The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-17
The Defeat OF the Austrians.
From the Wortd.

On the evening OF July 2 the official paper of
Vienna stated to the anXiou5 people of the Impe-
nal capital, that, "or strategical reasons Field
Marshal Benedek had found 1t necessary to take
up position between Konlggratz and Joseph
staGt.
On the same day the King of Prussia arrived
at Gltschin, in Bohemia, from which central
position the Austrians had the day before been
driven by the Prussian forces under Prince
Frederic Charles; and the junction OF the FIRST
and second armies OF Prussia, the army that Is
OF SaXony or the Elbe, under Prince Frederic
Charles, and the army OF Silesia, under the
Crown Prince o. Prussia, was com pletely effected
In order to comprehend the full significance and
bearing OF these events, the reader must en-
deavor to form to himself a somewhat definite
notion of the country in tie rival monarchles
are cuntenong, and OF the positions occupied
by the Austrians and Prussians respectively
before and since the brief campaign which has
been so vigorously fought through to such I'M
portant results.
The Austrian province of Bohemia (once a
famous kingdom, whose blind King John fell
hghTlng Tor the French, at Crecy, tive hundred
Years ago, and lett his captured crest OF ostrich
feathers, with his MOTTO 'Ich Dien," to be borne
forever since by the English Prince of Wales),
is vast natural fortress of extraordinary
strength. The Bohmer Wald Mountains on the
west The Erz-geblrge and the Lansitzer-gebirge
| on the north, the Resen.gebirge and other chains
OF the Sudetes on the east surround It ana
make the defense of its main lines OF approach
easy to powerful and weli-handled army.
When the cloud OF war first gathered over
Germany, the general expectation Was that
Marshal Benedek, holding Bohemia with
nearly or quite three hundred thousand men,
would assume the offensive and tnat, passing
rapidly to the north into the friendly kingdom
OF SaXony, and to the east into the wealthy
PrussIan province OF SIlesia he would drive the
war home upon the Prussians at the very open
ing OF the campaign. War was declared On the
18th Of June, and the extraordinary CELEBRITY
with which the Prusslans threw themsel yes
southwark, occupying the capital of Saxony on
the next day, and appearing III force upon the
Saxon IronLltr OF Bonemia within the first week
OF hOstlhties, made the realization of all these
anticipations OF an offensive Austrian campaign
more than doubtful.
1t was still thought, however, to be extremely
predetermined whether the Prussans in their
turn would venture to become the aggressors,
and to strike at the neart of Bohemia.
The Prussian commanders have not left
Europe long to vague speculation On this point.
Ten days after the declaration of war the Aus
tIlan positions in Northern Bohemia were as
sailed at three poiLts-On the east by the army
OF the Crown Prince, advancing from Silesia
through the passes OF the Riesen-gebirge, with
the lofty and fortified position OF Glatz as its
base OF operations, and on the north and west
by the Army OF the Elbe, under Prince FIRE.
deric Charles. In series of engagements of
which we as yet have no full details, but
which appear to have been unusually severe
and hotly contested, the Austrians were driven
back on the 26th, 9th, a1d 2Sth of June,
upon n line of defense nearly thirty miles to
the south OF the northern frontier Of Bohemia
The advantages thus Wou by the PIusSians were
| followed up, we now learn, with no loss of
time; and on the lst OF july less than fortnight
! IRON the day OF the declaration OF war against
| Austria, the two invading armies of Prussia
| eIected their junction at the Wn OF GltsChin,
| which was that day carried by assault The
! Berlin correspondent OF the London Times,
writing on the 10th OF June, after giving a
! graphic sketch OF the great strength of the Aus
| TRAN positions in Northern Bohemia, and of the
hn al of tnn in
! that region to the Prussiaus thus described the
| general aspect OF the military siGuation:-"Into
| such dangerous ground the Prussian columns
| are now feeling their way from TWO sides If thew
advance they will soon fall in with the enemy
| lying in wait Tor them ON his chosen battle
| fields. The LETT wing of the AUstrians is dls-
posed between Toplitz, tue famous watering
| place. and the Elbe. Directly south of Rechen-
berg, the centre is supposed to find itself
| encamped near Turnau. Lomnitz, and Munchen-
gratz; while the right wing, bpginnlng at Hohen-
stadt, in Moravla, stretches all the way TO
Oswiecm (Auschwtz) and Szczakow, ON the
Galician borders"
The victories which carried the Prussian
eagles into GitsChin have rolled up and rolled
back the lett wing of Marshal Benedek's army
hey ond the Elbe and the Moldau; and driven
the centre back more than forty miles from
its positions OF Turnau and Munchengrantz,
to seek refuge also behind the Eloe, between
the once formidable, though now compare
lively insignificant fortresses OF Josephstadt
ana Koniegratz Gltschn itself the reader
will find no difficulty in locating. on any
ordinary map of the seat OF war, If he wlll
remember that it lies at distance of nearly
sixty miles due west from GlatZ the point
from which the Crown Prince Of Prussia moved
into Bohemia, and at a distance of about
thirty-eight miles southeast from Zlttau, the
fortified depot on the Saxon frontier of the
: army OF the Prussian Prince Frederick Charles.
Operating from Gtschin, the armies of Prussia
in the first days OF July, it will be seen, were
practically putting themselves between Marshal
Benedek and the great city OF Prague in Central
] Bohemia, BY Eyer, in Western BOhemia thq