hom he loved and respected, and whose 
Gislike towards himself he had conyerted 
Gnto esteem. A’ short time after the ac- 
Session of Frederick Il. the decease of 
@ Emperor Charles VI. took place :* 
q @ was the last male heir of the House of 
Austria; but by virtue of the pragmatic 
sanction, his hereditary dominions de- 
volved upon his eldest daughter, the 
Arch-duehess Maria Theresa. The in- 
heritance of the Austrian dominions was 
not likely to slide quietly into the hands 
a female, although the pragmatic 
‘sanction had been guaranteed by almost 
all the powers of Europe. No sooner 
‘was the emperor dead, than four claim- 
ants, Charles Albert, Elector of Bavaria, 
Au ustusIII. Kine of Poland, the King 
of Spain, and the King of Sardinia came 
itward with pretensions to the inhe- 
tance. Maria Theresa, notwithstand- 
mg, took possession of her territories, 
en a more artful, treacherous, and 
powerful claimant started up: this was 
the King of Prussia; who, in order to 
prevent Silesia from being attacked by 
other potentates, without the slightest in- 
| tention; as he expressed himself in his 
manifesto, of violating the interests of her 
jesty, the Queen of Hungary, towhom 
professed the strictest friendship, sent 
troops into the dutchy of Silesia. 
The three squadrons of body hussars, 
der the command of Colonel deWurm, 
ecompanied the army, and the Prussian 
ussars still remained in their quarters. 
€ occupation of Silesia was effected 
most without resistance, and the hus- 
s had no opportunity of displaying 
mselves in this successful campaign. 
ring the repose of winter, Frederick 
id leisure to estimate the advantages 
hese light troops ; he formed a body 
Of rerulations for them, and communi- 
sated it to their principal officers. At 
é opening of the sccond campaign, 
feten received orders to break up his 
inter quarters, and join the king’s army. 
he hussars, who had now, for the first 
ne, the honour of composing the van, 
irprised a party of the enemy, who lost 
ty men, and these were the first pri- 
s which the Prussian hussars had 
M. de Wurm had not for- 
encontre with Zieten, and an 
portunity occurred in the early part of 
is Campaign, which he thought would 
FMinate the carcer of his antagonist. 
bdé Wurm was reconnoitring the po- 
BERESFORD'S TRANSLATION OF THE LIFE OF GLNERAL DE ZIETEN. 
‘eA 
485 
sition of the enemy, he met a patrole of 
some hundred hussars, whom he attacked 
and dispersed 5 pursuing them to the en- 
rance of a defie, the latter faced about, 
and harassed him considerably without 
opposition. Zieten, enraged at the au- 
dacity of the Austrians, and the inacti- 
vity of his commander, pushed forward 
and cried out, ‘ Colonel, will you not 
put these fellows, to flight?” “ Why 
doh’t you do it. yourself since you are so 
bold?” “ With all my heart,” said Zie- 
ten, “if you will support-me.”  Zieten 
instantly marched and pursued his advan- 
tage, expecting that his retreat was.se- 
cured by de Wurm, who, leaving him ta 
his fate, had perfidiously retired to a 
neighbouring, village. Zieten was in 
imminent peril; he nevertheless secured 
his prisoners, and effected his escape 
without the loss of a single man. On 
his return to the village, he demanded 
satisfaction of his colonel for his cow- 
ardly desertion. De Wurm, exasperated 
at the escape, and still more at the suc- 
cess of Zieten, replied by drawing his 
sword. ‘The combatants were soon se- 
parated by an aid-de-camp, but de Wurm 
was wounded; he was confined to his 
tent, and Zieten as next in rank took 
the command. At this time he received 
orders from the king to repair with the 
whole corps to head-quarters, on business 
of an expedition then in agitation. © Fre- 
derick reviewed every squadren; and in 
testimony of his regard for Zieten, raised 
him to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. * 
«« Some days after this, the king determined 
upon dislodging the enemy from the. post: of 
Rothschloss, from whence they had made.fre- 
quent excursions, and laid the country under 
contribution. He entrusted the enterprize 
to Colonel de Winterfield, his adjutant-gene- 
ral, who pot himself at the head of some bat- 
talions of erenadiers, and the hussarsof Wurm 
and Prussia under the command of Zieten! 
The enemy was strong, and their position al= 
most impregnable. » Before them they had a 
deep and extensive marsh, ¢rossed by a long 
and, narrow causeway, that lay in the face of a 
battery... Zieten began. the onset, advanced 
at full speed along the cavseway, and under 
a quick fire forced the passage, threw the ene- 
my, who little expected to be attacked” in 
front, into disorder, repulsed them after a yi- 
gorous resistance, and drove them close to’ a 
mill, along the side of a rapid stream, the. 
bridge of which had been broken down. All 
retreat was thus ent off from the Austrians, 
while colonel de Winterfield was still engag- 
Arty 4 & So Py 
ing the infantry, and Zieten made a whole 
* October 26; 1710 —Rev. 
1i2 
