The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-29 00:00:00

von Rauch, to announce to the commander of the
nearest Austrian post that he in the course of the
day intended to pass the Bohemian frontier. Von
Rauch, as is usual in such cases, accompanied by a
trumpeter, whom he caused constantly to sound,
and himself waving a white handkerchief, fell in
with one of the Austrian patrols, which was fur-
nished by Radetzky's Hussars. The patrol fired on
the Staff officer, fortunately without effect ; he
boldly rode up to it, and on explaining the object of
his visit was conducted blindfolded to the comman-
dant of the advanced post, which was Reichenberg ;
this officer, of course, apologised for the mistake
which his patrol had made, and the aide-de-camp,
after a long and early ride, was escorted back to
within a short distance of the Saxon frontier, where
he soon met the advancing columns of his own
army.
To-day, with the First Prussian Army, Prince
Frederick Charles crossed the frontier into Bohe-
mian territory. The troops were early under arms,
and fell into theirranks a little after daybreak, under
a steady downfall of drizzling rain. They had to
march many miles from their billets to the places
where they were to form columns for the advance,
but they stepped out well over slippery grass and
sloppy roads, and were all ranged in proper order
close to the Austrian frontier, but still on Saxon
ground, a little after 7. At 6 the Commander-in-
Chief left his last night's quarters at Hirschfeld, and
by the Zittau road reached the frontier a little before
eight. The frontier is marked on the road by a
toll-house, in front of which a long bar supplies the
place of a gate. This bar balances near its end
furthest from the tollhouse on a pivot, and by means
of a weight at the end of its shorter arm can be
raised almost perpendicularly upwards when the
road is to be left open for a free passage. On this
bar are painted the alternate black and gold stripes
which are the distinctive colours of Austria. The
bar was raised to-day, but not quite in a vertical
position ; high enough to allow a man on horse-
back to ride under it, it still sloped over the road.
It was here that Prince Frederick Charles took
up his position to watch his troops march over the
border. He had hardly arrived there before he
gave the necessary orders, and in a few moments
the Ulans, who formed the advanced guard of the
regiments that marched by this line, were over
the frontier. Then followed, the infantry. As the
leading ranks of each battalion arrived at the first
point on the road from which they caught sight
of the Austrian colours that showed the frontier,
they raised a cheer, which was quickly caught up
by those in rear, and was repeated again and again
till, when the men came up to the tollhouse and
saw their soldier Prince standing on the border
line, it swelled into a roar of rapturous delight,
which only ceased to be replaced by a martial song
that was caught up by each battalion as it poured
into Bohemia. Their chief himself stood by the road-
side calm and collected ; but he gazed proudly on
the passing sections, and well he might, for never
did an army cross an enemy's frontier better
equipped, better cared for, or with a higher courage
than that which marched out of Saxony to-day.
Ever and anon he would call from a passing batta-
lion some officer or soldier who had before served
under him, and with a kindly inquiry or cheerful
word won a heart, for soldiers love officers who
take an interest in them. Everywhere to-day has the
Prince been greeted by the troops with loud cries
of joy ; as he rode along the way by which the
regiments were marching they cheered him con-
tinuously. At one point his reception was peculiarly
remarkable. A Pomeranian regiment (the 2nd),
which had served under him when he was a divi-
sional general, had piled its arms for a halt, and
the men were lying down by the side of the road to
rest. Suddenly the word was passed among them
that the Prince was coming ; with one accord they
sprang as if by magic to their feet, made two long
lines along the road through which he might pass,
and gave him such a cheer as only old soldiers can.
The concentration of the troops and the advance
into Bohemia have been most excellently managed.
This same army exactly a week ago entered Saxony
prepared to fight in that country ; within that
time Saxony has been entirely occupied, and yester-
day the majority of the troops were again concen-
trated, and began their march into Austria. The
advance has been conducted in this way :—The
troops last night were concentrated on the frontier;
this morning, on the right, Herwarth von Bittenfel
pushed forward two columns from Dresden by the
valley of the Elbe into Bohemia; Prince Frederick
Charles advanced from Saxony ; his troops marched
in five columns ; the column on the right followed
the high road from Zittau ; the right centre
column marched along the railway lying to the left
of that road, the centre column followed a road to
the left of the railway. The left centre column
marched by the Friedland road, and the left column
by another road of this highway, 'Thus on a broad
front, and by several roads all within a distance
which Lwould allow the different corps to concen-
trate in a very few hours, the army has moved to
the front well in hand and without inconvenience to
the troops. 'The march within Austsian territory has
been distinguished by the same regard for private
property that was so scrupulously observed in
Saxony. The Austrian villagers at first looked on
the irruption of the army of their northern kinsmen
half in fear, half in curiosity, but soon they came to
be on speaking terms with the soldiers, and then
were quickly seen supplying them with drinking
water and doing them other good services.
The castle of Grafenstein, in which the head-
quarters are fixed to-night, is the property of Count
Clam Gallas, who commands the first Austrian corps
in Bohemia; it is beautifully situated on the top
of a hill, covered with thick foliage, which rises
abruptly from the low ground of the valley of the
Neisse. The Count has not left much furniture for
the use of his unexpected guests, as nearly all the
movables were sent away some time ago to Vienna,
but a stock of mattresses have been found in the

house which the servants have good naturedly lent
to the temporary occupants, and the Prince and his
staff are accommodated in shakedowns very comfort-
ably in the rooms of an officer who is, perhaps,
waiting to fight a battle with their army beyond the
mountains. Two of Radetzky's Hussars have just
been brought in prisoners : they were out with a patrol
and came into collision with a patrol of the Prussian

regiment of Magdeburg Hussars ; in the skirmish
the. horses:of these two Austrians were shot, and the
men were taken. They are the first prisoners of the
war. Fine soldierlike looking men, one cannot help
regretting that they are to be made prisoners of war,
but they are treated kindly, and who knows but
that the fate which has caused them to be taken
now may have saved them from being killed in a
subsequent battle? The rapid concentration of this
army has produced some feats in marching which
are quite extraordinary for troops who have only
just taken the field. The sth Pomeranian Hussars
marched three days successively for long distances,
and Yesterday made 50 English miles ; they were
again on the line of march to. day, with horses in
excellent condition, and the men looking as if they
h
just turned out of barracks. What the
Austrians
are going to do is still a mere matter of
surmise. Their patrols are out in this direction, but
d
all along the frontier ; they do not
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We are now on the northern defences of the
mountains, and one day's march will, without oppo_
sition, take us through the passes. The highest hills
are now so close that with a glass the stems of the

fir trees which clothe them can be easily distin

guished as the road to Reichenberg lies straight be-
fore us, and it seems that we are going there, but

in war who can tell what a day will bring forth?

To-day's march was different from yesterday's ;
it was a march which showed that the enemy might
be found in front. The heavy baggage and reserve
commissariat transport is all a day's march in rear ;
the only carriages which were present to-day in the
column of route were the guns and waggons of the
artillery, the hospital carriages, and the few wag-
gons which are necessary to regiments when actu-
ally about to fight.
The advanced posts to-night are pushed forward
about seven miles towards the interior of Bohemia ;