Page:Poet Lore, volume 27, 1916.djvu/385

 ners brigade, was on the left near the north side of the township, Kryessnern formed the centre, which was thrown about the south side of the city back of the railroad depot and Gen. Schulz to the south formed the left wing of the Archduke’s division. To the right and left of the depot was the artillery reserve ready to sweep with fire the heights and groves opposite.”

The plot of this play is an incident of the battle of Skalitz. On the evening of the 28th of June a corps of the Austrian army consisting of the 21st, 24th, 77th, and 31st regiments of infantry, the 3rd regiment of Uhlans and several others met the enemy at Skalitz. They were defeated and retreated to Schweinschadel under the protection of the batteries of Gen Rosenzweig. The Prussians followed them and at that point inflicted another defeat. The action takes place on the evening of the 28th of June after the battle of Skalitz and before the dawn of the 29th, on which occurred the defeat of Schweinschadel.

The impression which the defeat at Königgratz left in the popular mind of the newly awakened nation was quite lasting. The Czechs who were defending their own land against their racial enemy fought bravely and desperately, but the proverbial bad leadership of the Austrian Generals made their cause a hopeless one. Many popular songs commemorated the bitter struggle. The following was one of the most popular.

The song which the fife and drum band of the approaching enemy played was then the martial strain of the Prussian army. Even this was converted into the popular song played to the words “When to us come the Prussians a-marching.”

The author of the play is a comparatively young man and his literary efforts have not achieved in Bohemia such a success that he would be likely to receive notice in foreign countries.