while must industriously follow Daun.

FELDMARSCHALL DAUN AND THE REICHS ARMY TRY SOME SIEGE OF DRESDEN
(9th-16th November).

OCTOBER 30th, Daun, seeing Neisse Siege as good as gone to water,
decided with himself that he could still do a far more important stroke:
capture Dresden, get hold of Saxony in Friedrich's absence. Daun turned
round from Reichenbach, accordingly; and, at his slow-footed pace,
addressed himself to that new errand. Had he made better despatch,
or even been in better luck, it is very possible he might have done
something there. In Dresden, and in Governor Schmettau with his small
garrison, there is no strength for a siege; in Saxony is nothing but
some poor remnant under Finck, much of it Free-corps and light people:
capable of being swallowed by the Reichs Army itself,--were the Reichs
Army enterprising, or in good circumstances otherwise. It is true the
Russians have quitted Colberg as impossible; and are flowing homewards
dragged by hunger: the little Dohna Army will, therefore, march for
Saxony; the little Anti-Swedish Army, under Wedell, has likewise been
mostly ordered thither; both at their quickest. For Daun, all turns on
despatch; loiter a little, and Friedrich himself will be here again!

Daun, I have no doubt, stirred his slow feet the fastest he could.
NOVEMBER 7th, Daun was in the neighborhood of Pirna Country again, had
his Bridge at Pirna, for communication; urged the Reichs Army to bestir
itself, Now or never. Reichs Army did push out a little against
Finck; made him leave that perpetual Camp of Gahmig, take new camps,
Kesselsdorf and elsewhere; and at length made him shoot across Elbe, to
the northwest, on a pontoon bridge below Dresden, with retreating room
to northward, and shelter under the guns of that City. Reichs Army
has likewise made powerful detachments for capture of Leipzig and the
northwestern towns; capture of Torgau, the Magazine town, first of all:
summon them, with force evidently overpowering, "Free withdrawal, if you
don't resist; and if you do--!" At Torgau there was actual attempt made
(November 12th), rather elaborate and dangerous looking; under Haddick,
with near 10,000 of the "Austrian-auxiliary" sort: to whom the old
Commandant--judging Wedell, the late Anti-Swedish Wedell, to be now
near--rushed out with "300 men and one big gun;" and made such a firing
and gesticulation as was quite extraordinary, as if Wedell were here
already: till Wedell's sel