It is we who are likely to have the first fighting; for the Austrians must come to the relief of the Saxons, who are shut up, as in a trap, by our divisions.

They made a great mistake in not retiring, at once, into Bohemia; which they could have done without difficulty, had they lost no time.
"There is no greater mistake than shutting a large force up, either in a fortress or an intrenched camp, unless that fortress is an absolute obstacle to an enemy.

This is not the case with Pirna.

The mountains can be crossed at many other points and, by leaving five or six thousand men in a strong position at the end of each defile, we could disregard them altogether, and march on southward.

They have already been three weeks there, and we believe that they cannot hold out very much longer.