Book: History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 20

T >> Thomas Carlyle >> History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 20

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The weather is becoming wet. In fact, there ensue whole weeks of
rain,--the trenches swimming, service very hard. Guasco's guns are
many of them dismounted; no Daun to be heard of. Guasco again and
again proposes modified capitulations; answer always, "Prisoners of
War on the common terms." Guasco is wearing low: OCTOBER 7th
(Lefebvre sweating and puffing at his last Globe of Expression,
hoping to hit the mark this last time), an accidental grenade from
Tauentzien, above ground, rolled into one of Guasco's powder-
vaults; blew it, and a good space of Wall along with it, into
wreck; two days after which, Guasco had finished his Capitulating;
--and we get done with this wearisome affair. [Tempelhof, vi.
122-220; Tagebuch von der Belagerung von Schweidnitz vom
7ten August bis 9ten October, 1762 (Seyfarth,
Beylagen, iii. 376-497); Tielke, &c. &c.] Guasco was
invited to dine with the King; praised for his excellent defence.
Prisoners of War his Garrison and he; about 9,000 of them still on
their feet; their entire loss had been 3,552 killed and wounded;
that of the Prussians 3,033. Poor Guasco died, in Konigsberg, still
prisoner, before the Peace came.

Of Austrian fighting in Silesia, this proved to be the last, in the
present Controversy which has endured so long. No thought of
fighting is in Daun; far the reverse. Daun is getting ill off for
horse-forage in his Mountains; the weather is bad upon him; we hear
"he has had, for some time past, 12,000 laborers" palisading and
fortifying at the Passes of Bohemia: "Truce for the Winter" is what
he proposes. To which the King answers, "No; unless you retire
wholly within Bohemia and Glatz Country:" this at present Daun
grudged to do; but was forced to it, some weeks afterwards, by the
sleets and the snows, had there been no other pressure. In about
three weeks hence, Friedrich, leaving Bevern in command here, and a
Silesia more or less adjusted, made for Saxony; whither important
reinforcements had preceded him,--reinforcements under General
Wied, the instant it was possible. Saxony he had long regarded as
the grand point, were Schweidnitz over: "Recapture Dresden, and
they will have to give us Peace this very Winter!" Daun, also with
reinforcements, followed him to Saxony, as usual; but never quite
arrived, or else found matters settled on arriving;--and will not
require farther mention in this History. He died some three years
hence, age 60; ["5th February, 1766;" "born 24th September, 1705"
(Hormayr OEster-reichischer Plutarch, ii.
80-111).] an honorable, imperturbable, eupeptic kind of man,
sufficiently known to readers by this time.

Friedrich did not recapture Dresden; far enough from that,--though
Peace came all the same. Hardly a week after our recovery of
Schweidnitz, Stollberg and his Reichsfolk, especially his
Austrians, became unexpectedly pert upon Henri; pressed forward
(October 15th), in overpowering force, into his Posts about
Freyberg, Pretschendorf and that southwestern Reich-ward part:
"No more invadings of Bohemia from you, Monseigneur; no more
tormentings of the Reich; here is other work for you, my Prince!"--
and in spite of all Prince Henri could do, drove him back, clear
out of Freyberg; northwestward, towards Hulsen and his reserves.
[ Bericht von dem Angriff so am 15ten October, 1762, van
der Reichs-Armee auf die Kongilich-Preussischen unter dem Prinzen
Heinrich geschehen (Seyfarth, Beylagen, italic> iii. 362-364). Ausfuhrlicher Bericht von der den
15ten October, 1762, bey Brand vorgefallenen Action
(Ib. iii. 350-362). Tempelhof, vi. 238.] Giving him, in this
manner, what soldiers call a slap; slap which might have been more
considerable, had those Stollberg people followed it up with
emphasis. But they did not; so alert was Henri. Henri at once
rallied beautifully from his slap (King's reinforcements coming
too, as we have said); and, in ten days' time, without any
reinforcement, paid Stollberg and Company by a stunning blow:
BATTLE OF FREYBERG (October 29th),--which must not go without
mention, were it only as Prince Henri's sole Battle, and the last
of this War. Preparatory to which and its sequel, let us glance
again at Duke Ferdinand and the English-French posture,--also for
the last time.

CANNONADE AT AMONEBURG (2lst September, 1762). "The controversies
about right or left bank of the Fulda have been settled long since
in Ferdinand's favor; who proceeded next to blockade the various
French strongholds in Hessen; Marburg, Ziegenhayn, especially
Cassel; with an eye to besieging the same, and rooting the French
permanently out. To prevent or delay which, what can Soubise and
D'Estrees do but send for their secondary smaller Army, which is in
the Lower-Rhine Country under a Prince de Conde, mostly idle at
present, to come and join them in the critical regions here.
Whereupon new Controversy shifting westward to the Mayn and Nidda-
Lahn Country, to achieve said Junction and to hinder it.
Junction was not to be hindered. The D'Estrees-Soubise people and
young Conde made good manoeuvring, handsome fight on occasion;
so that in spite of all the Erbprinz could do, they got hands
joined; far too strong for the Erbprinz thenceforth; and on the
last night of August were all fairly together, head-quarter
Friedberg in Frankfurt Country (a thirty miles north of Frankfurt);
and were earnestly considering the now not hopeless question, 'How,
or by what routes and methods, push to northwestward, get through
to those blockaded Hessian Strong-places, Cassel especially;
and hinder Ferdinand's besieging them, and quite outrooting
us there?'

"This is a difficult question, but a vital. 'Sweep rapidly past
Ferdinand,--cannot we? Well frontward or eastward of him,
dexterously across the Lahn and its Branches (our light people are
to rear of him, on this side of the Fulda, between the Fulda and
him): once joined with those light people by such methods, we have
Cassel ahead, Ferdinand to rear, and will make short work with the
blockades,--the blockades will have to rise in a hurry!' This was
the plan devised by D'Estrees; and rapidly set about; but it was
seen into, at the first step, by Ferdinand, who proved still more
rapid upon it. Campings, counter-campings, crossings of the Lahn by
D'Estrees people, then recrossings of it, ensued for above a
fortnight; which are not for mention here: in fine, about the
middle of September, the D'Estrees Enterprise had plainly become
impossible, unless it could get across the Ohm,--an eastern, or
wide-circling northeastern Branch of the Lahn,--where, on the right
or eastern bank of which, as better for him than the Lahn itself in
this part, Ferdinand now is. 'Across the Ohm: and that, how can
that be done, the provident Ferdinand having laid hold of Ohm, and
secured every pass of it, several days ago! Perhaps by a Surprisal;
by extreme despatch?'

"Amoneburg is a pleasant little Town, about thirty miles east of
Marburg,--in which latter we have been, in very old times; looking
after St. Elizabeth, Teutsch Ritters, Philip the Magnanimous and
other objects. Amoneburg stands on the left or western bank of the
Ohm, with an old Schloss in it, and a Bridge near by; both of
which, Ferdinand, the left or southmost wing of whose Position on
the other bank of Ohm is hereabouts, has made due seizure of.
Seizure of the Bridge, first of all,--Bridge with a Mill at it
(which, in consequence, is called BRUCKEN-MUHLE, Bridge-Mill),--at
the eastern end of this there is a strong Redoubt, with the Bridge-
way blocked and rammed ahead of it; there Ferdinand has put 200
men; 500 more are across in Amoneburg and its old Castle. Unless by
surprisal and extreme despateh, there is clearly no hope!
Ferdinand's head-quarter is seven or eight miles to northwest of
this his Brucken-Muhle and extreme left; next to Brucken-Muhle is
Zastrow's Division; next, again, is Granby's; several Divisions
between Ferdinand and it; 'Do it by surprisal, by utmost force of
vehemency!' say the French. And accordingly,

"SEPTEMBER 21st [day of the Equinox, 1762], An hour before sunrise,
there began, quite on the sudden, a vivid attack on the Brucken-
Muhle and on Amoneburg, by cannon, by musketry, by all methods;
and, in spite of the alert and completely obstinate resistance,
would not cease; but, on the contrary, seemed to be on the
increasing hand, new cannon, new musketries; and went on, hour
after hour, ever the more vivid. So that, about 8 in the morning,
after three hours of this, Zastrow, with his Division, had to
intervene: to range himself on the Hill-top behind this Brucken-
Muhle; replace the afflicted 200 (many of them hurt, not a few
killed) by a fresh 200 of his own; who again needed to be relieved
before long. For the French, whom Zastrow had to imitate in that
respect, kept bringing up more cannon, ever more, as if they would
bring up all the cannon of their Army: and there rose between
Zastrow and them such a cannonade, for length and loudness
together, as had not been heard in this War. Most furious
cannonading, musketading; and seemingly no end to it.
Ferdinand himself came over to ascertain; found it a hot thing
indeed. Zastrow had to relieve his 200 every hour: 'Don't go down
in rank, you new ones,' ordered he--'slide, leap, descend the hill-
face in scattered form: rank at the bottom!'--and generally about
half of the old 200 were left dead or lamed by their hour's work.
'They intend to have this Bridge from us at any cost,' thinks
Ferdinand; 'and at any cost they shall not!' And, in the end,
orders Granby forward in room of Zastrow, who has had some eight
hours of it now; and rides home to look after his main quarters.

"It was about 4 in the afternoon when Granby and his English came
into the fire; and I rather think the French onslaught was, if
anything, more furious than ever:--Despair striding visibly forward
on it, or something too like Despair. Amoneburg they had battered
to pieces, Wall and Schloss, so that the 500 had to ground arms:
but not an inch of way had they made upon the Bridge, nor were like
to make. Granby continued on the old plan, plying all his
diligences and artilleries; needing them all. Fierce work to a
degree: '200 of you go down on wings' (in an hour about 100 will
come back)! In English Families you will still hear some vague
memory of Amoneburg, How we had built walls of the dead, and fired
from behind them,--French more and more furious, we more and more
obstinate. Granby had still four hours of it; sunset, twilight,
dusk; about 8, the French, in what spirits I can guess, ceased, and
went their ways. Bridge impossible; game up. They had lost, by
their own account, 1,100 killed and wounded; Ferdinand probably not
fewer." [Mauvillon, ii. 251; Helden-Geschichte, italic> vii. 432-439.]

And in this loud peal, what none could yet know, the French-English
part of the Seven-Years War had ended. The French attempted nothing
farther; hutted themselves where they were, and waited in the
pouring rains: Ferdinand also hutted himself, in guard of the Ohm;
while his people plied their Siege-batteries on Cassel, on
Ziegenhayn, cannonading their best in the bad weather;--took
Cassel, did not quite take Ziegenhayn, had it been of moment;--and
for above six weeks coming (till November 7th-14th [Preliminaries
of Peace SIGNED, "Paris, November 3d;" known to French Generals
"November 7th;" not, OFFICIALLY, to Ferdinand till "November 14th"
(Mauvillon, ii. 257).]), nothing more but skirmishings and small
scuffles, not worth a word from us, fell out between the Two
Parties there. That Cannonade of the Brucken-Muhle had been finis.

For supreme Bute, careless of the good news coming in on him from
West and from East, or even rather embarrassed by them, had some
time ago started decisively upon the Peace Negotiation.
"September 5th," three weeks before that of Amoneburg, "the Duke of
Bedford, Bute's Plenipotentiary, set out towards Paris,--
considerably hissed on the street here by a sulky population," it
would seem;--"but sure of success in Paris. Bute shared in none of
the national triumphs of this Year. The transports of rejoicing
which burst out on the news of Havana" were a sorrow and distress
to him. [Walpole's George the Third,
ii. 191.] "Havana, what shall we do with it?" thought he; and for
his own share answered stiffly, "Nothing with it; fling it back to
them!"--till some consort of his persuaded him Florida would look
better. [Thackeray, ii. 11.] Of Manilla and the Philippines he did
not even hear till Peace was concluded; had made the Most Catholic
Carlos a present of that Colony,--who would not even pay our
soldiers their Manilla Ransom, as too disagreeable. Such is the
Bute, such and no other, whom the satirical Fates have appointed to
crown and finish off the heroic Day's-work of such a Pitt. Let us,
if we can help it, speak no more of him! Friedrich writes before
leaving for Saxony: "The Peace between the English and the French
is much farther off than was thought;--so many oppositions do the
Spaniards raise, or rather do the French,--busy duping this buzzard
of an English Minister, who has not common sense." [Schoning, iii.
480 (To Henri: "Peterswaldau, 17th October, 1762").] Never fear,
your Majesty: a man with Havanas and Manillas of that kind to fling
about at random, is certain to bring Peace, if resolved on it!--

We said, Prince Henri rallied beautifully from his little slap and
loss of Freyberg (October 15th), and that the King was sending Wied
with reinforcements to him. In fact, Prince Henri of himself was
all alertness, and instantly appeared on the Heights again;
seemingly quite in sanguinary humor, and courting Battle, much more
than was yet really the case. Which cowed Stollberg from meddling
with him farther, as he might have done. Not for some ten days had
Henri finished his arrangements; and then, under cloud of night
(28th-29th OCTOBER, 1762), he did break forward on those
Spittelwalds and Michael's Mounts, and multiplex impregnabilities
about Freyberg, in what was thought a very shining manner.
The BATTLE OF FREYBERG, I think, is five or six miles long, all on
the west, and finally on the southwest side of Freyberg (north and
northwest sides, with so many batteries and fortified villages, are
judged unattackable); and the main stress, very heavy for some
time, lay in the abatis of the Spittelwald (where Seidlitz was
sublime), and about the roots of St. Michael's Mount (the TOP of it
Stollberg, or some foolish General of Stollberg's, had left empty;
nobody there when we reached the top),--down from which, Freyberg
now lying free ahead of us, and the Spittelwald on our left now
also ours, we take Stollberg in rear, and turn him inside out.
The Battle lasted only three hours, till Stollberg and his
Maguires, Campitellis and Austrians (especially his Reichsfolk, who
did no work at all, except at last running), were all under way;
and the hopes of some Saxon Victory to balance one's disgraces in
Silesia had altogether vanished. [ Beschreibung der am
29sten October, 1762, bey Freyberg vorgefallenen Schlacht italic> (Seyfarth, Beylagen, iii. 365-376).
Tempelhof, vi. 235-258; Helden-Geschichte,
vii. 177-181.]

Of Austrians and Reichsfolk together I dimly count about 40,000 in
this Action; Prince Henri seems to have been well under 30,000.
["29 battalions, 60 squadrons," VERSUS "49 battalions, 68
squadrons" (Schoning, iii. 499).] I will give Prince Henri's
DESPATCH to his Brother (a most modest Piece); and cannot afford to
say more of the matter,--except that "Wegfurth," where Henri gets
on march the night before, lies 8 or more miles west-by-north of
Freyberg and the Spittelwald, and is about as far straight south
from Hainichen, Gellert's birthplace, who afterwards got the War-
horse now coming into action,--I sometimes think, with what
surprise to that quadruped!

PRINCE HENRI TO THE KING (Battle just done; King on the road
from Silesia hither, Letter meets him at Lowenberg).

"FREYBERG, 29th October, 1762.

"MY DEAREST BROTHER,--It is a happiness for me to send you the
agreeable news, That your Army has this day gained a considerable
advantage over the combined Austrian and Reichs Army. I marched
yesternight; I had got on through Wegfurth, leaving Spittelwald
[Tempelhof, p. 237.] to my left, with intent to seize [storm, if
necessary] the Height of St. Michael,--when I came upon the Enemy's
Army. I made two true attacks, and two false: the Enemy resisted
obstinately; but the sustained valor of your troops prevailed:
and, after three hours in fire, the Enemy was obliged to yield
everywhere. I don't yet know the number of Prisoners; but there
must be above 4,000:--the Reichs Army has lost next to nothing;
the stress of effort fell to the Austrian share. We have got
quantities of Cannon and Flags; Lieutenant-General Roth of the
Reichs Army is among our Prisoners. I reckon we have lost from 2 to
3,000 men; among them no Officer of mark. Lieutenant-General von
Seidlitz rendered me the highest services; in a place where the
Cavalry could not act [border of the Spittelwald, and its
impassable entanglements and obstinacies], he put himself at the
head of the Infantry, and did signal services [his Battle mainly,
scheming and all, say some ill-natured private accounts];
Generals Belling and Kleist [renowned Colonels known to us, now
become Major-Generals] did their very best. All the Infantry was
admirable; not one battalion yielded ground. My Aide-de-Camp
[Kalkreuth, a famous man in the Napoleon times long after], who
brings you this, had charge of assisting to conduct the attack
through the Spittelwald [and did it well, we can suppose]: if, on
that ground, you pleased to have the goodness to advance him, I
should have my humble thanks to give you. There are a good many
Officers who have distinguished themselves and behaved with
courage, for whom I shall present similar requests. You will permit
me to pay those who have taken cannons and flags (100 ducats per
cannon, 50 per flag, or whatever the tariff was:--"By all manner of
means!" his Majesty would answer].

"The Enemy is retiring towards Dresden and Dippoldiswalde. I am
sending at his heels this night, and shall hear the result.
My Aide-de-Camp is acquainted with all, and will be able to render
you account of everything you may wish to know in regard to our
present circumstances. General Wied, I believe, will cross Elbe
to-morrow [General Wied, with 10,000 to help us,--for whom it was
too dangerous to wait, or perhaps there was a spur on one's own
mind?]; his arrival would be [not "would have been:" CELA
VIENDRAIT, not even VIENDRA] very opportune for me. I am, with all
attachment, my dearest Brother,--your most devoted Servant and
Brother,--HENRI." [Schoning, iii. 491, 492.]

To-morrow, in cipher, goes the following Despatch:--

"FREYBERG, 30th October, 1762.

"General Wied [not yet come to hand, or even got across Elbe]
informs me, That Prince Albert of Saxony [pushing hither with
reinforcement, sent by Daun] must have crossed Elbe yesterday at
Pirna [did not show face here, with his large reinforcements to
them, or what would have become of us!];--and that for this reason
he, Wied, must himself cross; which he will to-morrow. The same day
I am to be joined by some battalions from General Hulsen; and the
day after to-morrow, when General Wied [coming by Meissen Bridge,
it appears] shall have reached the Katzenhauser, the whole of
General Hulsen's troops will join me. Directly thereupon I shall--"
[Schoning, p. 493.] Or no more of that second Despatch; Friedrich's
LETTER IN RESPONSE is better worth giving:--

"LOWENBERG, 2d November, 1762.

"MY DEAR BROTHER,--The arrival of Kalkreuter [so he persists in
calling him], and of your Letter, my dear Brother, has made me
twenty [not to say forty] years younger: yesterday I was sixty,
to-day hardly eighteen. I bless Heaven for preserving you in health
(BONNE SANTE," so we term escape of lesion in fight); "and that
things have passed so happily! You took the good step of attacking
those who meant to attack you; and, by your good and solid measures
(DISPOSITIONS), you have overcome all the difficulties of a strong
Post and a vigorous resistance. It is a service so important
rendered by you to the State, that I cannot enough express my
gratitude, and will wait to do it in person.

"Kalkreuter will explain what motions I-- ... If Fortune favor our
views on Dresden [which it cannot in the least, at this late
season], we shall indubitably have Peace this Winter or next
Spring,--and get honorably out of a difficult and perilous
conjuncture, where we have often seen ourselves within two steps of
total destruction. And, by this which you have now done, to you
alone will belong the honor of having given the final stroke to
Austrian Obstinacy, and laid the foundations of the Public
Happiness, which will be the consequence of Peace.--F." [Ib. iii.
495, 496.]

Two days after this, November 4th, Friedrich is in Meissen;
November 9th, he comes across to Freyberg; has pleasant day,--
pleasant survey of the Battle-field, Henri and Seidlitz escorting
as guides. Henri, in furtherance of the Dresden project, has Kleist
out on the Bohemian Magazines,--"That is the one way to clear
Dresden neighborhood of Enemies!" thinks Henri always. Kleist burns
the considerable magazine of Saatz; finds the grand one of
Leitmeritz too well guarded for him:--upon which, in such
snowdrifts and sleety deluges, is not Dresden plainly impossible,
your Majesty? Impossible, Friedrich admits,--the rather as he now
sees Peace to be coming without that. Freyberg has at last broken
the back of Austrian Obstinacy. "Go in upon the Reich," Friedrich
now orders Kleist, the instant Kleist is home from his Bohemian
inroad: "In upon the Reich, with 6,000, in your old style! That
will dispose the Reichs Principalities to Peace."

Kleist marched November 3d; kept the Reich in paroxysm till
December 13th;--Plotho, meanwhile, proclaiming in the Reichs Diet:
"Such Reichs Princes as wish for Peace with my King can have it;
those that prefer War, they too can have it!" Kleist, dividing
himself in the due artistic way, flew over the Voigtland, on to
Bamberg, on to Nurnberg itself (which he took, by sounding rams'-
horns, as it were, having no gun heavier than a carbine, and held
for a week); [ Helden-Geschichte, vii.
186-194.]--fluttering the Reichs Diet not a little, and disposing
everybody for Peace. The Austrians saw it with pleasure, "We
solemnly engaged to save these poor people harmless, on their
joining us;--and, behold, it has become thrice and four times
impossible. Let them fall off into Peace, like ripe pears, of
themselves; we can then turn round and say, 'Save you harmless?
Yes; if you had n't fallen off!'"

NOVEMBER 24th, all Austrians make truce with Friedrich, Truce till
March 1st;--all Austrians, and what is singular, with no mention of
the Reich whatever. The Reich is defenceless, at the feet of Kleist
and his 6,000. Stollberg is still in Prussian neighborhood; and may
be picked up any day! Stollberg hastens off to defend the Reich;
finds the Reich quite empty of enemies before his arrival;--and at
least saves his own skin. A month or two more, and Stollberg will
lay down his Command, and the last Reichs-Execution Army, playing
Farce-Tragedy so long, make its exit from the Theatre of
this World.

Chapter XIII.

PEACE OF HUBERTSBURG.

The Prussian troops took Winter-quarters in the Meissen-Freyberg
region, the old Saxon ground, familiar to them for the last three
years: room enough this Winter, "from Plauen and Zwickau, round by
Langensalza again;" Truce with everybody, and nothing of
disturbance till March 1st at soonest. The usual recruiting went
on, or was preparing to go on,--a part of which took immediate
effect, as we shall see. Recruiting, refitting, "Be ready for a new
Campaign, in any case: the readier we are, the less our chance of
having one!" Friedrich's head-quarter is Leipzig; but till December
5th he does not get thither. "More business on me than ever!"
complains he. At Leipzig he had his Nephews, his D'Argens; for a
week or two his Brother Henri; finally, his Berlin Ministers,
especially Herzberg, when actual Peace came to be the matter in
hand. Henri, before that, had gone home: "Peace being now the
likelihood;--Home; and recruit one's poor health, at Berlin,
among friends!"

Before getting to Leipzig, the King paid a flying Visit at Gotha;--
probably now the one fraction of these manifold Winter movements
and employments, in which readers could take interest. Of this, as
there happens to be some record left of it, here is what will
suffice. From Meissen, Friedrich writes to his bright Grand-
Duchess, always a bright, high and noble creature in his eyes:
"Authorized by your approval [has politely inquired beforehand], I
shall have the infinite satisfaction of paying my duties on
December 3d [four days hence], and of reiterating to you, Madam, my
liveliest and sincerest assurances of esteem and friendship. ...
Some of my Commissariat people have been misbehaving?
Strict inquiry shall be had," [To the Grand-Duchess, "Meissen,
29th November" ( OEuvres de Frederic, xviii.
199).]--and we soon find WAS. But the Visit is our first thing.

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