a design was formed of attacking the
Prussian army in the night with a body of twelve thousand men, to be
sustained by all the grenadiers, volunteers, pandours, and Hungarian
infantry. In case an impression could be made on the king's lines,
it was intended to open a way, sword in hand, through the camp of the
besiegers, and to ease Prague of the multitude of forces locked up
useless within the walls, serving only to consume the provisions of the
garrison, and hasten the surrender of the place. Happily a deserter gave
the prince of Prussia intelligence of the enemy's design about eleven
o'clock at night. Proper measures were immediately taken for their
reception, and, in less than a quarter of an hour, the whole army was
under arms. This design was conducted with so much silence, that though
the Prussians were warned of it, they could, discover nothing before the
enemy had charged their advanced posts. Their attack was begun on the
side of the little town, against mareschal Keith's camp, and the left
wing of the Prussian army encamped on the Moldaw. From hence it is
probable the Austrians proposed not only to destroy the batteries that
were raising, but to attack the bridges of communication which the
Prussians threw over the Moldaw, at about a quarter of a German mile
above and below Prague, at Branig and Podbaba. The greatest alarm
began about two o'clock, when the enemy hoped to have come silently and
unexpectedly upon the miners, but they had left work about a quarter of
an hour before. At the report of the first piece which they fired, the
piquet of the third battalion of Prussian guards, to the number of
an hundred men, who marched out of the camp to sustain the body which
covered the works, was thrown into some confusion, from the darkness of
the night, which prevented their distinguishing the Austrian troops from
their own. Lieutenant Jork, detached with two platoons to reconnoitre
the enemy, attempting to discover their disposition by kindling a
fire, captain Rodig, by the light of this fire, perceived the enemy's
situation, immediately formed the design of falling upon them in flank,
and gave orders to his men to fire in platoons, which they performed,
mutually repeating the signal given by their commander. The enemy fled
with the greater precipitation, as they were ignorant of the weakness
of the piquet, and as the shouting of the Prussian soldiers made them
mistake it for a numerous body. Many of them deserted