triment to Friedrich this day. Such accidents, say military men, are
inherent, not to be avoided, in that double form of attack: which may be
true, only that Friedrich had no choice left of forms just now.

About noon Friedrich's Vanguard (Kleist and Hussars), about 1 o'clock
Friedrich himself, 7 or 8,000 Grenadiers, emerged from the Woods
about Neiden. 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 Holstein, come in sight: and
Ziethen's cannonade is but too audible. Friedrich halts; sends Adjutants
to hurry on these Columns;--and rides out reconnoitring, 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 northwest 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 humor 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.
"MEIN GOTT, Ziethen is in action, and I have not my Infantry up!"
[Tempelhof, iv. 303.] cried he. And at length decided to attack as 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,
Striebach and the like, by bridges of Austrian build, which the
Austrians are obliged to quit in hurry. The Prussians are as yet
perpendicular to Daun, but will wheel rightward, into the Domitsch Wood
again; and th