he court of Vienna. While the
Austrian army, under mareschal count Daun, lay strongly intrenched in
the neighbourhood of Dresden, the king of Prussia had endeavoured, in
the month of December, to make him quit that advantageous situation, by
cutting off his provisions, and making an irruption into Bohemia.
For these purposes he had taken possession of Dippeswalde, Maxen,
and Pretchendorff, as if he intended to enter Bohemia by the way of
Passberg: but this scheme being found impracticable, he returned to his
camp at Fribourg, and in January the Prussian and Austrian armies were
cantoned so near each other, that daily skirmishes were fought with
various success. The head of the Prussian camp was formed by a body of
four thousand men under general Zettwitz, who, on the twenty-ninth day
of January, was attacked with such impetuosity by the Austrian general
Beck, that he retreated in great confusion to Torgau, with the loss of
five hundred men, eight pieces of artillery, and a considerable quantity
of new clothing and other baggage. Another advantage of the same nature
was gained by the Austrians at Neustadt, over a small body of Prussians
who occupied that city. In the month of Maroh, general Laudohn advanced
with a strong detachment of horse and foot, in order to surprise the
Prussians, who, in attempting to effect a retreat to Steinau, were
surrounded accordingly, and very roughly handled. General Laudohn
summoned them twice by sound of trumpet to lay down their arms; but
their commanders, the captains Blumenthal and Zettwitz, rejecting the
proposal with disdain, the enemy attacked them on all hands with a great
superiority of number. In this emergency the Prussian captains formed
their troops into a square, and by a close continued fire kept the enemy
at bay; until, perceiving that the Croats had taken possession of a
wood between Siebenhausen and Steinau, they, in apprehension of being
intercepted, abandoned their baggage, and forced their way to Steinau,
which they reached with great difficulty, having been continually
harassed by the Austrians, who paid dear for this advantage. Several
other petty exploits of this kind were achieved by detachments on both
sides, before the campaign was begun by the grand armies.

POSITION OF THE ARMIES IN SAXONY AND SILESIA.

Towards the end of April the king of Prussia altered his position,
and withdrew that part of his chain of cantonments, extending from the
forest of Thuru