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PRUSSIAN CAMPAIGN OF 1806.

333

with them at Zehdenich killed three hundred, took sevenhundred prisoners, and the standard embroidered by thehands of the Queen of Prussia. This was a corps of sixthousand cavalry under Prince Hohenlohe, of subsequentmiracle-working notoriety, who then took refuge with hisrouted division in the fortified town of Pretzlau; Muratbreached the gates, but although he might have made an easyentry, he restrained his troops, humanely wishing to spare thetown the horrors of being taken by assault. In the eveningPrince Hohenlohe was allowed to capitulate, and sixteenthousand infantry, mostly of the Prussian royal guard, sixregiments of cavalry, sixty-four cannon with cassoons com-plete, and forty-five standards with their general at theirhead were marched prisoners before Murat.

I have forgotten to state that the day previous to thiscapture of Hohenlohe , Murat fell in at Wigneensdorf with abrigade of Prussian cavalry, which he charged with suchimpetuosity as to drive many of them into a lake. Fivehundred of the gens d’armes of the Prussian guard, dis-mounted and surrendered ; four standards magnificentlyembroidered in gold, said to be partly the work of theQueen of Prussia were laid at the feet of Murat.

Upon hearing of these wonderful achievements theEmperor wrote to Murat, “ While there is any thing yet todo, nothing has been done. Let me soon hear that thearmy of Blucher has met with the fate of that of Hohen-lohe .” In fact Murat acted up to this vaticination, for fourdays after he took four thousand more Prussians ofBlucher’s army, without counting the slain, and from dayto day attacking and defeating him without recess, he tookLubeck . Finally, only nine days after the receipt of the abovequoted letter of the Emperor , he obliged Blucher to sur-render at Schwartau with all that remained of his oncesplendid army. In the Interim of the capitulations of