12180. UNTERREDUNG DES KÖNIGS MIT DEM GROSSBRITANNISCHEN GESANDTEN MITCHELL.

[Proschwitz, 17. Juni 1760.]

Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Gross-Dobritz 30. Juni (most secret) :

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„My Lord, the day before His Prussian Majesty left the camp of Proschwitz, he was pleased to communicate to me, in secret, his intended attack, the next day or day after, on the corps of General Lacy, and the reasons that induced him to make the attempt at this time.

The King of Prussia said that General Lacy's corps were encamped near Moritzburg; that he intended the next morning to march towards Radeburg, and there to throw bridges over the Rœder, in Order to deceive the enemy, as if he was going into Lusatia; that, should they continue firm, he would attack them the day after though obliged to make a detour in Order to get round them and fall upon their right flank; that, if he succeeded, he might perhaps disconcert their plan of Operations, and be enabled to send a detachment to General Fouqué, or his brother Prince Henry, in case of need; that, had he remained in the camps of Katzenhäuser and Schlettau, on the left of the Elbe, the enemy might, with great ease, detach towards Berlin, or cut off all communication between his army and that of his brother Prince Henry, and, by chusing a proper position, might render it impossible for him to send any succour into Silesia.

The reasons he gave for executing this project immediately were, that one body of the Russians seemed to be pointing towards Berlin; that the Austrians were besieging Glatz, and would take one place after another, if timely succour was not sent [to] Fouqué; that the army of the Empire were already at Zwickau, and might be at Dresden by the 21st, which would enable Marshai Daun to reinforce the corps of General Lacy; that therefore he was resolved to attack on the 10that farthest, because he could then fight with less disadvantage than it would be possible for him to do after the junction of the army of the Empire with Marshai Daun: and he concluded with saying that, if he succeeded, all might be saved, — if not, he knew the consequences, but that he had nothing else for it, as the present appeared to be the most favourable moment of risking a battle, with least inequality of numbers ...“

Nach der Ausfertigung im Public Record Office zu London.