GERMAN IMPERIAL MANOEUVRES. 
447 
line Marienfelde-Britz, covering tlie movement with his powerful 
cavalry division. The action commenced, as usual, with frequent 
skirmishes between the cavalry patrols, the Ziethen Hussars eventually 
driving in the Garde Hussars, who were covering the withdrawal of 
their infantry outposts; the advanced guard of the 3rd Corps advanced 
with great rapidity, occupied the defiles north of Glasow, the Gross- 
Kienitzer-Berge, and the Hunenberg, which they quickly cleared of the 
enemy, who sustained a mere delaying fight till they came to the village 
of Selchow and the woods on the west of it, between it and the chaussee 
leading from Glasow to Klein-Ziethen. Up to this time only the 
advanced guard of the 3rd Army Corps had been engaged, but here 
the resistance offered was so stubborn, that the main body was called 
into play. The 5th division with the cavalry on the right deployed 
for an attack on Selchow, which they forced, and then drove the enemy 
before them through Wassmansdorf; in the meantime the cavalry, 
supported by three batteries of horse artillery, which came into action 
on the roadway east of Selchow, drove the Garde cavalry through 
Diepensee and Schonfeld, whence the latter retired on Gross-Ziethen, 
and took up a position near that place to cover the left of their corps, 
which after being driven through Wassmansdorf, changed position, 
left back, pivotting on their right, which, contesting every yard of 
ground, was now in position on the west of the woods south of the 
Bolkens-Berg; this retirement and change of position was exceedingly 
well carried out, and so rapidly, that though the two corps had been— 
very shortly previous—at very close quarters to one another, a con¬ 
siderable interval was now left between them. The new front taken 
up by the Garde Corps was about two miles in length; its centre— 
where six batteries were massed—rested on the Bolkens Berg, its left 
occupied the high ground east and south of Gross-Ziethen, while its 
right held Klein-Ziethen, and the rising ground east of it. The 3rd 
corps now occupied the Budow-Wassmansdorf road from the north of 
the former place as far as the cross roads, with the cavalry on the right, 
and nearly all the guns concentrated on the centre. The grand attack 
on the position of the Garde Corps was now made. After a preliminary 
cannonade, the cavalry division was hurled against the enemy^s left. 
The infantry charged was unbroken, the cavalry had to cross a long open 
space, fully exposed to fire, and though they would probably have pene¬ 
trated the hostile position, still it must be doubtful whether the enormous 
losses they must have sustained would have been at all compensated 
for by any success they may have gained. Besides, the occasion 
did not seem to call for such a sacrifice, as the 3rd corps was 
gradually gaining the advantage ; and a steady advance of the infantry, 
supported by their powerful artillery, would have attained the same end 
at a much less cost, while the cavalry would have been unbroken and 
ready to pursue and harass the beaten enemy retiring in confusion 
from their captured position. As a spectacle the cavalry charge was 
magnificent; it was led as usual by two regiments of Cuirassiers in the 
front line, two of Uhlans in the second, and two of Dragoons in the 
third. The infantry on the right of the 3rd Corps followed the cavalry, 
and the left of the Garde was driven in, and commenced to retire on 
