a to the frontiers of Brandenburgh;
to make a diversion from the southern parts of Silesia, where a body of
Austrian troops acted under the command of the generals Harsche and de
Ville; and to interrupt the communication between prince Henry and the
capital of Saxony. On the fifth day of September, the garrison in the
strong fortress of Koningstein surrendered themselves prisoners of
war, after a very feeble resistance, to the prince de Detixponts, who
forthwith took possession of the strong camp at Pima. When the king of
Prussia therefore arrived at Dresden, he found the army of the empire
in this position, and mareschal Daun in a still stronger situation at
Stolpen, with bridges of communication thrown over the Elbe, so that he
could not attack them with any prospect of advantage. He had no other
resolution to take but that of endeavouring to cut them off from
supplies of provisions, and with this view he marched to Bautzen, which
he occupied. This motion obliged the Austrian general to quit his camp
at Stolpen, but he chose another of equal strength at Libau; yet he
afterwards advanced to Rittlitz, that he might be at hand to seize the
first favourable occasion of executing the resolution he had formed to
attack the Prussians. The king having detached general Ratzow on his
left, to take possession of Weissenberg, marched forwards with the body
of his army, and posted himself in the neighbourhood of Hochkirchen,
after having dislodged the Austrians from that village. Matters were now
brought to such a delicate crisis, that a battle seemed inevitable,
and equally desired by both parties, as an event that would determine
whether the Austrians should be obliged to retreat for winter-quarters
into Bohemia, or be enabled to maintain their ground in Saxony. In
this situation mareschal Daun resolved to act offensively; and formed a
scheme for attacking the right flank of the Prussians by surprise. This
measure was suggested to him by an oversight of the Prussians, who
had neglected to occupy the heights that commanded the village of
Hochkirchen, which was only guarded by a few free companies. He
determined to take the advantage of a very dark night, and to employ the
flower of his whole army on this important service, well knowing, that
should they penetrate through the flank of the enemy, the whole Prussian
army would be disconcerted, and in all probability entirely ruined.
Having taken his measures with wonderful secrecy and