Journal of Horace St. Paul
1757: Advance Astride the Neisse

September 1, 1757

Translated and Edited With Additional Materials By Neil Cogswell


INTRODUCTION

Whilst anxiously watching in case the King should suddenly return to Lusatia, the Austrians begin a cautious advance upon the Corps of the Duke of Bevern. The accompanying maps are based on sketches made by St Paul. Readers 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 is shown in the 1:100,000 scale Polish topographical map 14 "Wojewodztwo Jeleniogorskie" (ISBN 83-86350-09-1). The Advance Astride the Neisse

SEPTEMBER 1st

During the night, the light troops under the command of Generals Morocz and Beck made their way forward between Schonau and the Neisse to watch and discomfort the Prussians on this side of the river. Soon after first light, Lieutenant-General Sprecher - with 20 companies of grenadiers, 4 cannon, 3,000 infantry and 500 horse - went onto the heights near Schonau. From there he can support the light troops of Generals Beck and Morocz; he is also in a position to cover the intended new camp and the march of the army.

General Nadasdy is posted at Seidenberg so as to cover Friedland and to protect the convoys of forage from Silesia. Simultaneously with the advance of General Sprecher, Nadasdy drew his whole corps closer to General Winterfeldt who, with his corps, remains on the right bank of the Neisse.

The Reserve Corps, commanded by Graf Colloredo, and the Corps of the Duke of Arenberg both marched to support General Nadasdy. They encamped behind Rademeritz. The army was to have marched at noon, but, because of an incessant downpour, the order was countermanded. At 10 o'clock, the regiments were ordered to stand down; they are to be ready to march at 4 o'clock tomorrow. The deluge of rain, and the consequent bad state of the roads, would have occasioned much embarrassment and greatly retarded the march; the army would not have reached its new camp until nightfall. Undoubtedly, the weather is responsible for this change of plan.

The news from Dresden says that 15 Prussian battalions are encamped in the public squares and in the main roads of the New Town. Added to this, in the Palace of the Electoral Prince, they arrested Herr von Schonberg, a serving Gentleman of the Bedchamber, and confiscated his papers. The Prussians also published the following edict: "Whosoever shall have correspondence with the enemies of the King of Prussia, or who shall be taken carrying such letters, should consider themselves lost without hope of pardon." They have imposed the most rigorous controls on the whole population.*

*This probably results from the capture of the papers of Nadasdy, wherein the King found letters from the Queen of Poland.

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© Copyright 2001 by James J. Mitchell

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