acy
pillaged whatever he could find on his route, and in three days regained
Torgau. The Prince of Wurtemberg and Hulsen, embarrassed as to how to
act, had turned toward Coswig, and cantoned there for want of knowing
where to go.

At Gross-Morau the King heard these different accounts. As there were no
more Russians to combat, he was at liberty to direct all his efforts
against Saxony; therefore, instead of taking the route to Koepenick, he
took that of Lueben. Marshal Daun, however, had followed the King into
Lusatia. He then approached Torgau, and, as it was known that he had
left Laudon at Loewenberg, General Goltz had orders to return into
Silesia, to oppose the attempts of the Austrians with his utmost
abilities. On the 22d the army of the King arrived at Jessen. The troops
of the Prince de Deuxponts extended wholly along the left shore of the
Elbe. He and the greatest part of his forces were at Prata, opposite
Wittenberg; this fortress he evacuated as soon as the van of the
Prussians appeared near the town.

The sudden changes that had happened during this campaign required new
measures to be taken and other dispositions to be made. The Prussians
had not a single magazine in all Saxony. The army of the King existed
from day to day; he drew some little flour from Spandau, but this began
to fail; add to this, the enemy occupied all Saxony. Daun had arrived at
Torgau, the troops of the circles held the course of the Elbe, and the
Duke of Wurtemberg occupied the environs of Dessau. To free himself from
so many enemies, the King ordered Hulsen and the Prince of Wurtemberg to
march to Magdeburg, there to pass the Elbe, and escort the boats loaded
with flour which were to come to Dessau, where the King resolved to pass
the Elbe with the right of his army, and afterward join Hulsen.

In the principality of Halberstadt the Prince of Wurtemberg had a
rencounter with a detachment of the Duke, his brother, which was
entirely destroyed. The Duke returned with all speed through Merseburg
and Leipsic to Naumburg. The right of the King passed the Elbe on the
26th, and joined Hulsen and the Prince near Dessau. On this movement
the Prince de Deuxponts abandoned the banks of the Elbe, and retired
through Duben to Leipsic. He had left Ried in the rear, in a forest
between Oranienbaum and Kemberg, where this officer had taken post, with
little judgment; having garnished the woods with his hussars, and posted
his pandoors in the pla