3-016-833 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Illustrations of the War in Denmark: fight between the Danes and the Austrians at Veile on the 8th of March, 1864. '...the Austrian infantry regiment of Hesse was sent...across the frozen swamp above the town, to gain the bridge over a little river called the Veile Aa...The Danes fell back, leaving the town, and then took their stand on the steep wooded heights where their artillery was posted, on the north side of Veile. There are a few poor houses at the end of the town, close under the hill, which is the place shown in our Artist's sketch. Along the top of this hill, where the smoke of musketry is seen, the Danes had constructed a sort of breastwork of earth and trunks of trees, from behind which they fired upon the enemy; while upon the second hill, in the middle background they had cut an oblong gap in the thick screen of trees, through which their battery commanded the road below; and they had another battery still farther back, which we observe to our right hand. The Danish guns were 12-pounders. The Danish infantry was about 1600 strong...The resistance of the Danes, however, was only to gain time. They held the Austrians in check till about six o'clock in the evening, when the Danish batteries were withdrawn. From "Illustrated London News", 1864.