THE BATTLE OF SADOWA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 892, 22 September 1866, Page 5

THE BATTLE OF SADOWA.

(VEOM OTTII 11 [LITAHY COBKB/vTOSDEKT WITH PEUB- - ARMY.) Uorit?:, July 3, 11 p.m. ' Oif Monday tho 2nd of July, Prince Frederick Charles halted with the First Army at Kommenitz, in order to allow tho Crown Prince time to como up ' to JMili.tin, a town live miles east of the villago of Kommenitz, and to get information of tho movements of the Austrians. That afternoon ho sent out ' two officers to reconnoitre beyond Horitz ; both fell ' in with Austrian troops, aud had to light and ride ' bard to bring their information homo safely. Major ' Von Ungar, who went iu the direction of Konigo- ' gratz, escorted by a few dragoons, came upon a largo 1 force of Austrian cavalry and j agers'before ho got to 1 the little river Biatritz, over which the road from Horitz to Koaiggratr crosses, about half way between those two towns. A squadron of cavalry made an immedaito dash to catch him, and ho and his dragoons had to ride for their li?es, the Austrians pursued, and 'those best mounted oamo up with tho f ruc9;anß, but not iu sufficient numbers to stop them, and after a running skirmish in which Von Ungar received a lance thrust in tho side which carried away most of his coat, but hardly the skin, this reconnoitring party' safely gained tbe' outposts of their own army. 'More on the Prussian right the other' reconnoitring officer also found tho Austi ianß in force, and was obliged to retire rapidly. From the reports of these officers, and from othi?r information, Prince Frederick Charles determined to, attack, so last night he issued orders for the advance of his own army beyond Horitz, and sent Lieutenant Von Normand with ft to the Crown Prince, asking him if pua ' n forward in the morning from Miletin, I and attack the right flank of tho Austrians while he

himself engaged them in front. The;a was some fear that ihe Austrian cavalry patrols detachments' which' were prowling about would intercept the aide-de-camp and'stop the letter, but Y on " mand succeedcd in avoiding them, and got safely to the Crown Prinpe'g head-quarters at I o'clock iu the morning, and rejoined Prince Frederick Charles at 4 to report the success of his mission, and to bring to the leader of the First Army an us.-mranco.of the cooperation of the Second. Had this aide-de-camp | been taken prisoner or killed on his way to Miletin his loss would probably have influenced the whole campaign, for on that letter depended in a great measure the isßuo of to day s battle, Long before midnight the troops were all in motion, and at half past. 1 -in the morning the General Staff left Kommenitz. The moon occasionally shone out brightly, but was generally hidden bohind tho clouds, and then could he distinctly seen the decaying bivouac fires in the places which had been occupied by the troops along the road. These fireß looked like largo will-o'-tbe-wisps as thf-ir llnnes flickered about in the wind, and stretched for many a mile, for there are 150,000 soldiers with the First Army alone, and the bivouaos of so great a force spread over a wide extent of country. Day gradually began to dawn, but with tho first symptoms of sunrise a drizzling rain oame on, whioh lasted till lato in the afternoon. The wind increasod and blow ooldly upon the soldiers, for thoy were short of both sleep and food. At daybreak the troops had taken up their positions to attack the Austriana. The main body of the army was at Milowitz, a village on tho road from Horitz to Koniggratz ; the 7th division under General I'ranuky, was at Coseliwitz on the left, and the -Itli 'aud '.oth divisions at the villages of Bristau an 4 Psauch on the right, while General Von Bitterfield with the Bth! nnd the 7th Corps d'Armoe was sent to the town of Noubi Jaaw, on the extreme right of Milowitz. About 4 o'clock the army began to advance, and marched slowly up tho gentle hill which leads from Milowitz to the village-of Dab, five miles nearer Koniggrats. The com lft£ heavy and tangled from the" rain upon the ground J the skirmishors pushed through it nimbly, but. the battalioni which . followed behind in crowded columns toiled heavily through the down beaten crops, and the artillery horses had to strain hard on their tracee to get the wheels of the gun through tho" sticky soil. Af 6 the wliole ariny was close up tb Dnb, But .it was not allowed to go upon the summit of tho slope, for the ridge on which Dub stands bad hidden all its motions, and tho Austriana oould see nothing of the troops c illected behind the crest, and perhaps thought that no Prussians were near them : except ordinary advanced posts ; for the cavalry videttes which had been pushed forward thus far over night remained on the top of the ridge, as if nothing wero going on behind them. From the top of tho slight elevation on which the ; village of Dub stands, the ground alapea a«n»i- ' to the riv er •" .. —•/ tto^ n — ~ ' — Llle road crosses at the ~0 oi oadowa, a mile and a quarter from Dub. ' Fram Sadowa tho ground again rises beyond tht Bistritz and to the little village of Lisea, conspicuous by its church tower standing at the top of tilt eentle hill, a mile and a half from Sadowa A per " son standing this morning on the top of the ndg. • saw Sadowa below him, built of wooden cottages 3 surrounded by orchards, and could distinguish amon f , its houses several watermills, but these were not » J work for all the inhabitants of the village haa bee. sent 'away* and a. white coat here and there amonf

the cottages was not a peasant's blouse, but was the. uniform of an Austrian soldier; three-quarters of a milo down rht; 3isnitz a big red brick house, wiih a high hrioic c-hiriiiK-y near it, looked lik« a manufactory, iind some wooden buildings alongside it were unmistakably warehouses ; close to these a few wooden cottages, probably meant for tho workmen employed at the manufactory, complcto.l tho village of Dohilnitz. A little more than a mile still further down tho Hiitritz stood tho village of Mokrowens, like most Bohemian country villages, built of pine wood cottages enclust"rod in orchard Tho chateau of Dohaiicha stands midway between Dohilnitz and Moltrowens as a knoll overhanging the river. Bohind Dohilnitz, and between that village and the highroad which runs through Badowa, thero lies a thick wood : inanv of the trees had been cut down about ton feet above tho ground, and the cut down branches had been twisted together botween tho standing trunks of tho trees which were nearest to tho river, to make an entrance into the wood from the front extremely difficult. On the opou slope between Dohilnitz and Dohalichaalong . the ground thero seemed to run a dark dott h! lino of stumpy, bushes, but the telescope showed that these were guns, and that this battery alone contained I_' pieces. Looking to the loft, up tho course of tho Bistritz, the ground whs open between the orchards of Sodowa and tho trees -which grow round Tienatek, a littlo village about two miles above Sadowa, which marked the right of tho Austrian position, oxcept whore, midway botween these villages, a broad belt of fir wood runs for tlireo-quarters of a mile. Above and beyond thoso villages and woods in tho course of the river, tho spire of Lissa was seen, below it a few housr-s, gardens, and patches of tirwood, and a little to tho loft., rather down tho hill, were seen tho cottages of tho hamlet of Cisliw-s. The air was thick and hazy, tho rain camo down steadily, and the wind blew bitterly cold, while the infantry aud artillery were waiting behind the brow of the hill uuar Dub. Al. f! o'clock I'ririG ' Frederick Charles pushed forward his cavalry and horse aitillerv. Th ii y move' down the slope towards tiie Biftritz at a gentle trot, pl'pping about on the greasy ground, but keeping most beautiful lines ; the lanc-e ilans of tho Uhlans, wet with tho rain, flapping heavily against the staves. At the bottom oi' the hill tho trumpets sounded, and ii> muking their movements to gain tho bridgo tho squadrons began wheeling and hovering about tho side of tho river as it' they courted the tiro of the enemy. Then tho Austrian gnoH opened upon thetu from a battery placed in a Held near the villngo at which the main road crosses the Bisli'itz, and tho butt I o of badowa began, The fir.-1 shot whs fired about half-past 7- The Prussian Horse Artillery, closj down to the river replied to tho Austrian guns, but neither side fired heavily, and for half-on-hour the cannonade eonsistod of but lit'Je more than single Knots. At a quarter before S tho King of Prussia arrived on the field, and very soon after the Horse Artillery wero reinforced by other field batteries, aud the Prussian gunners begaa tiring their shells, quickly into tho Austrian position. But as soon as the Prussian fire actively commenced Austrian eu is seemed to ap- '■ pear, as if by magio, in ev.ei-v ]> .i:it of tho portion ; I from every road from every village, from the or- j chard of MoUrowens, on the Prussian right, ' • I the orchard of Hciintuk, on their left, camo llarh'-s ! tire, and whizzing riilo sholls, which, bursting with j sharp crack, sent their splinters among the guns, gunners, carriage* and horses, often killing p. man or horse, sometimes dismounting a but always ploughing up the earth and scattering tho mud in tho men's faces- But tho Austrians did not confine themselves to firing on tho Artillory alono, for they threw their shells up tli-i slope opposite to thorn towards Dub, and one shell cuno slap into a squadron of Uhlans, who were clone bolide the King ; burying itself with a heavy thud in the ground, it blowup

;olumns of mud ssmo 20 feet in the nir, iind, j mrsting a inomont after, reduced the squadron by . bur files. , As toon as the cannonade in front became serious, ( bo guns of the 7th Division began to bombird thf , nllage of Rcnateir, on tho Austrian right. The iustrians returned ahot for shot, and neither side ( ;ither gained or lose ground. In tho centre, too, ;he battle was very even; the Prussians pushed j.itterv after buttery into tho action, and kept up a 1 remendous fire on tlio Austrian guns, but these re;urned it, and eo'netimes "vith interest, for the An'rian artillery ollVers knew their ground, and every ihell foil true ; many otlicer.-i and men fell, and many IQI'SiSSi weru killed or wounded. More Krankon:ragera were sent down to tho batteries, and always returned carrying on stretchers men whoso wounds bad been hastily bound up vuiclur tire, hut who seemed to be too much Btnnnedto sudor much from pain. Gradually tin Prussian cannonade appearo 1 to jet Stronger, anil tho Austrian batteries betwoon Oohelnitz and Dohalichn retired higher up tho hill, but tho guns at Mokrowens stood 'fast, and the Prussians had not yet crossed tho Bistritz; b it many guns wore how'turned on Mokrowens, ;i~(l at 10 a.m.-thb battery there was obligod to retire a little. While- 'his cannonade had been going on, somo of the infantry had beon moved down towards tho river, where they took shelter from the firo under a convenient undulation of ground. The Bth Divisi -m came down on the left-ban 1 side of the causeway, and, under tho cover of the rising in the ground, formed its columns for the attack on the village of Sadowa ; while tho 3rd and Ith Divisions, on tho right-hand side of the road prepared to storm Dohelnitz and Mokrowens. But a httlo bet'oro their preparations vrero complete the village af Benatel:, on thy Austrains' light, caught lire, and tho -7th Division made a dash to secure it, but the Austrians were not driven oLit by the flamos, and here for the first t,ime. in the hattle was thero hand to hand fighting. Tho 27th ltegiment led tho attack, and rqslied into the orchards of tho village, the boning houses separated tho combatants, they poured volley after volley at eaoh other through the flames, but tho Prussians found means to get ' round the burning houses, and, taking the defenders in reverse, forced them to retire \vith l° s s of many prisoners. It was 10 o'clock when Prince Frederick Charles sctit General Stahnapl to order the attack on Sa- ; dowa, Dohilnitz, and Mokrowens. Tho columns advanced covered by skirmishers, and reached the river bank without much loss, but from there tliuy had to fight every inch of their way. The Austrian infantry held the bridges and villages in force., and lired fast upon them as they approached. Tho Prussians could advance but slowly along the narrow ways and against the defences of the houses and the volleys sweeping through the ranks seemed to tear the soldiers down. Tho Prussians fired more quickly than their opponents, but they could not soe to tako their aim ; the houses, trees, and smoke, from tho Austrian discharges shrouded the villages. Sheltored by this the Austrian Jagers fired blindly where they could tell by hearing that the attacking columns were, and the shots told tremendously on the Prussians in their close formations ; but tho litter improved their positions, although slowly, and by dint of sheer courage and persoverance, for they lost men ut every'} ard of their advance, t»nd in some places almost paved ttie way with wounded- Then, to help (he Infantry, the Prussian artillery turned its fire, regardless of the enemy's batteriod, on (lie villages, and made tremendous havoek among the houses. Mokrowens and Dohel'.itz both caught fire, and the shells fell quickly and with fearful elfect among the defenders of tho It uming hamlets ; the Austrian guns also played upon tha attacking infantry, but at this time these wore sheltered from their fire by the houses and trees between. In and around the villages tiie fighting continued for nearly an hour, —then the Austrian infantry, who had beon there, drivon out by a rush of tUo Prussians, retired, but only a little way up the slojje into a line with their batteries. The wood above Sadowa was strongly held, and that between Sadowa and Benatok, teeming with riflemen, stood to bar the way of the 7th Division. But General Fransky, who commands this division, was not to be easily stopped, and he turned his infmtry at the wood, and turned his artillery on tho Austrian The 7th Division CiCo;an firing into the trees, but they found thoy could not mnko an impression, for the defenders were concealed, anc was useless figaiast them. Thor lO '"*'7y let theni go, iind they dashed ir. with th< bayonet. The Austrians would uot. retire, but waitec for the struggle, and in the wood above Bcnatek was fought out ono of the - fiercest combats the war has seen The 27th Prussian Regiment went in nearly 3,00( strong, with 90 officers, and came out on tiie fur the i side with only two oflicers, and between 300 and -101 . men standing ; all tho rest wero killed or wounded I The other regiments of tho division also Bufferei much but not in the same proportion ; but the wooi r was carried. The Austrian line' was now drivel t in on both Hanks, but its commander formed a nei i line of battle a little higher up tho hill, round Liass i- still holding tho wood which liea above Sadowa.

: , J . ruSß!an •'"•tidery was sent across tho "Mn.U and began to fire upon the new A-ustriau . position. At the same time -tha smoke of General 3 advance was gradual.lv seen movin-/ towarua .tho Austrian left; for he hud ut IV echanitz .a Village about seven mil../? lower down the lii-tiiz ■than oadowa, found n brigade of S ax .,i, h- 0 -,-s wjt'-i : some Austrian cavalry, a d was d.-iving them tV- ■ wards the position at Lissa, himself following in such a direekn-n that it. appeared he would turn the u?? 1 inn cic tl.tnk. J3uf; tlu« AuHr.riun commjuidoc seemed determined to hold his position, and heavy masses of mhuiAry and cavalry could ba Seen on the ! upper part ot the slope. ' Tho Prussian infantry which had taken the vi'.!a»o ' ofbadowa and Dohilnitz, Was now sent against tiio wood, which, abovo theso place.*, runs, along tl>e . sadowa, and Liparoad. They advaneod against • it, J Uit did not at first maVo much i.mpres.sipij, for, tho Aufctnatis. Wng here again coircealod, the fire of tho needle gun did not tell, and a wholo battery placed < at the far end of the wood: fired through the trees, 1 and told on. the Prussian ranks with awful effect. 1 lint the assailants fought 011, at last broke down t •Cu at the entrance, and then dashed iu. < the lighting continued fi-Om . tree to tree,, and the 1 Auslmns inado ill :n.v a l-iwh ta recover the l .at posi- , ttoii. of the woi.d, bat in . this close fighting their ; boyish troops W'en.t down i.ijie ninepins before the Ftrong men of tho Bth divisionbut when the de- ' fenders drew back a Sit'le, and their artillery , played I into the trees, tiio Prus.si uis miler-d ■ fearfully;. and about half way up . 111. t'.ie wood the fight became 1 .stationary. ■■■■>•■:'■ a.:, Mxl ■ 1 At this time the Austrian artillery.we.ro making 1 practice, and about'. 1' o'c*loek\t.!i'e who!, t battle line of tlie Prussians ■ could..-'; gain 110 more t ground, and wa« obliged t) tight haul .to retain . t,h.o < position ii:liad won. At-0110■.tii.oe.it seeaied as if.it. ] Wiuil'.l. -be lost, for gun' had : . been disniounied : hjvthe ] Austrian lire, and iu tin wooded ground:, tho,.into lie- j gun .had no fair field, and the infantry fighti.was. very. ; eipial. .'. Prince I'mie-ie:.'''Si VMes. m-o: th ' : . ';lh and ! fitli di7isiou forward." They laid down their- liclmcts , aud knapsaeks 011 the grouiul, and iidvaiiced to' the river. 'I he Iting was noiv uear{,to 15i.s.tritz,'{;ind tlie ( troops ell--ered him lonMiy as ti:--y uiar.'-l'-d int. . the ! battle. I hey we't .•%•.:•.■ the Sadowu .iiiidgc,' ' into the wood, and 6;.0u the. increaaed nois.fi of musketry told they.-ha 1 begun to 1 tight; but the Austrian gun iiers. stilt salvo a er ) h,a^T ° among them, and T.he.y did n.ot/lpusli; 'thejjbaUlo mo;-e t'/uu a to\v hundred'var'ds;''for.'t;iey : feU,back '( theiiv-s-ives, una 1 hsy could' not reael'i .th-i cneniy.: 'j Not only did the fragments of the shells' ily- about ' j .among thetu, scattering ' deathiandCaWfulfgashes ■■. umong the ranks, but the portions of the tree's,torn ■ . by the artillery ii.re, tlevv thickly nagged splinters that caused even more frightful wounds. i ' 1 Herwerth, too, Beeined chcijkcd upoii '.he rigliti. Tho ' smoke of his niu.sketry and.artiUoiy,.which had hither-' ' to been pushing forward steadilyvstood still for a time. ' FranskyV mcii, out to piecrs, could not be sent tor- 1 ward to attack tho Sadowa waodiifor tliey would 1 have exposed; themselves to be taVc'n'iin, rear by the 1 •illery on tho right of tho Austrian 1 ■t of Upa. All the artillery'was'engaged except. it- batteries, and these had to he .r,itii.ined in cane', i 01 a reverse, for at one time the Cring jn the .Sadowa 1 wood, _ and of the Prussian artillei'.v on tlie slopo, ] seom.ert almost as if drawing back fowiirdi BistritJ!. < The First Army was . oettsiiniy,;o!ioofee^ vaiice, if not aetually being pushed back.■ Vl'hcri j Prussian oominanders to look anxiously to the , left :or tiio coming ot'th 1 * (Jrown Pri'iCQ:'/ Soni--' ■■' . Atißtri.au Rims near Lipa were 'sceii to bo tiring to wards .the Prussian lpl't, and it was hoped th-vv.jmight be' ! directed against t,l.ie alvaiVcc guard of toe Second' Arniy, but at •) o'clock there^'woro'ijQ.sign's of Prusr. J I sUin. columns advartciiift against Ijvpfi.A TUo pfoviefals';

lecame manifestly unuasy, and nfautry piit of the battle; navalrv was also formed tp, so that it would ho available- either, far the pursuit. >f ;ho Austrians, or for retarding tlieir pursuit,"p.ud ,-ienorat Von Rlietz himself wentofVto lo.ok lor the; Second. Army. But lie soon returned and v brjught intelligence that the Crown-lYuico waa-lormtng his - ittack on Lipa, and thf>t theiigtins on'the'Austrian; ' right had betsn firing against his troops. ; '.tTheh'.'' th<) First A rmy took heart again.-.;:... I lie Sadowa v.-ood Was carried, and the. battery .beyond it was stormed by the .lagers. : And at half past 3 the Cr»wn' I'rinCe's columns wero seen moving across s the slope liginst Lipa, for. his artillery had silenced the Austrian gun?, and , against tho Austrian left, v.,, Iri ; a f}UH r rer of ari hour, tho Crown Prince's... infa'ntry/\viU:ciigaged at Lipa". and tlieir quirk volleys: olmusketrv, rapidly advancing, told that the The Kirst ' Army" pushed forward:, at once, the artillery limberedup, j_ande galloped Up*the slope*;' coming into aetion ort'everyouprirLuaitY-tOßend its shells against the retreating b-vtfc lUJiis. the ;-infantry emerging from the woods farmed and pressedijat ,;jthe double. Princo Frederick .Charlos'put himsalf at the head of his regiment and dashed ovor tha'JSadowa. bridgo and up the road; ■ followed by alb his. light cavalry. On gaining the top ittg battalions of the iri-rigfwcTr'o^'s'S-ii^runnittg] across a hollow in the 'groumli.whiohsd.iey4>etweeir Lipa and the village of- BLren"elitiVvwh.ichUies, ; .a,f>out two miles further halted ont ho eunimit ■■ of -~ tho lirpd; shells rapidly, ■ vvliieh' biirst L\\ erriblt i , 'pi---ei--ien over the head's of the fugitives. . Thu civa'.rv !l'..'\v forward in pursuit, but-the IVlnce, 1 iifterje/iding.a' short wayj. hjit\ to go to movotaent, for tlio post in thff Streselitz ridge, andfwcro'tfiring .; heavily.; against the ■purruiing Prussians. i'.Tlieiitao cavalry/1 got out pf hand, and by^sinall- 1 . detacheients ■ rushed'-:] on tlio Austrian battalions,-/ but; tliase, though ,:retreating fast, wero not . routed, and -■ ni.v..many eases beat- off the cavalry, who aisoi sulTefel'lnuoh' trom the Austrian artillory, for tho sliells'burst repeatedly'., arupng the squadrons, and killed, manv. nien?:and horses, Rut the Austrian guns' weje driven oil' their, ridge by thq heavy firo of tho .Uiore numerous.Prus-'. sian batteries, and then the Same of th.q retreating Austriaus'-.miido forthe. for J tress of Koniggratz, others for I'l'.riiubi'/. and troops were sent in pursuit abai.t; both roads. -The wounded who were lying o.n the ground'shrieked<with';'fear' wlioh they ?aw the e ivalry galloping'''down towards, them, but Prince Frederick Charles took ear-;, that they should be avoided, and at one tune checked the I pursuit, in Order to move his squadrons around, and not go through a patch, of standing: corn,ew'h to several, wounded .Austrian's had taken refugee: These,; when they Saw the Laneers coining,'- thought they I were going to be massa/sred,■ ■ and ■ cried- piteously, Wavinn white -handkerchiefs as -a of ■ truce ; but thoy had no cause to fear.''-v Large'-'numbers of prisoners wero taken, for tho pursuit was continued to tho Kibe, and it Was not till 9,o'clock that nil firing had ceased, but tho main body of tho army halted about 7. ' . e- ' As tho Princc-.it returned, tho : battalions cheered thcui for their victory ; but they left the pursuit of their enomieS and tho cheers of their own victorioUi troops to look after the hospital accommodation provided for the wounded.These lay in immense numbers in tho field; Uti) dead, too, lay thick but all that they require will be done'to-morrow. Every cottUgv in the neighbourhood that has. not been burnt, is full of wounded. ~ Austrians >. and Prussians' lie side by side but tho'. Krankentfag«r are still Out,, and all . wi11.,, rot \ bo': collected till : late to-morrow morning, l Conspicuous in' the hospitals, working diligently in their voluntary labour are iho Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. This Order of Knighl'hoodi renewed lately for the succour of the we;i,k (vnd fullering, lias sent here & large hospit'l%l esia.blisi.iinont, under the direction of Count Theodore Stolberg. From the. Voluntary contrib-?-tionS of thO Kniglits, hospitals are maintained in the ■ nearest, towns and in the field, all necessary hospital stores tirp carried by the Order, and means of trans- ' part, accompany tho army, hospital nurses are provided, and by tlioir aid many wounded are carcfullj . attended who could not be looked after. by tho crdinary arrangements' Thp battle of :• adow.a has been a grrat victory foi tho Prussian, army ; the troops fought with .' th- - most determined courago, they Stood for hour: ! under ft terrible fire, for there are supposed to hav, i been nearly l.oOt l guns in action, of which /oOweri i ; Prussian, The immediate cau=e. of the-victory ,wa I tile Crown Princes attack an the Austrian .let flank which turned thee position, but the attack li • front had a groat cileet on inn issue, as unle.saitltai ) been steadily maintained, the Austrians might lia\ r repulsed the attack in llaok. _ , ~~, It is tho opinion of the Prussian Generals that t)i . Austrian, retreat was most skilful, and that tliei 1 -artillery was excellently, handled. _ ■ J . The number of troops engaged on the Prussia 1 side was about 250,000- The Austrians are suf y, posed to have had almost an equil number. Nod, tails have yot been received of the.number of killet ? wounded, or prisoners.