he saddle is indisputably
won. The Austrians settled themselves, in a kind of half-moon shape,
close on the suburbs of Torgau; the Prussians in a parallel half-moon
posture, some furlongs behind them. The Austrians sat but a short time;
not a moment longer than was indispensable. Daun perceives that the
key of his ground is gone from him; that he will have to send a second
Courier to Vienna. And, above all things, that he must forthwith get
across the Elbe and away. Lucky for him that he has Three Bridges (or
Four, including the Town Bridge), and that his Baggage is already all
across and standing on wheels. With excellent despatch and order Daun
winds himself across,--all of him that is still coherent; and indeed, in
the distant parts of the Battle-field, wandering Austrian parties were
admonished hitherward by the River's voice in the great darkness,--and
Daun's loss in prisoners, though great, was less than could have been
expected: 8,000 in all.

Till towards one in the morning, the Prussians, in their half-moon, had
not learned what he was doing. About one they pushed into Torgau, and
across the Town Bridge; found 26 pontoons,--all the rest packed off
except these 26;--and did not follow farther. Lacy retreated by the
other or left bank of the River, to guard against attempts from that
side. Next day there was pursuit of Lacy; some prisoners and furnitures
got from him, but nothing of moment: Daun and Lacy joined at Dresden;
took post, as usual, behind their inaccessible Plauen Chasms. Sat there,
in view of the chasing Prussians, without farther loss than this of
Torgau, and of a Campaign gone to water again. What an issue, for the
third time! [Tempelhof, iv. 291-318,; Archenholtz, ii. 159-174; Retzow,
ii. 299 et seq.; UMSTANDLICHE BESCHREIBUNG DES &C, (in Seyfarth,
_Beylagen,_ ii. 823-848): in _Helden-Geschichte,_ or in _Anonymous of
Hamburg_ (iv. 245-300), the Daun DESPATCHES, the Lists, &c.]--

On Torgau-field, behind that final Prussian half-moon, there reigned,
all night, a confusion which no tongue can express. Poor wounded men by
the hundred and the thousand, weltering in their blood, on the cold wet
ground; not surgeons or nurses, but merciless predatory sutlers, equal
to murder if necessary, waiting on them and on the happier that were
dead. "Unutterable!" says Archenholtz; who, though wounded, had crawled
or got carried to some village near. The living wandered about in gloom
and uncertainty; lucky he wh