Book: History of Friedrich II of Prussia V 20

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




"Torgau itself stands near Elbe; on the shoulder, eastern or Elbe-
ward shoulder, of a big mass of Knoll, or broad Height, called of
Siptitz, the main Eminence of the Gau. Shoulder, I called it, of
this Height of Siptitz; but more properly it is on a continuation,
or lower ulterior height dipping into Elbe itself, that Torgau
stands. Siptitz Height, nearly a mile from Elbe, drops down into a
straggle of ponds; after which, on a second or final rise, comes
Torgau dipping into Elbe. Not a shoulder strictly, but rather a
CHEEK, with NECK intervening;--neck GOITRY for that matter, or
quaggy with ponds! The old Town stands high enough, but is enlaced
on the western and southern side by a set of lakes and quagmires,
some of which are still extensive and undrained. The course of the
waters hereabouts; and of Elbe itself, has had its intricacies:
close to northwest, Torgau is bordered, in a straggling way, by
what they call OLD ELBE; which is not now a fluent entity, but a
stagnant congeries of dirty waters and morasses. The Hill of
Siptitz abuts in that aqueous or quaggy manner; its forefeet being,
as it were, at or in Elbe River, and its sides, to the South and to
the North for some distance each way, considerably enveloped in
ponds and boggy difficulties.

"Plenty of water all about, but I suppose mostly of bad quality;
at least Torgau has declined drinking it, and been at the trouble
to lay a pipe, or ROHRGRABEN, several miles long, to bring its
culinary water from the western neighborhoods of Siptitz Height.
Along the southern side of Siptitz Height goes leisurely an
uncomfortable kind of Brook, called the 'ROHRGRABEN (Pipe-Ditch);'
the meaning of which unexpected name you find to be, That there is
a SERVICE-PIPE laid cunningly at the bottom of this Brook;
lifting the Brook at its pure upper springs, and sending it along,
in secret tubular quasi-bottled condition; leaving the fouler
drippings from the neighborhood to make what 'brook' they still
can, over its head, and keep it out of harm's way till Torgau get
it. This is called the ROHRGRABEN, this which comes running through
Siptitz Village, all along by the southern base of Siptitz Hill;
to the idle eye, a dirtyish Brook, ending in certain notable Ponds
eastward: but to the eye of the inquiring mind, which has pierced
deeper, a Tube of rational Water, running into the throats of
Torgau, while the so-called Brook disembogues at discretion into
the ENTEFANG (Duck-trap), and what Ponds or reedy Puddles there
are,"--of which, in poor Wunsch's fine bit of fighting, last Year,
we heard mention. Let readers keep mind of them.

The Hill Siptitz, with this ROHRGRABEN at the southern basis of it,
makes a very main figure in the Battle now imminent. Siptitz Height
is, in fact, Daun's Camp; where he stands intrenched to the utmost,
repeatedly changing his position, the better to sustain Friedrich's
expected attacks. It is a blunt broad-backed Elevation, mostly in
vineyard, perhaps on the average 200 feet above the general level,
and of five or six square miles in area: length, east to west, from
Grosswig neighborhood to the environs of Torgau, may be about three
miles; breadth, south to north, from the Siptitz to the Zinna
neighborhoods, above half that distance. The Height is steepish on
the southern side, all along to the southwest angle (which was
Daun's left flank in the great Action coming), but swells up with
easier ascent on the west, earth and other sides. Let the reader
try for some conception of its environment and it, as the floor or
arena of a great transaction this day.

Daun stands fronting southward along these Siptitz Heights, looking
towards Schilda and his dangerous neighbor; heights, woods, ponds
and inaccessibilities environing his Position and him. One of the
strongest positions imaginable; which, under Prince Henri, proved
inexpugnable enough to some of us. A position not to be attacked on
that southern front, nor on either of its flanks:--where can it be
attacked? Impregnable, under Prince Henri in far inferior force:
how will you take it from Daun in decidedly superior? A position
not to be attacked at all, most military men would say;--though One
military man, in his extreme necessity, must and will find a way
into it.

One fault, the unique military man, intensely pondering, discovers
that it has: it is too small for Daun; not area enough for
manoeuvring 65,000 men in it; who will get into confusion if
properly dealt with. A most comfortable light-flash, the EUREKA of
this terrible problem. "We will attack it on rear and on front
simultaneously; that is the way to handle it!" Yes; simultaneously,
though that is difficult, say military judges; perhaps to Prussians
it may be possible. It is the opinion of military judges who have
studied the matter, that Friedrich's plan, could it have been
perfectly executed, might have got not only victory from Daun, but
was capable to fling his big Army and him pell-mell upon the Elbe
Bridge, that is to say, in such circumstances, into Elbe River, and
swallow him bodily at a frightful rate! That fate was spared
poor Daun.

MONDAY, 3d NOVEMBER, 1760, at half-past 6 in the morning Friedrich
is on march for this great enterprise. The march goes northward, in
Three Columns, with a Fourth of Baggage; through the woods, on four
different roads; roads, or combinations of those intricate sandy
avenues already noticed. Northward all of it at first; but at a
certain point ahead (at crossing of the Eilenburg-Torgau Road,
namely), the March is to divide itself in two. Half of the force is
to strike off rightward there with Ziethen, and to issue on the
south side of Siptitz Hill; other half, under Friedrich himself, to
continue northward, long miles farther, and then at last bending
round, issue--simultaneously with Ziethen, if possible--upon
Siptitz Hill from the north side. We are about 44,000 strong,
against Daun, who is 65,000.

Simultaneously with Ziethen, so far as humanly possible: that is
the essential point! Friedrich has taken every pains that it shall
be correct, in this and all points; and to take double assurance of
hiding it from Daun, he yesternight, in dictating his Orders on the
other heads of method, kept entirely to himself this most important
Ziethen portion of the Business. And now, at starting, he has taken
Ziethen in his carriage with him a few miles, to explain the thing
by word of mouth. At the Eilenburg road, or before it, Ziethen
thinks he is clear as to everything; dismounts; takes in hand the
mass intrusted to him; and strikes off by that rightward course:
"Rightward, Herr Ziethen; rightward till you get to Klitschen, your
first considerable island in this sea of wood; at Klitschen strike
to the left into the woods again,-- your road is called the Butter-
Strasse (BUTTER-STREET); goes by the northwest side of Siptitz
Height; reach Siptitz by the Butter-Street, and then do
your endeavor!"

With the other Half of his Army, specially with the First Column of
it, Friedrich proceeds northward on his own part of the adventure.
Three Columns he has, besides the Baggage one: in number about
equal to Ziethen's; if perhaps otherwise, rather the chosen Half;
about 8,000 grenadier and footguard people, with Kleist's Hussars,
are Friedrich's own Column. Friedrich's Column marches nearest the
Daun positions; the Baggage-column farthest; and that latter is to
halt, under escort, quite away to left or westward of the
disturbance coming; the other Two Columns, Hulsen's of foot,
Holstein's mostly of horse, go through intermediate tracks of wood,
by roads more or less parallel; and are all, Friedrich's own
Column, still more the others, to leave Siptitz several miles to
right, and to end, not AT Siptitz Height, but several miles past
it, and then wheeling round, begin business from the northward or
rearward side of Daun, while Ziethen attacks or menaces his front,
--simultaneously, if possible. Friedrich's march, hidden all by
woods, is more than twice as far as Ziethen's,--some 14 or 15 miles
in all; going straight northward 10 miles; thence bending eastward,
then southward through woods; to emerge about Neiden, there to
cross a Brook (Striebach), and strike home on the north side of
Daun. The track of march is in the shape somewhat of a shepherd's
crook; the long HANDLE of it, well away from Siptitz, reaches up to
Neiden, this is the straight or wooden part of said crook; after
which comes the bent, catching, or iron part,--intended for Daun
and his fierce flock. Ziethen has hardly above six miles; and ought
to be deliberate in his woodlands, till the King's party have time
to get round.

The morning, I find, is wet; fourteen miles of march: fancy such a
Promenade through the dripping Woods; heavy, toilsome, and with
such errand ahead! The delays were considerable; some of them
accidental. Vigilant Daun has Detachments watching in these Woods:
--a General Ried, who fires cannon and gets off: then a General St.
Ignon and the St. Ignon Regiment of Dragoons; who, being BETWEEN
Column First and Column Second, cannot get away; but, after some
industry by Kleist and those of Column Two, are caught and
pocketed, St. Ignon himself prisoner among the rest. This delay may
perhaps be considered profitable: but there were other delays
absolutely without profit. For example, that of having difficulties
with your artillery-wagons in the wet miry lanes; that of missing
your road, at some turn in the solitary woods; which latter was the
sad chance of Column Third, fatally delaying it for many hours.

Daun, learning by those returned parties from the Woods what the
Royal intentions on him are, hastily whirls himself round, so as to
front north, and there receive Friedrich: best line northward for
Friedrich's behoof; rear line or second-best will now receive
Ziethen or what may come. Daun's arrangements are admitted to be
prompt and excellent. Lacy, with his 20,000,--who lay, while
Friedrich's attack was expected from south, at Loswig, as advanced
guard, east side of the GROSSE TEICH (supreme pond of all, which is
a continuation of the Duck-trap, ENTEFANG, and hangs like a chief
goitre on the goitry neck of Torgau),--Lacy is now to draw himself
north and westward, and looking into the Entefang over his left
shoulder (so to speak), be rear-guard against any Ziethen or
Prussian party that may come. Daun's baggage is all across the
Elbe, all in wagons since yesterday; three Bridges hanging for Daun
and it, in case of adverse accident. Daun likewise brings all or
nearly all his cannon to the new front, for Friedrich's behoof:
200 new pieces hither; Archenholtz says 400 in whole;
certainly such a weight of artillery as never appeared in Battle
before. Unless Friedrich's arrangements prove punctual, and his
stroke be emphatic, Friedrich may happen to fare badly. On the
latter point, of emphasis, there is no dubiety for Friedrich:
but on the former,--things are already past doubt, the wrong way!
For the last hour or so of Friedrich's march there has been
continual storm of cannonade and musketry audible from Ziethen's
side:--"Ziethen engaged!" thinks everybody; and quickens step here,
under this marching music from the distance. Which is but a wrong
reading or mistake, nothing more; the real phenomenon being as
follows: Ziethen punctually got to Klitschen at the due hour;
struck into the BUTTER-STRASSE, calculating his paces; but, on the
edge of the Wood found a small Austrian party, like those in
Friedrich's route; and, pushing into it, the Austrian party replied
with cannon before running. Whereupon Ziethen, not knowing how
inconsiderable it was, drew out in battle-order; gave it a salvo or
two; drove it back on Lacy, in the Duck-trap direction,--a long way
east of Butter-Street, and Ziethen's real place;--unlucky that he
followed it so far! Ziethen followed it; and got into some languid
dispute with Lacy: dispute quite distant, languid, on both sides,
and consisting mainly of cannon; but lasting in this way many
precious hours. This is the phenomenon which friends, in the
distance read to be, "Ziethen engaged!" Engaged, yes, and alas with
what? What Ziethen's degree of blame was, I do not know.
Friedrich thought it considerable:--"Stupid, stupid, MEIN LIEBER!"
which Ziethen never would admit;--and, beyond question, it was of
high detriment 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 then form,--
parallel to Daun's northwest shoulder; and to Prince Henri's
Abatis, which will be their first obstacle in charging.
Their obstacles in forming were many and intricate; ground so
difficult, for artillery especially: seldom was seen such
expertness, such willingness of mind. And seldom lay ahead of men
such obstacles AFTER forming! Think only of one fact: Daun, on
sight of their intention, has opened 400 pieces of Artillery on
them, and these go raging and thundering into the hem of the Wood,
and to whatever issues from it, now and for hours to come, at a
rate of deafening uproar and of sheer deadliness, which no observer
can find words for.

Archenholtz, a very young officer of fifteen, who came into it
perhaps an hour hence, describes it as a thing surpassable only by
Doomsday: clangorous rage of noise risen to the infinite;
the boughs of the trees raining down on you, with horrid crash;
the Forest, with its echoes, bellowing far and near, and
reverberating in universal death-peal; comparable to the Trump of
Doom. Friedrich himself, who is an old hand, said to those about
him: "What an infernal fire (HOLLISCHES FEUER)! Did you ever hear
such a cannonade before? I never." [Tempelhof, iv. 304;
Archenholtz, ii. 164.] Friedrich is between the Two Lines of his
Grenadiers, which is his place during the attack: the first Line of
Grenadiers, behind Prince Henri's Abatis, is within 800 yards of
Daun; Ramin's Brigade is to rear of the Second Line, as a Reserve.
Horse they have none, except the 800 Kleist Hussars; who stand to
the left, outside the Wood, fronted by Austrian Horse in hopeless
multitude. Artillery they have, in effect, none: their Batteries,
hardly to be got across these last woody difficulties of trees
growing and trees felled, did rank outside the Wood, on their left;
but could do absolutely nothing (gun-carriages and gunners,
officers and men, being alike blown away); and when Tempelhof saw
them afterwards, they never had been fired at all. The Grenadiers
have their muskets, and their hearts and their right-hands.

With amazing intrepidity, they, being at length all ready in rank
within 800 yards, rush into the throat of this Fire-volcano; in the
way commanded,--which is the alone way: such a problem as human
bravery seldom had. The Grenadiers plunge forward upon the throat
of Daun; but it is into the throat of his iron engines and his
tearing billows of cannon-shot that most of them go. Shorn down by
the company, by the regiment, in those terrible 800 yards,--then
and afterwards. Regiment STUTTERHEIM was nearly all killed and
wounded, say the Books. You would fancy it was the fewest of them
that ever got to the length of selling their lives to Daun, instead
of giving them away to his 400 cannon. But it is not so.
The Grenadiers, both Lines of them, still in quantity, did get into
contact with Daun. And sold him their lives, hand to hand, at a
rate beyond example in such circumstances;--Daun having to hurry up
new force in streams upon them; resolute to purchase, though the
price, for a long while, rose higher and higher.

At last the 6,000 Grenadiers, being now reduced to the tenth man,
had to fall back. Upon which certain Austrian Battalions rushed
dawn in chase, counting it Victory come: but were severely
admonished of that mistake; and driven back by Ramin's people, who
accompanied them into their ranks and again gave Daun a great deal
of trouble before he could overpower them. This is Attack First,
issuing in failure first: one of the stiffest bits of fighting ever
known. Began about 2 in the afternoon; ended, I should guess,
rather after 3. Daun, by this time, is in considerable disorder of
line; though his 400 fire-throats continue belching ruin, and
deafening the world, without abatement. Daun himself had got
wounded in the foot or leg during this Attack, but had no time to
mind it: a most busy, strong and resolute Daun; doing his very
best. Friedrich, too, was wounded,--nobody will tell me in which of
these attacks;--but I think not now, at least will not speak of it
now. What his feelings were, as this Grenadier Attack went on,--a
struggle so unequal, but not to be helped, from the delays that had
risen,--nobody, himself least of all, records for us: only by this
little symptom: Two Grandsons of the Old Dessauer's are Adjutants
of his Majesty, and well loved by him; one of them now at his hand,
the other heading his regiment in this charge of Grenadiers.
Word comes to Friedrich that this latter one is shot dead. On which
Friedrich, turning to the Brother, and not hiding his emotion, as
was usual in such moments, said: "All goes ill to-day; my friends
are quitting me. I have just heard that your Brother is killed
(TOUT VA MAL AUJOURD'HUI; MES AMIS ME QUITTENT. ON VIENT DE
M'ANNONCER LA MORT DE VOTRE FRERE)!" [Preuss, ii. 226.] Words which
the Anhalt kindred, and the Prussian military public, treasured up
with a reverence strange to us. Of Anhalt perhaps some word by and
by, at a fitter season.

Shortly after 3, as I reckon the time, Hulsen's Column did arrive:
choice troops these too, the Pomeranian MANTEUFFEL, one regiment of
them;--young Archenholtz of FORCADE (first Battalion here, second
and third are with Ziethen, making vain noise) was in this Column;
came, with the others, winding to the Wood's edge, in such
circuits, poor young soul; rain pouring, if that had been worth
notice; cannon-balls plunging, boughs crashing, such a TODES-
POSAUNE, or Doomsday-Thunder, broken loose:--they did emerge
steadily, nevertheless, he says, "like sea-billows or flow of tide,
under the smoky hurricane." Pretty men are here too, Manteuffel
Pommerners; no hearts stouter. With these, and the indignant
Remnants which waited for them, a new assault upon Daun is set
about. And bursts out, on that same northwest corner of him;
say about half-past 3. The rain is now done, "blown away by the
tremendous artillery," thinks Archenholtz, if that were any matter.

The Attack, supported by a few more Horse (though Column Three
still fatally lingers), and, I should hope, by some practicable
weight of Field-batteries, is spurred by a grimmer kind of
indignation, and is of fiercer spirit than ever. Think how
Manteuffel of Foot will blaze out; and what is the humor of those
once overwhelmed Remnants, now getting air again! Daun's line is
actually broken in this point, his artillery surmounted and become
useless; Daun's potence and north front are reeling backwards,
Prussians in possession of their ground. "The field to be ours!"
thinks Friedrich, for some time. If indeed Ziethen had been
seriously busy on the southern side of things, instead of vaguely
cannonading in that manner! But resolute Daun, with promptitude,
calls in his Reserve from Grosswig, calls in whatsoever of
disposable force he can gather; Daun rallies, rushes again on the
Prussians in overpowering number; and, in spite of their most
desperate resistance, drives them back, ever back; and recovers
his ground.

A very desperate bout, this Second one; probably the toughest of
the Battle: but the result again is Daun's; the Prussians palpably
obliged to draw back. Friedrich himself got wounded here;--poor
young Archenholtz too, ONLY wounded, not killed, as so many were:--
Friedrich's wound was a contusion on the breast; came of some spent
bit of case-shot, deadened farther by a famed pelisse he wore,--
"which saved my life," he said afterwards to Henri. The King
himself little regarded it (mentioning it only to Brother Henri, on
inquiry and solicitation), during the few weeks it still hung about
him. The Books intimate that it struck him to the earth, void of
consciousness for some time, to the terror of those about him;
and that he started up, disregarding it altogether in this press of
business, and almost as if ashamed of himself, which imposed
silence on people's tongues. In military circles there is still, on
this latter point, an Anecdote; which I cannot confirm or deny, but
will give for the sake of Berenhorst and his famed Book on the ART
OF WAR. Berenhorst--a natural son of the Old Dessauer's, and
evidently enough a chip of the old block, only gone into the
articulate-speaking or intellectual form--was, for the present, an
Adjutant or Aide-de-camp of Friedrich's; and at this juncture was
seen bending over the swooned Friedrich, perhaps with an over-
pathos or elaborate something in his expression of countenance:
when Friedrich reopened his indignant eyes: "WAS MACHT ER HIER?"
cried Friedrich: "ER SAMMLE FUYARDS! What have you to do here? Go
and gather runaways" (be of some real use, can't you)!--which
unkind cut struck deep into Berenhorst, they say; and could never
after be eradicated from his gloomy heart. It is certain he became
Prince Henri's Adjutant soon after, and that in his KRIEGSKUNST,
amidst the clearest orthodox admiration, he manifests, by little
touches up and down, a feeling of very fell and pallid quality
against the King; and belongs, in a peculiarly virulent though
taciturn way, to the Opposition Party. H1s Book, next to English
Lloyd's (or perhaps superior, for Berenhorst is of much the more
cultivated intellect, highly condensed too, though so discursive
and far-read, were it not for the vice of perverse diabolic
temper), seemed, to a humble outsider like myself, greatly the
strongest-headed, most penetrating and humanly illuminative I had
had to study on that subject. Who the weakest-headed was (perhaps
JOMINI, among the widely circulating kind?), I will not attempt to
decide, so great is the crush in that bad direction. To return.

This Second Attack is again a repulse to the indignant Friedrich;
though he still persists in fierce effort to recover himself:
and indeed Daun's interior, too, it appears, is all in a whirl of
confusion; his losses too having been enormous:--when, see, here at
length, about half-past 4, Sun now down, is the tardy Holstein,
with his Cavalry, emerging from the Woods. Comes wending on yonder,
half a mile to north of us; straight eastward or Elbe-ward
(according to the order of last night), leaving us and our death-
struggles unregarded, as a thing that is not on his tablets, and is
no concern of Holstein's. Friedrich halts him, not quite too late;
organizes a new and third Attack. Simultaneous universal effort of
foot and horse upon Daun's Front; Holstein himself, who is almost
at Zinna by this time, to go upon Daun's right wing. This is Attack
Third; and is of sporadic intermittent nature, in the thickening
dusk and darkness: part of it successful, none of it beaten, but
nowhere the success complete. Thus, in the extreme west or leftmost
of Friedrich's attack, SPAEN Dragoons,--one of the last Horse
Regiments of Holstein's Column,--SPAEN Dragoons, under their
Lieutenant-Colonel Dalwig (a beautiful manoeuvrer, who has stormed
through many fields, from Mollwitz onwards), cut in, with an
admired impetuosity, with an audacious skill, upon, the Austrian
Infantry Regiments there; broke them to pieces, took two of them in
the lump prisoners; bearded whole torrents of Austrian cavalry
rushing up to the rescue,--and brought off their mass of prisoner
regiments and six cannon;--the Austrian rescuers being charged by
some new Prussian party, and hunted home again. [Tempelhof, iv.
305.] "Had these Prussian Horse been on their ground at 2 o'clock,
and done as now, it is very evident," says Tempelhof, "what the
Battle of Torgau had by this time been!"

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