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■L
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WITH THE ROYAL HEADaUARTERS
IN 1870-71
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Zhc Woleclc^ Seriea.
The following works have been at present arranged for,
1. WITH THE ROYAL HEADQUARTERS.
By General Verdy du Vbrnois.
2. LETTERS ON STRATEGY,
By Prince Hohbnlohe-Ingelfingbn.
ilmmgdmUly )
3. NAPOLEON AS A GENERAL.
By Count Yorck von Wartbnburg.
4. ON THE CONDUCT OF WAR.
By Libut.-Genbral von dbr Goltz.
5. EXAMPLES IN MILITARY HISTORY.
By Lettow Vorbbck.
6. CROMWELL AS A SOLDIER,
By Major Baldock, R.A.
7. INDIAN FRONTIER WARFARE.
By Major Younghusband, of the "Guides."
8. THE MINOR OPERATIONS UNDERTAKEN BY
GREAT BRITAIN AT THE BEGINNING OF
THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY.
By Capt. Butler, late Rifle Brigade.
Oihtr works will be added.
London : Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd.
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o
With the Royal
Headquarters
In 1870-71
BY
^.u^crf ' C
General J. von VjERDY DU VERNOIS
VOLUME I
01
XCbe Molselei? Series
EDITED BY
Capt. WALTER "h^ JAMES
LONDON
KEGAN PAUL, TRENCH, TRUBNER & CO. Ltd*
Paternoster House, Charing Cross Road
1897
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LONDON
PRINTBD BY GILBBST AND RIVINGTON, LD.,
ST. JOHN'S HOUSB, CLBRKBNWBLL ROAD, K.C«
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THIS VOLUME
BEING THE FIRST
OF
**THE WOLSELEY SERIES"
IS BY
EXPRESS PERMISSION
Dedicated
TO
Field -Marshal
THE VISCOUNT WOLSELEY
K.P., G.C.B., G.C.M.G.
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE FORCES
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Gibraltar, April lytli, 1897.
DsAR Captain James,
I HAVE read with interest the list you have sent
me of the military works to be published as "The
Wolseley Series."
The subjects are wisely chosen, and the authors will
be generaUy accepted as soldiers who are competent to
express valuable opinions upon them.
I am much flattered by having my name associated
with an undertaking that is designed to improve the
professional knowledge of our officers, and I rejoice to
feel that under your able editorship its success is assured.
In some instances I see you are not only editor but also
translator, for which duty, if you will allow me to say so,
your intimate knowledge of the German idiom eminently
qualifies you.
I hope the officers of her Majesty's army may never
degenerate into bookworms. There is happily at present
no tendency in that direction, for I am glad to say that
this generation is as fond of danger, adventure, and all
manly out-of-door sports as its forefathers were. At the
same time, all now recognize that the officer who has not
studied war as an applied science, and who is ignorant
of modem military history, is of little use beyond the
rank of Captain. The principle of selection, pure and
simple, is gradually being applied to the promotion of all
officers, especially in the higher grades. As years go
on this system will be more and more rigidly enforced.
It is gratifying to know that a large proportion of our
young officers are ambitious, and without doubt there is
now many a subaltern who hopes to be a Field- Marshal
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VllI
or to be shot in the attempt. Experience enables me to
warn all these determined men of how small their chance
is of ever reaching any great position in the army unless
they devote many of their spare hours every week to a
close study of tactics and strategy as dealt with in the
best books upon recent wars.
In this series of military works from the pens of
first-class writers, the military student will find ample
material to assist him in fitting himself for high com-
mandy and in the interest of the Empire and of the army
I earnestly hope he will avail himself of it.
I know how truly this work is undertaken as a labour
of love by you as editor and by all who are helping you.
But I also know that you and they will feel amply repaid
if it assists the young officer to learn the science of his
profession and, in doing this, to improve the fighting
value of the service, to the true interests of which we are
one and all sincerely devoted.
Believe me to be,
Very truly yours,
WOLSELEY.
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THE WOLSELEY SERIES.
The object of this series of books is to place before
British officers and others translations of the best foreign
military books in an English dress. It is also intended
to add original works on portions of our military history
which have, hitherto, been somewhat neglected. The
great part played in national life by the armies of con-
tinental nations, has given rise to a much larger military
literature than exists in England. The incessant struggle
for supremacy has led to the production by master-minds
of treatises on various parts of the art of war, which are
of the highest importance, but many of which have
hitherto only existed in their own language. It will be
the aim of this series to make them available to English
readers.
England has been engaged in no great war since the
beginning of the century. It follows, therefore, that both
strategy and tactics have been more widely treated by
foreign authors than by our own, not only for the
reason set forth above, but also because having usually
taken a personal part in them they are naturally more
interested therein.
It is sometimes urged that lessons of continental
conflicts are in no wise useful to ourselves ; this is
ridiculous. The guiding principles of the operations of
war are the same, whether they are conducted against
civilized or savage foes. If our army were prepared
only to meet the latter it need scarcely be maintained in
its present form, but no one can say with our widespread
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Empire that we shall not be called upon to meet civilized
opponents. If we are able to deal with them, we shall
certainly have no difficulty in defeating savages, for it is
by the training and discipline which render troops fit to
meet those of their own state of civilization that they
prove superior to the savage when they meet him in the
field.
Strategy is the same, whether used against Arabs or
Frenchmen. The tactics employed differ as the weapons
of the enemy differ. But the soldiers trained to meet
the highest class of opponents ate, ipso facto ^ better quali-
fied to deal with the inferior.
This series, therefore, will contain translations of well-
known foreign writers, and it will also contain original
English works dealing with the kind of warfare in which
we are most frequently engaged, and with certain special
phases of British military experience which have hitherto
been somewhat inadequately dealt with. The history
of British arms is replete with interest and is second
to none in moving incidents of gallantry. Many of
these have already been recorded, but the actual lessons
to be learned from them have not always been systemati-
cally treated. It is hoped, as this series progresses, to do
so, and to secure for future generations the practical
deductions to be made from the deeds of British soldiers.
A list of the volumes already arranged for will be found at
the beginning of this book, and it will be the aim of the
editor to add from time to time such works only as seem
of the first importance in the theory and record of military
achievement.
Walter H. James.
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^^
AUTHOR'S PREFACE.
These "Personal Recollections of the War of 1870-71,**
now first issued in book form, have already been partially
published in articles which appeared in the " Deutsche
Rundschau " in 1874 and 1895. Going again through my
letters and the notes in my diary of that period, I have
here and there added additional matter.
But still they are nowise intended to form an exhaustive
description of the war, or even a complete record of
personal experiences. Their publication is due to the
renewed interest in those great events which the twenty-
five years' jubilee has awakened, and their object is a
limited one, viz. to give an insight into the daily life of
the Royal Headquarters Staff during those times. The
opinions held and mental impressions formed at par-
ticular moments with regard to the great events of the war
are recorded for the most part in the form in which they
were noted down at the time, without regard to whether,
in the light of better information, they subsequently
proved correct or wide of the mark. For thus only can
the " Recollections " give a faithful picture of the views
obtaining at particular junctures.
J. Von Verdy.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS,
patt h
THE WAR WITH THE FRENCH EMPIRE.
PAGB
I. From the Mobilisation to the Removal of
THE Royal Headquarters to Mainz.
1. Before mobilisation— The German plan of campaign 3
2. Declaration of war — biographical notes on the
Commanders-in-Chief and the Staff of the Royal
Headquarters 16
3. Measures taken by the French — Protection of
the frontier — Departure of the Royal Headquarters
from Berlin for Mainz 32
II. The Course of Operations up to the Invest-
ment of Metz.
1. Stay in Mainz — Engagement of Weissenburg —
Battles of W5rth and Spicheren .... 45
2. From Mainz to Pont h. Mousson —Battles of Colom-
bey-Nouilly and Vionville-Mars La Tour . . 58
3. Battle of Gravelotte-St. Privat yy
III. The March to Sedan.
1. The Advance 107
2. Battle of Beaumont 117
3. Battle of Sedan 126
part H,
THE STRUGGLE WITH THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.
I. The March from Sedan to Paris.
I. General Survey 142
2« Donchery—Vendresse—Rethel—Rheims— Chateau
Thierry and Meaux 145
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xiv Contents
PACK
II. The Royal Headquarters at FerriAres. (19th
September to the 4th October.)
1. General View of the Situation 158
2. Particulars of our stay at Ferri^res . . . .164
III. Versailles.
1. Events up to the fall of Metz, 28th-29th October
--The engagement at Malmaison— Capitulation
of the French army at Metz — Quarters and life
at Versailles .... . 179 — 203.
2. From the fall of Metz to the bombardment of Paris
— Negotiations for an armistice — The Battle of
Villiers-Champi^y — Christmas . . . 204—226
3. From the beginnmg of the bombardment to the end
of the war 230
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INTRODUCTION.'
The author of these reminiscences, whose portrait is
given on the front page, General Julius Adrian Friedrich
WilhelmvonVerdy du Vernois, sometime Prussian Minister
of War, and well known as among the first military writers
in Germany, is d^cended from one of those emigrant
French Huguenot families which have furnished so many
distinguished soldiers and officials to the Prussian service.
He was bom in 1832 in the town of Freistadt, in Silesia,
and educated for the career of arms at the Cadet Schools of
Potsdam and Berlin, which latter he left in 1850, on being
appointed to the 14th Foot, then stationed in Berlin, with
the rank of second lieutenant. In after years Verdy
wrote the history of this, his first regiment, and on his
retirement from the army in 1890 the Emperor William
appointed him its honorary chief.
During the years 1855-8 he went through the usual
course of instruction at the Staff College in Berlin, firom
which he was appointed to do duty on the General Staff,
for a time in the Topographical Branch, until in the year
1861 he was definitely appointed to it, with the rank of
captain.
Verdy served on the staff in every grade up to the year
* For a considerable portion of the personal details in the Intro-
duction I am indebtea to Mr. Sidney Whitman, the well-known
auUior of " Imperial Germany." — Ed.
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xvi Introduction
1877, when he was promoted to the rank of major-
general. In 1879 he was appointed Director of the
General War Department, forming part of the Ministry of
War ; in 1881 he was made lieutenant-general ; in 1883,
Governor of Strasburg ; in 1888, full general ; and in April,
1889, Minister of War, in which position it fell to him to
defend in the Reichstadt the proposals of the Government
for the now existing military organisation. Shortly
afterwards, in October, 1890, Verdy retired into private
life, and was awarded by the Emperor one of the highest
personal distinctions in Germany — the " Ordre pour le
M6rite." ^
These are the bare official records of a busy life, during
which he played an important part in many historical
events of the first magnitude.
It is a long-standing custom in the Prussian service
to send officers of the General Staff abroad whenever
stirring events are happening, that they may gain experi-
ence and utilise it later for the benefit of their own army.
Thus von Verdy found himself suddenly taken away
from his routine work and sent to Poland during the
rebellion in the "sixties," where he was attached for a period
of nearly three years (January, 1863, until December, 1865)
to the headquarters of the Russian Army, at first under
Grand Duke Constantine, subsequently under Count
Berg.
During the Pnisso-Austrian War of 1866 von Verdy
served as major on the staff of the Crown Prince (the late
Emperor Frederick), who commanded the Second Army,
having previously been employed on the Headquarters
Staff in Berlin, in the section which dealt with the Austrian
Army. The war of 1870 found him a lieutenant-colonel and
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I NTRODUCTION XVll
chief of a section of the staff of the Royal Headquarters
under Count Moltke. It is to his experiences on this
occasion that we owe the present narrative. Von Verdy
was thrown into continual personal contact with the
great leaders of this memorable campaign, and thus his
recollections are of considerable historical value and
interest.
After the war von Verdy's scientific attainments found a
fine field of usefulness in his appointment as Professor of
Tactics at the Staff College at Berlin, where his name soon
became famous in connection with the system of instruc-
tion devised by him and known to military students as the
"Applied Method," an ingenious plan by which the
student is intelligently led to the practical solution of
military problems by the study of similar historical
instances. Throughout his career von Verdy has been a
voluminous writer on military subjects. In addition to
the ** Royal Headquarters," the following is a list of his
principal works, several of which have been translated into
French, English, Russian, Italian, Swedish, Danish and
Dutch :—
" The Second Army in the Campaign of 1866."
** Studies in the Leading of Troops."
(1) "The Infantry Division as Part of an
Army Corps." ^
(2) " The Cavalry as Part of an Army."
(3) ''Studies on the Regulations for Field
Ser vice."
"A Contribution to the Question of Cavalry
Practice-Rides."
' This has been translated by Colonel Hildyard, Commandant of
the Staff College.
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xviii Introduction
'• A Contribution to the War Game."
"Practical Studies in Military History."
(i) "Tactical Details from the Battle of
custozza." *
"Studies on War Based on the Franco-German
War, 1870-71/' of which three parts have been
published.
The ordinary military histories, like most other
historical works, fail in giving to the reader the well-springs
of thought which have led to the deeds they record. It is
impossible to pass a judgment on the latter unless we know
the mental processes which determined them. In the
following pages we find published the views held at the
time of action by those who devised the operations which
laid the power of France prostrate at the feet of new-born
Germany.
It is only within the last few years that we are be-
ginning to know the inner life of the German military
leaders during this war. The " Official Account" is very
official, and neither awards blame nor distributes praise.
Nothing contained therein reveals the opinion of the Royal
Headquarters Staff on Steinmetz, on the Grand Duke of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin, on the problem of the duration of
the war after Sedan, or the still more vexed question as to
" bombardment " or ** blockade" for the speedy reduction
of Paris.
All these points are dealt with in Verdy's book, the
translation of which is now offered to the British public.
The work is not only of general interest to the ordinary
reader, it is of especial value to the military student.
^ Translated by Colonel Henderson, Professor of Military Art and
History, Staff College.
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Introduction xix
Those who know the general course of the Franco-
German War will find many difficult points cleared up by
a perusal of the straightforward record of the following
pages.
For its general and particular interest, therefore, this
book has been chosen to take the first place in the
'' Wolseley Series."
A map of the theatre of war has been added, which was
not published with the original.
Walter H. James.
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f irat pavt
THE WAR WITH THE FRENCH
EMPIRE
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f ir0t l^art.
THE WAR WITH THE FRENCH
EMPIRE.
I. Prom the Mobilisation to the Removal
of the Royal Headquarters from Berlin
to Mainz.
I. Before Mobilisation. — German Plan of Cam-
paign.
In the commencement of July, 1870, the third class of the
StaffCollege students began the practical Staff Tour which
forms the termination of their three years course. It
was under the direction of the Instructor in Staff Duties,
Lieutenant-Colonel Bronsart von Schellendorf I, Out
of friendship for him, as well as from interest in the
tour, Lieutenant-Colonel von Brandenstein, Captain von
Hahnke and myself undertook, as we had in previous
years, to lead the various sections. This practical
instruction in the subjects which have formed the course
of military education at the Staff College is of the highest
value, and it is always looked forward to with the greatest
pleasure by all those who are to join it. It is, indeed, not
only that part of the three years of study which is the
most instructive from a professional point of view, but
also, in spite of the hard work it sometimes involves, it is
B 2
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4 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
one of the most agreeable and one which an officer ever
after remembers with pleasure. The change from the
office and study to a healthy outdoor life, the fresh air,
the riding through country frequently unknown, the
stimulating effect of the constant exercise of those
faculties, so abundant among our military youth, all have
a singular charm of their own. When, therefore, we
assembled at Oranienburg we were all in high spirits
at the prospect before us.
But no sooner had we started than the first news
arrived that the Spanish Ministry had offered the vacant
throne to the hereditary Prince Leopold of HohenzoUem,
and that the offer having been made public had aroused
among the French nation a general, though perhaps
artificially nurtured, excitement which brought a collision
with Prussia within the range of possibility. As incident
succeeded incident the possibility at times seemed a
certainty, and then again the situation would become less
strained. Of course we took great interest in these
occurrences, without, however, allowing them to interfere
with our work. The idea of a war with France was not
novel to us, it had been in the air for a long time, and
had even seemed probable in 1866, before the peace with
Austria was concluded, when the French hankering after
the left bank of the Rhine found expression, if only for a
short time, in official despatches. Ever since then we
had been convinced that a collision sooner or later was
inevitable ; but we were in a position to await it with
equanimity. Our army was ready to strike, our alliance
with the other German states solidly established, and
we had employed our time in making the most careftil
preparations.
And yet, no one thought that a war would break out at
that particular time. King William I. was at Ems ; the
chief counsellors of the Crown were nearly all away from
Berlin; and the officers on whom the preparations for
any war would chiefly fall, especially those of the General
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The War with the Fhench Empire 5
StaflFand of the Ministry of War, were for the most part
absent, either on official tours, or on leave.
The news from France of course attracted considerable
attention, but did not call for any immediate measures. '
On our part there was no wish to bring about a war,
which was thought the less probable at the moment as
the candidature of the Hereditary Prince had nothing to
do with German affairs. How far our leading authorities
were from desiring war just then the correspondence given
below will show.
On the nth July the War Minister at Berlin, General
von Roon, received from Ems the following telegram
from the King's aide-de-camp, General von Treskow ' :
" The intelligence from Paris, which will have been
communicated to you by the Foreign Office, requires that
the necessary measures should be prepared which may be
required for the protection of the Rhenish Provinces,
Mainz and Saarlouis. His Majesty the King expects
immediate proposals, if necessary by telegraph, to meet
the occasion."
This was the answer : —
" nth July, 4 o'clock p.m.
*' To His Majesty the King, Ems.
"After considering the matter mentioned in this
morning's telegram, and consulting the Ministers
of State here present, Privy Counsellor von Thiele,
General von Podbielski and Colonel von Stiehle,'
I humbly propose to your Majesty not to take any
special steps, because Saarlouis can be made safe from
assault within twenty-four hours, and the fortress of
Mainz, situated at five days' marches from the frontier, can
be supplied with a sufficient garrison within forty-eight
hours. But partial military measures on our part would
* General von Treskow is described as " General-Adjutant,** i.e. a
general officer holding the appointment of aide-de-camp. —Ed.
* He was officiating as chief of the staff dur ng the absence of von
Moltke.
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6 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
call for similar ones on the part of the enemy and we
should drift into war. If your Majesty is of opinion
from definite news of offensive measures on the part
of the French, that war is unavoidable, then the
immediate mobilisation of the whole army would be
advisable.
" (Signed) v. RooN."
More than once in former times when the political situa-
tion was threatening had the army been gradually brought
to a war footing by successive steps, which had clearly
shown the unsatisfactory character of such a proceeding.
For as mobilisation for war demands the whole fighting
strength of the state it can only be well done when it
is carried out in a uniform manner and as one act.
Moreover, owing to the universal liability to bear arms,
the mobilisation of the army is a measure of such far-
reaching importance, entailing sacrifices felt most severely
by every class of nation, that it should only be resorted to
when war appears absolutely unavoidable. When once the
army is on a war footing, it will scarcely be possible to
arrest the course of events, if the political questions involved
be such that, in public opinion, they can only be solved
by an appeal to arms.
It is the duty of the War Ministry and the Staff to
prepare in time of peace so that everything may be ready
for mobilisation and surprise made impossible, if the
diplomatic authorities are equal to their task.
During the course of the tour we were at Neu-Ruppin,
where we had taken up our quarters for some days, when
the news arrived which showed us that the diplomatic
situation had become more acute. Many an exciting hour
we consequently passed with our friends of the 24th
Regiment (the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Schwerin's),
who were quartered there and who had received us in
the most hospitable manner. No one who has actually
known what war really is, and has been an eye-witness of
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The War with the French Empire 7
the misery and distress which it produces, even to the
successful side, can possibly wish for it. But on the other
hand it is easy to understand how the soldier, when once
war has been decided upon, looks fozward with pleasure to
entering on the highest duties of the calling to which he
has devoted his life. When we left Neu-Ruppin,
therefore, we parted from our comrades with the words,
" May we meet again on the field of honour." But very
different was the meeting with our gallant friends of the
24th Regiment from what we had looked forward to in
those pleasant hours at Neu-Ruppin. It was on the field of
VionviUe — Mars-la-Tour, when we rode over it with General
von Moltke on the 17th August, the day after the battle.
There we found them lying in heaps on the position they
had bought with their blood. LoyaUy had the regiment
done its part to mn the imperishable fame of that day,
with a loss of no less than 56 officers, one surgeon and
logg men in killed and wounded. Among the fallen were
its commander, three field officers and. the whole of its
captains and company commanders.
Immediately after our departure from Neu-Ruppin the
rising waves calmed down again for a time, in consequence
of the Hereditary Prince's reftisal to accept the Crown of
Spain. We were again able to think calmly of our plans
for the future, and each began to consider what to
do after the tour was finished. When we were in
Templin on the 15th July the situation suddenly changed
again. We had just finished our dinner, when a telegram
directed the leader of the tour, Lieutenant-Colonel von
Bronsart, to return to Berlin immediately, and ordered me
to take command. A few hours later Brandenstein,
whose duty on the Headquarters Staff was to super-
intend the arrangement for the transport of the
troops, was recalled, and soon afterwards a similar
order came for me also. Meanwhile a rumour had
already spread at Templin that during the night the
order for mobilisation would be issued, a rumour which
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8 With the Royai- Headquarters in 1870-71
seemed to be confirmed by the fact that the telegraphic
office in the town was to be kept open.
Under these circumstances Hahnke also joined me, and
we both drove on a hurriedly hired country cart by
moonlight to the nearest railway station, Angermunde.
The students of the Staff College left Templin, some that
same day, others on the following morning, as they
received orders, to join their regiments with the least
delay possible. Our horses were brought back by road.
At the station of Angermunde we found Brandenstein
waiting, as there had been no train since he came. We
here learned that the orders for mobilisation had been
given, and found the battalion quartered there at work,
as soon as it was daylight, getting ready for war. The
men were either procuring their new uniforms for the
field and their ammunition, or were engaged in bringing
the waggons out of their shelters and loading them.
From all sides men were streaming into the station, singly
or in small detachments, to join their regiments, or to
accompany transport. Everything was in fiiU movement.
The mobilisation had evidently begun, and deep was the
impression which it, the forerunner of grave times and
bloody conflicts, made upon us.
We went on to Berlin by the next train, and arriving
there in the course of the morning, went direct from the
station to the office, 66 Behrenstrasse. Looking now at
the palace on the Konigsplatz, one wonders not a little
how the old building with its cramped accommodation
could ever have contained the whole apparatus of the
Headquarters Staff. In addition to it there was only
another smaller house in the Schonenberger Strasse on
the other side of the canal (rented, I believe), in which
the trigonometrical section was located.
When we left the office for home that evening we were
able to say with the fullest conviction, " Ever5rthing is
ready. Go on I " Various notions are prevalent among
people as to what is meant by the preparations for war.
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The War with the French Empire 9
and it may therefore be useful to explain them a little
more definitely. They are the business of different
authorities, but chiefly of the Ministry of War and the
General r Staff. The duty of the former is, mainly, to
see to the mobilisation and supplies of every kind (such
as ammunition, rations, etc.) ; that of the latter to arrange
everything to do with the operations of war, i.e. the move-
ments of the army in the field. Both departments must
and should prepare, down to the minutest detail, every-
thing necessary long before the outbreak of war.
When the mobilisation is completed the troops have to
be transported, according to a pre-arranged plan, firom
their peace stations to the points where they are to be
massed. The choice of these depends on the objects
which the leaders have ultimately in view. They must,
therefore, be carefully considered and determined on
beforehand. Their selection and the consequences which
may arise from concentrating the troops at them, form
what is generally called "The plan of campaign."
It must here be observed, however, as the late Field
Marshal Count von Moltke has pointed out in the official
account of the 1870-71 war and in other writings, that by
such a plan of campaign is not meant a complete working
out of all the operations to the end of the war, for it is
impossible to foretell what will occur after the first collision
with the antagonist. What happens after that, will
depend on the circumstances under which it has taken
place and the exact situation created by the result of the
action. A commander-in-chief will, no doubt, alwa3rs
have certain main objects in view which will take different
shapes, according to the character of the situation at the
outbreak of the war, or the course which events may take
subsequently. In 1870, there was no doubt as to what
the main object was. It consisted in getting at the French
army and beating it whenever found. That done,
diplomacy would be free in its turn to attain its objects.
Different conditions may, however, make it necessary to
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lo With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
try, first, to solve lesser tasks. Thus in the Danish wars,
the enemy's army was beyond our reach as soon as it
withdrew to the great islands, and we had then to con-
fine ourselves to the occupation of his territory on the
main land ; we could only aim at the possession of such
islands as it was possible to reach with the means
available. But in a war with France, we saw that
everything depended on defeating the French army, and
there was, therefore, only one course for us to pursue, viz.
to mass our own forces as near as possible to the frontier,
and then, after completing our assembly, to make for the
enemy, wherever he might be. Of course we might make
our conjectures as to where this would be, but whether the
enemy would take exactly the course which we considered
the right one, could not be foretold with any certainty.
For the dispositions of an opponent depend on the views
he holds and the objects he desires to attain. Hence just
as opinions in ordinary life differ widely, even on the
simplest matters, so also in war, what one side expects the
other to do, may often be exactly the reverse of what
actuaUy occurs.
Shortly after General von Moltke became chief of the
staff of the Prussian army he had laid down his views as
to the conduct of a war against France. In the course of
succeeding years these had been revised and developed in
accordance with the changes which had taken place
meanwhile in the political and military situation,
alterations and additional preparations being made
wherever it seemed necessary. The General's plans had
received the sanction of the King, and thus in 1870, all
the orders and other arrangements needed when war
might break out with France, were all ready elaborated in
the Staff Office, and it was only necessary to fill in the
date on each document. Similarly at the Ministry of War
all the requisite preparations were finished and all the
instructions were ready to be issued forthwith.
The main idea of von Moltke's plan for the conduct of
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The War with the French Empire 1 1
the wax was to act on the offensive. With this end in
view the massing of our troops had to be executed in such
a manner that the war could be immediately carried into
the enemy's country and in a direction which would
ensure meeting his main body. Owing to its geographical
position, the German territory on the left bank of the
Rhine, Rhenish Prussia and the Bavarian Palatinate,
projecting far into France, seemed to the General the
fittest place for concentrating our forces. An advance
was possible from here in every direction, even if the
French were not to respect the neutrality of Belgium and to
march through that country. At the same time, it was
the best way of protecting South Germany. For if the
French should advance from Strassburg> we were in a
position, possessing as we did the passages of the Rhine,
to meet them with superior forces on either bank of the
river. Should they make the attempt to push through
Baden and Wurttemberg, such an undertaking could be
easily checked on our part by an advance on the right
bank, which would have cut their communications and
involved them in a catastrophe in case of defeat.
The result of these considerations was that von Moltke
determined to assemble the main force on the left bank of
the Rhine, and to advance thence to seek the enemy and
bring about a decisive action.
But he had also not forgotten the course the enemy
might pursue to oppose him.
It may here be remarked that in making a plan of
operation it is always well to begin first of all by getting
a clear idea of what our own intentions are and only
then to ask oneself what the opponent may do to foil them.
If the opposite course were taken, and one were first to
consider what the opponent could do, and then deduce
one's own plan, the latter would be dependent on the
opponent's will. This would be to allow him to lay down
the course of procedure and deprive oneself of the most
important factor in the conduct of war, viz. the initiative.
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12 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
Taking into consideration the movements the French
were capable of, the General came to the conclusion
that owing to the geographical position of France and
the arrangement of the railroads, the French army
would most likely be assembled in two groups, the
main army in Lorraine round Metz and a second of
lesser strength in Alsace. If the French determined to
concentrate a greater preponderance of their force on the
one side or on the other, this would only be possible at the
expense of the time which would be consumed in the
transport by rail of the extra troops. To have acted thus
would also have lessened the security of the territory
denuded of troops.
Assuming the enemy to act as supposed, it was deemed
advisable to push our main army forward towards
Lorraine. At the same time it was not forgotten
that by so doing the French corps, which would pre-
sumably assemble in Alsace, would be left on the flank, or
rather in the rear, of our advance, and might by moving
in a northerly direction seriously endanger any prolonged
oflFensive movement towards the interior of France.
Moreover, it was impossible to leave South Germany
exposed to the attack of this force, even if were only a
small one. It was necessary, therefore, to have a separate
army capable of meeting any French forces that might
assemble in Alsace. By assembling it at first on both
sides of the Rhine close to the frontier, we reniained free
to use it as occasion might require, wholly or in part,
on the one or the other bank of the river. But operations
of the character indicated could only arise in case the
French succeeded in assuming the offensive before we
were ready. If no such movement took place on the
part of the enemy while we were engaged in con-
centrating our forces, the army forming our left wing
might then be utilised for the offensive, against Strass-
burg by the left bank of the Rhine. This would stop
any advance of the French .towards Southern Ger*
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The War with the French Empire 13
many and thus effectually protect that part of our
territory.
If on the other hand the enemy's forces in Alsace were
to make a stand against us and be beaten^ we should then
be in a position to advance with the part or perhaps the
whole of our left wing into the interior of France.
Taking all these facts into consideration, General von
Moltke's plan was briefly as follows. The greater part of
our forces, divided into two armies on account of its size,
was to be concentrated on the Saar and then pushed over
it, while a third army was to be assembled between
Landau and Germersheim, with a view to assuming
the offensive against Alsace. The Baden and Wurttem-
berg troops were at first to be left on the right bank of the
Rhine.*
It was also necessary to consider the possibility of the
enemy landing on our coasts, and the effect of con-
siderable French forces rapidly advancing into German
territory, without waiting to be completely equipped for
war. From the former not much was to be feared,
as our offensive movement into France would make the
troops, destined for a descent on the coasts of the
North Sea and the Baltic, much more necessary at
home than there. In case the French should make such
an attempt, the reserve formations available along the
coast could meet them in sufficient strength ; aided as
they would be by an infantry division, which had to be
left behind in any case, for use if necessary against
Denmark, whose attitude was somewhat doubtful.
As regards an advance of the enemy with imperfectly
mobilised forces, the General did not think it quite out of
the question, but believed that such an operation would
be highly dangerous and unfortunate for the French. We
' This army was in the war known as the Third Army, and the
Baden and Wurttcmberg Divisions formed part of it It was never
necessary to leave these behind, as the French did not assume the
oflfensive. — Ed.
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14 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
needed, in that case, only to place the points at which our
own corps were to detrain a little farther back, which could
be done even after the transport of the troops had already
begun, and then we should be certain very shortly to have
sufficient force at our disposal to meet the attack with
every prospect of success, while the enemy would
undoubtedly begin to feel all those disadvantages which
must arise when troops are brought into the field before
they are fully equipped for war.
Finally, our relations with Austria had to be considered.
It was clearly quite natural that this state should be
anxious to make good at the first opportunity which
offered, the damage which it had suffered in and since the
unsuccessful war of 1866. Its internal difficulties and its
financial position were, indeed, great obstacles, and it
might be assumed that Austria-Hungary would only take
part in the conflict if France gained some success. But
still we were bound to reckon with the possibility of
action being taken by the former. The existing con-
ditions, however, furnished the means to meet this
contingency. For the transport of the immense masses
of men from the interior of Germany to and beyond
the Rhine could only be accomplished gradually, and it
was necessary to bring more than one corps by each of the
through lines of railway, so that the last detachments
could only be moved after a considerable interval. Before
this was ended it would become clear whether Austria
meant to enter at once into the conflict. If up to this
moment she had not commenced to mobilise, a consider-
able start would be gained for our operations against
France ; which we were strong enough to begin without
waiting for the last corps to be brought up by rail. These
would, therefore, remain available if needed for use against
Austria, and the General would have formed them into a
defensive army, which, resting on Dresden and the for-
tresses of the Elbe, was considered sufficiently strong to
meet the first advance of the Austrians.
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The War with the French Empire 15
Such were the chief points considered in General von
Moltke's plan, and for which all the necessary prepara-
tions had been worked out absolutely complete, down to
the smallest detail, and approved of by the King. When,
therefore, the order for mobilisation was given there was
nothing to be altered and everything ran its course as
intended.
It is evident from what has been said that, at the com-
mencement of the war it was, speaking generally, the
French army which formed our objective ; at the same time
it is clear that the plan of operations could not possibly go
beyond the assembly of our forces, their distribution, and
the beginning of hostilities. After this anything like a
pre-arranged plan was out of the question ; what would be
done next depended entirely on the way events might
shape themselves. But no one could foresee with certainty
how that would be.
What I have said will probably suffice to give a rough
outline of the nature of the plan of campaign and of the
considerations on which it was based. Although a good
many other and important factors had to be dealt with in
working out so extremely complicated an affair, many
of which would have considerable influence on the issue
of the war.
The manner in which the various armies were con-
stituted depended, partly on the tasks allotted to them,
and partly on the direction of our railway lines. The
First Army was made up of the VII. and VIII. Army
Corps ; the Second Army of the Guards, the III., IV.,
IX., X., and XII. Saxon Corps ; while the Third Army was
composed of the V. and XI. Prussian and the I. and 11.
Bavarian Corps, as well as the Wurttemberg and Baden
Divisions.
At first the corps which would be the last to be trans-
ported, and which were in case of need reserved for action
against Austria, were not incorporated in the armies.
They were the I., II., and VI. Army Corps, as well as the
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1 6 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
17th Infantry Division, which was told oif to watch
Denmark. The newly formed Landwehr Divisions, ist,
2nd, and 3rd, and Guards were also left behind, for the
present to protect the coast.
The cavalry, except that which was attached to the
infantry divisions, was formed into six independent divisions
of unequal strength, some of which were placed under the
commanders of the three armies, while others at first
remained available for use as needed.
2. Declaration of War — Biographical Notes on
THE Commanders-in-Chief and the Staff of
THE Royal Headquarters.
The occurrences which had meanwhile taken place at
Ems are well known. The demand made by the French
Ambassador to King William to give an assurance that he
would never again allow a HohenzoUern prince to become
a candidate for the Spanish throne was an insult which
the whole German nation felt as one inflicted on itself.
The threatening news from Paris induced the King to
return to Berlin on the 15th July. The Crown Prince,
the Prime Minister, as well as the Minister for War
and General von Moltke, went to meet him as far as
Brandenburg, and when he entered the capital he was
received with the greatest enthusiasm by the population.
The report of a general mobilisation in France being
confirmed, the same order was immediately issued, during
the night of the 15th — i6th July, to all the troops belonging
to the North German Confederation. The same night a
similar order was also given in Baden, and directly
afterwards in Bavaria and Wurttemberg.
Such was the state of affairs when we arrived in Berlin
on the i6th July from our tour. The next few days were
passed by us in answering the most varied demands for
information and in sifting the reports coming in from all
sides, especially those concerning the French army. In
addition to this we had to re-arrange the office work in
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The War with the French Empire ty
accordance with the redistribution of the Headquarters
Staff for war purposes, and to tell off the various officers,
who were now arriving from every point of the compass to
constitute the staff, to their new duties.
It may be observed here that the work of Staff Officers
at any Supreme Headquarters confines them for the most
part to their office. It is only there that the reports and
information arriving uninterruptedly from all sides can
be sorted and transmitted to the various sections to be
worked out. Owing to the extension of the telegraph
system the officers engaged in this work do not get to
rest until late at night, after all the reports from distant
corps and differen^ detachments have come in. In
addition to this there are the necessax}' consultations
about the situation at the moment, the issuing of orders,
and the interchange of opinions with regard to possible
future events. Consequently the members of the General
Staff spend but little time out-of-doors except when march-
ing, or when an action is expected, or when, as happens
not infrequently to some of them, especially the Chiefs of
Sections, they are sent off to different army or other com-
manders to explain the intentions of the Supreme Head-
quarters or to ascertain the views of the former on the
situation before them. During the hours spent in the office
waiting for information, and not occupied with official work,
time is available to note down current events in a diary, to
assist one's memory in writing letters for the information of
those at home. This is how I am now able to give in-
formation about battles, and other comments, as they were
written down at the time. These notes were not, of course,
made on the actual day, but only when a free moment was
available for the purpose.
We were so occupied in Berlin that we had scarcely
a minute to spare to look after our personal outfit,
which we had to leave chiefly to others. It is a good
plan to make in peace time an exact list of all that
is needed for war, and to revise the list from time to
c
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i8 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
time. To procure the number of horses required (each
Chief of a Section wanted eight, including carriage
horses, instead of the peace strength of three), besides the
necessary saddlery, requires a great deal of time. Every
Chief of a Section must also have a carriage to take his
baggage and that of the officers in his Section, as well as
some materials for office work. In this respect, Branden-
stein and myself made an agreement which proved very
useful afterwards : he procured a covered waggon for the
luggage, large enough to carry his and his officers' baggage
as well as that of my Section ; and I got an open brake,
with room for twelve persons, including the driver. This
carriage, which we baptized the ** War Chariot," did us
excellent service. It enabled us when moving long
distances equivalent to two days' march (for the head-
quarters remained in the same place as long as possible),
to do the journey quicker than otherwise would have been
possible, as we were able to send relays of horses in
advance. Besides which we were able to go to work as fresh
as possible, as soon as we had reached our new quarters.
Moreover, as we were all together in the brake when
driving, we could use maps better than if we had been on
horseback, and we had plenty of time to discuss the
situation in all its bearings, so that no time was lost in
doing so before beginning work. The " War Chariot " was
also placed at the disposal of officers who were sent with
special missions to the various Army Headquarters. The
riding horses were led close behind, so that the officers on
arrival at their destination could mount comparatively
fresh horses and accompany the troops on the march or
to the battle-field.
The formations of the various armies for the war and
the appointments thereby rendered necessary were made
shortly after mobilisation. The choice of proper indivi-
duals to command the armies is very important, for,
however well the sword may be sharpened, it still needs
an arm that can wield it, and the question was to find the
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The War with the French Empire 19
right arm for each place. This heavy responsibility
rested on the Military Cabinet, at the head of which
General von Tresckow then stood, aided by Colonel von
Albedyll, who was subsequently many years its chief.
The supreme command over the whole of the German
forces was taken by His Majesty the King. This was
natural, not only because of the importance of Prussia in
the coming conflict, but also and above all, because of the
personal ascendency of that most beloved and revered
monarch. The great mind of our Royal master, together
with his simplicity and straightforwardness, his talents as
a general, which had already stood the test so splendidly,
the perseverance with which he ever carried through
what seemed to him the right thing — ^all this created
throughout the whole German army an unshakable con-
fidence, based on the success of the last war, that he
would bring us through the present struggle with equal
glory and success.
At his side we saw again to our great joy his faithful
and well-tried paladins, those three bright stars which will
shine through all future ages, and of whom the world
might well envy us the possession — Bismarck, Roon,
and Moltke.
To the command of the Second and Third Armies were
called Prince Frederick Charles and the Crown Prince
Frederick William of Prussia. The former had devoted
his whole life to his professioq as a soldier. By unre-
mitting work he had prepared himself for the great tasks
which he had been called on to undertake, and which he
had gloriously carried out. The training of the III.
Corps, which he commanded, had become the model
for the whole army. A well-tried leader in the war with
Schleswig-Holstein and with Austria, the whole army
regarded him with complete confidence. At his side, as
Chief-of-the-Staff, stood Colonel von Stiehle, who was
considered to be one of the most eminent Staff Ofiicers.
The Crown Prince Frederick William had led an army
c 2
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20 With the Royal Headquarters in i 87071
before the enemy for the first time in the Austrian war
of 1866; its brilliant success had established his fame
as a leader. His Chief-of-the-Staff was General von
Blumenthaly his faithful assistant in the former campaign,
who had previously earned for himself a great reputation
in the Danish war.
I take this opportunity in order that I may not be
thought to undervalue the military capacity of this
departed scion of the Hohenzollerns, who will ever be
dear to all German hearts, to insist particularly on the
fact that the Crown Prince united in his person in an
eminent degree all those qualities which go to make an
army leader. Everyone knows this who was near him dur-
ing either of the two campaigns, and I myself can attest it
from my own experience, as I had the good fortune in
1866 to serve on his Staff. It was on the 28th June of
that year, when the V. Corps was engaged near Skalitz,
the Guards near Soor, that the Commander-in-Chief
of the Second Army found himself obliged, much to
his regret, to keep far away from the actual fighting so as
to direct the various corps according to the reports as they
came in. He therefore took his stand on the heights
of Kosteletz, i.e. midway between the two corps then
engaged. We had been present the day before at the
victorious engagement of the V. Corps before Nachod,
but we also knew that the attempt of the I. Corps to
debouch on the same day firom the mountains at Trautenau
had not been successful. Moreover we received, while on
the heights, telegraphic information of our defeat at
Langensalza and of that of our allies at Custozza.
On the issue of the two engagements then going on
depended the success or the failure of the operations of
the Crown Prince's army. It was indispensable that we
should be victorious in both places, for only then
was it possible for the whole army to debouch firom the
mountains and to establish communications in the
direction of Gitschin with the army of Prince Frederick
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The War with the French Empire 21
Charles and that of the Elbe, which had already penetrated
into Bohemia. Our position was therefore grave.
The Crown Prince assembled the officers of his Staff
around him;* leaning on his sword and fixing his clear
eyes on us, he explained to us once more the whole
position of his army minutely and in the most lucid
manner; he repeated the instructions which had been
given, as well as the reasons for them, alluding at the same
time to the great importance of the day. To this he
added the question whether anyone of us had any proposal
to make which we thought might contribute to success.
When we had answered in the negative, he finished with
the words, " Well, then, we have done our duty ; we have
considered the position in every direction to the best of
our ability, and have made dispositions which so far as we
know must and should succeed ; all the rest lies in the
hand of God." Not a trace of excitement, no glimpse of
a pessimistic view of things was observable in our noble
Prince. With the greatest calm and attention he followed
the course of the two engagements and perus^ with a
cool head the reports as they came in and gave his orders
accordingly. As is well known, the bravery of the
commanders and the troops gained a victory in both places,
at Soor and at Skalitz.
General von Blumenthal agreed with our great Moltke
in the maxim, " First reckon, then risk." It produced a
smile among us, therefore, when one day we saw him
praised in a newspaper as a model of caution. His
plans were certainly well considered, most minutely, even
to the smallest details ; but this once done, to dare was
always what he loved most ; it was his proper element !
I can still see him at Kosteletz when the fighting on both
sides increased in violence, turning to me (the special study
of the Austrian army being more especially my sphere
of work) with the question, " How many men do you think
Steinmetz has before him over there ? " I answered, " He
is sure to meet one firesh corps ; but there must be another
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22 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
not far away, and if the Austrians have made their
dispositions properly, he may even find a third in firont of
him." This answer was far from reassuring, considering
the state of affairs, and it turned out afterwards to be
correct. But it made little impression on General von
Blumenthal ; he pushed his forage cap to the back of
his head and, running his fingers through his hair, said,
" What a pity we can*t be with Steinmetz ; I should be
curious to see how the old fellow will settle them."
This officer, the most eager fighter of those days, the
" Lion of Nachod," as the people called him, was given
the command of the First Army. The nomination
certainly aroused some misgivings. The universal and
high appreciation of the merits of this gallant fighting
general was merited in every respect. But however high
his military capabilities were, his personal qualities and
his independence of character were such as to make it
difficult for his superiors to deal with him, and made
friction probable if he, at the head of an army, were
subordinate to a higher command. These doubts later on
proved to have been not altogether unjustified. The
choice of a proper Chief-of-the-Staff may in such cases do
much to smooth matters, and the best possible was made
in the person of General von Sperling, a clear-headed,
circumspect, and resolute officer. But even his eminent
military as well as personal qualities were not able to
prevail with such a character as that of General von
Steinmetz.
For the rest, the generals who were at the heads of the
army corps had, almost without exception, held high
command and gained distinction in former wars, and
possessed the full confidence of the troops. Manteuffel
had been the victorious leader of the Army of the Main in
1866. Fransecky, the hero of Maslowed at Konigsgratz ;
Constantin Alvensleben ; Kirchbach, who had led the loth
Division so gloriously at Nachod and Skalitz ; Tiimpling,
the distinguished Goeben, Zastrow, Manstein, all well-
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The War with the French Empire 23
tried commanders of divisions in the *66 war ; the Crown
Prince of Saxony, who, with his countrymen, had earned
in the Prusso- Austrian war the high esteem of friend and
foe ; the gallant Bavarian leaders Hartmann and von der
Tann, whose names were mentioned far and wide with
respect ; while at the head of the Baden and Wurttemberg
troops were the Prussian Generals von Beyer and von
Obemitz. It is scarcely possible to imagine a force better
provided with leaders than was the German army.
For us personally the question of the composition of the
staff with the Royal Headquarters was of special import-
ance. In this particular also, circumstances were so
favourable that it will not be easy again to find such a
happy combination.
I do not need to speak of General von Moltke. Not
only his deeds but also his private character are perfectly
familiar to the German people. We all considered
ourselves most fortunate to have been with him in great
and grave times. The illustrious example which all his
personal qualities afforded, the greatness of his intellect
which grasped every situation, the energy he displayed
in carrying out his plans, joined with his great simplicity
and modesty, could not fail to have their influence all
around him. During the whole campaign we felt his
powerful influence, while his never-varying kindness
towards every one of us only increased to the utmost the
feeling of personal devotion and the natural reverence we
owed to him. Thus we looked up to him as people
do to a venerable patriarch.
At his side as Quartermaster-General of the army stood
Major-General von Podbielski.* I had not known him
intimately before. A certain decision in his manner
made him appear somewhat abrupt to those who had not
the opportunity of becoming better acquainted with him.
* Known later on, during the siege of Paris, as " Nichts neues
vor Paris," i.e. nothing fresh m front of Paris. A frequent form of
telegram which bore his signature. — Ed.
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24 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
But it was not long before I found out that this man of
keen intellect and inflexible will possessed a heart that
soon made us all his most faithful supporters. With his
chivalrous feelings, his ideal conception of duty and true
devotion to friendship, he bore a chief part in maintaining a
cheerful spirit of co-operation and a healthy tone among
the staff. I only mention this because the great influence
of the general in this respect is not universally known. I
need not enter further into his other merits, but as regards
his capability as a soldier I may sum up by saying : Moltke
could not have had a more faithful and more efiicient
assistant during the campaign than he was.
But we were favoured not only in having such chiefs, good
luck had also befriended us in the composition of the Staff
in our immediate sphere. The three chiefs at the head of
the three sections were, Bronsart for the movements of
the troops, Brandenstein for transport and commissariat
affairs, and myself for ever3rthing concerning the French
army. But this division only roughly indicates the most
important tasks of the sections, each of them had various
other matters to look after in addition. We three had
been friends ever since we had been boys in the cadet
school, where, although belonging to different com-
panies, we had played the war game together with
Count Alfred Waldersee and Frederick Wilhelm von
Notz* (who died, alas! too young). This had attracted
the attention of our instructors so much that they
encouraged our efforts at the game, which we had started
on our own initiative. The year 1855 brought us into
the same division at the Staff College, where we passed the
three years together.
Here also what was at that time called the " garrison
game," in which the officers of the whole garrison of
Berlin were invited to take part, offered to us, beside our
scientific pursuits at the college, a common point of
^ This promising officer, who was on the Staff of the Crown
Prince in 1866, died of cholera at Brunn.
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The War with the French Empire 25
interest which did much for our military education, the
more so because the war game was very popular, being
under the direction of very eminent generals, such as
General Vogel von Falkenstein and Count Oriola.
General von Moltke himself did not disdain to come from
time to time during the last year of our course there and
to follow it attentively.*
As Bronsart, Brandenstein and myself had always kept
up our former friendly relations and had been in the habit
of exchanging opinions on military matters, our whole
training in troop leading had been of so uniform a
character as would have been difficult to find in any three
others. Our friendship had been still further strength-
ened by all the three of us being placed together on the
Staff soon after leaving the College. Another sign of our
close friendship is shown in our participation in various
Staff tours, as I have before mentioned. This constant
contact in service as well as in private intercourse was of
great advantage to us now in our new functions on the
Headquarters Staff.
One of us, for instance, "might suddenly be called away
from his work while writing down an order to one of the
armies, to receive some fresh instruction, another would
then go and finish the document which the first had
begun, and yet the whole would be completed in the
same spirit. Moreover, we were of the same age, only a
^ This war game served me in good stead in the way of promotion,
as during the latter time of my course at the Staff College I was
appointed to the Headquarters Staff on the recommendation of Major
Freiherr von Wrangel, whose acquaintance I made by this means,
and who has always remained my true friend. He had at that
time already earned a great reputation by his services with the army
of Schleswig-Holstein. All Schleswig-Holstein knows him still by
the name of " The Drummer of Kolding." In 1866 he commanded a
brigade of Goeben's division and distinguished himself at Kissingen :
in 1870-71 he gathered fresh laurels as commander of the i8th
Infantry Division, especially before Orleans. He last served as
Governor of Posen, and left the army as a general. He now lives in
retirement on his estate of Sproitz, in Lusatia, in the full enjoyment
of health.
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26 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
few months separating us. I was the youngest of the
three, and had just completed my thirty-eighth year on
the day of the declaration of war.
I cannot pass by the friends of my youth, my faithful
companions in so memorable a time, without once more
recalling them to remembrance.
Bronsart von Schellendorf I. was tall and slender, elastic
in his movements, with a fresh healthy complexion and
fair hair verging on brown ; his countenance indicated both
ability and good humour, his conversation showed his
ability, while the clear logic of his arguments was
eminently convincing. His whole character and presence
showed the knight sans peur et sans reproche. He
possessed a thorough grasp of military affairs, and his
forecasts were singularly shrewd ; he was also active,
indefatigable, and reliable in the highest possible degree.
The instructions issued from the Royal Headquarters,
which were models of their kind, were mostly his work.
Karl von Brandenstein, or, as we generally called him,
" das Karlchen " (Little Charles), resembled Bronsart in
many of his intellectual gifts. He too was modest, straight-
forward, and simple in his ways, sincerity and trustfulness
were written on his face. When thoroughly interested — and
there were many things which interested him intensely —
his eyes flashed fire and he would support what he con-
sidered right with an uncompromising tenacity. He also
possessed an extraordinary capacity for work, and his
mind was full of original ideas on the most varied subjects.
The excellent plan for the transport of the troops to form
the various armies was mostly his work. It was a feat
the more to be admired because there was, up to that time,
no practical experience in moving such large bodies. In
personal appearance he was, in contrast to Bronsart, short
of stature, but well set, with fair curly hair and pale
complexion.
Both these eminent men have, alas! been taken
too early from their friends and the army, after both
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The War with the French Empire 27
had attained to the highest positions in it. Bronsart,
who was afterwards for many years of the greatest service
to his country as Minister of War, died in command of
the I. Army Corps, while Brandenstein was Chief of the
Engineer Corps and Inspector- General of Fortifications.
General von Moltke's aide-de-camps were Major de
Claer and his brother-in-law, Lieutenant von Burt. In
their hands the comfort of our chief was well looked after,
while de Claer, the elder of the two, seemed to be made
on purpose to form a pleasant connecting link between the
general and his staff.
The highly important position of Chief of the Executive
Department (Operative Bureau) was held by Major von
Blume. The duties of this post are extremely onerous,
and their fulfilment demands not only a thorough under-
standing of the varying positions, but also a keen
memory, the strictest habits of order and vigilance, keeping
everything in readiness so that in issuing orders nothing
may be overlooked which had been previously ordered
to be carried out, or implied in consultation. The course
of the campaign showed that in all these respects there
were no hitches or mistakes. This was chiefly due to
Major Blume, and deserves the greater recognition because
this work of issuing orders, although it does not come
before the world, is of the utmost importance for the
successful issue of the operations.
As regards the remaining officers of the Headquarters
Staff, there will be plenty of opportunity to refer to them
individually in the subsequent course of the narrative. I
will here only mention their names and say what became
of them afterwards. The following is a list of them : —
Major von HoUeben, of the Saxon Staff, now a retired
general, whose last employment was in the command of a
division ; Major Krause,* died as major-general, he was last
commandant of Spandau ; Major Blume, is now the
general commanding the XV. Army Corps ; Captain von
* Both he and Major Blume were ennobled.
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28 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
Bttlow, who was, however, soon afterwards given other
employment, is now the general commanding the VIIL
Corps ; Captain von Winterfeld, now general, and com-
manding the Guard Corps ; Captain Zingler, major-
general, and Governor of Ulm ; Captain Count von Nostitz,
now major, who only re-entered the service for the war,
lives on his estate in Silesia ; Lieutenant Schmidt, of the
Lithau Dragoons, left the service with the rank of major.
Of the two aide-de-camps, von Claer is a retired major-
general and was last employed as commandant of
Magdeburg; Lieutenant von Burt is a major on half-pay/
Major-General von Podbielski died as Inspector-General
of Artillery.*
To the General Staff belonged, fiirthermore, as a member
of the Executive Commission for Railway Transport,
the Privy Counsellor Kienel, an engineer employed in
the Ministry of Commerce, whose eminent capabilities
were soon generally acknowledged, and who through his
personal qualities became a much appreciated and sym-
pathetic companion to us during the whole campaign.
Owing to the intimate relations which united together
not only the chiefs of sections, but also the other members,
who had fi'equently been together before, everything
worked, under the auspices of the Chief and General von
Podbielski, in the most admirable manner, not only in
matters of duty, but also socisJly.
To show that this description is not only based on my
own impressions, I will quote those of General von
Blume, as recorded in his "Reminiscences of Moltke,"
^ In the Geraian text z.D.=Zur Disposition, which means available
for service. Every General Oilicer who takes his pension is as a
matter of course put z D. With the lower ranks it is a reward for
good service — Ed.
• > All these officers, who were actually members of the General Staf ,
have therefore had a brilliant career, inasmuch as in the course
of time two of them became Ministers of War ; five (or counting also
Bronsart, six) conmianded army corps or held the post of inspector-
general, two became generals, and (including von Claer) four major-
generals.
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The War with the French Empire 29
in words as warm-hearted as they are true : " Among the
staif of General von Moltke during the whole of the
campaign, lasting more than six months, there was never
one single jarring note. The staff formed a circle of
friends, each of whom endeavoured not only to do his own
duty to the utmost of his ability, but also to do his
best for the others. If this be a proof of its happy
composition, the result was also largely due to the
magical influence of the great man at its head.
The superiority of his master mind left no room for
jealousies. His fidelity to duty, his strict adherence to
fact, his modesty and unselfishness, the dignified and high-
bred serenity which never left him for a moment, even in
most critical situations, the kindliness which never allowed
a single impatient word to cross his lips — ^these exemplary
qualities, brilliantly brought out by successes which belong
to the history of the world, had a powerful effect on those
around him. To be an assistant to such a man, in such
times, was a good fortune and an honour which everyone
tried' to make himself worthy of by thorough devotion to
his duty and the suppression of all petty jealousies. It
may truly be said that Moltke's mind ruled in Moltke's
staff."
The spirit which prevails in a headquarters staff is
by no means a matter of indifference. Its imperturb-
ability, the absence of any sort of " croaking," the self-
confidence evident in its whole behaviour, as well as the
firm belief in a victorious issue, not only further the
work that is done there, but communicate serenity and
confidence to all who come in contact with the members
of the staff.
At the same time; it is true, a certain degree of
reserve is necessary. The more so because it cannot
be avoided that a number of persons congregate at
headquarters who have no actual employment, and who
are quite naturally apt to be curious as to what is going
on and what is going to be done. But as evers^hing
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30 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
that is planned for the future must necessarily be kept
strictly secret, it is only possible to avoid questions being
put on these matters by showing great reserve in answer-
ing. This attitude brought upon us chiefs of sections
the nickname of " the demi-gods," an appellation which
did not affect us much.
In close relationship with the staff were also the
Commissary-General of the army and the Chief of the
Field Telegraph Staff. The former post was held by
General von Stosch, whose clear grasp of the changing
situation joined with the energy with which he carried out
his intentions gave a complete guarantee that everjrthing
possible would be done in this difficult department. With
him I was also on terms of intimacy, having been under
him in peace time as a staff officer of the IV. Corps,
while in the campaign of 1866 we both belonged to the
staff of the Crown Prince. Colonel Meydam was the
Chief of the Telegraphic Department ; his indefatigable
activity and agreeable personal qualities gained him
friends everywhere.
General von Moltke was greatly pleased with the con-
stitution of his staff, and expressed his satisfaction
repeatedly.
The course of business at Royal Headquarters was as
follows. Every morning there was a c6nference at the
chiefs quarters on the situation and the dispositions to be
made, at which, besides the heads of sections, there were
present also Major-Generalvon Stosch, the Quartermaster-
General, the Chief of the Executive Department, the senior
aide-de-camp, and sometimes also the Chief of the Tele-
graphic Department. Then followed General von Moltke's
report to the King, and after this the expedition of the
dispositions decided upon. Further reports and informa-
tion which came in during the day were settled according
to their importance, either by the chiefs of sections con-
cerned in conjunction with the Chief of the Staff and the
Quartermaster-General, or after discussion in the sections
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The War with the French Empire 31
in general conference as above described. As far as the
genersd demeanour of the staff was concerned, it was of
course serious, corresponding to the situation, and yet
it was a cheerful one, for we thought ourselves sure of
success. Only a short time ago, I was reminded by an
old acquaintance, our present Minister of Finance, Herr
Miquel, of an answer which I then gave him as to the
possible issue of the war : " You will see that we shall
settle them (the French), although unhappily it will cost
us much blood." At the same time we did not at all
undervalue the worth of the gallant French army, and its
eminent inborn military qualities, nor the greatness and
gravity of the impending struggle. But the successful
campaigns of former years had enabled us to estimate
what our own troops could do, and had, at the same
time, given us good reason to rely implicitly on our
officers of every grade. We thought ourselves superior to
the French, especially in the higher leadership, and also
in our artillery. As regards the mitrailleuses, which were
surrounded with such deep mystery and in which great
hopes seemed to be placed in France, we were not much
convinced of their wonderful powers. The Emperor
Napoleon had, it is true, given his personal attention
more particularly to the development of his artillery, but
the war proved very soon that it did not come up to ours,
and the remark of the Emperor is well known, when he
met our King the day after the battle of Sedan, " In my
artillery I feel myself personally conquered." On the
other hand we were aware that the French rifle possessed
many advantages over our own, and that this fact would
most likely increase our losses ; but we hoped that these
advantages would be neutralized by getting up to short
ranges.
For the issue of the war, however, the considerable
numerical superiority which the forces of United Germany
possessed was certain to weigh down the scale in our
favour. According to the best sources of information, the
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32 With the Royal Headquarters in i 87071
French army numbered 567,000 men, including the con-
tingent of 1869, which was, however, only to be summoned
on the 1st August, while the calculations on our side gave
us for the month of August a total of 982,000 men. The
field army of the enemy was calculated in this estimate to
amount to 343,000 men (as a matter of fact it was only
about 336,000 men), while ours without staif, artillery,
engineers, and the trains, amounted to 519,000 men.
Thus we began the war fiill of enthusiasm for our
Royal leader, certain of the justice of our cause, elevated
by the unanimity and the readiness for sacrifice shown by
the German princes and the whole German nation.
Convinced of the excellence of our army, with the most
perfect confidence in the high advisers of the Crown,
completely prepared in all respects, we entered upon the
struggle which was to decide the future of the German
people under the most favourable conditions.
3. Measures taken by the French — Protection
OF THE Frontier — Departure of the Royal
Headquarters from Berlin for Mainz.
The intentions of the French military authorities were
not known to us ; only conjectures could be made, such
as have already been mentioned when explaining the
German plan of operations. These proved to be right
in so far as the assembly of the French troops, with
their main forces round Metz and a lesser force at
Strassburg, was concerned. In addition a reserve army
was to be formed at Chdlons. Up to the present day
nothing has been published which gives in any detailed
manner what exactly were the operations intended by our
opponent at the time. A fully worked out plan of
operations as it existed on the German side does not seem
to have been prepared; but the Emperor had certainly
a definite idea as to how they were to be conducted,
and this idea was communicated by him to some of his
generals and discussed with them.
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The War with the French Empire 33
It would lead us too far were we to discuss the origin of
this plan, but it is interesting to form some notion of the
intentions of the Emperor. To this problem something
like a key is given in the pamphlet "Des causes qui ont
amen6 la capitulation de Sedan/' of which it may be
assumed with tolerable certainty that the statements therein
contained represent the opinions which the Emperor
Napoleon himself entertained on the subject. In this
publication we read: "In order to neutralise the supe-
riority in numbers of the opponent, it was necessary to
cross the Rhine with the greatest rapidity, to separate
South Germany from the North German Confederation,
and to bring Austria and Italy into an alliance with us
through the impression of a first success." And further
on : " The plan of campaign, which the Emperor
entrusted only to Field Marshals MacMahon and Leboeuf,
consisted in assembling 150,000 men round Metz, 100,000
at Strassburg, and 50,000 in the camp of Chalons. The
junction of the two first armies on the Saar and on the
Rhine would not disclose our real objects, as the enemy
would still be uncertain whether the attack was to be
directed against the Rhine provinces or against the
Grand Duchy of Baden."
As soon as the troops were assembled at the points
indicated, the Emperor wished to unite the two armies
and cross the Rhine at Maxau, between the fortresses of
Rastatt and Germersheim. Arrived on the right bank of
the Rhine, he would have forced the Southern States to
remain neutral, and then turned against the Prussian
forces. While this movement was being carried out, the
50,600 men assembled at Chylous under Field Marshal
Canrobert were to march to Metz, to cover the rear of
the main army as well as to protect the northern frontier.
At the same time the fleet cruising in the Baltic would
have detained, and made useless for the field, a part of the
enemy's forces in the north of Prussia, which would be
kept there to defend the coast from invasion.
D
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34 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
The projected manoeuvres would have been practicable
if we had not been in a position to meet them in
time, with superior forces, and, as a matter of fact, the
assembly of the French forces in their groups, at the
points indicated above, was to some extent attempted,
but was not completed, when the German armies crossed
over into French territory, and thus anticipated the attack.
This showed that the intentions of the French leaders
were based on wrong data.
And yet the Emperor Napoleon was accurately
informed with regard to the considerable superiority in
numbers of the German forces, and their power of rapidly
mobilising. The reports of the French Military Attache,
Lieutenant-Colonel Baron Stoffel (which were partly
published during the war, in 1871), admit of no doubt on
this head. These reports are remarkable, both for their
intimate knowledge and correct estimation of the German
military arrangements, and the manly frankness with
which the author expresses his views. We need only point
to a report sent in in 1869 in which he says :
"I have always been careful in my reports to the
minister of war never to exceed the bounds of my purely
military functions."
And then he goes on : ^
" Mais I'Empereur ayant bien voulu me demander lors
de mon dernier s6jour i Paris, qu'elle 6tait mon opinion
sur les chances de guerre avec la Prusse, je pr6senterai ici
quelques appreciations, toutes personnelles, propres a
completer et pr^ciser celles que j'ai d6jk donn^es de vive
voix.
"Les points principaux que je d6sire 6tablir sont les
suivants :
" 1° La guerre est inevitable et d la merci dun incident.
" 2° La Prusse n'a pas Tintention d'attaquer la France ;
elle ne d€sire nullement la guerre et elle fera tout
son possible pour T^viter.
* Rapports militaires by StofFel, p, 302.— Ed.
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The War with the French Empire 35
' 3^ Mais la Prusse est assez clairvoyante pour recon-
naitre que la guerre, qu'elle ne d6sire pas, 6clatera
infailliblement et elle fait tous ses Efforts pour ne pas
^tre prise au depourvu le jour oH Tincident fatal se
produira.
' 4° La France, par insouciance, par l6geret€ et surtout
par ignorance de la situation n'a pas la mfeme clair-
voyance que la Prusse."
But the warning voice of this intelligent officer had no
influence on the decision. The Emperor, certainly,
counted on the assistance of Austria, Italy, and probably
also of Denmark. The illusion, which had been indulged in
with regard to the attitude of the South German States, had
already been largely dispelled, a simultaneous beginning of
the war in conjunction with the above mentioned states was
not possible, and France had to enter into the war at first
alone, while the participation of allies depended entirely on
the successes of this first period. But any close study of
the military situation and a methodical working out of the
plan of operations must have resulted in the conclusion
that such successes were not to be reckoned on.
All military considerations were against bringing on
war. If, in spite of this, the Emperor allowed himself
to be drawn into one, the motives must have been other
than military.
From the day of the French mobilisation the military
measures in France followed each other with confiising
precipitation. The troops were brought in the greatest
hurry at once to the frontier, without being put on a war-
footing in their garrisons, the corps of General Frossart,
concentrated at the camp of ChlLlons, being the first that
deployed within a few days on the line of the Saar.
But such haste always involves great disadvantages.
These lie not only in the fact that the troops, after pro-
viding for all the necessary detachments, will only have
very weak cadres available, and, what is still worse, will be
deficient in transport and other train services, which are
D 2
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36 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
indispensable if operations are to be begun at once, and
which in no country can be organised fully during peace.
In addition to this, the reserves which are called out
must first be assembled in the dep6ts and equipped in
order to be sent to their respective regiments, which they
have considerable difficulty in finding, especially when
they are on the march. This was more than usually the
case in France, at this time, as it possessed a veiy unfor-
tunate system of centralisation for all supplies. This led
to further complications and overcrowding of the railroads.
Such a system always contains the germs of confusion and
disorder, and if a power resolve to risk all the grave
drawbacks which a mobilisation on this principle entails,
it ran only be with a view to gain other advantages
which outweigh the objections. This would only have
been the case, if an invasion of the enemy's country had
been actually carried out, immediately after assembling a
sufficient number of troops on the frontier. The French
may have fully intended to do so, but the execution became
impracticable under the circumstances above set forth.
With the same precipitation as the mobilisation there
followed, on the 19th of July, the anniversary of the death
of our ever beloved Queen Louisa, the French declaration
of war, at a time when the French army was by no means
in a position to begin operations on a large scale and in a
proper manner.
The Germans on their part preferred not to place
bodies of any great strength on the firontier at first, but to
carry out their carefiiUy-planned mobilisation in a me-
thodical manner in the garrisons. If, by doing so, they
were somewhat tardy in massing their troops on the points
threatened, they were, when this was ended, in a condition
to prosecute the war vigorously. Therefore, our staff looked
on calmly at the French proceedings. If they really
advanced with forces unequal to large operations, it was
sufficient, as Moltke had foreseen in his plans, to shift a
little further back some of the points where the troops
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The War with the French Empire ^7
were to detrain, in order to save them from the risk of
being attacked and harassed, while as yet incompletely
mobilised, by an opponent, who for the time might be
superior in numbers. It was easy to foresee that we
should, in that case, soon be in such a position to meet
the advance of the enemy with superior numbers, and in
complete readiness for action.
This measure, viz. the shifting backwards of the points
of detrainment, was actually resorted to when the point of
assembly of the Second Army was fixed nearer to the
Rhine than was originally contemplated. Our chief, cer-
tainly, was very reluctant to propose such an alteration ;
but prudence demanded it, in order that the concentration
might not have to be carried on in the face of an opponent
who was, not indeed fully mobilised, but yet in force, and
who if he had any dash would have been in a position to
considerably embarrass that operation.
After weighing all the possibilities above mentioned,
General von Moltke thought it sufficient, in making his
arrangements for the protection of the frontier, and for
the observation of the enemy, to use for this purpose the
various small detachments quartered in the nearest
garrisons.
In Prussian territory the troops of the i6th division
(General von Barnekow) quartered at Trier, Saarlouis
and Saarbrttcken were rapidly available, as were in
Baden detachments of the Grand Ducal Division.
On the other hand, in the Bavarian Palatinate, where
the forces present were not sufficient for the task, further
troops had immediately to be sent forward.
The duty of these several frontier detachments was
not a light one. The detachment at Saarbriicken
especially — one battalion of the HohenzoUern Fusilier
Regiment and three squadrons of the 7th Uhlans — under
Lieutenant-Colonel von Pestel, found itself in a very
difficult position, being face to face with the main
body of the enemy. But it performed its task with
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38 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-?!
extraordinary energy and boldness. The fears entertained
concerning its fate among the members of our Staff were
certainly great, and when encounters became more
and more frequent, and the enemy appeared in its front in
ever greater numbers, it was resolved at last, in order not
to expose it to a check, to send the detachment tele-
gpraphic instructions to evacuate Saarbriicken and fall back.
However, we received an answer from Lieutenant-Colonel
von Pestel something to this effect : " Leave us here, the
other side are more afraid of us than we of them." In
view of such confidence, and considering the brilliant
manner in which the detachment had acted so far, it was
now left to the Colonel's discretion to remain or to retreat
as he saw fit.
Still it was only to be expected that the sudden
massing of French troops on the frontier, while our troops
were still completing their mobilisation quietly in their
peace stations, would arouse anxiety and excitement, which
would spread to districts fex away from the frontier. From
one corps on the right bank of the Rhine there even came
an inquiry whether some part of it had not better be, at
once, set in motion for the protection of the river.
It was part of my duty then to report twice daily to the
King the upshot of the news received as to the French
army. On one of these occasions the King happened to
speak of the uneasy feeling among the people ; when I
ventured to express an opinion to the effect that the
French would probably not cross the frontier at all, or if
they did so, would not get far. His Majesty tapped me on
the shoulder, and said with a smile: "Ah, you young
people always see things * couleur de rose.* '*
It was not long before our troops too were on the way
to their points of assembly on and beyond the Rhine not
far from the line of the Saar and on the Alsatian frontier.
The methodical use of the means of transport by rail, the
skilfully executed plan of making the different lines work
in concert, which was due to Brandenstein and the
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The War with the French Empire 39
members of the executive commission, Director Weishaupt
and Privy Counsellor Kienel, made it possible to assemble
the armies in a comparatively short time. After a
sufficient number of troops had concentrated in the districts
appointed for assembly, and the further advance on foot
had already been begun, the moment had arrived for the
Royal Headquarters also to approach the seat of war.
These were therefore transferred to Mainz, and started
ft-om Berlin at 6 p.m. on the 31st July.
The number of persons, horses and vehicles belonging
to such a body, including the necessary guards, is so
considerable that it has to be divided into various sections,
which can only be transported one by one. It is of course
desirable to reduce it as much as possible, but it must
necessarily be large when the supreme command is in the
hands of the Sovereign. It is, in that case, indispensable
that the chief of the Foreign Office should accompany the
Sovereign to the seat of war, and many branches of the
different departments of the Government, including the
War Office, have also to be represented. As regards the
last named, the question has often been discussed whether
the minister ought properly be in the field in person or
whether a representative suffices. At that time we were
all of opinion that the Minister of War had better remain
in the capital, and ought only appear in the field as an
exception, and then only for a short time. In this view I
can only say that I have been confirmed on reconsidering
the question in later years, when I myself was at the head
of the War Office. All matters referring to new
organisations of troops, supply of ammunition, siege guns,
hospitals, uniforms, even the construction of new railways,
a great part of the commissariat and a thousand other
requirements can only be supplied firom one's own country,
and need the whole personal authority of the War
Minister to make things run smoothly, and to prevent
firiction. But in order that the latter may remain
accurately informed as to what the authorities in the
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40 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
field intend to do, and be able to meet in good time any
wants that may arise there, it will certainly be necessary
to have a superior officer of the War Office attached per-
manently to the Supreme Headquarters.
Concerning the internal organisation of the Head-
quarter StaflF, it is well known that it consists of two
branches, to the first of which belong all those persons
who are to be always at the disposition of the Commander-
in-Chief, either because they are needed for the immediate
conduct of operations, or for some other sufficient reason.
The second portion, on the other hand, is not so imme-
diately connected with the actual work, and is often looked
upon, and not without good reason, as a very troublesome
impediment, but yet one which no headquarters will pro-
bably ever be able to get quite rid of. Consideration must
be shown for allied princes, for representatives of foreign
powers whose presence under certain circumstances may
be very desirable ; there will be officials who must be held
in readiness for future contingencies, especially for assum-
ing the administration of occupied hostile territory; again,
newspaper correspondents will probably always have to
be admitted. Such personages will thus never be quite
absent from headquarters, but it will be well — ^with all
due regard to their claims — to limit to the smallest
possible number the non-official section of headquarters.
In the train in which the King travelled there were,
besides his personal suite, the Military and Civil Cabinet,*
also Count Bismarck with the necessary officials of the
Foreign Office, the Minister of War with some officers,
and General von Moltke with his whole StaiF, as well
as the Chief of the Commissariat, and the Chief of the
Field Telegraph Department. Proposals had been made
to send the greater part of the General StaflF by another
train, but had been decidedly rejected by General von
' These have no counterpart in England. They are advisory bodies
dealing with certain portions of the military and civil administration.
See for example, p. 19 — Ed.
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The War with the French Emph^e 41
Moltke, as cases might occur when he would require the
presence of any one of his officers, even during the railway
journey. Even at the moment of getting into the train
one of these little hitches occurred which are unavoidable
when so many dififerent groups that have been working
hitherto independently of each other, have suddenly to
co-operate as one body. The carriages had been assigned
to their various occupants according to the instructions
of Brandenstein as chief of the Executive Commission for
Transport. Each carriage and compartment had a placard
stating whom it was reserved for ; but on our arrival at
the station, it turned out that one of the officials of the
King's household, who had had charge of the railway
arrangements for the latter, had thought fit to upset the
whole thing, and arrange the distribution otherwise, and
that in a manner which favoured other considerations
rather than those necessary from a military point of view.
Our official, however, caught a Tartar in meddling with
Brandenstein, for he put the matter straight again with
such vigour, that no one interfered with him afterwards.
I only mention this incident, in itself insignificant, in
order to remark that, unavoidable as such friction is in
putting the whole machine in motion, it was limited, in
our case, to minor points only, and that we always
experienced the greatest friendship on the part of the
Royal Household, from Count Piickler to the indefatigable
and circumspect Hofrath Kanoki.
We were much more annoyed on another occasion by
the interference of another party. It was on the day
when we arrived before Paris, and reached our quarters at
Ferriferes late in the evening, having been in the saddle
since the early morning. Tired and hungry as we were
— we had had nothing to eat the whole day — ^we revelled
in the anticipation of a dinner prepared for us by the
quartermasters sent on in advance. But, unfortunately,
the War Minister, who, with his party, had arrived before
us, was of opinion that we should not reach Ferriferes that
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42 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
evening, and had, therefore, polished off our dinner, and
we were left fasting. Then, indeed, for a few hours, we
were wrathful !
The General Staff had a large saloon carriage at its
disposal for the railway journey, which contained, beside
the main compartment, two smaller ones, one for the
Chief and the Quartermaster-General, the other destined
for a branch which was quickly extemporised and which
Major Blume was placed in charge of. In spite of the
great heat the journey went off tolerably well ; only during
the two nights it lasted, our rest was being continually
disturbed by the noise which the perpetual singing of the
"Wacht am Rhein" produced. The news had soon
spread far and wide, that the train which conveyed our
beloved Sovereign to the seat of war had started from
Berlin, and wherever this became known thousands and
thousands of people came streaming, not only to the
stations, but the crossings, and, in fact, to wherever a
road led near to the railway, all intent, even when the
darkness prevented them from catching a glimpse of the
universally revered monarch, on giving him a sign of
their patriotic feelings by singing that stirring song, bid-
ding him farewell, and sending their blessings after him.
The unceasing noise produced thereby was so great that
our ears rang for several days afterwards with the hum of
the song and the sound of the guns that were fired on the
way.
The concourse was greatest in Cologne. The train
was of very great length, and the last carriage, in which
we were, could not enter the station ; so stopping out-
side we looked down upon the illuminated town, upon
the Rhine reflecting the lights, and a multitude of men
which seemed to be innumerable. Here also the strains
of the " Wacht am Rhein *' were roared out around us
uninterruptedly. It was splendid and exhilarating ; but
as the crowd broke through the barriers, rushed on to
the platform, and pressed towards the foremost carriages
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The War with the French Empire 43
in order to see the King, we were unable to reach the
refreshment rooms. Fortunately, we had taken the pre-
caution to lay up in our carriage a little reserve store for
such occasions.
From the two incidents mentioned it is evident what
great importance was attached, even in the General StafF,
to the question of feeding ; many a remark in the letters
written at the time will give still fiirther proof of this fact.
Indeed, for the members of the General Staff, it is a
necessary condition to go to work with a full stomach,
not merely for the sake of personal preservation : the man
who has had sufficient food does not write orders in a
severe style, unless it is necessary ; the hungry one, on the
other hand, is apt to give expression to his own state of
discomfort through his pen.
It will be easily understood that in the case of a superior
StafF which is at liberty to select the best places for its
quarters, food is not very difficult to find. But yet, a
man is required for this purpose who devotes himself
thoroughly to the good of the staff mess, and who has a
special talent for this kind of thing. Count Nostitz was
invaluable to us in this respect as in others. We often
owed a meal to him, even on the battle-field, after we had
given up all hope of getting anything to eat at all.
During the railway journey a few hours were devoted
to a game of whist, for which General von Moltke had a
well-known partiality. There is, indeed, scarcely a better
relaxation existing than a " rubber," and we stuck to it
during the whole of the campaign, whenever circumstances
permitted, in order to give the General an hour's distrac-
tion. The unceasing discussion of the gravest questions,
even after there is no longer any practical utility in doing
so, consumes much mental energy. If one tried to fill up
spare time with conversation on other subjects, the
mind would very soon revert to the old groove ; but to
tear oneself away for a time firom the exciting business of
the day, refireshes, and it is a wise thing under such
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44 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
circumstances to seek distraction whenever it is possible.
Do we not see every day with what delight many of our
over-worked and jaded statesmen look forward to their
evening game at " skat " ?
At that time our great chief was still a very indifferent
card-player. It was delightful to watch him when he was
in doubt whether he ought to " finesse " or not. He could
lay down his cards on the table, bend his head forward,
and look his neighbour for some time straight in the face
with his great eyes saying : "I must try and find out
from his face whether he has the card." He used to
do this in such an amusing way that not only the player
in question, but all the rest would end by bursting out laugh-
ing. When the General had made up his mind, and played
his card, it often happened that his knowledge of phy-
siognomy had deceived him, and that he had played wrong.
Then he would at once put down his cards again, raise both
hands and exclaim: "What a good actor that man is,
to be sure ! " It did not much matter, for in these games
there were no great sums to be gained or lost.
The thirty-seven hours of our journey passed tolerably
quickly, thanks to the varying incidents which occurred on
the way: besides, in spite of the many disturbances
mentioned, it afforded us sufl&cient rest to be able on our
arrival at Mainz on the morning of the 2nd August, to
set to work quite fresh, and work enough we found, now
that we had reached the region where the armies were
assembling in such numbers.
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II. The Course of Operations up to the
Investment of Metz.
I. Stay in Mainz — Engagement of Weissenburg —
Battles of Worth and Spicheren.
On our arrival at Mainz the King took up his quarters
in the Grand Ducal Palace, while the General StaiF was
lodged in a hotel near the Rhine. As for me, my stay
was a short one, owing to an occurrence which took
place during our journey. The details of this inci-
dent I can no longer remember sufficiently to be able to
guarantee every word, but in the main the following is a
correct account of it.
In the course of the second day of our journey. General
von Podbielski stepped out from one of the smaller com-
partments of the carriages into the large one, and handed
me a dispatch the contents of which I was to note, and
then see that it was forwarded by one of my officers at
the next station we might stop at. The history of the
dispatch was as follows : —
Late in the evening of the 30th July this telegram had
been sent oflF to the army of the Crown Prince :
" His Majesty considers it expedient that the Third Army
should, as soon as the Baden and Wurttemberg Divisions
have joined, advance at once on the left bank of the
Rhine in a southerly direction, seek out the enemy and
attack him. Making of bridge south of Lauterburg will
thereby be prevented, and all Southern Germany most
efficiently protected.
" (Signed) v. Moltke."
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46 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
The answer received on the morning of the 31st of July
from the Chief Commander of the Third Army, said, that
the advance could not yet be undertaken as the whole of
the troops were not ready for the field ; the Baden
and Wurttemberg divisions would till then remain on the
right bank of the Rhine.
This answer was not considered at all satisfactory at
the Royal Headquarters, and further information was
required as to when the Third Army would be ready.
The information asked for arrived shortly before our
train started and was to the effect *' that the army would
be ready for the field on the 3rd August." This matter
came under discussion during the journey. It was not
clear, even from this last report, whether the army would
begin to advance on the 3rd August. It was of course
not to be supposed that any delay was intended, but it
seemed as if they meant not to begin the march until the
very last detachments and columns had arrived, while we
wished for as speedy an advance as possible, in view of
the general situation, and especially of the intended
co-operation of the Third Army with the two others.
Consequently, the telegram drawn up during the journey
and handed over to me by General von Podbielski, con-
tained a fresh and very decided order to go on. When I
had read it, I said to the General that the telegram ought
not to be sent in its present form : " I knew that staff very
well in the last war. If you wish to create strained
relations with them, during the whole of this campaign,
send it ; but I am perfectly sure that they will feel
offended, and, I think, not without some cause. For,
a good reason of some kind there must surely be, for
their not yet fixing the date of starting."* General
von Podbielski turned to General von Moltke, who was
^ In regard to the difficult an unpleasant relatioas which may
arise, if such kind of friction arises between the superior staffs, let
the reader only remember the continual disagreements which took
place, in 1813 and 18 14, between the headquarters of Bliicher and
General von York.
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The War with the French Empire 47
just coming to join us, and repeated to him what
I had said, upon which the latter remarked : ** Well, but
how are we to manage it, then ? " We reflected a
moment, and then I ventured to propose that I should try,
as soon as we arrived at Mainz, to make my way to
Speyer, where the headquarters of the Crown Prince were.
I expressed at the same time my conviction that I should
be able to attain what we so much desired by personally
representing the state of affairs ; in any case, things could
be managed more smoothly than by sending the telegram.
So the despatch did not go off. General von Moltke next
obtained permission from the King, when he made his
report to him, for me to go to Speyer, and I consequently
started on my way there, as soon as we reached
Mainz.
To get to Speyer was no easy matter, as all the lines
from east to west were crammed with trains full of troops
and there was no way of getting across country from north
to south, or where there was, the lines were mostly used
for feeding those running west. Therefore I had to use
all sorts of transport, and it took me a consider-
able time to cover this comparatively short distance.
First, I went by a cattle train leaving Mainz; then I
came across a train bringing a horse artillery battery of
the V. Army Corps across the Rhine. Here an amusing
little scene happened. The train was travelling on a wide
curve not far from some station, so that one could see,
when looking out of the window on the inner side, the
locomotive as well as the last carriage. Sitting with the
officers of the battery in a compartment, we suddenly heard
the sound, ** The whole halt ! " ringing distinctly in our ears.
On looking out of the window, we saw a trumpeter who
repeated the signal uninterruptedly while running after the
train. The man, who belonged to the battery, had been
standing at the open door of a horse truck, and had
suddenly been thrown out by his horse moving forward.
Fortunately, he had not come to grief by his fall, and as
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48 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
he had his trumpet with him, he used it, in order to
rejoin his troop. Of course his call could not be attended
to, and we steamed on. Later on, in December, I
chanced to meet the officers of the battery at Versailles,
and remembering the incident, I asked how the matter had
ended. The train had been delayed at the next stopping
place, and the trumpeter had then succeeded in joining
his battery again. Next, I did a part of the way on
a locomotive, then again on foot for some distance,
and at last I reached Speyer on a country cart that
happened to come along. Here I found the Crown
Prince. After briefly explaining the cause of my appear-
ance, His Royal Highness at once declared himself
ready, without waiting for the last detachments, to begin
operations, as soon as it was in any way possible. But as
to the precise moment when that would be the case, he
must talk it over with General von Blumenthal.
Until the latter arrived the Prince kept me with him, and
talked quite frankly to me in his well-known fascinating
manner, about various things connected with the war —
I having been on his staff in the campaign of 1866. He
was in high spirits, and rejoiced to see the unanimity of
the German Princes and the enthusiasm of the entire
German nation. The Crown Prince was especially happy
to see united and under his command, besides the two
Prussian corps, the fighting strength of the South German
States, and in the fact that a Crown Prince of Prussia
led them, he saw a proof of the depth and constancy of
German patriotism, which would henceforth form, in spite
of internal quarrels, the basis for the happiness of the
German races with the princes as weU as the people.
The Prince alluded with some tinge of regret to the
circumstances that only the weaker part of the French
forces stood before him, while he would have so much
wished to do his share of the work on the spot where the
main issue would be decided. I took the liberty of ob-
serving that such was indeed the intention of General von
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The War with the French Empire 49
Moltke, who would no doubt do everything he could not
to let the Crown Prince of Prussia play a secondary part in
this war. " The deeds of your Royal Highness wiU not be
less glorious than in 1866," I added, " but the objects of
the General can only be attained if your army assumes the
offensive immediately. As soon as it has settled Mac-
Mahon, it will certainly be required for co-operation
against the main forces of the enemy."
Presently General von Blumenthal arrived, and we
went into a room close by, in which the maps of the
theatre of war were spread out on a large table with the
positions of the various detachments of troops marked on it.
In a short report I explained the general situation, indicat-
ing at the same time by means of strips of paper the places
where the corps of Prince Frederick Charles and those of
General von Steinmetz stood at the time. By this means,
it became clear at the first glance that, if the Crown
Prince's army was to co-operate with the others within
any reasonable time, he must seek to crush the forces
opposing him as rapidly as possible. It was evident
from the explanations of General von Blumenthal that
there was only one wish, viz. to get at the enemy as
speedily as circumstances permitted ; and I learned at the
same time that the order for the assembly of the troops
had already been issued that morning. I therefore
requested the Crown Prince to allow Major von Hahnke,
who was also present, to draw up a cipher telegram to
the Royal Headquarters reporting that the army would
cross the frontier on the following day, the 3rd August.
General von Blumenthal, however, objected to this, as the
various corps were not yet sufficiently concentrated for
commencing the movement on that date; besides, the
troops wanted that day to themselves. Thus Hahnke's
telegram fixed the day of starting for the 4th August,
and the ciphered despatch, signed by me, was sent off to
Mainz.
It was nearly eleven o'clock at night when I was able
E
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50 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
to start on my return journey. It was even more trouble-
some than that to Speyer, and I only arrived at 8 o'clock
in the morning of the 3rd August, after having thus
spent three nights running travelling. While I was
wandering about, I met at a small country station a train
just coming in, conveying a squadron of Cuirassiers of the
Guard. On inquiry I learned that several friends of
mine were in it with whom I had spent many a pleasant
hour, including Count Luttichau and Herr von Massow.
I was hard-hearted enough to disturb them in their
slumbers in order to wish them good luck on their way to
the front, as we could not tell whether we should meet
again. Strange to say, I did not feel a trace of fatigue ;
exciting occupation and the variety of impressions on the
way helped me, for some time at least, to forget physical
exhaustion.
Meanwhile, on this same date, the 2nd August, news
had arrived in Mainz, in the afternoon, of an engagement
at Saarbriicken, and it looked as if this town had been
evacuated by the detachment under Colonel von Pestel in
consequence of a French attack. This was in fact the
case. After the gallant little force had directly faced the
masses of the French main army for several weeks, the
latter had advanced, and the HohenzoUern Fusiliers and
Rhenish Uhlans had retreated fighting before the forces
deploying in their front, and had fallen back on a detach-
ment which had been sent in good time to their support.
Thus the self-sacrificing devotion of the small body had
had a glorious end, and formed for us a subject of the
warmest recognition and admiration.
The fact that the enemy had set foot on German soil
and that our troops had fallen back, and the circumstance
that during the engagement a few houses in Saarbriicken
had been set on fire by the French shells, caused great
excitement at home, while in Paris this occurrence, so
insignificant in itself, was celebrated as a victory. This
impression was enhanced by the somewhat obscure talk of
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The War with the French Empire 51
a taking possession " of the coal basin of the Saar," which
gave the engagement an importance which it really never
had.
The way we looked at the matter may be seen from my
notes of the 3rd August, in which there is this remark :
*' The engagement of Saarbriicken is not of much impor-
tance, and of such outposts affairs we shall see plenty."
In reference to the further progress of operations I find
likewise the following observations among my memoranda
on the 3rd August : " Our cavalry will reach the fron-
tier to-day at all points. We shall probably proceed to
Kaiserslautern on the 5th. It still looks as if the French
were waiting for us to come on. In that case there might
be an important encounter with the main army on or
about the gth August, while the Crown Prince wiU probably
have hard fighting at a still earlier date."
The circumstances under which the news reached
the Royal Headquarters about the engagement at Saar-
briicken were certainly peculiar. During the heat of the
fight, reports are sent ohly to the immediate superior.
He, it is true, sends on the reports, but as a rule only
to the general from whom support is expected. As
everybody's attention among the troops engaged is com-
pletely absorbed by what they are doing, it comes about
that the Royal Headquarters do not hear till compara-
tively late of such occurrences, sometimes only in a round-
about way. This is the case more particularly during a
retreat, when the telegraph station in the neighbourhood
has had to be abandoned early. In this way, during the
2nd August, no news at all had arrived at headquarters
in Mainz from the detachment at Saarbriicken. A
telegraph official at Frankfiirt, however, had employed his
leisure time in communicating with his colleague at
Saarbriicken, regarding the state of affairs. The news
which he received in this manner, he wired on, as it
seemed important, to the Director of Field Telegraphs,
Colonel Meydam, who, in his turn, communicated them to
E 2
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52 With the Royal Headquarters in i 87071
us. Still, no clear idea could be gained, from different
accounts that had reached us in this way, as to what had
really occurred at Saarbnicken, so that Bronsart was
obliged, toward the morning of the 3rd August, to
inquire by telegraph of the Commander-in-Chief of the
First Army what had actually taken place.
In the evening of the 4th August, on the same day,
consequently, on which, the Crown Prince's army had
crossed the frontier, we received news of the victorious
engagement with Douay's Division, which had been
pushed forward by MacMahon to Weissenburg, and
whose gallant leader had fallen in this unequal contest.
" The King, with whom I have just spoken, is highly
rejoiced at this first and very important success of his son.
If the enemy makes a stand against the latter, other
successes will soon follow. The Crown Prince has only
Marshal MacMahon before him; the main strength of
the enemy stands on the line Saargemund- Saarbnicken,
confronting the First and Second Army." ^
On the 6th August, headquarters were still at
Mainz. "Things are looking weU. Goeben has just
sent a report of a successful engagement at Saarbnicken.
The enemy seems to be leaving the line of the Saar.
What an extraordinary proceeding! The French first
hurry up in mad haste, as if they were going to fall on us
at once, and begin the war, but nothing happens ! Now,
when we are ready to attack them, they quit their
position I It is possible that they will retreat to Metz or
Nancy, also possible that they intend to make a stand
in a good position on this side of those towns, and try to
bring up MacMahon with his troops. We are prepared for
whatever they do ; only, in the former case, the decisive
blow would unfortunately be delayed for some time. The
losses in the engagements we do not know, but this
much is certain, that they are very heavy."
^ All the passages in inverted commas are extracted verbatim from
my notes or from letters sent home by me.
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The War with the French Empire 53
In regard to reports of losses, let it be explained here
that it is quite impossible to state them correctly imme-
diately after an engagement, and before the reports from
the troops engaged have arrived. Very often after battles
and engagements, only quite rough estimates can be
formed, for which the fury of the fighting in particular
places, as well as the numbers of the troops engaged and
the nature of the ground may ftimish some data; but
even then uncommonly great experience is required
to avoid making vast mistakes. I recollect that on
the evening of the battle of Gravelotte-St. Privat an
estimate of our losses was made amounting to about
8000 men, and when I observed then that we might be
satisfied if we had got off with 15,000 men, my opinion
raised an incredulous smile. Unfortunately our sacrifices
exceeded in reality my own estimate; we lost that day
nearly 20,000.
There is another point, about telegrams sent honje,
which is apt to rouse at times something like indignation,
viz. if in these despatches all the bodies of troops are not
at once mentioned which have taken part in the fighting.
People at home are certainly quite justified, when they
hear a general report of some battle having taken place,
in asking : " Have our people also been there ? " As
a rule, in case of battles in which several armies take
part and at which the Royal Headquarters are present, it
is precisely the telegrams from the latter which first reach
home. Now it may be taken for granted that the
information contained in these despatches will be spread
broadcast, on the same day, through all the capitals of
the neutral powers, and from there it is likely to find its
way immediately to the enemy's intelligence department.
It has happened to us repeatedly that we obtained
valuable intelligence in this roundabout way. Therefore,
if, on the one hand, the reasonableness of the desire of
fiiends at home to know who has been engaged in the
fighting, must be admitted ; on the other hand, the
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54 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
Headquarters are bound to be very cautious in considering
what to publish. The case is somewhat different with
direct information from particular corps to the provinces
at home. Such information, to begin with, arrives
generally somewhat slower, and, owing to the distance
from the capital, becomes known throughout the Empire
comparatively late.
The importance of the intelligence concerning the
engagement at Saarbriicken sent by General von Goeben
could not, at the time, be fully understood. Several
other telegrams from commanding ofl&cers came in from
the scene of action, and finally one from General von
Steinmetz, who had arrived there at 7 o'clock in the
evening. It was now gathered with some certainty that
troops from both armies had taken part in the fighting,
and that the command had passed through different hands.
That night we were very much disturbed. I had just
gone to bed, about midnight, when I 'heard someone
knocking at my door, and a voice asked through the open
door : " Verdy, are you here ? " I recognized the voice
as that of Prince Radziwill, aide-de-camp to the King.
He entered, and told me a telegram had just reached the
King, the contents of which were not quite clear, and he
had, therefore, been sent to me. A light was struck at
once, and while still in bed I read the despatch, which
began with the words : " Two eagles," etc. This much
was evident at least, that the Crown Prince's army had
also been engaged, and had gained a victory. But where
it had been, could not at first be made out. As the
movements of this army, however, had been known so
far, this point perhaps could be settled by reference. So
I jumped out of bed, and sat down at the table where the
maps were spread out. This conversation had, mean-
while, awakened Brandenstein, who was sleeping in the
next room. On his asking what was the matter, I called
out to him to come to us. He appeared in the same
costume as myself, and we both found ourselves at the
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The War with the French Empire 55
table as we had jumped out of bed, each with a candle in
his hand. Our immediate conjecture was afterwards
confirmed, viz* that we had before us one-half of a
telegram, the first half of which, in some strange way,
had not got into the hands of the King.
The news, however, was so important that it was
necessary to consider whether further dispositions had not
to be made. So we waked Bronsart, who was joined by
de Claer and, I think, Blume, also, and we all went to
General Podbielski.
After we had imparted to him the state of the case, we
all went with him, in the costume described, to General
von Moltke, whom we also called up from his sleep. I
shall never forget the peculiar expression in the face of the
General, when he raised himself in his bed, without his
wig, the moon shining on him, as he looked at us as if to
ask : " Who are these strange visitors ? " In the discus-
sion that followed, we all came to the correct conclusion
that the battle must have taken place in the neighbour-
hood of Worth. Now, not only was it necessary to inform
the other armies of the fact, but those corps which were
still in the rear and not yet attached to any army, ought at
once to receive instructions adapted to the new situation.
To the First and Second Army orders were sent not to press
forward too rapidly beyond the Saar, as they were not yet
sufficiently concentrated. On the other hand, we did not
want to prevent them from following up the enemy, who
had his main forces stationed in front of them, in case he
intended to retire. " To-day will make it clear whether
this is the case. This bloody engagement has been for us
an incalculable advantage ; but it is only a prelude. The
decision is yet to come ; for, as yet, the main forces on
both sides have only come in contact in parts. God will
help us on I The losses you will hear of in Berlin sooner
than we here."
A few remarks on the battles of the 6th August at
Spicheren and Worth may here be inserted. Both
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56 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
battles are peculiar, in so far as they were fought against
the will of the Commander-in-Chief, This fact is not
unique, as the third great battle also, that of Colombey,
on the 14th August, commenced under similar circum-
stances. In all these cases the engagement was begun
by the outposts or the advanced troops. These in
each case had the impression that the enemy before
them was on the point of escaping, and they were
anxious not only not to lose touch with him, which
is in any case the business of all such advanced troops ;
but also to inflict upon him when retreating as much
damage as possible.
Thus at Spicheren, General von Kameke saw himself at
once engaged with his whole division in a hot conflict with
the enemy, who showed front again and faced him in a
formidable position. The engagement very soon assumed
such proportions that a withdrawal of the troops was no
longer practicable without incurring a complete defeat. In
their glorious eagerness to help their hard pressed comrades,
all the Prussian troops who were anywhere near hurried to
the battle-field, and came into action. Even a battery of
the I. Corps which, after an uninterrupted journey from
Konigsberg, had just arrived in these parts, continued its
march still fiirther, and put in an appearance on the scene.
So it came about that troops belonging to the First and to
the Second Army fought from the beginning without proper
combination. The Commander-in-Chief of the Second
Army had not foreseen the battle and could not have done so.
On the contrary, he had not intended to attack the enemy
in front in his strong position, but to force him, by envelop-
ing his right wing, to evacuate the position, or accept
battle under less favourable circumstances. With this
view the movements of the troops had been begun, and
as an advance on the enemy's part across the Saar
was not a likely event, considering his inactive attitude
thus far, so severe an action as that around Spicheren,
brought about by the initiative of a subordinate corn-
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The War with the French Empire 57
mander of the First Anny,had not been expected. Prince
Frederick Charles had still less intention of entering on
such a severe struggle that day, as his army was not yet
sufficiently in hand to be in a fit state to help the other.
For the strategical deplo3anent was only meant to be
effected by the movements of the 6th August and the next
following day. So it came about that only parts of the
First and Second Army were engaged, and that the joint
co-operation of all the forces which is to be desired when
a decisive blow is struck, was wanting.
At Worth it was the outposts of the V. Army Corps
who sent out a detachment to reconnoitre the enemy,
when movements in his camp apparently indicated a
retreat. In the engagement thus brought about, support
was afforded it by the Bavarian Corps of General von
Hartmann, which was on the right wing, and the first
division of which got entangled in a very hot fight in a
very difficult country, during which the detachment of the
V. Corps put an end to its reconnaissance. But as the
fighting on the Bavarian wing became steadily more
severe, and as, furthermore, an engagement had begun on
the left, where the XL Corps was, the whole of the V,
Corps came into action in order to prevent the enemy
from throwing his whole weight on one of the wings of the
army ; meanwhile the Bavarian Corps had received orders
firom headquarters to break off the engagement. The
beginning of this battle is thus characterized by much
hesitation, one body always falling back when another
advanced, and the latter being recalled after the former had
resumed the engagement in its support. But now the
Crown Prince himself arrived on the scene, in time to take
over the command and bring concerted action into the
further conduct of the battle. Then it became evident,
what an advantage there is in having a fully assembled
army, ready to act together ; so that the battle proper
could be directed in an efficient manner. The
contest was extremely bloody and violent. For, the
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58 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
enemy, who had in his ranks the excellent African troops,
was here again in a position that resembled a fortress, and
it was only by the self-sacrificing bravery of our troops
and skilful leadership that the victory was gained. But
the struggle would have been still more severe, if the
French commanders had brought up in time all the troops
which, if they had received orders, might have reached
the battle-field. More dangerous stiU in this respect was
the situation for us at Spicheren, as very strong hostile
forces were quite close at hand. Fortunately for us they
were not brought up to the scene of action.
2. From Mainz to Pont a Mousson — Battles of
COLOMBEY-NOUILLY AND ViONVILLE-MARS LA TOUR.
Headquarters left Mayence on the 8th of August, going
by rail to Homburg. " It was nearly 9 p.m. when we
arrived ; our horses arrived in the morning at 2 o'clock.
No shelter could be found for them, and so they had to
bivouac in torrents of rain, which was not agreeable.
To-day, the 9th, I drove a dozen oxen out of their stables
and put up our horses." Our way lay through some very
pretty scenery ; but we were all somewhat fatigued through
having the last few nights had no sleep and the amount of
work we had done. Everywhere we came across bodies of
troops ; we passed stations fiiU of men who had got out
there, as their trains had to stop for us; and we saw
detachments of all arms who were on the march. Every-
where the troops halted and greeted His Majesty with
cheers, while the military bands played patriotic tunes.
Moreover, the whole population of the neighbourhood had
assembled en masse ; the enthusiasm was the greater, as
the news of the victories of Worth and Spicheren had
already become known. The pleasant impression which
all this made on one, was increased by the beauty of the
Haardt mountains through which we passed.
But the serious side of the situation also made itself
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The War with the French Empire 59
felt. At Ludwigshafen Stosch learned that his brother,
commanding the 46th, had fallen ; then Waldersee heard
that his cousin, in command of the 5th Jaegers, had been
mortally wounded. We heard the same of other ac-
quaintances. "The details of the engagements and the
losses will reach you before they come to us ; anyone who
finds the opportunity telegraphs home. We only get
intelligence of what it is necessary to know for the service,
besides, we have no leisure to trouble about what is
gone ; the present and the future demand, that one
should tear oneself away from the past. Thus we only
learn where a certain engagement has taken place, against
whom, and how it has ended. The army is too large for
details to reach us in any other way than by accident. —
The general situation is good, but so far (9 p.m.) no
report has come in as yet from a single army concern-
ing the events of the day. H.R.H. the Crown Prince of
Saxony, whose corps lies close by here, honoured and
delighted me with a long visit at my quarters. If the French
do not attack us to-morrow, which is not impossible,
though not very probable, we shall attack them the day
after, when our whole strength is assembled."
Immediately after the campaign of 1866, several officers
of the Saxon General Staff had been ordered to head-
quarters, by which means we got to know each other
better while working together, and we had become very
intimate. I remember particularly the names of von
HoUeben and von Tschirschky, who afterwards for many
years commanded two Saxon divisions. (Von HoUeben
was also a member of the Staff at the Royal Headquarters
in 1870-71, and was as popular among us and as pleasant a
comrade as he was a valuable assistant.) Now, it so
happened that General von Moltke soon after the war of
1866 had undertaken a tour for staff purposes in the
Kingdom of Saxony, during which H.R.H. the Crown
Prince often joined our rides, as long as they had Dresden
for their starting point, and it was thus that friendly rela-
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6o With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
tions had sprung up between the Crown Prince and the
General, which became closer every day during this
campaign. Such relations among the leaders, which are
based on personal acquaintance and that mutual high
esteem and unlimited confidence which comes from it,
are of the very highest value for the successful course of
operations, and a guarantee for effecting co-operation.
That this was so in this case, is shown by the fact that
the leadership of the new army, which had to be formed
after the battle of Gravelotte, was entrusted to H.R.H.
the Crown Prince Albert.
" Hombuijg^, 9th August, morning.
(Sent from Homburg early in the morning before setting out for
Saarbriicken.)
" The enemy seems to be retreating on all points. If that
is so, he wiU probably not try to make a stand till he has
reached the river Nied, and it will be another week before
the decisive struggle comes."
*' Saarbriicken, loth August, 9 p.m.
" As there was still much work to be done yesterday,
and the change to new quarters took up much time, we
had to hurry to get here. Moltke and Podbielski each
took one of us with him in his carriage ; my own was
driven by Alten, who is a good whip. Claer, Holleben,
Krause and Blume were with me in the *war chariot.*
The road hither is very pretty, and its beauty was much
enhanced for us by passing on the way the marching
columns of the Saxon Corps and the camps of the IX.
Corps. The latter lined for some ten miles both sides of
the road, over 30,000 strong. My ears are still buzzing
with the hurrahs and the strains of the military bands, as
we drove directly behind the King.
"Saarbriicken is charmingly situated and looks very
smart. But in sharp contrast to this pleasant sight stands
the fact that every house is crammed with wounded. The
losses in the engagement of the 6th August here are
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very considerable ; I estimate them at nearly 5000 men
on our side. Wounded Frenchmen and Prussians lie peU-
mell together here. Among others, little Kuminski has
been wounded again and is here ; I shall try to see him
for a moment to-morrow morning early. The position
which our twenty-six battalions attacked is so strong that
one can hardly believe it could be carried.
"As regards the general situation, the French seem
to be seeking protection behind the MoseUe under the
guns of Metz. We are following them up everywhere.
To-morrow the headquarters will remove to St. Avoid,
whither the railway is already open again. — From Paris
very disquieting news for the Emperor Napoleon come in ;
it is possible that he will cut and run. This would not be
pleasant for us, as the foreign powers might then come
and say : * Now it is about time that the fighting should
cease, you having yourselves declared that you waged
war not with France, but with the Emperor Napoleon
alone.' Fortunately Bismarck and the other statesmen
at the helm think otherwise. We will fight it out, so that
the French may not begin again a few years hence, but
will, on the contrary, have had enough of it for some time
to come. They must be made to feel what it means to
challenge a peaceable neighbour to a struggle for life or
death ; the whole French nation must be made sick of
fighting, no matter whether a Napoleon reigns, or an
Orleans or a Bourbon or anybody else. Dixi."
No particular value need be attached to these opinions.
I only mention them to show what we at the Royal
Headquarters thought about the situation.
" St. Avoid, nth August, evening.
" We started to-day at i o'clock from Saarbriicken and
arrived here at 4 o'clock ; so we are now for the first time on
French soil. The country about here is a very pretty and
weU-wooded table-land, intersected by valleys and water-
courses. But few inhabitants are to be seen, a great
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62 " With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
number of them having fled. According to the most
recent information, the French army, now that Bazaine
has taken over the chief command, is said still to intend
to make a stand on this side of Metz. In that case, if
they do not escape us, decisive battles may be expected
by the 14th or 15th August.
" To our astonishment, some of our officers, who had
ridden on, found the direct road from St. Avoid to Metz
completely free of our troops ; this was in consequence of
the dispositions of General von Steinmetz, who had not
pushed his army so far to the left as he ought to have done
according to the intentions of the Royal Headquarters.
The 15th Uhlan Regiment under Colonel von Albensleben,
which chanced to be near, was therefore ordered on to
this road, so that we had at least some protection in the
immediate direction of the French. In addition, the
8th (Body-guard Grenadier Regiment) of the III. Army
Corps was ordered to St. Avoid, and one of its battalions
was pushed forward beyond the town."
On the 1 2th August, which day we spent at St.
Avoid, it became again uncertain, on comparing the
various reports which we received, whether the French
did really mean to make a stand on this side of Metz.
Consequently, General von Moltke rode forward with us
to reconnoitre. Although we rode far in advance of the
cavalry outposts furnished by the 6th Dragoons, the enemy
was still too far distant for us to see anything whatever of
him.
" St. Avoid, I2th August.
" The battles of Worth and Spicheren seem to have
made a tremendous impression on the French army,
which is easily comprehensible. It seems likely, for the
moment, that they intend to continue their retreat behind
the Moselle. But their masses have got so entangled that
they will have to leave some corps under the walls of Metz.
Our cavalry to-day will cross the MoseUe above and
below the fortress, to see whether they can do any
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The War with the French Empire 63
damage to the hastily retreating French columns.* They
will stick to the enemy, cut off his supplies under his very
nose, blow up railways on his line of march, etc. Our
young friend Neumeister of the Engineers did a fine
deed of this kind last night. The foremost infantry
detachments will likewise reach the Moselle and Meurthe
to-day. Our table here, in spite of a good cook and
requisitions, was rather a poor one, as the country here-
abouts is already pretty well exhausted. At one o'clock
we shall move on to Herny. Brandenstein has already
had the railway repaired as far as the line of outposts."
" Herny, 14th August.
"At present we have our offices in the schoolrooms
of the mairie of Herny; while I am writing, the IX.
Corps is just marching past our windows with bands
pla5ang. Herny is a French village of about 900
inhabitants, and looks very well with its stone-built
houses. It is about seven miles west of Faulquemont.
The Royal Headquarters have been divided, the non-
working members remaining at the latter town.
"Before we started from St. Avoid, a fire broke out
which our men put out ; the passage through the narrow
streets was consequently much impeded. At i o'clock
we left, but instead of arriving at 3, we arrived only at
5 o'clock. It was an abominable journey, as we had the
whole way to wriggle through between two or three lines
of commissariat waggons belonging to two army corps.
" The King, who arrived after us, noticed that we were
already at work, and greeted us with much kindness.
To-day, the 14th August, we shall probably remain here,
if there is nothing serious before Metz. Considerable bodies
of the enemy are still observable on the glacis of the fortress,
and the First Army is advancing in that direction.
^ This was Moltke's intention, but his desire to invest, as it were,
the west side of Metz with the ist, 3rd, ?th, and 6th Cavalry Divisions
was never carried out. So far as the nrst two are concerned it was.
chiefly the fault of Steinmetz.^ED.
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64 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
" During the night we received the first reports about the
battle of Worth. They cannot claim to be strictly
accurate, of course, any more than the statements as to
losses ; the less so, because, in the V. Corps, for instance,
the majority of the regimental commanders are killed or
wounded, I regret to say that little Heineccius, who
had been attached to Bose's staif, has been killed. The
losses at Worth amount to about 10,500 men. If one
takes into consideration that only 4^ army corps were. in
action there, while at Konigsgratz we had 7i corps, and
lost only about 9000 men, it becomes evident how much
more sanguinary fighting is in the present day than it
was then.
** The general situation in other respects is as good as
we could wish. We shall know to-day whether the
French will continue their retreat still farther beyond the
Moselle. To-morrow we shall probably go to Pont-4-
Mousson. But few of the people about here speak
German, which results in the most amusing misunder-
standings with our men. In the villages most of the men
fit to carry arms have fled, as they have been told that
we should enroll them among our troops, and place them
in front, when going into action against their country-
men ; but I expect they will soon come back again. Our
mess is now apparently getting into working order." (In
fact, from this time onward we always had our chief meal
together, that is whenever there was one to have.)
" Besides the Staff, General von Stosch, his son and
Meydam are members of it.
"The Empire of the 2nd December is shaken to its
foundation. But France is certainly making desperate
efforts to increase its fighting strength. It will be to '
no purpose, however ; a very bloody crisis will and must
come ; I trust it may be soon !
" During the afternoon we heard the sound of cannon now
and then in a northern direction. It could only have been
part of the First Army engaged with the French before
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The War with the French Empire 65
Metz. But we only became sure of its meaning when
Brandenstein and Winterfeldt, who had been sent thither,
came back at night. They brought information as to the
course of the battle which had meanwhile been fought at
Colombey, and also of its victorious ending. In con-
sequence of this, our intended march to Pont-d-Mousson
on the 15th August came to nothing, His Majesty
wishing to inspect the battle-field.* We drove there with
him, the distance being over 15 miles, and our saddle
horses followed us. I drove with General von Stosch,
leaving my brake to the others."
Here, again, the battle had been brought on by the
officer in command of the outposts. The advance-guard of
the Vn. Corps, Lieutenant-General Freiherr von der Goltz,
had noticed considerable commotion in the French camp
before him ; as at Worth and Spicheren, these move-
ments had been interpreted, this time quite correctly,
as pointing to the retreat of the enemy. But von der
Goltz had something more in view than merely to inflict
as much damage as possible on the enemy, when he
ordered his brigade to advance. He had been an officer of
the General Staff, and a very capable one, and was a gallant
leader of men, who possessed to a high degree the confi-
dence of those under him, especially of the Westphalians,
in whose province he had formerly commanded a regiment.
From certain things which had come to his knowledge, he
had formed an idea of the situation and its bearings which
was perfectly correct. Accordingly, it seemed to him im-
portant to keep the French army as long as possible on
this side of Metz, so that the corps of the Second Army
crossing the Moselle farther to the south might be able to
advance far enough to threaten seriously the enemy's line of
retreat. If I am not mistaken, Brandenstein 's appearance
on the scene decided the General to act on this calculation.
^ The date given in the Geiman text is the i6th. This is obviously
a misprint for 1 5tfa, as the Royal Headquarters reached there on the
latter day.— Ed.
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66 With the Royal Headquarters in i 87071
With this object in view, then, he advanced with his
brigade and reported the fact not only to his immediate
superiors in command, but also to the I. Corps and the
other troops in the neighbourhood, and asked for their
support. This was given by all, in some cases spon-
taneously, as soon as the sound of cannon was heard.
On the right. General von Manteuffel came hurrying
up with the L Army Corps ; from the immediate rear
the remaining troops of the VII. Corps, and on the
left the i8th division of the IX. Corps under General
Freiherr von Wrangel. In addition to these, two cavalry
divisions appeared on the battle-field. The participation
of the 18 th division, which belonged to the army of Prince
Frederick Charles, had been made possible by orders from
Royal Headquarters. It was not probable, certainly, that
the French would, while one part of our army was still
before Metz and the other crossing the Moselle in order to
make its way round the fortress to the south, take advan-
tage of this separation to make a sudden advance on the
right bank ; but yet, such an operation was not impossible.
The Second Army had consequently received orders to
dispose part of its forces in such a manner that any
offensive movement of the French on the right bank
might be met with sufficient force on the day it began.
Forming the extreme right of the Second Army, Wrangel's
division was at the time nearest to the scene of action ;
this enabled the General to bring up his troops and take
part in the battle, which was with this exception fought out
practically by two corps of the First Army (the I. and
VII.). The Commander-in-Chief, General von Steinmetz,
kept back the third corps of this army, Goeben's (the
VIII.) , as it was not his intention to attack this day at all.
So only five infantry and two cavalry divisions were actually
engaged.
The foremost Prussian forces which came in contact
with the enemy found him in superior numbers, though
on the point of retreating, in a very strong position
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The War with the French Empire 67
behind a little river with steep banks. The first French
troops which were attacked formed front and deployed.
They were supported by the troops in the rear, and
General TAmirault in particular, who was already cross-
ing the Moselle with his corps, immediately faced about
and pushed it forward in a direction which might have
become very dangerous for our right wing, and for the
issue of the battle. The Prussian troops first engaged
were obliged, owing to the extent of the French
front, to advance against it in small bodies, but every-
where they had assumed the offensive in spite of the
superior numbers opposed to them, which made their task a
very difficult one. In the same way the supports that
came hurrying up could not go into action in masses,
because, as soon as they appeared on the field, their im-
mediate help was urgently needed in various directions.
Nevertheless, their admirable valour enabled our troops
to re-establish themselves at various points on the far
side of the stream, and to ward off the dangerous advance
on their flank. When night fell, the enemy were in
retreat.
General von Steinmetz arrived late on the battle-field.
In order to save the troops from further losses next
morning from the fire of the heavy guns in the forts, he
ordered a retreat; General von Manteuffel, however,
persisted in remaining with his corps in bivouac on the
scene of his victory.
This is a general outline of the course of the battle as
it was explained to us upon the battle-field on the 15th
August. On our arrival there, we were just mounting our
horses, when I met Lieutenant-General von derGoltz, who
was still exulting over the successful issue of the bloody
combat, while not quite sure whether his unauthorized
action was approved of in the highest quarters. I was in
a position to reassure him on that point by telling him
that his course of action had eminently furthered the
objects aimed at ; for the delay which the battle had
F 2
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68 With the Roval Headquarters in 1870-71
caused to the French was favourable to our projected
operations and would facilitate their execution.
The battle-field was already cleared to a remarkable
extent, although comparatively few hours had passed
since the end of the struggle. Only in one small copse we
still found some hundred wounded Frenchmen ; a large
number of the dead, however, were still unburied.
The King conversed with Generals von Steinmetz and von
Manteuffel, and then he rode on in the direction of Metz,
we others following. After proceeding for a quarter of an
hour I noticed that we were akeady a considerable distance
beyond the line of outposts ; long ago we had passed the line
of vedettes of the Black Hussars. I rode up to General von
Moltke and drew his attention to the fact that our gracious
Sovereign was moving forward in the direction of the
enemy without protection. Moltke directed me to ride on,
but in such a manner as not to attract notice ; Captain
Zingler accompanied me. After making a detour across
a ploughed field, we again got into the road farther on.
This was close to the spot where the fighting had
been severest on the previous day. The small ravine,
covered on both sides with trees and bushes, was
comparatively precipitous and deep; there was no clear
view forward, as the heights became higher in that
direction, and were covered in part with dense wood.
Along these heights numerous dead bodies were still lying
in the shelter trenches thrown up by the French. We rode
on along the high road in order to get a glimpse at Metz
on the other side. Directly behind the foremost clumps
of trees we found a small chateau in which a Prussian
ambulance was at work ; it must have been Colombey, if
we read our maps aright. Near it a troop of Blue Hussars
of the Vn. Corps stood under the cover of a wooded
hill-top. When we had passed the latter (His Majesty
had returned meanwhile to the other side of the declivity)
we saw Metz before us. We rode on along a small
avenue in which lay heaps of dead French. Zingler
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The War with the French Empire 69
dismounted in order to take from their knapsacks some
pocket-books which might give information as to what
troops had fought there and what marches they had made
before. Not far from us was a small village, probably
Borny, in which a French ambulance was at work ; some-
what to its left rose some tremendous earthworks which
were still being busily pushed on ; towards the right there
was a fort from which some shots were fired, till the sound
of a trumpet put a stop to it ; it came from a Prussian
ofiicer with a flag of truce whom General von Manteuffel
had sent to arrange for burying the dead. Down in the
plain lay Metz, wrapped in a bluish haze, out of which rose
the gigantic outline of the cathedral. Behind the town
were spread the somewhat steep slopes of Mont St. Quen-
tin and the other heights on the left bank of the Moselle.
While we were carefully engaged in surve3dng the whole
ground we espied Bronsart, who had ridden forward by him^
self, to the left of us at the edge of a wood. On this side
of Metz nothing was to be seen of any French troops outside
the fortifipations ; only on the glacis there seemed to be
still some movement going on. But we noticed quite
distinctly strong columns ascending the heights on the
left bank of the Moselle, to which our attention was
drawn in the first instance by clouds of dust and the flash
of arms.
After having watched them for some time, we returned,
and, after discussing various matters with the staff of the
First Army, we again made our way back to our quarters
at Herny. The King had been anxious to express his
thanks to the gallant troops on the battle-field, and stayed
therefore some time longer.
Considering the general state of things, it was of the
highest importance to know soon, how events would shape
themselves on the left bank of the Moselle. The heads of
the columns of the Second Army had already crossed the
river, and must, therefore, meet the retreating French
columns at some point or other. Nearest to the enemy
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stood, besides the advanced cavalry, the III. Army Corps
under General Constantin von Alvensleben. The task
•
which he might be called upon shortly to undertake, would
involve, in all probability, some fighting under very difficult
conditions. But General von Alvensleben enjoyed such a
high reputation as a leader of troops that he was looked
upon as capable of coping with the most difficult situations.
Thus our expectations as to what would happen where he
was were indeed wound up to the highest pitch, but
we entertained no fear except that the enemy might
escape us if he succeeded in accelerating his retreat.
, In order to have timely intelligence of everything that
might take place there and at the same time to explain to
General von Alvensleben the desires of the Supreme
Leader, Bronsart was sent off that same evening to the
III. Army Corps, using on this occasion the "war
chariot."
Among my notes on the i6th August I find the fol-
lowing : — " Concerning our operations we were prepared
either for the French halting at Metz or for their retreat.
If they do not make a stand, we have to hurry on without
intermission ; but we shall have to do the same in case
they stop ; only more careful march-dispositions will then
be necessary, so that we should not be taken unawares
by a sudden offensive movement of the enemy. Our ar-
rangements had been made in such a manner, that, if the
bloody engagement in the afternoon of the 14th August
(battle of Colombey) had assumed still greater propor-
tions, six army corps could have been massed for battle
on the morning of the 15th. The prolonged halt of the
French at Metz gives room for the hope that the leading
columns of Prince Frederick Charles advancing by forced
marches will be able to inflict on them considerable
damage to-day or to-morrow."
On the i6th August we arrived in Pont-d-Mousson, a
very clean and prettily situated town in the valley of the
Moselle. It was already full of troops ; the quarters assigned
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to me consisted of a cabinet-maker's workshop with an open
door and large windows ; besides, the place was crammed
full of materials used in the trade, and the floor covered
with wood shavings, so deeply that it was difficult to
walk a step. I immediately went in search of other
lodgings, and was so fortunate as to find some in a small
pavilion behind the house in which Moltke and Podbielski
had taken up their quarters. A lady who lived there had
the kindness to draw my attention to the pavilion, and I
immediately took possession of it. On our arrival at
Pont-4-Mousson in the afternoon we immediately received
news of a fierce combat which was raging about Vionville
and Mars-la-Tour, on the left bank of the Moselle.
Wounded men, staff officers with reports, and orders for
bodies of corps farther to the rear, came in continuous
succession ; ammunition columns and ambulances went
rumbling, at full speed, in the direction of the battle-field,
while compact masses of troops arrived from the right
bank, and had to seek rest towards the evening, after a
forced march, here and farther on. It had become too
late for us to put in an appearance on the battle-field, we
should only have reached it after nightfall. Any disposi-
tions to be made there fell moreover within the province
of Prince Frederick Charles, who was on the spot. Alarm-
ing reports came in apace towards the evening, as the
number of those increased who had taken part in the
fighting. Their accounts all helpeci to give the impression
that the combat must have been of an uncommonly fierce
character, and accompanied by heavy losses. The 7th
Cuirassiers were said to be annihilated, and also a brigade
of the Hanoverian Corps ; well-known commanders were
stated to be dead, as for instance the leaders of the two
Guard Dragoon Regiments, von Auerswald and Count
Finckenstein. There were also reports of great cavalry
engagements and heavy losses among the artillery. From
all we learned it seemed clear that the III. Army
Corps, supported by the X. and some other troops, had
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maintained themselves victoriously on the field, and that
the French had not succeeded in continuing their march
westwards. But complete certainty came only late at
night with the arrival of Bronsart, who reported on the
particulars of the battle with that calm self-control which
never forsook him.
Now the question was how to make the best use of the
extremely favourable situation won by so much blood, and
to afford the necessary support to the weak forces which
had been confronting the French army, and to prevent
for good and all the retreat of the French, which had been
arrested so successfully that day. Very early in the
morning of the 17th August the Headquarters started for
the battle-field, we officers of the General Staff as early as
half-past two. The road from Pont-a-Mousson on the
left bank of the Moselle in the direction of Metz which
we followed, was covered with vehicles bringing back the
wounded, with prisoners under escort, and troops marching
to the front, as well as ammunition and supply columns.
Nevertheless order was maintained, so that we arrived
without much delay in the neighbourhood of Gorze, where
we mounted our horses.
We then rode up the steep slope rising from the valley
of Gorze, and on reaching the ground above, a kind of
plateau, we at once found signs that the battle of the
previous day had extended even as far as here. Just by
the edge of the plateau lay the body of a young artillery
officer with the sash of an adjutant ; farther on we came
across numerous dead of the 52nd regiment, which had
suffered terrible losses. Here, too, had fallen the gallant
Lieutenant-General von Doring, and our old comrade
on the staff. Count Schlippenbach, had been severely
wounded at the head of his battalion.
On the height to the south of Flavigny the whole
Headquarters assembled, and here we practically remained
during the greater part of the day, as it afforded a good
view of the country. Only for a short time General von
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Moltke rode on with us along the Vionville-Rezonville road
farther toward the north, where, however, the forest land
very soon obscured the view. The air was boiling hot,
the ground hard, and everywhere the traces were seen of
yesterday's bloody fight. The village nearest to us had .
only been evacuated by the French during the night or
early in the morning. Beyond it, on one of the ranges of
hills running parallel with Metz, were Histinctly visible
the white lines of small tentes-d'abri which marked the
presence of considerable French forces.
It had been the earnest desire of General von Moltke to
resume the battle again to-day. But the troops of the
various corps ordered up from all sides, however much
they exerted themselves, could only gain the plateau
gradually. It was already afternoon, and even yet not all
the forces were assembled which were near enough to be
brought up for the battle. But it soon became evident,
on the other hand, that the French would not do anything
more that day. Only now and then a cannon shot came
from the heights occupied by them, and for the first time
we heard here the extremely loud jarring noise of the
mitrailleuses. There was, therefore, no need to hurry
the execution of our plans. The southern and most
direct line of retreat of the enemy, towards the interior of
France, was now blocked, and he had certainly not yet set
his columns in motion on the roads towards the north
which still remained open. These roads could for the
present be watched and held by the cavalry.
After a personal conference of General Moltke with
Goeben, who, hurrying in advance of his troops, had
arrived at Flavigny, it was resolved not to attack the
enemy, if he made a stand, before the next morning.
Among our staff there was no doubt about the course to
be pursued, viz. to proceed to the attack of the heights,
if he remained there, or if he attempted, behind a screen
of troops, to gain the northern roads with the bulk of his
forces, to turn against the latter. As the Royal Head-
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quarters entered here into direct contact with the
Commander of the Second Army, the whole situation
and the various dispositions necessary could be discussed
in their smallest details, and the instructions given by
word of mouth. Similarly, everything that was necessary
was also arranged with the Quartermaster-General of the
First Army, Colonel Count Wartensleben ; General von
Goeben also received directly from our Chief those in-
structions which regulated the action of his corps for the
next morning.
The long-continued waiting for news and the unceasing
observation of the enemy through the telescopes, together
with the effect of the heat on the treeless plateau, produced
at last a certain amount of exhaustion. Fortunately,
Count Nostitz had managed to prepare some warm
food for us, using for that purpose the cooking utensils
of the killed that lay about; the first was offered to
the King. Unluckily the quantity was not sufficient
to supply all the members of the Headquarters, who
for the most part had not provided themselves with
victuals.
During the long hours which we spent waiting on this
spot, several incidents occurred which brought some relief
to the gravity of the situation, and produced an effect
which was almost comic. I will just mention two of
them.
On the spot occupied by us during the day there were
many corpses scattered about, for the burial of which a
few companies of engineers in the neighbourhood were
told off. Many of the members of the Headquarters in the
scalding heat felt the need of resting a little, while nothing
was to be seen or heard, and stretched themselves on the
ground. Among them was the Russian military attache,
Count Kutusov, who, with his face to the ground, very soon
fell into a profound sleep. While Bronsart and I were speak-
ing together, we observed a couple of pioneers approaching
him, and after some consultation they agreed that the
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The War with the French Empire 75
gentleman in the green foreign uniform must be a
superior officer of the French chasseurs. Deceived by
the motionless attitude of the Count, and perhaps tickled
by the smell of his new accoutrements of Russian leather,
they looked at him for awhile and closed their observations
with the words : " He's dead, so here goes ! " With that
they set to digging out the earth from beneath the middle
of his body. It is easy to imagine the astonishment of
the men when they suddenly saw the dead man come to
life again, and still more the face of the Count when he
became aware of the peculiar operation to whi.ch he was
going to be subjected. We quickly interfered, and so
the incident closed amidst general merriment.
As I have mentioned the name of Count Kutusov,
I must not omit to add that he was a highly popular
member of our Headquarters. His frank and winning
manners, his upright character, were so generally recog-
nized among us during the war and gained him such high
esteem, that it always gave us particular pleasure to
meet him.
The second event which I will now relate was one which
at first aroused indignation, and afterwards general hilarity.
As we were still sitting close together on our horses, there
appeared among us suddenly, making room for himself
wthout the smallest hesitation, a strange-looking personage
in mufti, by his looks evidently a foreigner, and plentiftilly
adorned with all the attributes that betokened from afar
the war correspondent of the period. Moreover, this
personage was on a horse which carried the trappings of
a French cuirassier. When we cross-examined him as to
who he was, and what he wanted here, he explained quite
innocently that he was the correspondent of a foreign
newspaper, was in possession of a passport from the French
authorities, had so far followed the French army, and been
present at the battle on the day before. He had that
morning taken one of the stray horses, and had come
over to see how matters stood with us ! An incredible
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76 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
piece of imbecility ! He was quickly hauled down from his
horse and removed, not only from the battle-field, but for
the present, also, from the scene of operations. Whether
he reappeared again anywhere else during the war, I don't
know. His horse was assigned to me, as one of mine
had broken down from over-work. Towards evening we
returned to Pont-4-Mousson.
In order to understand the subsequent course of affairs,
it is necessary to have a clear idea of the disposition of
all our forces. On the evening of the 17th August they
were at the following points : —
On the battle-field of the i6th August, or in its near
neighbourhood, there were, of Prince Frederick Charles'
Army, the HI., IX., XII. Corps and the Corps of
Guards, with its two cavalry divisions. Of the army of
General von Steinmetz the VIII. and VII. Corps, the
latter still in the valley of the Moselle, with its advance-
guard pushed forward, and the 3rd Cavalry Division. On
the right bank of the Moselle near Metz, the I. Army
Corps and the ist Cavalry Division. On the march to
Pont-a-Mousson was the II. Corps; while the IV. Army
Corps was on the right wing of the Third Army.
Of this force the foremost corps had reached the river
Madon, the two cavalry divisions being pushed forward
beyond it, while the rear portion was still on the
Meurthe from Nancy to near Lun^ville (the V., XI.,
VI. Prussian, the I. and II. Bavarian Corps, the
Wurttemberg Field Division, together with the 2nd and
4th Cavalry Divisions). The Baden Field Division had
remained in Alsace to besiege Strassburg; it had been
reinforced by a division of Guard Landwehr and the ist
Landwehr Division, as well as by troops of the line
which had, until now, remained behind to garrison the
fortresses.
Of the remaining troops which were still at home, the
3rd Landwehr Division was already on its way to Metz,
while the 17th Infantry and the 2nd Landwehr Division
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had been likewise ordered to the seat of war about the
middle of August.
According to the news received concerning the enemy,
it was conjectured that Marshal MacMahon was con-
centrating his troops, which had retreated in con-
siderable disorder, at Ch&lons, and that the forces still
available in the interior of France would be assembled
there.
3. Battle of Gravelotte — St. Privat.
When I woke up in my solitary quarters on the morning
of the i8th August I discovered, on looking at my watch,
that it was long past the time at which I had given
orders to be called. A man has naturally to rely on being
called under such circumstances, his exertions during the
day, besides working to late at night, not being calculated
to make him wake in the morning of his own accord. I
quickly washed and dressed and hurried down to see what
was the cause. Two of my servants had remained on the
battle-field with the saddle horses, the other two with the
carriage horses were in the town, at some distance from
my quarters. On walking towards the house to which my
pavilion belonged, the quiet which reigned about it struck
me as very peculiar, until I heard, to my horror, in the
office that the generals and the officers had driven off some
time ago. Then I hurried to where I knew my carriage
and horses were. But not a trace of them ! As it turned
out afterwards, our officers had driven away with them, as
they had been told erroneously that General von Moltke
and myself had already left the town. My position began
to be painful ; it occurred to me that I might arrive on the
battle-field too late, or perhaps not at all. I immediately
went to the commandant's office, where I was assured that
neither carriage nor horse were obtainable, as they were all
in use for the transport of the wounded. But just as I
left the office, I heard to my joy a carriage rolling through
one of the by-streets. I turned that way and, behold, it
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was Stosch with his conveyance, who now was ready to
share it with me, as he often did during the war.
We saw during our drive our telegraph detachment still
occupied in establishing telegraphic communication with
Gorze. A comical impression was produced by seeing a
French peasant in a white nightcap and blue blouse sitting
by each telegraph pole already erected. The villagers had
been made responsible for the safety of the poles, etc., and
had hit upon this plan of watching them in order to keep
themselves from being punished.
We fortunately succeeded in coming up with the other
carriages of the Headquarters before they reached Gorze.
Here we mounted our horses and again ascended the slope
to the plateau at the same time as the Hessian Division,
the troops of which looked in splendid condition.
Concerning the battle of Gravelotte-St. Privat, I
managed during the next few days to write a coherent
account of it, which was finished before we finally left
Pont-iL-Mousson on the morning of the 23rd August. We
had returned there in the evening of the 19th.
This account I will give here word for word.
" The French had remained too long at Metz. This
enabled us to prevent their intended withdrawal to Ch&lons.
Several roads were open to them for retreat. On the i6th
our foremost columns reached the nearest of these, and
the enemy was prevented by the battle of Vionville and
Mars la Tour from effecting a retreat that day. The
battle was a murderous one, but attained its object. Our
ni. and X. Corps, the nth Regiment and one brigade of the
Vni. Corps had fought like lions, the various arms vying
with each other in bravery. Almost the whole French
army had thrown itself upon them, but the southern
road of retreat, which our men had reached, was held by
them. Our losses had been immense, but the enemy had
suffered no less, as the number of their dead proved.
" Now, there was a chance of blocking the remaining
roads also, if the French were to attempt to get away
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The War with the French Empire 79
farther to the north. Therefore, all the troops whicll
could be brought up had been concentrated during the
17th. The i8th must decide the question, if the enemy
did not seek the shelter of the guns of Metz. But the
general conduct of the armies was a task of uncommon
difficulty, for, in the event of the enemy deciding to march
by the northern roads, the greater part of our forces
would have to be moved in that direction, while a smaller
portion covered the movement against a possible
offensive demonstration of the enemy from Metz. If, on
the other hand, the enemy gave up the attempt and
satisfied himself with remaining in his present position,
which could only be ascertained in the course of the morn-
ing, then he was to be attacked near Metz. Now it is no
trifle to handle a quarter of a million of men, in the short
space of the first half of a day, so as to have them ready for
any event ; to be able to use them in different directions and
yet have them available in the latter half to fight a battle.
" We betook ourselves to the height near VionviUe,
south of Flavigny, where we had been on the previous day.
" It afforded a good enough view to enable us,
at least for a time, to control the movements of the
whole force. On our left, behind Vionville, the com-
mander of the Second Army and his staff had
posted themselves under a tall poplar tree ; to the
right were to be seen the last heights this side of Mont
St. Quentin, where the French left wing stood. The
rows of poplars of the great main road stood out dis-
tinctly against the sky, as well as the various farm-houses
which were soon to become a prey to the flames.
Between them we saw French batteries ready deployed,
and still fiirther back the tents of their camp. A strange
impression was produced when we found, on looking up
the names of various points on the map which might
become of importance, that the two farms nearest to us,
within the French lines, were called Moscow and Leipzig.
Not a good omen for our opponents !
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" Several hours passed, on the tiptoe of expectation, as
we waited for information as to the enemy's movements,
while our troops were deplo3ang to the front. I was
sent twice to Prince Frederick Charles to discuss the
situation with him, hear his opinions and intentions, and
communicate to him those which obtained with us. I
found the Prince and his staff in excellent spirits.
" Certain movements being observed repeatedly on the
heights occupied by the enemy, opinions differed for a
long time, with them as with us, as to whether he was
withdrawing, or making preparations to deploy for battle,
or whether he was placing troops in motion along the
northern roads. Meanwhile Count Nostitz again prepared
an agreeable surprise for us in the shape of a breakfast
which he had succeeded in improvising,
'^At last, at half-past 10 o'clock, the situation had
become perfectly clear. The enemy before us was making
a stand ; the reports of the cavalry, sent out northward,
confirmed the belief that he had given up the attempt to
begin his retreat on Paris that day. Therewith the
moment had come for the army of Prince Frederick
Charles to wheel round to the right in a wide circle in
order to advance against the enemy in a line with the
two corps of General von Steinmetz, the VII. and the
VIII., which had taken up a position towards Metz
to cover the movement. The IX. Corps of the Prince's
army joined on to the troops of the First Army ; on the
left of the IX., the Corps of Guards and, on the extreme
left flank, the Saxon Corps were to extend our line, but
both would require time to effect their movement, and the
latter could not be expected to come into action before
4 o'clock. The III. and X. Corps were for the present
held in reserve by the Prince. For a general reserve, the
II. Corps, under General von Fransecky, was approaching
from the direction of Pont-d-Mousson.
" The section of the hostile position right in front of us
was so strong that it was resolved not to begin the attack
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on it before the corps on the extreme wings were able to
operate against the flanks of the enemy. This intention
could not be carried out at first, as the opponent had
extended and thrown forward his right wing farther than
the first reports had indicated, so that the turning
movement by the Saxons could not take place till later
than had been at first supposed. According to the reports
that had come in so far, we imagined that the enemy's
line of battle extended only to this side of St. Privat, viz.
to Amanvillers. It was due to another reason that a
serious attack on the strong front before us was under-
taken much earlier than had been originally intended.
For the IX. Corps, which formed the pivot of the
wheeling manoeuvre of the Prince's army towards the
right, got so near to the enemy during this operation that
it found itself immediately engaged in very heavy fighting.
So that, about 12 o'clock, when heavy artillery fire was
heard from this direction, the First Army felt itself forced,
in order not to leave the IX. Corps in the lurch, to come
into action also. We saw the batteries of the VIII.
Corps deploying at the foot of the range of heights before
us and open a slow fire. Instantly, an infernal roar burst
from the hills occupied by the enemy.
"Everywhere along the whole range, guns sent out
flashes, and belched forth dense volumes of smoke. A
hail of shell and shrapnel, the latter traceable by the
little white clouds, looking like balloons, which remained
suspended in the air for some time after their bursting,
answered the warlike greeting from our side. The grating
noise of the mitrailleuses was heard above the tumult,
drowning the whole roar of battle.
" It was not long before columns of smoke, rising in
denser and blacker volumes from different places,
announced that some farmhouses were already on fire.
This and the powder smoke impaired very considerably
the wide view which we had hitherto had,
" Soon after, from some woods lying in front, half left
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82 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
from us, we heard the rapid, faint crackling of the rifles
of the IX. Corps. The infantry of the VIII. Corps now
also deployed in support, preceded by the artillery. The
scene became every minute more animated and • lively.
Every trace of fatigue brought about by long standing and
continuous watching through the telescopes, vanished as
the firing began.
" Still farther away, to our left, towards the point
where the Corps of Guards had arrived, light streaks of
vapour rising above the woods indicated that the battle
had begun there also, and it was not long before we
observed, right in front of us, in the direction of Rezon-
ville and Gravelotte, the infantry of the VIII. Corps
coming into action.
" Thus along the whole line the fire of battle had kindled,
and quite a couple of hours passed — which, under the
excitement, flew like minutes — ^without any change being
apparent in the scene. The only thing which was evident
was that, of the various corps, more and more troops
were becoming engaged, and that the fighting was growing
in intensity to a terrible extent.
" At last a report came from General von Steinmetz that
the heights opposite were taken, and that he had sent
forward cavalry in pursuit. This report and the proposal
of a superior ofiicer who had been farther to the front, and
considered another point of view more suitable, induced us
to move from the post we had hitherto occupied. Although
the latter had not enabled us to overlook the whole of the
battle-field, the lines of smoke which rose over woods and
hills had given us some indication as to the course of
the fighting in the centre and on the left wing, while we had
the right wing immediately before us. The new point of
observation to the east of Rezonville, however, did not
afford a sufficient view, so that a third point farther to the
front, north-west of Gravelotte, was selected as the post for
the Royal Headquarters. This seemed the more advisable,
as we supposed the corps of General von Steinmetz, from
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The War with the French Empire 83
his report of the capture of the heights, to be advancing
farther on the plateau.
" But we soon perceived that the actual state of
affairs was far from being what we had imagined.
We had taken our stand directly behind the deployed
artillery of the VIII. Corps, and therefore in close
proximity to the line of battle. Now, it is not advisable
for the supreme commanders to approach too near to the
fighting, as then minor incidents of the combat in the im-
mediate vicinity force themselves upon their attention,
and occupy it to such an extent that the supervision of
the whole becomes impaired. There is also the tempta-
tion to meddle with details which ought not to concern
the highest leaders, whose task is of a different and more
important nature. In any case, the close proximity of the
line of battle, and to whatever is going on there, will
impress and influence them more than is profitable, having
regard to the proper direction of the whole battle. All
this we experienced on the i8th August.
" As we were no longer able to follow, from our new post
of observation, the course of the combat in the centre and
on the left wing, we had to try to keep ourselves informed
by continually sending out oflicers to see what was
going on there. Moreover, Brandenstein, with one or
two others, had been with the army of Prince Frederick
Charles ever since the morning, and he furnished us with^
intelligence as to what was taking place there, and as to
the intentions of its Commander-in-Chief. It must not be
forgotten, however, that the sending of reports from a
distance takes time, and that, if the headquarters be
posted in a suitable spot, many things will be known
sooner than they can be by reports, which, when they come
firom the foremost fighting line, have often first to pass
through several hands.
" Directly before us was a deep ravine-like gully, on the
other side of which the ground rose, as I have before
described, only that we now saw it closer. Along the
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84 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
heights, which descended steeply in places, the poplar
bordered road and the various patches of wood, lay the
French position. Several farmhouses on the crest, as well
as nearer towards us, were still blazing furiously. On our
right hand the village of Gravelotte extended a long way
along the main road by which we had come ; behind the
village rose more wooded hills, and cut off any further
prospect in this direction, as was the case also on our
left.
" Within the French position, and also in advance of
it, lines of skirmishers were established, some of them^
apparently in shelter-trenches constructed in tiers one
above the other. On our side of the ravine our artillery
was deployed with its right battery about 250 yards
in advance to the left of us. Little was to be seen
of the French guns ; on the whole the artillery fire
was moderate, and on our arrival it seemed as if the
engagement here had come to a standstill. Indeed,
the inactivity of the enemy's artillery struck us as
strange. What did it mean? Had they used up their
ammunition ? Had they succumbed already ? Was th^
enemy really retreating, leaving only his rearguard to
oppose us ? No answer was possible to these questions for
the moment. But one thing became clear from the first,
which was by no means agreeable, viz. that the heights,
which Steinmetz had reported as taken, were by no
means in our possession, and that Hartmann's cavalry
division, which was reported to have started in pursuit,
was on this side of the defile, instead of on the other, to
our right front, on the sloping ground towards Gravelotte;
The King rode down to the division, which received him
with enthusiastic shouts. We separated in order to find
out how things were going on on our left, and came
back just as the King had returned. It turned out that
the Commander-in-Chief of the First Army had been
induced to believe somehow or other, perhaps by reports
which he had received, that the opposite heights had
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The War with the French Empire 85
actually been taken as a result of the severe fighting which
had been going on for their possession, and so the cavalry
division had been ordered forward for the pursuit.
" The defile of Gravelotte allowed the cavalry division to
debouch only in a narrow column. The 4th Uhlan regiment
under Major von Radecke, which was the first to debouch,
was received by a heavy infantry and artillery fire, under
which the regiment deployed. Within a few moments it
lost 50 men and 100 horses, and had to be withdrawn,
together with the rest of the cavalry division, to this side
of the defile. Major von Radecke himself was missing, his
wounded horse alone had come back, and he was believed
to be dead. Fortuately this was not the case, and he
regained his regiment soon after.
" Immediately after this. Count Wartensleben, Stein-
metz's quartermaster-general, came to report that the
troops had been forced back ; they had, indeed, taken the
heights, but a strong counter attack of the enemy had
driven them down again." (It had been one of those inci-
dents of the battle which swayed to and fro without
result, the advantage inclining first to one side, then to
the other.)
" Presently Steinmetz himself arrived with his staflf. The
King pointed out that now, as the heights had once
been carried, and then lost, everj^hing must be done to
get possession of them again. General von Steinmetz
returned in the direction of Gravelotte to issue orders
to this effect. Again an hour passed, the troops of the
VII. Corps had already suffered great losses, the position
before them was very strong, but they were rallied once
more for the attack." (As a matter of fact all these events
happened in reality somewhat differently; I only relate
here what our impressions were at the time.) " The
powder smoke and the decreasing daylight gave a peculiar
colouring to the scene.
" Meanwhile I had ridden up to one of the batteries in front
of us, and made a fresh-looking young artillery ofl&cer who
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commanded the section on the extreme right wing (an
old Hanoverian, as his large medal with the yellow
ribbon betokened) point out to me the places at which
the French artillery was posted, sheltered by small de-
pressions of the ground, with which our own batteries had
been engaged. As I was examining the country farther
to the left through the telescope I noticed an extraordinary
red glow in that direction. Adjusting the glass for the
longer distance, I saw that it originated from the trousers
of numerous French infantry who, amidst guns and wagons,
came hurriedly streaming from the centre or right wing in
the direction of Metz. Where they came from could not
be made out, as the view was confined to a glimpse
through a small cutting in the wood directly in front of
us, but I certainly formed the impression that a distinct
retrograde movement must have taken place on the part
of the enemy in face of the attacks of the Guards and the
Saxon Corps. I immediately went back to the Chief and
General von Podbielski, told them what I had seen and
asked both Generals to come to the spot where I had been
and see for themselves. But before we reached it our
attention was directed very forcibly to the part of the
battle-field directly before us.
"The engagement in this quarter had assumed for
some time a comparatively slack character; even the
artillery fire had almost totally ceased. But meanwhile
a fresh infantry attack en masse had been arranged, and
the moment it began, the whole scene changed as by
magic. Suddenly the opposing slopes were lit up as if by
a grand illumination ; innumerable small flames shot forth
from all the tiers of trenches, and light blue clouds of
vapour rose above them ; near the crest, down below in
the valley, in fact everywhere, the din of battle broke out
again. Along the poplar avenue strong lines of infantry
stood deployed, whose incessant independent firing pro-
duced a grand effect. And now, as if springing from
the earth, the French batteries suddenly came into action
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again: shrapnel, common-shell, mitrailleuse bullets,
came sweeping like a hailstorm in wild confusion down
into the valley. Even on the spot where we stood, the
whizzing of the bullets became frequent, as well as the
bursting of shrapnel high above our heads, the fragments
of which cleft the air with a shrill sound. Altogether it
was one of the most animated and splendid battle scenes
that could possibly be imagined. But it quickly became
evident that the enemy was too strong, and the ground
too unfavourable for the attack to have any chance of
success in this place; indeed, we soon saw large bodies
of our men coming down the slope again.
"Meanwhile the 11. Corps had come up in support.
One of its divisions was already on the other side of Grave-
lotte, the other was farther back. The first was ordered
forward to aid the retiring troops. At this moment
Bronsart, who had been sent to the 11. Corps, came up,
and reported that its commander. General von Fransecky,
had informed him he would advance with his whole corps
and storm the heights.
" But now another occurrence took place which demanded
our whole attention. On this side of the deep gully along
the outskirts of Gravelotte, and through this village, at
first only stragglers, then whole groups of men were seen in
hasty retreat; faster and faster the crowd came rolling
along, at last in full career ; here and there galloped
a few horsemen and vehicles of various kinds ; then
it seemed as if the artillery was also in full retreat, and
the whole movement spreading farther in our direction,
the six cavalry regiments posted north of Gravelotte
also faced round and fell back. At the same time the
firing became more and more violent, while in the increas-
ing darkness the movements of several detachments on
the opposite slope seemed to indicate a counter attack of
the French.
" We saw before us a complete panic, and many a face
may well have looked grave at that moment. The first
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thing to be done was to get the King out of it and to
stop the fugitives. We all mounted our horses, some of
the staff hurried towards the village to look after
the latter ; while others closed round the General to be
at hand if need be. After the direction had been fixed
upon in which the King was to ride back, Moltke turned
with us, and we rode once more towards Gravelotte,
where the engagement had again become very severe;
but still on the far side of the ravine, though we ima-
gined for a moment that it had already reached the out-
skirts of the village. It was not possible, however, for the
danger to become very great as one division of the II. Corps
was already at hand, and I was able to affirm for certain
that the other was close by, as I had only just a moment
ago distinctly seen its dark lines approaching through the
smoke. Still, the impression which the whole occurrence
made upon us was a painful one.
" Before we reached the village the confusion had been
entirely arrested. The cavalry division, which had been
posted until now close to the ravine, had only fallen
back fiaj enough to get room for the attack, and now
wheeled round again to the front. Moltke himself riding
with us at a walk in front of the first line, amid the
rain of shells, made a good impression ; the officers, who
had been sent in different directions, here also joined us
again.
" What was it that had actually taken place ? When the
enemy resumed the engagement and made a counter
attack, some spare horses belonging to the staff had all
at once got into the line of fire, and had hurriedly returned
to the main road. The wounded, and those who ac-
companied them, the stragglers, who lined the road
on both sides in crowds, imagined that the enemy was
close on their heels, ind so they sought to escape as well
as they could. An ammunition column meeting them
tried to extricate itse. from the confusion and wheeled off
at a trot ; these were the vehicles which we had taken for
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the artillery; other groups of spare horses joined them,
and thus the crowd of wounded men and non-
combatants hurriedly streaming back had together
produced the impression of a panic. But not a single
detachment in close order, not one group of skirmishers
had retreated. The battalions of the VIII. Corps, though
losing heavily, had beaten off the attack on the far side of
the ravine, on the slope and higher up, near the captured
farm of St. Hubert.
" In the midst of this episode I noticed all at once two
horsemen near me to whom my attention was attracted by
some circumstance or other; looking at them more closely
I recognized Hahnke and an aide-de-camp of the
Commander-in-Chief of the Third Army who had ridden
that day the whole distance from the headquarters of the
Crown Prince. On my asking him what he was doing
here, Hahnke answered : * I have only come to see what's
up here.* Just like him; whenever anything was *up,'
he must of course be there. That very evening he rode
back, and was the first to bring the news of the battle to
the Crown Prince.
" It was now about 8 o'clock, and owing to the smoke
which had settled down in the low- lying parts, it had be-
come almost completely dark when we rode into Gravelotte.
Before us the 3rd division was advancing, behind us the
4th division was close in rear with the 21st Regiment at
its head. Some burning houses alone made it possible in
places to make out anything clearly. I shall never forget
what a grand spectacle the advancing regiments afforded.
It must not be forgotten that this army corps, the last
to leave Berlin, had only just managed to join the army
at this decisive moment, after very strenuous marches,
having been that day on the road from 2 o'clock in
the morning until 8 in the evening. Now, in spite of
hundreds of wounded streaming back from the front, in
spite of the panic which they had just witnessed, in the
midst of shells striking in every direction, they (the
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90 AViTH THE Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
Pomeranians) marched through the village in well-
locked-up ranks with gallant bearing, and loud cheers
at the prospect of taking part in the action. These
are moments in which one feels that death on the battle-
field is surrounded by a halo of glory.
" Many officers whom I had known at the Staff College
or elsewhere, when they recognized me in the glare of the
blazing houses, ran out of the ranks and jo3^ully shook
hands.
"We accompanied the troops for some distance through
the village, and everywhere we came upon bodies of men
who had been under fire and were re-forming. I also met
here General von Strubberg. Before us marched the 14th
and 54th Regiments. When the musketry fire increased
on all sides, we rode off out of the village, to the right, into
the open, in order to get some idea of the battle, as far as
that was possible, firom the flashes of the rifles. Echoed
back by the long walls of some extensive stables near us,
it gave one the impression that we were ourselves in the
midst of the engagement, although it was some distance
off, on the other side of the valley. We had kept together
wonderfully in the confusion, even our spare horses
followed close behind us. But here, too, we could see no
more than a few hundred yards before us. The darkness
became too great, only the burning buildings on the hills
stood out like spectres fi-om it.
"Suddenly the drums of the advancing Pomeranian
battalions were heard, andagain the long lines of the enemy's
shelter-trenches were illumined, andagain the unceasing roll
of the French fusillade resounded. In between rang out
firom one place our long-drawn call, the * the whole advance.'
From all sides it was repeated ; fi-om every direction came
thundering the hurrah of our gallant troops, and distinctly
we heard the crackling of our needle-guns. Soon after, the
fire from the shelter- trenches died away, which we inter-
preted to. mean that our men had got into them. But
on and on the bugles sounded, and again and again
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the Prussian hurrahs were borne back to us on the
wind.
"We now turned again to the village, rode through it
and for some distance beyond it, in order, if possible, to get
some insight into the progress of the fighting. It was
going on only in some few places, and at rare intervals a
bullet came whizzing past us. The height was (as we
thought then) successfully stormed, after terrible losses,
it is true, and after many a one of our men, probably, had
been hit in the dark by the bullets of his comrades. Of
the 14th and 54th, who had advanced before us, one
regimental commander had been killed, the other wounded.
"When we had convinced ourselves that everjrthing
was going as well as we could wish — that things had
turned out well in other parts of the battle-field we knew
already from officers who had come thence — there was no
sense in General von 'Moltke exposing himself ftirther to
personal danger without doing any good thereby. When
we put this to him, he still remained on the road for some
time, and only returned later on.
" As we did so, the King's aide-de-camp, Count Lehndorff,
met us and informed the General that his Majesty was at
Rezonville, and was anxious to hear his report on the
progress of the battle. So we proceeded at a trot. But
scarcely had we left Gravelotte, when I thought it proper
to advise the General to ride slowly, as the rapid motion
rearwards of so numerous a body of riders had already begun
to impress the wounded and stragglers on both sides of
the road, and it was to be feared that another panic might
arise like that of an hour ago.
" So the General moderated his pace to a walk, and we
reached thus the western end of Rezonville ; here the King
had dismounted, near a barn that had been burnt down close
by the road on its southern side, wheie a fire which had
been made of doors, ladders, etc., was burning brightly.
As I chanced to be riding on this side of the road in atten-
dance on General von Moltke, I was the first who, after
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dismounting, approached his Majesty, Just then I heard
a superior officer saying to the King in a very impressive
manner, 'Now it is my humble opinion, sire, that we,
considering our heavy losses to-day, should not continue
the attack to-morrow, but await the attack of the French.'
This idea seemed to me so monstrous, that I could not
help blurting out, 'Then I don't know why we attacked at
all to-day!' Of course, I got my answer, which was not
exactly spoken in a very gracious tone: *What do you
want here, Lieutenant-Colonel?' But at this moment,
Moltke, who had heard what was said, stepped forward
between us two towards the King, and said in his quiet
and decided manner : * Your Majesty has only to give the
order for the continuation of the attack in case the enemy
should make a further stand outside Metz to-morrow.'
The orders were drawn up at once, also the despatch
to be sent to Berlin — it was nearly 10 o'clock in the
evening— was written out by Count Bismarck, and then it
was resolved to remain at -Rezonville for the night.
" Our spare horses, which had joined those of the
King, and even my brake, were on the spot. Moltke
had been wearing for some hours a cloak which had been
taken from one of the dead soldiers lying on the
battle-field, and my servant brought one for me also.
Count Nostitz, meanwhile, had discovered a house not
occupied by the wounded, in which a short time before, to
all appearances, a detachment of the Hospital Corps had
established itself, which, however, had been called off and
disturbed in the middle of their meal. The remains of it
— and it seemed as if the detachment had not been
provided badly in this respect — ^we took possession of.
While we were sitting in the small room, some of us
wrapped up in soldiers' cloaks, by a table which was
crowded with all sorts of utensils, working among the
remains of food, by the light of some candle-ends stuck
into bottles, his Majesty suddenly came in, saying, * He
must come and see what we were doing.' Next day he
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remarked that he had thought, on finding the room
crammed with so many persons, and seeing the wretched
light which scarcely made darkness visible, he had got
into a robbers' cave.
" Finally, we gave up the room, in which there were two
beds in the wall, to the two Generals, and sought our own
resting-places. Blume, HoUeben, Alten, Krause, Claer and
myself lay down in some large stables in which our horses
had already found shelter, but where there was an
abominable draught owing to the broken windows and
doors. We did not examine long into the composition of
our beds, but fell asleep pretty soon, in spite of the groans
and cries of the wounded near us. During the night we
were wakened continually by men who were in search of
shelter, and by the stamping of our horses, who got restless
from time to time. Next morning at 5 o'clock I went to
wash right in the middle of the village, in an old stable
bucket, in which my servant had managed to get some
rather dirty water. Stripped to the middle, I was busily
engaged in washing, when suddenly I heard a burst of
laughter proceeding from the windows of the nearest
house, where, on looking up, I perceived their Royal
Highnesses Prince Luitpold of Bavaria and the Grand
Duke of Weimar, who were greatly amused at the sight.
*' During the course of the forenoon, in which reports
came pouring in from all sides, with many sad particulars
as to our losses, mentioning the names of many good
old friends, I received orders to ride to Metz with a flag of
truce. It was about the French dead and wounded that
remained on the battle-field. As to negotiations for a
capitulation, nothing could as yet be said, but I was to
point out at Metz that the French army was now sur-
rounded by our forces, and that its fate seemed sealed, the
number of our troops being large enough to prevent any
attempts at relief on the part of the comparatively small
number of French forces still in the field.
" Winterfeld accompanied me on this expedition ; near
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the end of the village he bought a napkin from an old
woman who chanced to be in possession of one, in order
to equip ourselves for our business. After crossing the
defile of Gravelotte we came across a dragoon regiment of
the II. Army Corps, who were asked for a trumpeter,
and here we fixed the napkin to a long pole to represent
a flag of truce.
" The ride across this part of the battle-field presented a
sad sight, on account of the large number of bodies of
our men, which only too plainly proved what heavy
losses we had suffered, while we only saw very few corpses
on the ground which had been held by the French.
Only in some of the shelter- trenches there were a consider-
able number of dead ; they lay there still as if in the ranks,
their rifles pushed forward over the parapet as if ready to
fire ; they startled us from the distance, they looked so
much like a deployed line of French shirmishers. On
approaching nearer it seemed as if these trenches had
suddenly been taken in flank by our artillery, which
accounted for the enemy's losses. As we continued our
ride we suddenly saw rifle barrels flash out of some
bushes on the top of a steep embankment of the road.
But these belonged to men of our VII. Corps, whose
foremost detachment had been pushed forward to this
point.
*' While the mountainous country to our right precluded
any further outlook, there lay on the left of the road before
us a deep and pretty valley with houses belonging mostly to
the village of Rozerieulles. Beyond it rose fairly steeply
the slopes of Mont St. Quentin, from the fort of which
came from time to time large volumes of smoke from some
heavy gun. On this slope, and near the fort, were seen
the tents of a large encampment. Between the hills on
the right of the road and the slopes of Mont St. Quentin
in front, the ground shelved down to a plain, in which,
after having passed several turns of the road, we saw
Metz lying at our feet. Out of the bluish haze hover-
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ing above the houses, rose the huge outline of the
cathedral.
" Our enjoyment of the beauties of the landscape
was soon disturbed in a disagreeable fashion. For,
from the village below, several cavalry patrols of two or
three men each galloped in succession back in the
direction of Metz, and as they came on a level with us,
at a distance of about a hundred yards, they were so
obliging as to fire their carbines at us, the bullets
whistling about our ears. This was not a promising
beginning, but worse was yet to come. As we came
round a fresh bend of the road, and approached a building
which lay some 80 yards ahead, we noticed a double
sentry near it. I ordered a halt; the trumpet was
sounded, and the improvised flag of truce waved. By
way of answer the two men fired at us. We again
sounded the trumpet, and tried, without stirring from
the spot, to make ourselves understood by shouting.
Immediately a small detachment of French infantry
deployed along the garden wall, and poured a rapid fire
into us, which came, to judge from the sound of the
bullets which whistled past us, from the so-called Tabatiere
rifles. The men seemed to be gardes mobiles, but it did
not matter who they were, and seeing no hopes of stopping
the firing, we could not remain there any longer, so we
turned about and made off at a gallop. After having gone
a few yards, we noticed that the bay horse of the
trumpeter was riderless. Fortunately we managed, thanks
to the windings of the road, to get out of the way of the
bullets sent after us. Here we found that the bay horse
was slightly wounded on the foreleg ; the trumpeter we
saw coming after us on foot, a shot through the bridge of
the nose had thrown him from his horse. We waited for
him round a corner, and then went back. The incident
afterwards gave rise to various diplomatic representa-
tions.
"When I made my report to the King on the result of
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my mission, his Majesty was still visibly affected by the
great sacrifices which the previous day had demanded.
No further attempt was made to enter in to communication
with the French Commander-in-Chief."
Before I leave the battle of Gravelotte, a remark or two
may be added to the description given above. I have left
it deliberately in the same form in which it was written
within a few days of the battle, and it expresses con-
sequently the impression which the Staff of the Royal
Headquarters had formed of it during the progress of
the combat.
Historical researches have since shown that even in the
course of an engagement which takes place close before
one's eyes very wrong impressions may be formed as to
what is taking place. This is clearly illustrated in this
case : first the erroneous supposition of the headquarters
of the First Army concerning the capture of the heights
occupied by the enemy; then again the impressions
which we too had gained as to the course of the fight
for the heights, and the successes of the H. Corps, the
former being several points very different from what
we had imagined. The spectator may judge very
differently of the particulars of an engagement during
its progress, according to the position from which he
watches it, or the period when he is present. An incom-
plete view of the ground, and still more the almost total
obliteration of it by darkness coming on, must contribute
to erroneous impressions being formed. Perfect clear-
ness as to details can in most cases only be arrived at
by conscientious historical investigation, and even this
does not always succeed in establishing with absolute
correctness the account of a battle.
Thus at Gravelotte, owing to our not being able to see
the battle-field properly, it escaped our notice, that
soon after the beginning of the infantry engagement,
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the farm of St. Hubert on the heights had fallen into our
possession and had been held in spite of every attempt
to retake it. Furthermore, our impression that the II.
Corps had finally taken the heights was a wrong one :
the enemy, on the contrary, maintained himself in his
position at Pont du Jour, and only vacated it during
the night. The mistake arose from the fact that we
had nothing to go by but our hearing, it being too
dark to see. Thus the sounding of the " advance," the
brief but furious musketry fire, and then its temporary
cessation, made us believe that the attacks had been
successful. As a matter of fact the II. Corps never passed
the line along which the VIII. Corps had fought for so
long, or if did, it was for only a very little way.
We may mention here an apocryphal story which became
current soon after the battle, viz. that General von
Moltke had led in person the attack of the II. Corps. It
may have originated in the fact that the Staff of the
Royal Headquarters found itself for a long time on the
field over which the forward movement of this corps
took place. Any personal leading of the II. Corps on the
part of the Chief of the General Staff would not have been
within the duties of the latter, and could therefore not
have taken place. Besides, the well-tried commander of
the Corps, the gallant General von Fransecky, would never
have tolerated any such interference with his duty.
Looking at the battle in its main features, it will be
seen that the conduct of it was most difficult, as from the
beginning it was impossible to know in what direction the
bulk of the forces were to be used, this being dependent
on the movements of the enemy. It was only after it
had become certain that the enemy was going to hold the
position on the heights on the west side of Metz, that it
became easier to direct the troops. But even then we were
not suflRciently well informed, at first, as to how far the
right wing of the enemy extended. We were led to believe
by the reports which came in, for some considerable time,
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that it only reached Amanvillers. Now the further north
this wing extended, the later would the forces told off to
surround it come into action. From the beginning, we
had judged rightly that the enemy's position was too
strong to be attacked only in front, and great weight
was therefore laid on this turning movement. But hours
passed before it could take place. The IX. Corps,
which formed the point on which the army of Prince
Frederick Charles wheeled to the right, had prematurely
become seriously engaged with the enemy close to it,
and this had led to the troops of the First Army coming
into action sooner than would otherwise have been the
case. The French right wing succumbed before the
concerted attacks of the Guards and the Saxons, which
brought about the loss of the battle for the French and
compelled them to vacate, during the night, the strong
positions of the left wing, in which they still maintained
themselves in the evening of the iSth August.
Our losses amounted to 20,ooo.men, those of the enemy
to 10,000. It was not till several weeks afterwards, when
the detailed reports had come in from the troops, and we
had found time to read them, that we learned that two
guns of the IX. Corps had fallen into the hands of the
enemy.
One more remark I should like to add, finally, concern-
ing this battle. It has to do with night engagements.
The improvement in fire-arms, the greater explosive force
of the powder of the present day, make it certain that the
effect of fire-arms will be correspondingly greater than it
was in our late wars. It was even then sufficient, under
favourable circumstances, to repel any attack. There has
been the endeavour, by means of new formations and in
other ways, to try to diminish, as much as possible, the
losses to be expected. Among other plans there has been
talk from time to time of carrying on the combat, when-
ever possible, at night. It is quite incomprehensible to me
how anyone can expect good results from a systematic
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resort to this expedient. Anyone who has found him-
self once in his life in a night engagement, or even
in the dusk, fighting as we were during the later hours
of the evening on the day of Gravelotte, will hardly be
an enthusiastic advocate of such tactics. There will be,
certainly, situations in future wars in which a night
engagement cannot be avoided, nor can we say definitely
what conditions may not exceptionally arise, in which
even large masses of troops may be . so employed with a
prospect of success, but to reserve the night for fighting
on principle, cannot surely be sound doctrine. The
troops like to see their enemy, and that is impos-
sible in the dark ; every man in such an engagement will
probably soon arrive at the conviction that at least
as many losses will be due, in the confusion, to the bullets
of his own fi-iends as to those of the enemy. The
direction of a great battle is based on holding the masse s
together for concerted action; but a director who sees
nothing, who receives no reports, and who arrives at
utterly wrong conclusions in the dark from being guided
by his own impressions, as we ourselves were that evening,
is not in a position to direct at all. If it were only a
question of placing troops in readiness, and putting them
in motion, if that were the sum total of the tactics re-
quired from a leader, then perhaps it might be possible.
But the direction of large masses of men during the progress
of the action requires much more than this. It would
be an error, moreover, to suppose that large masses could
be prepared for night fighting by practice in peace time ;
it is only possible to do so with small bodies; in the
same way as the requirements of so-called petty warfare,
i.e. outpost duties, patrols, surprises, etc.
The battle of the i8th August had been fought on
a reversed front, i.e. we stood with our backs towards
Paris, and the enemy between us and home. Such a
position is fi-aught with many dangers. In case of defeat,
it might easily lead to the utter ruin of the vanquished.
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We had exposed ourselves deliberately to this danger,
being convinced that the greatest results would be
gained from it, and we were quite sure that we should
succeed in winning a victory over the opposing forces of
the enemy. Under these circumstances, not the smallest
fears had ever been entertained in our conferences, with
regard to fighting the battle as we did. Our operations
seemed to us the natural outcome of the situation, and
best fitted for making the most of our successful battles
and marches, and the blunders of the enemy.
Nevertheless, it may be asked, what would have
happened if the i8th August had ended in a defeat?
Even then the consequence would not have been disas-
trous. The II. Army Corps was behind our right wing,
it had been engaged only for a short time on this day, and
we should have been able, during the night and the
following morning, to bring the greater part of the I. Corps
to the left bank of the Moselle. There would, consequently,
have been a sufficient force at our disposal to check any
offensive movement on the part of the enemy, long enough
for the army of Prince Frederick Charles to carry out its
wheel backwards. This evolution would certainly have
been practicable, with the large reserve still at the
disposal of the Second Army, viz. the III. and X. Corps.
Under any circumstances, a junction with the Crown
Prince's army would then have been ensured, and there-
with such a numerical superiority would have been
attained over the enemy, that a second battle might have
been fought with a reasonable certainty of success.
In the afternoon of the 19th August we returned to
Pont-4-Mousson. Moltke took Winterfeld and myself
with him in his carriage, and we drove on in silence ; nor
did the chief break his train of thought except for
three short remarks. The first time was when we crossed,
on the way fi*om Rezonville to Gorze, a part of the battle-
field of the i6th August and came across heaps of still
unburied French Voltigeurs of the Guard, in whose fore-
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most ranks lay a young non-commissioned officer of our
nth Regiment still grasping in his hands his rifle with
fixed bayonet. Seeing him, the General said, "This was
the bravest of the brave." Later on he remarked, " I have
learned once more that one cannot be too strong on the field
of battle." This observation referred to the approach of
the II. Corps, which had been reported to be nearing
the battle-field, but we had been in doubt for some time
whether it would be wanted, and seriously thought
of giving orders to stop it and allowing it to rest. The
last remark of the General was made as we approached,
Pont-d-Mousson, and saw before us the church towers and
outlines of the houses picturesquely lit up by the evening
sun ; rising above the town were the heights on the right
bank of the river crowned by an old chapel or ruin which
completed the charming picture • Then he exclaimed,
"What would be our feelings now, if we had been
beaten ? "
My expedition with the flag of truce on the 19th was
the cause of a very comical scene on my return to Pont-d-
Mousson. The news of it had found its way there before
our arrival, and with the addition that I had been killed
on the occasion. On the morning of the 20th August
I went into the front part of the house to speak to one of
our officers who lived in the first storey. On coming
down I suddenly met, at a turn of the staircase, the lady
to whom I owed my quarters on the premises. She also
had thought me dead, and must have imagined the first
moment when she saw me that it was my ghost which
appeared to her ; at any rate she uttered a piercing cry.
I managed with a few words to assure her that I was still
among the living, when in the rapid transition from the
illusion to reality, the kindly heart of the amiable enemy
conquered every other consideration, and she embraced
me heartily. Just at that moment the doors opened on
both sides of the landing, on the right Moltke's head
popped out, on the left that of Podbielski, both eager to
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see what was the cause of the scream. I shall never forget
the comical expression which spread over their faces at the
sight of this scene. I need not say that I had to put up with
a good deal of " chaff" about it for some time to come.
The French army being now driven within the fortifi-
cations of Metz, the whole of the forces of the First and
Second Army were no longer required to blockade them
there. . Therefore the Corps of Guards and the XII.
(Royal Saxon) Army Corps were detached from the army
of Prince Frederick Charles, as well as the IV, Corps
from the Third Army, and the three were formed
into a new force, under the command of H.R.H. the
Crown Prince Albert of Saxony. * The name " force" was
soon changed, in command parlance, into the " Army of the
Meuse.*' Indeed, so strong a force might well claim to
be called an " army," considering that we had given that
designation to both the Main and the Elbe Field Forces
in 1866, which only consisted of three divisions each.
Lieutenant-General von Schlotheim, the Chief of the
Staff of the Elbe Army in 1866, an officer as much
distinguished by his services on the staff as by his ability
as a leader, who had up to then commanded the
Hessian Cavalry Brigade, was nominated Chief of the
Staff of the newly-formed army. The command of the
XII. (Royal Saxon) Corps was given to H.R.H. the
Prince George of Saxony. The army of the Crown
Prince had lost the Baden division, which was employed
in Alsace, but afterwards the VI. Army Corps was
attached to it instead ; it was now amply strong enough
to continue its advance into the interior of France, and to
crush, in the open field, any organized force which the
enemy might still possess.
After a few days* rest, which our troops sorely needed
^ The expression used by the author, viz. Armeeabtheilung, i.e.
part of an army, is quite untranslatable litera Iv. Later on the ex-
pression " Army of the Meuse " was used officially.— Ed.
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The War with the French Empire 103
after their great hardships, the forward movement was
begun. The Royal Headquarters left Pont-d-Mousson on
the 23rd August.
A few general notes may be added here from different
letters which were written about this time ; they will
serve to illustrate our views of the situation, and the frame
of mind we were in in those days. In a letter from Pont-
d-Mousson, under date the 21st August, I wrote : " Our
operations have brought the main army of the French
into a desperate plight. It is blockaded in Metz. We
are leaving seven and a half corps before the fortress ; with
all the rest we are continuing our march in the direction
of Paris. It is not impossible, though not likely, that
the French shut up in Metz may, by desperate efforts,
succeed in breaking out ; but that would not signify
much, as the German corps, following them up on all
sides, would render their escape impossible. But if they
should not succeed in forcing a way out of Metz, they
will soon have to capitulate through want of food.
" General von Chauvin, who has the whole of the
military telegraphs under him, is very much obliged to
me for having been the means, when he arrived at the
front for a few days, of his being able to remain where
he was for the i8th August, which enabled him to be
present at the battle. Our losses in the latter must be
considerably heavier than those of the French, because of
the formidable position which they occupied. I shall be
satisfied if we come off with 15,000 men, but I fear they
are more. I have given up asking after friends, as I get
to each question no other answer than 'Dead,' or
* Wounded.' I will mourn for them when all is over;
now we want good spirits to enable us to carry the busi-
ness to an end, and that we have, thank God. I am not
at all surprised at our great losses, I expected them.
" As concerns our mess arrangements, I may inform you :
we get our rations like every other soldier ; we have them
prepared by the cook, a man of the transport corps who
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understands the business ; but when we are in a large
town such as this, we eat at an hotel. Our time for
dinner varies considerably, being sometimes mid-day, some-
times eight in the evening. For the rest, we divide fairly
whatever we get sent to us from home ; the biscuits you
sent me have been finished long ago.
"In addition to the 8000 inhabitants, many of whom,
however, have fled, there are in the town more than 3000
troops, besides over 4000 wounded, and there are always
several thousand prisoners marching through.
" The different opinions among our good Berliners
concerning the first two great battles before Metz will have
come to an end by now, and they may understand some-
what better the brilliant operations which came to a
close with the battle of the i8th August. The 14th,
i6th and 18th form one harmonious whole ; each day has
been a success for us, in spite of all the French bulletins.
But if people at home become hysterical now, when
everything goes smoothly and well, Heaven grant we may
not suffer a small check somewhere, and yet it is not
beyond the range of possibility! — ^The French fleet
disturbs our trade, certainly, but it has, at the most, a
couple of thousand marines on board. If they should
land somewhere, which is scarcely likely, it would not
matter much ; they will soon go back again. The regi-
ments which France had originally intended for service
across the sea have been employed here in the recent
decisive battles ; their dead cover the battle-fields in heaps.
" We may yet meet a French army at Chilons. But
what an army ! Only the two divisions of Failly and about
two new ones are intact ; the rest are the remnants of the
. army of MacMahon, fourth battalions, gardes mobiles, all
organized in a hurry. Against them we march with 8J
army corps, all well-seasoned troops. If Providence has
not ordained otherwise, we shall beat them thoroughly. —
Our advanced corps after their many hardships must,
however, have a few days' rest before."
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The War with the French Empire 105
'* Pont-Ji-Mousson, the 2ist August, evening.
"I once more point out the possibility that the French
may break through our investment, perhaps on the right
bank of the Moselle. In that case our communications
with home would be interrupted for a short time, and you
would hear nothing at all of us meanwhile. But do not
become uneasy, if that should happen, as such a temporary
interruption would not mean anything at all. We are
prepared for such an occurrence. However, it is only a
possibiUty.
"Our Sunday dinner to-day was so poor and scanty
that they insisted on my giving them the ginger which
had been sent me as a present. They ate it up like so
much cabbage ! Coming from dinner, I was told that
Count Bruges of the Hussars of the Guard, who is lying
wounded in the hospital, had sent for me. I managed to
see him for a moment. He has had an accident ; shortly
after the battle a barn door, which was being opened, fell
down on him, knocked him down, together with his horse.
But it does not seem dangerous. I left him a box of cigars
which I had taken with me in my hurry. Count Bruges of
the dragoons is well. Whilst walking through the rooms
of the hospital, I was hailed by many an acquaintance
whom I scarcely recognized again ; among them the brave
Major von Wittich of the Emperor Francis' Regiment, on
whose bay horse you rode, when a child, at Thorn, and
in whose pleasant company we were at Rome, where he
was recovering from the severe wound received in 1866.
He is again very seriously wounded, I regret to say. I
have also heard that our old friend Otto Koch has received
a bullet in the abdomen."
With our departure from Pont-d-Mousson the first act
of the great drama came to a fortunate conclusion. On
the 6th August considerable portions of the First and
Second Army had crossed into French territory, and had
gained the victory of Spicheren on French soil. After
three more battles, almost the whole of the French main
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army had, within the short space of twelve days, been
driven into the fortress of Metz after the i8th August,
and saw itself &ce to face with an almost unavoid-
able catastrophe, being confined within a narrow circle
by sufficient forces. During this time, the army of the
Crown Prince of Prussia, which had crossed the French
fi-ontier on the 4th August, had driven the minor army
of MacMahon out of Alsace by the victories of Weissen-
burg and Worth, and had penetrated, in its pursuit across
the Vosges, into the interior of France. Communication
had been established between it and the forces with us,
whilst one of its divisions had been diverted to besiege
Strassburg, and was at the same time entrusted with the
conquest of Alsace.
The terrible blows in August had crushed, within a
wonderfully short time, the French hopes of victory.
Elated by our brilliant successes, and conscious of our
superiority over the still existing forces of the enemy, we
looked forward with confidence to the future 1
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III. The March to Sedan.
I. The Advance.
The forces which the enemy was able to oppose to our
8^ army corps, advancing from the Moselle, could be pretty
accurately estimated, but nothing could be done to prevent
their assembling so far from us.
Now, it was clear that the enemy had several courses
of action open to him. The most likely one of all, we
thought, was to retreat slowly before our advancing
troops in the direction of Paris, so as to form there the
nucleus of an army to defend the capital. But what seems
to us the most probable, need not, for that reason, be
looked at in the same light by the opponent. Therefore
the question which one must always ask oneself is this :
" What other courses are open to the enemy ? " Among
those was the possibility that he would make a stand at
Ch&lons, where his new army was being formed ; another
was that he would attempt to come to the relief of the
forces shut up in Metz.
The consideration of these questions, together with the
measures to be taken, were what chiefly occupied us for
the next few days. We had started on the 23rd from Pont-
a-Mousson and had gone to Commercy, making a detour
vid Ligny for the sake of meeting the headquarters of the
Crown Prince of Prussia and discussing our further move-
ments.
The headquarters of the Crown Prince were gay with
many colours. There were to be seen there, besides the
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uniforms of the various arms of the North German troops
the light blue infantry and the light green light cavalry
uniforms of the Bavarians, as well as the darker ones of
the Wurttembergers. Conspicuous, too, was the English
scarlet ; its wearer was Lieutenant-General Walker, the
British military plenipotentiary, who was the trusted friend
of the Crown Prince, and had accompanied his head-
quarters in the war of 1866.
From Commercy General von Steinacher, of His
Majesty's suite, departed for Berlin, and was so kind as to
take letters home with him, and a few samples of the famous
Madeleines de Commercy.*
** Commercy, 24th August
"According to the intelligence received, the camp ol
Ch&lons is broken up and the troops of the enemy are on
the march towards Reims. What is their intention now ?
Bazaine is completely debarred from communicating with
Paris. This very day (24th) we have intercepted a cypher
despatch of his to the Emperor Napoleon which he tried to
get smuggled through our lines by a peasant. From the
letter of a superior officer intercepted at the same time,
we learn that they reckon in Metz on being relieved from
Chilons ; but I hope that the army of Ch&lons will have
enough to do to take care of itself. The question now
is whether they will actually make an attempt at a relief, or
whether they will make a stand at Ch&lons itself, or retreat
towards Laon or Paris. The opinion is sometimes vented
here that we shall never get as far as Paris, because the
French will negotiate first. That does not seem very
probable to me; the demands that we shall have to
make on France are so heavy that the French people
will not give up the game so easily, no matter what
government may be at the helm.
"Our first railway train arrived yesterday at Pont-aL-
Mousson ; but further on the line is blocked by the fortress
^ A kind of pastry which is a speciality of Commercy.
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The War with the French Empire 109
of Toul. We shelled it yesterday, and fire broke out in
several places in the town, but it did not surrender. So
our correspondence will reach you somewhat later than it
did before. A coup de main against Verdun will perhaps
be attempted to-day. I was able to send Count Briiges,
who is already able to leave the house again, some wine,
cigars, and newspapers; Zeuner is the only regimental
commander in the guards who is not killed or wounded."
On the 24th the Royal Headquarters were moved to
Bar-le-Duc.
" Bar-le-Duc, the 25th August.
"We shall probably start hence to-morrow for St.
M^n6hould, which is about 35 miles from here. Reports
say that the French corps, which were in firont of us at
Chdlons, have marched off to Reims. Our measures are
taken in such a manner that if they remain there we shall
attack them, and if they march to the relief of Metz
we shall try to fall on their flank, without, however,
abandoning the road to Paris, in case they should retreat
that way.
"Bar-le-Duc is a very fine town, situated partly on
heights, with fine broad streets and handsome houses with
grounds behind them. The house in which I live together
with Bronsart and Brandenstein has been deserted by the
owner, whose name I don't even know, and only a butler
has been left behind.
" During the next days you will only get a few lines
from me, as we are likely to have a good deal of work and
shall be much on the road. The Bavarian Corps are here,
their troops are continuously marching through."
Bar-le-Duc became the starting point of the movements
which led to the terrific catastrophe of Sedan. The
operations after the battle, which did not take up our
time so much, enabled me shortly after to write down a
tolerably full account of my experiences during these
important events ; I give it literally here.
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'* Headquarters, Vendresse, the 3rd September, 9 p.m., 187a
''Here we are sitting in the same headquarters from
which we rode away at i a.m. for the final sanguinary
struggle. What we have been aiming at for the last week
has, by God*s help, been attained ; victory crowns the
arduous work of our brave army, and rewards its sacrifices
and those of the whole nation ; a victory as brilliant as any
that history records.
''While the impressions of what I have seen are still
fresh on my mind, I will try to describe the events of this
great day, before time makes them dim.
"After the battle before Metz on the i8th August,
and the investment of the French main army in that
fortress, the march on Paris was begun. The army corps
under the command of the Crown Prince Albert of Saxony,
together with the Third Army under the Crown Prince
Frederick William, the victor of Weissenburg and Worth,
were set in motion towards the metropolis."
(Here is repeated what I have already said about the
forces of the enemy and the different courses open to him.
Then it goes on :)
" Meanwhile the German armies which were marching
towards Paris had been spread out over a wider front, a
manoeuvre which was necessary, because a quarter of a
million of men closely concentrated may fight a battle,
but cannot execute great marches. Moreover, the
fortress of Verdun, situated between Metz and Ch&lons,
lay as an obstacle in the way of our march, and we had
consequently been obliged to pass with our right wing to
the south of it, so that our army extended now from that
fortress to beyond Bar-le-Duc.
" When, only a few marches from Chilons, the cavalry
ascertained that the enemy was still in that camp, we
had to think of closing up again for possible battle.
'* The Royal Headquarters were still in the pleasant
town of Bar-le-Duc on the 25th August, where we quite
revived again under the influence of good quarters and
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good food; all the necessary orders had already been
issued to both armies. In the evening of that day we
Staff officers attached to the Royal Headquarters were
sitting cheerfully on the benches of the lyc6e, having just
finished our supper, and sung the ' Wacht am Rhein *
and other songs. The one who had the least notion of
music among us had even begun ' Singe, wem Gesang
gegeben,' to our great delight, when the orderly officer
of the day suddenly came rushing in with the words,
' General Moltke requests the attendance of the chiefs of
sections ; four other officers are to be ready to ride off at
once ! ' In a moment our exuberant spirits vanished, we
had to return to serious business again. Swords were
buckled on quickly ; * The enemy is on the march,* we
conjectured. * But in what direction ? ' was the ques-
tion, as we rushed into the office close by.
We were right, he had marched. The Cavalry
Division of Prince Albert had dashed into the camp at
ChSJons, had found it empty, and the French retreating
towards Reims. Later intelligence said, * The enemy is
already past Rethel.'
" * Will they really dare to do it I ' we exclaimed almost
with one voice ; for the direction of their march pointed
towards an intention of relieving the army shut up in
Metz.
" Against such an attempt indeed nothing could be
said theoretically; but a flank march of the French
round our right wing was practical only if their troops
were quicker in marching than our own, and we ourselves
—blind."
" Headquarters, Rethel, 4th September, 1870.
"In war one must be prepared for an3rthing! The
enemy had disappeared from Chylous, that was certain.
But he might just as well have withdrawn farther to
Laon, as undertaken the relief of Metz. The latter move
was the more important of the two for us, for the present.
Were we now to interrupt our march on Paris and
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112 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
concentrate our army towards the rights to guard against
a movement of the enemy which was after all still
problematical ? We were reluctant to do it, for if the
French did not continue their eastward march, we should
lose some valuable days, and the troops would be fatigued
without purpose. Everything depended on the cavalry
throwing light on the situation as soon as possible,
especially on the right wing. All the corps which were
within reach of our officers .despatched during the
night from the Royal Headquarters were directed not to
begin, for the present, the march on Ch&lons, for which
orders had been issued, but to make a halt, cook their
food, and keep themselves in readiness to march in the
afternoon. I myself was directed to communicate His
Majesty's orders to H.R.H« the Crown Prince of Saxony,
and at the same time to explain the views and objects of
the Royal Headquarters to him.
'' It was already past midnight, and the distance to the
headquarters of the Crown Prince a considerable one,
twenty miles or more. As it was possible that we should
have to be very active during the day, I and the officers
who accompanied me made use of my brake; a few
orderlies of the royal escort and the spare horses came
trotting after us. It was necessary to make haste, as the
three army corps could only change their direction after
our arrival, and they might, if we did not come in time,
have begun their march according to previous orders.
But the conditions of the road were far from favouring
speed, as we had to proceed on country roads which
intersected each other continually ; moreover the villages
were mostly deserted and the sign-posts destroyed ; nor
was the district through which we drove occupied by
any of our troops. So we had often to halt and try
whether we could make out our whereabouts on the
map, by means of a carriage lantern, or read the
inscriptions found on the different farmhouses. Once we
disturbed, in a small house standing by itself, a good old
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The War with the French Empire 113
woman in her rest, but her dialect was rather incompre-
hensible, until, when she heard us talking together in
our mother tongue, she surprised us by using tolerable
German, and then we got out of her what we wanted to
know.
" Still, we were fortunate enough to reach the village,
in which the headquarters of the Crown Prince of Saxony
were, before the day dawned. The guard showed us the
way to the Prince's quarters, where he and the chief of
his staff. General von Schlottheim, were aroused.
"The Crown Prince determined, as was done also,
almost at the same time, by the Royal Headquarters, not
to wait for further intelligence, but to set the troops in
motion at once in a more northerly direction. In the same
way, also, the Crown Prince Frederick William issued
orders to his whole army to march in the same direction, a
striking proof how unanimous all were in their views of
the situation, and as to the steps to be taken.
" Information as to the decision come to was sent back
to General von Moltke. While the Crown Prince Albert
sent off his orderly officers, who had been called up mean-
while, to every point of the compass, we had a good wash
in the courtyard, and then sat down to a cup of coffee
together. The quarters were wretched, and the room so
low that we nearly touched the ceiling ; the seats consisted
of a plank laid across a couple of casks, but our spirits
were excellent, and not a little elated at the prospect of
the great events impending. Very glad we were too of
the cigars sent by friends in Berlin, which I had taken
with me, especially as there had been great dearth of
these at the headquarters of the force. 10,000 cigars
ordered by the Crown Prince were on the road, but had
not found their way to their destination."
** Rheims, 6th September, 1870.
" Meanwhile our horses were saddled, ever3rthing got
ready for the start, and we accompanied the Crown
I
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Prince to Clermont, a wretched little town in the forest
of Argonne, built partly on a hill. During the day a
large number of reports arrived which made it certain
that the enemy was continuing his fatal flank march.
Some Saxon troops, then strong columns of the Guards
came marching through the town in uninterrupted
succession. It was a sad sight to see the two deci-
mated dragoon regiments of the Guard, from whose ranks
so many of our friends were missing who had met
their death on the field of Mars-la-Tour. Nearly the
whole night through the troops defiled past ; the roads
had become a quagmire, as it had been raining in torrents
since the forenoon.
" I had sent information early in the morning to Bar-le-
Duc that the village in which it was proposed the Royal
Headquarters should spend the night, and in which the
staff of the Meuse Army had previously been, was not
suitable, and had indicated Clermont as the only possible
place in which the first portion might, with some squeezing,
find accommodation. An answer had then been sent to
me fi"om Bar-le-Duc that headquarters would be transferred
to the place named. But the orderly lost his way with the
message, and I did not receive it until next day. It was
therefore quite a surprise for us to see General von Moltke
appear late in the afternoon, and with him the quartermasters
of the entire headquarters. Fortunately I had provided, on
the chance, two houses for the King and the Chief of the
General Staff ; but for myself I had not yet secured any
accommodation. There is as a rule no time to do so, and
there is always some one or other who undertakes this
trouble, for trouble it is, especially in an overcrowded place.
Count Nostitz was the man for these occasions. His
first question is : " For how many officers do we want
quarters ? " He is told the number, and off he rushes
into every house that could be suspected of being able to
put anyone up, and demands to see all the rooms. If
any of them seem suitable, he locks the doors, puts the
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key in his pocket, and after some time comes back to
hand a key to everyone who is in need of one. He
ferreted out for me this time a small neat room in a little
house that did not look at all promising from the out-
side ; I gave it up later to Prince Pless and took up my
abode with General von Stosch.
" His Majesty the King arrived at Clermont just as
it was getting dark. The Royal Headquarters remained
here for the next day. It was necessary to sift the reports
which were coming in from all sides, as the General Staff
had to hold the reins tight, so as to be able, if need be,
to stop the movements of the different corps as soon as
fresh indications as to the operations of the enemy made
it necessary. We were therefore very busy in the office.
To control the movement of the army was in itself
difficult enough, if one considers that a quarter of a
million of men facing West, on a front of some 70 miles,
i.e. four or five days* march, had suddenly to wheel
round on their extreme right and front North. Besides,
the forest of Argonne, with its difficult hill roads, formed
a great obstacle, and all the charms of its scenery did not
prevent it from being heartily cursed/'
The 27th and 28th August we remained at Clermont ;
on the 29th, with the progressive movement of the various
columns northward, the Royal Headquarters were trans-
ferred farther North to Grand Pr^.
'* Rheims, 7th September, 1870.
** The enemy by his flanking movement had got beyond
Le Chfene. From that place two roads lead to Stenay,
where there is a bridge across the Meuse in the direction
of Metz. According to our assumption, two of the
French corps were advancing on the southern road, the
remaining two on the northern one. During the 29th
August a French Staff officer was captured who was
the bearer of a written order to the two corps nearest
us regulating their further movement that day. He had
I 2
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delivered the order to one of them, but on the way to the
other, which was farther East, he had fallen into the
hands of the Uhlans of the Guard, who had ventured up
close to the enemy's columns. This order furnished our
headquarters with a complete confirmation of the move-
ments of the French army as they had been conjectured.
"From the first moment that the movement to the
right was begun, our object was to block the enemy's path,
should he continue in his attempt, not only to the East
towards Metz, but also westwards towards Paris, and thus
to involve him in a catastrophe. It is therefore easy to
imagine with what eagerness every report brought in
was scanned. There was time, during the first days,
for the enemy to stop his dangerous movement, but on
the 29th August we felt we could foresee that if fate
had not destined it otherwise and great mistakes were
not committed or misunderstandings and misconceptions
did not creep in, that this, the last French army, had
brought itself into a position from which it could not
escape without disaster."
These words, not written till the 7th of September, may
seem an after-thought. It may therefore be of interest to
read a few lines fi"om letters sent home, written while
the operations were still proceeding, and which show
very clearly our way of thinking at the time. They are
dated from Grand Pr6 on the 30th August, 1870,
and written at 5 o'clock in the morning. "After the
rainy days of last week, the morning sun shines out
again merrily, ' and brightens the comfortable little
room which I occupy here. The clear sky points to a
hot day, and hot it will probably be in more senses than
one. Beyond the little garden rise wooded ranges of
hills, and at the foot of them lies a pleasant valley through
which runs a stream. On the main road leading through
it, are to be seen marching the columns of the V, Army
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Corps which, after leaving the valley, will march through
our little town. The merry strain of the Amazon's
March comes floating over to us, and from the opposite
side are heard the hurrahs of the troops which are in-
tended for our Crown Prince, who is riding past.
" Such are the outward impressions under which I
begin this day which will probably close the preparatory
operations for a great decisive blow.
" What is going on, I may not tell you yet, but if our
motto, * God with us,' comes true, the world will hear,
within a few days, of unparalleled deeds ! Good-bye ! I
' have just got orders for the army of the Crown Prince
of Saxony."
2. Battle of Beaumont.
" The moment had come, when the lines of march of the
two opponents necessarily came into collision. As the
army of the Crown Prince of Saxony was nearest to the
fenemy, and had to tackle and hold fast the latter, the
first serious collisions were to be expected in its direction.
The post of observation which the commander of this
army with his staff intended to take up in Case of an
engagement, was distant from Grand Pr6 about ten
miles, so I took to my carriage again. Captain von Alten
and Lieutenant von Stosch accompanying me.
" The weather was beautiful, as on all the previous days
of battle, the atmosphere clear and the temperature
agreeable. All over the undulating country, the long
dark lines of approaching columns were visible. We
crossed the line of march of the V. Corps, then that of a
Bavarian corps, and at last that of the Guards. We
had great difliculty in getting along, as detachments of
the Guards and the IV. Corps were constantly meeting
each other on the narrow roads leading through the
forests and over the hilly ground. But we managed
luckily to make our way through the troops and ammu-
nition columns, until at last we reached a place on the
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road near which the Crown Prince was to take his post
of observation.
" Here we mounted our horses, and as no trace of a
large staff was to be discovered anywhere, although we
had ascended several hills to look for it, I sent out Alten
and Stosch in different directions, I myself with an
orderly of the staff taking a third.
" Having wandered about in this manner for nearly an
hour, during which time Stosch joined me again, I was
convinced that the headquarters were nowhere near the
spot we had supposed, when, all of a sudden, we noticed,
a few hundred yards away, a dark object swinging rapidly
to and fro among the bushes some two feet off the ground.
On closer inspection it turned out to be a horse's tail,
brushing away the troublesome flies. We rightly con-
jectured that there must be someone there, and sure
enough, hidden among the dense undergrowth, we dis-
covered a man of the military police. He had been posted
near this point to indicate to bearers of reports and orders
the road to the Army Headquarters, which had been
obliged to change their position. But as the heat in-
creased the guide preferred getting into the shade instead
of remaining in evidence on the open hill-top. A volley
of very vigorous language was duly discharged at his
guilty head, but we soon found the Commander-in-Chief,
who with his staff had taken up his post on a slope farther
to the East.
" We were received kindly as ever, and made ourselves
at home. Captain von Alten joined us soon afterwards.
The position offered a pretty extensive outlook ; there
was another range of heights in front of us, but the large
tracts of forest which extended in a wide semicircle
towards Beaumont, could be partly overlooked. On the
right of us the Saxon Corps, and on the left the IV. were
advancing through the woods ; the Guards, who had not
yet filled up the awful gaps caused by the iSth August,
followed in reserve. Already, on the previous evening
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the foremost columns of the Saxons had had some
pretty heavy fighting with one of the enemy's divisions,
which, however, had marched off during the night in the
direction of Beaumont (engagement of Nouart).
" We had just eaten our lunch, consisting of bread,
sausage, and a draught of wine, when, about half-past
II, the first cannon-shot was heard firom the direction
of the IV. Corps. Once more we saw the blue and
white little cloudlets of smoke of the bursting shells
playing in the air over the forest, and the deep bass of a
mitrailleuse battery was likewise audible. From this we
were able to judge how far the heads of our columns had
advanced, and it seemed as if the ridge before us, being
nearer to the fighting, would prove a more favourable
post of observation. It was, however, so steep that our
horses climbed it only with great difficulty, and when we
arrived on the crest we found it so densely grown over with
underwood, that the Gardes du Corps, who formed the
escort of the Crown Prince, had first to cut a pathway with
their swords to give us a clear view. We thus, however,
obtained an extremely favourable standing point, from
which almost the whole battle-field could be surveyed at a
glance. Close to our feet began the above mentioned
large woods ; on their outskirts, on the far side, was open
country, in which over a hundred guns of the IV. Corps
and the Saxons were already in position surrounding the
enemy's position in a semicircle. From out of the
French position peeped, from a depression in the ground,
the steeple of Beaumont, wrapped in the dense volumes of
smoke fi-om a burning building. Behind it the ground rose
again, a wood-crowned range bounding the horizon,
French mitrailleuse and other batteries fired away
vigorously from this height ; on their left a large farm was
burning, and still further to the west the advance guard of
a Bavarian corps was likewise engaged, while to the east
the height descended abruptly to the Meuse, the beauti-
fully blue waters of which wound in a broad coil through
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120 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
the valley. It was a splendid panorama, which was,
however, put in the shade two days afterwards by the
scene at Sedan.
" Our batteries soon advanced until they were on a level
with Beaumont, and opened fire again from this new
position on both sides of the little town. The Crown
Prince had already given orders to the Corps of Guards,
which was as yet behind us, to follow up, and the Staff
now also moved forward in order to get nearer the scene
of action.
" The steepness of the hill did not permit a direct descent
to the woods at our feet, and we had to make a great
detour ; it took more than half an hour, moving at a quick
pace, before we, at last, cleared the forest. Meanwhile
the pioneers were busily engaged in improving the roads.
While we stumbled over the newly laid fascines, and
stuck in great holes, the brushwood kept lashing our faces
during our sharp trot so smartly that we felt it for several
days afterwards.
" Meanwhile the enemy had already been forced by the
infantry up the heights behind Beaumont. In the open
field we came first to a small farm, where ambulances
were already at work ; from all sides the wounded came
pouring in, and also the first prisoners were collected here.
Then we went across a wide field over which our infantry
had advanced to the attack, and on which many
bodies of our brave Magdeburgers lay scattered ; but few
Frenchmen were seen among them. A few yards further,
when we reached the first line of defence of the enemy,
the scene changed ; death had raged among them even
more savagely. To the South of Beaumont a hostile
encampment had been taken. As several roads met there,
and it was situated on raised ground affording a good
prospect over the country in front of it, the Prince took
his post there for the next hour. It was the bivouac
of the brigade which had fought with the Saxons the evening
before at Nouart. At night they had marched off and
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The War with the French Empire 121
had only reached it near morning much fatigued. With-
out taking sufficient precautions for safety, the small
tents had been pitched, and everyone had thrown himself
down to rest. Even later on there can have been no
outposts at all, or insufficient ones ; at any rate when the
men were busy in the forenoon with the preparation of
their food, the vanguard of our 8th Division came up to
within a short distance of them, and surprised them
completely.
"The signs of the confusion which then arose baffle all
description. The horses of the battery, still coupled to-
gether, lay dead or wounded ; three guns had been put out
of action, while many of the wagons could not be horsed.
All the officers' luggage lay about, the trunks open just as
they had been used ; the carriage with the military chest
and medicine carts were upset, the knapsacks were all
ranged in order. The food, of course, had to be left in
the saucepans, and had been mostly carried off by our
men as they marched through as a welcome present. We
dismounted in the midst of this chaos of the dead and the
groaning wounded. Before the Commander's tent there
was still standing a camp table and stools, which came in
handy for spreading out our maps on. From this spot
the further progress of the battle was watched, reports
were received, and the necessary orders given. Mean-
while the younger officers of the staff searched about
in all sorts of receptacles, to ascertain for certain what
regiments had been in the camp. By this means boxes
of sardines, truffled sausages and patis de foie gras were
found in quantities, and as it was now 3 o'clock we all
profited en passant by these discoveries.
" Meanwhile our infantry had successfully advanced into
the woods on the heights beyond, but there the fighting
increased in violence. The Crown Prince, therefore, rode
still farther forward, previously sending the Saxon Cavalry
Division to the right bank of the Meuse. I had sent off
Lieutenant von Stosch to the IV. Army Corps ; Captain
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122 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
von Alten was ordered back to report to the King; I
asked him at the same time to find out where the Royal
Headquarters would be for the night.
" On riding into Beaumont we found the market-place
and the street already crowded with over a thousand
French prisoners.
" On the other side of the little town further traces of a
hurried retreat were visible; on the left was another
deserted encampment, on the right a large ammunition
park of upwards of sixty wagons drawn up in orderly rows.
It was strange that the enemy had not made an attempt
to bring these off, as the engagement to the South of
Beaumont lasted nearly two hours, and there would have
been plenty of time to get them away. Most likely, when
the first shells came flying among them, the drivers turned
tail, and made off with the horses.
" We rode to the top of the range of hills, as that was
the only spot from which the gradually sloping ground
could be overlooked ; besides, we hoped to be able to see
Mouzon from there. The bridge crossing the Meuse at
that place was an object of interest to us, for, now that
the advance of the French on Metz, by the direct road
vid Stenay had been cut off, it was only possible for them
to elude us by turning off northwards. But there the Meuse
formed an obstacle, bounding the battle-field towards the
north, as well as towards the east.
" The Commander-in-Chief took his position on the crest
between the Prussian and Saxon batteries in action there.
The prospect opening before us was limited in width, but
this defect was amply atoned for by the variety of the
scenery and the fierceness of the battle. The evening sun
was already casting its declining rays, directly at our feet
lay the Meuse, flowing in many windings, like a silver
ribbon shining here and there through the smoke which
hovered over it. Great splashes of water rose high where
it was struck by the enemy's shells which fell short. On
the other side of the river we already saw the Saxon
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The War with the French Empire 123
cavalry whose horse-artillery battery took part in the
cannonade. In the background were the roofs and towers
of Mouzon, and beyond it, on the other bank, rose a range
of heights, which, at that distance and with twilight
coming on, looked like a wall of rocks.
" Further to the left the eye discerned the massive foliage
of the woods which covered the ground shelving down
towards the bridge of Mouzon, and over which streaks of
light blue smoke, waving to and fro, indicated a hot
infantry engagement, of which, however, nothing could
be distinguished clearly."
*' Rhcims, 8th September, 1870.
** On the same spot arrived, one after the other, the
commanding generals of the various corps, von Alven-
sleben I., Prince George of Saxony, and later, Prince
Augustus of Wurttemberg. Our losses were estimated at
from 2000 to 4000 men, and again many well-known
names were mentioned who had paid for the victory with
their life's blood.
" Another attempt was cheerfully made to support the
Prussian troops in their difficult fight in the woods ; for
which purpose three Saxon regiments advanced along
the valley of the Meuse; their battery unlimbered, but
the violent crossfire of the enemy soon made it clear that
it was impossible to make progress here. So the attempt
was given up, the more readily because the IV. Corps
had, meanwhile, succeeded in gaining the outskirts of the
forest towards Mouzon, and the enemy had consequently
to evacuate, in any case, all the ground in front of the
town.
" Darkness was now falling rapidly, scarcely anything
was to be seen ; it was, therefore, very strange that the
French, who had brought up a fresh army corps on the
heights opposite Mouzon, to cover the retreat of their
troops, still maintained a powerful artillery and mitrail-
leuse fire, which increased in intensity. Nevertheless
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124 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
orders were given to place outposts in the position last
wrested from the enemy, and to bivouac.
" Then we went back to Beaumont, where the Crown
Prince was to take up his quarters and issue orders for
the next day. Riding between overturned wagons we
reached the place, at the entrance of which Captain von
Alten joined us again, and brought, moreover, the
agreeable news that my carriage had already arrived, and
was in the market-place.
" The Crown Prince's quarters were near the eastern
entrance of the town, close to a burning barn. Here the
dispositions for the following day's movements of the
three corps and the two cavalry divisions were worked
out.
" The IV. Corps was to remain near Mouzon. This
corps and the two Bavarian corps made it impossible for
the enemy to break through towards the south. The
Guards and the IX. Corps were to cross the Meuse above
Mouzon early in the morning, and block the road as far
as the Belgian frontier, so as to prevent the French army
from advancing towards Metz. It had become necessary
to make these arrangements for the army without
appealing to Headquarters, as the time was short, and it
was questionable whether, considering the distance,
orders could arrive from them in time.
" At 10 o'clock we were ready to set out for the Royal
Headquarters, which Captain von Alten reported to be
at Buzancy. The first part of our drive was across
country, and so our troubles began at once. Moreover,
the inhabitants of all the houses we found on the way
had fled ; the buildings were all full of wounded men and
their attendants, none of whom, of course, could direct
us. However, it was a bright starlight night, and thus we
managed at least to keep our general direction. The
farther away we got from the battle-field, the more
wonderful was the scene behind us, the country being lit
up as by a grand illumination. The bivouacs of no less
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The War with the French Empire 125
than five army corps, that is of about 150,000 men, were
visible. Everywhere, on the heights and on the outskirts
of the woods, magnificent lines of camp fires were blazing
in a wide circle. At last, in the neighbourhood of some
village, we reached the Bavarian bivouacs, and thence
onwards we had at least a decent road ; but our progress was
no less difficult, as Prussian, Bavarian, and Saxon supply
trains and ammunition columns came streaming along the
* road in the opposite direction, every column endeavouring,
with all its might, to reach its own particular body of troops
as speedily as possible, the latter to replenish the ammuni-
tion, the former to bring up provisions. Ambulances were
passing in different directions, and finally came the whole
reserve artillery of a Bavarian army corps. Despite all
these obstacles we reached Buzancy at last, but at the
very entrance of the village we came upon four rows of
wagons that had become jammed fast. As we had now
reached our goal, we left the carriages and horses where
they were, climbed over the wagons and thus arrived about
1.30 a.m. at the Staff Office, where General von Moltke
and his officers were still assembled, being busy issuing
orders for the following day.
" It appeared that those prescribed for the army of the
Crown Prince of Saxony agreed completely with the dis-
positions already issued by the latter at Beaumont."
*'Rheims, the 9th September, 1870.
" The task for the 31st of August was as follows : on
the one hand to follow the enemy closely and hamper his
movements, on the other to push our left wing so far
forward that his retreat westwards would be cut off. The
last part of the task fell to the army of the Crown
Prince Frederick William. From the post of observation
which the King took up in the morning, seven or eight
miles north of Buzancy, I was sent off to the Third Army
• with instructions to ascertain the movements of this
wing, and to see what could be learned there about the
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126 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
enemy ; then to go to Vendresse in the evening, where
the Royal Headquarters were to stay for .the night.
" The final result of the day was that the whole French
army withdrew to the last man to the northern bank of
the Meuse and stood concentrated around Sedan. Some
of their movements suggested the intention, at the eleventh
hour, perhaps by a night march, to escape from the
threatened surrounding, or to cross over into Belgium,
which was close behind them.
" Later in the evening General von Moltke sent word
to the Chief of the Staff of the Third Army, General von
Blumenthal, to cross the Meuse, if possible, in spite of
the fatigue his troops were beginning to show, at any
rate with some of his forces. The V. and XL Corps,
forming the left wing of the Third Army, were therefore
again set into motion during the night in order to cross
the Meuse near Donchery."
3. Battle of Sedan.
"At half-past 11 at night I returned to Vendresse;
we worked on until half-past i in the morning and
rose at 4 o'clock on the ist September. At 5 we
got into our carriage in order to reach the spot
situated about 10 miles from Vendresse, from which the
King intended to conduct the decisive battle. It was a
fine fresh morning, the morning mists still lingered
about the mountain valleys, and clung closely about the
wooded slopes in thick wreaths. Mixed with the smoke
of the bivouac fires they formed in many places enormous
and apparently impenetrable banks of clouds, reminding
one of those spectacular pieces on the stage, in which
some particularly grand stage effect is set off with all
sorts of fireworks. Above them we saw the hill-tops
rising up into the pure air. Our road was free from
troops ; the two corps who had started during the night
were already about to cross the Meuse, only their transport
was still in the bivouacs which we passed.
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The War with the French Empire ' 127
" It was not long before cannon fire was heafd in the
distance, but to judge from the sound the fighting was
not directly before us, but in a north-easterly direction ;
it must have been with the Bavarians and Saxons. This
much was clear: the French had not attempted to get away
westwards, 'or else the corps before us must already have
been hotly engaged ; it looked, therefore, more likely that
they were again trying to move in the direction of Metz.
As we approached the Meuse we left the road, mounted our
horses, and again climbed a pretty steep hill, affording a
magnificent outlook, where the King arrived about half
an hour later.
** Close to our feet lay a second and lower range of hills,
from which the artillery of a Bavarian corps maintained a
fairly slow fire against the guns of the fortress of Sedan.
The town itself lay before us as on a tray, so that we
could even look into the streets. Several very large
buildings and churches gave it quite an important look,
. while the clearly defined lines of the fortifications around
it enclosed the whole as in a frame. Behind the town
there rose gradually from the plain a line of hills, on the
slopes of which a large French encampment was visible, in
which there was much stir ; on its crest, which descended
abruptly to the left to the plain, was a wood. The lines of
the distant hills beyond formed part of the neighbouring
state.
" Such was the centre portion of the panorama which
lay before us. To the right the morning mist obscured
the line of hills and woods, which melted into one another,
except where, here and there, lit up by the sun, they
showed up in patches. Here and there flashes from guns
in action, and the blue smoke-clouds from them, stood out
in clearly defined outlines, some against the sky, and
others against the hill-sides. In the foreground, on our
side of the landscape, extended a broad glittering sheet of
water formed by the Meuse, which had been dammed by
the French for the purposes of defence, forming an inunda-
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128 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
tion of no small extent. Not far from the river, but
nearer to us, the village of Bazeilles, for which the
Bavarians were fighting obstinately, was in flames. The
wood-covered ranges of the left bank of the Meuse, rising
to a considerable height on our right rear, blocked any
further outlook.
" On the left centre of the scene described above, West
of Sedan, the Meuse flowed at the foot of the steep slope
of the heights immediately behind Sedan, first northwards,
and then, forming a loop, came back again to its former
direction, after which, passing the Uttle town of Donchery,
it continued its course in a westerly direction. In a
line with the portion of the river running north along the
steep slope, on rising ground, were two villages for which
we had to fight that day, viz. St. Menges and Floing. The
latter was built on a hill-top, and seemed to be in mid-air,
as the base of the hill was still lost in the vapour rising
from the water.
" The ground behind the northern bend, where dark mists
still covered the earth, was only indistinctly seen, while
the plain farther to the left of Donchery with its clearly
defined net of roads, neatly bounded patches of wood,
and the pleasant village of Vrigne aux Bois, was spread
out before us in a bright light. Into that village the rear
of the V. Corps was just disappearing.
" Behind us, and on the other side of the main road along
which we had come, there rose more wooded hills of con-
siderable height, one of which was crowned by a pretty little
ch4teau. On a spur running down from it we recognised,
in the middle of a group of horsemen, the Commander-in-
Chief of the Third Army with his staff.
" Our first business was to find our bearings by means of
the maps. While doing this, shells from the fortress
burst among the reserve troops a little to our front, which
induced them to change their position. By-and-by flashes
shot out of the mist at other places, notably St. Menges ;
we could clearly mark the progress of the various corps,
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The War with the French Empire 129
and how the girdle of fire was closing in round Sedan
till it became impenetrable."
" Rheims, loth September, 187a
" As the V. and XL Corps became more and more
hotly engaged, Lieutenant-Colonel von Brandenstein
was despatched to the Crown Prince of Saxony, while I
was sent to the corps mentioned ; Captain Count Nostitz
and Lieutenant von Stosch accompanied me. First
we rode to the height where H.R.H. the Crown Prince
stood, in order to get information as to the where-
abouts of the various bodies of his army ; from there we
went onward down the steep slope to Donchery, and
Vrigne aux Bois. Behind the latter we met columns of
the XL Corps going to the front. By the bend of the
Meuse we halted for a moment, as the engagement south
of Menges could be watched advantageously from that
point; then we followed the road along the Meuse. At the
turn of the northern bend the troops ascended a road
that ran steeply up the hills so as not to attract the
fire of the enemy; between the infantry columns the
batteries advanced at a trot. Just at this corner the steep
slope was broken by a tiny plateau a few yards wide
near a mountain spring, where Prince Albrecht (senior)
stood with his stafif. His staff officer, my old friend
Versen, had already been wounded, while reconnoitring in
the foremost fighting line. After a few questions, we like-
wise hurried up the heights and met, after half an hour's
ride, the commander of the V. Corps, General von
Kirchbach. It was a particularly great pleasure to me
to be at such a critical time near my old and highly
respected teacher at the Staff College to whom I owe so
much. Lieutenant-Colonel von der Esch, his chief of the
staff, who was likewise an old friend, came galloping up
very soon afterwards from the left wing of the fighting
line.
" We were standng to the north of the ridge on the
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southern side of which we had seen the French encampment
from the King's post of observation ; the wood which
crowned it was strongly occupied by the enemy, especially
by his artillery, with some mitrailleuse batteries among
them. St. Menges was already taken ; on the steep slope
towards the Meuse and about the village of Floing near
it, the infantry of the XI. Army Corps were still hotly
engaged. The side of the range looking towards us was
also very steep, and lay exposed to the heavy fire of the
enemy. Half up the height, more towards the East, were
two regiments of the V. Corps in extended order who
at the time did not seem to be able to make further
progress. Altogether the impression one gained at the
first glance was that the hostile position in front could
only be taken by very superior numbers and at a
comparatively great sacrifice. But to put out all our
strength before communication had been established with
the corps of the Crown Prince of Saxony who were
wheeling round from the East, did not seem advisable.
Once that communication was complete, the iron girdle
was firmly riveted, and the issue could no longer be
doubtful ; if the enemy did not surrender to-day, he would
have to do it, in all probability, to-morrow. But in case he
should, in his desperate position, attempt to break out in
some direction or other, the reserves had to be held ready
to meet him in good defensive positions, and it was there-
fore the less advisable to expose our forces prematurely to
loss in a difficult attack.
" Running north-east from St. Menges, parallel to the
enemy's position, was a second lower ridge, along
which was deployed, in a long line of about three miles,
almost the whole artillery of our two corps, who kept up a
heavy cannonade on the enemy. Ever since 10 o'clock
the batteries of the V. Corps had swept the high-road
from Sedan into Belgium. On our side of the slope of St.
Menges stood under cover behind a small park, the
battalions of a brigade of the V. Corps, while another
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The War with the French Empire 131
brigade with two batteries lay close behind us in reserve.
Further back, as far as the Belgian frontier, extensive
woods covered the ground. Already many French soldiers
who had abandoned their regiments were wandering
about here, and some few shots came from this
quarter; the staff of a French division, which had
tried to escape, had been captured in the forenoon.
The combat in our front swayed to and fro, the
infantry engaged on the right wing did not seem to
make much progress against the very numerous enemy
and his strong position. All at once there appeared in
the peninsula formed by the Meuse a few hundred cavalry
coming down, at full gallop, from the villages. Some
of them tried to swim the western bend, while others
careered about fighting. A large number of riderless
horses were cantering about, while waggons and men on
foot moved in our direction ; now and then rifle shots
came from the outskirts of the villages facing us. We
could not, at first, make out what was going on, and
opinions were very much divided about it. Some' took
it for an offensive movement from Sedan, others thought
our cavalry had made an unsuccessful attack. It re-
minded me of a similar scene at the battle of
Koniggratz, where Austrian Hussars suddenly appeared
in the midst of our troops, and the impression I got was,
that the enemy's cavalry had made an unsuccessful
attempt to break out. The report of Count Nostitz,
who was immediately sent forward, confirmed my views.
It appeared that several French cavalry regiments on the
other side of the height had made an attempt to cut their
way out, displaying extraordinary bravery in doing so,
whole regiments perishing heroically in the attempt;
only the foremost got through our infantry line, and then
merely to succumb to the attacks of our cavalry.
" Until now the heights had prevented us from seeing
anything of the army of the Crown Prince of Saxony,
not even the sound of the cannon was to be heard,
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Moreover the gaily-coloured infantry of the enemy, which
owing to their red trousers had a very different appear-
ance from our columns at a distance, appeared in steadily
increasing numbers on the outskirts of the woods above.
Our infantry in vain endeavoured to make headway, and the
artillery fire in our centre and on the right wing slackened
perceptibly ; in fact, at last some of the batteries had only
one gun firing. Soon there came in reports firom all sides
which were far from pleasant, to the effect that a great
part of them had exhausted their ammunition, and that
the ammunition columns had not yet arrived, and shortly
after this young Prince Wied, a major on the staff of
the IX. Corps, appeared, asking for reinforcements to
carry the ridges lying before the French main posi-
tion. The Wurttemberg Division which was to have
formed the reserve of this wing had meanwhile been
sought for everywhere in vain ; it turned out afterwards
that it had had to be employed otherwise, as bodies of the
enemy had advanced from the direction of M6zieres.
" However, the aspect of the scene soon changed ; first,
news came that we had managed to supply the artillery
with sufficient ammunition ; then, that the cavalry of the
Guards had come up on our extreme left wing, and that
therefore communication had been established with the
Corps of Guards and the army of the Crown Prince of
Saxony, while the investment of the enemy had thus been
completed. Finally, the six splendid cavalry regiments
of Prince Albrecht with their batteries marched past us,
and took up a position behind our artillery. The infantry
on our right wing also at last made visible progress;
the long-drawn sound of the * advance ' was heard from
there, and the foremost patches of wood, lying in front
of the great wood on the height, were taken. The French
columns on its outskirts swayed about unsteadily, and it
became evident that there was no longer room enough
for them on the confined space in which they were more
^nd more squeezed together, and where our shells caught
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The War with the French Empire 133
them in front and rear. Now too the Bavarian batteries
at the foot of the hill where the King stood, and which we
had watched the whole day across the peninsula,
increased the rapidity of their fire. Immense clouds of
smoke rose, moreover, from Sedan, behind the enemy*s
position. In short, we concluded that the battle was
nearing its end ; only another touch was wanted, and the
command for a simultaneous general attack was therefore
given to all our troops.
"We mounted our horses, and rode on towards the
centre. The rifle fire was still not very heavy along the
whole line ; the unsteadiness of the enemy became visibly
greater from minute to minute. At last whole battalions
piled their arms on the outskirts of the wood, the men
waved their handkerchiefs and surrendered ; indeed they
did not know where to find shelter, they could no longer
go back to Sedan, before them and behind them was
certain death. Our attention was riveted for some
moments by this scene, and on our looking more towards
the right, we saw a winding road, leading down from the
height, densely crowded with French soldiers, many
thousands of them, all men who had surrendered and were
coming down under escort. We separated from General
von Kirchbach, and rode on in that direction in order to
obtain a view of Sedan. To our joy we noticed on the
way that our losses on this part of the battle-field were
comparatively slight ; but within the enemy's position the
terrible effect of our artillery was again seen in an awfiil
manner. It was with the greatest difficulty that a man on
horseback could move amongst the dead and wounded
soldiers. The ground, moreover, was much more cut up
than it appeared from afar, there being deep ravines which
we had to go round. Our infantry and artillery pressed on
in dense masses towards the last wooded eminence where
a pretty villa stood, surrounded by high walls; arrived
there, we soon found where we were, as at a short distance
on the other side rose the nearest fortifications of Sedan.
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134 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
"The XL Corps, whose original commander, General
von Bose, had been severely wounded at Worth, this day
again lost its leader, Lieutenant-General von Gersdorff, who
was mortally wounded by a rifle bullet ; in his place Lieu-
tenant-General von Schachtmeyer had taken the command,
whom we met with the chief of his staff, Major-General von
Stein, on this height, and who gave us the requisite informa-
tion as to the position of the troops. Meanwhile fire had
ceased everywhere, even the heavy Bavarian battery on the
other sideof the Meuse had become silent ; we therefore went
back to St. Menges, where General von Kirchbach intended
to take his quarters, in order to make ourselves acquainted
with his dispositions for the two army corps for the follow-
ing day, before our return to the Royal Headquarters.
"Count Nostitz managed even under these difficult
circumstances to find the means to satisfy our hunger and
thirst. As soon as the general arrived, business was gone
through and despatched at once, and we presently started
with pur orderlies and spare horses on our return journey.
As we were leaving. General von Kirchbach expressed with
particular pleasure his satisfaction that circumstances had
allowed him on this day to be sparing of the blood of his
soldiers. His words impressed themselves in my memory
with the greater clearness, as the general did not yet know
then, that his own son, so full of promise, had met a
heroic death that day in the ranks of the Guards.
" We had scarcely ridden on for a quarter of an hour,
when it became quite dark ; we chose our road along the
Meuse, passing on the way columns of prisoners who were
being escorted back, and at last, after forcing our way
through various detachments, we reached Donchery, where
we hoped to find the Royal Headquarters. In the midst
of the general crush we chanced to meet with several of
our comrades of the Staff, who informed us that
Napoleon had sent his sword to the King. This surprised
us not a little, because the presence of the Emperor in Sedan
was not known to us, although we knew that he had
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The War with the French Empire 135
been with the armj' at an earlier stage. General von
Moltke and the Quartermaster-General von Podbielski
were ready to conduct the negotiations for the
capitulation which had already begun. I reported
myself, and we went into General von Moltke*s room,
where his chief secretary, Major de Claer, was, and where
the remaining officers of the Staff, who had been sent
out, assembled one after the other.
" Now the object which we had continually had before
our eyes for the last week, and which with each day we
saw coming more and more within our grasp, had at last
been gained ! Everyone of us had long expected this result,
but nevertheless we were all, almost without exception,
now deeply moved by the magnitude of the event. One
of the first armies of the world, which had fought with
heroic bravery, and which a short time ago had numbered
nearly 150,000 men, a French army with the Emperor at
its head, had been reduced to a state in which resistance
was an impossibility, and forced to surrender uncon-
ditionally. The history of war records many a catastrophe,
but one on such a scale as this had never been inscribed
on its pages before !
" On former occasions, when we had returned from a
battle in the evening, many particulars used to be given
of the combat, and hundreds of questions had to be
answered ; to-day not a word was said about such things ;
all we did was to repeat in many variations the one
thought : ' What a stupendous victory ! ' or, ' What will
they say of this at home ? '
" It was about 11 o'clock at night, when it was an-
nounced that General von Wimpfifen was at the door.
This general had taken over the command of the French
army, as Marshal MacMahon had, early in the day, been
wounded by one of the first shells fired.
"We went into the room which opened on to the land-
ing ; Count Bismarck had also found his way there.
General von Wimpffen with two other generals and several
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136 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
aides-de-c^amp, all still bearing about them traces of the
combat, stepped into the room, which was densely
crowded. It was a strange and wonderful scene. Two
candelabra with candles burnt down to various lengths and
an old oil lamp did not suffice to light up the closely
packed room ; the generals and Count Bismarck sat down
around the table, we others stood round their chairs. The
various uniforms, the solemn silence, the grave faces
covered with perspiration and dust in the almost uncanny
light, ail this I shall never forget. The scene was made
still more spectral by a ray of light which escaped from the
broken globe of the lamp, gliding up along the wall till it
fell on an excellent portrait of Napoleon I., who looked
down on the wonderful assembly at his feet, and seemed
to ask mutely from the world of spirits what it meant.
" Negotiations now began, in which General von
Wimpffen tried hard to obtain better conditions than
those which General von Moltke proposed to him.
Wimpffen looked every inch a soldier, and was of
strikingly prepossessing appearance ; he complained :
' Only two days ago I reached here from the interior of
Africa, and now this is what I have to do ! ' But his
protests were unavailing. Count Bismarck pointed to the
political situation : ' During the last 200 years, we have been
attacked by France more than twenty times in the midst
of peace ; if we had to deal with an old-established dynasty
acceptable conditions of peace could easily bb found, but
that is impossible with such rulers as you have at Paris.
We must have material guarantees for the future.' And
General von Moltke insisted with iron inflexibility on the
conditions offered, viz. the capitulation of the army and
of the fortress of Sedan. Wimpffen, indeed, objected :
'The conditions were too hard, he had assumed the
command during the battle, when he knew neither the
position of the troops nor what dispositions had been
made; the following day might, with new dispositions,
change the situation.' But our General retorted : ' It is
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The War with the French Empire 137
absolutely impossible ! You have neither ammunition nor
provisions, as you may learn from your officers ; an army
of over seven army corps surrounds you ; we are in
possession of all the heights around the fortress ; not a
'man in your army can stir, and all resistance is impossi-
ble. If you do not accept our conditions, the order will
be given to-morrow early — much to my regret — ^to open
the bombardment, and then there will be useless blood-
shed which will only make your position worse.
" Lastly, General von Wimpffen demanded twenty-four
hours' time to consider, as he could not accept such
conditions on his own responsibility, but must consult
with his generals. This also was refused in these words :
' If by to-morrow morning, at 9 o'clock, I have not received
your answer, the signal will be given for hostilities to re-
commence.' Next, one of the French generals declared he
was commissioned to negotiate concerning the personal
surrender of the Emperor. He was answered this
depended on His Majesty the King, they had only to
discuss military matters here, and as the Emperor hkd
given up the chief command of the army, they had
nothing to treat about concerning him. With that the
conference broke oif. Wimpfifen promised to return his
answer by 10 o'clock next morning.
" General von Moltke then sat down, and dictated to
me the draught of the capitulation. Bronsart and de
Claer had still work to do. Some of the other officers
insisted on keeping us company while we worked, but
before long they all snored so vigorously that it became
impossible to write any further, and we had at first much
difficulty in waking them again.
" At last the draught was finished, and I turned in about
3 o'clock. Bronsart told me what follows : —
" When on the day of battle the enemy's heights had
been stormed, as could be seen clearly from where the
King stood, the Bavarian batteries had received orders to
shell the town. He h^^d next been commissioned to ride
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138 With the Royal Headquarters in 18 7071
into Sedan and to invite the enemy to surrender.
Arrived at the gate, he found the Bavarians there already
in negotiation. After he had been admitted into the town,
he demanded to see the Commander-in-Chief of the French
army. Not knowing to whom he would be brought — he
thought to MacMahon — he was at last directed to a room
in which he found himself suddenly in the presence of the
Emperor Napoleon, whom he recognized at once, as he
said, from the caricatures in a well-known Berlin comic
paper.
" The Emperor had risen with difficulty from his chair,
had asked after the King, and then sent him back with
General Reille, who was the bearer of a letter, to His
Majesty. The reception of this general on the height where
H.R.H. the Crown Prince and the foreign princes were,
made a great impression on all present.
" Scarcely had we washed and dressed next morning
and drunk a cup of coffee, whea the news came : ' The
Emperor is here, and waiting in a house not quite a mile
from Donchery.' Generals von Moltke and Podbielski
at once drove out with us. Count Bismarck, who had
received the news before us, was there already.
" It looked as if the Emperor were anxious not to
stay any longer in the midst of his army. The cata-
strophe had loosened the bonds of discipline ; if the news
of the capitulation became known, everything was to be
feared from the infuriated soldiers. Therefore he had
appeared at our outposts early in the morning. We
found the suite of the Emperor before a small peasant's
house which, situated on the high-road, was only
separated from it by ^ small courtyard sloping somewhat
steeply down to it. Very soon afterwards General von
Moltke came out again, and drove on to meet the King
with the draught of the capitulation which had been
made out during the night. His Majesty, returning in the
morning from Vendresse, had gone again to the spot from
where he had conducted the battle the day before. The
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The War with the French Empire 139
Emperor also subsequently came out of the house, and
sat down on a chair, smoking one cigarette after the other.
I saw him here for the first time ; he seemed to me to be
short and somewhat corpulent, and was ashy pale, his
chin resting on the breast ; at the same time he looked
outwardly unmoved, almost indifferent, and only now and
then, when he heaved a deep sigh, did he betray his inward
emotion. A splendid squadron of the Body-Guard, who
were to form his escort, attracted the attention of the
French generals ; nothing passed along the road the whole
time except transport.
" Count Bismarck had offered his quarters at Donchery
for the meeting with the King. But the Emperor did
not like to go into that town; so several Staff officers
were sent out to find a suitable place. Half a mile from
us, not far from the village of Frenois and the Meuse, a
small chateau was seen half hidden among the foliage ;
this was considered suitable, and the procession moved
off in that direction. We drove in front, then followed
two sections of the Body-Guard, then came the Emperor
driving in his carriage with his suite, some driving, others
riding ; the rest of the cuirassiers brought up the rear.
From the bivouacs along the road, of course, every man
rushed on to the road to see.
** The ch&teau, built somewhat in the Norman style,
was surrounded by a well-kept park, and looked very
pretty. A small tower, rising in the middle, was flanked on
the right side of the front by a conservatory reached by
some steps. The place, down to the iron gate which led
into the park from the road, was on a very small scale.
Some part of the time during the next few hours we
passed on this tower, the rest in the spacious and well
furnished dining-room, which was on the ground floor.
Outside the garden a Bavarian company was posted,
behind them stood some Wurttemberg batteries unlim-
bered and ready, at a moment's notice, to open fire on
Sedan, which was lying before us.
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140 With the Royal Headquarters in 187071
" Early in the morning a staff officer (Winterfeldt) had
been sent into the fortress to tell General Wimpffen
that, if the answer did not come at the hour fixed, the
bombardment would begin. This officer returned with
the answer, that the General was close behind him.
'' General von Moltke also made his appearance again :
His Majesty the King approved of the draught of the
capitulation, but he would not consent to see the Emperor
before it was signed.
" There were no longer any difficulties about this; only a
few words were spoken in the dining-room concerning the
subject, then I sat down with the Chief of the French Staff,
and we wrote out two copies of the capitulation. Generals
von Moltke and Wimpffen signed it. General von Pod-
bielski, from whose portfolio the two pens had come which
were used, was so kind as to give me one as a souvenir.
" Our General took the document just completed with
him, mounted his horse and rode off to the King, who was
still on the eminence.
" After the lapse of about three quarters of an hour he
returned with the news that the King was coming at
once. Having dismounted, he surprised the three Chiefs
of Sections by presenting them with the Iron Cross which
he had brought with him for us, expressing his pleasure
to be able in the name of the King to hand them to us
at so eventful a moment.
" Scarcely had we time to fasten them in our button-
holes when His Majesty appeared with a large suite,
accompanied by the Crown Prince, Prince Charles and
all the princes present at headquarters. It was a solemn
moment which words fail to describe. What was said
inside, no one knew at the time, but we understand
the Emperor had remarked that ' he had been forced
into the war,' and that * he felt himself personally con-
quered by our artillery.' *
^ The Emperor, following* the traditions of his uncle, had always taken
great interest in the artillery. He partially wrote an excellent history
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The War with the French Empire 141
" After some time both sovereigns appeared in the con-
servatory, where the King addressed some words to the
suite of the Emperor, and where the Crown Prince also
conversed with the Emperor ; then the latter accompanied
the King as far as the steps. With youthful alertness the
tall figure of our sovereign sprang into the saddle ; going
off at a gallop, accompanied by his numerous and many-
coloured followers who had not been able to find room
in the small house and had stood about among the
shrubs, on the narrow pathways far down into the
park. They formed a brilliant and wild-looking cavalcade,
which the Emperor thoughtfully followed with his eyes
before he disappeared into the room.
" Outside the drums of the Bavarians struck up ;
their bands played *Heil Dir im Siegerkranz,' and the
hurrah of the bivouacking troops followed the King along
his ride; he was eager to express his thanks to his
victorious troops on the battle-field.*
" General von Moltke invited me into his carriage ;
silently we drove back to Donchery, where more work
awaited us.
" Next morning, the Emperor, escorted by two squadrons
of Hussars, drove past our windows as a prisoner toward
the Belgian frontier. We also set out for the head-
quarters of the King at Vendresse, the first stage on the
road to Paris."
Thus ended the first part of this gigantic struggle !
With the capitulation of Napoleon and of the army
which he accompanied, fell the Empire, which had
brought about the war.
of its progress, and is generally believed to have been the suggester
of the canon Napol6on, a species of compromise between the ordinary
field- gun and a howitzer, which fired a I2lb. common shell instead of
round shot. The French artillery in the war of 1870 showed itself
distinctly inferior not only in material but also from a tactical point of
view, and hence the Emperor's feelings. — Ed.
^ ** Heil Dir im Siegerkranz, Herrscher des Vaterlands, ' are the two
opening lines of the Prussian National Hymn which has the same tune
as " God save the Queen."--ED.
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Secon^ part
THE STRUGGLE WITH THE FRENCH
REPUBLIC.
I. The March from Sedan to Paris.
I. General Survey.
The result of the battle of Sedan was bound to bring about
a general revolution in the internal organisation of France.
On the 4th September, in the afternoon, the leaders of
the Republican party assembled in the town hall of Paris
and declared, without consulting the legislative body, that
the dynasty of the Bonapartes had ceased to reign, and,
proclaimed the Republic. At the same time a provisional
government was established, the head of which was
General Trochu, the Governor of Paris ; the Empress
Eugenie left the city the same afternoon.
Strange to say, I do not find the smallest indication in
my notes and letters as to when and where we first heard
of these events or what impression they made on us.
The absence of any kind of remark I can only explain
now by the circumstance that the changes which occurred
in Paris by no means took us by surprise. We had
been thoroughly convinced even before the war that
the defeat of the French army would at the same time
seal the fate of the Napoleonic dynasty. General von
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The Struggle with the Republic 143
Moltke had even expressed this view quite definitively in
one of his minutes long before the war. The catastrophe
of Sedan was sure to be followed, as a matter of course, by
a revolution in Paris, and so familiar had we become with
this idea that we looked upon the change of government
in France as quite the proper course for events to take.
The only thing that appeared to us important now was
what the further progress of operations would be.
When we left Vendresse, the opinion was pretty
generally prevalent in the army that the chief work was
now done, and that the end would soon follow. One of
the armies of the Empire was already annihilated, the
other locked up in Metz, while the organized fighting
forces still existing in the interior of the country might
fairly be assumed to be comparatively small. The best
part of them was the Corps of General Vinoy, which had
been too late to join the army of MacMahon at Sedan, and
which, after skilfully evading us, hurried off to Paris.
When we supposed that the war would now soon be at
an end, we were certainly very much mistaken : however,
a fact it is that after Sedan, most of us believed that we
had now only to push on rapidly to Paris and there
dictate peace.
After the defeat of the French armies, the capital of the
country became of peculiar importance. In many wars,
certainly, the capitals of great powers have fallen into the
enemy's possession without this event bringing about
peace ; for instance, Vienna, Berlin, Moscow. But the
influence which Paris exercises over France had in former
wars been proved to be so commanding, that with the fall
of the capital the war also had come to an end ; such had
been the case in 1814 and 1815, ^^^ the march to Paris
seemed therefore to be such an evident necessity, after
Sedan, that no other plan was ever even put forward at
the time.
But later on, when, contrary to all expectation, the war
became more and more prolonged and the hardships of a
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144 With the Royal Headquarters in iS 70-71
winter campaign keenly felt ; when many more great
battles and engagements had to be fought out, and many
a grave situation faced, opinions were put forward
which decried our advance on Paris as a stupendous
mistake. We ought to have stopped after Sedan, it was
said, and waited for the French to dislodge us, as they
would have been bound to take the offensive if they
wished to drive us out of the country again. Moltke said
in reference to this view shortly before the fall of the
capital, " If, with the experience we have now, we were
again placed in the position we were in after Sedan, I
should have nothing better to propose to the King than
what we have done, viz. to advance on Paris."
What, indeed, should we have gained by standing still
after Sedan ? We should have given the French time to
make use of their immense resources for the organization
of fresh armies, and we should have left them at liberty to
attack us, when and where they thought fit. If we had
conquered in this fresh struggle, we could. only have done
the very thing which we now did under much more
favourable circumstances. Or should we once more have
stood still and awaited another attack ? In this case the
war would have been prolonged ad infinitum before France
was exhausted. The part of the country which we pos-
sessed after Sedan, was, certainly, a comparatively large
one, but it was still only a fraction of the whole French
territory. By advancing to Paris we enlarged our borders,
and materially facilitated thereby the provisioning of our
army in the rich country around it. Even when before
Paris, the task of subjecting the whole country was
certainly too great for us ; but we foresaw that the fall of
the capital would bring about this result, and this was the
only way in which there was any possibility of a reason-
ably early end to the war ; nor were we mistaken in this
calculation.
The march on Paris could not at first be begun
with all the forces concentrated at Sedan. The safe
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The Struggle with the Republic 145
transport of the hostile axmy that had become prisoners
of war, necessitated the leaving behind, for the present,
of the I. Bavarian and the XL Corps, which were placed
under the command of General von der Tann, The
remaining troops had first to be distributed again over a
wider front, in order to facilitate the marching and to
obtain better means of supply. The numerous cavalry
were spread out in front in order to ensure, the safety of
the army, and they swept the country to great distances
in front.
As General Vinoy had led his corps back to Paris, no
further collisions with large bodies of the enemy occurred
during our advance. On the other hand, numerous
francs-tireurs and other organised bands began to make
their appearance, harassing our troops considerably.
The Army of the Meuse, which was on our right wing,
attempted, during our advance, to gain possession of the
fortresses of Montm^dy and Soissons; but their com-
mandants were not to be frightened by the fire of our
field guns. On the other hand, Laon capitulated on the
arrival of the Duke William of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
with the 6th Cavalry division and the 4th Battalion of
Rifles. While the occupation of the citadel was proceed-
ing, the powder magazine exploded — the act, probably, of
some fanatic, which caused us a loss of 15 officers and
96 men, whilst that of the French was about 300 men.
By the i8th September both the Third Army and
that of the Meuse had advanced sufficiently far for the
investment of Paris to be effected on the following day.
The Royal Headquarters left Vendresse oji the 4th
September, and arrived at Meaux on the 15th, vid Rethel
Rheims and Chateau Thierry.
2. DoNCHERY, Vendresse, Rethel, Rheims, Chateau
Thierry and Meaux.
No important events occurred during the period
which follows, and I may, therefore, confine myself to
L
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146 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
reproducing some extracts from my diary and letters
concerning, for the most part, only private experiences,
but containing also certain views of the situation, as
entertained by us at the time. In reference to these
views, I rei>eat, that I reproduce here my notes word
for word, without caring whether they afterwards
proved to be right or wrong, because it is in this way
only that it is possible to give a faithful impression
of the feelings which prevailed with us at these times.
** Donchery, 3rd September, morning.
"This letter and my last may possibly reach home
sooner vtd Belgium, than by our field post. In two
hours' time we leave this place, and then for Paris ! At
the moment there is still much work to do in making
arrangements for setting the immense convoys of prisoners
in motion.
" It seems as if the Emperor Napoleon had left Sedan
because he felt no longer safe in the town amid the
prevailing anarchy. He is now on the way to Cassel, via
Belgium, as a prisoner of war. As he did not command
the army himself, no negotiations could be carried on
with him concerning its fate ; it is said that he will not
enter into any future negotiations for peace either, being
a prisoner. Who now represents the government of
France ?
" If nothing unexpected happens before Metz, there may
be soon an end to bloodshed there.* The French have
only one more organised corps, consisting mostly of
reserve troops. A place like Paris need not be besieged
at all, it has only to be blockaded from all sides and
supplies cut off by means of a numerous cavalry. How-
^ While the fate of MacMahon's arm^ was being decided at Sedan
Bazaine had made a sortie from Metz with all his available forces— in
a direction, it is true, opposite to that from which the relieving army
was expected ; this led to the battle of Noisseville on ihe 31SC of
August and the ist of September. The attempt to break out did not
succeed.
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The Struggle with the Republic 147
ever well they may be provisioned now, they will come
to loggerheads within the town itself, in a fortnight at the
latest.
"Our losses in the recent battles have been com-
paratively small. As the catastrophe was inevitable, we
could afford to proceed, in the case of most of the corps,
with a regard to human life, which under different
circumstances would scarcely have been practicable.
The Bavarian Corps alone was engaged in an extremely
bloody combat and has suffered heavy losses. Versen
is dangerously wounded.
" Count Hatzfeld has just arrived, and will depart for
Brussels ; he is so kind as to take this letter with him."
" Vendresse, 3rd September.
" We dined to-day about 6 o'clock with the King,
and he congratulated us in hearty terms on receiving the
Iron Cross.
" It was on this occasion that His Majesty gave the
following toast : —
" ' You, General von Roon, have sharpened the sword ;
you, General von Moltke, have wielded it ; you, Count
Bismarck, have conducted my policy in such an able
manner that, in thanking my army, I think of you three
in particular. Long live the army ! '
" I must also mention an amusing remark which was
made on this occasion. One of the guests, sitting opposite
the King, had caught a glimpse of the Emperor Napoleon
at Donchery as the latter drove through the village under
the escort of two squadrons of Black Hussars, on his way,
vid Belgium, to Wilhelmshohe, near Cassel, which place
had been chosen for his residence. At dinner this gentle-
man suddenly began to consider where the Emperor might
be by this time, and he fetched out his watch to help him
in his calculation. This manoeuvre did not escape the
King, who asked him, consequently : * I suppose you have
still work to do ? ' 'I beg pardon, your Majesty, but I
L 2
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am only calculating something,' was the answer. ' What
is that, if I may ask ? ' 'I think I can show conclu-
sively, that now the moment must have come at which the
Emperor Napoleon is just crossing the frontier and can
say with truth : " I have all France at my back." ' The
King laughed and observed : ' A very poor joke ! but,' he
added, raising his glass, ' I drink to it all the same.' "
" Rethel, 5th September.
" Postal communication of course is becoming slower
as the distance becomes greater. We are all quartered
here, in a very fine house belonging to a manufacturer,
who is absent, however. We look forward with pleasure
to our arrival at Rheims ; one positively longs to pass a
few days again in a large town, to buy various neces-
saries, and to get needful repairs done, for which we
shall have leisure enough, as we shall probably remain here
some days to arrange for spreading out the several hun-
dred thousand men concentrated for the last battle, over
a wider front of march. The mines of which they talk
in our newspapers, and the danger of being blown up,
are sheer nonsense. We only destroy railways if we can
make no use of them. The possession of the line vi&
Toul would be particularly valuable to us, but that fortress
is still in the hands of the French."
" Rheims, 5 th September, 8 p.m.
" It is not long since we arrived ; we are staying oppo-
site the glorious cathedral, which just now, in the evening
light, has a most beautiful appearance. Our quarters are
not particularly good, as the Commander-in-Chief of the
VI. Army Corps with his staff has already appropriated
the best rooms in the hotel in which we stay, and we
did not wish to turn them out, the corps being under
orders to march again before long. While driving about
the town, I saw Major von Schlichting fall backwards
with his horse, close to General von Tiimpling, who was
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The Struggle with the Republic 149
watching his troops entering the town and march past
him. Happily, there was no harm done. His eminent
abilities, especially his rare insight into great strategical
questions, would make him much more useful on the
Staff than he can be in his present position as com-
mander of a battalion.
" We expect to remain here for several days."
*^ Rheims, 6th September.
" To-day we changed rooms and have now better
quarters. Podbielski and I are in the house of one of the
largest manufacturers of champagne.
" During the last week, owing to our duties in the field
and the marches we made, the whole office work has been
so much retarded, that I have seen nothing of Rheims as
yet, except for a cursory walk through the cathedral."
" Rheims, 7th September.
" It will be some days yet before we get away from
here, as the armies have first to extend their front. The
troops in front, meanwhile, continue their march on Paris
with the cavalry in advance. What organized troops
of the enemy are available, are only very inferior in
numbers to our forces, and they are not likely to make a
stand in the open. Until we get to Paris, our march will
probably be more of the nature of a pleasure trip than
anything else."
" Rheims, 8th September.
" This morning we had a prolonged conference with the
officer commanding the engineers as to the way we can
best settle the forts of Paris. I am hoping that the thing'
will be done without much bloodshed on our side.
" Brandenstein is still busy at Sedan with the removal
of the prisoners, and he is not likely to return for a day
or two. I expect we shall remain here about four days
Jonger.
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" If the people in Paris do not begin to quarrel among
themselves, we shall have to make them see that the end
is coming. Such a reminder will probably be necessary,
as the conditions of peace which we shall make >yill not
be accepted before they realise their powerlessness. Not
counting a pretty heavy indemnity, we shall in no case
let Lorraine and Alsace go ; Metz must become a Prussian
fortress. To-day a second supply of Iron Crosses arrived,
and I was very glad that Blume, Krause, Claer and
Nostitz were each presented with one."
'' Rheims, 9th September.
" Herr von Muhlberg, of the Zieten Hussars, has been
here to-day. I have not seen him myself, but have spoken
with the ofl&cer who now commands his regiment (the former
commander. Colonel von Zieten, fell at Vionville). He is
full of his praises. During the cavalry charge which took
place when it was already dark, Muhlberg got wounded,
and, unable to extricate himself from under his dead
horse, was taken prisoner. The French carried him to
Vionville, but he managed that same night to get free by
paying a ransom, and returned to his regiment next
morning.*
"The Alexander Regiment, likewise, praise the conduct
of another friend of ours, little Kries ; he and another
were the only officers of his battalion who came out un-
scathed from the battle of Gravelotte ; his brother, who
is a reserve officer in the regiment, was wounded rather
severely.
" As to the story about signing despatches, it is simply
this : formerly the hours for reporting to the King were
different from now, and as Podbielski was not at the office
at the time when they were sent off, I signed them ; now
that he is always on the spot before they are sent, it is a
matter of course that he signs.
> Her von Miihlberg is at present Acting Privy Councillor of Lega-
tion at the Foreign Office. The " ransom ** might possibly be better
translated ** bribe."— Ed.
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The Struggle with the Republic 151
*' The important telegram sent off by the King on the
evening of the battle of Sedan in which he announced
that the Emperor Napoleon had offered his sword and
that he had accepted it, has safely come back again last
evening through the post. As the enemy appeared in the
neighbourhood, the courier could proceed no further, and
handed the despatch to an orderly, who brought it back
again to us."
*' Rheims, i ith September.
" To-day we managed at last to get free for once, and
made use of the opportunity to drive to the femous camp
of Chdlons in company with Podbielski, Bronsart and
others. We were not particularly struck with it; the
Quartier Imperial had been thoroughly ransacked by
Gardes Mobiles.
"Once more our telegrams, of the 3rd and 4th
September, are not in the Berlin papers ; I wonder what
can have become of them."
" Rheims, 12th September.
" You ask me what will happen in respect to Paris ?
We must get in, that is clear ; but as to how this is to be
done, opinions are divided. Some believe that nothing
further will happen of a serious nature ; others — and I
among them — doubt this. I maintain that strong com-
pulsion will yet have to be used. In the field, indeed, they
can no longer face us for the present.
"We shall see when we are on the spot, in what
manner we shall proceed against Paris ; for the present
we have cut off (yesterday) some of their drinking-water,
at Chateau Thierry. In Metz it would seem as if the
French had still enough to live on, although it is declared
for certain that they are already reduced to horseflesh, of
which there will be no want for some time to come.
Prince Frederick Charles is not going to let them escape,
and he has the means to prevent it. But if the French
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should be, nevertheless, so far successful, they would
have to try to reach the south by a great detour, which
in all probability, pursued as they would be by our
troops, would mean their dispersal."
**Rheims, 13th September.
"To-day I have seen the vast champagne cellars of
my host which the King visited yesterday. These sub-
terranean galleries with their gigantic vaults for storage
are highly interesting. In return for some small service
I received a basket with six bottles of the choicest brands.
I had them carefully transported to our * war chariot,'
which was parked together with all our other baggage-
waggons, in order to have something in hand for a time of
need." Unfortunately all this care was in vain, for a few
days afterwards* I discovered that the basket, together
with the bottles, had been stolen !
" We are hoping that by to-morrow our cavalry will
already be before the gates of Paris. We shall reach
Chiteau Thierry, about forty miles from here, in one long
march, then, by another of equal length, Meaux."
"Chateau Thierry, 14th September.
" Here we are, having safely arrived at half-past 6 in the
evening. The weather was showery, so that we could not
see the country in its fullest beauty.
" On the way we had a few hours' rest at a delightful
small ch&teau and made a very good breakfast, prepared
for us by young Stosch, who had been sent in advance.
Moltke took his coffee with us in a small tastefully furnished
turret-room, which so took his fancy that he was loth to
leave it again ; nor were we at all eager. We were in
the best of spirits, and so the resting place became the
birthplace of innumerable puns.
"Scarcely had we arrived at Chiteau Thierry — our
limbs being still stiff from our long drive — when we saw
our honoured chief already surveying the country from a
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The Struggle with the Republic 153
weather-beaten old to^yer. It was too dark to see much,
but it is a habit of Moltke, wherever there is some point
from which a wide view can be obtained, to immediately
climb up to it.
" You verily believe us endowed with wings ! We are
actually supposed to be in Paris already ! Why, we only
aim, for the present, at arriving before the town ; how
we may get in, we shall see later on. I think we shall be
more comfortable outside the gates than in the town."
On the 15th September we left Chateau Thierry.
Before starting, orders were issued to the Third Army
and that of the Meuse for the investment of Paris ; there
was also one more conference with the chiefs of the
staff of both armies, Major-General von Blumenthal
and Lieutenant- General von Schlotheim, concerning the
future operations.
" Meaux, 15th September.
"It was a very pleasant drive to-day from Chateau
Thierry to Meaux : beautiful weather and a lovely road
winding between the heights which skirt the valley of the
river. About five miles on this side of Meaux the French had
blown up a large railway bridge having another running
alongside of it for the traffic ; likewise the bridges over the
Ourcq Canal and several others besides. This will cost
them much money, and the only damage they do is to
themselves. In such acts of destruction there is no sense,
except where the river line in question is to be held, or if
the river is so large that the bridging will cost the enemy
some considerable time, neither of which was the case
here. For a defence of the line all the necessary conditions
were wanting, and the width of the water was so insigni-
ficant that the time needed for resting the troops was
sufficient to prepare other means of crossing. The
blowing up of these great and costly structures were
therefore utterly unnecessary.
" Our columns are now hurrying on all sides, in a great
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154 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
semicircle, towards Paris. Within a few days this semi-
circle will become complete, enclosing the metropolis
and isolating it from the world at one blow.
" The letters from Headquarters of the 2nd and mid-day
of the 3rd September have got, not to Germany, but
into the hands of the French commandant of Verdun,
together with the courier, who has been taken prisoner.
As far as I remember there are none of mine among them,
as I sent my letters of those two days vid Belgium."
*' Meaux, i6th September.
"Our newspapers busy themselves very much with
mines, incendiarism by means of petroleum, etc., whereby
we are to be surprised. Even here there is not an hour
that we do not get warnings from quite serious people in
all parts of the world. We call this the mine fever, an
epidemic which, when once it breaks out, spreads very
widely ; fortunately it has not affected us. Mines are a
means of defence which may be used in war, and against
which, if they are actually exploded, there is as little
protection as against the bullets of the enemy. That
can't be altered, I am sorry to say, if once a man takes part
in wicked war ! But if the French were to lay only the
hundredth part of all the mines, of the existence of which
we are warned, they would need not " only their own
powder, but all ours as well. Fanatical acts may of course
take place, as recently as Laon, and as far as human
foresight can protect our troops from them, it will be done.
But on the whole, such rumours are mere bogies,
fit to frighten people who know nothing about the matter.
To us such gloomy forebodings serve only as amusement.
" We learn that in certain circles in Berlin no small fears
were entertained about war preparations in Austria,
North America and Spain. Now, I suppose, people will
cool down again. Austria will scarcely think of entering
the war at this present stage ; North America has, indeed,
recognized the Republic, but possesses no land army
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The Struggle with the Republic 155
capable of making itself felt in Europe ; and Spain has
plenty to do within her own borders. If any state of
consequence had, at first, a desire to intervene, that desire
must have vanished after the catastrophe of Sedan.
'' They also complain in Berlin that Napoleon is being
treated with too much ceremony, and that a sentimental
policy is out of place in such stirring times. We simply
treat him as Emperor. But for the moment he represents
the only government which we recognise and we must
continue to recognise it until we have another with which
to treat. With whom otherwise are we to make peace ?
" I think I have made several mistakes in the dates of
my letters. That comes of hurrying ! "
"Meaux, 17th September.
" Nothing new has taken place here. In regard to the
political situation, you may reassure all our friends who
take an interest in it. Of course I cannot tell you
anything definite on the matter, but I think I am toler-
ably well informed all the same, as our military arrange-
ments, especially under the present circumstances, are
sure to be greatly influenced by the general political
situation."
"Meaux, i8th September.
" It appears that the advance-guard of the VI. Army
Corps is engaged just now to the south of Paris, at
least artillery fire is heard in that direction.
" General von Gersdorff, whom you met at Prague, has
died of the wound which he received at Sedan. Our
dear Wittich, our travelling companion in Italy last
year, has succumbed likewise to his wound. For
Lieutenant Meie I will do all I can with pleasure ; but
that is only possible, if he can be spared where he is now.
Everyone would like to be at the front, but everyone
must first of all stick to the post where he has been
placed. Only his superior officers can judge whether
he can be dispensed with there."
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156 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
During the night of the i8th September we, the chiefs of
sections of the staff, were suddenly summoned to General
von Moltke, who lived in the Episcopal Palace. We found
the General in a large room, the fame of which has since
become historical, on the longer side of which there was a
bed ensconced in a niche. Reports had come in from the
north of Paris, according to which numerous bodies of
the enemy were said to be still outside of the line of forts,
so that there was the prospect of some fighting with the
army of the Crown Prince of Saxony, which was approach-
ing on that side with a view to effecting the investment on
the following day. Moltke, wrapped up in a dressing-
gown that reached down to his heels, was walking up and
down the whole length of the room, and told us, first of
all, to read through the reports that had come in. It was
then a question as to whether more troops were to be dis-
patched to the north of Paris and where we ourselves
were to go on the following day. I did not quite believe
that the French would venture on a struggle outside the
forts, and was just going to express my opinion when,
chancing to look up, I saw something so comical that I
could not help drawing the attention of the others to it.
In the hurry they had piled an immense quantity of wood
on the fire in the grate and the heat in the room had
become unbearable. Moltke, whose face was dripping
with perspiration during his promenade, wanted to wipe
it off, but, wrapped in thought as he was, he seized on
passing, instead of the handkerchief which was lying on the
bedside cupboard, his wig, which lay there also, and
wiped his face with it, without noticing what he did.
This process he repeated each time he passed the cup-
board, and the General would probably never have become
aware of his mistake, if we had not told him.
The result of our conference was that we resolved to
accompany the Army of the Meuse for the present on its
advance to the north of Paris, and, in case nothing
should happen of importance there, we would go to the
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The Struggle with the Republic 157
south front, where the famous castle of Ferrieres, owned by
the Rothschilds, had been chosen for our quarters. We
started from Meaux at 5 o'clock in the morning, but only
arrived at Ferrieres at 11 p.m.
In the course of the day the Army of the Meuse suc-
ceeded in blocking all the approaches to the north front of
Paris.
At Ferridres we next learned that the Third Army had
been equally successftil in its movements for investing
Paris to the South and West; Versailles had been
occupied by the V. Corps in the course of the afternoon.
During their march the latter had an important engage-
ment at Petit Bicfetre, and the II. Bavarian Corps another
at Plessis Piquet with some advanced forces of the
enemy ; also the VI. Corps came into collision with
smaller detachments. The investment of Paris was thus
completed by the 19th September.
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II. The Royal Headquarters at Ferrieres
(igth September to the 4th October).
I. General View of the Situation.
The task now before the leaders of the army was simple
so far as the object in view was concerned, but when it
came to carrying it out, the difficulties, as time went
on, became very serious.
We had marched to Paris because we believed this town
to be the heart of the resistance ; its fall would put an
end to the war. But how was this fall to be brought
about ?
We expected, if no internal convulsions hurried on the
event, that it would take place in consequence of the state
of distress inevitably resulting from a close blockade,
and we had therefore eifected the investment as a means
to attain our end. ,
The question whether, and if so, when, we should
proceed to a bombardment, or to a regular siege, remained
for the present undecided. But not to neglect an3rthing
in this respect, the establishment of a siege park and
its transport to the vicinity of Toul had been ordered
as early as the 8th September. Further than Toul no
directions could be given, as that fortress was still in the
hands of the French.
As the question has now been opened, it may interest
the reader to know the views which obtained among us
in 1870 in reference to this subject. During the course
of events, the opinion was frequently expressed that a
different method from that which we had decided upon
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The Struggle with the Republic 159
would have brought about the fall of Paris sooner. A
bombardment of the city especially was advocated, and
the longer the investment was protracted the louder and
more vehement became these cries: to many people at
home it seemed incomprehensible that we did not resort
to forcible measures earlier.
This outcry was the reason why I noted down, at that
time — even before the bombardment — ^what our views
were. This memorandum, drawn up on the 14th of
December, 1870, is among my papers, and runs thus : —
" * Bombard Paris ! ' is the cry now ; everybody shrieks
it out, but no one explains how it is to be done. The
French have constructed guns that carry farther than our
own ; those of the largest calibre send their projectiles to
distances ranging up to 9000 paces. But that would not
matter so much, and we should still find means to get
near enough to tackle them and fight them down.
We should also have to engage the forts of Paris;
that, too, is feasible. But the nearest of the forts are
distant from the works of the enceinte about 2800 paces ;
the farthest, Mont Val^rien and St. Denis, about 6000
paces. It will therefore be evident to everyone that, first,
possession of the forts would have to be gained, and then
a further advance made a good deal nearer to the main
works before there could be any question of an effective
bombardment.
" This would mean a regular siege. But a siege of Paris
cannot be named in the same breath with the sieges of
Strassburg, Thionville, and the other fortresses which we
have taken during the war,
" Perhaps the siege of Sebastopol might bear comparison
— but in a few points only — with our present position ;
and the siege of Sebastopol lasted about 14 months !
The capture of the outworks alone cost the allies about
30,000 men in killed and wounded ! We cannot afford any
such sacrifices for Paris alone. In short, against a fortress
of the circumference of Paris, with a garrison more than
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double as strong as the force we have available, a fortress,
moreover, the artillery of which is more numerous than
any we could bring here in six months, a regular siege
and a thorough bombardment is, under the prevailing
circumstances, an impossibility !
"Besides, we are too weak in numbers; we can only
just maintain the investment, and we have not the
troops available to mass three times the number we
now have before the front attacked, which is the least
a siege would require. These truths we cannot possibly
publish now, merely in order to convince those who
press for a siege.
" But why, then, did we bring up the siege artillery ? We
must, surely, mean to do something with it ? That we
do, certainly, viz. to silence the forts in some places in
order to protect our own troops from the galling fire of the
enemy. Perhaps we shall then also see a possibility of
pushing forward a few batteries near enough, if not for a
regular bombardment, at least to harass some limited part
of the town. But in the beginning of an investment the
latter proceeding would be useless. That we have seen
plainly enough by the utterly fruitless bombardments of
Strassburg, Thionville, Montm6dy, Verdun and Toul,
which have taught us a lesson in this respect. But in the
case of Paris, where only a relatively small part of the town
could be reached by our shells, a bombardment would be
effective even to a much less degree than in those places
where the whole of the inhabitants had to suffer from it.
** It will only be when the hope of relief from the pro-
vinces vanishes that a bombardment may possibly pro-
duce an effect ; that moment will arrive, I should think,
soon after the New Year.
" Another circumstance also has to be considered : to
bring up a siege train together with sufficient ammunition
has its difficulties. In the first place, we have to make
sure of feeding our troops, the bringing up of the necessary
reinforcements, etc., and for all this we are in pos-
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The Struggle with the Republic i6i
session only of one single line of railway. Moreover,
not enough horses are to be got in the country, and the
temporary assistance which the ammunition and com-
missariat columns of our army corps here are able to
render, in the way of teams of horses and waggons, is
limited, as any extensive use of them would disable the
troops before Paris for action in the field, in case such
should become necessary. This consideration is the more
important, as more than once the question has become
urgent whether we should not be compelled to raise the
investment in order to march against the Army of the
Loire or that of the North.
" Among us, at least, there has never been any diiference
of opinion as to whether we should fire on the town or not.
" Whatever may be the pressure from outside, when the
time comes, the means, too, will be at our command, and
then we shall do precisely what our position demands.
" At present, after all, our chief duty is this : not to hide
mistakes which may have been committed, but to learn
from experience. But I can only say even now, that, as
far as I understand things, our leaders have neither
committed a sin of omission in regard to our proceedings
against Paris, nor have they made any mistake at all." '
We had to do the best we could with the forces
brought before Paris, weak as they certainly were con-
sidering the magnitude of the task. Moltke said justly at
that time : " We enter upon a venture which the world
will judge according to its success." The line of our
outposts before Paris extended for some 55 miles,
while the available infantry forces amounted only to
122,000 men, some of whom moreover had soon to be
detached in order to support the cavalry covering our
rear ; there remained, consequently, about one infantry
soldier to each yard of the line of investment. Even a
1
Bismarck appears
Moltke's views on the
lished correspondence.
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i62 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
layman will understand that only the highest confidence
in the skill of the leaders and the bravery of the troops
could warrant such an enterprise, especially if we consider
that the opposing garrison numbered even in September
upwards of 300,000 men under arms.
Each body of troops, on becoming available, had to be
brought forward immediately to strengthen the invest-
ment, viz. the two corps left at Sedan, the 17th
Infantry Division after the fall of Toul, the Division of
Landwehr of the Guard after that of Strassburg (on the
27th September). The transport of the latter was,
however, so delayed, that they only arrived before
Paris in successive detachments between the 9th and
19th October. Finally the II. Army Corps was also
ordered to Paris from Metz on the 23rd October. But
the chief additional force on which we could count for
the operations was only set free by the capitulation of
the French army in Metz on the 27th-28th October, after
which only was it possible to bring the remaining corps of
the First and Second Army into the interior of France.
The whole period, from the beginning of the investment
of Paris on the 27th of September, until the fall of Metz on
the 27th-28th of October, very soon assumed a .character
entirely different from that of the previous operations.
On the part of the Germans, waiting for the fedl of
Paris took the place of active operations in the field.
All sorties of the garrison had to be repulsed, as well as
any efforts to relieve it from outside. The latter necessi-
tated, from the beginning, measures for protecting the
investing troops in the rear.
On the part of the French, meanwhile, the most
extraordinary efforts were being made for the formation
of fresh fighting forces, whereby large masses of men
were brought under arms, and these soon made them-
selves felt in more extensive sorties of the garrison and
active operations in the field for the relief of the town.
The following were among the more important sorties :
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The Struggle wrrn the Republic 163
On the 30th September, against the VI. Corps ; on
the 13th October, against the Bavarians (Chitillon-
Bagneux); on the 21st October, against the V. Corps
(Malmaison), and on the 28th October against the
Guards. During the last, Le Bourget, an advanced post
of the defensive line of the investment, fell into the hands
of the French, and it became necessary to recapture it,
which was done, after severe fighting, on the 30th
October. This made a great impression in Paris, the
more so because the great leases suffered by the French
affected troops which consisted mostly of inhabitants of
the town. During the course of October nearly 400,000
men were under arms in Paris.
The protection of the investment at first was
entrusted to the numerous cavalry, but as the trouble
with the Francs-tireurs increased, small infantry detach-
ments had soon to be sent to their assistance. In
the beginning of October, however, when bodies of
the newly-formed forces of the enemy appeared, whicih,
advancing mainly by way of Orleans, pressed back our
cavalry, it became necessary to employ larger numbers of
the investing troops against them. So the I. Bavarian
Corps and the 22nd infantry division joined the three
Prussian cavalry divisions in the south, the whole under
the command of General von der Tann. After severe
fighting at Artenay on the loth and nth October, he
forced the enemy back across the Loire at Orleans and
established himself on that river. The 22nd division was
next employed in the direction of Tours and Le Mans,
and, on the iSth-igth October, Chiteaudun was taken
after a bloody engagement.
The smaller forces of the enemy appearing meanwhile
in the north were about the same time repulsed by
weak detachments of Saxon and Prussian troops under
Generals Count Zur Lippe and Prince Albrecht of
Prussia (junior).
The ^one of security was thus extended, towards the
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end of the month of October, to the South as far as the
Loire, to the North up to a line stretching from Vernon
vid Goumay to Soissons.
2. Particulars of our Stay at FerriEres.
In reference to our experiences at the Royal Head-
quarters during the period just described, as well as to the
views entertained by us at the time, the following extracts
from my letters, etc,, will give some information : —
^Ferri^res, 21st September.
" The day before yesterday was a very trying one. We
really intended to remain longer in Meaux, but the
reports already mentioned which came in during the
night made us decide on a start.
" We found, on the way, the houses of the villages in
the neighbourhood of Paris utterly deserted by the
inhabitants; the high-roads were torn up and partly
barricaded, many bridges blown up and houses put
into a state of defence ; on the walls of the latter were
large inscriptions with all sorts of left-handed compli-
ments. These acts of destruction, however, showed very
little practical knowledge. The cry, * Blow up bridges,
make the roads impassable,' had produced a regular
mania for destruction, and driven the people to doing
things which proved, generally, no obstacles to us, or
such as were easily removed.
" At the Ourcq Canal we mounted our horses and
then rode forward, in the direction of St. Denis. But
there was no sign of fighting anywhere, not a single
cloud of smoke from batteries in action. Very soon the
King also came, and we remained a long time on one spot
in order to see how things would shape themselves.
Meanwhile, all the movements had taken place without
a hitch, as they had been planned." (We heard after-
wards that there had been, after all, a few encounters
with the enemy on the north front.)
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The Struggle with the Republic 165
" For our Most Gracious Sovereign this day was like-
wise a most interesting one, not only because we now
stood actually before Paris ; but his thoughts must have
reverted to the day when in 1814 he stood as a youthful
prince on the same spot, having taken part in the last
fight of that campaign against the troops of the first
Napoleon, by the side of his father, now in glory.
" On our left rose the heights of Romainville, with two
forts, between which the camps of the French could be
seen, then came Montmartre further to the right ; in the
background the clearly defined outlines of the fortified
Mont Val6rien peeped forth. Between them rose the
towers and churches of Paris, while St. Denis was visible
more to the right.
" Later in the day we separated from the King. Our
quarters had meanwhile been. removed to Ferri^res. In
order to get there we had to cross a bridge which the
Wurttembergers had thrown across the Marne. After
dark we lost our way in the hilly and wooded country on
the north bank of the river, so completely that for some
time we calmly rode straight on to Paris, until we at last
became aware that this direction would lead us rather to
the enemy's quarters than to our own. So we returned
as fast as possible, but it took us some time to find the
bridge. On the way we overtook the Wurttemberg Field
Division, which was marching in excellent order in the
dark. The little lanterns which the markers carried on
the flanks of sections rendered good service t^ the troops,
who were stepping out briskly.
"Jules Favre meanwhile had arrived in Meaux from
Paris and had accompanied Count Bismarck to Ferrieres,
but he returned yesterday, very much depressed, to the
capital. The rulers for the time being seem already to be
fully aware that they will soon lose their hold over the
masses. Bazaine in Metz is moreover looked upon as a
decided adversary, and it is said that he has sent a letter
here, in which he laments the fate of his unhappy country
now fallen into anarchy."
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1 66 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
In addition, it may be added here, that Count Bismarck
had formulated the following demands during the negotia-
tions for an armistice with Jules Favre : —
Surrender of Bitsch, Toul and Strassburg.
The garrison of Strassburg to become prisoners of
war.
Metz to be excluded from the armistice.
In reference to Paris : either maintenance of the invest-
ment or surrender of some of the forts commanding the
town.
The chamber was to meet at Paris or ToijJ^'after the A/^i
new elections. Two members of the government, for the
time being, had already gone to the latter town before
the investment ; Gambetta followed likewise, leaving
Paris in a balloon.
" Ferri^res, 22nd September.
" Our present surroundings give one the impression, of
living in the midst of peace. — My stable is diminished, as
the sturdy little carriage horses have fallen sick from
over-exertion."
** FerriSres, 23rd September.
"The French amuse themselves by firing with their
heavy guns at every individual they catch sight of. — By
the way, the destruction of property round Paris is by
no means so great as the newspapers announce. But
in respect to roads and bridges it is even greater.
" We hear the noise of guns in the distance. The Third
Army is firing at an aqueduct."
*• Ferriferes, 24th September.
" I was going to Lagny yesterday, but General von
Moltke sent for me and Bronsart to drive with him to the
outposts of the Wurttembergers which are thrown out in
advance, towards the confluence of the Seine and Mame.
After having reached the outpost line, we went on foot
to a small building on the other side of it, a kind of
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The Struggle with the Republic 167
garden pavilion, standing high on the slope which descends
steeply to the Marne. The little building had been put
into a state of defence, and we had a good view of the^
neighbouring forts through the loopholes. We could see
plainly some Gardes Mobiles on the ramparls, and we
overlooked that part of the town lying between the forts
and Mont Valferien. The railway bridge across the Marne,
at our feet, as well as several other bridges were blown up.
As we are not in a position to attack the fortifications on
this side, the blowing up of these means of crossing would
really have been our business, to protect ourselves against
a surprise here, but the French have been so kind as to
save us the trouble.
*' Yesterday we received news from Paris announcing
the outbreak of disorder there. Four of the six divisions
of the line which have been formed in the town,
were engaged on the 19th September with the V.
Corps and the Bavarians, and partly also with the VI.
Corps. According to our reports the French regulars have
more than once during these engagements, and for the
first time, failed to show their ancient valour, and this is
confirmed by the French journals. Some of their
detachments are said to have run as soon as the first
shells came flying, and spread panic even to the interior of
the town. On the other hand the papers praise the
Gardes Mobiles, but without reason, I should say, as they,
too, did not cover themselves with much glory that day.
Such public criticisms are very apt to give rise to discord
between the various services.
" Jules Favre has returned an answer, saying that he and
his colleagues unanimously declined the conditions made,
and that they would consequently trust the further issue
to Fate.
" We are very glad to hear that Toul fell yesterday. We
shalltry at once to repair the line of railway, which is
destroyed at that point, in order to get this important line
at our disposal. At the same time the section which we
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1 68 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
constructed a few stations to the south of Metz as £ar as
Pont-i-Mousson, in order to avoid the fortress, has been
finished, so that we hope soon to be able to transport
heavy artillery as far as Trilport, a station in the
neighbourhood of Meaux."
A request had been made to me from Berlin, to see
that three reserve batteries which were quartered at
Charlottenburg should soon be dispatched to the theatre
of war. I was able to answer as follows : —
" Fcrri^rcs, 25th September.
** Even before we heard of your wish, it was granted,
and the artillery captain who expressed it is already on
his way by rail to the interior of France.
" The little house from which Moltke reconnoitred the
forts of the south-east front the day before yesterday, in
our company, was demolished yesterday by the French
shells. Bronsart is well, but Brandenstein suffers a little
from over-fatigue. We had a consultation on some grave
questions last night till late. As usual, we agreed
completely in our views."
*' Ferrikes, 25th September.
"For to-morrow we propose — ^Alfred Waldersee, a
few other men and myself — to drive along the greater
part of the line of investment. The whole day will
probably be spent in this trip. We have now postal
communication round Paris, all letters are delivered daily
to all the corps here.
'' According to our information, Bazaine, and with
him a great part of his army in Metz, whatever re-
publican elements it may contain, are decidedly opposed
to the present government in Paris, In addition to the
number of adherents of Napoleon in the country, which is
probably at this moment very small, there are many
who wish for the return of the Orleans family. Further-
more, there are republicans of the most different shades.
What will be the end of all this ?
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The Struggle with the Republic 169
" I have had, to-day, a cursory look at the interior of
the Chateau of Ferrieres.* Whatever may be its fame, I
am not greatly taken by it. There is scarcely a room in
which some want of harmony or other does not produce a
disagreeable effect upon one. The whole chateau is a quad-
rangle built in modern style. The fagade of the building,
which is of two storeys, seemed to me too insignificant,
too finicking in style, and out of proportion with the
towers flanking the structure at the four corners. In the
great hall, which serves as library, there are, above the
gallery, the most • beautiful Gobelins ; then door-curtains
of blue velvet, which do not harmonize in colour with the
green walls. Several colossal busts are placed here and
there, among- them a few male and female negroes in
black and white marble with gilded drapery."
" Ferri^res, 27th September.
" We had a very satisfactory trip yesterday. We were
six of us in my drag ; Podbielski and two others followed.
The place where we wanted to go to is situated about
twelve miles from here, to the south of Paris. A little
house there, with a flat roof, standing on the slope, had
been recommended to us as a particularly favourable spot
for a view. We soon found it, and were rewarded with
such an excellent outlook — after having groped our way
with some difficulty up some very narrow steps to the
roof — that we stayed there over two hours in spite of the
hot mid-day sun. On our left lay the opposite slope
of the Seine with Fort Ivry, and starting thence the
horizon was marked by the following points : the Terrace
of St. Cloud, the cone of Mont Val6rien, the Arc de
Triomphe, the Champs- Elys6es, Montmartre, the Buttes
de Chaumont, the heights of Romainville, and last, on
the extreme right. Fort Nogent. Within this semicircle
^ The chiteau was too small to receive more than the first section of
Headquarters ; those of us for whom no*room could be found in the
house were quartered in the farm buildings, etc., which were close by
The second section remained at Lagny.
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ijo With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
lay Paris, with its sea of houses, at our feef, as calm
and quiet as if it was in the profoundest peace. Only
now and then a flash came from some distant^fort, and
the thunder of an explosion came rolling over to us.
The golden cupola of the Invalides shone brightly in
the distance ; to the right of it rose the Pantheon and
the towers of Notre Dame. A copse in front of us hid
the adjoining fort, that of Charenton, as well as our out-
posts. Altogether, there was not the slightest sign to
remind one of an investment, the whole gave one the
impression of a beautiful landscape without figures.
" We shall probably remove within a few days to the
other side of Paris, either to Versailles or St. Germain."
'• Ferri^res, 28th Sq)tembcr.
** Last night we received news of the surrender of
Strassburg. The fall of this town happened very oppor-
tunely for us from a military point of view, as we now get
50,000 of our troops free for action elsewhere. The first
instalment of our siege train will arrive to-day at a place
five days' march from here.
"The King is inspecting some of the troops, and our chief
accompanies him; we others remained at home. Most
of them are just going out shooting with General von
Podbielski, some mounted, the others on foot, eight in
number. But they have only two guns and eight cart-
ridges between them; what fun they will have, to be surel
" The telegraphic cable, in the bed of the Seine, con-
necting Paris with Rouen and Tours, has been luckily
picked up and cut, after we had read a few telegrams.
When we ourselves tried to communicate with Paris,
they soon found out that it was not their countrymen
who were sending the message. The c)^her telegrams,
which got into our hands, we were unable to make out,
so we were obliged to cut the communication."
" Fcrri^res, 29th September.
** Telegrams are sent from here to Berlin by other than
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The Struggle with the Republic 171
official persons, and so the report about street-fighting in*
Paris probably comes from such a source. We know
nothing ourselves of such an occurrence, although the
letters found lately in captured balloons certainly are
somewhat depressed in tone.
" Sugar, butter, milk and such luxuries are scarcely to
be had hereabouts ; I force myself in the morning, as
a rule, to swallow a piece of dry white bread ; we break-
fast at II, and at 6 o'clock we have our dinner together.
The best thing we get here is an excellent red wine. It
will last for some time to come, according to an inventory
taken yesterday, which is said to establish the existence
of 18,000 bottles more in the cellars of Rothschild's
house! "
•* Ferri^res, 30th September.
**I will continue my description of the Castle of
Ferrieres. It consists of a basement containing a billiard-
room and rooms for guests, servants, etc. ; then a raised
ground-floor with the dwelling-rooms of the family and the
offices ; in the first storey are only guest-rooms. In the
entrance hall, marble steps lead up to the ground-floor;
Over the landing there are frescoes, apparently an
apotheosis of James Rothschild. In the interior, a
corridor runs through the whole of the quadrangular build-
ing, leading, on its outer side, to the rooms of this floor,
and in the centre to a vast hall, taking up the whole
width of the building. This serves, to judge from its
furniture, various purposes, there being in it a billiard
table, a grand piano and a library. Its dimensions are
immense, its height about 45 feet, the length 32 feet and
the width 19 ; at something more than half its height
there is a gallery running all round. The details of its
ornamentation are splendidly finished.
'^ I was yesterday at Lagny, and shall go again to-day
with Waldersee and Radziwill. In this little town are the
quarters of the second section of Headquarters. The
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172 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
Mame flows through its middle ; but the two substantial
bridges leading across the river, one of iron and the other
of stone, have been blown up by the French, in which
process the houses on the bank have suffered most. They
give the river scenery, very pretty in itself, an additional
picturesque charm by their irregular appearance, which
effect is heightened by the singular appearance of the
railway bridge, which, after losing its central support by
the blowing away of a pier, sank down into the river,
while its iron framework and the roadway remained
intact. With some assistance from our engineers the
bridge has become passable again for pedestrians, although
it winds up hill and down dale.
" Altogether, the villages before Paris make a singular
impression. On our approach they were deserted by the
inhabitants, who took with them in their hurry whatever
was transportable. Those who live near to Pari*" with-
drew into the town,' and are now, of course, not let out
again. Those farther off fled to the woods, but are now
gradually returning ; but they find a good many altera-
tions in regard to their property. It is certainly the
most foolish thing to do for the inhabitants to run away
on the approach of the enemy. For our soldiers, after all,
cannot be left on the road when there are houses beside it.
The troops are therefore obliged to seek accommodation
in the buildings, to take whatever victuals and forage are
found stored there, and to cook their meals. So the
search commences, and the doors being locked, windows
and doors are necessarily beaten in. In order to get from
the road to the top rooms, chairs and tables are piled one
above the other, and are left there afterwards. Much of
such furniture also is used for cooking, if the soldier does
not know where else to. find wood. All this kind of
destruction would be avoided, and the necessary requisi-
tions be carried out in a more orderly manner, if the
inhabitants remained at home. There is, moreover, the
damage done by Francs-tireurs, which is often very childish
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The Struggle with the Republic 173
in its character. We found, for instance, a barricade
made of artichokes. The reader's imagination may finally
complete the picture by road-s de trees cut down, broken
walls and overturned vehicles.
" Postscript. — ^There is fighting going on on the line
held by the XI. Corps. By the time I get there, I sup-
pose it will have come to an end." *
" Ferri^res, ist October.
" Of course, before we could get over the 15 miles to
the scene of fighting, the thing was already settled, there
having been comparatively but few troops engaged. We
could just see yet the red trousers of the French dis-
appearing hurriedly behind the forts. Only the VI. Corps
had had a serious engagement, and had lost about 300
men, among whom, unfortunately, there was an old friend
of mine at the military school. Count Clairon d'Haus-
sonville. According to my instructions, I was to send
other bodies of troops, especially the Wurttembergers, to
the scene of action, in case the fighting assumed greater
dimensions; but this was no longer necessary, and I
therefore went with the commander of the XI. Corps for
the time being. General von Schachtmeyer, to his head-
quarters, Chdteau le Grosbois, as I had several other
matters to discuss with him. The castle is very hand-
somely furnished, and is the property of a descendant of
Prince Murat. Everything in it is in very simple taste,
refined and stately.
" People in Berlin are begining to get excited about all
sorts of shameful treatment which we might receive at the
hands of the French on our entry in Paris. There is no
imminent danger of that as yet !
"To-day is an arduous one for us in other respects as
well : at 4 o'clock dinner with the King, at 6 back to our
quarters, where I must be present without fail, as we have
^ The sortie was directed specially against the VI. Corps, and led to
the engagement of Chevilly.
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174 With the Roval Headquarters in 1870-71
invited Count Bismarck and General von Roon. Our
* master of the household/ Count Nostitz, has stinted us for
some days in our rations of wine in view of this feast ;
some pheasants also have been slaughtered ; certain wines,
of which we have received plenty as presents from home,
are to be brought out in honour of the occasion. The cook
of the War Minister has even promised us a punch d la
romaine.'^
** Fcrri^res, 2nd October.
"A French corps is being formed at Tours consist-
ing of troops formerly stationed in Africa, and others
collected from various depdts, about 20,000 infantry in
all. Yesterday we had a fatiguing but pleasant day.
At 4 o'clock we had dinner with the King. His Majesty
had heard of our intended banquet, which gave him
the opportunity to ' chaff' us frequently about our * grand
appetite ' that could not be satisfied with one meal.
At 6 o'clock I came back to our dinner, just in time ;
Count Bismarck and General von Roon with their suites
were already there. The menu was, all things considered,
not unworthy of a LucuUus. We were at table from 6
till 10 o'clock. After this our chief was, he said, * just in
the humour ' for a game at whist, and as at the end some
excellent punch was produced, we remained together till
nearly i o'clock. Count Bismarck told us in his charac-
teristic and unique style many interesting anecdotes, and
made many a joke about the present and past. Among
other things he mentioned his last conversation with
Jules Favre and his long speeches (* He commenced by
treating me like a meeting '). For our amusement extracts
were read from various recent French papers from Paris
as well as Tours. In one of them there was a sketch of
Moltke, * aged eighty,' pulling about with bony fingers the
German armies like puppets, and Count Bismarck behind
driving them on with a stick. Our high spirits broke
out unmistakably soon after the soup. Our excellent
Meydam had received some splendid verses from one of
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The Struggle with the Republic 175
our best known poets, on our present campaign. He was
burning with desire to recite them, and when he was
asked to do so, after the soup, his ill luck would have it,
that after the first line he contrived to make up a sentence
by drawing one letter of the next following word to one
of the line before, which cannot be rendered here, but
which was in such a comical contrast to the high-flown
tone of the rest, that we laughed so much that we could
not speak. The gaiety thus caused manifested itself
in every variety of manner among the feasters. One laid
both arms on the table and his head on them, another
jumped up and danced about the room, and Moltke
expressed his amusement by dipping one bit of bread after
the other into a wine-glass and throwing it at my head.
"Another pretty little story which was told, I will
repeat here. It concerned Lieutenant-General X, com-
mander of a cavalry brigade, who one afternoon, on the
march through French territory, arrived with his staff and
the superior officers of one of his regiments at a luxuriously
furnished little ch&teau. The mistress of the house, a very
worthy dame of old family, received him with all the
ceremony of the ancien rigime. The dinner in the evening
went off so brilliantly that the General tried to show his
satisfaction in every possible way; only, as he could
hardly speak a word of French, he was unable to express
his feelings in words to the mistress of the house, who sat
at his side. When, after dinner, they adjourned to the
balcony, to take coffee and liquor, the crescent moon was
just breaking through the clouds, and lit up with magic light
the splendid park that stretched far away beneath them.
This worked up such a degree of enthusiasm in the
General, that he gathered together whatever French he
knew, and placing his hand on the arm of the marquise
and pointing with the other to the moon, he said :
* Voyez, Madame, quel joli demi-monde.' *
^ The joke lies in the General translating *' halbmond," i.e. literally
"half-moon," by demi-monde, which is quite another story. — Ed.
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176 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
" The French government at Tours publishes reports
about the engagements before Paris on the 19th
September, containing the exact contrary of those sent
them by the government of Paris. We were able to
prove this clearly, as we had chanced to gain precise
knowledge of the contents of the despatches before they
reached their destination."
*' Ferri^res, 3rd October.
" We look forward to getting to Versailles. Although
many of the inhabitants have left, there wiU, never-
theless, be opportunities of renewing many things which
have become worn out. I do not like this place
at all ; the castle is not to my taste, everything in the
interior is too showy and wants harmony. Even the
clumps of trees in the parks, pretty enough by themselves,
have not made much impression upon me as a whole.
" About Count Bismarck I must tell one more story as
I heard it. The minister sent for the agent of Roths-
child's estate and told him that he wished to buy some
wine from the Baron's cellars. The latter replied that
he could not take any money, which had no value
at all in this house, when the minister is said to have
answered : * After the hospitable reception we have
received here, I can only look upon the house as an
inn ; and, therefore, I will not only buy my wine here,
but desire that, as I intend to drink the wine on the
premises, a corkage of 30 centimes per bottle shall be
added to the bill.*
" On a ride yesterday I came to a pretty little chateau
belonging to the Due d'Ampierre. How much prettier
I thought it than this place ; especially the large park,
the antiquity of which is evident from the size of its
trees and shrubs. The King also chanced to be there.
His Majesty must have been not a little amuseyi by our
feast of the day before yesterday, for he cross-examined
me on various details, of which he seemed to have heard
vague reports.
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The Struggle with the Republic 177
" Paris is said, in reports which have come in, to be
provisioned for six weeks. A fortnight of this period has
now passed ; but it is possible that the rulers in the town
may carry matters to extremities and that the capitulation
will only take place when the want of victuals makes it
necessary. Only they must not, in that case, wait till
the last moment ! We are not able to supply nearly two
millions of people with food even for a single day.
If we allowed supplies to enter from the provinces,
where would they come from in sufficient quantities ?
Within 50 to 75 miles around, everything has been
already consumed by our men, and the destruction of the
railways and roads prevent any great quantity being
brought from a distance. In such a case there is, unfortu-
ntLtely, a prospect of thousands dying of hunger before
any help can reach them.
" It is very amusing to see how our men have made
themselves at home in the deserted villages, and especially
what sense of humour they show occasionally. Dummies
of straw are sometimes seen set up, draped indis-
criminately in apparel of male and female articles.
Barbers' shaving dishes are transformed into the insignia
of distinguished orders ; the heads of the dummies
ornamented with shining firemen's helmets or high caps,
and a broom or some such thing put into their hands.
Particularly keen are our men on milliners* shops, the
pasteboard heads of which they paint over afresh and
exhibit them in the windows garnished in a most
fantastic manner, with white and rouged faces and with
the woollen epaulettes of the Garde Nationale. Inscrip-
tions of all sorts, too, left by the retreating Gardes Mobiles
and Francs-tireurs, in gigantic letters on the walls of houses
and gardens, create a peculiar impression. In between are
sketches sometimes representing, in a symbolic manner,
the Republic, but most often caricatures of Napoleon,
and everywhere a *mort aux Prussiens,' to which our
people add observations of their own on the subject.
N
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" To-morrow we transfer our quarters to Versailles- As
the way is a long one, our saddle horses have already
been sent on, and will wait for us at Villeneuve-le-Roi, on
the left bank of the Seine, from which place an expedi-
tion to observe the south front of Paris will be under-
taken."
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III. Versailles.
I. Events up to the Fall of Metz (28TH-29TH
October).
" Versailles, 6th October.
"We arrived here at nightfall last evening, so that I
have not yet been able to see much of the town.
The road we came by was very pretty; nothing of
importance happened on the way except that our horses
got pretty well tired out. Breakfast was taken in a large
farm-yard, where Count Bismarck with his trusty followers
and ourselves sat about in picturesque groups on bundles
of straw, casks, etc. The whole VI. Army Corps, except
the outposts, which were left at their various stations, was
called under arms to receive the King, but the Staff
Headquarters continued on their road without him.
" Major Krause and myself took up our quarters in very
handsomely furnished rooms at the house of a notary,
whose wife had, however, already left the town. The
French have not been accustomed thus far to having
soldiers quartered in their houses. So we found only two
little rooms reserved for us, which did not, however, suit
our requirements— modest though, as a rule, they are — as
we must prepare for a somewhat prolonged stay here.
Winterfeldt undertook to explain this to our host in his
elegant French, with the result that, after an unsuccessftil
attempt to get us out, he disappeared next day (we learned
afterwards that he joined an ambulance corps on the Loire).
N 2
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i8o With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
We thus became the undisputed masters of the whole
house, but we contented ourselves with a common sitting-
room and a bedroom each. The bonne of the house was
taken into our service,
"The next few days are likely to become very in-
teresting from a military standpoint. The French are
concentrating more and more troops round Tours ;
moreover they seem bent on an advance from Orleans.
Prince Albert, who is watching them with his cavalry
division, is slowly retreating before them. We are making
every preparation to receive them."
*• Versailles, 7th October.
" At half-past i to-day the whole of the famous
fountains at Versailles were playing. I managed to get
free for a short time to go there. I met His Majesty, who
was on foot, surrounded and followed closely by a large
crowd of the inhabitants. The eifect of the fountains was
magnificent."
" Versailles, 9th October.
" Yesterday it rained in torrents all day. To us this
made no difference, as we worked in the oiffice, but for the
troops, some of whom had to pass the night in the open, it
was anything but pleasant.
" We are all very busy at this moment with reading
letters that have fallen into our hands through a balloon from
Paris being intercepted. I estimate them at about 30,000 ;
many interesting statements are found, not only concerning
the temper of the population, but also the means of defence
and the organization of the troops coUected into corps,
" Last night one of our squadrons of hussars covering
our rear was suddenly attacked. Their commander, my
brother-in-law, von Stosch, has arrived here severely
wounded by a bullet in the shoulder."
" Versailles, 9th October,
** The last sortie of the French on the 30th September
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The Struggle with the Republic f8i
has cost the French more than we at first thought.
Indeed we have buried ourselves upwards of 900, so that
their total loss may amount to between 4000 and 5000
men, which is about ten times our number. It is not
impossible that they will repeat the attempt some day,
when they have sufficiently recovered. Until now in all the
more important battles we have necessarily been the assail-
ants, but here, as before Metz, we are in a position to make
them attack us. The defensive, it is true, is the mode of
fighting which suits us least, but it cannot be denied that
with the efficiency of modern fire-arms it has become the
easier, and it .is therefore almost certain that the enemy's
losses will considerably surpass our own.
" In Paris the opinion is already vented, as we gather
from some of the intercepted letters, that some of the
inhabitants would prefer to see us in the town rather than
suifer the present state of things to go on. But such
elements are as yet completely kept under by the ruling
party, and distress has by no means become so great as to
induce them to rise. It can, however, scarcely be very
long before matters come to such a pass as to make them
unendurable for any length of time. The government has
of course laid hands on all the meat and other provisions ;
butchers have to sell at fixed prices, and the people who
cannot afford to buy food are to be supplied by the govern-
ment. According to our information there were in Paris
before the beginning of the siege 27,000 oxen and some-
thing over 100,000 sheep, but disease has reduced the
number. A large proportion of Gardes Mobiles will before
long be obliged to apply to the city for assistance, as they
will be unable to buy food for themselves and families with
a daily pay of i^ fiuncs.
" Of great military importance for us would be an early
fall of Metz, as we should then again have about 200,000
men at our disposal. If I am not mistaken, things must
soon come to an end there ; horseflesh cannot last for ever,
and the want of salt is felt severely. The last minor
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sorties that have taken place were practically only under-
taken with a view to make a raid in search of potatoes.
But the sortie of the day before yesterday was, on the
contrary, an attempt on a big scale to break through. The
French brought great masses into action, but their exertions
proved vain.*
** Brandenstein returned yesterday from an expedition
in the direction of the Loire. He came across some
Francs-tireurs, some of whom were captured, the others
escaped.
" We learn from our newspapers, to our great satisfac-
tion, that we are already in possession of Orleans ; quite a
piece of news to us. Things do not go quite so fast;
but it is just possible that when these lines reach Berlin,
that town may be in our hands. Thus far it is not the
case, however."
** Versailles, nth October.
** Last night ' Messieurs les Fran9ais * disturbed many
of us in our slumbers ; they kept on blazing away wildly
with their long-range fortress guns, imagining perhaps
that we were engaged in constructing huge entrench-
ments, which operation they wished to disturb ; or perhaps
they only want to harass us generally. Their heavy
projectiles, which carry to incredible distances, make a
horrible noise on bursting.
" What forces the French have collected on the Loire
and brought up against us so far, were routed yesterday
with heavy loss by the Bavarians under von der Tann
and by the cavalry under Prince Albert and Count
Stolberg.' Orleans will probably be occupied to-day, and
it is possible that the government at Tours will in that
case remove to the south,
1 This assumption turned out later on to have been mistaken* The
sortie' (engagement of Bellevue on the 7th October), in which the
French had no less than two corps and more under arms besides the
division of Voltigeurs of the Guard, only aimed at procuring further
supplies for the pr 'Visioniog of Metz.
^ Engagement of Artenay.
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The Struggle with the Republic 183
"Yesterday we were nearly all of us at St. Gennain-
en-Laye, excepting only those whom business kept
unavoidably at the office. The prospect from the
terrace of the chateau well repays the trouble of going
there. Terrace, park and wood rise abruptly from
the Seine, which here makes several great bends. On
the opposite bank extends a wonderfully pretty country
full of gardens, bordered in the background by the steep
and lofty cone of Mont Val6rien, on the summit of which
the dark masses of the fort stand out boldly against
the sky. At St. Germain there is an old castle of
Francis I. which has been partly restored, and that very
tastefully. It contains collections of Roman and Gallic
antiquities bought by Napoleon for his studies on Caesar's
wars."
"Versailles, 13th October.
" A regular siege of Paris is entirely out of the ques^
tion, and I only hope that we shall never attempt such a
thing. If only we wait till hunger compels the town to
surrender, we shall lose fewer men and make it more
certain that we shall attain our end.
** From balloon letters we gather that the Parisians
place all their hopes on the Loire army which is now
forming. It is possible that the news of its defeat at
Orleans on the nth of this month may have a depressing
effect.*
"At Metz we believe the end to be now really at
hand.
" Our rooms are already becoming uncomfortably cold ;
as there are no other appliances for heating them than
open fireplaces, we get roasted on one side and frozen on
the other at our office."
^ Orleans fell into the hands of General von der Tann on the even-
ing of the I ith October after severe fighting in which the Bavarians
and the 22nd division were engaged; the French retreated across
the Loire.
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" Versailles, 14th October.
"The telegrams will have already informed you that
the French shells have burnt St. Cloud. The beautiful
furniture and probably many art treasures have been
consumed by the fire. Only a few things could be saved
by our men."
"Versailles. 15th October.
" We were out yesterday for three hours and a half.
We first went to inspect some siege guns which have
arrived, ^nd have been parked here. Thence we went
on to the Bavarian outposts, which are stationed in
front of them on the plateau. The line of the hills here
approaches pretty closely to the forts lying in the plain.
The weather being somewhat dull, the lines of houses
stood out against the sky in dark masses. We dis-
mounted and crept along an abattis constructed by the
Bavarians and running along the edge of a wood, until
we came to a place from which we could overlook to
some extent the Forts of Issy and Vanvres across the copse
at our feet. On the slope some French infantry kept up
a desultory fire on Bavarian patrols. We only remained
a short time on this spot, because the commanding officer
of the Bavarian outposts sent us a sergeant-major begging
us not to stay long, as the enemy from the forts kept the
crest under close observation with very good telescopes,
and threw a few shells directly they noticed even single
figures, whereby the regiment on outpost duty bivouacking
behind the crest had already suffered some loss. We
therefore returned, especially as we had now seen what
we wanted."
"Versailles, 15th October.
" Versailles is sometimes called the Parisian Potsdam,
a comparison which is in many respects not inappro-
priate. Its propinquity to the capital, its palaces, its
parks with their fountains, the villa-like character of a
part of the town, make such a comparison plausible in
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Ti^E Struggle with the Republic 185
many respects. Numbers of pensioners, officials as well
as military officers en retraitCy have made their home at
Versailles.
" On the Place d'Armes is situated the immense
Palace, from which run five great avenues dividing the
town in various directions.
" The Palace itself is a splendid structure, an enormous
pile. Vast sums must have been spent on it in the
past, as well as on its picture galleries, parks and
fountains. A flaming inscription over the main gate
informs us of the purpose of the galleries : ' A toutes les
gloires de la France.' And, indeed, the glory of France
is the subject of the pictures. That does not prevent,
however, subjects being there such as, for instance, the
flight of Louis XVIII. from the Tuilleries on the news of
Napoleon's landing in 1815 ! The long succession of
rooms gives one the impression of their being endless ;
side by side with many admirable paintings are found a
good many of inferior value ; their subjects are invariably
battles or scenes on state occasions. Although it is
certainly a pleasure to go there and admire in detail what
is beautiful, and although battle scenes are the delight of
the soldier, yet the monotony of the subject eventually
wearies one. I am particularly taken with the pictures of
Horace Vernet, and especially with the capture of Smala,
and those dealing with the Crimean War. I have never
seen anything more lifelike, or more striking in the depic-
tion of battle scenes. The individual figures stand out so
sharply that one is inclined to get out of their way.
Among the statues there is also the well-known lovely
figure of the Maid of Orleans, the work of the Princess
Helene of Orleans. If Napoleon I. stood in our* shoes
now, it is likely that the best works would have had to
come out of the galleries.
" Behind the Palace terraces descend to the park and
a flat space in the middle of which is a cruciform basin and
a long channel, but the effect cannot compare with that
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from the terrace of Sanssouci ; indeed, the gardens of
Potsdam on the whole are far superior to those of Versailles,
as regards idyllic beauty, fine prospects and variety. The
whole park, however, is instinct with the time of Louis
XIV., and is on that account very interesting.
''Among the smaller ch&teaux on the estate the
Grand Trianon deserves mentioning. The Petit Trianon
gives one the impression of a middle-class private
house. It is only interesting for the moment because the
Empress Eugenie has collected there all the relics of the
unhappy Queen Marie Antoinette which were still to be
procured, such as a piano, presses, chairs, etc. Grand
Trianon has been transformed into a hospital, as also the
Palace itself. In the former there is a remarkable group
of figures representing Italy and France, given to the
Empress as a present by the ladies of Italy after the war
of 1859. The figure representing Gaul is said to be a
likeness of the Empress, but not a very good one ; that of
Italy is very striking."
** Versailles, 17th October.
" We rather expect that the Parisians are preparing
for a great sortie."
" Versailles, i8th October.
" We thought it was sure to come off for to-day, but
it has not taken place."
•'Versailles, 19th October.
" Yesterday at noon there was a lev6e in corpore at our
Crown Prince's in honour of his birthday. For the first
time during the campaign the helmets were got out.
His Highness reproached me for not coming more
frequently ; but that is not possible, there is no time.
" In the morning His Royal Highness the Crown
Prince of Saxony, whose quarters are some dozen miles
from here to the north of Paris at Margency, sent a tele-
gram informing us that he would drive early in the mom-
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The Struggle with the Republic 187
ing to St. Germain and would stay there a few hours ; if
we could get away, he would like to meet us there. The
birthday levie prevented us at first from doing so, but we
sent a messenger on horseback to St. Germain to ask how
long the Crown Prince would remain there. On returning
from the lev6e we found that there was still a chance of
being at St. Germain in time if we started at once. So
Podbielski, Bronsart, HoUeben, Krause and I drove off,
and managed to pass a very pleasant hour with the
Crown Prince and his suite on that glorious terrace near
the Pavilion Fran9ois I. The country was at its best
and the scene was enchanting. Mont Val6rien did us the
honour now and again to throw a shell, by which a few
houses some way off were set on fire."
"Versailles, 20th October.
" We were this morning at St. Cloud, where we had
again a splendid view of Paris from the Villa Stern, which
is close by. By means of a telescope we saw the French
industriously engaged on various works.
'* At dinner we celebrated the presentation of the Iron
Cross, 1st Class, to General Podbielski, and managed to
find some bottles of dry champagne in honour of the
occasion."
"Versailles, 21st October.
" We inspected yesterday the new position of the V.
Corps, which has been fixed on with a view to a possible
sortie. Bronsart and Brandenstein, HoUeben and I drove
away soon after i o'clock, and did not return till nearly 6
o'clock. We were again delighted with various views of
Paris firom the foremost post of observation : the whole
neighbourhood of the metropolis looks indeed like one
grand park covering hills and dale."
"In the evening our old acquaintance of Warsaw days,
the Russian Colonel Walberg, arrived here to follow our
operations before Paris."
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THE ENGAGEMENT AT MALMAISON.
** Versailles, 21st October.
" We had made up our minds to leave alone for once
outposts and country, and to use the time for our neglected
private correspondence. The intention was no doubt
praiseworthy, but Fate determined otherwise, for when
Krause and I sat down to lunch in our rooms with a few
others whom we had invited, my servant suddenly came
whispering to me in his habitual mellifluous and engaging
tone : * Sir, they are just sounding the alarm.' Sashes
and swords were seized quickly, forage caps put on,
and off we hurried to the office where the saddle-horses
are sent in such cases. A brisk artillery fire, not
far off, reached our ears as we went there. Moltke,
who had been out for a drive in the opposite
direction, brought back his horses steaming with per-
spiration ; our grooms hurriedly brought up our saddle-
horses, so that within a very short time the whole Head-
quarters Staff was able to set out for Beau-Regard, as we
learned from incoming reports that the loth Infantry
division, lying between that place and the Seine, was
engaged in repulsing a strong sortie from Mont Val6rien.
The General requested me to take a place in his carriage,
but near Beau-Regard we mounted our horses. It is
difficult to survey the country from there, as wooded
crests surround the place on all sides. Scarcely anything
could consequently be seen of the enemy, only the well-
known sound of his sheUs and numbers of shrapnel with
their little clouds of smoke were perceptible over the wood
that lay on our right. Kirchbach, to whose corps the
attacked division belonged, came trotting past us with
his staff; reports came in continually concerning the
progress of the engagement. His Majesty also chose
this point for his position.
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The Struggle with the Republic 189
" After we had been there for some time we judged,
both from the slackening fire and the direction it
now took, that the attacks of the enemy were becom-
ing distinctly feebler. Our position had now to be
changed, and it was determined to make for the high
water tower of Marly. The King and General Moltke
ascended it with some of us, whilst General Podbielski
with the greater part of the Staff took the direction
of Malmaison in order to observe from there the
further progress of the fight. From the platform of
the tower, which is of considerable height, nearly the
same view is obtained as from the one which I described
from the terrace of St. Germain, except that the spectator
is here much nearer to Mont Val^rien.
"Weather and light were extremely favourable. At
our feet Busancy, shelled by the French, was in flames.
The French artillery were deployed in a long Hne half-
way down the long and steep slope of Mont Val^rien;
they were covered by strong bodies of infantry, especi-
ally numerous behind their right wing, the battalions
there extending right up to the crest of the hill slope,
along which, fiirther back, the dark masses of their
reserves were visible. The enemy remained in this
position for some considerable time under the shelter of
the guns of the fort, still maintaining a pretty lively fire,
which was scarcely returned on our part, as the ground
afforded no suitable position for great masses of artillery.
The engagement was evidently coming to an end.
" There were on the platform besides His Majesty and
the Crown Prince, Prince Luitpold of Bavaria, the Grand
Duke of Saxe-Weimar, and the Duke of Coburg,
together with some officers.
" Suddenly flashes of fire were seen on the opposite bank
of the Seine ; they came from batteries that had just come
up, having been sent forward from the IV. Corps, and
which now were brought into action. The extreme
right wing of the enemy being right in their line of
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fire, now hastily beat a retreat, followed gradually by the
other troops.
'^ Night was now coming on, and the flames blazing up
from Busancy showed out brightly,
" We, too, now turned homewards, and arrived at
Versailles by 7 o'clock. Here all our remaining officers
arrived one after the other, and remarks were ex-
changed on the details of the engagement. Our losses
were comparatively small ; two of the enemy's guns had
fallen into our hands. Dinner was gone through hastily,
there being a great deal of work still to be done at the
office."
** Versailles, 22nd October, in the morning.
" When we were all marching out of Versailles yester-
day the streets of the town were fuller of inhabitants
than we had ever seen them before. They all looked
pleased, imagining that we were now going to be expelled
by the Parisians.
Within Met2;, want of food is now beginning to produce
its effects. Deserters come over daily to our lines. One
of them said, according to the telegram, the French
troops in Metz had been told that when no more bread
could be served out to them, they would only have to
hold out three days longer, and that then peace would be
made. If Marshal Bazaine imagines that we should treat
with his army in Metz from any other point of view than
a purely military one, he is egregiously mistaken. Perhaps
the Marshal will attempt one more desperate coup at the
eleventh hour. The mission of General Boyen from
Metz to Versailles, as reported by the newspapers, is a £sict.
He has now gone to England on political affairs in the
Bonapartist interest.
" Our newspapers prophesy daily the imminent bombard-
ment of Paris. I do not think myself that it will take
place just yet."
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The Struggle with the Republic 191
•* Versailles, 24th October.
" We expect for certain the capitulation of Metz to take
place in the near future.
" In anticipation of that event there is just now much to
be done, and even in view of the future surrender of Paris
preliminary preparations are already necessary.
"There was a rumour current here at headquarters
that the Empress Eugenie had intended to go to Metz
and assemble there the Corps Legislatif. An armistice
for a fortnight — but only before that fortress — ^was to
be concluded ! Metz, and the army shut up there, are
to us for the present purely military objects, and we shall
not allow ourselves to be robbed of the fruit of our labours
lasting for many weeks, and of the sacrifices they cost us,
by means of an armistice with the opportunity of
revictualling the fortress. I wish the town would surrender
on the 26th of this month ; what a fine birthday present
for our chief that would be !
" During the last sortie the French brought 90 guns
and 120,000 men into action."
** Versailles, 25th October.
" Metz cannot be saved for France even by the Empress.
Still it is to be expected as probable that Marshal
Bazaine will try at the eleventh hour one more desperate
blow. This last hour is striking. It is said that the wife
of the Marshal will arrive here from Orleans for the
purpose of making on her part an attempt to get better
conditions for the army. In Napoleonic circles they
still nourish the hope of saving it to France and restoring
order by its means in the country."
•* Versailles, 25th October.
" Hopes 01 peace are rising fest in some circles here ;
the cause is a telegram received this morning from
General von der Tann from Orleans saying that Thiers
was at his outposts asking for permission to come first to
Versailles and subsequently enter Paris. His mission
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was authorised by Gambetta and the other members
of the government at Tours. This permission has been
granted. He has not arrived yet, but his intention can only
be a fresh attempt at negotiations for a peace, or rather an
armistice. His visit to the European Cabinets frdm
which he has just returned may have convinced him that
France will not receive any active help from them. When
he arrived at Tours he must have found everybody
impressed by the defeat of the Army of the Loire at
Orleans, and of that of the East before Besan9on.
" The French had founded all their hopes of a relief of
Paris and Metz on these two attempts of the newly raised
large armies. I cannot quite believe that they will
accept our conditions for the present. However desir-
able peace may be, it is probable that France and her
people will be obliged to endure the war for somewhat
longer. Only thus will they be prevented for some
considerable time from entering again upon such a
war as this. It is only now that the seed which we have
sown is beginning to bear fruit fully, and it is indispen-
sable that this fruit should ripen, however bitter it may be
for this people."
" Versailles, 27th October, morning.
"We have just received a telegram from Prince
Frederick Charles, according to which the capitulation of
Metz and its army will take place in all probability to-day
at 5 o'clock p.m. The strength of Bazaine, inclusive of
the sick and wounded, is about 150,000 men. The fate
of Metz happens indeed very opportunely for us.
"There is no hurry as yet to send my winter things
here ; I have a big cloak which will be sufficient for the
present.
" Yesterday we celebrated the birthday of our chief.
We assembled in the morning as early as 8 o'clock in
order to congratulate him, and it was done in a very heany
manner. The band of one of the regiments quartered
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The Struggle with the Republic 193
here serenaded him. The whole day it was almost impossi-
ble to do any work, as they all came in crowds to congratu-
late him, and every one of them stopped of course for a
chat afterwards. Our Crown Prince brought a Laurel
wreath, the Crown Prince of Saxony came himself from his
distant quarters and brought the General a Saxon Order
that has been conferred on him. Congratulatory letters
and addresses arrived from all sides, and from Magdeburg
the Freedom of the City,
"At 5 o'clock, earlier than usual, we had our dinner in
the big hall of the Hdtel des Reservoirs, to which our
Crown Prince had invited himself without the General's
knowledge, as a surprise. Crown Prince Albert too was
present, and so the General enjoyed the great honour and
pleasure of passing on his birthday a happy hour in our
midst between the two Crown Princes, the Commanders-
in-Chief of the two armies before Paris.
" After dinner the Crown Prince of Saxony decided to
pass the night here, and the day finished with a very
pleasant game of whist at our General's till half- past
II o'clock, first he and Podbielski against us, and then
Bronsart and I played double dummy.
" Bronsart, Holleben and I really intended to-day to go
to the headquarters of the Meuse Army, but we cannot get
away, owing to reports which are expected from Metz."
"Versailles, 28th October.
" Early this morning we received definite news of the
conclusion of the capitulation of Metz, which took place at
12.45 a.m. One hundred and seventy thousand men have
become prisoners of war, a number which has probably
never been heard of before 1
** Joy and sorrow in life are often near neighbours ; a
few days afterwards I received the news that my dear
mother had departed this life almost at the same time, in
spite of the self-sacrificing devotion of my wife.
" Yesterday a beautiftil letter from His Majesty was
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received by our chief, in which he made him a Count,
and which ran something to this effect : The King could
give him no reward, this he (Moltke) would find in his
own conscience ; but for the brilliant way in which he had
conducted the operations he (the King) owed him before
the world some outward recompense.
" How is the boundless confusion in France to end ?
Much depends on the question whether the French will
soon cease to harbour illusions in regard to their position.
And yet how far they are from this ! For instance, here
in Versailles no one among the people believes in the
capitulation of Metz ; on the contrary, they firmly main-
tain, nay they know for certain, that Bazaine has made his
way already as far as Ch41ons, and that the army of the
Loire is close on our heels ! "
** Versailles, 29111 October, in the evening.
" It is scarcely possible to-day to think to any purpose,
or get peace and quietness, as every moment there is
'something up.' M. Thiers too has just arrived and
wants to be escorted into Paris.
" I think it will not be easy to bring about an armistice.
By the fall of Metz we get the means in our hands to
carry the war through, but the French still fail to see
that it is we who have to dictate conditions to them."
"Versailles, 30th October.
" Captain von Winterfeldt has just received the news
at our office that his brother-in-law has fallen in to-
day's engagement (recapture of Le Bourget). Also
Waldersee's brother George, commander of the Queen's
Regiment of Grenadiers of the Guard, I am sorry to say,
has been killed, after having only recently arrived here
and taken up again the command of the regiment, being
scarcely recovered from a severe wound which he had
received at St. Privat. Colonel von Zaluskowski, com-
mander of the Queen Elizabeth's Regiment, is also among
the victims of to-day. Death is reaping a rich harvest ! "
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The Struggle with the Republic 195
During the period just described, the opinion gained
ground that our stay before Paris would turn out to be
longer than we had at first anticipated. Our daily life,
therefore, soon settled down into a regular routine which
I will now briefly describe. It remained much the same
till the end of the war.
As I have before mentioned, Major Krause and myself
took up our abode at the house of a lawyer whose wife
had left Versailles before our arrival and who himself left
soon after. The only member of this household that
remained was the " bonne," Mademoiselle Eli^e, a young
girl who now undertook in her own person the duties of
housekeeper, parlourmaid and cook. A priest who lived
on the floor above had been commissioned by the
proprietor to generally watch his interests.
Considering the importance of the housekeeper in any
well-regulated household, I must begin by relating how
Mademoiselle Elize managed our affairs. From the
time we arrived we engaged her regularly in our service,
settled her wages and entrusted her with the entire
management ; Krause keeping an eye on the details,
checking the bills and paying them. I can only say that
when we left, after a stay of nearly five months, we could
give the girl the credit of having done her duty most con-
scientiously both towards her master and mistress and
to us. She was a very good cook, except perhaps with
regard to hares (or rabbits), which she did not seem to
understand. She used to cut off" their heads and fore-legs,
and served thus they looked like abortions preserved in
spirits of wine !
Elize was at first somewhat frightened of her new
masters, but we soon gained confidence, and she would
come and sit down on an easy-chair in the sitting-room
and explain to us all that we wanted to know about the
people in whose house we were. At last she became quite
at ease and told us, with a laugh, '* she would like to
see us at the devil, and that she would be very glad when
o 2
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we went away again.'* This frank declaration did not at
all impair our good humour, and we were not long before
we all got on well together. It was only some time after we
discovered that she was not French at all, but a native of
Luxemburg, and that she understood German fairly well,
although she pretended not to know a word of it. In fact
she betrayed herself one day when she thought we were
not at home, by singing with all her might in the kitchen,
*' O Strassburg, O Strassburg, Du wunderschone Stadt."
She got on very well, too, with my soldier-servant Fritz,
a good-natured, thoroughly reliable and faithful fellow.
The important servant question was thus satisfactorily
settled, and we remained free from all domestic bother.
She very soon trained Fritz to make himself useful about
the house, and he had to do all sorts of things for her, such
as make beds, sweep rooms without damaging nicknacks,
go shopping, lay the table and wait at it, etc. In return
she taught him French, whilst he tried to perfect her
knowledge of German.
Her severe rule was gradually extended over us also.
When we were late for lunch— as we unfortunately often
were — she was sure to receive us at the top of the stairs
and commence lecturing us as soon as we opened the door
below : " Mais Messieurs," she would begin, " le dejeuner
6tait pr6t A midi, maintenant nous avons une heure pass6e.
Alors, il n'y a plus de d6jeuner 1 " Nevertheless there was
always something for lunch, but we knew she would
dispatch Fritz next day to the office at 11 o*clock to ask
whether ** the gentlemen meant to be late again to-day ? "
Even in other respects she tyrannised over us. One day
when Krause had vigourosly blown up his servant —
not without good cause — she came, after it was over, into
our room and reproved my ftiend : " Mais Monsieur le
major, vous 6tes le vrai Diable."
This was really very hard on my dear comrade who
now, alas, is dead, like so many others of my companions-
in-arms. Major von Krause had formerly served on the
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The Struggle with the Republic 197
Hanoverian Staff. He had fully appreciated that the
changes which followed the events of 1866 were necessary
for the development of Germany, and had accepted the
new order of things with equanimity. In his new sphere
his noble and steadfast character, his extensive knowledge,
his common-sense, the thoroughness of his work, his
honest devotion to duty, together with his friendly nature
in spite of a certain amount of reserve, gained him the
affection and esteem of all. To me he was a considerate
friend with whom I shared all the troubles and joys of
that great time. All honour to his memory !
Leaving now the members of our small household and
passing on to the description of our daily life, I quote the
following remarks from notes which I jotted down in
December, 1870, and sent home as a Christmas present.
" Every morning about 7 o'clock I emerge from my
bedroom and enter the dining-room, completely dressed
and booted except that I wear an ordinary great-coat for
the sake of comfort. Then I draw up an arm-chair
towards the fire, .which never burns well in spite of our
perpetual grumbling. Close by stands the large round
dining-table with the breakfast things, which are never
complete, as there is always a knife or the sugar or some-
thing wanting. Then I knock at the door which leads
into Krause's bedroom and call out that all is ready.
*Toute de suite, mon Colonel,' he says with great
regularity, and presently friend Krause appears fully
equipped for going out, even his frock-coat buttoned up.^
After shaking hands we both say, * I hope you slept well.'
He replies, * Very well, except for the fire from BuUerian
(Mont Val^rien), which disturbed me all night.' I, on the
other hand, assert I had slept very badly because I had
such a lot to think about, which impression must be due
to hallucination, for I certainly heard nothing of the firing.
* Tbe words of the text are literally " the collar hooked," which
probably means the flaps of the frock-coat were hooked at the colar
but not buttoned up. — Ed.
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Then we sit down to breakfast ; Krause, taking the head
of the table, sees to everything and pours out the coffee ;
all I have to do is to prepare my own bread-and-butter.
But this is hard work, because the bread and still more
the hard butter keep crumbling to pieces. Having tried
for some time, I generally give it up with a groan and
plunge the bread into the coffee without the butter. Then
we light a cigar and presently a dispute arises as to
whether I have already had my second cup or not. A little
later Fritz opens the door leading to the passage, my
toilet is hurriedly finished, swords buckled on, and we go
off to the office, which is not far away. Our conversation
on the way is almost the same .every day ; whether we
shall find news come in during the night from such and
such a corps ? Do you hear the booming from the forts ?
What a fog ; impossible to see fifty yards before you !
etc.
" Our offices are located in the house in which General
von Moltke resides ; they look out into a court with a
small garden facing a side street. Two strides and we are
up the stone steps leading up to the hall door, but come
down again somewhat less hurriedly : we are the first and
the door is still locked ! The keys have to be fetched
firom the orderlies' room on the front side of the building.
This process we repeat regularly every day, but we learn
nothing from experience. Then we separate ; Krause
works in a smaller room in the wing of the building ;
those of us who are chiefs of sections occupy with Blume
two larger rooms in the main building. These rooms
when we came were very well furnished with arm-chairs,
large curtains, ^tag^res and a small piano. But now
everything that is superfluous has been removed, and in-
stead we have requisitioned in the town small writing
desks of deal provided with drawers that can be locked up.
Only the mirrors with their rococco frames are left on the
walls, and these have been ornamented with all kinds of
maps — of France, the environs of Paris, of our telegraph
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The Struggle with the Republic 199
lines, railways, etc. Soon a good fire blazes in the
chimney, fed frdm a huge pile of firewood near it. Now
and then one of us stumbles over a log which has rolled
down from the heap into the middle of the room ; it is
picked up with a growl and hurled into the fire, which is
also the receptacle for all the envelopes and letters of no
importance.
" The other members of the Staff meanwhile appear,
and soon everyone is engrossed with his business. Our
work consists in drawing up orders, etc., in consultations
amongst ourselves or with other officers sent here from
other staffs; we receive reports and consult with the
generals about them. Frequently one or the other is sent
off on some special missions for which he has to receive
his instructions.
" If nothing extraordinary occurs, the officers who are
not engaged on urgent business go off to lunch about
12.30. Krause fetches me at a time previously agreed
upon, and we both walk back together to our rooms. But
here we are rarely alone. Versailles is continually full of
officers of the investing army whose quarters are outside
the town and who come here on duty or who have received
a few hours' leave. Officers belonging to the various field
armies frequently pass through, and finally there are
numbers of people who come to headquarters on all sorts
of business, especially those who bring presents from
home.* Among all these a considerable number are
known to us, and everyone is anxious to see us and have
a talk. We, of course, are no less anxious to see them,
partly because it is a pleasure to learn how old friends
have fared in the field or what they are doing at home,
and also because in this way we often acquire knowledge
of facts which bear on the military situation in some
* Liebesgabe, literally ** love-gifts," cannot be directly translated.
It is used to express the presents which are sent to those on active
service by those at home, not necessarily from friends or relations.
—Ed.
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particular place which is important to us. We therefore
receive a good many visits at the office. But the office
is not the place for lengthy conversations, and all oar time
there must be given to serious work ; so there is no other
way but to ask our visitors to come and share our frugal
luncheon with us, at the usual time. Our household
expenses become rather heavy in consequence, especially as
the price of food has risen considerably at Versailles since
our occupation. Fortunately, however, we have received
a corresponding extra grant to our pay, which has been
given equally to all grades of officers. To be sure the
junior officers ought really to get a larger allowance than
their seniors, because it may be assumed that they generally
have to satisfy larger appetites ! But among the latter
there are not a few who in the field perform astonishing
feats in the way of eating I
" If by chance we are alone at lunch, I have just time
to smoke half a cigar in peace, and then my friend Krause
obliges me with a favourite air or two from an opera
which he whistles with exquisite skill. In spite of my poor
talent for music I think I have now advanced sufficiently
to hum after him * Einst spielt ich mit Scepter und
Stern ' or ' The Last Rose of Summer,* at least so that
anyone might guess which tune I was endeavouring to
render.
" But this amusement does not last long. Sometimes it
IS brought to a sudden end by the appearance of an
orderly recalling us to urgent business which demands our
immediate presence at the office. But in any case, in the
afternoon we are all regularly at work again, and it is only
exceptionally that an hour remains free for a walk about
the town or a visit to the picture gallery, or a short
excursion into the environs.
** Our work is generally over by 5 or 6 o'clock, unless
some fresh report again demands attention. We then
gfradually gather round the fire in the larger room
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The Struggle with the Republic 201
and conversation becomes so lively that the last who has
remained at his desk with the intention, perhaps, of
writing some private letter, throws his pen down and joins
the rest. At last, at 6.30, one of the aides-de-camp
appears and calls out : ' His Excellency is preparing to go ;
time for dinner ! ' All jump up, swords are buckled, great-
coats put on, and when the General has come downstairs,
oflf we all go to the H6tel des Reservoirs, which is close by.
" This hotel was formerly the residence of Madame de
Pompadour, whose bust is to be seen in the entrance hall ;
it is finished in a grand style and very suitable for its
present purpose. We walk through a glass door first into
an ante-room, then through a small dining-room into the
great dining-hall.
" The latter is very spacious and has an elegant appear-
ance with its marble columns and glass roof. Length-
wise, in the centre of the hall, is the immense table which
serves for the mess of the second division of the Royal
Headquarters Staff and that of the Third Army. Along
the walls on both sides there are a number of smaller
messes for the officers of the garrison of Versailles and
gentlemen who stay here only for a short time.
"At right angles to the rear- wall and immediately
underneath the colossal mirror is the table reserved for us ;
all the seats in the hall are always occupied. The medley
of uniforms presents a wonderful variety of colours, as
not only the military representatives of every state on the
globe are seen here, but also state officials, diplomatists,
Knights of St. John and of Malta, everyone wearing some
particular costume to indicate his official capacity ; it is
only rarely that the civilian dress of some battle painter or
war correspondent is seen.
" As soon as.Moltke enters at our head, walking rapidly
to our table in the rear of the hall, the hum of con-
versation stops, every one rising to salute him respectfully ;
even the numerous dogs belonging to officers stay their
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noisy game of chasing one another, astonished by the
sudden silence, and eye us attentively.
Often at the table in the middle of the room some of
the Royal personages are seen, who as a rule dine either
with His Majesty or at their own quarters. Among these
are the Crown Prince of Wurttemberg, the Hereditary
Grand Dukes of Mecklenburg- Schwerin and Saxe- Weimar,
the Duke of Cobourg, the Duke Eugen of Wurttemberg,
the Prince of Lippe-Detmold, the Hereditary Prince of
Hohenzollern, the Duke of Augustenburg and others.
The Crown Prince also takes his dinner here some-
times.
" At our table, dinner passes off amidst pleasant con-
versation which is rarely of a military nature, unless an
orderly from our office suddenly makes his appearance
with a dispatch that has just come in, an incident that,
indeed, occurs pretty often. Then there is always a
certain hush in the hall, everybody watches the generals
and whichever of us opens the dispatch and reads it out
to them in an undertone; everyone wishes to discover
from our faces what impression the telegram is producing.
But not much is to be gained in this way, they never alter,
whatever may be the news. The immediate dispatch of
an answer is the most exciting thing that ever happens, or
an order to forward the message to other quarters, which
is done without any fuss.
" The dinner with the subsequent cup of coffee and cigar
take about an hour and a half, during which we now and
then greet an acquaintance who may be seen in the room ;
but as soon as our chief withdraws, we as a rule follow
him and return all together to our office.
" Usually some fresh work has come in meanwhile, but
that can be generally so arranged that Moltke is sure of
his three partners for a game at whist, which is played in
his beautifully furnished study in the first story. When,
as it sometimes happens, one of the players is called away
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The Struggle with the Republic 203
for the dispatch of fresh business, there is always a reserve
man to be found to take his place.
** It depends on the amount and the importance of
work in hand how long we stay at the office. Sometimes
I am back home by 11 o'clock, at others much later.
One of the staff remains at the office all night in a room
set apart for this purpose ; his business it is to open
everything that comes in, and, according to the urgency of
the case, either to put it by till the morning, or see that
it is dealt with at once.
" The domestic harmony between Krause and myself
goes so far that we always leave the office together;
whenever one of us is kept the other waits, occupying
himself meanwhile as well as he may, till we can go
home together. We are so much accustomed to this that
each of us knows exactly which of the house and corridor
doors it is his business to open and hold till the other has
passed to prevent it breaking his nose, and whose special
duty it is to lock each door.
*' Fritz has to wait up for us in our sitting-room, chiefly
in order to receive his orders for next day. When he
hears our swords rattling on the stairs, he opens the door,
holding a light, that is, when he has not fallen asleep
too soundly in the arm-chair, which happens now and
again.
" With a final shake of hands Krause and I wish each
other good-night, and then we go to bed with the agreeable
certainty that in any case we have approached one day
nearer to the end of the war."
Such was the routine of our every-day life with but few
exceptions during the five months we stayed in Versailles
— on the whole quite a domestic idyl in the midst of the
war!
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204 With the Royal Headquarters in i 87071
2. From the Fall of Metz to the Bombardment
OF Paris — Negotiations for an Armistice — ^The
Battle of Villiers-Champigny— Christmas.
The next following period from the beginning of the
investment till the arrival of the First and Second Army,
which became free after the fall of Metz, was a very
difficult one, owing to the limited forces which were
available before Paris.
The number of the enemy's forces increased everywhere
in an extraordinary manner owing to the energetic and
wide-reaching activity which the French displayed,
especially after the appearance of Gambetta at Tours, and
which compelled us to weaken still further the compara-
tively scanty forces round Paris by sending off consider-
able detachments to resist them.
On the Loire the troops placed at the disposal of
General von der Tann (I. Bavarian Corps and the 22nd
Infantry division with three cavalry divisions) were by
the beginning of November no longer sufficient to make
head against the French, who had here assumed the
offensive with greatly superior numbers. He in vain
faced the enemy on the loth November at Coulmiers ; he
was obliged to retreat, and Orleans fell again into the
hands of the French. The necessary reinforcements for the
troops covering the siege in this direction were furnished
by sending off the 17th Infantry division from Paris, and
the further advance of the French from the direction of
Orleans came to a standstill. They also pushed forward
from the south-west, and some of their troops even
appeared before Houdan on the 14th November, only
two days' march from Paris ; but they were at once driven
away again.
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The Struggle with the Republic 205
There was for a time great uncertainty in regard to the
intentions of the Army of the Loire. The forces facing
it hitherto — now united into • n independent body under
the command of His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin — ^were not numerous enough to act
on the offensive, and the cavalry were unable to penetrate
behind the screen formed by the advanced detachments of
the enemy and numerous bodies ofFrancs-tireurs, and were
consequently unable to furnish proper intelligence. This
led to various marches and counter-marches of the corps
in its arduous endeavour to stop, now here, now there, the
threatening movements of the enemy, but it was, never-
theless, unable, owing to its weakness in numbers, to com-
pletely block at the same time the roads in the direction
of Orleans as well as those to Tours and towards the
west.
It was therefore with some eagerness that the arrival
of the German troops from Metz was awaited, where the
army of Marshal Bazaine had been compelled to capitulate
on the night of the 27th October. These reinforcements,
however, could only arrive gradually, and at first not
even in their entirety, as the VH. Corps and several
other detachments were required for the safe transport
of the prisoners. But the bulk of the two armies began to
move immediately; the First Army, now under the
command of General Freiherr von ManteufFel, received as
its general direction the line Metz- Rouen passing to the
north of Paris. As the enemy had not appeared yet in
any considerable force in this part of the country, several
divisions of this army were used first against the fortresses
of the north.
The Second Army, consisting now only of the HI., IX.
and X. Army Corps and the I, Cavalry division, very soon
found it necessary to accelerate their movements, in view of
the daily increasing danger threatening the besiegers, and
finally hurried on by forced marches. As they neared the
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road from Orleans to Paris, Prince Frederick Charies
saw clearly that he had the main forces of the enemy
in front of him. The corps of the Grand Duke of
Mecklenburg, which had been engaged on the 17th and
1 8th November at Dreux and Chiteauneuf, was now
placed under the command of the Prince. On the
28th November the advance on the enemy began;
it was directed against the left wing of the Second Army,
and was repulsed by the X. Army Corps at Beaune la
Rolande. Next, on the 2nd December the corps of the
Grand Duke fought victoriously with the forces before
them at Loigny-Poupry. Having effected a junction with
the Grand Duke, Prince Frederick Charles advanced
with the whole of his* troops against Orleans, which after
the victorious battles of the 3rd and 4th December fell
into our hands a second time.
Meanwhile General von Manteuffel reached the region
north of Paris with the I. and VIII. Corps, routed the
opposing forces near Amiens on the 27th November, and
took possession of the citadel of that town on the 29th ;
on the 5th December he reached Rouen.
In the first days of December all the difficulties which
had accumulated during November, and which had made
the investment of Paris so arduous, were thus removed,
and the blockade was certain to come to a successful
issue. In the city the attempt of the Commune on the
31st October to seize the reins of power had been un-
successful. The active defence had been very feeble till
the verj' end of November ; a great sortie which was to
have taken place on the 19th of that month did not come
off. It was only during the last advance of the Army of
the Loire that preparations became evident which seemed
to aim at breaking through the blockade. Demonstra-
tions took place at various places from the 26th
November onwards, and during the night of the 27th an
exceptionally heavy artillery fire was opened on our
outposts and cantonments. At last a sortie en masse
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The Struggle with the Republic 207
took place against the position of the Wurttembergers
on the East of Paris which led to the battle of Villiers-
Champigny on the 30th November and the 2nd Decem-
ber, in which the former and Saxons took part as
well as the II. Army Corps and part of the VI. Corps,
and which ended with the retreat of the French behind
their works on the 3rd December.
The first of the next following extracts from my letters
of this period deals chiefly with the negotiations for an
armistice which, as I have mentioned, were begun on the
arrival of M. Thiers in Versailles. The basis of these
negotiations proposed on the part of the French was to be
an armistice lasting four weeks, Paris being revictualled
meanwhile, demands which our position did not warrant
being granted.
" Versailles, 3rd November.
" The proposals of M. Thiers for an armistice are now
known. What shall I say of them ? We are to abstain
from requisitioning and permit Paris to be provisioned !
The number of inhabitants together with the masses that
have crowded into the place from the outside are stated
by the French to be from 2,700,000 to 2,800,000 souls ; at
the same time affairs in Paris have assumed a critical
aspect. The former government is said to have been
forcibly overturned, and ominous signs are reported on
all sides from the outposts or through prisoners and are
evident from the Paris newspapers. It is rumoured that
the new government is far from being generally accepted
in the town as yet. As soon as that is the case we must
expect a great sortie, as those now in power press for
it.
" One of our divisions has already arrived from Metz."
** Versailles, 3rd November, evening.
"Negotiations with M. Thiers continue, but are not
likely to lead to anything. To judge from all the rumours
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and signs, it seems as if they were already beginning to
come to loggerheads in Paris, These rumours have become
so rife that Thiers has been induced to interrupt negotia-
tions and send one of his companions into Paris in order to
inquire whether the government which had given him the
mission still existed. Thiers himself must therefore think
its fall possible. And we are to conclude an armistice
with a government like this, which offers us no certain
guarantees ! "
** Versailles, 4th November.
"My" dear old friend, Max von Versen, on the Staff of
Prince Albert, has just arrived, although the wound
which he received at Sedan is not healed yet, and he
walks lame, but he was eager not to lose anything.
" Mont Valerien blazes away at nights in a tiresome
manner, and is at its music at the present moment."
** Versailles, 5th November.
" The negotiations for an armistice still continue, with-
out any hope of one. Thiers drives into Paris and back.
" We are by no means ready yet for the attack on the
forts. On Saturday we caught two balloons, the one with
three, the other with two passengers. The latter appear,
however, this time to be only private persons who wanted
to leave Paris on business, and who paid the aeronaut
3000 francs for the trip. They will now have the pleasure
of going to one of our fortresses instead."
" Versailles, 7th November.
" Thiers takes his departure to-day, and there is conse-
quently no longer any question of an armistice. More fight-
ing and bloodshed is to come, without any prospect of its
affecting the issue. The creation of new corps, the calling in
of all the troops from the dep6ts, the device of recalling to
the colours all the men who have completed their service,
as well as raising fresh levies, have brought under arms a
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The Struggle with the Republic 209
large number of men, so that the French Army of the
Loire is likely soon to be upwards of 80,000 strong.
There may be fresh fighting to be done against the latter
presently, as it appears that those divisions which are
already formed have crossed the Loire at Tours and will
advance against us from the west, along the right bank of
the river."
" Versailles, 8th November.
" The French have been fairly quiet during the last few
days ; perhaps they are preparing for something big."
'* Versailles, 8th November, evening.
" To-morrow, Bronsart, HoUeben and I intend to pay a
visit to the Crown Prince of Saxony. We have already
sent Bronsart's carriage horses forward as relays. I hope
that nothing will happen meanwhile to prevent our going,
although it is not impossible, as an advance of the French
Loire Army and probably also a sortie from Paris are to be
expected shortly. Concerning the Army of the Loire, four
long days' work has yet to be got through before we are
quite ready to cope with the conditions which may result
from its advance .
" To-day I was agreeably surprise^ by a visit from the
Russian General Annenkov, whose acquaintance I made
many years ago at Warsaw."
" Versailles, 9th November.
" The long intended drive to the headquarters of the
Meuse Army has at last come off. At Satrouville, where
we found the carriage horses which had been sent in
advance, I met Richard von Amim, formerly of the ist
Regiment of Guards, now in command of a battalion
of Guard- Landwehr.
" Both going and coming back we had a good warming
in his quarters, as driving in an open carriage makes
. one aware that it has already become very cold.
p
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"As we had anticipated, General von der Tann was
engaged with the Army of the Loire yesterday and has
been compelled to retreat before superior numbers and
evacuate Orleans. We now hope that he will succeed in
fcnming a junction to-morrow or the day after with the
supports which are already on the way, and that the
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, who has taken the command
of the force, will be strong enough to drive the enemy back
again. Communication seems to be kept up between
Paris and the Army of the Loire, probably by means of
carrier-pigeons, so that as things stand a sortie from
Paris with all available force may be expected. Severe
and bloody fighting is likely to result in that case ; as to
the upshot of it all, we shall be wiser to-day week, but in
any case we look forward with perfect confidence to
whatever may happen. Unfortunately, as far as we
ourselves are concerned, there will not be much for us to
do, as only parts of the Third Army will be engaged in
the fighting that may ensue, and everything is therefore in
the hands of the headquarters of that army."
" Versailles, loth November.
" It has been snowing here for the first time and the
whole day, an unheard-of occurrence in France at this
time of year.
" I have received a letter from Lattre at Florence (our
military plenipotentiary in Italy). The poor fellow is mad
with vexation at being obliged to stick to his post during
the war, and has kept on writing letters ever since it
began, begging to be recalled. All my endeavours
have hitherto been in vain, but yesterday I was able to
gratify him by telegraphing to him the King's command
to come here immediately. He has been attached to
General von Obernitz, commanding the Wurttemberg
Division.
" There will be no little astonishment at Berlin about
the evacuation of Orleans and von der Tann's engagement ;
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The Struggle with the Republic 211
that I can easily imagine. We are not in the habit in
such cases of telegraphing; our plan is working out d
merveillel We prefer to let facts speak for themselves
a few days later. If only the Army of the Loire would
come a little nearer still, and I hope it will, for it must
try to join hands with Paris. We shall then have
stirring times, which we all look forward to with pleasure
after so much tiresome waiting."
** Versailles, i ith November, evening.
" I called upon Versen to-day, as the Crown Prince
would not let him go after the report of the court physician
on the state of his wound. Versen has therefore been
ordered to remain here about another week, to get quite
well before he returns to his division."
" Versailles, 12th November.
" The French seem willing to give us time to complete
all our preparations for dealing with the Army of the Loire.
To-day nothing has happened either with Tann or here
before Paris.**
** Versailles, 14th November.
" We can make nothing of the operations of the Grand
Duke of Mecklenburg, it being not easy at this distance
to judge of what is going on on the spot. One of us will
probably have to go there. It is Bronsart's turn, and as
he has now recovered from a slight indisposition, it is
likely to be he.
" In one of the last Parisian papers there is an amusing
story. A strange noise is heard in a house in an out-of-
the-way street. Gardes Mobiles enter the house, and
find a workshop in which Prussian helmets, articles of
uniform, etc., are manufactured. It appears that a
new branch of industry has grown up there, the manu-
facturers shoot at, and otherwise mutilate their wares,
and then sell them to the Gardes Mobiles returning from
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212 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
the outpost to be shown by them as trophies. Imaginary
letters also are manufactured, such as this : * Dear Carl !
Come back as soon as you can. We have here a French
prisoner of war whom I like very much, as he looks
so much like you. Only he has finer eyes than yours.
He is now standing behind me and playing with my curls,
etc., etc. Your lowing fianc/e, Elise Krauthuber.' "
''Versailles, 15th November, moming.
** Reports say that troops are being massed behind the
forts, and that ambulances are being brought up there,
and we also hear that the enemy is approaching
in force from the west, as well as the south. ' The
horizon is clouding in on all sides and critical times are
before us ; but we feel the greatest confidence that they
will turn out favourably for us. Even if the investment
should be broken through in some one place, which I do
not think probable, it would not matter. We could leave
a passage open in one direction for the Parisians for
several days without their being able to provision the
town for even half a day longer. Meanwhile, the leading
columns of the army of Prince Frederick Charles, after
some forced marches, are nearing us as desired. The II.
Corps is already before Paris, another only two da3rs'
march off."
** Versailles, i6th November, moming.
" The situation is unchanged. The people of Versailles
are quite confident that we shall be driven out of their
town within the next few days, but they will not get
their wish."
** Versailles, 17th November.
" The Berlin newspapers fix the bombardment of Paris
for the 25th. We shall certainly begin as soon as we
are in a position to do so, which is not the case for the
present, nor shall we be in all probability on the 25th
either. I f only people would not get nervous ! A prolonged
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The Struggle with the Republic 213
war is indeed very capable of producing such a state, but,
thank Heaven, there are no traces of it among our staff!
As long as Napoleon was at the head of the government,
a brief campaign might be expected, but since this is no
longer the case, and the French carry on the war d
autrance, the end of the war cannot be foreseen with any
certainty. We shall have to wait till Paris has fallen
before we can think of returning home."
''Versailles, i8th November.
" I perceive that the excitement about the battle of
Coulmiers and the retreat of von der Tann has not yet
subsided at home. I will venture to prophesy, however,
that on the 22nd or 23rd of November Prince Frederick
Charles will again be in possession of Orleans. The
preliminary operations against the Army of the Loire
began yesterday. Treskow, of our staff, has taken the
command of a division, and yesterday ousted about 7000
Gardes Mobiles from Dreux after some little fighting ; for
at that point Messieurs les Fran9ais had come a little too
near us.
" Public opinion in Paris is a curious thing. In some
of the last papers it was openly said that further defence
was madness and the government of Tours ought to be
deposed. But now, upon the news of the fighting near
Coulmiers, this opinion has, of course, suddenly changed
to the contrary, and every Parisian is again for continuing
the resistance, and brimful of hope.
" Our affairs before Paris are in very good order, and I
do not think it likely that any attempt to break through
will succeed.
" In the political world they seem to be waking up
again."
"Versailles, 20th November,
*'You reproach me with never telling you anything.
Well, an investment is very slow work, and there is
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very little to be said about it. We have nothing to do
but just to wait and see what the enemy is pleased to
undertake. Such forces as are not required here, are used
elsewhere about the country. Of these we shall probably
hear something very soon. Near Amiens in the north, near
Orleans in the south, then on the road Paris-Chartres-
Tours and in the country thereabouts will be the points at
which fighting may be expected. But first we must have
the means available, which will not take long ; it is only
a question of a few dajrs. Nor are we as yet in a position
to begin the bombardment of Paris."
" Versailles, 21st November.
" Things here go quietly on their usual course. The
Grand Duke of Mecklenbiurg is beginning to make head-
way, and as soon as Prince Frederick Charles has his last
troops together there will be fighting near Orleans which
may turn out to be very severe."
** Versailles, 22nd November.
*' The Grand Duke is engaged in clearing out of the way
whatever is before him. To-morrow he may have severe
fighting near Nogent-le-Rotrou if the enemy makes a
stand. In that case he is likely to break down all
opposition before him. Matters seem to be much more
difficult at Orleans ; the whole Army of the Loire is
probably entrenched there. The capture of Orleans will
therefore probably be delayed for a few days, unless the
enemy, alarmed by the threatening movement of the Grand
Duke, evacuates the town."
" Versailles, 24th November.
" To-day at dinner with the King the talk turned upon
the Russian General Annenkov, who is now going back.
I observed that he had become a captain later than I, and
was now already a general, on which His Majesty replied:
* I suppose you mean to reproach me for not having made
you one ? You will never even be made a colonel, or I should
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The Struggle with the Republic 215
not be able to distinguish you from Gottberg ! ' (Some
likeness to the Quartermaster-General of the Third Army,
Colonel von Gottberg, had already led to mistakes.)
" To-day is the 24th November, and I have again to
put off the date of the recapture of Orleans. We have
been mistaken as to the power of resistance of Paris, and
just as little did we guess that France would succeed in
improvising such large armies as she has done. Therefore
our position in regard to the Army of the Loire will have
to be thought out very carefully, and even the possibility of
a check before Orleans, although that is not probable, will
have to be taken into consideration. We are hoping that
the enemy will make a stand at Orleans and that a telling
blow may be struck at him there. Unfortunately this will
cost further sacrifices."
'* Versailles, 25th November.
" We hope to hear news this morning of the Grand Duke
of Mecklenburg and Manteuffel having gained victories,
so that the situation will shortly be quite cleared up.
If that be not the case, other measures will have to be
taken, but these will not be half-hearted; that I can
guarantee."
It lies in the nature of things that such stirring and
difficult times cannot pass without friction. Nor did we
remain free from it in some respects. Rumours had re-
peatedly reached home and given rise to various questions.
An observation in one of my letters written on the morning
of the 26th November has reference to this point : —
"The world need not know the dark side of glorious
times. There are too many people who love to gloat over,
and who seek to diminish our pride in the great thiogs
which have been done, and detract from their well-merited
acknowledgment."
I need not enlarge on the fact that I hold as firmly
now to this sentence which I then wrote down^ and that
I adhere to this principle throughout my " Recollections."
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*• Versailles, 26th November, evening.
" Stosch has been nominated temporary chief of the
Staff, with the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg's Corps, and
will start from here at 2 o'clock. This corps has been
placed under the chief command of Prince Frederick
Charles. As soon as the junction of the two forces is
effected everything will be in good trim, but that is not yet
the case, unfortunately, as the enemy is still between
them.
" We again receive reports pointing to an approaching
sortie northwards, against the army of the Crown Prince
of Saxony."
•* Versailles, 27th November, evening.
" The results of to-day's movements are not yet known,
but we are convinced that everything will have been done
as we wished.
" Stosch has already arrived at the Grand Duke's head-
quarters."
" Versailles, 30th November.
" Since the evening of the day before yesterday firing
has been going on unceasingly from all the forts. At
the present moment all the window panes are rattling.
Yesterday the French attacked, in comparatively small
bodies, here and there, but suffered no small loss. To-day
the fighting seems to be assuming larger proportions,
at least the report of field guns is distinctly heard, as well
as infantry fire, from various directions. They probably
assume in Paris that the Army of the Loire is approaching.
It is questionable whether the latter will get any nearer
since its right wing attacked on the 28th November,
and was repulsed by the X. Corps. The losses of the
enemy on that occasion are said to have been upwards of
7000 men. Also the engagement at Amiens has borne
good fruit for us, and concerning the Army of the Loire,
we are at last in a position to assume the offensive in
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The Struggle with the Republic 217
earnest. The movements are, unfortunately, very much
hampered by the state of the roads and the country;
it is scarcely possible to get along anywhere but on the
roads."
•* Versailles, 30th November.
" De Claer is sitting opposite me in the office and has
just calculated that each shot from Mont Val6rien costs the
French between 92 and 94 thalers. He is disgusted with
this waste !
" All our junior officers have already left for the various
posts of observation. It is possible that the fighting
going on at this moment is a serious attempt to
break through; on the other hand, it may only be
intended to prevent us from sending off more troops to
the Loire. If that be the case the French will not
gain much, as we shall do it all the same if it become
necessary. For the present there is no need. It is also
possible that Trochu wants to make the Parisians believe
that he does his best in order to be able to tell them if
he does not succeed : ' Now you see, there is no longer
any chance for us.' "
*• Versailles, 2nd December,
" According to all the reports which came in during the
evening of the 30th November, the French have not
succeeded with their sortie en masse in breaking through
our lines. To my astonishment, I received at the office a
despatch, late in the evening, with the news that our II.
Corps, acting as reserve to the Third Army, and which
had been brought on to the field of battle as a reinforce-
ment, had at the end of the engagement returned to its
quarters, which are nearly 10 miles to the rear. What
could have induced the brave General von Frensecky to
do so, I cannot imagine ; but in any case it was evident
that the French might very likely continue the fight next
morning, in which case the Army Corps would be absent
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from our line of battle. I at once therefore framed
a telegram to the II. Army Corps, in which an imme-
diate return was ordered, and went with the despatch
to General von Moltke. The Chief consented to the
telegram being sent, and asked me on my suggesting to
him the necessity for one of us to go there, whether I
could be spared. As this was the case, he requested me
to go at once to the scene of to-day's battle and to let him
have, as soon as possible, further news from the right
bank of the Seine. Le Piple-Ch&teau, where the staff of
the Wurttembergers lay, was fixed as the point where any
instructions from headquarters would find me. I at once
ordered the ' war chariot ' to be got ready, and requested
some of my officers to accompany me. Meanwhile, I
went to the Crown Prince, of whose army the 11. Corps
formed part, in order to confer with him. The con-
ference took place by the bedside of General von
Blumenthal, who had ahready retired for the night.
^' We took our way along the advanced line of outposts*
The firing from the forts was still going on, but only
in a desultory manner. Now and then a shell bursting
some distance off lit up the country. In Villeneuve-le-
Roi, the headquarters of the VI. Army Corps, I called on
General von Tiimpling and his Chief-of-the- Staff, Colonel
von Salviatiy in order to ask him for a brigade which was
to cross the Seine and fill for the present the place which
was now left empty. An order to that effect had, however,
already been given by the corps commander, and I found
on crossing the Seine the brigade marching to the front.
Its commander was General von Malochowski, my former
much-liked instructor when I was a cadet at Potsdam.
" In Villeneuve I asked for fresh horses from the VI.
Corps, as mine were already tired out. The short
interval was utilized to confer with the commanding
general and his chief-of-the-staff ; we naturally did not
stay a moment longer than was necessary to get the
carriage ready. Accompanying in the dark the infantry
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The Struggle with the Republic 219
of the VI. Corps marching across the Seine, we arrived
towards the morning at Le Piple-Ch4teau, where I met
General von Obernitz, whom I had known from my youth,
and Major von Lattre, who had just arrived from Florence-
" We could easily survey from here the battle-field on
which the Wurttembergers had yesterday fought so bravely
and with such success. Between 8 and 9 o'clock the
sound of tramping horses announced from a considerable
distance the approach of mounted men. It was General
von Fransecky with his staff, who had received the order to
return with his corps at the moment when, after arriving
at his quarters at Lonjumean, he was going to dismount.
All the troops of the corps bad likewise faced about in
xonsequence of the order, but their arrival in the old
position was only to be expected by noon after their night
march on bad roads and their previous exertions.
" General von Fransecky entered the room and addressed
me in these words : ' The Crown Prince has sent me a tele-
gram that you would bring me the orders of His Majesty.* *
My situation was a curious one, for I had no orders from
anyone to bring. Without, however, entering into an
explanation on the point, I thought it right to lay down
in a definite form the views entertained at Headquarters^
which were well known to me. I therefore requested
Captain Zingler, who accompanied me, to take down care*
fully in writing every word that I was going to say, and then
explained to the General as follows : ' The enemy is still on
the right bank of the Seine and on the left of the Marne,
outside his works, and it is in accordance with the inten-
tions of His Majesty for your Excellency, as soon as your
corps is assembled, to advance to the attack and drive the
enemy back again behind the line of his forts.' I knew very
well that I took on my shoulders a certain responsibility by
acting thus ; but the heads of sections of the Headquarters
^ As I could see for myseU afterwards, the telegram in question
actually ended with these words : *' You are requested to return as
fast as possible to Le Piple, where you will receive the further orders
of His Majesty through Lieutenant- Colonel von Verdy."
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220 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
Staff are quite competent to do so, as they are intimately
acquainted with all the intentions of the Commander-in-
Chief,
"The late arrival of the corps and the shortness of
the day- light prevented the immediate execution of the
order, a circumstance which, however, only became clear
during the day. I had myself received strict orders to
return to Versailles as soon as I knew the further plans
of the General. I therefore waited for the next day's
orders to be issued and then started on my way back,
but left two of the officers attached to me with General
von Fransecky to ftirther report as to what might take
place there on the following day. At Villeneuve-le-Roi
I took my own horses again, but could not accept the
invitation to dine with the staff, as there was no time
to lose. The commandant of the headquarters, First-
Lieutenant von Goldammer, however, pretty soon got
something ready for me, and whilst the horses were
changed I ate some ragout or fricassee.*
" It was nearly ten o'clock in the evening when I again
arrived at the quarters of General von Moltke, who was
already fully informed of the position of affairs, except my
last despatch from Le Piple-Chiteau, which only arrived
just when I entered his room* The General took me to
His Majesty, although it was somewhat late, to make my
report ; he himself then entered into a minute exposition
on the situation.
" On the following day the second battle of Villiers-
Champigny was fought under the chief commahd of the
Crown Prince of Saxony, in which the II. and the Royal
Saxon Corps, besides portions of the Wurttembergers
and of the VI. Corps, had some very severe fighting,
1 Premier-Lieutenant von Goldammer had organised extremely well
everything to do with the out-of-doors work at the headquarters of
the IV. Army Corps. For instance, he had formed a "brigade" of
old women who had returned to the place to clean the stteets and the
h ouses in which the staff duties were carried on. For this they
r eceived some small payment besides their food.
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The Struggle with the Republic 221
after which, however, the enemy on the morning of the 3rd
December again retreated as far as the line of the forts.
" A few days later the King suddenly said to me at
dinner : ' Well, this is another pretty story which I hear
about you ! my son has told me all about it ! ' On my asking
what story His Majesty was referring to, he replied : * The
• Crown Prince on the morning of the ist of December was
about to start on a reconnaissance when a telegram
arrived from the VI. Corps with the information that two
carrier pigeons had just been caught. He at once sent
orders by telegraph to forward them to Versailles. On
his return in the evening he found, however, instead a
report from the VI. Corps, that "Lieutenant-Colonel
von Verdy has just eaten them up." *
" So I learned at last what my fricassee in Villeneuve
on the evening of the ist December was made of.**
** Versailles, 3rd December.
" Yesterday seems to have been again extremely bloody.
Details of the fighting are not yet known. In any case
the French have suffered considerably and must be very
much disorganised ; they cannot stand many more such
struggles. The fighting in the south against Orleans is also
of great importance. But nothing decisive can occur before
Paris negotiates. The Army of the Loire must also- be
pursued on the other side of that river. I point this out
intentionally because else too great a significance might be
attached at home to the telegrams announcing our
victories.j^
"Versailles, 4th December,
" The latest struggles before Paris have again been of
an extraordinarily severe and bloody character. I estimate
our losses alone at about 5000 men. Whether the French
here have now had enough of it for some time to come,
or whether they will try their luck in another direction,
remains to be seen.
" These times are very trying : continuous tension in
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different directions, continuous excitement together with
important work and orders which cannot be too exact.
Warfare in these days of telegraphs tries the nerves much
more than in former times. Then some detached corps
were not heard of perhaps for weeks, and there was at
least twenty-four hours' time before sending further in-
structions. Now we are asked every evening whether
there is any news from all the detached bodies and
corps distant perhaps 400 or more miles. Whatever
comes in from them must be always answered at once, as the
operations of even the most distant corps may be influenced
the very next day by our directions. Gradually we too
begin to get a little nervous. But our good spirits are never-
theless kept up, and many a jest is made in the midst of
serious work. A commander of a certain division who,
quite rightly, had entrenched his troops in such a manner
that not a rat could get out of Paris without being shot at,
and who levelled of course all the woods and villas that
were in his way, has been nicknamed ' Director of the
Society for the Embellishment of the Country.'
" On the same day which you spent with the wife of
Major Stockmarr, I had speech of her husband, viz. on my
trip to the Wurttembergers. On the following day he was
in the midst of very hot fighting, but I don't suppose that
anything happened to him, as I should probably have
heard of it." (This turned out not to be so ; serving as
staff officer of the 3rd division, he was wounded by a
bursting shell so severely that he had to leave the front.)
" At Amiens, my old pupil Captain Maye, who made such
a stir a year ago with his pamphlet,* has, I am sorry to say,
been killed.
" To-day is Sunday, but so far the holiday has not
with us differed from any other day. It begins to get
downright cold here ; and the cursed open grate system
* " A Tactical Retrospect." He was also the author of " The Prussian
Infantry in 1869." The two pamphlets made a great sensation
when published. Bronsart von Schellendorf replied to them. — Ed.
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The Struggle with the Republic 223
does not suit me at all ; there are draughts too everywhere.
It is time that I had got my winter things."
" Versailles, 5th December.
" The Orleans bugbear, viz. the Army of the Loire,
according to the telegrams of to-night on the progress of
Prince Frederick Charles, seems to be collapsing. This
was to be expected as soon as we could tackle it properly.
" We shall probably send some one into Paris presently
to inform Messieurs les Parisiens of our successes on the
Loire, on which occasion, perhaps, the question would not
be inappropriate, whether they now had enough of
bloodshed.
" As regards the King, he looks better than ever, and is
in high spiritsl"
^ Versailles, 5th December, evening.
" Berlin must have rejoiced over the last telegrams, at
kast they brought good cause for it to do so. The
defeat of the Army of the Loire and the recapture of
Orleans have been communicated to General Trochu."
After the second battle of Orleans the retreat of the
Army of th^ Loire took place in various directions. The
German troops followed across the Loire with several
detachments, whilst others proceeded to pursue the retreat-
ing corps along the right bank. But the force under the
Grand Duke Af Mecklenburg on its march down the river
encountered immediately fresh resistance; the enemy
furthermore showed troops which had not fought at
Orleans. The Grand Duke, supported later on by the X.
Corps, routed the enemy in the days from the 7th to the
loth of December, in uninterrupted, severe and exhausting
engagements, whereupon the latter retreated on Le Mans in
a westerly direction. As we were not in a position to pur-
sue them to their last places of refuge, such as Lille, H4vre
and Bourges, general directions were issued from the
Royal Headquarters on the 17th December, drawing atten-
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224 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
tion to the fact that now it was only necessary to cover the
investment of Paris. The various armies had at the same
time certain districts assigned to them in which the troops
were to be granted that rest which had become absolutely
requisite. The First Army was to hold Rouen, Amiens and
St. Quentin in the north, the force under the Grand
Duke was to concentrate in the west round Chartres, the
II. Army round Orleans, holding at the same time Blois
and Gien.
For the moment the French gave up any further
attempts to relieve Paris by means of the Army of the
Loire ; on the other hand, their Northern Army, which had
meanwhile been formed, advanced in the last two weeks
of December, but was repulsed by the First Army in the
battles on the Hallue on the 23rd and 24th.
Thus everything was progressing favourably towards
the end of December, at which time various indications
pointed to the intention on the part of the French to engage
in operations which transferred the chief theatre of war
to the east, where General von Werder was covering the
siege of Belfort.
Tolerable quiet prevailed before Paris up to the 20th
of December; on the following day, however, another
great sortie of the garrison took place against Le Bourget,
but it, also, was repulsed successfully ; the same thing
happened to a sudden dash down the valley of the Marne
on the 22nd. But now the French here, too, changed the
tactics which they had pursued until then ; they fortified
strongly not only the advanced post of Mont Avron in the
east, arming it with more than 70 heavy guns, but they
began also in the north to form saps and construct heavy
batteries. It therefore became imperative for us to take
other measures. From my notes of that period the follow-
ing are extracted : —
*' Versailles, 8th Decembert
" Things progress as well as we could wish. The Grand
Duke of Mecklenburg is marching on Tours ; unfortunately
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The Struggle with the Republic 225
his forces are very much reduced. He will, however,
probably take possession of that town, as the expulsion of
the government there may produce some impression in
France."
" Versailles, 9th December.
" There was again severe but victorious fighting on the
Loire near Beaugency along the road Orleans-Tours.
So far all is well, but we must expel the government from
Tours. It is true the troops of the Grand Duke will
soon come to the end of their strength after the enormous
exertions of the last few days and must be reinforced. The
French government is making desperate efforts to maintain
itself at Tours."*
** Versailles, nth December.
" The Grand Duke has had another engagement.
The enemy attacked, but was repulsed. But the troops
have thereby again been deprived of the necessary rest.
Moltke, on reading the despatch referring to it, said :
* Victory after victory ; our brave troops have only to be
led to the right spot and then you can sleep in peace !
You can't help taking off your hat even to the very drivers
of the transport ! ' Probably to-day or to-morrow the
requisite supports will be on the spot, and then we shall be
able to settle accounts with the enemy's forces there.
I hope this will happen soon enough to get troops avail-
able in good time against those bodies of the Army of the
Loire which have withdrawn from Orleans in other
directions."
" Versailles, 12th December,
" The roads to-day are so slippery with the frost that it
is difficult to walk at all. This makes all operations very
difficult."
' The section of the French Government located at Tours was
actually removed to Bordeaux. The occupation of Tours was, how-
ever, given up in order not to extend too far.
Q
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"Versailles, 13th December.
"In the north the French are again very busy ; we
must be careful in that direction, or some day they might
interrupt our communications effectually. That would
not much matter in the long run, but it would be highly
disagreeable if our connection with home were stopped
for a few days."
In consequence of several remarks in Berlin news-
papers about parleying before Paris, I alluded to this
point in my next letter : —
*' Versailles, 14th December.
*' The whole of this nonsense is based on the letter
which our General wrote to Trochu informing him of the
defeat of the Army of the Loire. This letter was delivered
by the usual intermediaries who are established perma-
nently at Sevres where the Seine runs between the outposts
of both sides. A white flag hoisted by us when required
on the so-called Crown Prince Redoubt gives the signal,
whereupon a boat comes over with an officer from the
French side.
" Yesterday at dinner the King asked me soon after
he came in : * How many guns was it we took at
Montmedy? You ought to know that.' Now we had
received a telegram only two hours before which said:
* Fall of Montmedy cannot yet be accurately timed, as
a dense fog prevents observation of the fire.' His
Majesty was holding a telegram in his hand which had
just come in; the question made me therefore suspect
that Montmedy had actually fallen and that the number
of the guns captured was given in it. So I answered
with reference to the dense fog mentioned in the first
despatch : * The fog was so dense I could not count
the guns ; ' to which His Majesty replied with a smile :
* But there are people who can see even in a fog. There,
read this telegram.'
" Prince Charles too is now as ever always kind to me ;
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The Struggle with the Republic 227
he spoke again about the days of his youth, and said
how my grandmother, who was then lady-in-waiting
to Princess Louisa, had always been kind and affectionate
towards him."
** Versailles, 19th December.
" The day before yesterday a deputation arrived here
which had been sent from Berlin in regard to the accept-
ance of the Imperial Crown. I spoke with the Duke of
Ujest, Herr von Unruh Rothschild, Romberg and
others. My cousin Puttkamer I sent in the *war
chariot ' to the water tower of Marly, so that he might
see something of Paris at any rate, but I had to borrow
another of Brandenstein's horses, as three of my carriage
horses were ill. Krause's best horse, for which he paid a
hundred Friedrichsd'or, has suddenly died."
" Versailles, 21st December.
"Stosch has returned to-day from the Grand Duke.
He has done brilliant service there, and a considerable
part of the successes gained is due to him. Moltke
welcomed him most heartily : ' We have always felt your
strong hand there.' Alfred Waldersee will take his place.
"The forts are firing furiously. Reports come in
continually, and it seems as if the enemy were making a
demonstration here to-day, in order to carry through some-
thing big elsewhere."
''Versailles, 22nd December.
"Yesterday's sortie was repulsed successfully at all
points, and what is more, apparently without any great
loss on our side. Only we are not quite certain whether
the French have not a yet greater sortie in view for to-day
or to-morrow; for what they did yesterday was not
energetic enough.
" On Christmas Eve we shall set up a tree in our office,
to which each of us has contributed ten francs ; Burt
brought the presents. I managed to find for Krause in a
shop a small imitation Cross of the Legion d'Honneur, he
Q 2
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being a most reliable authority on all that concerns the
French army, and having given us such ready and
excellent information on all the re-organization schemes,
we are manufacturing likewise for him a degree signed by
Gambetta which sets forth his 'great services to the
French army.' This he will receive for a Christmas present
from me,
" On Christmas Day I intend to give a grand soirfe in
my apartments ; so many gifts have come for us all, and
especially for myself, that the boxes piled up irf the ante-
room of our office scarcely leave room to pass, Goldammer,
who had also heard of my soiree and has arrived here for
orders, brought a roebuck, two hares and a saddle of
mutton, and besides a whole clothes-basketfiil of all
sorts of eatables.
" Your Christmas box I knew at once, and the first thing
I took out, and which gave me great pleasure, was the
little Christmas tree which you had prepared for me.
Then followed all the other beautiful things, so many of
them that I shall be obliged to buy a book and enter
them in it. In other boxes, big and small, I found
photographs referring to the war, the new Kladderadatsch
almanack, another Christmas tree, the stand of which
contained two pretty enamelled buttons with the Iron
Cross. Cigars, various wines, caviare and preserves have
arrived in plenty.
** On Christmas Eve we all assembled in the rooms
adjoining the office till Claer and Burt had lit the candles
on the Christmas tree. It had been got with some trouble,
but it was fine and large, and very neatly decorated. For
each of us there were two presents in the basket held
by the " Weihnachtskind," both of which were of a
comical character. Moltke, who drew the first lot, got
the big Christmas rod ; he laughed and threw it again
into the basket containing the presents and then drew
his second lot. We all remained together, under the
Christmas tree, with a bowl of punch, singing national
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The Struggle with the Republic 229
songs, and were as harmlessly merry as men could be
under the circumstances."
*' Versailles, 26th December, evening.
" The gorgeous entertainment in my rooms last night
came oflf splendidly. The company consisted of about
four-and-twenty persons. Besides the members of our
staff including Stosch, Keudell, Waldersee and Hahnke
were there. Moltke said playfully: *Why do you not
entertain more often ? ' and later on : * It does one a
world of good, after all, to rest for once from all business.*
" I had better describe our arrangements a little
more minutely, or else you might imagine that our doings
had been a trifle too extravagant. To begin with, the
whole frontage of our house, containing four rooms,
Math two windows each, besides a larger room looking
to the back, had been illuminated. In one of these
rooms stood the buffet. Two large candelabra were
blazing on it, and in the middle stood a large Christmas
cake, sent to Bronsart, Claer, Krause and myself, by
Major von Brandt from Berlin ; it was crowned by your
pretty little Christmas tree. All around, besides large
groups of plates, knives and forks, there were caviare,
lobsters, sardines, sausages of all kinds and shapes,
anchovy, butter, gherkins, gingerbread, roast goose and
other cold roast meats. Burt, Keudell and Blume played
delightfully ; the generals had a game of whist in the back
room and were served there ; the other hungry beings, who
had dined for once at two o'clock, made a rush for the
buffet soon after seven, and it had to be renewed several
times. There was punch too (extract sent from Berlin),
in no small quantity, but not nearly enough, and Krause
and I had to bring out for the sacrifice whatever other
drinkables we possessed. It was nearly midnight when tlje
last, after having taken a cup of coffee, left us. We all felt
as if we had been in another world."
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3. From the Beginning of the Bombardment to the
End of the War.
France roused herself for a last effort. All the
endeavours to relieve Paris had up to now been unsuccess-
flil, and the conviction had at last become strong that the
fall of the town must inevitably follow, within a very
short time, if something were not done.
General Chanzy was concentrating his troops at Le
Mans after their defeat at Beaugency, and General
Faidherbe, after the loss of the battle of the Hallue,
similarly drew his corps together in the north ; both
generals had received reinforcements and were preparing to
make one more attempt to break the investment of Paris.
But the chief hopes were based on operations in a different
quarter. These consisted in sending eastward by rail
the forces of General Bourbaki, which were being
reorganized near the Loire and were to join the French
troops already in the East and the Garibaldians ; making
Besan9on their base, they were to drive off General von
Werder, relieve Belfort, and, above all, force the German
armies to raise the siege of Paris by moving against their
lines of communication, or if necessary by an invasion of
Southern Germany.
At the German headquarters the plans of reorganiza-
tion of the French armies near Le Mans and in the North
were well known ; but up to the end of December it had
not been possible to obtain sufficient information as to the
whereabouts of the various corps of Bourbaki. Rumours
had, indeed, been heard in different forms that the latter
were being transported towards the eastern frontier; but
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The Struggle with the Republic 231
there were, on the other hand, indications which seemed
to point to a junction with Chanzy's troops,
In order to make certain on this point, Prince Frederick
Charles received orders on the ist of January, 1871, while
holding Orleans, to take the offensive, in a westerly
direction, against the opponent nearest him. General
Chanzy, whose forces were believed to be again
advancing. At the Prince's disposal were placed, besides
the corps of the Second Army (III,, IX. and X.),
the 17th and 22nd divisions, formed temporarily into a
corps, the XIII., and placed under the command of the
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, and also four cavalry
divisions.
The advance from Vendome to Le Mans, which was
captured in the evening of the 12th January, took seven
days of severe fighting. Chanzy's army retreated in the
greatest disorder, and was pursued for a short distance by
some of our columns. Here, as on the Loire, there
were only minor engagements until the armistice was
concluded. The XIII. Corps was again detached from
the Second Army, and arrived on the 25th January
at Rouen in order to set free the troops of the First
Army quartered there, for operations against Faidherbe's
forces.
Meanwhile, events in the North had taken the following
course : The extreme left of the First Army had in the
beginning of January arrived in the neighbourhood of
Hdvre. But on the right wing, the renewed advance of
parts of the French Army of the North had entangled our
advanced troops, covering the siege of Peronne, in fights
near Bapaume, on the 2nd and 3rd January, in which
the latter, however, had held their ground. On the 8th
January, General von Goeben took the command of the
First Army, vice General von Manteuffel, who was sent to
conduct the operations on the eastern frontier. The
capitulation of Peronne during the night of the 9th to the
loth materially improved the position of the First Army, the
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232 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
main body of which now took up a position behind the
Somme.
From this position General von Goeben advanced
again on the i8th January, as strong bodies of the enemy
approached and occupied St. Quentin. -This led to the
battle near that place against the united forces of Faidherbe
on the 19th January, in consequence of which the
latter also retreated in disorder. The pursuit here, as at
Le Mans, was only continued for a short distance, and
General von Goeben led his troops back again behind the
Somme.
Before Paris, during this period, the arming of Mont
Avron, on the east side, on the part of the garrison, as
also their counter-approaches and the construction of
heavy batteries in the North towards Le Bourget, caused
us to bring a portion of the siege artillery into action
against the former position. Fire was opened on the 27th
December with more than seventy heavy gfuns, and brought
about the evacuation of the entrenched position on Mont
Avron. Subsequently, siege batteries were established to
oppose the advance of the enemy on the north side also ; on
the 5th January, the artillery attack on the south front
began, and preparations were made for that against St.
Denis, in the North*
The effect of the fire against the forts of the south front
was such that the artillery of the works attacked was
silenced, and the forts themselves suffered so much
damage that we were able to push forward nine batteries
and take up the fight against the works of the enceinte;
but the latter had no decisive result up to the date of the
conclusion of the armistice. Meanwhile the garrison
attempted one or two more sorties, as for instance those on
the nights of the 13th and the 14th January, but they were
repulsed with little trouble.
The iSth January was the memorable day on which,
in an impressive but simple manner appropriate to the
circumstances, His Majesty King William of Prussia
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The Struggle with the Republic 233
was proclaimed German Emperor, whereby the union of
the German races under a supreme head was finally
accomplished.
The following day, the 19th January, . saw the last
efforts of the Parisian armies. The sortie in strength,
directed against the positions of the V. Army Corps, and
also against Versailles, was foiled in the battle of Mont
Val^rien, in which the French suffered great loss.
On the 23rd January negotiations began afresh, which
now ended in an armistice for twenty-one days, but which
did not include the siege of Belfort and the operations in
the departments nearest to that fortress.
The events which took place in this part of the theatre
of war, for the moment excluded from the armistice,
remain to be summarised here.
After the taking of Strassburg the task of General von
Werder became gradually more extensive, as he now had
to occupy Upper Alsace, take its fortresses, besiege Belfort
and cover' the siege. His intention of letting the greater
part of his forces advance in the direction of the Loire had
soon to be relinquished, because several detachments of
the enemy immediately in front of him, and which con-
stantly received reinforcements from the south, occupied
him sufficiently. About the middle of December the
General had concentrated all his troops available for the
field round Dijon, when the enemy, Garibaldians and
French troops, began to appear in greater numbers ; this
led to the engagement of Nuits. From the 21st December
onward, rumours and reports began to become firequent,
pointing to the approach of large bodies of troops from
the interior of France, which induced the General to march
to his left, in order to be able to meet an hostile advance
on Belfort ; but it was only through small engagements
on the 5th January that it became clear that the whole
army of Bourbaki had joined the enemy already on the
spot and was advancing to the attack. The onset of
these vastly superior forces was repulsed in the glorious
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battle on the Lisaine, on the 15th, i6th and 17th
January.
Meanwhile further measures had been already taken, in
consequence of which the defeat of this French army was
turned into a catastrophe.
On the part of the Headquarters, orders had been issued
on the 6th and 7th January, as soon as the whereabouts
of Bourbaki's troops was known for certain, for the VII.
Corps, which was at this time between General von
Werder and the Loire, to concentrate at Chitillon sur.
Seine, and for the II. Corps, which had just arrived at
Montargis, to advance to Nuits. The chief command over
the whole of the forces in this part of the theatre of war
was entrusted to General von Manteuffel.
This General succeeded by skilful manoeuvring during
his advance in taking the retreating army of Bourbaki
in the flank and rear, and after several severe engagements
Math heavy losses, in forcing them to cross the Swiss
frontier.
The armistice was next extended to this district also,
in consequence of which Belfort was handed over to the
German troops on the i8th February, the garrison march-
ing out with the honours of war.
The following notes belong to this period : —
" Versailles, 27th December.
" Since 7 o'clock some seventy guns of the siege artillery
have been firing on the opposite side of Paris, against the
outlying works at Mont Avron, where Colonel Stoffel
(formerly military attache in Berlin) is in command.
Unfortunately, the weather is not favourable for an artillery
engagement owing to snowstorms, and the effect of the
fire is, at such great distances, difficult to observe and
rectify."
'* Versailles, 29th December.
**' Mont Avron ceased to return our fire yesterday ;
whether it has been evacuated, was to have been ascertained
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The Struggle with the Republic 235
during the night, but we have no information on the
matter as yet.
" The superior officers entrusted vdth the attack on Paris,
General von Kameke and Prince Kraft zu Hohenlohe, have
arrived here ; but they have first to study the question
thoroughly before they can give an opinion, when the
attack on the south front can be begun. It will not be
an easy piece of work, and it is still questionable whether
we shall be able to send our shot far enough into the town
to produce any considerable moral effect. A siege, as I
have explained before, is not practicable. An incomplete
bombardment — and nothing else will be possible — will
only produce an important effect when the distress
occasioned by it shakes the patience hitherto displayed,
and this moment is perhaps now at hand. People at
home are mostly very hasty in their judgments; they
have been spoilt by the great successes at the beginning of
the war, and they overlook the immense and difficult tasks
that have since fallen to our lot, and which, if we finish
them in the beginning of next year, will be at least as
grand feats, when taken together, as the operations of the
first half of the war. Everyone can easily imagine that
all this urging firom outside, and the observations which
we hear of, are not without their influence on the en-
thusiasm Math which the heavy tasks which are yet before
us, must after all be carried through."
" Versailles, 30th December.
" Brandenstein and Bronsart, who have suffered from
overwork for some time, are now well again ; but there
was a period with each in which we feared that they would
not be able to hold on any longer,
"The situation is good. Mont Avroh is now in
our hands. Whether further progress can be made on
that side, we shall see by-and-by. Also with regard to
the attack on the south front, there are obstacles still to
be cleared out of the way before we can go ahead rapidly."
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236 With the Royal Headquarters in 187071
'* Versailles, 30Ch December.
** When I went home to lunch from the ofiSce, I looked
forward to a well-heated room ; for I had told my servant,
as it was so cold, to make a gooH fire for once ; we had
lately been actually frozen. This he did indeed, and with
what result? The whole fireplace had collapsed; the
mantelpiece, with everything that was on it, had fallen
down and was l3ring about in pieces. A pretty business it
was ; and, of course, there was a general tumult all
through the house. There was no other way to get
warm than to go for a walk or a run ; the first time for
ever so long, I went on the ice in the park of the palace,
where the Grand Duke of Oldenburg, who remembered
me at Warsaw, and the Grand Duke of Weimar took me
between them, and in this manner I enjoyed a pretty long
constitutional.
" Certainly, if human lives did not come into considera-
tion, we might perhaps have begun the bombardment
earlier, but it would have cost us dear, and would probably
not have been a success. We need no longer fear any
great loss of men ; this we shall be spared now, except in
case of sorties. Measures have been taken to prevent it,
and we have moderated our aims. These we shall attain
now, I think, and there will be presently an end of the
whole business before Paris. But this could not have been
done at an earlier period."
*• Versailles, ist January.
" I dined with Stosch at 7 o'clock yesterday ; Prince
Pless, the DukeofUjest, Count Stolberg, Count Maltzahn,
Salisch and others were there. After eleven I joined my
comrades, who had brewed their punch at the office, and
so we passed together the last hour of this eventful year.
" I am just back from the congratulation lev6e, which
was held in very grand style in the Hall of Mirrors of the
Palace of Versailles."
•* Versailles, 4th January.
"The sky is not propitious to-day. Since daybreak
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The Struggle with the Republic 237
upwards of 200 guns have been ready for the attack on
Paris, and everybody is expecting the first shot. But
there has been such a dense fog that it is impossible to
see three yards ahead ; without seeing where one is firing,
it is of course impossible to begin. It is annoying ; and no
prospect at all of improvement, however often we look at
the sky."
" Versailles, 5th January.
" This is a fine winter's day, and the bombardment there-
fore began this morning at 8.15. But there is still a dense
fog hanging about in the valley of the Seine, so that only
part of the batteries have been able to come into action.
So far three officers have been reported wounded in them.
" A telegram has also just arrived firom General von
Werder firom Upper Alsace, to say that he was attacked
to-day. If the rumour that Bourbaki's army has marched
thither should be confirmed, there is, certainly, a chance
of some considerable trouble in that direction, and alarm
may spread, especially in Southern Germany. But even if
things should go wrong there for a few days, it is quite
certain that the whole affair will be put right again in a
very short time.
"Prince Albrecht, senior, has fallen ill, and poor Versen,
his staff officer, has got the small-pox, though he had only
just arrived."
The fatigues, to which the chivalrous Prince exposed
himself during the war, in utter disregard to his own
health, may have contributed not a little to his early
death. To his honour be it mentioned that although,
in his quality of a general of cavalry, he had already
held command of a corps in the campaign of 1866, he
accepted in 1870 the subordinate position of a divisional
commander, in order to be able to devote all his energy
to the great cause !
"Versailles, 6th January.
"The state of affairs in Upper Alsace will probably
cost some cudgelling of brains, as it is only too likely that
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238 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
considerable forces are advancing against General von
Werder. But that does not matter, however ; the busi-
ness will be arranged all right. There was, yesterday,
again so much fog about Paris that our batteries could
only open their fire gradually. Nevertheless the result
was very satisfactory. To-day the wind veered round
and the weather has become warmer and clearer, so that
the bombardment will probably be more effective still.
When the batteries have got the range of the forts, it will
be the turn of the town, as there will then be no necessity
to employ all the guns against the advanced works."
** Versailles, 7th January.
" Our friend Stocken is said to have been wounded
yesterday in the successful engagement at Vend6me.
It is very difficult to arrive at anything definite about
the report ; but I have asked Prince Pless for information,
as he is the first to get news through the * Knights of
St. John,* and as soon as I know where he is, I will
report further.* There will again be some bloody work
all round for the field troops covering the investment
of Paris.
" Prince Frederick Charles is on the point of a collision
with Chanzy's army, and Werder must, in all probabiUty,
be fighting to-day with the forces of Bourbaki. General
von Werder has no easy task before him ; but even if he
should lose a couple of engagements, or be obliged to raise
the siege of Belfort, that will not damage us on the whole
very much. Considering the great liberty of movement
which the large number of railways gives to the enemy,
it is impossible to hinder him from appearing in force in
some distant part of the theatre of war. We shall not
always be able at once to meet him, if he move his
troops about from one place to another. Our object must
* A telegram from Prince Frederick Charles, concerning the
engagemenr, had reported that Major Stocken was wounded. This
was only correct in so far as a shell bursting near him had stunned
him for a short time and bruised him slightly.
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The Struggle with the Republic 239
be in such cases to prevent any further bad con-
sequences. However, if Werder proceeds warily, he may
get the better of the enemy single-handed."
" Versailles, 8th January.
** The next week may become the most important of
the whole of this period of the war. Prince Frederick
Charles has already closed, it appears, with Chanzy's
army, which is nearest to us. In the north we shall be
able to cope with the renewed attacks of General
Faidherbe, and what may happen where General von
Werder is, has little influence, just yet, on the main
issue.
" The first shell has been thrown into the interior of
Paris. We have papers of the 6th January announcing
that, on the ist already, shells fell in the garden of the
Luxembourg. But these were only stray shots, probably
sent wide on purpose.* In our house here in Versailles, a
number of artillerymen have been quartered. When they
fell in, on the night before the first bombardment, in the
courtyard, before marching to their batteries, I over-
heard one saying : * Well, the deuce would be in it, if I
didn't for once make a mistake and fire into the town ! '
In the city the people clamour for a sortie en masse''
" Versailles, 9th January.
"Concerning Moltke, he lives entirely with his staff,
and is as kind as ever to everyone of us. No one has
ever heard a single harsh word from him during the
whole campaign. With us he is even merry, in his
simple, cheerful and modest way. We all feel happy in
his company, and absolutely love and worship him. But
outside of our small circle, also, there is only one feeling,
and that is admiration towards him ; everj'one says that
he is a truly ideal character."
* It is true that, on the first day, the town was shelled intentionally,
but only from one gun.
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"Versailles, loth January.
" Heavy snowfalls prevent the punctual arrival of trains,
which causes considerable 'inconvenience. Snow and fog
prevent likewise the fire against Paris being regularly
opened. The ramparts of the enceinte of the town are
so powerfully armed and provided with such heavy
artillery, that we could only get possession of it by a
formal siege, and such a thing is impossible. Everything
turns out as we have foreseen : the artillery combat can
only be undertaken against the advanced works of the
enemy and the forts, and only such guns as are not
required for that purpose can be used against the town.
But even this, as we cannot get near enough, can only
be done at immense distances, and costs us many apiece,
owing to the heavy charges that have to be used. On
the other side, the Parisians urge on General Trochu a
grand sortie to avert the daily approaching danger."
" Versailles, 1 2th January.
" Several barracks were on fire in the forts yesterday ;
we also learn from the recent Paris papers that our fire
has already done considerable damage. A few houses
have been destroyed, small conflagrations break out
almost every day; but still the bombardment has no
decisive effect. The majority of the Parisians look upon
it only as a spectacle. One of their papers says : ' The
Trocadero is the theatre at which all Paris assembles.*
In consequence of this notice it is likely that they will
get a few shells there.
" Our men are by no means inclined to carry the war
d outrancey on their part ; they are too good-humoured
for that, as the following incident proves. Close to the
line of outposts, they discovered some large wine cellars.
The troops which ar6 near began to clear out the contents,
but the stores being too large to be emptied completely,
what did they do but beckon to the French outposts,
who piled arms, came forward, and carried away the rest of
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The Struggle with the Republic 241
the wine, which our men, moreover, fetched out of the
cellars for them. Our troops are not cut out for butchers.
" Yesterday I was invited to dine with the Crown Prince.
I had not been able to speak to him at the congratulation
lev6e on New Year's Eve, although I saw him afterwards
as he was driving past the statue of Louis XIV., some
way ofiF, when he nodded to me with particular gracious-
ness. Yesterday he said to me, as he congratulated
me on my Iron Cross : * You may imagine how pleased
I was when you got it. I knew it beforehand. I hope
you understood my salute from the carriage ; I intended
it as a congratulation.' " (We three chiefs of the sections
of the staff had received the cross of the ist class before
the end of the year.)
" Versailles, 13th January.
" We celebrated the Russian New Year to-day with our
friend Kutusov. There were present two Russians,
Colonel Walberg and Captain Seddler, a very well-informed
and good-hearted officer who is attached to the VI.
Corps ; ' and of our people, Claer and myself. We
remained until nearly i o'clock and spent a very pleasant
and harmless evening together.
" The intelligence gathered from the Paris newspapers
makes it evident that the opinion in the town concerning
the bombardmei^t is already beginning to change. Up to
the present they have treated the matter sneeringly, but
now, the way in which they express themselves shows that
they are angry. The shells already reach the vicinity of the
H6tel de Ville, and as far as the church of St. Sulpice, so
that the whole left bank of the Seine is in a state of alarm.
Within the next few days fire will be opened on the north
also ; at first, against the works of the advanced post of
St. Denis, and then the right bank of the Seine will also
be attacked."
' Afterwards the general commanding in the Baltic Provinces.
R
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** Versailles, 14th January.
'' Last night several smaller sorties had to be repulsed,
but these will do them no good.
" Much more serious for us of late has been the situation
on the south-eastern seat of war, where General von
Werder is."
We certainly had greatest confidence in that ex-
perienced General, as well as in his chief-of-the-staff,
Lieutenant-Colonel von Leszczynski, with whom we three
chiefs of sections had been on terms of friendship ever
since we had been cadets together, and whose discernment
and extraordinary energy we all knew ; but the superiority
in numbers of the enemy was so great, that it became a
question whether it would not be better to avoid a decisive
combat, raise the siege of Belfort and retreat, until the
arrival of General von Manteuffel with his corps should
make itself felt. Such a retreat, however, which might last
some days, would have had a very undesirable moral effect.
Under these circumstances it was determined at
Versailles to free General von Werder from the responsi-
bility of entering into a battle which might end in defeat,
and for this reason the following telegram was sent to him
on the 15th of January in the afternoon : —
" Attack to be met in a strong position covering Belfort,
battle to be accepted. The advance of General Manteuffel
will be felt within the next few days.
" (Signed) Count Moltke."
The order turned out to have been unnecessary. Before
it reached the hands of General von Werder, he had
determined, of his own accord, to oppose the further
advance of the enemy, and he was already in action in
accordance with this resolution. The glorious days of the
15th, i6th and 17th, the battle of the Lisaine, crowned
with success the enterprise of the brave General.
"Versailles, 17th January.
"At home people seem to have the idea that we at
Versailles have really nothing to do but sit still and look
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The Struggle with the Republic 243
on at the whole business. The deeds of our troops, who
certainly cannot be praised enough, their losses and
sufferings, are evident to the whole world, but of the
immense cares and labours of the leaders and their staff,
only few have an inkling. And yet for them also the
situation is full of grave difficulties. We are at this moment
passing through a critical, as well as an exciting and in-
teresting time. Will Werder be able to hold out until
Manteuffel's approach affects the enemy ? If Werder
does hold out, and Bourbaki does not quickly retreat,
what shape will the ruin of the latter take ? Of equal
importance will also be, within the next few days, the
operations in the north between Goeben and Faidherbe.
" Last evening our friend Toeche arrived, the head of the
firm of Mittler and Son, on business concerning us both.
Holleben has been ordered to join General von Manteuffel ;
his place is to be taken by Hackewitz.
" The weather has suddenly changed ; instead of the
severe cold we now have spring. We had to-day two
striking proofs of the smartness of our post officials. I
learned from a letter from my wife, that I had forgotten in
one of mine to her, to put * Berlin ' on it, but it had
arrived without any delay. When I told this at the office,
Blume said : ' I know oif a pendant to that. I have just
found a letter on my table, which is fully addressed with
the exception of my name.' Late in the day, H.R.H.
the Crown Prince Albert came here to be present at to-
morrow's ceremony, when the King will be proclaimed
Emperor ; he passed the rest of the evening with Moltke
and us."
The next day— the i8th of January— was to be a turning-
point in the history of our nation : it was the day of the
proclamation of the Emperor, memorable for all time,
never to be forgotton by us who had the good fortune to
be present at that solemn moment !
The ceremony took place in the Hall of Mirrors of the
stately palace. At the upper end of the hall, in a semi-
R 2
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244 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
circle, taking up the whole width of the hall, were ranged
on a slightly raised platform the glorious colours and
standards of the regiments before Paris, representing
nearly all the German races. There also were the
German Reigning Princes serving with the army, and
other Royal Princes; on to this platform stepped the
venerable figure of the victorious leader of the German
army, the noble and God-fearing King of Prussia.
Before him stood, first, his great paladins whom we all
look up to with pride and reverence : Bismarck, the strong
pilot of the ship of state, Roon, who had sharpened the
sword before the combat, Moltke, who had wielded it so
mightily; then came the generals with their staffs, the
representatives of the troops, the deputations sent firom
home, and others who were granted admission, in
a densely packed crowd. Reflected in the mirrors the
throng appeared still vaster than it actually was.
On the side towards the windows, a free passage had
been left open, in the middle of which a smaU space had
been arranged for divine service and a field-altar fitted
up.
When the sermon was finished. Count Bismarck ap-
proached the platform, on which the King had meanwhile
taken his position, and read aloud the important document,
whereupon the Grand Duke of Baden called for cheers for
the first Emperor of the new German Empire.
Then all present went past the Emperor and did
homage to him.
The whole scene was simple and dignified, and all the
more impressive for that reason. We had taken part in
the celebration with feelings of exultation, and deep grati-
tude to the supreme Ruler of the world, that this long-
yearned-for day had at last dawned for the German
people.
Previous to the ceremony we had been afraid that the
French might disturb it by a firesh sortie, but happily none
took place that day. Still, reports had come in of a strong
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The Struggle with the Republic 245
massing of troops at various places behind the enemy's
forts, which looked like preparations for a sortie ; so we
hurried back to the office where the reports from the line
of investment would arrive first. /
** Versailles, 19th January, evening.
"The new German Empire has to-dayreceivedits baptism
of fire, as the French made a sortie with the whole of their
forces, and actually against that part of our position nearest
to Versailles. General Moltke sent for me to the office :
I was to accompany him in his dkrriage. We again went
to the water tower of Marly, where the Emperor followed us.
The fighting was already going on hotly, the enemy having
a particularly large number of guns in action ; also Mont
Valerien made itself very conspicuous with its heavy guns.
The peculiar noise of the projectiles from its monster gun
could be distinctly distinguished, even at a great distance,
very different from the others, the bursting of its shells
having a peculiarly strident sound.
" In front of us the batteries of the Guard-Landwehr
Division were in action, in a good position fronting Mont
Valerien. Most of the big guns of the forts were trained
upon them, and as the smoke of the batteries made a fairly
good mark, the projectiles generally struck pretty near,
but our brave gunners paid not the slightest attention to
them.
" In the villages and parks before us, there was infantry
fighting, but the enemy's attack was directed mainly against
the elaborately entrenched position of the V. Corps, to the
west of St. Cloud. We could follow as clearly as possible
the movements of the enemy, and as we stood at right
angles to the attack, we saw them from the flank and rear.
Strong French forces made repeated attempts to force their
way up the slope in firont of them to the park wall. But
each time, when they reached the edge of the ascent, they
were received with such a murderous fire, that they were
thrown back again. There came in our direction, from
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246 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
time to time, an armoured railway engine having a gun
mounted on it, which, after having fired its shot, went
regularly back again. Gradually, the attack became
feebler, and at last ceased altogether. Various detach-
ments were already seen retreating towards Paris, and we
also returned to Versailles, just as darkness was coming
on. In Paris fires had meanwhile broken out again in
various places.
" To-day, I expect, Goeben will have met Faidherbe and
finished him. Werder has maintained himself in his
position and Bourbaki his had to go back. If he does not
move quickly, Manteuffel will make his retreat impossible
for him. I can only repeat my opinion : things are
drawing to a close."
" Versailles, 20th Janoary.
"The French have given up the idea of going on
with yesterday's attack. Considering the large forces
which they brought into action, they might have done
better. The sortie, which led to nothing after all, has
cost us over twenty ofiicers and a couple of hundred
men.
" Our work is assuming such dimensions, that we have
had to be the whole day at the office."
" Versailles, 21st January.
" If the fog clears to-day, our siege artillery will attack
St. Denis. After this it will not be long before the
northern half of Paris, which has not been touched so far,
will also become acquainted with our shells."
" Versailles, 22nd January.
'' Bourbaki's end is now near. The operations against
him have been very skilfiiUy planned, and if the French
do not make the most extensive use of their railwaj^,
they will get into the worst position possible. After
this we are likely to be left alone by the French armies,
until the fate of Paris is decided. The conditions for
the capitulation and its execution will, however, be a
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The Struggle with the Republic 247
matter of great difficulty, and the preliminary arrange-
ments in view of this event have taken up our whole
energies for a long time."
" Versailles, 23rd January.
" We now learn that the Francs-tireurs have destroyed a
pier of one of the bridges across the Moselle and thereby
interrupted our direct communication with home. We
have wondered for a long time why they have not done
more damage to the railways ; if they were to begin to
play at that game, we might expect every day some blow-
up on the lines. However, what would have amounted
to a serious interruption formerly, is now only an incon-
venience; but in order that we may not be the only
sufferers, the General Government of Nancy has been
ordered by telegraph to impose a contribution of several
millions of francs as a punishment.
" There is a fire in St. Denis, as also in different other
places in Paris. The losses suffered by the French on
the 19th January were very great, upwards of 5000 men
probably. With regard to our own, it has turned
out that they amount to about 700 men, among them
some 30 officers.
" All the horses in Paris except those used for military
purposes, do not seem to have been slaughtered yet ; we
could plainly see, by means of telescopes, ladies driving
in carriages on the Pont de J6na.
" Bourbaki's position gets more and more desperate ;
the eleventh hour is striking, and his chance of escape is
gone."
" Versailles, 24th January.
" Yesterday, Jules Favre arrived here again from Paris
and called on Count Bismarck. As to the negotiations
which are to be set on foot, views are sure to differ widely
on the French and German sides, and they are likely to
be somewhat lengthy. But, even if they should be
broken off again to-day, or to-morrow, the French will
have to come some time and agree to what we propose."
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248 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
" Versailles, 26th January.
** Jules Favre, who had meanwhile returned to Paris,
has been here again since yesterday. He is terribly eager
to come to terms. What he most probably dreads is
a revolution, the signs of which are already becoming
apparent."
" Versailles, 27th January.
" Since mid-day the batteries on both sides have been
silent, and we are extremely busy with the negotiations
for a capitulation. The question is how far the Parisian
section of the government represents the country as a
whole."
** Versailles, 29th January.
" We were discussing the whole of yesterday, the
capitulation articles of Bismarck's convention with the
committee of French officers. This morning at 11 o'clock
the forts are to be surrendered. The French rulers seem
to be bent on obtaining peace ; when in some points we
did not at once give in they are said to have observed :
* In that case we cannot guarantee that we shall have
power enough to be able to carry out what we wish to
carry out.' We are looking forward eagerly to the
attitude which the provinces will assume in regard to
this agreement. Major Krause only returned last night,
after having been sent the day before yesterday to the
Crown Prince of Saxony with orders regarding the
occupation of the forts on the north and east fronts. He
was present at the entry into St. Denis."
" Versailles, 30th January.
" The Parisians have left yielding to their unavoidable
fate to the very latest. As the railways are destroyed, it
is questionable whether they will get enough provisions
in time. We shall assist them for a few days from our
stores. On the whole the desire for peace certainly
exists in the country, but it is doubtful whether on some
points there will not be opposition, especially in the
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The Struggle with the Republic 249
south, at Marseilles for instance. The most probable
thing is, that they will come to blows among themselves.
Nevertheless the present state of affairs will result in a
peace, unless, indeed, the government with which we are
negotiating gets upset by a riot in Paris, which is not at
all impossible. For the present, the district in which
Manteuffel and Bourbaki are measuring swords is excluded
from the armistice, and that on the demand of the French
negotiators !
" Perhaps they imagine that Bourbaki will succeed in
getting the better of our forces there, and that by such a
favourable turn of events the further negotiations would
be greatly influenced to their advantage. What a terrible
mistake to make ! We see clearly the catastrophe that
awaits Bourbaki ; therefore we can only be glad to see
that part of the seat of war excluded from the armistice.
In this manner we shall reap the fruits of our battles
and operations there.*'
Versailles, ist February.
" Yesterday Bronsart, Brandenstein, Krause and
myself took a drive of several hours to points which had
not been accessible so far, owing to the hostilities. First,
we drove beyond the battery of St. Cloud to the French
side, to see how it looked from there. It was con-
structed very cleverly on the slope, scarcely to be seen
by the enemy, as long as it was not in action, but as soon
as this was the case it offered a very good mark for the
enemy's guns. While engaged by the town in front,
Mont Val6rien lay in the flank of the battery, which,
however, was hidden from the fort by wooded heights ;
but the fire from the latter was watched from the ramparts
facing the battery, and the result communicated by
signals.^ Next we went to the blown-up bridge of Sevres,
where a lively traffic had now begun between the inhabi-
^ This battery of St. Cloud has probably had to stand the severest
fire of the enemy ; it lost eight men killed and some thirty wounded.
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250 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
tants and our outposts. A large number of people
from Paris have been allowed to pass through the
latter ; they had come out to see what had become of
their property. They cannot have got much pleasure
from the inspection, for a large number of houses have
had to be levelled in order to make the position of the V.
Corps defensible.
Then we proceeded to the batteries of Meudon which
are established on the terraces of the castle. In some
manner not explained yet, the castle was destroyed by fire
a few days ago ; the fire breaking out all at once so violently
in the rooms underground, that there was no chance of
extinguishing it. Yesterday the flames were still flaring
up now and then in the interior of the building ; there is
nothing left but the bare walls, and light clouds of smoke
envelope the ruins of the castle in which Prince Napoleon
once lived."
" VersaiUes, 2nd February.
" Yesterday came the news of the crossing of what was
the army of Bourbaki into Swiss territory. This has a
double importance for us, first, as being the conclusion
of one of the most brilliant of military operations, and
secondly, as one more guarantee for peace, France being
now deprived of its strongest army."
" Versailles, 5th February, evening.
'*On the 4th February I made use of my spare
time to drive up to Mont Val^rien with Brandenstein.
The weather was splendid. Many of our detachments
were changing quarters, as the houses nearer Paris can
now be occupied. The latter, which had been in the
zone of fighting until now, had been completely deserted
by their inhabitants. This transfer of our troops into
the empty houses looked just like a quarter day in one
of our large towns ; one man carried a lamp, another a
chair, a third plates, knives, forks, and a fourth the
beds, etc. All the'handy utensils for the house are carried
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The Struggle with the Republic 251
from one village to another, and many an inhabitant will
be surprised to find, on his return, a set of furniture in
his rooms which he has never seen before«
" The road up to Mont Val6rien is rather steep. In the
first line, we passed through Sandrart's ' gardens,' which
must be seen to get an idea of them.* His engineer
officer. Captain Firscher, spent several months on this
work ; and it certainly has been planned on a vast scale
and in a very practical manner. For thousands of yards
the long slopes have been cleared of their trees, in order
to obtain a clear field of fire for the different defensive
positions Ijang behind each other. The villas in the
way were levelled, many of the finest country houses
burnt out ; no staircases, no floors left, only the bare
walls, so that the enemy should not find shelter in them.
Enormous abattis, barricades and stockades, shelter
casemates, trenches with caponniires, newly constructed
military roads, etc., follow in endless succession.
" We drove through the park of St. Cloud on to the
battle-field of the 19th January, which was all the more
interesting, as we could now survey our positions from the
French side, and besides, in the opposite direction, had a
fine outlook over Paris. Before us lay Mont Val^rien,
from the large barracks of which the German colours
waved. Everywhere soldiers of the most varied regi-
ments came streaming up the steep cone in regular
order in their forage caps, but carrying rifles and
cartridges in case of need. They were brought up by
their officers by order of Headquarters, in order to have
a good look at the disagreeable * BuUerian,' as they had
baptized the fort, the fire of which had disturbed them for
so many days and nights. Looked at from the foot of
the mountain, the large barracks on the top looked like a
gigantic brewery ; thousands of soldiers were standing on
^ The extensive entrenchments in this district had been erected
by order of General von Sandrart, the commander of the 9th Infantry
Division.
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252 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
the ramparts, in order to have a look at Paris, which
gave the whole the appearance of a great popular fair.
" The ground on the top was very sofl. We wandered
about on the works with great interest, as every point
offered a new and splendid sight. Spread out peacefully
at our feet was the Bois de Boulogne ; behind, quiet and
noiseless, lay the vast sea of houses with its towers and
cupolas ; the heights of Romainville closed the horizon.
To the west we looked over the wooded hills of Garches
and Marly, from the water tower of which latter place
we had so often looked across here and seen the top
of Mont Val6rien wreath itself suddenly in clouds of
smoke and send its noisy greeting close to our feet. Farther
back lay St. Germain, with the dark shadow of the edge of
the park standing out clearly above the steep slope behind
the Seine. One could see over the whole valley, and the
windings of the river, as far as Gennevilliers, with its many
villages, as for example Malmaison, once so lovely, and
the long rows of houses of Rueil and Bougival, where
so much blood had flown. Special attention was further
attracted to that gigantic monster, the great gun, the
bursting of the shells of which had startled us so often
from our sleep with their noise.
" The Crown Prince too came up later on. I had a talk,
besides, with Miss von Kleist, the sister of the Princess
Pless, who is here as a sister of mercy. She has been for
a long time in danger of her life owing to blood poisoning
acquired in tending the wounded ; even now she can
only use one arm.
" On our way back we went along the Seine and through
the portion of St. Cloud which lies on the river, to the
bridge of Sevres, and back to our office.
" The part of St. Cloud which we passed is interesting,
because, after the engagement on the 19th January, a
party of Frenchmen had established themselves in a few
empty houses along the Seine, and their expulsion caused
us comparatively heavy losses. Some of the houses in
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The Struggle with the Republic 253
the place had to be levelled, to avoid any future
repetition of this."
" Versailles, 7th February.
" I can only repeat my impression that the desire for
peace is general throughout France. Only in the south,
which has not yet felt so fully the burden of war, they
will not give in so readily. Toulouse, Bordeaux, Marseilles
and Lyons are the centres of resistance, and we are
waiting to see what shape and dimensions it will take ;
but we shall know, before many days are over. In any
case, we shall have to wait and see how things will
develop in the country, and whether the government,
which is to be formed after the new French elections, will
be strong enough. It may be that things will take shape
pretty rapidly ; but if not, we shall have to face a totally
new situation, for which purpose the troops would have
first to be distributed afresh. So nothing can be settled
as yet about our return to Berlin."
"Versailles, 8th February.
" A short prolongation of the armistice will probably
become necessary. We shall be able perhaps to return
home at the end of February, or beginning of March. A
commission has been named for the arrangement of
details in regard to Paris, consisting, on our side, of
Acting Privy Councillor Count Hatzfeld and myself; on
the part of the French, of M. de Ring, whom we knew in
Berlin, with several assistants."
" Versailles, 9th February.
"Within the next few days a few army corps will
march away from here, as the cards must be shuffled
afresh, if the French mean to carry on the game. But I
do not think this will be the case. The armistice will
probably be prolonged by a week or a fortnight, as in the
time previously fixed, all the business cannot be con-
cluded."
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254 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
•* VersailJes, nth February.
" The result of the elections, which will be known by to-
morrow, will influence our attitude towards the French."
" Versailles, 13th February.
" Not even when operations were in full swing had I so
little time to myself as now. So many details have to be
settled that I scarcely know how to attend to them all.
From yesterday's conference with the French alone there
are a dozen propositions of theirs, which could not, with
the best intentions, be examined into. In order to save
me walking home from the ofiice, our chief invited me
to breakfast, to which I contributed, however, a fish."
"Versailles, 14th February.
" The* various meetings of the conference to-day kept me
busy uninterruptedly firom half-past 8 o'clock in the morn-
ing until half-past six. Jules Favre is expected here about
the prolongation of the armistice ; it is said that he
requested Count Bismarck to extend it until the^istof
this months whereupon the Chancellor is reported to have
answered : ' Alors I'armistice ne finira jamais,' this being
February and having no 31st in it."
"Versailles, 15th February.
" Favre did not come yesterday, as he had promised.
We should be within our right in breaking off the con-
vention at any moment, as the French are behindhand
with the surrender of their arms."
** Versailles, 1 6th February.
" Yesterday in the afternoon I went for a short time to
the bridge of Neuilly to get a little fresh air. It was
highly amusing to see the Parisians buying victuals in
the small market on this side of the river. Every-
where were seen most charming genre pictures. Here an
elegant lady holding up triumphantly a struggling rabbit ;
there an old gentleman with a delighted smile, squee;ring
through the crowd with two fowls under his arm, which
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The Struggle with the Republic 255
he had succeeded in buying. Access to the bridge was
really forbidden, but people were nevertheless let through
in batches, to make their purchases, while the band
of one of our regiments of Guards played lively music
lower down, on the bank of the Seine.
" In the evening I dined with Prince Charles. I was
sitting at the end of the table and had two old gentlemen of
high rank on either side who were both unfortunately deaf
just in that ear which was turned towards me. What
misunderstandings this produced! One of theih was
speaking of the trajectory of projectiles, the other, at the
same time, talking about Tancred and Clorinde."
** Versailles, 17th February.
The armistice has, for the present, been extended to
the 24th of February, i.e. only five days, counting fi:om
the 19th, but it will probably have to go on still longer.
Everybody is now coming to see Versailles ; old friends
are to be met at every step : Paul Kropff, little Charles
Schmeling, Augustus Kuhne (Johannes van Dewall), etc.,
have been here already, Flatow and Stocken I expect one
of these days, and a whole host of other acquaintances
have announced their coming."
** Versailles, 19th February.
" At present, peace negotiations and the election of a
new government in France are going on side by side.. I
hardly think it possible that everything will be arranged so
easily and quickly. I suppose that on the 24th February
the conditions of peace which we have laid down will be
agreed to by the French, but only in principle ; possibly the
preliminaries will be arranged, but the negotiations, as to
details, are likely to be continued much longer. We shall,
therefore, be able under these circumstances to send home
after the 24th, the Landwehr and some portions of the
army, but the rest will have to remain for some time longer ;
but it will be possible to increase their comfort by
distributing them over a wider area.
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256 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
''It is feared in Paris, and has been for some days, that
riots will break out."
" Versailles, 20th February.
" Monsieur Thiers is expected here, and it is also
whispered about, that our entry into Paris will soon
take place. But no one knows for certain what will be
the situation after the 24th, or what may happen later.
Prudence therefore requires us to be prepared for all con-
tingencies, and to be in full readiness in case the war should
have to be continued. But very few believe this will be
the case."
** Versailles, 21st February,
" Messrs. Thiers and Favre are here, and the first con-
ference between them and the Imperial Chancellor will
have begun by 12.30. These are momentous hours, as
to-day, or within the next few days, a conclusion must be
come to. Any prolongation of the armistice is conceiv-
able only under special guarantees and the acceptance
of the preliminaries of peace."
** Versailles, 23rd February.
"Metz and the number of milliards seem to be the
contested points in the negotiations. How much a
milliard is, there have been few until now who had any
real idea. From the birth of Christ up to to-day is less
than a milliard of minutes.*'
" Versailles, 25th February.
" Although we have not got all we wanted, we may yet
be satisfied with what we have got. However valuable the
possession of Belfort would have been, the certainty that
we could only have got it at the cost of a continuation of
the war, was decisive against persisting in this demand.
We, of course, possess sufficient means to carry on the war,
but neither its duration nor the greatness of the sacrifices
which we should have to make in that case, can b^
calculated, least of all the course which the internal affairs
of France might take, and which would influence most
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The Struggle with the Republic 257
seriously the conclusion of peace. Now we have at least
a government with which we can negotiate, and which
hopes to maintain its rule."
" Versailles, 27th February.
" Yesterday the peace preliminaries were signed here ;
as to the particulars, it will be superfluous to enter upon
them, as the telegraph has probably already given them
to you. On Wednesday, the first detachments are
to enter Paris. But if the French in Bordeaux are
quick with their ratification they will keep us altogether
firom entering; most likely, however, they will find it
necessary to make such long speeches, that parts of our
anny will yet have the opportunity of looking at Paris for
a few days. I do not think that there is any doubt about
the peace preliminaries being ratified at Bordeaux, but
how long some of our troops will have to remain in France,
is not to be foreseen as yet.
'^ General von Kameke has been nominated Comman-
dant of Paris, and Alfred Waldersee chief of his staff.
"We are engaged uninterruptedly with the Parisian
authorities in arranging details as to our entry, quarters,
etc.
" At dinner yesterday, after the peace preliminaries had
already been signed, the Emperor embraced our Moltke
most heartily."
*' Versailles, ist March.
" The entry into Paris takes place on the ist, 3rd and
5th of March, unless the gentlemen from Bordeaux arrive
here before then, with the ratified treaty. In that case we
have agreed to evacuate Paris as soon as they arrive. Not
more than 30,000 men will march in at one time ; moreover
there will only be a small zone occupied by us, viz. from
the Arc de Triompheas far as the gardens of the Tuilleries,
in order to avoid conflicts in the big town. The Emperor
will remain at Versailles. In the Bois de Boulogne, at
s
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258 With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
Longchamps, the entering troops will be inspected by him,
and it may be that he will then drive into the town for a
few hours."
" VersaiUeSy 2Dd March.
" The gentlemen from Bordeaux with the accepted treaty
are on the way, and as it may be signed to-day, we shall
perhaps have to clear out of Paris to-morrow."
" Versailles, 3rd March.
" We were in Paris yesterday ; it was a very interesting
sight; only very different from what a visit to that
metropolis generally means. Soon after i o'clock we drove
from here, Krause, HoUeben and myself, and were back
after six. We chose our route, first along the Seine, then
across a pontoon bridge at the foot of Mont Val^rien,
through the Bois de Boulogne to the Arc de Triomphe,
then by the Champs Elys6es to the Place de la Concorde,
where we stopped for some time at various places, as
for instance near the street leading to the Madeleine, then
again at the comer of the Rue de Rivoli and at the gate
of the Tuilleries gardens, near the sentry box, where we
found shelter a few years ago, at the invitation of a friendly
sentry, a Zouave of the Guard, when a thunderstorm
suddenly occurred.
** The weather was splendid. From the Trocadero we
had a wonderful view over the whole city, as far as Mont-
martre, the Buttes de Chaumont and the heights of
Romainville on one side, and the terrace of Meudon on
the other. The Champ de Mars was beneath us on the
left bank of the Seine, a very different sight, however, from
what it was when we saw it last. Then the tall exhibi-
tion buildings were there ; now it was all filled with tents
and wooden huts, in which the French troops were
encamped.
'' All the shops, indeed, were shut, but a number of
Parisians promenaded about in the quarter occupied by
us» the ladies dressed in black. The streets, however,
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The Struggle with the Republic 259
were crowded with our soldiers, whose different uniforms
enKvened the scene sufficiently. Besides the 30,000 men
of the troops of occupation, there were at least as many
more of our men present. For there was a rumour in the
air, that very likely the occupation would not extend to
the 3rd, and so every one who could reach Paris from his
quarters, went in : whole companies and battalions with
green twigs stuck in their caps, all saluting the Arc de
Triomphe with a hurrah ; everyone wanted to have been
at least once inside Paris, after having been lying so long
outside it.
" Where our sphere ended, the French had blocked the
streets with wagons, and occupied them with strong
piquets; but behind them, as far as the steps of the
Madeleine, and in the other streets, as far as the eye
could reach, people stood so densely packed, that they
could scarcely move an arm, and full of curiosity. The
busy life of the streets, so loud at other times, the street
cries, the talk and the uninterrupted roar of the traffic, all
were silent now. These hushed masses of people, the
troops under arms everywhere, all looked so strange,
so mysterious, so like a conspiracy, and as if an outbreak
might take place at any moment.
"Nothing, however, has happened; the fears which
were entertained at home for months in regard to the entry,
we ourselves have never shared. When we entered on
the previous day, a few street arabs hooted now and then,
which produced loud laughter among our men : that was
all. But I must not forget one thing : the faces of the
statues of towns standing on the Place de la Concorde, have
been draped with mourning ! I am afraid the impression
made on our people by this manifestation was a different
one from that made on the French !
" We met the Crown Prince and likewise Moltke in
Paris, when we were on our way back.
" As the treaty of peace was actually signed yesterday,
our troops will leave the town again. In a few days
s 2
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26o With the Royal Headquarters in 1870-71
we shall probably start for Compidgne and then gradually
shape our course for home."
'* Versailles, 4th March.
"The parade of the 3rd March was a fine one.
When troops at the end of such a hard campaign bear
themselves as well as they did here, one is tempted to
declare that the world has never seen such an army.
" An insurrection is imminent in Paris."
•* Versailles, 5th March.
" Negotiations were going on all day yesterday with the
French generals, as to the handing over of the forts and
other military arrangements. We shall probably leave
Versailles the day after to-morrow, or on Tuesday, and
return to Ferrieres. On the way, there is to be a parade
of the Saxons, Wurttembergers and Bavarians. From
Ferridres, the Emperor intends further to inspect the
forts on the north side of Paris, and also the troops in
Rouen and Amiens, and, according to present arrange-
ments, to return to Berlin on the i8th March.
" The French Government is expecting every day an
insurrection in Paris ; on their urgent request, permission
has been given to bring up immediately reinforcements
from the provinces ; the latter will probably arrive by rail
to-day or to-morrow.
" Generally speaking, the French rulers have immense
difficulties to overcome yet, and although we shall send
back our Landwehr, a large part of the army will have to
be held in readiness for some considerable time, to meet
all contingencies. My predictions of the beginning of
February are therefore likely to come true."
*• Versailles, 6th March.
" Early to-morrow we shall remove from here to
Ferridres. Our company has already dwindled down
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The Struggle with the Republic 261
considerably. Count Bismarck returns to-day. Roon
starts to-morrow for Berlin, only Prince Charles remains
here, and the Crown Prince comes to stay with us for
two days.
" I hope nothing will change our plans at the last minute,
and that we shall really arrive in Berlin on the i8th
March ; but one cannot be certain in these matters. We
are all rejoiced at the prospect of going home. The
hardships of the troops were certainly at times much more
severe than our own, but our unceasing work, with its
important bearing on the operations and its responsi-
bility, and the continuous straining of all the mental
faculties to the utmost, also makes itself after a time not
less forcibly felt. We, too, need some weeks of rest for
recovery."
As a matter of fact every one of us from time to time
has had moments when he began to feel that he possessed
nerves. I, also, have known days latterly, when I
felt exhausted, and only just managed to drag myself to
the office, and when, as soon as work did not demand the
exertion of my little remaining strength, I sank into a sort
of lethargic state.
It was during our stay at Ferrieres, that His Majesty
the Emperor asked me one day whether I still remembered
our conversation after the battle of Beaumont. I was able
to reply in the affirmative. It had happened in this way :
During the battle itself I had been with the suite of
H.R.H. the Crown Prince Albert of Saxony, and during its
progress I had sent reports to the Roysl Headquarters.
The King knew therefore exactly where I had been on the
30th August. On the next day, when he arrived at the
rendezvous, he beckoned me to his carriage before
descending, and assuming a grave expression, though I at
once saw that he was joking, he addressed me with these
words :
"Where were you all yesterday? I have not had a
single glimpse of you; I believe you must have been
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262 With the Royal Headquarters in i 87071
asleep all day/' I made free to answer : ** If that be so,
your Majesty, I have at least had a pleasant dream."
** What was it, tell me?" "That we had won another
battle." His Majesty smiled, and patting me on the
shoulder, said : " In that case I will only say : Go on
dreaming like that." Afterwards I had to report to
him the particulars of the battle.
Referring now to that conversation, the Emperor,
after I had told him that I recollected it very well
indeed, went on to say: "Well, I have been very
satisfied with your dreams, and you have gone on
having good ones."
After the great events of the war had closed, the minor
incidents which happened afterwards offer but little
interest, and I may therefore confine myself to summing
up the rest in a few words.
The Emperor had to abandon his intended journey to
the north, in consequence of a slight cold, and the
Crown Prince went in his stead. On the 13th March the
Royal Headquarters removed to Nancy, on the 15th
vid Metz and Mayence to Frankfort a/Main ; on the i6th
to Erfurt, while the Emperor went on ahead to Weimar.
On the 17th March, at five in the afternoon, the imperial
train arrived in Berlin, and was received in an enthusi-
astic and impressive manner by the endless cheers of
the inhabitants, who had come in multitudes to the
station.
A portion of the army remained in France some con-
siderable time, and witnessed before Paris the bloody
conflict which the government had to wage with the
unchained elements of the Commune.
Thus ended this ever memorable war, in which the
German nation stood shoulder to shoulder in arms as one
man, in trouble and in danger, and won that high reward
of victory, the new German Empire.
May those glorious times be ever present to the eyes of
the German people! May they never forget with what
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The Struggle with the Republic 263
sacrifices, what trials the goal was won, for which they
had yearned for centuries ! Unity alone conquered in
the tented field, and unity alone can preserve and
strengthen us in the steady work of peace.
God grant that it may be so !
the end.
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LONDON.
MINTID BY GILBERT AND KIVINOTON, LD.,
8T. JOHN'S BOUSB, CLBRKBNWSLL ROAD, E.C
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\
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