The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-09 00:00:00

THE WAR IN DENMARK,

_____ __ r►
The official Stagts Anzeiger of to-day says that the
embargoes laid upon ships by Denmark, as well as
by Prussia, can only, according to international law,
possess a provisional character. By an understand-
ing with Denmark, an interval of six weeks after
the outbreak of hostilities must be allowed, to permit
of the return of vessels.
Full accounts of the first fight at Missunde con-
tinue to be received. Battalions of the 15th, 24th,
35th, 53d, and 60th Regiments of Prussian infantry
were engaged. Of these the Fusilier battalion of
the 15th and tha let battalion of the 60th Regiments
suffered most. The first corps alone lost seven offi-
cers, some of whom were killed and some wounded.
It is admitted that the men conducted themselves
very bravely, and in the midst of the heaviest fire
stood their ground as firmly as though they were
on parade. Grape and canister fell among them
like hail as they proceeded to storm the Danish
works, and when they were close to the batteries
the Danes still kept firing heavily into the storming
columns, so that their baptism by fire which the
Prussians underwent was a severe proof of their
courage. The fight lasted from 11 in the morning
till half-past 4. Many inhabitants of Eckernforde,
Kiel, and the neighbourhood of Missunde were pre-
sent as spectators, and for the most part wore white
bands round the arm, such as are worn by the
Austro-Prussian army, so that they might be known
as friends to the Scleswig-Holstein cause. These
civilians rendered good service in conveying the
wounded from the field, and in so doing showed
considerable courage, as many of them unquestion-
ably risked their lives. Some of the Prussian troops
camped out on the open field for some nights. In
the town of Eckernforde, and in the villages between
there and Missunde, each house is so full of soldiers
that the numerous strangers attracted to the
neighbourhood could find no accommodation what-
ever. A great want of food had been experienced
by all, and especially of bread, meat, and milk.
The country people no longer take any into the
towns, as all that can be procured is required for
the soldiers.

Respecting the fight at Selk on Wednesday last
it may be mentioned that Upper Selk lies to the
southward of Selk•Noer, a lake which flows west-
ward fromSshleswig in connection with theHadelye
Noer, but is separated from the Schlei itself by a
small dam, over which goes the road from Eckern-
forde to Busdorf, Frederichsberg, and Schleswig.
On the south of the Selk-Noer is Nottorf, on the
line of railway, to the north-east of Geldorf, while
to the north-west of Lottorf lies the village of Jagel
near the Rensburg and Schleswig road. These
places form a triangle, towards the south-east front
of which the Danes were posted at the commence-
ment of the day. The Austrians, however, com-
pelled them to retire from the triangle and occupied
Jagel and Upper Selk, the base of the triangle, then
took Konigsberg, between the road and the Selk-
Noer, and pressed northwards towards Wedelspang,
where the first line of the fortifications of the
Danewirke position is situated, and which extends
on the east to the Schlei, and on the west to a place
know as the Red Krug. The second line of defen-
2,es, with the blockhouses, begins at Busdorf, which
lies near a pond. The fire of the second line domi-
nates the first. The fight itself is thus described by
the Gazette of North Prussia :—" The Field-Mar-
shal, with the Crown Prince and the greater part
of the staff, had halted on the road to Upper Selk;
and here many of the officers, including the Crown
Prince, became closely acquainted for the first time
with the thunder of the enemy's artillery and the
whistle of hostile bullets. All are, however, stated
to have shown the greatest joy at the commencement
of hostilities. Upper Selk was soon taken, Konigs-
berg lying to the rear of it was stormed, and the
batteries of the advanced guard were planted here
under the protection of a battalion of Austrian jagers.
On account of the thick fog we could no longer see
the retreat of the Danes, but could only perceive the
flash of the heavy guns on the batteries, and hear
the 'whistle of the bullets flying over our heads,
which struck behind us, but fortunately not in the
direction where our regiments stood. Count (ion-
drecourt, who commanded the vanguard brigade,
states that he encountered two Danish squadrons
on the first advance between Lottorf and Geldorf,
but that they soon withdrew, and that afterwards
he found six Danish battalions, with one or two bat-
teries, on the height before him. After some mus-
ketry work, three battalions of the Austrian van-
guard charged with the bayonet, and the Danes,
who had so:long bravely sustained the Austrian fire,
suddenly yielded. The struggle was renewed from
height to height, the artillery playing their part
before a change was made, and then the bayonet
charge was renewed by the Austrians. The Danes
behaved with the greatest gallantry, but they could
not hold their ground. The 18th jager battalion
captured a Danish six pounder gun which had been
deserted on the road before the Upper Selk. The
last position taken up by the Danes was on the
Konigsberg,whence they could not be driven by the
Austrians without great loss in killed and wounded.
The Danes then withdrew towards the Danewirke
and fired on the Konigsberg with their heavy guns
A letter from Rendsbnrg of the 4th instant gives
in the batteries."
some further particulars of this affair :—" The night
was tolerably mild, so that the wounded transported
from Konigsberg (or Konigs-Hugel) did not suffer
from the eold. According to authentic reports, the
loss of the Austrians amounted to 600, dead and
wounded, among whom were two staff officers, and
about 40 others. The Martini Regiment left a third
of its officers on the field. About 5,000 men were
engaged in the action, and the loss is at the rate of
more than 12 per cent., which will prove better
than details of the desperate nature of the struggle
and the bravery of the combatants. On the
morning of Thursday, the day after the action,
the dead Danes lay in rows and heaps on the
Konigsberg and near Jagel. Their loss, besides
250 taken prisoners by the Austrians, must at
least be as severe as that of their foes. The chief
loss of the Austrians was occasioned by the heavy
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During the following night the positions gained
on the Konigsberg were armed with Prussian
rifled 12-pounders. On the sth a Danish battery
at Lollfuss, a portion of the town of Schleswig,
small staff; staff; but they in the rear of
L
was silenced.
On Thursday morning General von Gablenz pro
ceededottor
ft, o a
oroeocmo npnaoniiterde
bt the
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e country
were soon observed by the Danes, and a sharp fire
was kept up on the party, none of whom appear to
have been injured. As the general afterwards rode
by the positions oecupied by several of the Austrian
regiments he was loudly cheered by the men, and
the " Eljeus" of the Hungarians were given with
much heartiness. The Thomas Brigade, consisting
of the Coronini (Servians from the Banat), and
Prince Holstein Regiments (Venetians), were sent
forward to relieve the Gondrecourt Brigade still in
sufferingt the e field,
rThefrom
mb
troops
a dmra
o re allaaril in
arrangements, and
from the misfortune of being encamped on a
barren place which offered no chance provisions
of any kind, as the whole district had long been
cleared of everything eatable and drinkable. The
commissariat
good spirits though
Gondrecourt Brigade c.,,,aa into quarters in the
afternoon. It was easy to see by the appearance
of the men that they were returning from a bloody
encounter. Their eyes were sparkling with unna-
tural wildness, and they still appeared to feel the
effects of the excitement they had undergone.
Wherever General Gondrecourt was seen he was
greeted with loud cheers by the troops. The guns
they brought back with them were gaily decorated
in honour of the patron saint of the artillery, the
Holy Barbara.
The Prussian Staats Anzeiger publishes the fol-
lowing official report :" — According to the accounts
just received at Berlin from the head quarters of
the army of Schleswig Holstein, preparations have
been made for the planting of the Prussian 12
pounder rifled battery ou the Konigsberg, which
was stormed by the Austrian Brigade of Count
Gondrecourt. The number of the Danes taken

prisoners is now estimated at more than 200. Two
Dannebegs (company flags) have also been captured.
(The regimental flags and standards were not taken
into action by the Dines.) At the close of the fight
on the 3d inst., the Gondrecourt Brigade captured
the Konigsberg, and afterwards Wedelspang—from
which place, however, the troops pushed forward
were withdrawn, as they were too much exposed—
and on the left they secured the railway station
and Klosterkrug, while the foremost body of troops
lay in Kohgraben. The Gondrecourt Brigade was
relieved by the Nostez Brigade, and sent to
obtain refreshments. Further on the left, a
company of the combined Prussian divisio❑
of infantry of the guard took part in the combat.
On Feb. 4 no attack was undertaken on this side,
but the division of the guard occupied Little Heyde
with their advanced posts. This took place early
on the day after the first fight. On the same day
the Danes armed a newly-thrown up battery, be-
tween battery No. 11 and the railway, which had
not been armed previously, end with hearty cheers
opened a heavy fire from this place and from battery
No. 10 against the Konigsberg. The Austrian 12-
pounder battery had replied with about six guns,
when they ceased firing by orders of Gen. Nostez.
Later, with the brightening weather, the fire of the
Danes against the Konigsberg was many times re-
newed as soon as a head showed itself. A piece of
a grenade out of an 84 pound bombshell killed and
wounded some men of the Austrian bAttalion lying
at the foot of the Konigsberg. In the afternoon all
was still throughout the entire line. Preparations
for the operations of the next day were made by
the whole of the combined army corps. In the
night of the sth inst., frost came and a heavy snow
stom, which was favourable to the arming of the
Konigsberg with the Prussian rifled 12-pounders.
The Austrian Thomas brigade by means of their
battery silenced from Kirchb?rg, near Fahrdorf, a
hostile battery at Lollfuss."