The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1866-07-21
The War In Germany.

career of Prussia has been onward and VIC
torious, while Austria has apparently met
with nothing but disaster and defeat.
in our last we barely mentioned the inde>
| cisive battles in Bohemia from the 2tth to
| goth of June. The left wing of the Prussian
army had just then crossed the hills which
divide Bohemia from Siesia, and struck the
advanced position of the Austrians at
Nachod. In the battle which occurred at
thi place-on the 9th, both the Austrians
and Prussians claimed the victory. The
next day the battle was resumed, and again
both sides claimed the victory though it is
how quite evident the Austrians were wor>
sted:
While this lighting was going on near the
| northeastern frontier of Bohe mia: the right
wing of the Prussian army, under Prince
Frederick Charles, and which had just
achieved the conquest of Hanover and Saxo-
nv, was advancing via Zittau. Thus the
| Prussian left wing was movi1g nearly due
| westward; and the right wing southwark
| The point a. which the wings would naturally
! meet would be Prague, the chief city and
railroad centre of Bohemia. The right wing
of the Prussian army met the Austrlans at
Trautenau (not Tarautan, as printed in our
| LAST on the 26th, and repulsed them. On
the 2S;h it again met them at Munchengratz,
| aul again defeated them with considerable
| loss.
Thus both wings of the Prussian army aad
established themselves in Bohemia ca the
2S;h, and defeated the ad4ancS thrown out
| By the Austrians. But TIE two wings were
still some distance apart. Between them.
and preventing their junction, was the forti-
| fed Austrian position of Gitschin. On the
29th the Prussians carried this position also,
and Tie junction Of the two wings of their
army perfected.
Thus far, /, will be observed, the points
attacked by the Prussians and carried were
mere Austrian Outposts. All these moves
ments were but preliminary to the grand
battle which took place on the 81 Of July,
;.rG which Is called the battle Of Sudowa.-
The battle commenced at . o'clock in The
iilGE!iLH-- anu al Hti HC n>>4 IA
army was commanded by the King in person,
aud the Austrians 10y Field Marshal BeEe>
dek The two armies met between Horzi~
zi;e ana Konig5ratz. For the first six hours
the Austrians had the advantage, but about
two o'clock the command of the Prussian
Prince Royal arrived, whose vigorous attack
against the Austrian right turned the scale
in favor of the Prussians. BY o'clock in
the evening the Austrian army was i'll full
retreat The Prussians claim to have cap
tured $4,000 prisoners, lie cannon, and
much ether material. They also claim that
over &C, 900 Austrians were Faced Aers du
combat. while their OWN loss was rot half as
great.
The victory was unquestionably most
important one. The positions taken by
Marshal Benedek were among the hills Of
Bohemia, where a net work of railroads
allowed concentration in any direction, and
where nature and art had assisted to make
the country powerfully defensive. Driven
from this position, the Austrian capital Is
virtually uncovered, fer south of it to Vienna
the country is open, affording none but the
most ordinary means Of defense.
simultaneously with the news of this Prus
sian victtry comes also the intelligence that
the Emperor Of Austria has offered to cede
Venetia to France, and that, i'll view Of this
concession, Napoleon has agreed to intercede
for an arinistice between the contendng
powers. The offer to cede Venetia, however,
it is TO be understood, was not made as the
result of the defeat at Sudowa, for it was
made before that battle took place. It's
object, however, is evidently to induce Italy
to haul of, for it is understood Napoleon
only consents to receive Venetia to cede it,
to Italy. The later understanding Is, that
Napoleon will cede Venetia to Victor
Emanuel in consideration that he shall cede
the island of Sardinia TO France.
At the iutercesEion of Napoleon, Prussia
and Italy accept the proposal for an armistice,
but annex such conditions tina. it is not be.
lieYea an immediate suspension Of hostilites
will result. They stipulate that the Prus-
sian forces shall retain their preseI. position,
that Austria shall not increase her forces in
the field, and that Italy shall occupy one Of
the fortresses OF the Quadrilateral. Meanwhile
Gen. Cialdini has crossed the 70, and the
Austrians hare Withdrawn from the Italian
side OF the Mincio. The Prussians are push
ing forward in Bohemia, and the Austrians
continue their retreat.