history of friedrich ii of prussia v 18-第67部分
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iedrich's operations on Daun in this post are patiently artful; and curious to look upon; but beyond description here: enough to say; that in the second week he makes his people hut themselves (weather wet and bad); and in the fourth week; finding that nothing contrivable would provoke Daun into fighting;he loads at Dresden provisions for I think nine days; makes; from two or from three sides; a sudden spurt upon Loudon; who is Daun's northern outpost; brushes Loudon hastily away; and himself takes the road for Bautzen; by Daun's right flank; thrown bare in this manner。 'Tempelhof; ii。 278。'
Road for Bautzen; which is the road for Zittau withal; for Daun's bread…basket; as well as for Neisse and Harsch! Nine days' provision; that is our small outfit; that and our own right…hands; and the waste world lies all ahead。 OCTOBER 1st; Retzow; as vanguard; sweeps out the few Croats from Bautzen; deposits his meal…wagons there; occupies Hochkirch; and the hilly environs to east; is to take possession of Weissenberg especially; and of the Stromberg Hill and other strong points: which Retzow punctually does; forgetting nothing;except perhaps the Stromberg; not quite remembered in time; a thing of small consequence in Retzow's view; since all else had gone right。
Hearing of which; Daun; with astonishment; finds that he must quit those beautifully chasmy fastnesses of Stolpen; and look to his bread; which is getting to lie under the enemy's feet; if Zittau road be left yonder as it is。 OCTOBER 5th; after councils of war and deliberation enough; Daun gets under way; 'Ib。 ii。 279。' cautiously; favored by a night very dark and wet; glides through to right of Friedrich's people; softly along between Bautzen and the Pirna Country; nobody molesting him; so dark and wet: and after one other march in those bosky solitudes; sits down at Kittlitz;ahead or to east of Bautzen; of Hochkirch; of Retzow and all Friedrich's people;and again sets to palisading and intrenching there。 Kittlitz; near Lobau; there is Daun's new head…quarter; Lobau Water; with its intricate hollows; his line of defence: his posts going out a mile to north and to south of Kittlitz。 And so sits; once more blocking Zittau road; and quietly waiting what Friedrich will do。
Friedrich is at Bautzen since the 7th; impatient enough to be forward; but must not till a second larger provision…convoy from Dresden come in。 Convoy once in; Friedrich hastens off; Tuesday; 10th October; towards Weissenberg Country; where Retzow is; some ten or twelve miles to eastward;Zittau…ward; if that chance to suit us; Silesia…ward; as is sure to suit。 At the 〃Pass of Jenkowitz;〃 short way from Bautzen; Pandours attempt our baggage; need to be battered off; and again off: which apprises Friedrich that Daun's whole Army is ahead in the neighborhood somewhere。 Marching on; Friedrich; from the knoll of Hochkirch; shoulder of the southern Hills; gets complete view of Daun;stretching north and south; at right angles to the Zittau roads and to Friedrich; in the way we described;and is a little surprised; and I could guess piqued; at seeing Daun in such a state of forwardness。 〃Encamp here; then!〃 he says;here; on this row of Heights parallel to Daun; within a mile of Daun: just here; I tell you! under the very nose of Daun; who is above two to one of us; and see what Daun will do。 Marwitz; his favorite Adjutant; one of those free…spoken Marwitzes; loyal; skilful; but liable to stiff fits; takes the liberty to remonstrate; argue; says at length; He; Marwitz; dare not be concerned in marking out such an encampment; not he; for his poor part! And is put under arrest; and another Adjutant does it; cannon playing on his people and him while engaged in the operation。
Friedrich's obstinate rashness; this Tuesday Evening; has not wanted its abundant meed of blame;rendered so emphatic by what befell on Saturday morning next。 His somewhat too authoritative fixity; a certain radiancy of self…confidence; dangerous to a man; his sovereign contempt of Daun; as an inert dark mass; who durst undertake nothing: all this is undeniable; and worth our recognition in estimating Friedrich。 One considerably extenuating circumstance does at last turn up;in the shape of a new piece of blame to the erring Friedrich; his sudden anger; namely; against the meritorious General Retzow; his putting Retzow under arrest that Tuesday Evening: 〃How; General Retzow? You have not taken hold of the Stromberg for me!〃 That is the secret of Retzow: and on studying the ground you will find that the Stromberg; a blunt tabular Hill; of good height; detached; and towering well up over all that region; might have rendered Friedrich's position perfectly safe。 〃Seize me the Stromberg to…morrow morning; the first thing!〃 ordered Friedrich。 And a Detachment went accordingly; but found Daun's people already there;indisposed to go; nay determined not to go; and getting reinforced to unlimited amounts。 So that the Stromberg was left standing; and remained Daun's; furnished with plenty of cannon by Daun。 Retzow's arrest; Retzow being a steady favorite of Friedrich's; was only of a few hours: 〃pardonable that oversight;〃 thinks Friedrich; though it came to cost him dear。 For the rest; I find; Friedrich's keeping of this Camp; without the Stromberg; was intended to end; the third day hence: 〃Saturday; 14th; then; since Friday proves impossible!〃 Friedrich had settled。 And it did end Saturday; 14th; though at an earlier HOUR; and with other results than had been expected。 Keith said; 〃The Austrians deserve to be hanged if they don't attack us here。〃 〃We must hope they are more afraid of us than even of the gallows;〃 answered Friedrich。 A very dangerous Camp; untenable without the Stromberg。 Let us try to understand it; and Daun's position to it; in some slight degree。
〃Hochkirch (HIGHkirk) is an old Wendish…Saxon Village; standing pleasantly on its Hill…top; conspicuous for miles round on all sides; or on all but the south side; where it abuts upon other Heights; which gradually rise into Hills a good deal higher than it。 The Village hangs confusedly; a jumble of cottages and colegarths; on the crown and north slope of the Height; thatched; in part tiled; and built mostly of rough stone blocks; in our time;not of wood; as probably in Friedrich's。 A solid; sluttishly comfortable…looking Village; with pleasant hay…fields; or long narrow hay…stripes (each villager has his stripe); reaching down to the northern levels。 The Church is near the top; Churchyard; and some little space farther; are nearly horizontal ground; till the next Height begins sloping up again towards the woody Hills southward。 The view from this little esplanade atop; still better from the Church belfry; is wide and pretty。 Free on all sides except the south: pleasant Heights and Hollows; of arable; of wood; or pasture; well watered by rushing Brooks; all making northward; direct for Spree (the Berlin Spree); or else into the Lobau Water; which is the first big branch of Spree。
〃The place is still partly of Wendish speech; the Parson has to preach one half of the Sunday in Wend; the other in German。 Among the Hills to south;〃 well worth noting at present; 〃is one called CZARNABOG; or 'Devil's Hill;' where the Wendish Devil and his Witches (equal to any German on his Blocksberg; or preternatural Bracken of the Harz) hold their annual WITCHES'… SABBATH;a thing not to be contemplated without a shudder by the Wendish mind。 Thereabouts; and close from Hochkirch southward; all is shadowy intricacy of thicket and wild wood。 Northward too from Hochkirch; and all about; I perceive the scene was woodier then than now;and must have looked picturesque enough (had anybody been in quest of that); with the multifarious uniforms; and tented people sprinkled far and wide among the leafy red…and…yellow of October; 1758。〃 'Tourist's Note; September; 1858。'
In the Village of Wuischke; precisely at the northern base of that shaggy Czarnabog or Devil's Hill; stand Loudon and 3;000 Croats and grenadiers; as the extreme left of Daun's position。 Wuischke is nearly straight south of Hochkirch; so far westward has Loudon pushed forward with his Croats; hidden among the Hills; though Daun's general position lies a good mile to east of Friedrich's:irregularly north and south; both Friedrich and Daun; the former ignorant what Croats and Loudonries; there may be among those Devil's Hills to his right; the latter not ignorant。 Friedrich's right wing; Keith in command of it; stretches to Hochkirch and a little farther: beyond Hochkirch; it has Four flank Battalions in potence form; with proper vedettes and pickets; and above all; with a strong Battery of Twenty Guns; which it maintains on the next Height immediately adjoining Hochkirch; and perceptibly higher than Hochkirch。 This is the finis of Keith on his right; andexcept those vedettes; and pickets of Free…corps people; thrown out a little way ahead into the bushes; on that sideFriedrich's right wing knows nothing of the shaggy elevations horrent with wood; which lie to southward; and merely intends to play its Twenty Cannon upon them; should they give birth to anything。 This is Friedrich's posture on his right or south wing。
From Hochkirch northward or nearly so; but sprinkled about in all the villages and points of strength; as far up as Drehsa and beyond Drehsa; to near Kotitz; a less important village; Friedrich extends about four miles; centre at Rodewitz; where his own head…quarter is; above two miles north of Hochkirch。 Not far from Rodewitz; but a little to left and ahead; stands his second and best Battery; of Thirty Guns; ready to play upon Lauska; a poor village; and its roadway; should the Austrians try anything there; or from their Stromberg post; which is a good mile behind Lauska。 His strength; in these lines; some count to be only 28;000; or less。 Four or five miles to northeast; in and behind Weissenberg (which we used to know last summer); lies Retzow; with perhaps 10 or 12;000; which will bring him up to 40;000; were they properly joined with him as a left wing。 Daun's force counts 90;000; with Friedrich lying under his nose in this insolent manner。
Daun's head…quarter; as we said; is Kittlitz; a Village some two miles short of Lobau; in the direction