486 
case they should not be able to make 
their way sword in hand through the 
Austrian posts, each hussar that escaped 
might inform the margrave of his majes- 
ty’s intentions. Zieten, before he set off, 
persuaded his lady, who had followed 
him to winter quarters, to return to Ber- 
lin, as something of a very important na- 
ture was about to take place, 
The unparalleled boldness of the stra- 
tagem which de Zicten adopted, was 
crowned with the sacce:s it deserved. To 
force his way through the enemy, was 
clearly impossible. 
<¢ During the course of the last campaign, 
and even during the winter excursion in Up- 
per Silesia, his regiment had worn their sam- 
mer dress, which consisted of red mantles 
and felt caps. Their fur accoutrements had 
not arrived from Berlin before the campaign 
had already closed; hence the Austrians were 
not as yet acquainted with that part of their 
yegimentals, which moreover greatly resem- 
bled those worn by the hussars of Spleng, at 
this! time anaking partof the divistou posted 
at Leobschuiz. Zieten, who was aware! of 
the latter circumstance, founded upon it his 
hopes of deceiving the enemy, by making lis 
own hussars pass for theirs, and leading his 
Prussians in broad day light through their 
army . 
He marched with affected carelessness 
andunconcern throughtheenemy’s camp, 
followed one of their columns, under the 
appeatance of making part of it, and 
made a colonel who, mistaking him for 
an Austrian, came to inform that. his, 
dragoons were close behind, a prisoner 
of war in the centre of his own, camp! 
The alarm was given, butit was too late; 
and Zieten, with very inconsiderable loss, 
reached Jigerndorf, where he entered in 
triumph, and where he was received by 
the margrave with all the joy and admi- 
ration due to his courage and good for- 
tune. The margrave immediately broke 
up his camp, and with the assistance of 
Zieten effected his mareh, and joined the 
king’s army, notwithstanding that the 
Austrians made a variety of desperate 
and well concerted assaults to intercept 
this brilliant and victorious passage. 
# fier. this junction the whole army was 
eager to engage the Austrians : Frederick 
suffered not their impatience to subside, 
but gained a terrible and bloody victory 
over the enemy on the 4th cf June, 1749, 
at Hohen-Fiiédberg. Having driven his 
enemies out of Silesia, he now entered 
Bohemia. In this battle general Zicten 
rescued general de Kiow trom the hands 
of the enemy: this ofncer had scarcely 
BIOGRAPHY. 
passed the Strigaw, with the first ten 
squadrons of his brigade, when the 
bridge broke down. Zieten saw him on 
the point of being surrounded without 
the possibility of retreat, but he had an- 
ticipated and prepared for the accident : 
he had tried the depth of the stream, and 
now forded it with his corps of reserve, 
fell upon the enemy, and routed them. 
The two hostile armies now lay so 
near each other, that they seemed. to 
form but a single camp; they kept this 
position for near three months, perpe- 
tually engaged in desultory skirmishes. 
In one of these Zieten was of eminent 
service: two ofhicers, with whose intem- 
perate courage he was well acquainted, 
formed a design to carry off a whole 
regiment of Austrian Uhlans; Zieten, 
aware of the danger of the enterprise, 
followed them with his regiment without 
their knowledge, and lay in ambush in 
a wood. His friends succeeded in their 
attack ; but eagerly pursuing the advan- 
tage they had pained, were onthe point 
of being cut off, when the wary general 
sprung from his concealment, and. ef- 
fected their delivery, with the capture 
of some prisoners. 
After the battle at Sohr, where Fre- 
derick gained a complete victory ; but 
where, says he, honestly enough, «I 
should have been beaten, as I deserved, 
it the abilities of my generals and the 
intrepidity of my troops had not saved 
me from that misfortune ;’’ he broke up 
his camp, and returned to Berlin, which 
he eutered in a sort of triumph, having 
in his trai the cannon which had been 
taken in the last campaign, together with 
standards and colours, the trophies of 
his victories at Hohen-Friedberg and 
Sohr. He had not been here‘long, how- 
ever, before he received information 
from Prince Leopold ef Anhalt-Dessau, 
that Prince Charles had not put his army 
into winter quarters, as he had. suc- 
ceeded in inducing Frederick to believe ; 
but that a body of 10,000 Austrians, 
inder the command of Count de Grunn, 
was marching towards Saxony. The 
king instantly quitted his capital, and 
put himself at the head of his army in” 
Silesia: the battle of Hennesdorf de- | 
cided the fate of Prussia, and may be 
considered as the preliminary to the 
peace of Dresden. To the ‘success of 
this battle Zieten materially contributed: 
the king entered Lusatia, without know- é 
ing precisely what posts were occupied a 
* 
by the enemy ; the two central columns. Ld 
A 
4 
