Oberst Ritter von Trimbach is not a man to nurse grievance over trivial questions of precedence, but he does find that his associate's intrepidity verges on rashness.Consoling himself with a prayer to St. Moritz, von Trimbach sends couriers to summon his company commanders to him, requesting them at the next rest halt to have their Corporals identify men in the ranks with any detailed knowledge of the local terrain of the sort perhaps not captured on the campaign maps.
Two men are identified who know a man ,who knows a man who once was in this part of the Duchy whilst wooing a farmer's daughter. It is established that there might just be some marshland and a stream a few leagues yonder!
Those with local knowledge were proved correct. Our gallant Tradgardlanders advance through the marsh whereupon scouts observe Saschen-Vindow border troops in hastily dug"wolf-pits and in a small copse. After a brief but heated exchange the regimental commanders ask for the advance to be sounded...
Oberst Ritter von Trimbach sends a courier to Brigadier Duda seeking permission to seek a ford further to the left, outside of galling fire from the wolf pits, to cross and reform on the opposite side before assaulting the enemy position.
ReplyDeleteWhile waiting for the reply from Duda, Oberst Trimbach charges the captain of his first company to detach an ensign, corporal to mark off 200 paces downstream, identify the likeliest spot to ford and return to the regiment's main body.
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