The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-07-27
BATTLE OF sADOWA.

battle of Sadowa. We have already
published an account written from the
Prussian lines, to WHICH Mr.. Russell's
narrative is the necessary complement.
Hewitnessed the fight from high
tower, which gave him in excellent
view. We quote: sm8 81 i
THE AUSTRIAN ARMY e. to
hi The army which Gen. Benedek had
to- defend his position consisted of at
least 225, 900 men, but large deduc-
tion must be made for, the baggage
guards, the various escorts, the garri-
sons of 'Josephstadt and Koniggratz,
the sick and those tired by marching,
and the killed, wounded and prison
ers in recent actionsA7so that, proba-
bly,, he had not more than 100, 900 or
195 900 actually in, hand.
The ground he had to cover. from
right to, left was about three miles. in
length, On his extreme left in his
first line, near the rear, of Nechanitz,
and toward the Prague road, he put
the Saxons..A Then the 10th Army
Corps, under Field Marshal Lieuten-
ant Gablenz; the Sd Army Corps, un-
der Field Marshal Lieutenant Count
Thun;; the 4th Army Corps under
Field Marshal Lieutenant Gsunt Fes-
tetics, (who was wounded early in the
day and the I'd Army Corps, Under
Field Marshal Lieutenant Archduke
Ernst, were placed from left to right
on the slope Of the second range or
RIDGE 837i 3a5 fh3n }h8il s7i '2
% His second line and his reserves
consisted of the 9Th Army Corps, un-
der Field Marshal lieutenant Arch
duke leopold; the 1st Army, Corps
was under the cavalry General Count
Clam -Gallas, and the 9th Army Corps
dnder Field Marshal Lieutenant Ram
ming l r5Ftaoe ji9P am 3xo 0al q
He had at his disposal a grand ar
my of cavalry. 1t was composed of
the 1st Light Cavalry Division, under
General Major Edelsheim; q the I'd
light cavalry division, under Count
Taxis; the, 1st heavy cavalry division,
under the Prince of Holstein; the
I'd heavy cavalry division, under Gem
eral Major Faitseck;o and the 3D.
heavy cavalry division, under General
Major Count COudenhove. His ar
tillery consisted of about $40 guns.
The horse, under sFeidzeugmeister
Benedek's s orders, seemed to me the
very finest cavalry by many degrees
that | ever saw, as it certainly was In
point of numbers the largest displayed
on one battlefield in recent days. /
cannot think that the Austrian Com
mander- in Chief had much less than
10000 sabres under his command yes
terday. ro.e os.aiaa oale olaw z9f
-9 IN POsITIoN.n9ysia 9roi9a
The center In front of Klum and of
Lipa was strongly held by the 3rd and
4th Corps somewhat thrown back,
with the LIST Corps in reserve, and the
9Th Corps were in. reserve on the right,
toward Smiralitz. The sSaxons also
held a considerable portion of their
force in reserve, in addition to the
8th Corps, oon the left. 1t was not
possible for any one but the General
himself to describe the exact situation
and position of the whole of his host
at the outset of thepbattle, nor could
the very best glass command the whole
of the field, though it's extremities
were not more than four miles from
my actual point of observation Once
the engagement had fairly begun, and
the troops had begun to change their
positions, even General Benedek him
self could not tell where they were,
and his staff were, of courses ! still
more ignorant. Notwithstanding the
violent wind which prevailed, the ar
tillery and musketry fire olang in the
valleys and undulations, and ming
ling with the fogs and rain
clouds at times quite obscured the
field. The Austrians have an excel
lent system of field telegraphs; but it
could not be adapted to the exigencies
of the battle, and, like most human
appliances and inventions, it was
found wanting in the critical moment.
| can only describe what / saw, and
as that was necessarily not all, there
may be many mistakes and errors in
the account, which better information
will rectify. The general formation
of the Austrian line was in having
masses Of columns checkerWlse,
t1anked by powerful divisions of artii-
lery, and his cavalry was kept In the
low grounds near the Prague road and
behind Klum, in the rear of his CEN
ter,where it was disposed to actagainst
the enemy as soon as he showed symp-
toms of unsteadiness. alid
The Austrians seemed for the most
part, TO be posted on high ground.
The only disadvantage to which they
are exposed, so far as / could see, was
that the Prussians were covered on
their proper left by a good deal of D
wood. The course of the roads ran
rather in their favor Here and there
the Prussians may have got some bit
of good fortune in knoll, hillock,
or Village, but ON the whole, in my
Judgment, such as it is, they had to
assault an enemy better placed for de-
tense than they were for attack. At
thn time when / reachnA the tower