Journal of Horace St. Paul
1757: Waiting on Events

August 3, 1757

Translated and Edited With Additional Materials By Neil Cogswell


Having left his former command to Prince Moritz von Anhalt-Dessau, Marshal Keith has joined the Army of the King.

General Nádasdy detached a captain from the Saxon Light-Horse Regiment Prince Albert, with 40 horse, to reconnoitre the Prussians. The captain went as far as Pillnitz, from whence he saw a part of the Prussian army encamped on the far side of the Elbe. Peasants told him that the remainder of the Corps of Prince Moritz of Dessau is at Dresden.

The Army of the King is still at Bautzen. This appears to give the lie to the report that the King had marched some troops to Rothenburg; those who had gone in that direction had been nothing other than the escort for the heavy baggage.

Brigadier Montazet, who has made a reconnaissance, estimates the corps encamped at Weissenberg at no more than 8 to 10,000 men; he also says that the main body of the Prussian army encamped at Bautzen does not exceed 30,000 men. Since, by all reports, the Prussian positions are not of the best, it appears that the Austrian army is well able to undertake a variety of operations.

Under pain of having their villages burnt, the King of Prussia has forbidden the Saxon peasants from taking any food or forage to the Imperial and Royal Army. He pays them 3 ecus for a bushel of oats, and 1 1/2 ecus for a quintal of hay. (* The French ecu was approximately the equivalent of a crown or 5 shillings Sterling, a silver dollar, a specie thaler or two florins - which would have been the local currency in Lusatia. If St Paul has made the correct translation to French currency, then it would appear that the King was paying approximately twice the market price, or that he was paying in debased currency or notes.)

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