1760

The marriage was held on the 18th of April 1760. It did not last. Seydlitz and his wife were divorced by 1764. Seydlitz's wife would die in 1804. The union produced two daughters, Wilhelmine Albertine, born May 21st, 1761, and Albertine Marianne, born September 21st, 1762. The former was thrice married and died in 1808 at Brieg in a madhouse. The latter married four times and died as the elderly Baroness von Seydlitz in 1840. Neither of the daughters had any children. (Schnitter, pages 22-23.)

Soon after celebrating his nuptials, Seydlitz rode to Leipzig to return to his command. He found the King camped near Meissen in a defensive stance. Frederick found his cavalry general a physical wreck. Seydlitz's hand was not yet healed enough to have full use of it. Moreover he had acquired some sort of gum disorder that required him to wear a bandage that interfered with speech. Frederick attempted to dissuade his eager general by telling him that no attack was being planned and he'd let him know when he was needed. The egotistical Seydlitz felt that he was being slighted and therefore sought, and received, permission to return to Berlin. This he did in a bit of a huff.

As a result of his ill health, Seydlitz did not participate in the battles of Liegnitz or Torgau. However he was not completely out of the war. In early October 1760, a small Russian corps under General Todleben crossed the Oder and threatened Berlin. General von Rochow, who was the military governor there, intended to retreat with his smaller force. Seydlitz and General von Knobloch, who had also been wounded earlier, both rose from their sickbeds and protested this proposed withdrawal. Field Marshal Lehwald was also in agreement, so it was decided to fortify the town and resist any Russian attacks.

Seydlitz, marching at the head of an assortment of soldiers and civilian volunteers, led his small force down the road that ran to Kopenick and routed some troops of Cossacks that they encountered. He then helped to fortify the gates of the town and was instrumental in beating off several attacks by elements of the Russian main body. However, when the Russians were reinforced and a separate Austrian corps under General Lacy approached, the city had to be abandoned. The Prussians, along with Seydlitz, withdrew to Spandau, but the enemy forces only occupied Berlin for a few days before they in their turn were obliged to withdraw.

1761

The beginning of the year 1761 saw Seydlitz's health much improved to the point at which it looked as if he would be able to rejoin his former command. He and Frederick exchanged a series of friendly notes on the subject. However a sudden worsening of his condition delayed his return to active service until May 20th, when he reported for duty with the army of Prince Henry in Saxony.

Prince Henry was charged with a particularly difficult assignment. With an army of some 32,000 men that included a sizeable number of Freikorps troops and other less reliable soldiers, he was supposed to protect Saxony from the efforts of two separate armies, one of Austrians under Marshal Daun and the other of Imperial troops under Marshal Serbelloni, to liberate this occupied country. The allied army numbered some 50,000 men, so it was going to require a great deal of tactical and strategic skill for Henry to fulfill his obligation. Being outnumbered as he was, Henry was forced into fighting a war of posts and avoiding any major battle, making up for his lack of numbers by always assuming strong positions for his army. To dance in this perilous minuet, where one false move could lose him all of Saxony and incur the King's wrath, was about as easy as juggling porcupines, so Henry appreciated Seydlitz's presence. In fact, he virtually gave him an independent command, having him maneuver against the Imperial army while occupying himself with the Austrians.

It was during this period that Seydlitz made the acquaintance of Colonel Friedrich Wilhelm von Kleist, (It seems that a lot of people in this tale happen to bear the name of "Friedrich Wilhelm." I would presume that many of them were named after Frederick's father, Friedrich Wilhelm I. Then again, it could be that the names just go together well like "Billy Bob," "Jimmy Joe," or "Bobby Lee" do in American nomenclature.) also known as "Green" Kleist for the corps of green-clad hussars, dragoons, and Croats that he had raised as a Freikorps under his command. The two of them operated together in a number of small operations of the Kleine Krieg then being waged. In fact, Kleist's star was ascendant at this time and he became an unwilling rival of Seydlitz for public approval.

During this time, the two Friedrich Wilhelm's, Seydlitz and Kleist, participated in several inconclusive engagements with the Austrian and Imperial troops. On August 25th, Kleist led a 1,000-man cavalry force with some infantry out of the town of Dobeln and across the Mtulda River so as to threaten the rear of the Austrian General von Zetwitz Seydlitz, in his turn, led 15,000 horse and several battalions of infantry from Deutsch-Bohra, via Ditmannsdorf, to Nanendorf, while two smaller corps attempted a diversion. The Austrians were attacked early in the morning of the 26th, but the rough terrain gave them ample time to retreat to Dippoldiswalde and Seydlitz and Kleist netted only a few prisoners.

There were two more abortive attacks in September, one on the 2nd, and the other on the 4th. In both cases, the enemy had either withdrawn before the attack began or else had repositioned himself in a more fortified position. In both cases, the attacks were called off. Save for a brief interlude in which Seydlitz was directed toward the town of Halle with a force of 2,000 infantry and 1,200 cavalry to counter a French move toward Magdeburg in October, he remained with Prince Henry's army. The year closed with the overly cautious Marshal Daun not inclined to hazard a major battle.

1762

The campaigning season of 1762 opened with two major developments. The first was the death of the Tsaritsa, (A Russian historian via the Internet informed me that the term "Tsarina" or "Czarina" is most definitely the incorrect title for the Empress of Russia. The latter term is more properly translated as "Princess." Ergo, I use the term "Tsaritsa" both here and on my web site pursuant to Russian rules of use. ) Elizabeth Petrovna of Russia, thus taking the Russian army out of the war. The second was the transfer of Leopold Daun with 20,000 of his men to the Silesian front, where he was to act against Frederick, and the appointment of the wretched General Serbelloni to the command of the allied armies in Saxony. (Serbelloni was an interesting individual for whom a future "Who's Who" will, I hope be written. He made up for his basic mean spiritedness by a certain lack of initiative that had contributed to a number of Austrian defeats in the past. His men and fellow officers generally hated him. )

Henry took advantage of this new situation by doing his best to prevent the Imperial troops and the Austrians from forming any kind of junction of their armies. By crossing the Mulde River with his left wing, Prince Henry hoped to assail the Imperial troops and drive them back into Franconia.

A 3,000-man Austrian force held the river crossing. Every night the 3,000 men marched from their quarters to the river. Then at daybreak, they would march back after posting the necessary guards. It was during the time of the changing of the guard that Prince Henry hoped to launch his assault.

On May 10th, he marched some Prussian troops to Meissen as a diversion. On the night of the 11th, he concentrated his troops in four divisions that were to cross the Mulde on the following day. Seydlitz led the first division of thirtyseven squadrons of cavalry and some infantry. The second and third divisions consisted mostly of infantry supported by some cavalry. The fourth division, under Kleist, was a combined arms force of all three branches of the service. The plan was for the four divisions to conceal themselves until the daily changing of the 3,000-man river guard took place. Then they were to rush across the river and attack while the enemy troops were on their way back to their camp. The divisions of Kleist and Seydlitz were on the far flanks and had the most important mission in this double envelopment operation. Seydlitz had overall command and was to signal the assault by firing a cannon. Then things went awry,

Early morning, May 12th, 1762

Kleist's green-coated troops move forward. Apparently they advance too quickly. Some sharp-eyed Austrian guards spot them and fire off a volley. The river guard has already withdrawn, but not as far as planned, when Kleist, believing that the jig is up, fires a signal gun. This brings on a general engagement. Seydlitz, not yet ready to attack, hears the gun and quickly advances his troops. By seven o'clock, all four Prussian columns have poured across the Mulde. The Austrian strong points and the cannon guarding them are captured.

In the action, the Austrian General Zetwitz, after a gallant fight, is captured along with some 2,000 Austrians. The main body of 3,000 men who are on the march to camp hear the sounds of fighting and hasten back. They arrive only to find that their side of the Mulde has been seized. Prudently, they withdraw. The Prussians have seized their objective. The Mulde has been crossed.

In the aftermath of the battle Seydlitz was furious. He felt that if Kleist had not jumped the gun and fired his signal cannon, the crossing could have been forced with less resistance. Moreover, the Austrians who had marched off would have already been in their camp where they could have possibly all been captured. Prince Henry, however, is satisfied with Kleist's explanation and no more is said.

On September 7th, 1762, General Andras Hadik replaced General Serbelloni. Hadik was a much better general than his predecessor. Earlier in the war he had lead a successful raid on Berlin, occupying the Prussian capital for a few days. He was not inclined to allow a weaker enemy the advantages that Henry had thus far enjoyed. After scouting the positions and strength of the Prussians, he placed a corps of troops to act against their right flank while simultaneously threatening their front. His desire was to force his opponent to retreat since he didn't reckon the Prussians strong enough to fight on two fronts. Prince Henry, however, was prepared for this maneuver. He gave Seydlitz the command of the threatened right wing and prepared himself to resist any attack. The Austrians assailed the Prussian forward posts along the entire line. During the 27th through the 29th of September there were numerous clashes with each side giving as much as it took. However the Prussians were able to retain nearly all their positions.

Seydlitz and Kleist were on the left bank of the Mulde River with fourteen battalions of infantry and some cavalry, but they were turned out of their position and rejoined Prince Henry on the right bank. Crossing the river on October 1st in four columns, they took up a good position near Freiberg.

On October 14th and 15th, Hadik renewed his attacks against the right wing of the Prussians. Seydlitz was again turned out of his position after a fight in which he lost 10 cannon and 2,000 men. Prince Henry withdrew the night of October 16th and encamped between Reichenbach and Klein-Voigtsberg.

Henry decided to attack and defeat his opponents on the same ground that he had just abandoned. The Austrians were temporarily quiescent, awaiting a reinforcement from Marshal Daun in Silesia. By order of the King, twenty battalions and fifty-five squadrons of Prussians were also en route to Saxony as a reinforcement for Prince Henry. However Henry was not going to remain idle; he decided to attack without his reinforcements.

The Imperialists, with the Saxon cavalry and 12,000 Austrians, were deployed around Freiberg. Hadik had not yet had the opportunity to reorganize them, so that they were in much the same poor administrative state as under Serbelloni. This boded well for the Prussians.

In front of Freiberg, the Prussians had taken up a strong position, anchoring their left on the escarpments of the Mulde and their right on the Ansbach, a watercourse hemmed in by very deep banks, and they appeared as if they intended to rest on the defensive.

Meanwhile, on October 28th, Prince Henry was preparing for the next day's battle. The Silesian reinforcement had not yet arrived, but was expected any time. This fact was all the excuse that the Prince von Stolberg needed to halt work on his entrenchments, playing right into Henry's hands. On the Prussian side, Henry, desirous of having the sole honor of the victory, was ready to have a go with the allies before the arrival of his own reinforcements under General von Anhalt, a favorite of the King.

October 29th, 1762

Early in the morning the Prussian army of twenty-nine battalions and sixty squadrons marches forth in four columns. Seydlitz commands the right wing and Prince Henry is nearby. This is to be the Schwerpunkt, or main column of assault

The enemy, comprising forty-nine battalions and seventy-eight squadrons, are before Freiberg. Their right is anchored on the Mulda and their left in the woods of Spittel. The heights are covered with guns and the woods festooned with abatis.

Kleist initiates the fight with his avant-garde as the various corps march to their assigned spots. A lively fight breaks out in the woods. As the Prussian right wing gains the left of the allies and prepares to attack it is discovered that the enemy are extended further to their left than heretofore supposed. If the attack goes in as planned, the Prussian right will be exposed to a flanking attack of its own. For a moment Henry is uncertain what to do. Kleist assures him that General Meyer, who commands the Austrians on the left will be content to fire his guns from a distance and not close with the Prussians. Four weak Prussian battalions and six squadrons occupy the Heights of Saint Michel. These are enough to block any advance by the passive General Meyer. The Prussian attack continues as planned.

The Prince von Stolberg, seeing the hammer about to descend on his left flank, brings up his second line and the combat becomes general. The Austrians are fighting well today, taking good advantage of their position on the heights. Prince Henry, observing the slower than expected advance of his army, is beginning to believe the battle already lost. Seydlitz assures him that all is well. Meanwhile, seeing the fight continue without a happy conclusion, Seydlitz personally takes two battalions of grenadiers in a bayonet charge against the heights of Dreikreuzer where the Hungarian infantry are positioned. The enemy cavalry is unable to stop the charge. Seydlitz has ordered several squadrons of his hussars to take the infantry in flank as he charges their front with his grenadiers. The Hungarians break and run to the gates of Freiberg, yielding up a large number of prisoners.

In succession the enemy line collapses, one post after another like dominoes. The infantry, abandoned by their cavalry, are routed by the Prussian horse. Prince von Stolberg retreats across the Mulda as far as Frauenstein. Prince Henry commands the field of battle.

The allies lost 4,000 men killed, wounded, and captured, as well as twenty eight cannon and nine standards. The Prussian losses were only 1,500 killed or wounded.

The enemy were not pursued, despite the wishes of Seydlitz, because the prudent Prince Henry desired to keep his army together owing to the proximity of General Hadik and his troops. In the days to follow, the Imperialists withdrew and abandoned all of Erzgebirg to the Prussians. Hadik concentrated his own troops at Dresden.

Freiberg was the last significant battle of the war. Warnery, in his writings, gives the honor of the preparations for the battle to Prince Henry, but the honor of the execution of the plan to Seydlitz, pointing out that by the end of the war, Seydlitz was not only a cavalry commander, but a leader of infantry, too. (Varnhagen von Ense, De de Seydlitz, pages 160-161.)

Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von Seydlitz (February 3, 1721 - November 3, 1773)

Introduction
1756 and 1757
1758 and 1759
1760, 1761, and 1762
Post War

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