Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/56

 42 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.

difFeient fides attack the convoy at one and the fame time. To further the execution of thisprojedlM.Daun himfelf approached the Prufiian ar- my, and direv^ed all his motions as if he intended to give them battle. However, the King was too great a mafter in the game of generalfiiip, which was now playing, to be de- ceived by this feint. He detached a confiderable party under General Ziethen, to lupport liis convoy which was already about 7000 llrong. Be- fore this detachment could come up, the convoy was attacked, but the Aultrians were repulfed. But M. Daun,who provided for every thing, quickly reinforced his parties, who renewed the engagement the next day. They firft fuffered the head of the convoy to go unmolefted; but as the center was ftill embarrafled in a dangerous defile, they eafily cut of the head from the reft, and then they attacked the center with the greatell fury. The Pruflians made as good a rcfiftance as the nature of the ground would fufFer. General Zie-. then did every thing which could be expected from an accomplilhed of- ficer ; but in the end they were en- tirely routed ; all the waggons in that divifion were taken ; the rear was puftied back towards Troppau ; the head alone with great difficulty arrived at the PrulTian camp.

This was a fatal ftroke, becaufe it came at a time when it was im- poffible to repair it. The fiege of Olmutz had been all along attended with great difficulties; and now the news which every day arrived of the nearer and nearer approach of the Ruffians, called the King loudly to the defence of his own domir.icns. Already the Coflacks and Calnmcks made incurfions into Silefia, and by their ravages and cruelties, an- nounced the approach of the great

army. The fiege muft be raifedj Moravia mull be abandoned ; Mar- shal Daun muft have the honour of freeing his country, and driving away fuch an adveriary as the king of Pruffia, from a conqueft deemed certain j all was performed without a battle, by a feries of the moft re- fined and vigorous manoeuvres that ever were put in praftice.

When the King of Pruffia faw that the unprofperous fituation of his affairs obliged him to retreat ; he took a refolution, fuch as vic- tory infpires in others. He took advantage even of the excellent movement of M. Daun, by which that able general had advanced his quarters to Pofnitz, and placed him- ielf fo as to fupport Olmutz in the moft efteftual manner ; by this movement, however, he was ob- liged to uncover the frontiers of Bohemia. The King of Pruffia, whom nothing could efcape, was fenfible of this advantage ; and therefore, inftead of falling back upon Silefia, which l\ep would im- mediately have drawn the Auftrian army into his dominions, he deter- mined to retreat from one part of the enemies territories into another. The day before the fiege was raifed the firing of the Pruffians continued as brifk as ever, and ftiewed no fore of fign of an intention to depart ; but in the night the whole ^ , army took the road to Bo- ■' " ^ hcmia in two columns, and gained an entire march upon the Auilrians. So that notwithftanding the utmoft efforts which the enemy could make to overtake and harafs the King upon his march, he advanced into Bohemia with little moleftation, leized upon a large magazine at Lieutomiffel, defeated fome corps of Auftrians, who had attempted to difturb him in his progrefs, and

arr-^yed