62 THE SILESIAN WARS, 1740-5neaged in a disorderly hand-to-hand combat, swirling about like a
swarm of bees. Two battalions of Saxon foot grenadiers were caught
ud in the battle, and more than one of the Prussian officers was
appalled to see how these fine-looking men were being cut down
without mercy. The Saxon general Schlichting was veiy lucky indeed
to fall unscathed into the hands of the Prussians.
While the cavalry battle roared off to the north, the Prussian
infantry had begun to cross the Striegauer-Wasser by the bridges at
and near Graben. The Hereditary Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Dessau
arrayed the first nine battalions at his disposal in an improvised line
of battle, and he advanced against the gathering Saxon infantry
without more ado. Further battalions hastened up to prolong the line
to right and left, and ultimately a force of twenty-one battalions
moved with shouldered muskets, flying colours and beating drums
against the enemy, who were standing firm in a broken country of
ditches, bogs and bushes. The Prussians braved the Saxon canister fire
which opened up at four hundred paces, and pushed well into the
zone of effective musketry before delivering their own fire in the faces
of the enemy: 'This began a slaughter which within a few hours
covered the field with blood and corpses' (quoted in Hoffmann, 1912,
28).
The eviction of the Saxons was complete by about 7 a.m.
Frederick had been directing the arrival of his army on the battlefield,
and upon hearing the news of the triumph over the Saxons he cried
out: 'The battle is won!' It was true that the course of events by no
means corresponded with his original plan, but the Austrians were
only now setting themselves in motion - far too late to be able to help
the Saxons - and Frederick was well on his way to defeating the allies
in detail. "
Now that the Saxons were out of the reckoning, Frederick's
concern was to build up sufficient forces to face the Austrians. He
halted the march of reinforcements to the north, and wheeled all the
available battalions to the left. Owing to a muddle in orders, young
Prince Ferdinand of Brunswick and the five regiments of his brigade
were left unsupported in open ground one thousand paces to the east
of Giinthersdorf village. Prince Charles did not respond to this oppor-
tunity of turning the flank of the as yet unformed Prussian left:
'Indeed the fate of states and the reputation of generals sometimes
rest on the most trifling incidents. A few seconds are enough to
determine their fortune' (Oeuvres, III, 117). Frederick was ultimate-
ly able to confront the Austrians with a force of about 10,400 infantry,
comprising thirteen battalions of musketeers, and Infantry-General
Polentz's command of five battalions of grenadiers.
The corresponding left wing of Prussian cavalry was, however,