The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-15 00:00:00

THE WAR IN DENMARK.

(From the 2imes Special Correspondent with the Allied

Armies.)

BROACKER, April 10.
At four o'clock this morning I was roused by the
alarm bugle, and hurried out in full expectation
that the Danes had tardily resolved to attack their
enemy in the trenches—an attack which, were a
little more audacity and dash combined with the
numerous heroic qualities their friends attribute to
them, they would long ago have made. It seemed
unlikely, however, that, having neglected former
opportunities, they would now attempt to carry out
such a design. Batteries of rifled:guns and mortars
were last night to be established behind the second
parallel ; the work was doubtless done before the
alarm was given, and the Dines would have met a
warm reception. I hurried up to the church, how■
ever, to see in what direction the fighting was, but
found such a dense fog—the continuation of one
which lasted all yesterday—that I could not see A
hundred yards ahead. No sounds of eariion
or
musketry were audible, and soon I
'Learnt that al
counter order had been given and saw the troops
'erg. The order to turn out
returning to their quart
~me by telegraph from Graven-
was said to have c,
stein, but wb
."-et occasioned it to be given I have not
yet hee.--,a. The bombardment is expected to begin
at nine o'clock this morning; and I am informed
that 100 pieces of artillery, mortars, heavy siege
guns, and rifled guns of various calibres up to 24-
pounders, carrying steel-pointed shells upwards of
501 b. in weight, will then be in a position and
playing upon the enemy in front and flank.
I yesterday got a packet of English papers up to
the 6th inst., this being the first time that a p.per
has reached me here in due course of post, I per-
eeive that, as I expected, the bombardment of
Sonderborg causes a strong sensation in Engin&
which, if all its circumstances are as related by
the Dinc.s, is not at all eurpris:ng. I wrote to you
some time ago, just after the Prussians had thrown
a few shells into the town to ascertain if they could
reach it at will, that, when the assault on Duppel
forts took place Sonderborg would be burnt down;
and I still believe that it then was the intention to
leave the place unmolested until that supreme act
of the siege. What has induced departure from
that decision lam unable to say. Bearing in mind
that, after the Duppel position is taken the Dines
have another strong one on the shores of Alsen Sund,
it is quite conceivable that the attacking party
. _

should desire to produce confusion and dismay, and,
if necessary, convert retreat into rout by a conflag-
ration in the enemy's rear. But the object at the
present time of so prolonged a bomb ,rdment as the
telegrams from Uiltebol and Copenhagen announce
to have taken place is to me a mystery. That the
Prussians should have bombarded o❑ Saturday after-
noon and Sunday merning (the 2d and 3d inst.) is
intelligible, Their object was to occupy the atten-
tion of the Dines on this side while they effected
their crossing at Ballegaard. That they should have
prolonged their fire against Sonderborg for 48 hours
is inexplicable ; still more so that they should have
done it (if this be true) without giving to the civil
authorities of the place the notica customary in such
cases. On this latter point I have no official infor-
mation, and I of course cannot venture to contradict

the positive aLsertion from the other side on hearsay
evidence. I believe nobody here was aware to
what an extent the town had been bombarded, and
at Flensburg the other day I heard the damage done
estimated at some 20 houses burnt down. The firing
is said to have been from more than one battery,and
it is scarcely possible exactly to ascertain thenumber
of shell used, but unless the Danes keep a regular
register of the projectiles as they fall I cannot
believe that. 1,500 were thrown. The estimate here
is about one-sixth of that number. On Sunday
morning the fire was seen from this side to break
out in Sonderborg, The burning was in rear of the
Schloss, generally known as the barracks. The vio-
lent gale which blew on that day probably pre-
vented the conflagration from extending itself to
the upper and principal portion of the town. Tr, e
fire seemed to commence with two or three houses
visible at the west of the bsrracks, behind which

large building it then spread, and its p'ogresscould
ne traced ouly by the flames and smoke which the
wind drifted away far to the south-east. A
southerly wind would probably have reduced the
greater part of the tow❑ to ashes. As it is, from the
Observatory beyond the Gammeismark batteries,
whence the best view of Sonderborg id obtained,
no traces of the late disaster are to be detected, but

gibe town appears just as usual.
I am at present unable to explain or justify the
bombardments of Frederick and Sonderborg,
neither of which appears to have been a military
necess'ey or to have yielded any advantage to the
allies. After throwing shell for two days into Fre-
doricia, they suddenly left the vicinity of the place,
drew back their outposts, headquarters came down
to Flensburg, and the idea of taking the place seems
entirely laid aside. As regards the bombardment of
Sonderborg, the Prussians had a perfect right to
proceed to it if they thought that thereby they should
favour their attack on Duppol, deprive the enemy
of resources, reduce him to shifts for shelter, and
in other ways incommode and distress him. The
objectionable part of the proceeding is the not
having given notice of the intention, so as to en-
able the inhabitants to withdraw themselves and
their property. The onus is of course upon the
Prussian commanders to prove, if they can, that
they did what is customary and right in such cases.
If the shelling of Sonderborg, or at least its com-
mencement, was brought about by the desire to
favour the projected crossing at Bsllegaard, it is a
strong additional reason for regretting that the pro-
ject in question should ever have been conceived
and attempted to be carried out. Thera seem now
to be scarcely two opinions as to its rashness and
impracticability. The unlucky egg had been, I sus-
pect, for some time hatching, but the most profound
secrecy had been observed respecting it. On the
afternoon of the 2d I was going down to Feneberg,
and met, near Eckernsund, a staff officer of rank.
He spoke about the bridges hard by, of which one
had been taken up for repairs, and the other was to
have been removed, but perhaps would be allowed
to remain, as it seemed pretty strong. More tip-,y
artillery was expected up, and it was necessary to
see to the strength of the bridges. This struck me
as rather strange, as artillery usually comes up by
the high road from Gravenstein, which, although
longer, is far better adapted to the camp passage of

guns than the narrow and often heavy country
road from Treppe, by Eckernsund, to Broacker. A
few hours later the second bridge was broken up
and the pontoons were on their way to Ballegaard.
But, secret though the plan was kept, the Danes
were warned in time. I see in a telegram of the sth
from Copenhagen the following piece of intelligence,
A pontoon train has been seen near Ballegaard ;"
nothing more. They are sly dogs, those Danes. They
would have the Prussians believe this is all they
know, and by feigning ignorance lure them to a
second attempt, more disastrous perhaps than the
first. I know, from sure authority, that, little
more than 24 hours after the time the crossing was
to have been tried, there were abundant indications
on the Alen shore,—indications painly to be de-
tected through the glass from Ballegaard, that
the Danes were completely on their guard, as I
have little doubt that they equally were at the time
the 20,000 men were there assmbled. There were
look outs, chains of posts, and at the dour of one
house sentries were posted, apparently indicating
the presence of an officer of high rank. My belief is
—and it is that of not a few others—that the Danes
would desire no better than to see the Prussians
attempt the crossing in quesiian.
I remark some natural disgust among the Prus-
sian officers at the falsehoods propagated
by the
Danes with regard to the conduct of their men inthe field, of their refusing to go on, and of entreaties
and blows being employed, but in vain, to induce
them to advance against the enemy. When I first
joined the headquarters of the Prussian army,
somewhat against the wishes, as I believe, of its
principal commanders, and by the authorisation of a

Government the policy of which I had strenuously
opposed, I felt that there was but one course for me
to adopt in so peculiar and delicate a position, and
that was to confine myself to the most strictly im-
partial narrative of that which I myself saw or fully,
ascertained ; to exclude politics from my correspon-
dence ; and, while avoiding that partisanship into
which it is net difficult to be led by good will
towards those with whom one daily associates, to
render full justice to the army with which I lived.
And this is what I have done, or at least striven to
do; and I think those would be mistaken who should
imagine they detected a bias in my correspondence.
I could cite the names of other foreigners, now at-
tached in one capacity or other to the Prussian
army, who, like myself, have heard with regret and
disappro
valhundreds
unscrupulous of f h t
disciplineo e s f
e iu
xre attempted
tongues
sto
taken ceaa
ens
apt n
announced
teie
enh:(o:sy:
order of General Gableez—an officer echuse gentle-
ness and kindness of heart exe well known as his
brillian th
t gallantry in
to make the Pressiansoldier appear as a coward,
deaf to his officer's ve'
eice, and on whom blows are
well bestowed •
makine• ' out have little effect in the way of
elm advance against an enemy. I can assure
Jon that these young sojdiers need no such stimu-
lus. They are obedient, well disposed, and coura-
geous, and an excellent spirit pervades them. They
are cheerful—a quiet gaiety, not noisy and obstrepe-
rous—and I have never heard them repine under any
fatigue, hardship, or privation. I should be surprised
if proof could be given of an instance in which they
did not readily follow their officers but needed driv-
ing on, As to the story of their being beaten to
induce them to advance, none acquainted with the
usages and system of the Prussian army of the pre-
sent day will think it worth refuting. The great
fault of the Prussian soldier is his youth, which dis-
qualifies him for the fatigues of a long and severe
campaign. In this army there is a leaven of older
men, taken from the reserve ; but they are only a
small minority, or rather a fraction. Most of the
others aro mere boys. The Guards are, perhaps,
the least adapted of any to bear toil and hardship.
Yuu are aware that the Prussian conscripts are sifted
in their respective provinces, where those who pass
through remain in the line regiments, white the big
residue found in the sieve are sent up to Beriin for
the Guards, in w hose ranks are thus assembled all
the tallest men in the country. But as such men
require m ire time to become formed and set and
strong than smaller men do, I take the Guards to
be the regiments which have the least stamina and
which would soonest break down, They are fthl of
big beardless youtha. Some of the light infantry
battalions, the Jagers, composed of small men,
although of much the same age, are more compact
in build, manly-looking, and capable of resisting
hardship. The Guards are very good for a " spurt."
I am told that, coming down from Jutland, some of
their battalions m arched 15 German miles in 2 days.
A vary good trait in the character of the Prussian
soldiers is their kind treatment of their prisoners,
which I have had repeated opportunities of observ-
ing; and even after death they show them the re-
spect which brave men owe to each other. In West
Duppel churchyard is a cross bearing the inscription
" Here lie 25 brave Danes, who died the hero's
death on the 17th of February, 1864." The cross
and inscription were placed there by the soldiers of
Gen. von Raeder's brigade, who buried the Ames
after the sharp fight on the above date. They
needed no prompting to pay this homage to the
memory of a gallant toe.

1 r. al.

The bombardment began at half past 10 o'cwck thip
morning, and I have just returned from observing
it, from a height near the Yenning Bund, wt ence,
in clear weather, every shot fired at the first seven
forts can be noted, as well as its effect. But,
although the dense mist which lay over the
country this morning has partly cleared away, the
air is damp and heavy and no breath of wind is felt,
so that 'the smoke, instead of rising and drifting
away, spreads over the earth and there lingers.
masking much of the view. The fire is general and
heavy. lam told that 96 guns are at work to-day,
and judging from what I saw and heard I should not
think the estimate exaggerated. There are the mor-
tar batteries, erected last night without opposition
from the Danes, the rifled guns in both parallels, the
Gammelsmark batteries, threeothers on thesame line
(part of the fl ink fire) but within theVenning Bond,
a twelve-pounder battery to the right of the
Ruhenberg, and a 24-pounder battery on the high
bank at the innermost corner o' the Bend. Thie•
lest is for the Rolle Krake, should she come, which
t)-day she does not seem inclined to do, but lies
out at a considerable distance from the entrance el
that inlet. It is reported that she went towards
Eckernsund early this morning and was fired at by
the Alnoer batteries; but I know nothing of the
truth of this. Besides the batteries enumerated
and which were known, and some of them neat
to me, I could discern the smoke of others away
towards the left, which the inequalities of the ground
concealed from me. The fire was very steady, and
at times, when the smoke lifted a little, one could
plainly see the shells end bombs plunging into
Forts 1,2, and 3, which, if anything can dilapidate
them, must be pretty well knocked about by this
time, The Danes fired very little from those forts,
if at all. I sometimes thought I discerned the
smoke of a gun rising from one of them, but the
view was so indistinct, owing to the clouds of smoke
and dust, that I could not be sure it wee not the
oursting of a Prussian shell. I certainly did not
see any Danish shells burst on this side, and as
they are apt to do so in a conspicuous manner, high
in the air, I almost doubt whether any were fired,
at least against the Prussian right. So, perhaps,,
the Danes continue their old tactics of shutting
themselves up in their bombproofs and leaving the
Prussians to blaze away to their heart's content.
Liter in the day we may hear something of the
effects of the cannonade, but as I have to send my
letter into Gravenstein, whence the post departs at
half-past three, I must conclude.