TAUENTZIEN,--While in Silesia I mentioned to you,
and will now repeat in writing, That my Army in Silesia was at no
time so bad as at present. Were I to make Shoemakers or Tailors into
Generals, the Regiments could not be worse. Regiment THADDEN is not
fit to be the most insignificant militia battalion of a Prussian Army;
ROTHKIRCH and SCHWARTZ"--bad as possible all of them--"of ERLACH, the
men are so spoiled by smuggling [sad industry, instead of drilling],
they have no resemblance to Soldiers; KELLER is like a heap of undrilled
boors; HAGER has a miserable Commander; and your own Regiment is
very mediocre. Only with Graf von Anhalt [in spite of his head], with
WENDESSEN and MARGRAF HEINRICH, could I be content. See you, that is the
state I found the Regiments in, one after one. I will now speak of their
Manoeuvring [in our Mimic Battles on the late occasion]:--

"Schwartz; at Neisse, made the unpardonable mistake of not sufficiently
besetting the Height on the Left Wing; had it been serious, the Battle
had been lost. At Breslau, Erlach [who is a Major-General, forsooth!],
instead of covering the Army by seizing the Heights, marched off with
his Division straight as a row of cabbages into that Defile; whereby,
had it been earnest, the enemy's Cavalry would have cut down our
Infantry, and the Fight was gone.

"It is not my purpose to lose Battles by the base conduct (LACHETE) of
my Generals: wherefore I hereby appoint, That you, next year, if I be
alive, assemble the Army between Breslau and Ohlau; and for four days
before I arrive in your Camp, carefully manoeuvre with the ignorant
Generals, and teach them what their duty is. Regiment VON ARNIM and
Garrison-Regiment VON KANITZ are to act the Enemy: and whoever does not
then fulfil his duty shall go to Court-Martial,--for I should think it
shame of any Country (JEDEN PUISSANCE) to keep such people, who trouble
themselves so little about their business. Erlach sits four weeks longer
in arrest [to have six weeks of it in full]. And you have to make known
this my present Declared Will to your whole Inspection.--F." [Rodenbeck,
iii. 311.]

What a peppering is the excellent old Tauentzien getting! Here is a case
for Kaltenborn, and the sympathies of Opposition people. But, alas,
this King knows that Armies are not to be kept at the working point
on cheaper terms,--though some have tried it, by grog, by sweetmeats,
sweet-speeches, and found it in the end come horribly dear