Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/55

 HISTORY OF THE WAR.

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fail, the Auftrians were at a dif- tance from the center of his afl'airs, and would find it difficult to im- prove their advantages to his ruin. After the reduftion of Schweidnitz, the King ordered two bodies of his troops to poft then^felves in fuch a manner, as to make it ap- pear that he intended to carry the war into Bohemia. Whilll he drew avvay the enemies attention from the real objects by thefe difpcfi- tions, the main of his

army, by a very rapid march, entered into Moravia in two columns, and made themfeives mafters, in a fhort time and with little or no cp- pofition, of all the poits neceffary to cover the troops to be employed in the fiege of 01m.utz. On the 27th of May the trenches were opened before that city.

M. Daun v/as no fooner apprifed of the King's march towards Mo- ravia, than he took his route through Bohemia to that province. Notwichftanding that the Emprcfs Queen omitted no poffible endea- vours to affsmble a juft army a- gainft the King of Pruliia ; though (he had for that purpofe exhauiled the Milanefe and Tufcany, and fwept up the laft recruits in her Danubian territories, M. Daun was not yet in a condition to give the King of Pruffia battle : neicher did his charafler lead him to truil that to fortune which he mighc enfure, though more flowly, by con- du6l. This wife general took his ports from Gewics to Littau, in a mountainous country, in a fituation where it was impoihble to attack him. He had the fertile country of Bohemia, from whence he readily and certainly drew fupplies, at his rear. He was from his pofition at the fame time enabled to ha- rafs the Pruffian armv before Ol-

mutz, and to Intercept the convoys which were brought to them from Silefia.

Olmutz, by the extent of its works, and Other advantageous circumftances, is a city which it is very difficult compleatly to inveft. So that (crv.e of the King's polls being neceffarily weakened by oc- cupying fo great an extent of coun- try, were attacked by Daun's de- tachments, from tim.e to time with fuch fuccefs, that abundant iuccours both of men and ammunition were thrown into the place. Thefe at- tacks were always made by night, and very few nights paffed without feme attack. The fuccefs was va- rious. But the operations of the fiege were greatly diRurbed by thefe Cv-ntinual alarms. Befides it is faid that the Auftrians, before the king's invafion of this province, had deflroyed rdl ♦■he forage in the neighbourhood of Olmutz. The horie were obliged to forage at a great dillance, vhich IiaralL^d them extremely. M. Daim took advan- tage of ail thefe circumftances. It was in vain that the King of Fruflia endeavoured by all the arts of a great commander to provoke or en- tice him to an engagement. He pro- fited of the advantages he had made, without being tempted by them to thro'v out of his liands the fecure game he was playing.

The great objecl of M. Daun w^as the PrulTian convoys. On receiving advice that a large and important one was to Irave Troppau on the 25th of June, he took raeafures to intercept it. He ordered General Jahnus, who was at Muglitz on the left, to advance, towards Bahrn, and a detacl-ynent which was at Prerau at a confiderable diftance to the right, to march to Stadt Leibe, fo that thefe two corps Ihould on different