The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-07-20
The Great Austrian Disaster.

The great decisive blow has been
struck, and the fortune Of war has once
more declared in favor of Prussia. The
Oold conception and cOuSummate exc
cution OF their tar-Sighted plan of cam
paign; and the results of long series
OIL bloody encounters had. at the close
OF last week, enabled the PruSSian gem
erals to mass their forces on the plain
OF Bohemia, and to press close upon
their enemy, who, after diSputing the
ground inch by inch along every ave-
nue. OF that mountain girt Kingdom, had
fallen back, JUIied at all points, pd5ItiH0
aud bleeding, get farming 10 6uy on his last
/ underground on the Elbt, between his
7 two strongholds OF Josephstadt and
I kouiggratz. y pause of three days
seems TO have been allowed to the COM
batautS on both sides. Finally, on
( Tuesday, the First Prussian ARMY. nm
der Prince Frederick Charles, advauc-
ing from GitSChin. on the road that bV
Q ChIum and HorZitZ leads TO Sadowa,
and the Second Army, under the Crown
Prince, crossing the Elbe TO meet them,
drew up all their combined forces.
under the immediate command of their
I king-an army, IL is said, of no
less than eight army corps-on some
I point near kOniggratZ, between the
{ right bank ofthe EIbe and the left of the
4 BlstritZ, a minor tributary stream
I which runs parallel to the main river
] L
/ Marshal Benedek, aware that the deci-
sive moment had arrived, issued forth
| from honiggratz, apparently with only
4 five army corps, but choosing, as was
natural with a man who stood on his own
1 ground, a most advantageous position.
The battlefield is described as being
near HOrZitZ, near SadOwa, near koaig-
gratz; the fighting ragged, probably, from
one end to the other of ali this vast tract
of country. The battle lasted twelve
( hours. For six hours the Austriaus
! defended a strong position they had
! chosen behind the BistritZ, but 1t was
] taken by storm towards > o'clock and
Z by in the evening the defeat OF the
! AuStrians was complete. The earliest
] PruSsian bulletins OF the same evening,
at 5 and IL O'Clock, already claimed a
victory, and spoke of their army as
close in pursuit of their routed
enemies. BY later accounts, dated
Rags and thirty-folfr guns Iccrs taken by
three Of the victorious regiments, and no
less than 10000 austrian prisoners had
already been brought IN. The trophies
by which other corps signalized their
I victory, and the total number OF their
prisoners, had not yet been ascertained:
but the Twelfth Prussian husSars are
said to have broken two Austrian
squares. By their own admission, the
PruSsiaus purchased their triumph at
I rGJy heavy price: all their corps were
brought into action, and all suffered
severely. Nothing, hoi0eUer, can exceed
the t.rtsHt Of the Austrian disaster. As
telegram after telegram comes in, every
fresh detail confirms us i'll our cOuvic-
ton that the Imperial army. already
exhausted by series of defeats in
which no less than y. coo prisoners had
fallen into the enemy's hands, diSpirit-
ed by the consciousness of the fearful
odds against which it had 10 contend,
! owing 10 that fatal needle-gun which
/ experience has proved 20 be almost ir-
resistahie. went into the field bent on
I supreme effort, not 50 much in defence of
military re5l9irn, and fought not
/ 50 much 10 conquer as 10 sell the
I Jict0rV at the highest possible rate.
! The most illustriouS names in the en-
pire are among the dead and wounded.
Count Thun and Colonel Binder. both
high in command, are among the for
mer; among the latter, three arch
dukes and General FeStetics. Prince
Lichtenstein and Prince WindischEratz
] were taken prisoners. We have no ac-
counts on the Austrian Side-a melan-
ChOly proof that they have no good
! tidinES with which TO mitigate the cruel
. intelligence, or that the disorder in
[ their camp is too great for them to
! think of telecraphic or written dis
! patcheS-but the PruSsian bulletins as
! sure us that their enemies were falling
Q back upon konlggratz in a complete
rOut, StrewinC their arms and baggage
I far and wide along the road. The first
instinct of Self-preservation drove the
{ fugitive multitude 10 their fortress, but
either they did not feel safe even at
/ honigGTatZ, or Marshal Benedek was
! acIuated by Stragetic reasons to a move
( inent still further to the rear, for we
axe told that the AustriauS were aban-
{ dOninS their all-important position at
Z the great railway junction At Pariu birz
{ " here this great dcJIcis is to rermi-
nate, what points Marshal Benedek
may still consider defensibIe. where he
can hope to lind breathing room for the
reorganization OF his scattered and dis
plrlied forces. we hardly venture TO in
qulre. The suddenusSs and the mag
nItude of this sad Austrian calamity
are too empowering for any man 10
! speculate on its possible couSeq uences
on the destlnies of the empire. With
the exception OF 4 few fOTIreSSeS. of no
more avail in modern warfare to STAY
the trlumphal progress of a victorious
army than JOSephstadt and konigCratz
have proved to be. Bsnedek has nothing
N ms rear but an open country, nothing
bsttrsSH ht14 and n: capital bIt: q vast
smooth bGtt is.feli, LrIere the cduH5u and
Tie cdrdiTy aud the dread nseils-91cga Of
the trlLssldHS trII hare free play. The
Ausfrlans have done enough FOR the
honor Of their arms; they must now
provide for the safety of the State. and
this can hardly be done by prolonged
resistance. II is not the first instance
in which Austria has lain PROSTATE BE-
fore an advancing enemy: not the first
time IN which an Empero of the House
OF Ha psburg. stepping forward on the
morrow OF lost battle. has stood sud
denly before The conqueror. and bv the
natural prestige of his station and the
additional dignity which consciousness
Of unmerlted misfortune imparts to an
elevated character, has saved vet few
fragments of his tattered imperial man
tie. King William OF Prussia is in the
camp. and the Emperor Francis
Joseph is not very far from Bene-
dek's headquarters Let there be at
Pardub itz- or at Olmutz, such an
interview as there was after Aus
terlitZ and after Solferino. Better
terms than Austria may obtain now
will certainly not be granted TO her
amer two or three months protracted
struggle has added 10 the exaspiration
OF hostile passions, nor after many
more thousands of Austria'S nobleSt
sons lie deep in their blood on the bat
tie field. on what conditions the TWO
Z great German powers could come to
? agreement At the present moment it
would be difficult 10 sav,and il " C1lld he
B unnecessary; all that is required of Aus
Z tria is that she should sue for a suspen-
Z sion OF hostIlities, which there is little
doubt would be readily granted. From
an armiStice to a peace, the Emperor
I Francis Joseph knows by experience
there Is but one step in a tsts-d-tstc be-
tween two monarchs.
Second Congressional District.
/ Editors InteIligcnccr: