
before the passage was complete -- what light-horse
squadrons are these? Hussars, seen to be Seidlitz's
(missioned by Schwerin), appear on the outskirts: a
meeting worthy of three-cheers, surely, after such a
march on both sides! Friedrich lies on the eastern Hill-
tops that night (Hamlet of Czimitz his Headquarter,
discoverable if you wish it, scarcely three miles north
of Prag); and accurate appointment is made with
Schwerin as to the meeting-place tomorrow morning.
Meeting-place is to be the environs of Prossik Village,
south-eastward over yonder, short way north of the
Prag-Koniggratz Highway, and rather nearer Prag
than we now are, in Czimitz here: time at Prossik to
be 6 a. m. by the clock; and Winterfeld and Schwerin
to come in person and speak with his Majesty. This
is the program for Friday, May 6th, which proves to
be so memorable a day.
Schwerin is on foot by the stroke of midnight;
comes along "over the heights of Chaber," by half-a-
dozen, or I know not how many roads; visible in due
time to Friedrich's people, who are likewise punctually
on the advance: in a word, the junction is accomplished
with all correctness. And, while the Columns are
marching up, Schwerin and Winterfeld ride about in
personal conference with his Majesty; taking survey,
through spyglasses, of those Austrians encamped yonder
on the broad back of their Zisca Hill, a couple of miles
to southward. "What a set of Austrians," exclaim
military critics; "to permit such junction, without effort
to devour the one half or the other, in good time! "
Friedrich himself, it is probable, might partly be of
the same opinion; but he knew his Austrians, and had
made bold to venture. Friedrich, we can observe, al-
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? 3b SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XVBI.
6th May 1757.
ways got to know his man, after fighting him a month
or two; and took liberties with him, or did not take,
accordingly. And, for most part,-- not quite always,
as one signal exception will show, -- he does it with
perfect accuracy; and often with vital profit to his
measures. "If the Austrian cooking-tents are a-smoke
"before eight in the morning," note she, "you may cal-
culate, n such case, the Austrians will march that
"day. "* With a surprising vividness of eye and mind
(beautiful to rival, if one could), he watches the signs
of the times, of the hours and the days and the places;
and prophesies from them; -- reads men and their
procedures, as if they were mere handwriting, not too
cramp for him. -- The Austrians have, by this time,
got their Konigseck home, very unvictorious, but still
on foot, all but a thousand or two: they are already
stronger than the Prussians by count of heads; and till
even Daun come up, what hurry in a Post like this?
The Austrians are viewing Friedrich, too, this morning;' -
but in the blankest manner: their outposts fire a can-
non-shot or two on his group of adjutants and him,
without effect; and the Head people send their cavalry
out to forage, so little prophecy have they from signs
seen.
Zisca Hill, where the Austrians now are, rises
sheer up, of well-nigh precipitous steepness, though
there are trees and grass on it, from the eastern side
of Prag, say five or six hundred feet. A steep, pic-
turesque, massive green Hill; Moldau River, turning
suddenly to right, strikes the north-west corner of it
(has flowed well to west of it, till then), and winds
eastward round its northern base. As will be noticed
* Military Instructions.
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? CHAP. n. ] BATTLE OP PRAG. 31
6th May 1757.
presently. The ascent of Ziscaberg, by roads, is steep
and tedious: but once at the top, you find that it is
precipitous on two sides only, the City or westward
side, and the Moldau or northward. Atop it spreads
out, far and wide, into a waving upland level; bare of
hedges; ploughable all of it, studded with littery hamlets
and farmsteadings: far and wide, a kind of Plain,
sloping with extreme gentleness, five or six miles to
eastward, and as far to southward, before the level
perceptibly rise again.
Another feature of the Ziscaberg, already hinted at,
is very notable: that of the Moldau skirting its northern
base, and scarping the Hill, on that side too, into a
precipitous, or very steep condition. Moldau having
arrived from southward, fairly past the end of Zisca-
berg, had, so to speak, made up his mind to go right
eastward, quarrying his way through the lower uplands
there. And he proceeds, accordingly, hugging the
northern base of Ziscaberg, and making it steep
enough; but finds, in the course of a mile or so, that
he can no more; upland being still rock-built, not
underminable farther; and so is obliged to wind round
again, to northward, and finally straight westward, the
way he came, or parallel to the way he came; and has
effected that great Horse-shoe Hollow we heard of
lately. An extremely pretty Hollow, and curious to
look upon; pretty villas, gardens, and a "Belvedere
Park," laid out in the bottom part; with green mountain-
walls rising all round it, and a silver ring of river at
the base of them: length of Horse-shoe, from heel to
toe, or from west to east, is perhaps a mile; breadth,
from heel to heel, perhaps half as much. Having ar-
rived at his old distance to west, Moldau, like a re-
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? 32 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book Xvm.
6th May 1757.
pentant prodigal, and as if ashamed of his frolic, just
over against the old point he swerved from, takes
straight to northward again. Straight northward; and
quarries out that fine narrow valley, or Quasi-High-
land Strath, with its pleasant busy villages, where he
turns the overshot machinery, and where Friedrich and
his men had their pontoons swimming yesterday.
It is here, on this broad back of the Ziscaberg, that
the Austrians now lie; looking northward over to the
King, and trying cannon-shots upon him. There they
have been encamping, and diligently entrenching them-
selves for four days past; diligent especially since
yesterday, when they heard of Friedrich's crossing the
River. Their groups of tents, and batteries at all the
good points, stretch from near the crown of Ziscaberg
eastward to the Villages of Hlaupetin, Kyge, and their
Lakes, near four miles; and rearward into the interior
one knows not how far; -- Prince Karl, hardly awake
yet, lies at Nussel, near the Moldau, near the Wischerad
or south-eastmost point of Prag; six good miles west-
by-south of Kyge, at the other end of the diagonal
line. About the same distance, right east from Nussel,
and a mile or more to south of Kyge over yonder, is
a littery Farmstead named Sterbohol, which is not yet
occupied by the Austrians, but will become very famous
in their War-Annals, this day! --
Where the Austrian Camp or various Tent-groups
were, at the time Friedrich first cast eye on them, is
no great concern of his or ours; inasmuch as, in two
or three hours hence, the Austrians were obliged, rather
suddenly, to take Order of Battle; and that, and not
their camping, is the thing we are curious upon. Let
us step across, and take some survey of that Austrian
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? CHAP. n. ] BATTLE OF PRAG. 33
6th May 1757.
ground, which Friedrich is now surveying from the
distance, fully intending that it shall be a battle-ground
in few hours; and try to explain how the Austrians
drew up on it, when they noticed the Prussian symptoms
to become serious more and more. By nine in the
morning, -- some two hours after Friedrich began his
scanning, and the Austrian outposts their firing of stray
cannon-shots on him, -- it is Battle-lines, not empty
Tents (which there was not time to strike), that salute
the eye over yonder.
From behind that verdant Horse-shoe Chasm we
spoke of, buttressed by the inaccessible steeps, and the
Moldau, double-folded in the form of Horse-shoe, all
along the brow of that sloping expanse, stands (by 9
a. m. "foragers all suddenly called in") the Austrian
front; the second line and the reserve, parallel to it,
at good distances behind. Ranked there; say, 65,000
regulars (Prussian force little short of the same), on
the brow of Ziscaberg slope, some four miles long.
Their right wing ends, in strong batteries, in intricate
marshes, knolls, lakelets, between Hlaupetin and Kyge:
the extreme of their left wing looks over on that Horse-
shoe Hollow, where Moldau tried to dig his way, but
could not, and had to turn back. They have numerous
redoubts, in front and in all the good places; and are
busy with more, some of them just now getting finished,
treble-quick, while the Prussians are seen under way.
As many as sixty heavy cannon in battery up and
down: of field-pieces they have a hundred and fifty.
. Excellent always with their Artillery, these Austrians;
plenty of it, well placed, and well served: thanks to
Prince Lichtenstein's fine labours, within these ten
Carlyle, Frederick the Great. X. 3
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? 34 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XvIII.
6th May 1757,
years past. * The villages, the farmsteads, are occupied;
every rising ground especially has its battery, -- Ho-
moly Berg, Tabor Berg, "Mount of Tabor;" say Knoll
of Tabor (nothing like so high as Battersea Rise, hardly
even as Constitution Hill), though scriptural Zisca
would make a Mount of it; -- these, and other Berijg
of the like type.
That is the Austrian Battle Order (as it stood about
nine, though it had still to change a little, as we shall
see): their first line, straight or nearly so, looking north-
ward, stands on the brow of the Zisca Slope; their second
and their third, singularly like it, at the due distances
behind; -- in the intervals, their tents, which stand scat-
tered, in groups wide apart, in the ample interior to
southward. The cavalry is on both wings; left wing,
behind that Moldau Chasm, cannot attack nor be at-
tacked, -- except it were on hippogriffs, and its enemy
on the like, capable of fighting in the air, overhead of
these Belvedere Pleasure-grounds: perhaps Prince Karl
will remedy this oversight; fruit of close following of
the orthodox practice? Prince Karl, supreme Chief,
commands on the left wing; Browne on the right, where
he can attack or be attacked, not on hippogriffs. As
we shall see, and others will! Light horse, in any
quantity, hang scattered on all outskirts. With foot,
with cannon batteries, with horse, light or heavy, they
cover in long broad flood the whole of that Zisca Slope,
to near where it ceases, and the ground to eastward
begins perceptibly to rise again.
In this latter quarter, Zisca Slope, now nearly,
ended, begins to get very swampy in parts; on the
eastern border of the Austrian Camp, at Kyge, Hosta-
* (Euvres de Frederic (in several places); sec Hormayr, ? Lichtenstein.
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? CHAP. H. ] BATTLE OF PRAG. 35
6th May 1757.
witz, and beyond it southward, about Sterbohol and
Michelup, there are many little lakelets; artificial fish-
ponds, several of them, with their sluices, dams and
apparatus: a ragged broadish lacing of ponds and
lakelets (all well dried in our day) straggles and zigzags
along there, connected by the miserablest Brook in
nature, which takes to oozing and serpentising forward
thereabouts, and does finally get emptied, now in a
rather livelier condition, into the Moldau, about the
toe-part of that Horse-shoe or Belvedere region. It
runs in sight of the King, I think, where he now is;
this lower livelier part of it: little does the King know
how important the upper oozing portion of it will be to
him this day. Near Michelup are lakelets worth
noticing; a little under Sterbohol, in the course of this
miserable Brook, is a string of fish-ponds, with their
sluices open at this time, the water out, and the mud
bottom sown with herb-provender for the intended carps,
which is coming on beautifully, green as leeks, and
nearly ready for the fish getting to it again.
Friedrich surveys diligently what he can of all this,
from the northern verge. We will now return to
Friedrich: and will stay on his side, through the terrible
Action that is coming. Battle of Prag, one of the
furious Battles of the World; loud as Doomsday; --
the very Emblem of which, done on the Piano by
females of energy, scatters mankind to flight who love
their ears! Of this great Action the Narratives old
and modern are innumerable; false some of them, un-
intelligible well nigh all. There are three in Lloyd,
known probably to some of my readers. Tempelhof,
with criticisms of these three, gives a fourth, -- perhaps
the one Narrative which human nature, after much
3*
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? 36 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XVIII.
6th May 1757.
study, can in some sort understand. Human readers,
especially military, I refer to that as their finale. * Other
interest than military-scientific the Action now has not
much. The stormy fire of soul that blazed that day
(higher in no ancient or modern Fight of men) is ex-
tinct, hopeless of resuscitation for English readers. Ap-
proximately what the thing to human eyes might be
like; what Friedrich's procedure, humour and phy-
siognomy of soul was in it: this, especially the latter
head, is what we search for, -- had lazy Dryasdust
given us almost anything on this latter head! What
little can be gleaned from him on both heads let us
faithfully give, and finish our sad part of the combat.
Friedrich, with his Schwerin and Winterfeld, sur-
veying these things from the northern edge, admits that
the Austrian position is extremely strong; but he has
no doubt that it must be, by some good method, at-
tacked straightway, and the Austrians got beaten. In-
disputably the enterprise is difficult. Unattackable
clearly, the Austrians, on that left wing of theirs; not
in the centre well attackable, nor in the front at all,
with that stiff ground, and such redoubts and points
of strength: but round on their right yonder; take them
* In Lloyd, I. 38 et seq. (the Three): in Tempelhof, 1. 123 (the Fourth)
ib. i. 144 (strength of each Army), 105-149 (remarks of Tempelhof).
The
"History" or Series of Lectures on the Battles, &c. of this War, "by the
Royal Staff-Offcers" -- which, for the last thirty or forty years, is used as
Text-Book, or Military Euclid, in the Prussian Cadet-Schools, -- appears
to possess the fit professorial lucidity and amplitude; and, in regard to
all Official details, enumerations and the like, is received as of canonical
authority: it is not accessible to the general Public, -- though liberally
enough conceded in special cases; whereby, in effect, the main results of
it are now become current in modern Prussian Books. By favour in high
quarters, Iihad once possession of a copy, for some months; but not, at
that time, the possibility of thoroughly reading any part of it.
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? CHAP. II. ] BATTLE OP PRAG. Zf
6lh May 1757.
in flank, -- cannot we? On as far as Kyge, the Three
have ridden reconnoitring; and found no possibility
upon the front; nor at Kyge, where the front ends in
batteries, pools and quagmires, is there any. "Diffi-
cult, not undoable," persists the King: "and it must
be straightway set about, and got done. " Winter-
feld, always for action, is of that opinion, too; and,
examining farther down along their right flank, reports
that there the thing is feasible.
Feasible perhaps: "but straightway? " objects
Schwerin. His men have been on foot since midnight,
and on forced marches for days past: were it not better
to rest for this one day? "Rest: -- and Daun, coming
on with 30,000 of reinforcement to them, might arrive
this night? Never, my good Feldmarschall;" -- and
as the Feldmarschall was a man of stiff notions, and
had a tongue of some emphasis, the Dialogue went on,
probably with increasing emphasis on Friedrich's side
too, till old Schwerin, with a quite emphatic flash of
countenance, crushing the hat firm over his brow, ex-
claims: "Well, your Majesty: the fresher fish the better
fish (frische Fische, gute Fische): straightway, then! "
and springs off on the gallop southward, he too, seeking
some likely point of attack. He too, -- conjointly or
not with Winterfeld, I do not know: Winterfeld him-
self does not say; whose own modest words, on the
subject, readers shall see before we finish. But both
are mentioned in the Books as searching, at hand-
gallop, in this way: and both, once well round to south,
by the Podschernitz quarter,* with the Austrian right
flank full in view, were agreed that here the thing was
* "Podschernitz," is pronounced Pots/iernilz (should we happen to
mention it again); "Kyge," Kcega.
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? 38 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XVni.
6th May 1757.
possible. "Infantry to. push from this quarter towards
Sterbohol yonder, and then plunge into their redoubts
and them! Cavalry may sweep still farther southward,
if found convenient, and even take them in rear. " Both
agree that it will do in this way: ground tolerably
good, slightly downwards for us, then slightly upwards
again; tolerable for horse even: -- the intermediate
lacing of dirty lakelets, the fishponds with their sluices
drawn, Schwerin and Winterfeld either did not notice
at all, or thought them insignificant, interspersed with
such beautiful "pasture-ground," -- of unusual verdure
at this early season of the year.
The deployment, or "marching up (Aufmarschiren)"
of the Prussians was wonderful; in their squadrons, in
their battalions, horse, foot, artillery, wheeling, closing,
opening; strangely chequering a country-side, -- in
movements intricate, chaotic to all but the scientific
eye. Conceive them, flowing along, from the Heights
of Chaber, behind Prossik Hamlet (right wing of in-
fantry plants itself at Prossik, horse westward of them);
and ever onwards in broad many-chequered tide-stream,
eastward, eastward, then southward ("our artillery
"went through Podschernitz, the foot and horse a little
"on this westward side of it"): intricate, many-glancing
tide of coming battle; which, swift, correct as clock-
work, becomes two lines, from Prossik to near Chwala
("baggage well behind at Grbell"); thence round by
Podschernitz quarter; and descends, steady, swift,
tornado - storm so beautifully hidden in it, towards
Sterbohol, there to grip-to. Gradually, in stirring up
those old dead pedantic record-books, the fact rises on
us: silent whirlwinds of old Piatt-Deutsch fire, beauti-
fully held down, dwell in those mute masses; better
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? CHAP. II. ] BATTLE OP PRAG. 39
6:h May 1757.
human stuff there is not than that old Teutsch (Dutch,
English, Platt-Deutsch, and other varieties); and so
disciplined as here it never was before or since. "In
an hour and half," what military men may count
almost incredible, they are fairly on their ground, mo-
tionless the most of them by 9 a. m. ; the rest wheeling
rightward, as they successively arrive in the Chwala-
Podschernitz localities; and, descending diligently,
Sterbohol way; and will be at their harvest-work anon.
Meanwhile the Austrians, seeing, to their astonish-
ment, these phenomena to the north, and that it is a
quite serious thing, do also rapidly bestir themselves;
swarming like bees; -- bringing in their foraging Ca-
valry, "No time to change your jacket for a coat:"
rank, double-quick! Browne is on that right wing of
theirs: "Bring the left wing over hither," suggests
Browne; "cavalry is useless yonder, unless they had
hippogriffs! " -- and (again Browne suggesting) the
Austrians make a change in the position of their right
wing, both horse and foot: change which is of vital
importance, though unnoted in many Narratives of this
Battle. Seeing, namely, what the Prussians intend,
they wheel their right wing (say the last furlong or
two of their long Line of Battle) half round to right;
so that the last furlong or two stands at right angles
("ere potence," gallows-wise, or joiner's-square-wise to
the rest); and, in this way, make front to the Prussian
onslaught, -- front now, not flank, as the Prussians
are anticipating. This is an important wheel to right,
and formation in joiner's-square manner; and involves
no end of interior wheeling, marching and deploying;
which Austrians cannot manage with Prussian velocity.
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? 40 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XVIIt.
lith M. ny 1757.
"Swift with it, here about Sterbohol at least, my men!
For here are the Prussians within wind of us! " urges
Browne. And here straightway the hurricane does
break loose.
Winterfeld, the van of Schwerin's infantry (Schwerin's
own regiment, and some others, with him), is striding
rapidly on Sterbohol; Winterfeld catches it before Browne
can. But near by, behind that important post, on the
Homoly Hill (Berg or "Mountain," nothing like so high
as Constitution Mountain), are cannon-batteries of
devouring quality, which awaken on Winterfeld, as he
rushes out double-quick on the advancing Austrians;
and are fatal to Winterfeld's attempt, and nearly to
Winterfeld himself. Winterfeld, heavily wounded,
sank in swoon from his horse; and awakening again in
a pool of blood, found his men all off, rushing back
upon the main Schwerin body; "Austrian grenadiers
"gazing on the thing, about eighty paces off, not
"venturingto follow. " Winterfeld, half-dead, scrambled
across to Schwerin, who is now come up with the main
body, his front line fronting the Austrians here. And
there ensued, about Sterbohol and neighbourhood, led
on by Schwerin, such a death-wrestle as was seldom seen
in the Annals of War. Winterfeld's miss of Sterbohol
was the beginning of it; the exact course of sequel
none can describe, though the end is well known.
The Austrians now hold Sterbohol with firm grip,
backed by those batteries from Homoly Hill. Redoubts,
cannon-batteries, as we said, stud all the field; the
Austrian stock of artillery is very great; arrangement
of it cunning, practice excellent; does honour to Prince
Lichtenstein, and indeed is the real force of the Austrians
on this occasion. Schwerin must have Sterbohol, in.
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? CHAP, n. ] BATTLE OF PRAG. 41
6th May 1757.
spite of batteries and ranked Austrians, and Winter-
feld's recoil tumbling round him: -- and rarely had
the oldest veteran such a problem. Old Schwerin (fiery
as ever, at the age of 73) has been in many battles,
from Blenheim onwards; and now has got to his hottest
and his last. "Vanguard could not do it; main body,
we hope, kindling all the hotter, perhaps may! " A
most willing mind is in these Prussians of Schwerin's:
fatigue of over-marching has tired the muscles of them;
but their hearts, -- all witnesses say, these (and
through these, their very muscles, 'always fresh again,
after a few minutes of breathing time') were beyond
comparison, this day!
Schwerin's Prussians, as they 'march up' (that is,
as they front and advance upon the Austrians), are
everywhere saluted by case-shot, from Homoly Hill
and the batteries northward of Homoly; but march on,
this main line of them, finely regardless of it or of
Winterfeld's disaster by it. The general Prussian Order
this day is: "By push of bayonet; no firing, none, at
any rate, till you see the whites of their eyes! " Swift,
steady as on the parade-ground, swiftly making up
their gaps again, the Prussians advance, on these terms,
and are now near those "fine sleek pasture-grounds,
unusually green for the season. " Figure the actual
stepping upon these "fine pasture-grounds:" -- mud-
tanks, verdant with mere "bearding oat-crop" sown
there as carp-provender! Figure the sinking of whole
regiments to the knee; to the middle, some of them;
the steady march become a wild sprawl through viscous
mud, mere case-shot singing round you, tearing you
away at its ease! Even on those terrible terms, the
Prussians, by dams, by footpaths, sometimes one man
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? 42 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT, [book XvIII.
6th May 1757.
abreast, sprawl steadily forward, trailing their cannon
with them; only a few regiments, in the footpath parts,
cannot bring their cannon. Forward; rank again, when
the ground will carry; ever forward, the case-shot
getting ever more murderous! No human pen can
describe the deadly chaos which ensued in that quarter.
Which lasted, in desperate fury, issue dubious, for
above three hours; and was the crisis, or essential
agony, of the Battle. Foot-chargings (once the mud-
transit was accomplished), under storms of grape-shot
from Homoly Hill; by and by, Horse-chargings, Prus-
sian against Austrian, southward of Homoly and Ster-
bohol, still farther to the Prussian left; huge whirlpool
of tumultuous death-wrestle, every species of spasmodic
effort, on the one side and the other; -- King himself
present there, as I dimly discover; Feldmarschall Browne
eminent, in the last of his fields; and, as the old
Niebelungcn has it, "a murder grim and great" going on. Schwerin's Prussians, in that preliminary struggle
through the mud-tanks (which Winterfeld, I think, had
happened to skirt, and avoid), were hard bested. This,
so far as I can learn, was the worst of the chaos, this
preliminary part. Intolerable to human nature, this, or
nearly so; even to human nature of the Platt-Teutsch
type, improved by Prussian drill. Winterfeld's repulse
we saw; Schwerin's own Regiment in it. Various
repulses, I perceive, there were, -- "fresh regiments
from our Second Line" storming in thereupon; till the
poor repulsed people "took breath," repented, "and
themselves stormed in again," say the Books. Fearful
tugging, swagging and swaying is conceivable, in this
Sterbohol problem! And after long scanning, I rather
judge it was in the wake of that first repulse, and not
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? CHAP. II. ] BATTLE OF PEAG. 43
tth May 1757.
of some other farther on, that the veteran Schwerin
himself got his death. No one times it for us; but the
fact is unforgettable; and in the dim whirl of sequences,
dimly places itself there. Very certain it is, "at sight
of his own regiment in retreat," Feldmarschall Schwerin
seized the colours, -- as did other Generals, who are
not named, that day. Seizes the colours, fiery old
man: "Heron, meine Kinder (This way, my sons)! "
and rides ahead, along the straight dam again; his
'sons' all turning, and with hot repentance following.
"On, my children, Heranl" Five bits of grape-shot,
deadly each of them, at once hit the old man; dead
he sinks there on his flag; and will never fight more.
"Heranl" storm the others with hot tears; Adjutant
von Platen takes the flag; Platen, too, is instantly
shot; but another takes it. "Heran, On! " in wild
storm of rage and grief: -- in a word, they managed
to do the work at Sterbohol, they and the rest. First
line, Second line, Infantry, Cavalry (and even the
very Horses, I suppose), fighting inexpressibly; con-
quering one of the worst problems ever seen in War.
For the Austrians too, especially their grenadiers there,
stood to it toughly, and fought like men; -- and "every
"grenadier that survived of them," as I read afterwards,
"got double pay for life. "
Done, that Sterbohol work; -- those Foot-charg- ings, Horse-chargings; that battery of Homoly Hill;
and, hanging upon that, all manner of redoubts and
batteries to the rightward and rearward: -- but how it
was done no pen can describe, nor any intellect in clear
sequence understand. An enormous melee there: new
Prussian battalions charging, and ever new, irre-
pressible by case-shot, as they successively get up:
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? 44 SEVEN-YEARS WAR RISES TO A HEIGHT. [BOOK XVIII
(ith May 1757.
Marshal Browne too sending for new battalions at
double-quick from his left, disputing stiffly every inch
of his ground. Till at length (hour not given), a
cannon-shot tore away his foot; and he had to be car-
ried into Prag, mortally wounded. Which probably
was a most important circumstance, or the most im-
portant of all.
Important too, I gradually see, was that of the
Prussian Horse of the Left Wing. Prussian Horse of
extreme left, as already noticed, had, in the mean
while, fallen in, well southward, round by certain
lakelets about Michelup, on Browne's extreme right;
furiously charging the Austrian Horse, which stood
ranked there in many lines; breaking it, then again
half broken by it; but again rallying, charging it a
second time, then a third time, "both to front and
"flank, amid whirlwinds of dust" (Ziethen busy there,
not to mention indignant Warnery and others); -- and
at length, driving it wholly to the winds: "beyond
"Nussel, towards the Sazawa Country;" never seen
again that day. Prince Karl (after Browne's death-
wound, or before, I never know) came galloping to
rally that important Right Wing of horse. Prince Karl
did his very utmost there; obtesting, praying, raging,
threatening: -- but to no purpose; the Zietheners and
others so heavy on the rear of them: -- and at last there
came a cramp, or intolerable twinge of spasm, through
Prince Karl's own person (breast or heart), like to take
the life of him: so that he too had to be carried into
Prag to the doctors. And his Cavalry fled at discre-
tion; chased by Ziethen, on Friedrich's express order,
and sent quite over the horizon. Enough, "by about
"half-past one," Sterbohol work is thoroughly done:
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? CHAP. n. ] BATTLE OP PRAG. 45
6th May 1757.
and the Austrian Battle, both its Commanders gone,
has heeled fairly downwards, and is in an ominous way.
The whole of this Austrian Right Wing, horse and
foot, batteries and redoubts, which was put en potence,
or square-wise, to the main battle, is become a ruin;
gone to confusion; hovers in distracted clouds, seeking
roads to run away by, which it ultimately found. Done
all this surely was; and poor Browne, mortally wounded,
is being carried off the ground; but in what sequence
done, under what exact vicissitudes of aspect, special
steps of cause and effect, no man can say; and only
imagination, guided by these few data, can paint to it-
self. Such a chaotic whirlwind of blood, dust, mud,
artillery-thunder, sulphurous rage, and human death
and victory, -- who shall pretend to describe it, or
draw, except in the gross, the scientific plan of it?
For, in the mean time, -- I think, while the dispute
at Sterbohol, on the extreme of the Austrian right
wing "in joiner's-square form," was past the hottest
(but nobody will give the hour), -- there has occurred
another thing, much calculated to settle that. And,
indeed, to settle everything; -- as it did. This was a
volunteer exploit, upon the very elbow or angle of
said "joiner's square;" in the wet grounds between
Hlaupetin and Kyge, a good way north of Sterbohol. Volunteer exploit; on the part of General Mannstein,
our old Russian friend; which Friedrich, a long way
off from it, blames as a rash fault of Mannstein's, made
good by Prince Henri and Ferdinand of Brunswick
running up to mend it; but which Winterfeld, and sub-
sequent good judges, admit to have been highly salu-
tary, and to have finished everything. It went, if I
read right, somewhat as follows.
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?
