New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-08-11
MOLTKE'S STORY OF SADOWA.
now THE AUSTRO PRUSSIAN WAR WAS LOST
AND WON.
rom The United Service Magazine GondonD.

|
The historian Heinrich T1etscbke recently pub.
/ ushed In the Munich Agemcine Zetung7 A paper u
Moltke's the battle of K)nlggratz, which the Field
Marshal gave bin on May 81, 1851, as material for his
work The following Is translation Of the paper:
WITH regard to the decision 70 fight the battle Of
bOrrOWe cd from another have maintained themselves In
military descriptions and Biographies;
Bohemia June 30 the Crown Prince with the second
army. had already after victorious battles passed the
silesian frontier Mountains ana had driven back one
by one, across the Upper Elbc, the Austrian corps
which opposed hin hTl9ce Frederick Charles WITH
armies could DC assembled at central point 10 single
The advantage Of the interior line Of operations which
an army collected I'm time IN Bohemia would
advancing respectively from the north aud the east
necessarily disappeared IN pFopSrtio3 as these two
could no longer attack the one without being struck In
| the flank by another.
natted S sef consder the Highest possible achieve
ment OF strategic leadership 1t therefore lay the
egytbie should now Be voluntarily prolonged and that
direct cooperation should be postponed untn tho
sorce This might BE- supposed after the retreat Of
the foremost Austrian corps 70 Dc ID POSITION oeblna
front and its wings resting upon two foreses Joseph
stadt and KOniggratz
bec6 bT S MP on to the light bank Of the E6c ali
our forces would have stood upon line, from
case nave been nothing for it but the frontal attack d
formidable position, or IN order 70 rrn 1t rank
the EIbe with the stream. difficult Of passage in is
tack, and which endangered our communications with
It IS true that without the union Prince Frederick
Charles remained alone opposite the Austrian position
| but the Crown Prince who was already on the let
bank Of the Elbe could attack IN flank position which
without this help seemed b ma Alma might Ge IN
this enterprise had still to be learned, and accordingly
reconnaissance was ordered In the direction OF Joseph
stadt
the next few days--no light bnrfep upon him who had
| 10 haaP a
else relieved HIM A council Of var was never he'd
du a ' so torana aS To have sound Sleep Which
lets me forget the cares Of day apd awaken strength
when, at IL Il O'clock General Won voAs RSe quite
unexpecsdy stepped into my room soJ During c the
Soisssnces had taken place. Which By evening settled
With certainty that the Austrian army, or at least
the the Ebe, but in 'front.' Of It on the Bi.ie. Prince
Frederick Charles had IN consequence already Ctere
Fl, general sS WITH sha nS 1s%
the hesdqu9rteTS at Gtschin, where His Majesty "
There were now no tormentng doubts to what
vent to the Kings lodgings, which were on u.
.ss nS Gp9,e my own was Of a.
favS favor Of the situation at the moment i ful
tinued their retreat behind the Elbe His Majesty I'M
mcdately decided to attack the enemy early In tae
already taken By Prince Frederick Charles perfectly
corresponded with this intention; and tae ong,
the Crown own Prince ,'v Who now stood right
on the enemys flank, but in order TO reach it lad
I'M my y lodgings 9 " We're General podbeIs and Co
1o t who were TS hox f5 T9e s
and BY p t cOSk were sent of in duplicate BY
different ways 70 K9nGnh , and PnGS General FTs'T T
voigs-R hetz Of the resolution taken. At a. m !
drove with my two 0tees whom rloi ns Scb p bas hem
sent on. and rode forward through Millowfz. was
dismal wet morning Inc tE 9oPS aim, Tn9 march MARI AZ
SySn auEnS Se zoe s al we're assembled lie a shots
the t light S ns S SaS TSsS an ip oar
| miles long from Mechanic 10 sadowa IL became
geeDs9 that We had Ss Is Ma Mse ps the XIX
was about o'clock upon the Roskoe Hill, in f:at
Several princes among them Count Bismarck Joined
the party and the suite formed group so e0hsluea9s
that one of the enemy's batteries sent ie" Sneh'
The plan Of battle distinctly implied that the frs;
aeSsS should Int not so SeSapS s along
whole front and Keep hun fast until TIE 5ee2ns a sT
could join In In the first instance, Prince FeaeTs
the line OF the Bistriu and the Villages ana WSG Woo;
| wing on the brook In order ~ gain line that coli
| be held against a possible advance OF the enemy
and 10 be able later 70 make use Of the cro:sns
line percepbly aiVancng toward the east rheTe b,
been attempt 70 make il appeal a. tn no. sp,
appearance Of the Crown Prince. The AuitTaR1i Do
where pushed across the BstrltZ some 81 me vlhas.
were soon taken and the second army hau c gas
distinct order 10 advance; but. OF course II the dsg
considered it could hardly be eNpec,ea 70 S
the ground before noon 1t was natural Ils' psns
were impatiently looking ont for the Cr2Tn F 4a'
before that hour but there was no c9l>e 10, nh,
When the King; in conyerSa;lon asked me- wa wan r
thosSht Of the sitlaion replied & our o NcssITp.sn
win today not Only me oa Hatt on III T %ie
the right French wing repeatedly and pre'sngy hesl
the answer trols heures "a 6ataill, sea saSIeSs
because at that hour Marshal Ney must STRIKE Oh Wv
Close a IN front OF us law The wood Of sadovs IN
which the brigade Won lIorn received Nlr'GGII w
doe rushed with high leaps right between the pH%
halted behind th' wood rode with NRt' !,15 ~
| Lima WHERE we met an OK without master NalMns
quietly along, undisturted by the Shells "hcl W.,
yerT Strong line OF guns which had come mp oppoh,
the wood. The attempt to storm 1t IN rom oS ~ in
time an order which had already been i'sue1 WA Sa ;
intent on the other hand the Austrian infantry "S
nNa9 be 90 onp uI ra iT"S SangsrcHs situation was that
| General von Franseckl in his heroic defence o. ~
1hR had received IFS INSTRUCTIONS as early a. n,
would have been able II bring much desired heiP
Iieyord this wood stood ont. sharply marked asainss
the horizon a knoll crowned with only two tres ~.
was the hill Of Horenowe'. toward which onr E',s,
had long been directed. Now about II a. ~ ue,.
rose from II the vhte cloud Of firing blIteTy. "a
could be directed only against troops Of ne sen.
army and kept saying to ones self with deDs"'
In the opposite dicctlon: to- the Powte-. ss .
revealed an aGyansS OF Sepr Iof yo TiIg
About o'clock the fash Of the guns turned oTthT
us showed that the hin Of lIoenoweS was occupied
| the second army. I'M.
Neanwhle the artillery combat Of hundreds ~ glns
continued along the whole front Of the Btfitz ino
infantry had already taken possession n most ~ ,i,
crossings WHOM after O'Clock. movements q ts
rear and a partial retirement OF batteries pereyen
The whole first army now advanced the cavalry W.
brought to the frrnt and with ii the King follower
| ncross the bridge OF S0wetz. - -.
| The road led past The great battery which ins
| 81 long prevented che dchouchiug from the wog1 "
| Sadowa and II held on - its position. nrhs
| until the last moment u had then ht,,'
| Ssihle 10 remove 0nly portion Of the guns eI
| Founders had been left standing. Men and hoises
lay dead or wounded the ground At sharp pr.
we then passed over the SPACE In which the strus-e
had cost sacrifices from which the prefers 10 "r"
| away. , I'm.
| Langenhof was stil occupied by scattered CON-.
batGnts. and rife shots were fired AZ II. HpWeNGrs 80
stl moved fOrw ard. and had the spectacle OF
great charge of the Austrian reserve cavalry an" -
i u .l...ol H.. - ~.