Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-07-19
BATTLE OF PoDoLL.

[~Siehrow June 9th Cor. London Times.
The railway and high road which lead
down the valley of the Iser from Turnau
TO M~unchengratz run for a distance of
about five miles from the former town on
the north side of the river, but on reaching
the village of Podoll cross to the south
bank by two bridges, which are about two
hundred yards distant from each other,
that of the railway being on the right,and
that by which the road crosses on the left
Of aperson looking toward Munchengratz.
Frederick Charles occupied Turnau on
the evening of the 26th, and threw his ad-
vance on toward Podoll, where, three
quarters OF a mile from Podoll bridge, they
came into collision with the Austrians,
who had six battalions in the village. 1t
was about eight o'clock, and the dusk of
the evening was rapidly closing in, when
the Jagers first felt their enemy. On the
right hand side of the road, about half a
mile before the bridge, stands the first
house Of the village. 1t is a large square
farmhouse, with windows without glass,
but with heavy gratings. The Austrians
had occupied it in force, and their outly-
ing piekets, as they retired before the sd
NGhAANAnl IL AEEAd4lf " llC0 n AALO akANEE
the road beside it. As soon as the Jsgers
came within sight the garrison of the farm
house and the formed-up pickets openeda
bitter fire upon them. From the grated
windows and from the line of soldiers in
the road there came one rapid volley,
which told severely on the Prussian
rihemen, but these went quickly
to work and had fired about three times
before the Austrians, armed only with
muzzle-loading rifles, were able TO reply.
Then the noise of musketry rose high, oc-
e~asionally swelling into a heavy roar, but
sometimes falling off so that the ear could
distinguish the separate reports. But this
did not last. Major Won Hagen, COM
manding the second battalion of the 3Ist,
which was following the Jagers, on the
first sound of the firing had put lis troops
into double-quick time, and was soon up
to reinforce the rlAemen. It was now
nearly dark, AMI the flashes of the rifles,
the reports Of the shots, and the shouts of
the combatants, we're almost the only in
dieations of the positions of the troops;
yet 1t could be seen that the rapid fire OF
the needle-gun was telling on the Aus
trian line in the road, and the advancing |
cheers Of the :Prussians showed that they
were gaining ground. Then, while the
exchange of shots was still proceeding
between the window-gratlngs of
the farmhouse and the Prussian firing
who had extended into a corn-ield
on the right of the highway, there was a
pause in the firing on the road,
for the Jagers, supported by the 31st, had
made a dash and were bearing the Aus
back beyond the farmhouse 10
where the cottages of the village closed Oh
zach side Of the road, and where the de-
lenders had hastily thrown some hewn
willow trees as a barricade across
he way.
Then the tumult of the fight increased.
Darkness had completely closed IN, and
he moor had not yet risen; the Prussians
pressed up TO the barricade, the Austrians
stood their ground behind it and,
hree PAGES distant, sssailants and defend
rs poured their fire into each Others
breasts. Little could be seen, though the
lashes of the discharges cast a itfnl light
'ver the surging masses; but in the pauses
f the firing the voices ofthe officers were
Ieard encouraging their men, and half
titled shrieks and gurgling cries told that
he bullets were truly aimed This was
90 severe to endure. The Prussians firing j
auch more quickly, and in the narrow
treet, where neither side could show their
strength, not feeling tho inferiority
f numbers, succeeded in tearing away I
be ~barricade, and slowly pressed their
dverssries back along the village street. |
ct the Austrisns fought braveIv, and
leir plans for the defence of the houses {
ad been skillfully though hastily made; I
ON every window muskets flashed out
and sent bullets into the thick ranks t
: the advancing Prussians, while on each '
behind a wooden barricsde. '
crouched TO take their deadly aim g
1t in the street the soldiers, huddied to- S
sther and encountered with clumsy ram f
Ids, were unable to load with ease, and n
'uld return no adequate fire TO that of a
e Prussians, while these, from the ad- S
lntage offs better arm, poured their quick f
into an almost d~eieneeless crowd. a
With shrieks and shouts, amid the U
of broken windows, the heavy g
unds offalling beams, and the perpetual e
tile of firearms, the battle was heavily "
essed down the narrow street, and o
out ll:30, the moon came up clear and o
-
Il to show the Austrian's resrmost ranks u
yIctoriously TO bar the Prussians "
I'm the bridge. The moonlight, reflected j
the stream, told the asssilants that they
nesr the object of their labor, and
owed the Austrians that now or never h.
enemy must be hurled back. Both G
les threw out skirmishers along the ts
Ier bank, and the moon gave them light n,
direct their aim across the stream n,
lile on the first plank of the bridge re
Austrians turned to bay, and &c
ussisns psusing some short PAGES from of
IN, the combatants gszed at each other r,
moment. Then began a iercer fight than ic,
IT. The discharges were more frequent. ne
/ in the narrower way the bullets told de
b more eye effect. Herr Won Dry Pr
ski, leading the Fusileer battalion of to,
Thirty-frst q Lieutenant-Colon of to,
y two days standing, went down with Pr
D bullets in his forehead, and a Captain fev