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

Part 6: September 16, 1757

Translated and Edited
With Additional Materials By Neil Cogswell


The 8 battalions who had been detached from the Army of the Duke of Bevern entered Liegnitz late yesterday evening. General Rebentisch, who formerly commanded at Bautzen, is at the head of this detachment.

Jumbo Map (very slow: 201K)

The detachment of Lieutenant-Colonel Butler, who had been sent to facilitate the arrival of subsistence and to support General Jahnus, encamped today on the right of the army. The Corps of General Jahnus had also joined the army either yesterday or the day before.

Whilst making a close reconnaissance of the Prussians yesterday evening, Major-General Beck narrowly escaped capture. A considerable detachment of Prussian hussars attempted to surprise his advanced posts at the very moment that he had been visiting them escorted only by a handful of hussars. All of the latter were surrounded and killed or captured. As for himself, because he had been well mounted, he managed to escape capture but lost his horse from exhaustion in galloping to save himself.

The army marched at 7 o'clock in the morning in three columns from the right.

ORDER OF MARCH

The first column, composed of the cavalry of the Right Wing with Archduke Joseph at the head, took the route towards the stone bridge, leaving the town of Lowenberg on its left. Then it marched between the windmill and the village of Plagwitz, passing in front of the tavern, then through Hofe, Petersdorf and Harpersdorf. After leaving Hermsdorf to its right, it continued towards the new mill. From there, leaving Pilgramsdorf to the right, it marched towards Goldberg and made camp. The infantry of the Second Line up to and including Regiment Gaisruck followed the cavalry along the same route.

The infantry of the First Line, from Regiment Kaiser up to and including Regiment Arenberg followed by the Regiments Ludwig Wolfenbuttel and Harrach, formed the second column. This column passed through the town of Lowenberg, which it entered by the Lauban Gate and marched through leaving the ramparts on its left. It then crossed the meadows and passed the river below the stone bridge on the first wooden bridge and, from there, across the old course of the Bober. It then went to the right across the meadows and regained the highroad. This column then made its way through the villages of Plagwitz, Lauterseifen and Neumiese to the neighbourhood of Pilgramsdorf, where it entered the new camp.

The third column, composed of the cavalry of the Left Wing, marched a little in front of the other columns. It crossed by the two wooden bridges near Braunau and then marched through Hartliebsdorf, Hockenau and through the wood towards Neumiese, where it entered camp. The remainder of the infantry of the First Line, Old-Wolfenbuttel at the head, went to Braunau on the tail of this cavalry, which it followed to the camp.

The Artillery Park marched by the highroad to Pilgramsdorf. The baggage followed the respective columns. Headquarters are established at Pilgramsdorf.

Because the Duke of Bevern still held to his camp at Bunzlau, the Reserve Corps, the Corps of General Marschall and that of General Nadasdy remained in their old positions.

Journal of Horace St. Paul 1757 Part 6

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