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

September 2, 1757

Translated and Edited With Additional Materials By Neil Cogswell


Despite the rain, which has not stopped since yesterday, the army marched at 5 o'clock in the morning in six columns.

Order of March from the Camp of Klein-Schonau in front of Zittau, to take up the Camp of Ostritz, which was originally to have been made yesterday at noon

The 1st Column, composed of the cavalry of the Right Wing, took the high road from Hirschfelde to Ostritz, where it encamped.

The 2nd Column, formed from the Right Wing of the Second Line - Regiment Lothringen at the head, marched by the right. It passed through the villages of Wittgendorf, Dittelsdorf, Schlegel, Burkersdorf and Dittersbach, where it made its new camp.

The 3rd Column was formed from the Right Wing of the infantry of the First Line - Regiment Kaiser in the lead. It passed through Wittgendorf and then to its new camp alongside the 2nd Column, keeping always to its left.

The 4th Column, comprising the Left Wing of the infantry of the Second Line - Regiment Browne having the lead, passed through Wittgendorf and marched alongside the 3rd Column as far as its new camp.

The 5th Column was composed of the infantry of the Left Wing of the First Line - Regiment Nikolaus Esterh zy at the head. This column marched near Grosshennersdorf, which it passed to its left. It then went to Neundorf, crossed the wood, and encamped near Keisdorf.

The 6th Column was formed from all the cavalry of the Left Wing - Regiment Anspach at the head. It took the highroad towards Lobau as far as Grosshennersdorf. It then passed in front of the windmills and, by way of the Bernstadt road, it entered camp.

The Artillery followed the 1st Column.

The new camp rests its left on the wood that is between Bernstadt and Dittersbach. The height in front of Schonau is close to the center. The camp forms an angle resting its right at the village of Leuba close to the Neisse. The Reserve Corps, who came forwards yesterday, rests its left directly on the Neisse opposite the village of Leuba; its right wing extends towards Niede at the Wittiche.

We have built several bridges over the two rivers to facilitate communication between the troops.

According to reports: the right wing of the Prince of Bevern rests on a mountain called the Landeskrone; and his left is on the Neisse; the town of Gorlitz is behind him. With his corps, General Winterfeldt covers the other side of the river. He is encamped between Leopoldshain and the Neisse, with the suburbs of Gorlitz behind him.

The latest news from Dresden, says that the King of Prussia is, once again, encamped at Kesselsdorf, where Prince Moritz of Anhalt-Dessau has joined him. Colonel Mayr, the Prussian partisan, after his expedition to burn the bridge at Meissen, has gone into the mountains between Freiberg and Chemnitz. Colonel Turpin, Colonel of Hussars in the service of France, has already been seen at Oschatz; he has with him 1,500 light troops. The Saxon Commissary, who had been sent into the mountains with the support of General Loudon, has already raised there 36,000 ecus for the Treasury of His Majesty the King of Poland.

Camp at Ostritz (Sep 2, 1757)

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© Copyright 2001 by James J. Mitchell

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