. Battles of the nineteenth century . ichBenedeks bat-teries couldpour downdeath and de-struction onthe advancingPrussians overthe heads ofhis own infan-try when en-gaging the hel-meted wieldersof the needle-gun. From thetop of theslight eleva-tion whereonstands the vil-lage of Dubthe groundslopes gentlydown to theBistritz, which the road crosses at the village of Sadowa, a mileand a quarter from Dub. From Sadowa theground again rises beyond the Bistritz to thelittle village of Chlum (mark that village !),conspicuous by its church-tower crowning thegentle hill, a mile and a half bevond Sadowa—
. Battles of the nineteenth century . ichBenedeks bat-teries couldpour downdeath and de-struction onthe advancingPrussians overthe heads ofhis own infan-try when en-gaging the hel-meted wieldersof the needle-gun. From thetop of theslight eleva-tion whereonstands the vil-lage of Dubthe groundslopes gentlydown to theBistritz, which the road crosses at the village of Sadowa, a mileand a quarter from Dub. From Sadowa theground again rises beyond the Bistritz to thelittle village of Chlum (mark that village !),conspicuous by its church-tower crowning thegentle hill, a mile and a half bevond Sadowa—a beautiful bit of countrv not unlike some partsof England with its hill and dale, clusteringcottages, peeping chateaux, hedgerows, groves,and waving grain-fields. Profiting to the full bythe defensive advantages of this terraced terrain,the Austrians had seamed it with entrenchedbatteries, and palisaded their approaches withfelled trees and intertwisted branches, makingof the whole a natural fortress formidable totheir GENERAL BENEDEK. But nothing could daunt the hearts of thePrussians. They had got to beat Benedek andhis 220,000 men, and the sooner the better. TheRed Prince was afraid that, after all, Benedekmight seek to retire behind the Elbe, and thishad to be prevented at all costs and hazards. ThePrince might not be able to beat him off-hand,but he could at least fasten on Benedek like abulldog and hold him fast there till the arrivalof the Crown Prince, when the bull could bealtogether felled and laid upon its back. Bang, therefore, wentthe Prussianbatteries, andpresently thewhole sinuousline of battle,extendingabout fivemiles from Cis-towes (oppo-site Chlum) onthe Prussianleft, to Ne-chanitz on theright, began tobe wrapped inwreathed can-non Austriansreturned shotfor shot, andneither sideeither gainedor lost the centrethe Prussianspushed batteryafter batteryinto action, and kept up a tremendous fire onthe Austrian guns ; but these ret
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1901
