10th-29th July 1760. (Thirsty Sweetheart), or wherever it was; then again taking wing, on sound of Prussian parties to rear; in short, hurrying towards Dresden and the Reichsfolk, as if for life.

Lacy's retreat, I hear, was ingeniously done, with a minimum of disorder in the circumstances: but certainly it was with a velocity as if his head had been on fire; and, indeed, they say he escaped annihilation by being off in time. He put up finally, not at Thirsty Sweetheart, still less at Thirsty Fox, successive Hamlets and Public Houses in the sandy Wilderness which lies to north of Elbe, and is called Dresden Heath; but farther on, in the same Tract, at Weisse Hirsch (White Hart); which looks close over upon Dresden, within two miles or so; and is a kind of Height, and military post of advantage. Next morning, July 10th, he crosses Dresden Bridge, comes streaming through the City; and takes shelter with the Reichsfolk near there:-towards Plauen Chasm; the strongest ground in the world; hardly strong enough, it appears, in the present emergency.

Friedrich's first string, therefore, has snapt in two; but, on the instant, he has a second fitted on :-may that prove luckier !

CHAPTER II.

FRIEDRICH BESIEGES Dresden.

FROM and after the Evening of Wednesday July 9th, it is upon a Siege of Dresden that Friedrich goes ;-turning the whole war-theatre topsy-turvy; throwing Daun, Loudon, Lacy, everybody out, in this strange and sudden manner. One of the finest military feats ever done, thinks Tempelhof. Undoubtedly a notable result so far, and notably done; as the impartial reader (if Tempelhof be a little inconsistent) sees for himself. These truly are a wonderful series of marches, opulent in continual promptitudes, audacities, contrivances; -done with shining talent, certainly; and also with result shining, for the moment. And in a Fabulous Epic I think Dresden would certainly have fallen to Friedrich, and his crowd of enemies been left in a tumbled condition.

But the Epic of Reality cares nothing for such considerations; and the time allowable for capture of Dresden is very

VOL. IX.

10th-29th July 1760.

brief. Had Daun, on getting warning, been as prompt to return as he was to go, frankly fronting at once the chances of the road, he might have been at Dresden again perhaps within a week,-no Siege possible for Friedrich, hardly the big guns got-up from Magdeburg. But Friedrich calculated there would be very considerable fettling and haggling on Daun's part; say a good Fortnight of Siege allowed;—and that, by dead-lift effort of all hands, the thing was feasible within that limit. On Friedrich's part, as we can fancy, there was no want of effort; nor on his people's part,-in spite of his complainings, say Retzow and the Opposition party; who insinuate their own private belief of impossibility from the first. Which is not confirmed by impartial judgments,—that of Archenholtz, and others better. The truth is, Friedrich was within an inch of taking Dresden by the first assault,— they say he actually could have taken it by storm the first day; but shuddered at the thought of exposing poor Dresden to sack and plunder; and hoped to get it by capitulation.

One of the rapidest and most furious Sieges anywhere on record. Filled Europe with astonishment, expectancy, admiration, horror:—must be very briefly recited here. The main chronological epochs, salient points of crisis and successive phases of occurrence, will sufficiently indicate it to the reader's fancy.

'It was Thursday Evening 10th July, when Lacy got to his ReichsI folk, and took breath behind Plauen Chasm. Maguire is Governor ' of Dresden. The consternation of garrison and population was ex6 treme. To Lacy himself it did not seem conceivable that Friedrich 'could mean a Siege of Dresden. Friedrich, that night, is beyond the 'River, in Daun's old impregnability of Reichenberg: "He has no siege-artillery," thinks Lacy; "no means, no time.”

'Nevertheless, Saturday, next day after tomorrow,-behold, there 'is Hülsen, come from Schlettau to our neighbourhood, on our Aus'trian side of the River. And at Kaditz yonder, a mile below Dresden, are not the King's people building their Pontoons; in march since 2 ' in the morning,-evidently coming across, if not to besiege Dresden, 'then to attack us; which is perhaps worse! We outnumber them, '-but as to trying fight in any form? Zweibrück leaves Maguire an 'additional 10,000; every help and encouragement to Maguire; 'whose garrison is now 14,000: "Be of courage, Excellenz Maguire ! 'Nobody is better skilled in siege-matters. Feldmarschall and relief 'will be here with dispatch !"—and withdraws, Lacy and he, to the edge of the Pirna Country, there to be well out of harm's way. Lacy

10th-29th July 1760.

' and he, it is thought, would perhaps have got beaten, trying to save 'Dresden from its misery, Lacy's orders were, Not, on any terms, to get into fighting with Friedrich, but only to cover Dresden. Dresden, without fighting, has proved impossible to cover, and Lacy leaves it bare.1

"At Kaditz," says Mitchell, "where the second bridge of boats "took a great deal of time, I was standing by his Majesty, when news "to the above effect came across from General Hülsen. The King

was highly pleased; and, turning to me, said: 'Just what I wished! "They have saved me a very long march' (round by Dippoldiswalde or so, in upon the rear of them) by going of will.' And imme"diately the King got on horseback; ordering the Army to follow as "fast as it could." "Through Preisnitz, Plauen-ward, goes the Army; circling round the Western and the Southern side of Dresden' (a dread spectacle from the walls); across Weistritz Brook and the Plauen Chasm' (comfortably left vacant); and encamps on the South-eastern 'side of Dresden, at Gruna, behind the Great Garden; ready to begin 'business on the morrow. Gruna, about a mile to south-east of Dres'den Walls, is headquarter during this Siege.

'Through the night, the Prussians proceed to build batteries, the 'best they can;-there is no right siege-artillery yet; a few accidental ' howitzers and 25-pounders, the rest mere field-guns;-but tomorrow 'morning, be as it may, business shall begin. Prince von Holstein' (nephew of the Holstein Beck, or "Holstein Silver-Plate," whom we lost long ago), 'from beyond the River, encamped at the White Hart 'yonder, is to play upon the Neustadt simultaneously.

3

Monday 14th, At 6 A. M., cannonade began; diligent on Holstein's 'part and ours; but of inconsiderable effect. Maguire has been sum'moned: "Will” (with such a garrison, in spite of such trepidations 'from the Court and others) "defend himself to the last man. "FreeCorps people' (not Quintus's, who is on the other side of the River), ' with regulars to rear, advance on the Pirna Gate; hurl-in Maguire's 'Out-parties; and had near got in along with them,-might have done 'so, they and their supports, it is thought by some, had storm seemed 'the recommendable method.

'For four days there is livelier and livelier cannonading; new bat'teries getting opened in the Moschinska Garden and other points; on 'the Prussian part, great longing that the Magdeburg artillery were 'here. The Prussians are making diligently ready for it, in the mean 'while (refitting the old Trenches, "old Envelope" dug by Maguire 'himself in the Anti-Schmettau time; these will do well enough) :'the Prussians reinforce Holstein at the Weisse Hirsch, throw a new bridge across to him; and are busy day and night. Maguire, too, is 'most industrious, resisting and preparing: Thursday shuts-up the 'Weistritz Brook (a dam being ready this long while back, needing only to be closed), and lays the whole South side of Dresden under 1 Tempelhof, iv. 65. 3 Tempelhof, v. 67.

2 Mitchell, ii. 168.

10th-29th July 1760. 'water. Many rumours about Daun: coming, not coming;-must for ' certain come, but will possibly be slowish.'

Friday 18th. 'Joy to every Prussian soul: here are the heavy guns 'from Magdeburg. These, at any rate, are come; beds for them all 'ready; and now the cannonading can begin in right earnest. As it 'does with a vengeance. To Mitchell, and perhaps others, "the King "of Prussia says He will now be master of the Town in a few days. "And the disposition he has made of his troops on the other side of "the River is intended not only to attack Dresden on that side" (and defend himself from Daun), "but also to prevent the Garrison from "retiring." ... "This morning, Friday 18th, the Suburb of Pirna, "the one street left of it, was set fire to, by Maguire; and burnt out "of the way, as the others had been. Many of the wretched inhabit"ants had fled to our camp: 'Let them lodge in Plauen, no fighting "there, quiet artificial water expanses there instead.' Many think the "Town will not be taken; or that, if it should, it will cost very dear, --so determined seems Maguire." And, in effect, from this day onIwards, the Siege became altogether fierce, and not only so, but fiery as well; and, though lasting in that violent form only four, or at the very utmost seven, days more, had near ruined Dresden from the face ' of the world.'

Saturday 19th, 'Maguire, touched to the quick by these new artil'leries of the Prussians this morning, found good to mount a gun or two on the leads of the Kreuz-Kirche' (Protestant High Church, where, before now, we have noticed Friedrich attending quasi-divine service more than once);-' that is to say, on the crown of Dresden; from ' which there is view into the bottom of Friedrich's trenches and opera'tions. Others say, it was only two or three old Saxon cannon, which 'stand there, for firing on gala-days; and that they hardly fired on 'Friedrich more than once. For certain, this is one of the desirablest battery stations, -if only Friedrich will leave it alone. Which he 'will not for a moment; but brings terrific howitzers to bear on it; 'cannon-balls, grenadoes; tears it to destruction, and the poor Kreuz'Kirche along with it. Kirche speedily all in flames, street after street blazing-up round it, again and again for eight-and-forty hours coming; hapless Dresden, during two days and nights, a mere volcano hence'forth.' "By mistake all that, and without order of mine," says Friedrich once;-meaning, I think, all that of the Kreuz-Kirche: and perhaps wishing he could mean the bombardment altogether,3— -who nevertheless got, and gets, most of the credit of the thing from a shocked outside world.

'This morning,' same Saturday 19th, 'Daun is reported to have 'arrived; vanguard of him said to be at Schönfeld, over in Thirsty'Sweetheart Country yonder: which Friedrich, going to reconnoitre, 4 Mitchell, iii. 170, 171.

5 Schöning, ii. 361: To Prince Henri, at Giessen' (Frankfurt Country), '23d July 1760.

10th-29th July 1760. 'finds tragically indisputable: "There, for certain; only five miles 'from Holstein's post at the White Hart, and no River between ;-as 'the crow flies, hardly five from our own Camp. Perhaps it will be some days yet before he do anything?" So that Friedrich persists ' in his bombardment, only the more: By fire-torture, then! Let the 'bombarded Royalties assail Maguire, and Maguire give-in ;-it is our " one chance left; and succeed we will and must!" Cruel, say you? '—Ah, yes, cruel enough, not merciful at all. The soul of Friedrich, 'I perceive, is not in a bright mood at this time, but in a black and wrathful, worn almost desperate against the slings and arrows of un'just Fate: "Ahead, I say! If everybody will do miracles, cannot ' we perhaps still manage it, in spite of Fate?" Mitchell is very sorry; 'but will forget and forgive those inexorable passages of war.'

"I cannot think of the bombardment of Dresden without horror," says he; "nor of many other things I have seen. Misfortunes naturally (( sour men's temper" (even royal men's); “and long continued, without interval, at last extinguish humanity." "We are now in a most “critical and dangerous situation, which cannot long last: one lucky 66 event, approaching to a miracle, may still save all: but the extreme "caution and circumspection of Marshal Daun- !"'6

If Daun could be swift, and end the miseries of Dresden, surely Dresden would be much obliged to him. It was ten days yet, after that of the Kreuz-Kirche, before Dresden quite got rid of its Siege: Daun never was a sudden man. By a kind of accident, he got Holstein hustled across the River' that first night (July 19th),—not annihilated, as was very feasible, but pushed home, out of his way. Whereby the North side of Dresden is now open; and Daun has free communication with Maguire.

Maguire rose thereupon to a fine pitch of spirits; tried several things, and wished Daun to try; but with next to no result. For two days after Holstein's departure, Daun sat still, on his safe Northern shore; stirring nothing but his own cunctations and investigations, leaving the bombardment, or cannonade, to take its own course. One attempt he did make in concert with Maguire (night of Monday 21st), and one attempt. only, of a serious nature; which, like the rest, was unsuccessful. And would not be worth mentioning,— except for the poor Regiment Bernburg's sake; Bernburg having got into strange case in consequence of it.

'This Attempt' (Night of 21st-22d July) 'was a combined sally and assault,-Sally by Maguire's people, a General Nugent heading them, 6 Mitchell, ii. 184, 185.