第 64 节
作者:上访不如上网      更新:2021-02-18 21:08      字数:9321
  straining chaos into the cosmic state; has nowhere such a problem。 There are twelve thousand horses; for one thing; to be shod; geared; kept roadworthy and regular; say six thousand country wagoners; thick…soled peasants: then; hanging to the skirts of these; in miscellaneous crazy vehicles and weak teams; equine and asinine; are one or two thousand sutler people; male and female; not of select quality; though on them; too; we keep a sharp eye。 The series covers many miles; as many as twenty English miles (says Tempelhof); unless in favorable points you compress them into five; going four wagons abreast for defence's sake。 Defence; or escort; goes in three bulks or brigades; vanguard; middle; rear…guard; with sparse pickets intervening; wider than five miles; you cannot get the parts to support one another。 An enemy breaking in upon you; at some difficult point of road; woody hollow or the like; and opening cannon; musketry and hussar exercise on such an object; must make a confused transaction of it! Some commanders; for the road has hitherto been mainly pacific; divide their train into parts; say four parts; moving with their partial escorts; with an interval of one day between each two: this has its obvious advantages; but depends; of course; on the road being little infested; so that your partial escort will suffice to repel attacks。 Toiling forward; at their diligent slow rate; I find these trains from Troppau take about six days (from Neisse to Olmutz they take eleven; but the first five are peaceable 'Tempelhof; ii。 48。');can't be hurried beyond that pace; if you would save your laggards; your irregulars; and prevent what we may call RAGGERY in your rearward parts; the skirts of your procession get torn by the bushes if you go faster。 This time Colonel Mosel will have to mend his pace; however; and to go in the lump withal; the case being critical; as Mosel knows; and MORE than he yet knows。
  Daun; who has friends everywhere; and no lack of spies in this country; generally hears of the convoys。 He has heard; in particular; of this important one; in good time。 Hitherto Daun had not attempted much upon convoys; nor anything with success: King's posted corps and other precautions are of such a kind; not even Loudon; when he tried his best; could do any good; and common wandering hussar parties are as likely to get a mischief as to do one; on such service。 Cautious Daun had been busy enough keeping his own Camp safe; and flinging a word of news or encouragement; at the most a trifle of reinforcement; into Olmutz。 when possible。 But now it becomes evident there must be one of two things: this convoy seized; or else a battle risked;and that in defect of both these; the inevitable third thing is; Olmutz will straightway go。
  Major…General Loudon; the best partisan soldier extant; and ripening for better things; has usually a force of perhaps 10;000 under him; four regiments of them regular grenadiers; and has been active on the convoys; though hitherto unsuccessful。 Let an active Loudon; with increased force; try this; their vitally important convoy; from the west side of the River; an active Ziskowitz co…operating on the east side; where the road itself is; and do their uttermost! That is Daun's plan;now in course of execution。 Daun; instead of meaning battle; that day when Friedrich saw him; was cautiously stealing past; intending to cross the River farther down; and himself support the operation。 Daun has crossed accordingly; and has doubled up northward again to the fit point; Ziskowitz is in the fit point; in the due force; on this east side too。 Loudon; on the west side; goes by Muglitz; Hof; making a long deep bend far to westward and hillward of all the Prussian posted corps and precautions; and altogether hidden from them; Loudon aims to be in Troppau neighborhood; 〃Guntersdorf; near Bautsch;〃 by the proper day; and pay Mosel an unexpected visit in the passage there。
  Colonel Mosel; marshalling his endless Trains with every excellent precaution; and the cleverest dispositions (say the Books); against the known and the unknown; had got upon the road; and creaked forward; many…wheeled; out of Troppau; Monday; 26th June。 'Tempelhof; ii。 89…94。' The roads; worn by the much travelling and wet weather; were utterly bad; the pace was perhaps quicker than usual; the much…jolting Train got greatly into a jumble:Mosel; to bring up the laggards; made the morrow a rest…day; did get about two…thirds of his laggards marshalled again; ordered the others to return; as impossible。 They say; had it not been for this rest…day; which seemed of no consequence; Loudon would not have been at Guntersdorf in time; nor have attempted as he did at Guntersdorf and afterwards。 At break of day (Wednesday; 28th); Mosel is again on the road; heavily jumbling forward from his quarters in Bautsch。 Few miles on; towards Guntersdorf; he discovers Loudon posted ahead in the defiles。 What a sight for Mosel; in his character of Wagoner up with the dawn! But Mosel managed the defiles and Loudon this time; halted his train; dashed up into the woody heights and difficult grounds; stormed Loudon's cannon from him; smote Loudon in a valiant tempestuous manner; and sent him travelling again for the present。
  Loudon; I conjecture; would have struggled farther; had not he known that there would be a better chance again not very many miles ahead。 London has studied this Convoy; knows of Ziethen coming to it with so many; of Ziskowitz coming to him; Loudon; with so many; that Ziethen cannot send for more (roads being all beset by our industry yesterday); that Ziskowitz can; should it be needful;and that at Domstadtl there is a defile; or confused woody hollow; of unequalled quality! Mosel jumbles on all day with his Train; none molesting; at night gets to his appointed quarters; Village of Neudorfl; 'The L; or EL; is a diminutive in these Names: (NEUDORFL) 〃New…ThorpLET;〃 (DOMSTADTL) 〃Cathedral…TownLET;〃 and the like。' and there finds Ziethen: a glad meeting; we may fancy; but an anxious one; with Domstadtl ahead on the morrow。 Loudon concerts with Ziskowitz this day; calls in all reinforcements possible; and takes his measures。 Thursday morning; Ziethen finds the Train in such a state; hardly half of it come up; he has to spend the whole day; Mosel and he; in rearranging it: Friday morning; June 30th; they get under way again;Friday; the catastrophe is waiting them。
  The Pass of Domstadtl; lapped in the dim Moravian distance; is not known to me or to my readers; nor indeed could the human pen or intellect; aided by ocular inspection or whatever helps; give the least image of what now took place there; rendering Domstadtl a memorable locality ever since。 Understand that Ziethen and Mosel; with their waste slow deluge of wagons; come jumbling in; with anxiety; with precautions;precautions doubled; now that the woody intricacies about Domstadtl rise in sight。 〃Pooh; it is as we thought: there go Austrian cannon…salvos; horse…charges; volleying musketries; as our first wagons enter the Pass;and there will be a job!〃 Indecipherable to mankind far off; or even near。 Of which only this feature and that can be laid hold of; as discernible; by the most industrious man。 Escort; in three main bodies; vanguard; middle; rear…guard; marches on each side; infantry on the left; cavalry on the right; as the ground is leveller there。 Length of the Train in statute miles; as it jumbles along at this point; is not given; but we know it was many miles; that horses and wagoners were in panic hardly restrainable; and we dimly descry; here especially; human drill…sergeantcy doing the impossible to keep chaos plugged down。 The poor wagoner; cannon playing ahead; whirls homeward with his vehicle; if your eye quit him;still better; and handier; cuts his traces; mounts in a good moment; and is off at heavy…footed gallop; leaving his wagon。 Seldom had human drill… sergeantcy such a problem。
  The Prussian Vanguard; one Krockow its commander; repulsed that first Austrian attack; swept the Bass clear for some minutes; got their section of the carriages; or some part of it; 250 in all; hurried through; then halted on the safe side; to wait what Ziethen would do with the remainder。 Ziethen does his best and bravest; as everybody does; keeps his wagon…chaos plugged down; ranks it in square mass; as a wagon fortress (WAGENBURG); ranks himself and everybody; his cannon; his platoon musketry; to the best advantage round it; furiously shoots out in all manner of ways; against the furious Loudon on this flank; and the furious Ziskowitz on that; takes hills; loses them; repels and is repelled (wagon…chaos ever harder to keep plugged); finally perceives himself to be beaten; that the wagon…chaos has got unplugged (fancy it!)and that he; Ziethen; must retreat; back foremost if possible。 He did retreat; fighting all the way to Troppau; and the Convoy is a ruin and a prey。
  Krockow; with the 250; has got under way again; hearing the powder… wagons start into the air (fired by the enemy); and hearing the cannon and musketry take a northerly course; and die away in that ominous direction。 These 250 were all the carriages that came in: happily; by Ziethen's prudence; the money; a large sum; had been lodged in