Page:Surprising adventures of Frederick Baron Trenck.pdf/8

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more brilliant than any officer in the corps. My expenees attracted notice, for I had only inherited from my father the estate of Scharlack, which produeed about a thousand crowns a year; and I sometimes spent more than that sum in a month.

In the beginning of September 1743, war was deelared between Prussia and the House of Austria. We marched hastily towards Prague, and passed through all Saxony without meeting with the smallest opposition. I dare not relate bere what the great Frederick said sorrowfully to us the very morning of our departure from Potzdam when all the officers were assembled about his person. This time Frederiek took the field with regret, as I was witness.

If I do not mistake, the King’s army invested Prague on the 14th of September; that of General Schwerin who had marched through Silesia, came a day later from the other side of the Mulda, and we were obliged to wait eight days longer for pontoons, to open a eommunieation between the two armies.

General Harsch was obliged to capitulate, after twelve days resistance. Eighteen thousand men were made prisoners of war; the number of the garrison killed and wounded during the siege not exeeeding five hundred.

So far we met with no obstaele; however, the Imperial army, under the command of Prinee Charles, who had left the banks of the Rhine, advaneed to save Bohemia. His light armed troops being thriee as numerous as ours, prevented our foraging. Famine and want therefore obliged us to retreat, having no relief to hope for from the country behind us, which we had laid entirely