Journal of Horace St. Paul
1757: Disengagement

Introduction and August 20, 1757

Translated and Edited With Additional Materials By Neil Cogswell


INTRODUCTION

After four days confrontation, it is the King who blinks first. It is possibly not before time as the Austrians discover that they have allowed a favorable opportunity for attacking the Prussians to pass.

Disengaging from contact with an enemy of superior strength is not the easiest of military maneuvers. On this occasion, despite their great superiority in light troops, the Austrians allow the King to withdraw from contact without incident.

The accompanying maps are based on sketches made by St Paul. Readers who would like to follow the operations of the Austrian light troops, as they pursue the Prussians, may wish to consult the 1:50,000 scale German topographical map L4954 "Gorlitz" (ISBN 3-86170-170-7) for the area West of the Neisse. The countryside East of the Neisse, where Nadasdy watched Winterfeldt, is shown in the 1:100,000 scale Polish topographical map 14 "Wojew¢dztwo Jeleniog¢rskie" (ISBN 83-86350-09-1).

AUGUST 20th

On receiving news of some movements in the Prussian army, the order was sent out at midnight that all the equipages should hold themselves ready to march one hour before dawn. At the first cannon shot, they were to be ready to proceed through Zittau to the other side of the river, where they would receive their final orders.

At 2 o'clock in the morning, Marshal Daun mounted his horse and rode out to take his station beside a fire in front of the first line.

At daybreak, we saw the whole Prussian camp in movement. This was with the exception of the Corps of General Winterfeldt, of whom we could see neither men nor tents. The Army of the King remained some time under arms. Then, soon after, it marched in two columns by its right. Several deserters came over to assure us that the King was marching to attack the left of the Austrian army. On hearing this, Marshal Daun altered several of the former dispositions; he especially sent to the left several 12-pounders, for which there was no further possible use on the right.

Soon afterwards, all the reports of officers and aides, as well as of the advanced posts placed expressly to observe the Prussian movements, unanimously confirmed that the march of the Prussian was directed towards Bernstadt. To all appearances, the Prussians intended retaking the camp thatthey had occupied before they marched against the Austrians.

His Royal Highness Prince Charles of Lorraine joined Marshal Daun on a height that had previously been occupied by the Croats, who had been detached to pursue the Prussian army. From there, they could see the whole Prussian army, of which the right wing had already passed the ravine at Bernstadt. From this vantagepoint, it was possible to see that the position that the King had occupied behind Wittgendorf had certainly been good, but it was by no means daunting had we wished to fight him there. By turning his right, which rested on a large wood, we would have been able to attack him simultaneously in front and rear.

The Austrian light troops harassed the Prussian Rearguard. They obliged it to halt several times to cannonade them to make them keep their distance and to give time for the rest of the Prussian army to pass the defiles and establish themselves on the heights on the far side of the ravine. There, soon after, we could see the Prussians setting up their tents. The Army of the King had retreated in very good order. They encamped on the far side of the Pleissnitz from Kemnitz to beyond Schonau. From there, the King detached General Fouque with 6,000 men to go to Silesia.

The Corps of General Winterfeldt had left long before the King and was already out of sight. It had marched along the river, that it had then re-crossed at Marienthal in order to re-establish communications with the King. The order was immediately sent to General Nadasdy to follow at once with his regiment of hussars, supported by his whole corps, but he was not able to come upwith the enemy.

General Nadasdy advanced this day as far as Konigshayn. From there, he partially covers Lower Silesia and Lusatia between the Neisse and the Queiss.

The Corps of General Winterfeldt is able to communicate with the King through Rademeritz and Bosen, where there are good crossings over the Neisse. It is able to withdraw without difficulty to Gorlitz if the Austrians cross the Wittiche below Niede, which would be necessary had they wish to attack the Prussians. I reconnoitered that country on the 14th and 15th: the ground is intersected by several ravines, and the meadows are interspersed with large thickets; it would be very favorable for amusing and holding up any attacker, whilst allowing even the weakest retiring force to keep a good distance in front.

When he had advanced towards us on the 15th, the King had pushed his advance guard towards Ostritz. If he had then caused a body of troops to cross to the right bank of the Neisse through Rademeritz, then, when he came to encamp in front of the Austrian army on the 16th, the Austrian corps at Gorlitz would have been cut off. Those troops would then have been obliged to retire by way of Friedland during the night of 15th/16th, taking the route through Seidenberg covered by the Wittiche. The King brought about 60,000 men against the Austrians; the Austrians, having a great number of sick as well as detachments of every kind, had not more than 10 to 12,000 men more. *

*St Paul probably does not include the Croats and Hussars in his enumeration, and possibly also excludes the Corps of Nadasdy.

The King had nearly all his forces with him; there had remained at Pirna no more than 7 to 8,000 men under the command of Prince Moritz of Anhalt-Dessau.

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© Copyright 2001 by James J. Mitchell

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