So that Bevern, approaching Reichenberg at evening, evening of his
first march, Wednesday, April 20th, finds his way barred; and that
the difficulties may be considerable. "Nothing to be made of it
to-night," thinks Bevern; "but we must try to-morrow!" and has to
take camp, "with a marshy brook in front of him," some way on the
hither side of Reichenberg; and study overnight what method of
unbarring there may be. Thursday morning early, Bevern, having well
reconnoitred and studied, was at work unbarring. Bevern crossed his
own marshy brook; courageously assaulted Konigseck's position, left
wing of Konigseck; stormed the abatis, the batteries, plunged in
upon Konigseck, man to man, horse to horse, and after some fierce
enough but brief dispute, tumbled Konigseck out of the ground.
Konigseck made some attempt to rally; attempted twice, but in vain;
had fairly to roll away, and at length to run, leaving 1,000 dead
upon the field, about 500 prisoners; one or two guns, and I forget
how many standards, or whether any kettle-drums. This was thought
to be a decidedly bright feat on Bevern's part (rather mismanaged
latterly on Konigseck's); [Tempelhof, i. 100; Helden-
Geschichte, iii. 1077 (Friedrich's own Account, "Linay in Bohmen, 24th April, 1757"); &c. &c. There is, in Busching's
italic> Magazin (xvi. 139 et seq.), an intelligible
sketch of this Action of Reichenherg, with satirical criticisms,
which have some basis, on Lacy, Maguire and others, by an Anonymous
Military Cynic,--who gives many such in BUSCHING (that of Fontenoy,
for example), not without force of judgment, and signs of wide
study and experience in his trade.]--much approved by Friedrich, as
he hears of it, at Linay, on his own prosperous march Prag-ward.
A comfortable omen, were there nothing more.

Konigseck and Company, torn out of Reichenberg, and set running,