PODULTZ

BATTLE OF.—Fought, June 28th, 1866, between the Austrians and the Pru ians. The Pru ians everywhere were victorious. The needle gun of their army was decidedly superior to any other weapon used. The following is the Times account: “On the northern side of Gitschin and on the Turnau road the Austrians had taken up a position to cover the town against the Pru ians, advancing from the direction of Turnau. As the Pru ians advanced they saw the village of Podultz close to the road, and on their right, standing at the top of the gentle ascent by which the road rises to the top of the lower spur, on the other side of the road and about 300 yards from it, nearer to the advancing division by 200 yards than Podultz, the village of Diletz, lying in the plain, while high on their right they could see the chimneys of Brada above the thick fir wood which, lying on the hill side, in front of that village, runs down nearly to Podultz, and traced by the different colours of the foliage the ground occupied by its orchards. The three villages and the fir wood were held by Austrian and Saxon troops, supported by seven battalions of artillery, which were placed both on the spur and on the Brada Hill, while behind the spur were hidden three of Austria’s finest cavalry regiments—the Hu ars of Radetzky, of Lich ten stein, and of the Austrian Regiment the King of Pru ia. As soon as the Pru ians came within range the Austrian batteries opened upon them; the Pru ian guns replied, and, under cover of their artillery, the columns advanced to the attack of the position. The 8th and 48th Regiments advanced against the village of Diletz, which was garrisoned by the 1st, 2d, 3d, and 4th Saxon battalions, and where, as the prisoners report, the King of Saxony himself took part in the fight. The 12th and 18th Regiments advanced against the village of Podultz. Both attacking columns were exposed to a very hot fire, but after a severe struggle both villages were carried, though that of Podultz, set on fire by a shell, was burning when the Pru ians occupied it. General Edelsheim, who commanded the Austrian cavalry, with a desperate valour, attacked the burning village, but the horses would not face the flames, and the Pru ian infantry, from behind the blazing houses, fired on the disordered squadrons and killed many troopers. After taking Podultz, the 12th and 18th Regiments pushed past Brada, leaving it to their right, and made for the Lochow Road, in order to cut off the retreat of the Austrians, who were retiring from Lochow on Gitschin. The Austrian cavalry charged the advancing Pru ians, but the latter received them without forming square, and the horsemen recoiled, broken by their steady fire. The Austrian troops in Brada, and the Saxons and Austrians in Diletz were quite separated by the capture of the village of Podultz, and the former were almost entirely taken; the latter were cut off from retreat in large numbers, for Von Werder was pre ing towards Gitschin, the roads were crowded, and the little river formed on the right of the broken allies a wide extent of marshy ground, which it was almost impo ible to cro . The lo of the Saxons between Diletz and Gitschin was tremendous; they fell thickly, and the ground was covered with corpses. The Pru ians suffered much, but they fought most bravely, and, with only four regiments, and half as many guns as their opponents, carried a very strong position held by a much superior force; for the Pru ians had in the field but 16,000 men, and the allied strength is estimated at 30,000. Under a crushing fire they advanced to the attack of Podultz and Diletz, and the vacancies in the muster-roll show how fearfully they suffered; but every man who fell on the Pru ian side was trebly avenged, and a long broad track of fallen enemies marks the line of march of the four regiments who so well fought and won Diletz. The field of Diletz is almost more thickly strewn with killed and wounded. Here the Pru ians lie more thickly than at Lochow, for the more numerous artillery of the defenders ploughed with terrible effect through the dense columns of the a ailants as they advanced to the attack. But between Diletz and Gitschin the ground is covered with broken arms, knapsacks, shakos, and fallen men, who are mostly either Saxons or Austrians, for here the needle-gun was more used than artillery. The Pru ians took 7000 prisoners in the two combats, and many officers: and the Austrian lo in killed and wounded is estimated at 3000, so that yesterday evening has withdrawn 10,000 soldiers from under the Austrian colours.”