personal memoirs-2-第61章

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about　six　hundred　yards　off；　opened　fire；　making　it　so　very　hot　for

us　that；　hugging　the　necks　of　our　horses；　we　incontinently　fled。

Observing　what　had　taken　place；　a　troop　of　German　cavalry　charged　the

French　outpost　and　drove　it　far　enough　away　to　make　safe　our　return；

and　we　resumed　possession　of　the　point；　but　only　to　discover　that　the

country　to　the　east　was　so　broken　and　hilly　that　no　satisfactory　view

of　Metz　could　be　had。



Returning　to　Gravelotte；　we　next　visited　that　part　of　the　battlefield

to　the　northeast　of　the　village；　and　before　long　Count　Bismarck

discovered　in　a　remote　place　about　twenty　men　dreadfully　wounded。

These　poor　fellows　had　had　no　attention　whatever；　having　been

overlooked　by　the　hospital　corps；　and　their　condition　was　most

pitiful。　　Yet　there　was　one　very　handsome　man　in　the　groupa　captain

of　artillerywho；　though　shot　through　the　right　breast；　was

talkative　and　cheerful；　and　felt　sure　of　getting　well。　　Pointing；

however；　to　a　comrade　lying　near；　also　shot　in　the　breast；　he

significantly　shook　his　head；　it　was　easy　to　see　on　this　man's　face

the　signsof　fast　approaching　death。



An　orderly　was　at　once　despatched　for　a　surgeon；　Bismarck　and　I　doing

what　we　could　meanwhile　to　alleviate　the　intense　sufferings　of　the

maimed　men；　bringing　them　water　and　administering　a　little　brandy；

for　the　Count　still　had　with　him　some　of　the　morning's　supply。　　When

the　surgeons　came；　we　transferred　the　wounded　to　their　care；　and

making　our　way　to　Rezonville；　there　took　the　Count's　carriage　to

rejoin　the　King's　headquarters；　which　in　the　mean　time　had　been　moved

to　Pont…a…Mousson。　　Our　route　led　through　the　village　of　Gorze；　and

here　we　found　the　streets　so　obstructed　with　wagons　that　I　feared　it

would　take　us　the　rest　of　the　day　to　get　through；　for　the　teamsters

would　not　pay　the　slightest　heed　to　the　cries　of　our　postilions。　　The

Count　was　equal　to　the　emergency；　however；　for；　taking　a　pistol　from

behind　his　cushion；　and　bidding　me　keep　my　seat；　he　jumped　out　and

quickly　began　to　clear　the　street　effectively；　ordering　wagons　to　the

right　and　left。　　Marching　in　front　of　the　carriage　and　making　way　for

us　till　we　were　well　through　the　blockade；　he　then　resumed　his　seat；

remarking；　〃This　is　not　a　very　dignified　business　for　the　Chancellor

of　the　German　Confederation；　but　it's　the　only　way　to　get　through。〃



At　Pont…a…Mousson　I　was　rejoined　by　my　aide；　General　Forsyth；　and　for

the　next　two　days　our　attention　was　almost　wholly　devoted　to　securing

means　of　transportation。　　This　was　most　difficult　to　obtain；　but　as　I

did　not　wish　to　impose　on　the　kindness　of　the　Chancellor　longer；　we

persevered　till；　finally；　with　the　help　of　Count　Bismarck…Bohlen；　we

managed　to　get　tolerably　well　equipped　with　a　saddle…horse　apiece；

and　a　two…horse　carriage。　　Here　also；　on　the　afternoon　of　August　21；

I　had　the　pleasure　of　dining　with　the　King。　　The　dinner　was　a　simple

one；　consisting　of　soup；　a　joint；　and　two　or　three　vegetables；　the

wines　vin　ordinaire　and　Burgundy。　　There　were　a　good　many　persons　of

high　rank　present；　none　of　whom　spoke　English；　however；　except

Bismarck；　who　sat　next　the　King　and　acted　as　interpreter　when　his

Majesty　conversed　with　me。　　Little　was　said　of　the　events　taking

place　around　us；　but　the　King　made　many　inquiries　concerning　the　war

of　the　rebellion；　particularly　with　reference　to　Grant's　campaign　at

Vicksburg；　suggested；　perhaps；　by　the　fact　that　there；　and　in　the

recent　movements　of　the　German　army；　had　been　applied　many　similar

principles　of　military　science。



The　French　army　under　Marshal　Bazaine　having　retired　into　the

fortifications　of　Metz；　that　stronghold　was　speedily　invested　by

Prince　Frederick　Charles。　　Meantime　the　Third　Army；　under　the　Crown

Prince　of　Prussiawhich；　after　having　fought　and　won　the　battle　of

Worth；　had　been　observing　the　army　of　Marshal　MacMahon　during　and

after　the　battle　of　Gravelottewas　moving　toward　Paris　by　way　of

Nancy；　in　conjunction　with　an　army　called　the　Fourth；　which　had　been

organized　from　the　troops　previously　engaged　around　Metz；　and　on　the

22d　was　directed　toward　Bar…le…Duc　under　the　command　of　the　Crown

Prince　of　Saxony。　　In　consequence　of　these　operations　the　King

decided　to　move　to　Commercy；　which　place　we　reached　by　carriage；

traveling　on　a　broad　macadamized　road　lined　on　both　sides　with

poplar…trees；　and　our　course　leading　through　a　most　beautiful　country

thickly　dotted　with　prosperous…looking　villages。



On　reaching　Commercy；　Forsyth　and　I　found　that　quarters　had　been

already　selected　for　us；　and　our　names　written　on　the　door　with　chalk

the　quartermaster　charged　with　the　billeting　of　the　officers　at

headquarters　having　started　out　in　advance　to　perform　this　duty　and

make　all　needful　preparations　for　the　King　before　he　arrived；　which

course　was　usually　pursued　thereafter；　whenever　the　royal

headquarters　took　up　a　new　location。



Forsyth　and　I　were　lodged　with　the　notary　of　the　village；　who　over

and　over　again　referred　to　his　good　fortune　in　not　having　to

entertain　any　of　the　Germans。　　He　treated　us　most　hospitably；　and

next　morning；　　on　departing；　we　offered　compensation　by　tendering　a

sumabout　what　our　bill　would　have　been　at　a　good　hotelto　be　used

for　the　〃benefit　of　the　wounded　or　the　Church。〃　　Under　this

stipulation　the　notary　accepted；　and　we　followed　that　plan　of　paying

for　food　and　lodging　afterward；　whenever　quartered　in　private　houses。



The　next　day　I　set　out　in　advance　of　the　headquarters；　and　reached

Bar…le…Duc　about　noon；　passing　on　the　way　the　Bavarian　contingent　of

the　Crown　Prince's　army。　　These　Bavarians　were　trim…looking　soldiers；

dressed　in　neat　uniforms　of　light　blue；　they　looked　healthy　and

strong；　but　seemed　of　shorter　stature　than　the　North　Germans　I　had

seen　in　the　armies　of　Prince　Frederick　Charles　and　General　von

Steinmetz。　　When；　later　in　the　day　the　King　arrived；　a　guard　for　him

was　detailed　from　this　Bavarian　contingent；　a　stroke　of　policy　no

doubt；　for　the　South　Germans　were　so　prejudiced　against　their

brothers　of　the　North　that　no　opportunity　to　smooth　them　down　was

permitted　to　go　unimproved。



Bar…le…Duc；　which　had　then　a　population　of　about　15；000；　is　one　of

the　prettiest　towns　I　saw　in　France；　its　quaint　and　ancient　buildings

and　beautiful　boulevards　charming　the　eye　as　well　as　exciting　deep

interest。　　The　King　and　his　immediate　suite　were　quartered　on　one　of

the　best　boulevards　in　a　large　buildingthe　Bank　of　Francethe

balcony　of　which　offered　a　fine　opportunity　to　observe　a　part　of　the

army　of　the　Crown　Prince　the　next　day　on　its　march　toward　Vitry。

This　was　the　first　time　his　Majesty　had　had　a　chance　to　see　any　of

these　troopsas　hitherto　he　had　accompanied　either　the　army　of

Prince　Frederick　Charles；　or　that　of　General　Steinmetzand　the

cheers　with　which　he　was　greeted　by　the　Bavarians　left　no　room　for

doubting　their　loyalty　to　the　Confederation；　notwithstanding　ancient

jealousies。



While　the　troops　were　passing；　Count　Bismarck　had　the　kindness　to

point　out　to　me　the　different　organizations；　giving　scraps　of　their

history；　and　also　speaking　concerning　the　qualifications　of　the

different　generals　commanding　them。　　When　the　review　was　over　we　went

to　the　Count's　house；　and　there；　for　the　first　time　in　my　life；　I

tasted　kirschwasser；　a　very　strong　liquor　distilled　from　cherries。

Not　knowing　anything　about　the　stuff；　I　had　to　depend　on　Bismarck's

recommendation；　and　he　proclaiming　it　fine；　I　took　quite　a　generous

drink；　which　nearly　strangled　me　and　brought　on　a　violent　fit　of

coughing。　　The　Chancellor　said；　however；　that　this　was　in　no　way　due

to　the　liquor；　but　to　my　own　inexperience；　and　I　was　bound　to　believe

the　distinguished　statesman；　for　he　proved　his　words　by　swallowing　a

goodly　dose　with　an　undisturbed　and　even　beaming　countenance；

demonstrating　his　assertion　so　forcibly　that　I　forthwith　set　out　with

Bismarck…Bohlen　to　lay　in　a　supply　for　myself。



I　s