, 1866-07-26

artillery In 0auk, and retreated In sonic dis
| order towards the lett, behind spur Of tn
| ridge. The enemy pressed on anew, and sool
gained the plateau close by. the big tree
where they dipped Into IN undulatlon only t
| re.appear ut the other side, aud then fortuet
| up In compact square-like formations, push
ing out lines OF sklynishers toward kIuu1
1 rom which they were about q mile distant
| The Austrians below them, and nearer to Ko
! migrate, halted and faced round to meet
new enemy, for the Prusstans now shove.
| near the railway, md sanguiuary encouute
which artillery and musketry ragged for
quarter Of an hour IN perfect tornado. 4
range OF buildings, near large factory chin
| ney, on tue very banks Of the Elbe, as Il
seemed 10 me, was the scene Of another very
severe struggle. Another village, Tfoth'na
smoke appeared the Prusstau skirmishers, Of
the extreme right, followed by more inlantry
| The enemy were, indeed, quite ine1haustiblt
| in number, though still be could not hold hl
own on the left. Suddenly IN Austrian bat
terry, galloping from the left centre, began tt
| NOV down the Prussions On the right. They
| we're retiring behind the burning Trothina
But their artillery was at hand again.
THE CRITICAL MOMENT,
From lane above the village battery
opened On The Austrians, and at the same
time another bnttery, wheeling over the slope
below the big tree, crossed its flre on the de.
voted Austrians, "E1n Ercux .fsuerf En-
Arenz ftaer ~ exclaimed TIE officers "Good
GOD Where do they come fromS 70 Where,
proportions. The Prusslan right showed In
ercai force, and the hills were covered with
their regiments advancing In the most perfect
order. All over the Held were hundreds OF
wounded implng away, and piles'of dead lay
in rows along the lanes and ln the thick corn.
The enemy. whose strength had been hidden
from us by the hills, now displayed numbers
which accounted for the retreat Of the Aus
trtans on tne r1eht.
Inc Austrian gunners could not hold up
against the cross-fre ard the weight OF pieces
opposed to them. What avail was 1t TINT
they were winning in ths centre? Through
the glass they could be seen pressing on from
flame. II was now near o'clock. On the
left md centre there could be no hesitation In
declaring that the Prusslans were all but
bea.en- It seemed as II charge en- masse Of
the horse deploycd for milea on the plateau
could roll up their centre on their Left, or
Num, In the centre, which had died out,
broke forth with fresh violence, and all the
village began to burn. Tho Pr,issans in the
centre nladc another grand effort, nnd It
would only be repetition of adIccliyes, ut
terly feeble at the strongest, to endcayor to
give the smallest conception Of the roar Of
cannon which announced and met this fresh
ATTEMPT to change the fortunes OF the day,
The strong wind could not clear away
the smoke, which poured In banks
as ngitated as the sen itself over the
battlefield, now connected to the centre and
right, for all towards the Prague road the
fture Of the Prusslan LETT. As II contracted
II heated up, and the catssons and tumbrils
blew mp repeatedly. The movements of the
Austrians from the right centre to oppose
the last effort of the Prussians increased the
open interval between the centre and the
extreme right retiring on the lower ground
near the river, bat the Anstrians did not per-
eeiye It, or, II they did, could not prevent
the advance OF the enemy along the plateau
By the big tree towards klum. The Austrian
right aud reserves become more unsteady, but
their artillery contests every foot of ground.
Suddenly spatterlng Of muskctry breaks ont
Of the trees and houses Of Kun right down
on the Austrian gunners, md on the
columns Of Infantry drawn up on the
slopes below. The gunncra fall on all
s!ues-their horses nre dfsabled--the IRE in.
cTcases t1teaseitJ-stz- 11 ussiane- on -tha
ridge press On over the plateau: this Is an
nv. aw!n1 1a eataStlGphe-swo columns Of Austrians
stand the hre, and after three attempts to
carry It, retreat, leaving the hillside covered
With the fallen. Il Is terrible moment. The
Russians see their advantage they here get
into the very centre Of the position. In vain
the sian oinccrs ny to the reserves aud hasten
10 get back some Of the artillery from the
front: The dark blue regiments multiply on
all sides, aud from their edges roll perpetually
spar king mnsketry. Their guns hurry up,
and from the slope take both the Austriaas
on the extreme right and the reserves In flank.
They spread away to the woods near the
Prague road, and fire INTO the rear OF the Aus
trian gunners-
TIE AUSTRIAN LINES BROKEN.
Thus q wedge growing broader and driven
IN more deeply every instant, WIS forced iuto
the very body of the Austrian army, saparat-
ing It at the heart, and dividing is left and
centre from the right. The troops in the
ceuirc and left are dlsmayed ut hearing the
enemy's guns In their rear, and are soon ex-
posed to the fire which most of all destroys
the morale Of soldiers already shaken by sur
prise. The right, previously broken un and
dhcomffted, hurry toward the Prague road
n something like confusion. and spread
alarm 9 among the reserves Of the centre and
leit. me regular lines Of the column below
are gradually bu!ctng ont, md are ut last
mp in dlsordercd multitude. Oai-
GERS gallop about trying to restore order.
Some regiments hold together though they
arc losing men in heaps every instant. The
LETT wing Is arrested In Its onward progress.
The Prnssian Generals in front Of them aad
throw their battalions against them, and Gu.
courage their artillery to fresh efforts. but
he formidable Auftrian cavalry prevents any
lasty or enthusiastic demonstrations on the
part Of the Prussian right, whom long con-
:inued fighting and heavy losses must have
somewhat eneryated.
FORTY THOUSAND FRESH QAvALRr.
Even yet there was hope tor the Austrians. |
There on the Prussian front wheeled force
II horse with which Murat or Kellerman |
II a Seidllt1 could hare won battle and |
aved an Empire. There, still unshaken,
we're at 1cnst forty thousand men, of whom |
earcely one had ever fired shot. The In |
lreds Of muzzles on the enemy's guns, aud |
!irt their men in band of Gre. To let slip |
hat cavalry on both sides Of klum, TO crash |
Trough Infantry and guns, seemed really |
ToEth doing, though failure would haTa
nade the difference between a defeat and
Or such q force to accomplish or to perish In
ttempttDg. And there were no natural OBJ
tacles visible from the tower to q grand
halEo. The Prussian right, separated from
ts centre and left, would hare baen rolled
loWn INTO the valley among the Austrians
nd utterly crushed, and the Austrian centre
nd lett have BEEN liberated to continue their
ontest with the enemy. Moments were
'recfous. The Prussian fire became more
evere, the warerfng of the Ausirians creator.
THE RETREAT COMMENCES.
The falling Of trees on the Prague
oad, the rush Of fugitives, the near
pproach Of the Prusaian shells to the
lace, some Of thtm bursting over the rail-
Tay station, were awful warnings Of the
tate Of the battle. All the roads were
locked up with retrcatfng trains and wag-
MS. Men were throwing down their arms
nd Wadipg through the foundations. The
Iustrian gunners on the causeway began to
atch sight ofthe Prussians near at hand
q the woods, aud opened on them with
hrapuel and shell, 1t WAS now somewhere
bout e:S0, but It was not possible to note
me when such things were going on 60 near.
carce could the glass be directed to one
oint ere m exclamation from bystnndlpE
f1cer or m awful clamor carried 1t to an-
ther. Seconds were Of incstimable value
hey were falling In vain-that ali the issues
n Which au empire had summoned its might
nd the Kaiser his people to the field were |
eing decided, and that the tolls of genera
ons Of cmperors, warriors and statesmen
ere about being lost forever. The genius OF
1e Prussfan was in the ascendant.
TERRIBLE PRuss1AS ENERGY.
The spirit Of Blsmark or his genius rnlcd
lie battlefield. While the Austrian was hes
ating the PTusslan was acting. Tho lines Of |
aIk blue which came In sight from the right
emed from the va1es below as II the earth
elded them. The filed the whole back
:ound OF the awful picture Of which Klun
MS the centre. They pressed down on the
1t of the Prague road. In square, In col
M, dep1oyed or wheeling hlther and thith-
Everywhere pouring In showers of deadly .
the whole line Of the
astrians, Still they could not force their
Unborn enemy to fly. On all sides they met ,
ey could do no more, At the side Of the
'ague road the fight went on with incredi-
c vchemence. The Austrians had still IN !
lmense torco Of artillery, and although lis
ncentrated fire swept the ground befoie It,
encet was lost In some degree by reason Of /
e rising ground above, and at last by It's 8
yergence TO SO many points to ansM er the
emy's cannon. Many Austrians must have