been combustible material coming to quench
fire--repels and dashes back, in a wonderful manner, General after
General of them. And is lord of the field all day:--but cannot hear the
least word from Dresden; which is a surprising circumstance.
"In the afternoon Wunsch summons Maguire in the Neustadt: 'Will answer
you in two hours,' said Maguire. Wunsch thereupon is for attacking
their two Pontoon Elbe-Bridges; still resolute for Dresden,--and orders
Wolfersdorf on one of them, the Uebigau Bridge, who finds the enemy
lifting it at any rate, and makes them do it faster. But night is now
sinking; from Schmettau not a word or sign. 'Silence over there, all
day; not a single cannon to or from,' say Wunsch and Wolfersdorf to one
another. 'Schmettau must have capitulated!' conclude they, and withdraw
in the night-time, still thunderous if molested; bivouac at Grossenhayn,
after twenty-four hours of continual march and battle, not time even for
a snatch of food. [BERICHT VON DER ACTION DES GENERAL-MAJORS VON WUNSCH,
BEY REICHENBERG, DEN 5 SEPTEMBER, 1759 in Seyfarth, _Beylagen,_ ii.
606-608.]
"Resting at Grossenhayn, express reaches Wunsch from his Commandant at
Torgau: 'Kleefeld is come on me from Leipzig with 14,000; I cannot long
hold out, unless relieved.' Wunsch takes the road again; two marches,
each of twenty miles. Reaches Torgau late; takes post in the ruins of
the North Suburb, finds he must fight Kleefeld. Refreshes his men
'with a keg of wine per Company,' surely a judicious step; and sends to
Wolfersdorf, who has the rear-guard, 'Be here with me to-morrow at
10.' Wolfersdorf starts at 4, is here at 10: and Wunsch, having scanned
Kleefeld and his Position [a Position strong IF you are dexterous to
manoeuvre in it; capable of being ruinous if you are not,--part of
the Position of a bigger BATTLE OF TORGAU, which is coming],--flies at
Kleefeld and his 14,000 like a cat-o'-mountain; takes him on the left
flank:--Kleefeld and such overplus of thousands are standing a little to
west-and-south of Torgau, with the ENTEFANG [a desolate big reedy mere,
or PLACE OF DUCKS, still offering the idle Torgauer a melancholy sport
there] as a protection to their right; but with no evolution-talent, or
none in comparison to Wunsch's;--and accordingly are cut to pieces
by Wunsch, and blown to the winds, as their fellows have all been."
[HOFBERCHT VON DER AM 8 SEPTEMBER, 1759, BEY TORGAU, VORGEFALLENEN
ACTION: in Seyfarth, _ Beylagen,
|