The Seven Weeks' War

by H M Hozier

  It was a remarkable circumstance that the columns of the Guards could descry no Austrian patrols or outposts to oppose their path. One battery of artillery alone could be seen upon the Horenowes hill. It was clear that the advance of the Guards would turn the line of Austrian guns, which, posted between Horenowes and Maslowed, were playing on Franzecky, and would take some pressure off his struggling division. As the Guards advanced, these guns were seen to change their position, and at half-past eleven forty Austrian pieces were ranged beside the single tree, to fire against the advancing columns of the Second Army. At ten minutes to twelve the first shell was discharged from these batteries against the Prussian Guards.

  The advanced guard of the first division of the Prussian Guards, under General Alvensleben, had bivouacked the previous night at Daubrowitz. It had pushed on in the morning by Burglitz and Zizelowes, and had debouched from the latter place in the direction of Horenowes, at a quarter-past eleven. A quarter of an hour later, five 4-pounder batteries of the Guard opened fire against an Austrian battery, and compelled it to quit its position between Horenowes and Benatek. A 6-pounder Prussian battery at the same time opened upon the Austrian artillery, which was beginning to form on the east of Horenowes, while the infantry advanced by Wrchwitz, for the attack of that village. The other troops of the division followed up this attack by way of Jericek.

  The second division of the Guard had lain the previous night at Rettendorf, considerably in rear of the first division. Its march had been consequently delayed, and the reserve artillery of the Guard corps, as well as the heavy cavalry of the Guard, arrived at the scene of action before this division. Its direction was by Choteborek to Lhota.

  At eleven o’clock the reserve artillery of the Guard was marching on the left rear of the first division. The ground heavy with rain, and the high corn which wound itself round the wheels of the guns, tired the horses excessively. In front of Jericek, six batteries opened fire, to signal by their noise to the First Army that the crown prince was near at hand. But this salvo was not distinguished by the staff of Prince Frederick Charles amidst the general din of battle, and, as the range was very great, little harm was done to the Austrians by it.

  By the time that General Alvensleben advanced against Horenowes, the sixth corps had, on the left, commenced an assault against Racicz. Of this corps, one brigade of the twelfth division, consisting of six battalions, four squadrons, and two batteries, under General Proudzynski, led the way by Roznow and Nesnasow. When the eleventh division, consisting of twelve battalions, eight squadrons, and four batteries, under General Zastrow, reached Welchow, the former had only encountered a few detachments of Austrian cavalry. General Mutius then ordered it to keep the enemy in sight, and in its further advance to communicate with the eleventh division, which he directed against the heights of Horenowes.

  A report was now brought to that general that it was urgently desirable that he should send some artillery as quickly as possible to support Franzecky’s division. Four batteries immediately pushed forward at a trot, covered by the 4th regiment of Hussars, crossed the Trotinka at Luzan, and at half-past eleven opened upon the Austrian artillery stationed on the east of Horenowes. The two brigades of the eleventh division in the meantime advanced in échelon, left in front, and supported by the 8th Dragoons crossed the Trotinka with great difficulty to the south-east of Luzan, and advanced under a heavy artillery fire to the attack of Racicz.

  The twelfth division directed its march against Smiritz by Roznow, while a squadron of its cavalry regiment, which had been pushed forward in the direction of Smiritz, reported that there were Austrian regiments of cavalry in its front.

  On the approach of the first division of the Guard to Horenowes, and of the eleventh division to Racicz, and when both wings of the position of their artillery began to be threatened, the Austrians commenced evacuating their position, and had entirely withdrawn from it by one o’clock. By the same hour the villages of Horenowes and Racicz fell into the hands of their assailants, after short contests. The greater portion of the troops which had garrisoned these places retired in the direction of Sendrasitz, while the first division of the Guard pressed forward to the trees on the east of Horenowes, and the eleventh division pressed upon the retreating Austrians on the south of Racicz.

  The small resistance which the army of the crown prince here met with appears to be due to the fact that when General Franzecky carried the village of Benatek, the Austrian fourth corps moved forward to oppose him, drove the battle back, and remained engaged with his division in the Maslowed wood. The Austrian second corps was thus alone exposed to the onset of the whole of the crown prince’s army, and was pushed back by its attack to Sendrasitz. These two Austrian movements caused a gap in Benedek’s line of battle, through which the Prussian Guards penetrating, seized Chlum, the key of his position, and turned the fortune of the day.

  On the advance of the Prussian Guards to Horenowes some Austrian battalions took up a position on the hill east of Maslowed. The Guards immediately marched against this hill, and carried it without meeting with any serious resistance. The village of Maslowed, which lay to their right, was evacuated, and half a company of Prussian riflemen occupied it without drawing a trigger. The sixth corps in the meantime engaged the main body of the second Austrian corps, which had furnished the garrisons for Horenowes and Racicz, at Trotina, Sendrasitz, and Nedelitz, and finally forced it to withdraw across the Elbe at Lochenitz. By this contest, which was of quite an independent nature, the left wing of the Prussian Guard was covered while it took the direction of the village of Chlum, guided by the church tower, which forms the highest landmark in the field.

  In this way the Prussian Guard marched a distance of about two thousand paces along the rear of the position of the fourth Austrian corps, which was now being pushed back by Franzecky in the Maslowed wood. An Austrian brigade showed itself between Maslowed and Lipa, the Prussian advanced guard formed up to its own right and attacked it; while the main body, under Colonel Von Obernitz, pushed on to Chlum, and the fusilier regiment, under Colonel Von Kessel, threw itself into Rosberitz.

  The first Prussians who arrived in Chlum saw on the reverse side of the hill, between themselves and the fortress of Königgratz, the whole of the Austrian reserves, mustering about 40,000 men. Between them and their comrades of the First Army were the Austrian corps engaged near Lipa, and in the Sadowa wood. Twelve battalions of the Prussian Guards was the whole force at hand to hold the key of the battle against the whole reserve of the enemy.

  A fierce battle soon began round Rosberitz and Chlum, which were seized by the Prussian Guard at a quarter before three o’clock. At five minutes before three an aide-de-camp reported to Feldzeugmeister Benedek, who was between Chlum and Lipa, that the Prussians had occupied the former village. The Austrian commander could not credit this unexpected intelligence, and hastened himself in person to ascertain its truth. On approaching Chlum he was received by a withering volley, which told with severe effect upon his staff, and convinced him of the veracity of the report He immediately hastened to send up some reserves to retake the place.

  About three o’clock the Army of the Elbe carried Problus, and Feldzeugmeister Benedek was obliged to send two brigades of the nearest Austrian corps, the first, to reinforce his front while he directed one brigade against Chlum, and one against Problus. At the same time the Saxon artillery of the reserve, which was on the further side of the highway from Rosberitz, opened with terrible effect on the Prussians in that village, and prepared the way for an attack by the sixth Austrian corps.

  The position of the Prussian Guard became every moment more critical. The few battalions in Rosberitz could not hold their ground, and were driven out of the village, having lost among other officers Prince Anton of Hohenzollern. The reserve artillery of the Prussian Guard under the Prince of Hohenlohe laboured up to the aid of the battalions in Chlum, and, coming into action, smote heavily upon the thick masses of the Austrian reserves which
were preparing to attack the houses. Three times they attacked, twice they almost reached the orchard and churchyard, but were received at a few paces distance by such a volley from the needle-guns that nearly the whole of the attacking force was either killed or wounded.

  By the time of the third attack the advanced guard of the reserve division of the Prussian Guard had come up to the support of the battalions who were already in occupation. The third attack was repulsed, and at the same moment the battle was won. The first Prussian corps and the fifth corps, with the cavalry of the Second Army, was pressing up towards Chlum and Rosberitz, bringing a reserve of 50,000 fresh soldiers into the heart of Benedek’s position; while the main body of the second division of the Guards dashed against the wood of Lipa, and the batteries of Chlum.

  As yet the Prussian generals at Sadowa were in ignorance of the progress of the crown prince, for his other divisions were on the reverse side of the hill of Chlum, and the attack of the second division of the Guard could alone be seen from the front. First a swarm of black dots stealing across the fields showed the advance of the skirmishers, and the Austrian sharpshooters, who had been lying among the corn, could be seen running before them to gain the shelter of their own lines; close behind the skirmishers followed the heavy columns of infantry, looking like small black squares gliding along the sides of the hill. The Austrian guns played sharply on them, but they pushed forward without wavering till within a short distance of the batteries; then a few rapid volleys of musketry sent up a cloud of smoke, which, hanging heavily in the misty air, shut out the view; but the sudden silence of the Austrian guns told that the Prussians had closed, and that the batteries had been stormed.

  The ground leading up to them was steep, and the gunners sent round after round into the storming columns, till the leading ranks were close to the muzzles of the guns; the riflemen who were ensconced in entrenchments beside the batteries, to defend them, sent biting volleys into their assailants; but, caring nought for the fire of the infantry or the steepness of the ground, the Prussians dashed straight at the guns, and both gunners and sharpshooters had to turn and fly. Then the deadly needle-gun opened its fire on the fugitives, and with such precision that the ground was covered with dead or wounded Austrians lying thick together. In one place forty corpses lay on less than an acre of ground, and the wounded appeared to be to the dead as three to one.

  The Austrian defeat was now inevitable. As soon as the crown prince sent his infantry against the Lipa wood, the First Army sprang forward, and, with loud cheers and drums beating, went dashing up the hill. The Sadowa road was cleared as if by magic, and the battalions went straight against the Austrian batteries. No heed was given to take the guns in flank; the soldiers felt certain of victory, and sought it by the shortest road. Though disordered by the broken ground, and out of breath with the rapid ascent, so quickly did they advance that the Austrian gunners had no time to limber up, but were forced to desert their pieces and seek safety for themselves and their horses in flight. Most of the guns which had been placed in batteries were taken, but those which acted as field artillery, admirably handled, were quickly withdrawn, and were already fast forming on a further ridge by Rosnitz to cover the retreat of the infantry.

  The Prussians paused but a few moments among the taken guns and then rushed on in pursuit The summit of the ridge was quickly gained, and there before them they saw the whole hollow ground between them and Rosnitz filled with running white uniforms. The victorious battalions commenced a rapid fire upon them, and men dropped quickly from the flying ranks, rolling over and over as they fell on the sloping ground. The sixth corps, which the crown prince had directed more against the Austrian rear, caught the fugitives in flank, and raked the running ranks with their fire. The Prussian artillery was also quickly up, unlimbered, and came into action on the summit of the ridge, and sent its shells bursting with a horrible precision among the heads of the flying soldiers. And yet the Austrians kept their formation, and never let their retreat become a rout. Such a retreat under such circumstances is as creditable to the valour of the Austrian soldiers as a battle won.

  The Prussian cavalry, unable to leave the road till it got to nearly the top of the hill, on account of the woods by the side of the way, was not up till the Austrian infantry had got half way across the hollow which separates Chlum from the further ridge of Rosnitz, and there the Austrian batteries had taken up their position and began to play upon the pursuing troops. Then, for a few minutes. Prince Frederick Charles, who was leading the hussars and dragoons, had to leave them to make his general dispositions for attacking the new position taken up by the Austrian artillery, and the cavalry immediately got out of hand. By single squadrons, by single troops, and even only in knots of a few horsemen, they rushed with wild impetuosity at different points of the retreating infantry; but the Austrian guns sent shells rapidly among them, and the infantry, though running, still kept its formation, and turned, when they came too close, to stand and deliver volleys which emptied many a saddle.

  Nor were the Austrian cavalry off the field, though they could not face the tremendous fire of the Prussians to charge and cover the retreat of their infantry; but when attacked by the enemy’s cavalry, and when thus the guns could not fire upon them, they fought hard, and sacrificed themselves to cover the retreat. Then, as the squadrons of the 3rd regiment of Prussian Dragoons were rushing forward to chaise some battalions firing near the village of Wsester, an Austrian cuirass brigade, led by an Englishman in the Austrian service of the name of Beales, charged them in flank. They drove the Prussians back, and, smiting them heavily with their ponderous swords, nearly destroyed the dragoons; but Hohenlohe’s Prussian Uhlans, seeing their comrades worsted, charged with their lances couched against the Austrians’ flank, and compelled them to retire. Pressed hard by the lancers they fell back, fighting hard, but then Ziethen’s hussars charged them in the rear.

  A fierce combat ensued; the Austrian horsemen struck strongly about them, fighting for their lives; but the lancers drove their lances into their horses, while the hussars, light and active, closed in upon them, and only ten Austrians are reported to have escaped unwounded from the mêlée. Beales himself was borne wounded to the ground. But the Austrian artillery was not long able to hold its new position; the fire of the Prussian guns and the dispositions which were being made to attack it compelled it to retire. It then drew off slowly, but on every successive ridge came into action, and fired against the pursuers to check them, and gain for its own infantry time for retreat. Some Prussian horse artillery and cavalry followed it, and till after nightfall the pursuit went thundering towards the Elbe, and drew the fire of the heavy guns of the fortress. The Austrian cavalry retired to Pardubitz, and the remainder of the army by seven or eight bridges, thrown across the river between that place and Königgrätz, got beyond the stream by night without severe loss.

  The Prussian cavalry slowly followed in pursuit along both roads. The wounded who were lying on the ground shrieked with fear when they saw the cavalry galloping down towards them, but Prince Frederick Charles took care that they should be avoided, and at one time checked the pursuit in order to move his squadrons around, and not go through, a patch of standing corn, where many wounded Austrians had taken refuge. These, when they saw the lancers coming, thought they were going to be massacred, and cried piteously, waving white handkerchiefs as a sign of truce; but they had no cause to fear. Large numbers of prisoners were taken, for the pursuit was continued to the Elbe, and it was not till nine o’clock that all firing had ceased, though the main body of the army halted about seven.

  As the princes returned, the battalions cheered them for their victory; but they left the pursuit of their enemies and the cheers of their own victorious troops to look after the hospital accommodation provided for the wounded. These lay in immense numbers in the field; the dead too laid thick, but all they required was done on the morrow. Every cottage in the neighbourhood that had not been burnt was full of wound
ed. Austrians and Prussians lay side by side, but the krankenträger were still out, and all were not collected till late the next morning. Conspicuous in the hospitals, working diligently in their voluntary labour, were the Knights of St John of Jerusalem. This Order of Knighthood, renewed lately for the succour of the weak and suffering, had sent here a large hospital establishment, under the direction of Count Theodore Stölberg.

  From the voluntary contributions of the knights, hospitals were maintained in the nearest towns and in the field, all necessary hospital stores were carried, by the Order, and means of transport accompanied the army, hospital nurses were provided, and by their aid many wounded were carefully attended to who could not have been looked after by the ordinary arrangements.

  The Battle of Königgrätz was a great victory for the Prussians, though its full advantages were not known by them until the following day. One hundred and seventy-four guns, twenty thousand prisoners, and eleven standards, fell into the hands of the conquerors; the total loss of the Austrian army by the disaster of the 3rd July amounted to almost forty thousand men, while that of the Prussians was not ten thousand. The morale of the Austrian army was destroyed, and their infantry found that in open column they could not stand against the better-armed Prussians. The Austrians had hoped to be able to close with the bayonet, and so amend the effects of the fire of the needle-gun; but the idea of the superiority in the use of the bayonet in which the Austrian army prided itself, is one of those vanities which are common to every nation, and this war proved that at close quarters the stronger men of Prussia invariably overcame the lighter and smaller Austrians.