A new attack was ordered, but the Austrians resumed their destructive fire. At this crisis the King noticed there was a great gap on the right wing, between the Garde du Corps and the gens d’armes. He rode where the shots were falling thickest, to strengthen the weak spot. When this had been done, he remained there a short time, watching with his glass one of the batteries which was playing havoc with the Garde du Corps. A corporal of the fourth company remarked to a guard: “If we have got to stand here and be shot at, because they won’t let us attack, give me a pinch of snuff.”
The guard took his box from his pouch, and as he was lifting the cover, a cannon-ball shot off his head. In the most cold-blooded way, the corporal turned to his second neighbor and said: “Well, now, you give me a pinch; that one has gone to the d—l.”
While Lieutenant von Byern, who afterward became leader of a cuirassier regiment, was speaking with the man about the accident, another ball killed his horse. The King, who had been watching them closely, rode up to the lieutenant, and then said to the corporal: “You have the proper coolness of a soldier. I shall remember you.”
The corporal was overjoyed because the King had honored him by addressing him, which aroused his hope of promotion.
The Garde du Corps suffered greatly in this battle, for they were exposed to the fire of the battery already mentioned, and every discharge killed some of them. The King greatly deplored it, but he could not relieve them right away. He rode up to them and said in a tone of deep sympathy: “Children, only have patience for a few minutes. Things will quickly change.”
At that instant a shot came close to the King and killed the file leader of the fourth company of the second squadron. His next neighbor said to the King: “Be careful of yourself, Your Majesty, and ride to a safer place. It is more important you should live than we.”
The King turned a grateful look to the speaker and said: “My dear son, I thank you for your honest intentions and good-will. I shall not forget you.”
Hardly had the King gone when a shot killed this honest man on the spot.
The attack was renewed by the Prussians, but their valor was of no avail against the strongly entrenched enemy. Night was approaching, but the Austrians had not been dislodged from their position. Firing was still kept up vigorously on both sides, and the combatants were shot down in rows. Frederick himself did not escape untouched. A bullet stunned him, and with the words, “I am killed,” he fell. Two of his aides instantly ran up to him and searched for the wound, but his thick pelisse had saved him. Opening it, they found that the bullet had passed through his heavy clothing, but had not pierced his body. The King speedily came to himself and coolly said: “It is a matter of no consequence.” The bullet, however, had made a bad contusion on his breast.
As night came on, confusion spread through the ranks, and Frederick was not a little disturbed about the result of the battle. He looked upon it as lost, and the Austrians were rejoicing over the victory they supposed they had gained. Both sides, however, were premature in their conclusions, for almost immediately the situation took on a new aspect.