Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/172

 2sS ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.

The crown of France was at the fame time required to fend, pur- fuant to treaty, an auxiliary body of 24,000 men at leail:. It is unne- ceflary to mention the interelHng circumftances of things at. that pre- cife period when this corps ought to have marched ; and though, fome time after this, it was very uncer- tain what turn the fiege of Olmutz would take, the court of Vienna itfelf infilkd upon poftponing the inarch of thofe fuccours till ano- ther time; and laboured to concert new meafures to divert the unfore- feen florm, that threatened toburft over the eflates of the patriotic and well-intentioned members of the empire: a point which hath been efFeftually accomplifhed.

What was done on our fide, during the iiege of Olmutz, is ge- nerally known. The enem.y retired through Bohemia: and fcarce had we enjoyed the fmiling profped of our hereditary Hates being entirely delivered from them, when, after mature deliberation, a rcfolution was taken at Vienna, by no means to march the imperial and royal army into Silefia, but to cnrry it diredlly into Lufaria,.a5 foon as the enemy, in abandoning Bohemia, fliould di reft his march, that way. The principal motives wnich de- termined U3 to take this refolutlon, were, among others, that by fuch a motion our army drew nearer to thofe of Ruffia and Sweden; that jt opened a communication with thofe arhiies, and the enemy would be molefied in the center of his pofitior. Advice was immediately given to the Ruffian generalsof this refolution, and they were le-^t to draw up what plan of operations they (hould think proper.

In the mean lime the imperial

army of Ruflia, and the body of referve, had drawn near the eftatcs of the enemy. In a council of war it was debated whether they ought to advance ftraight to Francfort on the Oder, or towards LowerSilefia, or penetrate by the Wartha into the New Marche. Several diffi- culties were ftarted with regard to the two former projefts, both with regard to the fubliltcnce, and the necefTity of preferving a communi- cation with the kingdom of Pruf- iia. The third projedt was there- fore made choice of, and execut- ed ; which the court of Vienna learnt with the greater fatisfadion, as it had conceived fome uneafinefs concerning the march of the Ruf- fian army towards Francfort on the Oder, or towards Silefia ; fee- ing that V. ith regard to thefirll cafe, the corps of general Dohna was al- ready affembled in that part ; and on the other hand, the King of Prufiia, in retiring from Bohemia, was marching to Silefia, fo that he would have it in his power at once to employ his whole force, joined to Dohna's corps, againll the Ruf- fian army; and this army, by marching ttiwards Lanfberg, would be removed from the PruiTians', and would moreover have the Oder and the Wartha before it.

The firlV news of the part taken by the Raflian generals was receiv- ed at Vienna, at the time tha: Mar- ihal Daun was already advanced with his army towards Gorlitz, and almoll at the fame time that un- doubted intelligence was received from fevetal ..quarters, that the King of Pruflia in perfon was in fall march with a body of 15 or 16,000 mentojoin General Dohna, and on the 12th of Auguft, arrived near Lignitz.. - "-: '•

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