第 80 节
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上访不如上网 更新:2021-02-18 21:09 字数:9274
er 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 self did come in sight; and the overpowering Reichs Detachment made its best speed else…whither。 'Tempelhof; &c。; 〃Letter from a Prussian Officer;〃 in Helden…Geschichte; v。 286。' The other Sieges remained things of theory; the other Reichs Detachments hurried home; I think; without summoning anybody。
Meanwhile; Daun; with the proper Artilleries at last ready; comes flowing forward (NOVEMBER 8th…9th); and takes post in the Great Garden; or south side of Dresden; minatory to Schmettau and that City。 The walls; or works; are weak; outside there is nothing but Mayer and the Free Corps to resist; who indeed has surpassed himself this season; and been extraordinarily diligent upon that lazy Reichs Army。 Commandant Schmettau signifies to Daun; the day Daun came in sight; 〃If your Excellenz advance farther on me; the grim Rules of War in besieged places will order That I burn the Suburbs; which are your defences in attacking me;〃and actually fills the fine houses on the Southern Suburb with combustible matter; making due announcements; to Court and population; as well as to Dann。 〃Burn the Suburbs?〃 answers Daun: 〃In the name of civilized humanity; you will never think of such thing!〃 〃That will I; your Excellenz; of a surety; and do it!〃 answers Schmettau。 So that Dresden is full of pity; terror and speculation。 The common rumor is; says Excellency Mitchell; who is sojourning there for the present; 〃That Bruhl 'nefarious Bruhl; born to be the death of us!' has persuaded Polish Majesty to sanction this enterprise of Daun's;〃very careless; Bruhl; what become of Dresden or us; so the King of Prussia be well hurt or spited!
Certain enough; NOVEMBER 9th; Daun does come on; regardless of Schmettau's assurances; so that; 〃about midnight:〃 Mayer; who 〃can hear the enemy busily building four big batteries〃 withal; has to report himself driven to the edge of those high Houses (which are filled with combustibles); and that some Croats are got into the upper windows。 〃Burn them; then!〃 answers Schmettasu (such the dire necessity of sieged places): and; 〃at 3 A。M。〃 (three hours' notice to the poor inmates); Mayer does so; hideous flames bursting out; punctually at the stroke of 3: 〃whole Suburb seemed on blaze 'about a sixth part of it actually so'; nay you would have said the whole Town was environed in flames。〃 Excellency Mitchell climbed a steeple: 〃will not describe to your Lordship the horror; the terror and confusion of this night; wretched inhabitants running with their furniture 'what of it they had got flung out; between 12 o'clock and 3' towards the Great Garden; all Dresden; to appearance; girt in flames; ruins and smoke。〃 Such a night in Dresden; especially in the Pirna Suburb; as was never seen before。 'Mitchell; Memoirs and Papers; i。 459。 In Helden…Geschichte; v。 295…302; minute account (corresponding well with Mitchell's); ib。 303…333; the certified details of the damage done: 〃280 houses lost;〃 〃4 human lives。〃' This was the sad beginning; or attempt at beginning; of Dresden Siege; and this also was the end of it; on Daun's part at present。 For four days more; he hung about the place; minatory; hesitative; but attempted nothing feasible; and on the fifth day; 〃for a certain weighty reason;〃 as the Austrian Gazettes express it;he saw good to vanish into the Pirna Rock…Country; and be out of harm's way in the mean while!
The Truth is; Daun's was an intricate case just now; needing; above all things; swiftness of treatment; what; of all things; it could not get from Daun。 His denunciations on that burnt Suburb were again loud; but Schmettau continues deaf to all that;means 〃to defend himself by the known rules of war and of honor;〃 declares; he 〃will dispute from street to street; and only finish in the middle of Polish Majesty's Royal Palace。〃 Denunciation will do nothing! Daun had above 100;000 men in those parts。 Rushing forward with sharp shot and bayonet storm; instead of logical denunciation; it is probable Daun might have settled his Schmettau。 But the hour of tide was rigorous; withal;and such an ebb; if you missed it in hesitating! NOVEMBER 15th; Daun withdrew; the ebbing come。 That same day; Friedrich was at Lauban in the Lausitz; within a hundred miles again; speeding hitherward; behind him a Silesia brushed clear; before him a Saxony to be brushed。 〃Reason weighty〃 enough; think Daun and the Austrian Gazettes! But such; since you have missed the tide…hour; is the inexorable fact of ebb;going at that frightful rate。 Daun never was the man to dispute facts。
November 20th; Friedrich arrived in Dresden; heard; next day; that Daun had wheeled decisively homeward from Pirna Country; that the Reichs Army and he are diligently climbing the Metal Mountains; and that there is not in Saxony; more than in Silesia; an enemy left。 What a Sequel to Hochkirch! 〃Neisse and Dresden both!〃 we had hoped as sequel; if lucky: 〃Neisse OR Dresden〃 seemed infallible。 And we are climbing the Metal Mountains; under facts superior to us。
And Campaign Third has closed in this manner;leaving things much as it found them。 Essentially a drawn match; Contending Parties little altered in relative strength;both of them; it may be presumed; considerably weaker。 Friedrich is not triumphant; or shining in the light of bonfires; as last Year; but; in the mind of judges; stands higher than ever (if that could help him much); and is not 〃annihilated〃 in the least; which is the surprising circumstance。
Friedrich's marches; especially; have been wonderful; this Year。 In the spring…time; old Marechal de Belleisle; French Minister of War; consulting officially about future operations; heard it objected once: 〃But if the King of Prussia were to burst in upon us there?〃 〃The King of Prussia is a great soldier;〃 answered M。 de Belleisle; 〃but his Army is not a shuttle (NAVETTE);〃to be shot about; in that way; from side to side of the world! No surely; not altogether。 But the King of Prussia has; among other arts; an art of marching Armies; which by degrees astonishes the old Marechal。 To 〃come upon us EN NAVETTE;〃 suddenly 〃like a shuttle〃 from the other side of the web; became an established phrase among the French concerned in these unfortunate matters。 'Archenholtz; i。 316; Montalembert; SAEPIUS; for the phrase 〃EN NAVETTE。〃'
〃The Pitt…and…Ferdinand Campaign of 1758;〃 says a Note; which I would fain abridge; 〃is more palpably victorious than Friedrich's; much more an affair of bonfires than his; though it too has had its rubs。 Loss of honor at Crefeld; loss of Louisburg and Codfishery: these are serious blows our enemy has had。 But then; to temper the joy over Louisburg; there was; at Ticonderoga; by Abercrombie; on the small scale (all the extent of scale he had); a melancholy Platitude committed: that of walking into an enemy without the least reconnoitring of him; who proves to be chin…deep in abatis and field…works; and kills; much at his ease; about 2;000 brave fellows; brought 5;000 miles for that object。 And obliges you to walk away on the instant; and quit Ticonderoga; like asurely like a very tragic Dignitary in Cocked…hat! To be cashiered; we will hope; at least to be laid on the shelf; and replaced by some Wolfe or some Amherst; fitter for the business! Nor were the Descents on the French Coast much to speak of: 'Great Guns got at Cherbourg;' these truly; as exhibited in Hyde…Park; were a comfortable sight; especially to the simpler sort: but on the other hand; at Morlaix; on the