198 THE SEVEN YEARS WAR, 1756-63
the little corps was overwhelmed by the Austrians in its scattered
hill-top positions south and east of Landeshut town. Fouqu£ was
captured along with 8,051 of his troops, and nearly 2,000 of his men
lay dead on the field. This was the doing of the dour and craggy-faced
Gideon Ernst von Loudon, who was Lacy's great rival in the Austrian
camp. Frederick had once rejected him as unsuitable for admission to
the Prussian service.
The first report of some reverse came from an Austrian officer
who addressed himself to the Prussian outposts, probably on 24 June.
Frederick stood as if paralysed, and stared speechlessly for some
minutes at the adjutant who brought him the news. The king's only
consolation was that Fouqu6 had battled to the last against over-
whelming odds, displaying a courage worthy of the ancient Romans.
Frederick moved his army to Gross-Dobritz on 26 June, so as to
cling closer to Daun, who had meanwhile moved to the east bank of
the Elbe in support of Lacy. The king was gloomy and bad-tempered,
and it was with no enthusiasm that he decided that he must shift the
greater part of his army into Silesia, where Loudon had the opportun-
ity to wreak great damage after his victoiy at Landeshut.
At midnight on 3 July the royal army set off from Gross-Dobritz.
The Prussians moved with all possible speed across the forests and
hills, but Lacy adroitly decamped from his position at Lichtenberg
just before Frederick could pin him down. The Prussians reached the
abbey of Marienstern on 5 July, and on the 6th they crossed the
headwaters of the Spree to Nieder-Guriz. These two days were re-
membered for the appalling heat, and the burning, clogging sands,
and the 105 Prussians who died of exhaustion on the second march.
On 7 July, a desperately needed day of rest, Frederick learnt that
in spite of all his efforts the main Austrian army had drawn ahead of
him in the race for Silesia. He therefore turned to the usual expedient
of commanders who found themselves outmarched on this theatre,
namely to double back along the way he had come, and do what
damage he could before the enemy returned to the scene.
Frederick made his about-turn on 8 July, and on the 13th he
established himself around Dresden in very favourable circum-
stances. The Prince of Zweibriicken had withdrawn the Reichsarmee
of about 19,000 troops behind the Miiglitz valley, and he was joined
there by the 19,700 men of Lacy's corps.
Meanwhile Frederick had a free hand at Dresden. He began on
that same 13 July by sending his jaegers and the free battalion of
Courbiere to clear the Croats from the extensive Grosser-Garten,
which gave rise to a bizarre battle among the avenues and the
statuaiy. He then opened his attack on the city behind. He did not
have the time or patience to carry out a sit-down formal siege, and