147 THE SEVEN YEARS WAR, 1756-63austere standards of the Prussian service, and there was something
about Frederick's weariness, his weak voice, and his shabby uniform
which commanded all the more attention.
The 'Parchwitz Address' was delivered in German (unusually for
Frederick, who mostly spoke in French), and the most authentic
account renders it as follows:
The enemy hold the same entrenched camp of Breslau which
my troops defended so honourably. I am marching to attack this
position. I have no need to explain my conduct or why I am
determined on this measure. I fully recognise the dangers
attached to this enterprise, but in my present situation I must
conquer or die. If we go under, all is lost. Bear in mind,
gentlemen, that we shall be fighting for our gloiy, the
preservation of our homes, and for our wives and children.
Those who think as I do can rest assured that, if they are killed,
I will look after their families. If anybody prefers to take his
leave, he can have it now, but he will cease to have any claim
on my benevolence. (As recorded by Prince Ferdinand,
Herrmann, 1918, 101-2)There ensued a holy silence, which was broken when Major Biller-
beck burst out: 'Yes, imagine any pig wanting to do that! What a
time!' (Gr. Gstb., 1901-14, VI, 10).
Early on 4 December the army set off eastwards from Parchwitz
in four columns and an advance guard. Frederick was riding well
ahead with the Puttkamer and Zieten Hussars, and just short of the
little town of Neumarkt the peasants in their Sunday clothes told him
the almost unbelievable news that the place still held the enemy field
bakery and their stocks of bread and flour. Frederick concluded that
considerable Austrian forces were nearby, and he saw that he must
seize this unexpected prize and anticipate the enemy on the low
Pfaffendorfer-Berg beyond. He ordered his hussars to storm the town
without more ado, since the grenadiers of the advance guard were
still lagging far behind. Some of the squadrons rode around
Neumarkt. The rest dismounted, broke in the gates with axes they
had seized in nearby farmhouses, and cleared the houses with their
carbines. Two regiments of Austrian hussars made good their escape,
but the Prussians killed one hundred Croats and captured five hun-
dred more. This was a highly unorthodox way of taking a defended
post, but Frederick had already used dismounted hussars for this
purpose at Pegau on the way to Rossbach. No Austrian army could yet
be discovered, but on the deserted Pfaffendorfer-Berg the king came
across some stakes which had been planted there by enemy engineers
when they were laying out the site for a camp, which lent credence to