ration was effected, intelligence was brought that a part of the 2nd division-which according to the dispositions made had directed its advance upon our left through Ober Stolck, after several battalions had passed through, and as the 13th had proceeded half through the village-was attacked by a most murderous fire from the houses. The detachments in front were ordered to return immediately, and the greater part of the insurgents, amounting to about 1000 men, who with some peasants had prepared the ambuscade, were put to the sword. In the meantime, however, several officers of high rank, who had hastened to the spot, were either killed or wounded.

"The 3rd brigade had in the meanwhile advanced from its position against Sollbroe, and after making a bridge under fire of the enemy, forced the passage of the river. He was consequently most rapidly driven back upon Jubeck. The brigade advanced, at half-past 11 o'clock, by way of Silberstedt, before Schuby, which latter place was cannonaded.

"At half-past 10 o'clock the main strength of the army advanced to storm the entrenched pass between Arnholzsoe and Langsoe. After a heavy cannonade this was effected.

"By means of this attack, the determined defence which was made in passing through the wood hitherto was rendered less effective-a defence which was made the more difficult to overcome by the ground on both sides of the road or defile being so elevated and narrow.

"The 4th and 6th brigades were directed against Schuby, whilst the main body took up a

position on the heights north of the town of Schleswig. After the woods had been cleared to the west of Schleswig, the army marched through the town of Schleswig about half-past 8 o'clock in the evening, and took up a bivouac position from Hadebye beyond the Danevirke towards Schuby.

"The 3rd brigade bivouacked near Neukruz as a reserve. This position was taken up by 12 o'clock at night, and then only the headquarters were established in Schleswig, which town was occupied by one battalion.

"The enemy has probably retreated upon Rendsburg, sending one brigade to Eckenförde. His loss was considerable, above 1000 prisoners having been brought in. Two pieces of cannon, which belonged to the Battery Baggesen, and had fallen into his hands during the surprise at Ober Stolck, have been recaptured, besides which five pieces have been taken from the enemy. In the hospital at Schleswig there are about 2000 wounded insurgents. Besides this, the greater part of the ambuscade in Ober Stolck was killed, and the village nearly destroyed. Many of the enemy are lying dead in the fields, as no waggons could be found here to convey them away.

"But we deplore the loss of many and dear comrades-the ambuscade cost us several of our distinguished officers; and on the whole we have in killed at least 12 of these, with 73 wounded, and about 104 killed and 2300 noncommissioned officers and privates wounded. Notwithstanding this, however, our army is not the less perfectly complete for operations."

General Willisen, the commander of the Schleswig-Holstein

army, in his report of the engagement, said

"The attack commenced with our outposts soon after half-past 3. One of our batteries of 12-pounders in position, and another erected on a projecting piece of ground to the west of Idstedt, opened a furious cannonade.

"The enemy had, during the night and the previous evening, concentrated the greater part of their forces at Unter Stolck and Ober Stolck and Bocklund, to the extent of three brigades at least. Their first attack of any consequence was directed against our position in the Gryauer Wood, which they succeeded in carrying on the first charge, through a circumstance not yet explained. A mist and heavy rain at this time rendered any reconnoitring impossible, which the enemy did not fail to take advantage of. The 4th Rifle Corps, however, succeeded in recapturing the position.

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This obstinate conflict, and the circumstance that the enemy had thrown forward the greater part of his strength in this very critical direction, induced us at this moment to commence our proposed offensive operations.

"The 3rd and 4th brigades were therefore ordered to proceed forthwith through Fanale, the 2nd brigade debouched near Wedelspang, in the direction of Bocklund, and the 3rd marched upon Unter Stolck and Ober Stolck.

"The enemy was clearly surprised by this movement. Two battalions of the 4th brigade had also at the same time been ordered to debouch at Idstedt, where the 15th battalion was warmly engaged; and had this movement been effected, the forces of the enemy that had been directed

against the position in the Gryauer Wood would have been entirely destroyed, and the combined movement of the three brigades in conjunction with the advanced guard and the 1st brigade, which would also have assumed the offensive, would in all probability have been crowned with complete success. But the attack of the 4th brigade was a complete failure, as on debouching its head was fiercely assailed by the enemy. The Gryauer Wood and Idstedt were again lost. It even seemed probable at this moment that the centre would have been broken. The movement of the 3rd and 2nd brigades certainly restrained the enemy from pressing upon us too closely, nay even perhaps from capturing the stone bridge again below Idstedt.

"The 3rd brigade quickly repulsed the enemy with great bravery at Ober Stolck, captured three 12-pounders, and entirely destroyed a squadron of the enemy's cavalry, which had made repeated charges on the village roads, taking two staff officers and the commanders of the battery and squadron prisoners. But it was obliged to desist from this attack on learning that a portion of the enemy's troops, previously repulsed by the 4th brigade, had proceeded in the direction of Suderfahrenstedt, and were about to threaten the left wing of the 3rd brigade in the rear. At this time, and through this movement, the combat with the 4th brigade was also renewed. The 3rd brigade now retired-a portion across the Idstedt Bridge, and another portion across the ford. The 2nd brigade, which had also advanced with great firmness, encountered somewhat later a superior force, and was compelled to retire from its position at Wedel

spang without sustaining any loss of importance.

"The retrograde movement of our right wing from Idstedt was covered by repeated charges from the advanced guard, and by the heavy batteries.

"The battle had now continued from daybreak till near 11 o'clock, when the enemy, now no longer pressed on his left wing, concentrated additional forces against the Idstedt position. To oppose this the greater part of the reserve artillery was brought into action, and the most fiercely disputed conflict of the day now took place with artillery. We were in hopes of being able to maintain this position, as the greater part of the 1st brigade firmly kept its ground. But when the report arrived that the enemy were forcing their way across the Treene, and had occupied Schuby, it appeared highly undesirable to allow matters to proceed so far, and about 1 o'clock the resolution was come to to give up the contest, and commence a retreat."

On the 12th of September General Willisen advanced with a strong force upon Missunde, and the detached corps of the Danes which were posted on the south bank of the river Schlei were driven back upon the main body of their army. At the same time the town of Eckenförde was temporarily abandoned by the Danes, who retired to their ships, but on the banks of the Schlei the forward movement of the SchleswigHolstein troops was checked, and a smart cannonade took place for two hours, after which they commenced their retreat, and were seriously harassed by the Danes while they effected the retrograde movement. As soon as the enemy VOL. XCII.

left Eckenförde the Danes again took possession of it, and the hostile armies reverted to their original positions.

The next step of any importance in the war was the attack by General Willisen upon Friederichstadt, which was defended by Colonel Helgesen. The place was regularly invested for a week, at the end of which period, on the 4th of October, an attempt was made to take the place by storm; and the following is the description given by one who was engaged in, and therefore an eye-witness of the attack:-

"At a quarter past 5, when probably the decision had been come to that the storming attack should be undertaken, the cannonade was fiercer than ever; the very earth seemed to tremble under the roar of the heavy pieces. Suddenly the trumpet-signals for the advance were heard on all sides; the drums beat the charge amid the loud hurrahs of the troops. The enemy had throughout the day, as during the previous operations, only fired a gun now and then in reply to our heavy bombardment, and scarcely a man of the Danish garrison was visible the whole time; an ominous stillness seemed to prevail in the town. But as our columns advanced at the pas de charge against the works at the Grave Hof and the Blockhouse, from Seeth and other points, they suddenly appeared in the gardens, on the dykes, and behind the cuttings; in an instant thousands seemed to have risen out of the earth to repel the attack. An unceasing fire of musketry commenced, through which sounded high the whistling of the heavy cannon-balls, the hissing of shells and grenades, [X]

and here and there the sullen roar of an exploding mine. The conflict became terrible; and as night fell was continued by the light from the burning town, which being set on fire was left a prey to the flames, that continually spread wider and wider. Whole square blocks of houses of the regularly built streets we could see catch fire and consume, and the place was soon an ocean of flame. The battle continued to rage wildly for nearly five hours, from 6 till 11 o'clock, and almost wholly in one direction. In the first advance our troops got pretty far forward, but were driven back; the signal to advance was sounded three or four times, and the soldiers formed and went forward again with the greatest courage; but they found behind the works a brave and skilful defence. At last, at 11 o'clock, the signal to retire was given the enemy was too strong; and being covered by the dykes and outer houses and works, could not be dislodged."

The result, therefore, was total failure, and the loss of the Schleswig-Holstein force in the affair was severe. The Stadtholderate immediately ordered an increase of the army by 5000 men, and issued at the same time an address to the German people, in which they said that it was the sacred duty of Germany to send them the aid they required "while there was yet time for it."

On the 23rd of October General Von Radowitz wrote in the name of the Prussian Government to the Stadtholderate at Kiel, offering to mediate between the Duchies and the King of Denmark, and dispatched General Von Hahn to act as the negotiator.

Soon afterwards an Austrian officer arrived at Kiel with dispatches, announcing that unless an immediate cessation of hostilities took place, the Federal States of Germany would put a stop to them by an advance of troops acting. under the orders of the Frankfort Diet.

Early in December, General Willisen resigned the command of the Schleswig-Holstein army, and was succeeded by Baron Von der Horst. The reason of this no doubt was disappointment on the part of the Stadtholders at the want of success on his part, and also because Prussia began to feel the scandal which was occasioned by the continuance in command of the army of the Duchies of a Prussian general, after she had formally and deliberately signed a treaty of peace with the Sovereign with whom those Duchies were at In his own account, however, to the army, of his resignation, General Willisen said—

war.

"The Stadtholders have relieved me of my command. There were conflicting views, and nothing was left for me but to resign. I part from you with the conviction of having done my duty, even in taking this last step. A general in command ought to act only according to his convictions."

Further military operations, however, became unnecessary, for the Duchies were no longer supported by Prussian volunteers, who were recalled by order of the Government, in consequence of the threatening aspect of affairs at home, as will appear in our next chapter; and before the close of the year the Duchies finally submitted to the authority of their Sovereign the King of Denmark.