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diff --git a/old/62451-0.txt b/old/62451-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 51f56ed..0000000 --- a/old/62451-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2872 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Emperor William First, by A. Walter - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Emperor William First - The Great War and Peace Hero (Life Stories for Young People) - -Author: A. Walter - -Translator: George P. Upton - -Release Date: June 22, 2020 [EBook #62451] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK EMPEROR WILLIAM FIRST *** - - - - -Produced by D A Alexander, Stephen Hutcheson, and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - [Illustration: _EMPEROR WILLIAM FIRST_] - - _Life Stories for Young People_ - - - - - EMPEROR WILLIAM FIRST - THE GREAT WAR AND PEACE HERO - - - _Translated from the German of - A. Walter_ - - BY - GEORGE P. UPTON - _Translator of “Memories,” “Immensee,” etc._ - - WITH FOUR ILLUSTRATIONS - - [Illustration: A. C. McCLURG & CO.] - - CHICAGO - A. C. McCLURG & CO. - 1909 - - Copyright - A. C. McClurg & Co. - 1909 - Published August 21, 1909 - - THE UNIVERSITY PRESS, CAMBRIDGE, U. S. A. - - - - - Translator’s Preface - - -Upon the titlepage of the original of this little volume stands -inscribed, “A life picture for German youth and the German people.” It -might, with equal pertinency, have been written, “A life picture for all -youth and all people.” Emperor William First was a delicate child, but -was so carefully nurtured and trained that he became one of the most -vigorous men in Germany. At an early age he manifested a passionate -interest in everything pertaining to war. In his youth he received the -Iron Cross for bravery. He served under his father in the final wars of -the Napoleonic campaign, and in his twenty-third year mastered not only -the military system of Germany, but those of other European countries. -During the revolutionary period of 1848 he was cordially hated by the -Prussian people, who believed that he was wedded to the policy of -absolutism, but before many years he was the idol of all his kingdom, -and in the great war with France (1870), all Germans rallied round him. - -After the close of this war he returned to Berlin and spent the -remainder of his days in peace, the administration of internal affairs -being left largely to his great coadjutor, Prince Bismarck. In -connection with Von Moltke, these two, the Iron Emperor and the Iron -Chancellor, made Germany the leading power of Europe. In simpleness of -life, honesty of character, devotion to duty, love of country, and -splendor of achievement, the Emperor William’s life is a study for all -youth and all people. - - G. P. U. - -Chicago, May 10, 1909. - - - - - Contents - - - Chapter Page - I Early Life 11 - II A Hard School 19 - III Years of Peace 36 - IV Troublous Times 42 - V In Trust 49 - VI The Austro-Prussian War 56 - VII The Franco-Prussian War 64 - VIII Sedan 73 - IX Army Anecdotes 88 - X Family Life of the Emperor 101 - XI The Emperor’s Death 112 - Appendix 128 - - - - - Illustrations - - - Emperor William First _Frontispiece_ - The cornflower wreaths 22 - The two Emperors 68 - The Emperor’s deathbed 116 - - - - - Emperor William First - - - - - Chapter I - Early Life - - -King Frederick William Second was still upon the throne of Prussia when -his son and successor, afterward Frederick William Third, was married to -the lovely Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. The memory of this noble pair -is treasured in every Prussian heart, and their self-sacrificing -devotion to the people, their benevolence and piety, will serve as a -shining example for all time. - -On the fifteenth of October, 1795, a son was born to them, the future -King Frederick William Fourth, and on the twenty-second of March, 1797, -the Crown Princess gave birth to a second son, whose name was destined -to be inscribed in golden letters in the book of the world’s history. -Although a handsome boy, his health was so delicate as to cause his -parents much anxiety, and it seems almost like a special dispensation of -Providence that he should have lived to an age far beyond that usually -allotted to the fate of mortals. - -On the third of April the christening took place in the Crown Prince’s -palace. Chief Councillor of the Consistory Sack stood before the altar, -which was ablaze with lighted tapers, and ranged before him in a wide -semicircle were the priests, the Crown Prince, and the godparents. -Others present were the King and Queen; the widowed Princess Louise, a -sister of the Crown Princess and afterward Queen of Hanover; Princes -Henry and Ferdinand of Prussia, brothers of Frederick the Great, with -their wives; Princes Henry and William, brothers of the Crown Prince; -their sister, the Electress of Hesse-Cassel; Prince George of -Hesse-Darmstadt, and the hereditary prince Frederick William of Orange. -Proxies had been sent by the Czar and Czarina of Russia, Prince William -of Nassau, the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt, and the Landgrave of -Hesse-Cassel. The principal governess, Countess Voss, handed the child -to the King, who held him during the ceremony. He received the names -Frederick William Louis, with the understanding that William was the one -by which he should be known. - -On the sixteenth of November of that same year Frederick William Second -was gathered to his forefathers, and the father of our hero ascended the -throne of Prussia. Their assumption of royal honors made no change in -the simplicity of the august pair’s affection for each other or their -devotion to their children, and whenever time and opportunity permitted, -they gladly laid aside the oppressive form and ceremony of the court for -the pure and simple pleasures of home life. Every morning and evening -they went hand in hand to the nursery to enjoy the growth and -development of their children, or, bending with loving caresses over -their cradles, committed them to the fatherly care of the Almighty. The -simple cradle with its little green curtains in which Prince William -dreamed away his infancy is still preserved in the Hohenzollern Museum -at the Monbijou Palace, a touching reminder of the delicate child who -was afterward to be so famous and to serve as an instrument for the -fulfilment of the mighty decrees of Providence for the welfare of his -people. - -The early years of Prince William’s life passed happily and peacefully -by. Watched over with tenderest love and care by his noble parents, -their devotion and piety, their readiness to sacrifice themselves for -each other or for their people, their prompt and cheerful fulfilment of -duty, and the courage that never failed them even in the darkest hours, -all made a deep impression on the child’s sensitive nature and helped to -form the character that distinguished the heroic Emperor up to the last -days and hours of his life. - -There was little prospect at that time of William’s ever wielding the -sceptre, for his elder brother was a strong, healthy lad, and the crown -seemed in all human probability likely to descend to him and his heirs. -It was important, therefore, for the younger son to choose some vocation -which would enable him to be of use to the Fatherland and prove himself -worthy of his illustrious ancestors. - -The Prince’s devoted tutor, Johann Friedrich Gottlieb Delbrück, -carefully fed his mind with the history and glories of the house of -Brandenburg, a study of which he never tired and to which he applied -himself with untiring zeal. Learning from this that a well-disciplined -standing army, firmly supported by public sentiment, was the first and -most important requisite for the advancement and maintenance of the -monarchy, he determined to devote himself to a military career and use -all his energy to fit himself for that high and difficult calling, that -he might furnish a stout support to his brother’s throne. But he had -shown a natural fondness for soldiers at an early age, long before -arriving at this maturer resolution, an inclination which his father had -carefully encouraged. The two little Princes, with their cousin -Frederick, son of the deceased Prince Louis, received their first -military instruction in Potsdam from a noncommissioned officer of the -first Battalion of the Guard, named Bennstein, and in Berlin from -Sergeant Major Cleri of the Möllendorf Regiment. The King was often -present at these exercises to note their progress, praise or criticise, -and as a reward for their industry, arranged a delightful surprise for -them. - -It was Christmas Eve of the year 1803. In the royal palace at Berlin the -lighted Christmas-tree glittered and sparkled, its branches bending with -the weight of gifts provided by the royal parents for their children. -All was silent, for the family were still at divine service, with which -they always began the celebration of the holy festival. Suddenly the -clear stroke of a bell sounded through the quiet room, the great doors -flew open as if of their own accord, and the King and Queen entered with -their excited children. A perfect sea of light streamed toward them from -the huge tree that towered almost to the ceiling and filled the air with -its spicy fragrance, while red-cheeked apples and gilded nuts nodded a -friendly greeting from its branches. Here the beautiful Louise, -Prussia’s beloved Queen, reigned supreme, gayly distributing gifts and -enjoying the delight of her precious children, while the King stood -quietly by, his eyes shining with fatherly happiness. All at once the -six-year-old William gave a shout of joy. Before him, carefully tucked -away under the boughs of the tree, he saw a gay little uniform. What -joy! what bliss! The red dolman with its white cords and lacings, the -blue furred jacket, the bearskin cap, and the sabre filled his cup of -happiness to overflowing, and the happy little fellow could find no -words to thank the kind parents who had so unexpectedly granted his -heart’s desire. It was the uniform of the Rudorff Regiment, now the -Ziethen Hussars, and the Christ-child had brought his brother, the Crown -Prince, that of the body-guard, and his cousin Frederick that of a -dragoon. The next morning the three boys dressed up in their new -costumes and the delighted father presented them to the Queen as the -youngest recruits in his army. But none of them was so proud as William, -and very fine he looked in his first soldierly dress. - -Two years later he saw the uhlan regiment Towarczysz, at that time the -only one in Prussia, and was so charmed with its singular uniform that -he begged his father for one like it. The King, always ready to -encourage his military tastes, granted his wish, and from that time he -alternated between a uhlan and a hussar. That year he also saw the -famous old dragoon regiment Ansbach-Baireuth of which the Queen was -commander, and the sight of his mother in her regimental colors made a -deep impression upon him. - -Though he was passionately devoted to soldiering, childish sports and -games were not neglected, especially during the Summer, when the royal -family went for a few weeks to their country place at Paretz. Here the -King and Queen encouraged their children to associate freely with all -classes—from the village children to future army officers at military -schools. It was naturally among the latter that the Princes found most -of their playmates. The knowledge of the people he gained in this way -proved a great and lasting benefit to Prince William. - -Thus happily and peacefully, surrounded by luxury and splendor, watched -over with tenderest care, our hero’s life slipped by till the end of his -eighth year, when a storm burst over the country that shook the Prussian -throne to its foundations. - - - - - Chapter II - A Hard School - - -The throne of France was occupied at that time by the insatiable -Napoleon I. Born on the island of Corsica, the son of an advocate, he -entered the French army during the Revolution and rose step by step -until by his remarkable talents and ability he attained the highest -honors of state. His ambition was to make France mistress of the world, -and aided by the blind devotion of the people he seemed in a fair way of -realizing this dream, for one country after another succumbed with -astonishing rapidity to his victorious legions. - -Prussia was spared for some time, but in 1806 King Frederick William -Third, unable for his own honor or that of his country longer to endure -Napoleon’s aggressions, was reluctantly forced to declare war, and the -country’s doom was sealed. Deluded by the traditions of former glories -under the great Frederick, the army and its leaders thought it would -prove an easy task for the battalions that had once withstood the onset -of half Europe to protect the frontiers of the Fatherland against the -Corsican conqueror, but disaster followed swiftly. The guns of Jena and -Auerstädt scattered those golden mists of self-delusion and betrayed -with startling clearness the degeneracy of the military organization, -which, like the machine of government, bore little trace of Frederick -the Great’s influence save in outward forms. - -The defeat of October 14, 1806, decided the fate of Prussia. Like a -roaring sea the French swept over the country, and two days later it -became necessary for the safety of the royal children to remove them -from Berlin. Their nearest refuge was the castle at Schwedt on the Oder, -where their mother joined them, prepared to share with her darlings the -cruel fate that had befallen them. Sitting with her two eldest sons and -their tutor Delbrück that evening, she spoke those stirring words that -proved such a help and inspiration to Emperor William in after years. - -“In one day,” she said, “I have seen destroyed a structure which great -and good men have labored for two hundred years to build up. There is no -longer a Prussian kingdom, no longer an army, nor a national honor. Ah, -my sons, you are already old enough to appreciate the calamity that has -overtaken us. In days to come, when your mother is no longer living, -think of these unhappy times and weep in memory of the tears I now am -shedding. But do not weep only! Work, work with all your strength! You -yet may prove the good geniuses of your country. Wipe out its shame and -humiliation, restore the tarnished glory of your house as your ancestor, -the great Elector, avenged at Fehrbellin his father’s disgraceful defeat -in Sweden! Do not allow yourselves to be influenced by the degeneracy of -the age! Be men, and strive to attain the glorious fame of heroes! -Without such aims you would be unworthy the name of Prussian princes, -successors of the great Frederick; but if all your efforts are powerless -to uplift your fallen country, then seek death as Prince Louis Ferdinand -sought it!” - -Their stay in Schwedt was but a short one. The rapid advance of the -French army, driving the retreating Prussians before them, compelled the -Queen and her children to flee to Dantzig and Königsberg, where they -would be safe for a time at least. But what a journey it was! There was -no time to make any preparations for their comfort. Day and night they -pressed on, without stopping to rest, in any kind of a vehicle that -could be obtained, over rough roads and through a strange part of the -country, often suffering from hunger and thirst, their hearts full of -sorrow and anxiety for the beloved Fatherland. - -Emperor William used to relate an incident connected with this journey -which makes a touching picture of those dark days. “While my mother was -fleeing with us from the French in that time of tribulation,” he said, -“we had the misfortune to break one of the wheels of our coach, in the -middle of an open field. There was no place for us to go, and we sat on -the bank of a ditch while the damage was being repaired as well as -possible. My brother and I were tired and hungry, and much put out by -the delay. I remember that I especially, being rather a puny lad, -troubled my dear mother greatly with my complaints. To divert our minds, -she arose and, pointing to the quantities of pretty blue flowers with -which the field was covered, told us to pick some and bring them to her. -Then she wove them into wreaths as we eagerly watched her dexterous -fingers. As she worked, overcome with thoughts of her country’s -sorrowful plight and her own danger and anxiety for the future of her -sons, the tears began to drop slowly from her beautiful eyes upon the -cornflower wreaths. Smitten to the heart by her distress and completely -forgetting my own childish troubles, I flung my arms about her neck and -tried to comfort her, till she smiled and placed the wreath upon my -head. Though I was only ten years old at the time, this scene remains -undimmed in my memory, and after all these years I can still see those -blossoms all sparkling with my mother’s tears, and that is why I love -the cornflower better than any other flower.” - - [Illustration: _The cornflower wreaths_] - -At Königsberg the Queen was attacked with a fever, but this did not -prevent her from continuing her flight to Memel with her children in -January, 1807. It seemed doubtful at one time if she would live to get -there, but she insisted upon pressing on, through cold and storm, ill as -she was. Once, almost at the point of death, she was forced to spend the -night in a poor peasant’s hut, without proper food or covering, the -freezing wind blowing through the broken windowpanes and scattering -snowflakes on her wretched cot. But God did not forsake the heroic -Queen, and she succeeded at last in reaching Memel, there to await the -no longer doubtful issue of the war, which cost Frederick William Third -half of his kingdom. This sudden change from peace and prosperity to -deepest humiliation was the anvil on which Providence forged the sword -that was one day to make Germany a united and powerful nation, and some -words of the Queen’s, written at this time to her father, are -significant and memorable. - - “It may be well for our children to have learned the serious side of - life while they are young. Had they grown up surrounded by ease and - luxury, they would have accepted such things as a matter of course; - that must always be so. But alas! their father’s anxious face and - their mother’s tears have taught them otherwise.” - -Our hero was ten years old when the King was forced to sign the -disastrous peace of Tilsit, and according to the usual custom he was -raised at this age to the rank of officer. The great event should -properly have taken place March 22, 1807, but owing to the unsettled -state of the country his father presented him with his appointment on -New Years’ Day, just before the royal family left Königsberg for Memel, -and he was made ensign in the newly formed regiment of foot-guards. At -Christmas he was advanced to a second-lieutenantship, and on June 21, -1808, marched with his regiment back to Königsberg. A report made about -this time states: “Prince William, during his first two years of service -with the Prussian infantry, has become familiar with every detail of -army life and is already heart and soul a soldier,”—a tribute well -deserved by the young officer, for he was faithful and industrious and -devoted to his profession. The two following years that the royal family -remained in Königsberg were an important period in the life of Prince -William. The sole tuition of Delbrück no longer satisfied the Queen, and -on the advice of Baron von Stein, she appointed General Diericke and -Colonel Gaudy as governors for the Crown Prince, and Major von Pirch and -Professor Reimann for Prince William. At the same time Karl August -Zeller, a pupil of the Queen’s honored Swiss teacher Pestalozzi, was -summoned to Königsberg and given charge of the school system. He also -assisted in the education of Prince William, whose untiring zeal and -industry caused him to make steady and rapid progress in all branches of -learning. His best efforts, however, were given to his military duties, -and he eagerly treasured up everything that was said at court of famous -generals and heroes. - -On November 12, 1808, he paraded for the first time with his regiment. -In September of the following year he was present at the placing of the -memorial tablets to the first East Prussian Infantry in the palace -chapel at Königsberg, and after the court had returned to Berlin, he -entered that city with his regiment on his parents’ wedding anniversary, -December 24, 1809. It was a melancholy home-coming, and never again did -our hero make so sad an entry into his capital, for in spite of the joy -with which the citizens welcomed the return of their beloved sovereigns -once more, the country’s shameful bondage under the yoke of Napoleon lay -heavily on all hearts. No one felt the disgrace more keenly than Queen -Louise, however: it rankled in her bosom and gradually consumed her -strength till her health began to give way under it. - -In the Summer of 1810 she visited her father at Strelitz, whither the -King soon followed her, and it was decided to make a long stay at the -ducal castle of Hohenzieritz, hoping the change and rest might benefit -the Queen. Soon after her arrival, she was taken seriously ill with an -acute attack of asthma, but recovered sufficiently by the first of July -for the King to return to Charlottenburg, where the royal family were -then in the habit of spending the Summer. For some days she seemed much -better, but the attacks of pain and suffocation soon returned, and on -the nineteenth of July the King hastened back to Hohenzieritz, where he -found his wife fully conscious but so altered in appearance that he was -forced to leave the room, weeping aloud. As soon as he had recovered his -self-control he returned to the Queen, who laid her hand in his with the -question: - -“Did you bring any one with you?” - -“Yes, Fritz and William,” replied the King. - -“Ah, God! what joy!” she cried. “Let them be brought to me.” - -The two boys came in and knelt beside their mother’s bed. “My Fritz, my -William!” she murmured repeatedly. Soon the paroxysms seized her again, -the children were led away weeping bitterly, and soon afterward the King -closed forever those eyes that had been the light of his life’s dark -pathway. - -The death of their beloved Queen turned all Prussia into a house of -mourning, so deeply did the sorrowful news affect the hearts of her -subjects. Still deeper and more lasting, however, was the impression -made upon Prince William by the early loss of his adored mother. All -through his life her memory was treasured as a holy image in his heart, -and to his latest days he never forgot her devotion and self-sacrifice, -or that nineteenth of July which deprived him of a mother’s care, his -father of the best of wives, and the nation of a noble sovereign and -benefactress. - -The years passed on, but Prussia did not remain in her deep humiliation, -prostrate and powerless. A new spirit began to awake, and through the -efforts of such men as Stein and Hardenberg, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, -who nobly and without hope of reward devoted themselves to the -redemption of the Fatherland, a feeling began to stir throughout the -country that the day of deliverance must come. And it did come. Arrogant -with his successes and thirsting for fresh conquests, Napoleon in the -year 1812 aspired to seize the mighty Russian Empire and add it to his -dependencies, but there a check was placed on his victorious career. To -be sure he penetrated as far as Moscow, expecting to winter there, but -the Russians sacrificed their ancient capital and Napoleon with his -troops was driven from the burning city out into the open country in the -depth of Winter. The Lord of Hosts seemed to have allied himself with -the Russians to destroy the disturber of the peace of Europe, for the -Winter was an early and unusually severe one and Napoleon was forced to -order a retreat. And what a retreat it was! Day after day, through the -heavy snows and the bitter cold, plodded the exhausted soldiers, pursued -and harried by the Russians like hunted animals. Of the five hundred -thousand men who set out in all the proud assurance of victory, only a -few thousands returned again to France. It was a bitter blow to the -aspiring conqueror—God himself had dealt out judgment to him! He hastily -collected together a new army, it is true, but now all Germany was -allied with Russia to defeat the tyrant’s schemes. The glorious war of -1813-1815 was about to begin. - -Among those great men who had labored untiringly to emancipate Prussia -from the yoke of France, the work of reorganizing the army had fallen -chiefly to Scharnhorst. - -It had been his idea to train the whole population of the smaller -outlying States in the use of arms, and thus continually to introduce -fresh forces into the army of forty thousand men which Prussia was -allowed to support, to take the place of older and well-disciplined -regiments which were dismissed. The news of Napoleon’s disastrous -experience in Russia filled the Prussians with new hope and enthusiasm, -but the King was slow to determine on any decisive action. Napoleon -still had powerful resources at his command, and if the struggle for -which the people clamored were to go against them, the ruin of Prussia -would be complete. Further delay, however, became at last impossible, -and on January 22, 1813, Frederick William left Berlin, where his -personal safety was still menaced by French troops, and removed the -court to Breslau. An alliance was concluded, February 28, between Russia -and Prussia, and on March 17 war was declared against Napoleon. That -same day General Scharnhorst’s ordinance in regard to the militia was -carried into effect and the large body of well-drilled men which he had -been quietly training for so long, took their place in the newly formed -army. - -Shortly before this, on his deceased wife’s birthday, March 10, the King -established the order of the Iron Cross. - -“With God for King and Fatherland!” was the watchword with which Prussia -entered the struggle that was to lift her to her old position of power -and independence or end in hopeless ruin. The King issued a call for -troops and the whole nation responded. Not a man but would gladly die -rather than longer endure the shame of subjection. The lofty spirit of -their departed Queen seemed still to inspire the hearts of the people, -for they arrayed themselves against the conqueror who had chosen the -heroes of Pagan antiquity for his models, with a Christian faith and -devotion rarely equalled in the history of the world. Prince William too -longed with all his heart to take part in the liberation of Prussia and -with tears in his eyes besought his father to allow him to take the -field, but out of regard for his son’s health the King was obliged to -refuse his prayer, and he remained in Breslau, in bitter discontent, -anxiously waiting and hoping for news from the seat of war, at that time -so difficult to obtain and so slow in arriving. Even his advance to a -first-lieutenantship in the course of the summer failed to cheer him, -for he felt that he had done nothing to deserve it. But after the battle -of Leipzic, in which the French were routed and driven back across the -Rhine, the King returned to Breslau and, handing the Prince a captain’s -commission, placed on his shoulders with his own hands the epaulettes -then just introduced for army officers, and told him to prepare to join -the army. This was joyful news indeed! On to France, on against the foe -that so long had held the Fatherland in bondage and sent his adored -mother to a premature grave! His heart beat high with pride and courage, -and he could hardly wait for the day of departure, which was finally set -for November 8. - -The French were already driven out of Germany at that time and the -victorious allies had pursued them into their own country. On January 1, -1814, the King and his son reached Mannheim, on the Rhine, and were soon -across the borders and in the midst of the seat of war. From Brienne and -Rosny sounded the thunder of cannon, and at Bar-sur-Aube on February 27 -Prince William was permitted for the first time to take part in active -service. - -Early on the morning of that day the King sent for his two sons (the -Crown Prince had been with the army from the beginning of the war) and -said to them: “There will be a battle to-day. We have taken the -offensive and there may be hot work. You shall watch it. Ride on and I -will follow, but do not expose yourselves to danger unnecessarily. Do -you understand?” - -The brothers dashed off to General Prince Wittgenstein, where their -father joined them, and they were soon in the middle of the fight and in -constant danger of their lives. Suddenly the King turned to Prince -William. “Ride back and find out what regiment it is over yonder that is -losing so many men,” he ordered. Like a flash William was off, followed -by admiring glances from the soldiers as he galloped calmly through the -hail of bullets, obtained the desired information, and rode slowly back. -The King made no comment, but General Wittgenstein, who had watched the -Prince with apprehension, gave him a kindly glance and shook him warmly -by the hand, William himself seeming quite unconscious that he had been -in such danger and had just received his baptism of fire. - -On March 10, his mother’s birthday, he received from his father’s hand -the Iron Cross, and a few days before this the royal allies of Prussia -and Russia had bestowed on him the fourth class of the Order of Saint -George for his bravery. These two decorations, which can only be won -under fire, made the Prince realize for the first time the real meaning -of the incident at Bar-sur-Aube. - -“Now I know,” he said, “why Herr von Jagow and Herr von Luck pressed my -hand and why the others smiled so significantly.” - -The Emperor wore these two little crosses to the end of his life, with -special pride, as the first honors he ever won, and would never have -them replaced by new ones. They were precious relics of his baptism of -fire at Bar-sur-Aube. - -Swiftly the tide of war rolled on. Battle after battle was won. Napoleon -was dethroned and banished to the island of Elba, and on March 31, 1814, -Prince William made his first victorious entry into the enemy’s proud -capital. Here he took up his quarters in the Hotel of the Legion of -Honor and on May 30 received the rank of Major in the army. After -visiting England and Switzerland with his father in the course of the -Summer, our hero returned to Potsdam on the King’s birthday (August 3), -where he was joyously welcomed by his sisters. The following year -Napoleon escaped from Elba and regained possession of the throne of -France, only to exchange it after a sovereignty of one hundred days for -the lonely island of Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean. - -On June 8 of this year (1815) the confirmation of Prince William took -place, having been postponed till that date on account of the war. In -the palace chapel at Charlottenburg he took the usual vows and laid down -for himself at the same time those principles of life and conduct that -are a splendid witness to his nobility of mind, his seriousness of -purpose, his sincere piety and faith in the Almighty, and his lofty -conception of the duties of his high calling. - - - - - Chapter III - Years of Peace - - -After his confirmation Prince William was hastening back to the seat of -war when the news of Napoleon’s defeat and banishment reached him. -Nevertheless he kept on and entered Paris again with the army. During -the three months that he remained there this time he suffered from a -sharp attack of pleurisy, from which he quickly recovered, however. This -was the last evidence of his early delicacy, for henceforth he enjoyed -the most robust health and was able to endure all the hardships of a -soldier’s life, devoting himself to his chosen profession with the -greatest energy and enthusiasm and striving earnestly to advance the -military power and standing of Prussia to a place among the great -nations of Europe. - -Even during his father’s reign, as well as that of his brother, he was -considered the soul of the army and looked upon by the troops as a -pattern of all the military virtues, while with his indefatigable -activity in all branches of the service he rose rapidly to the highest -commands. Frederick William Third was not slow to recognize his son’s -abilities, for when in 1818 he made a journey to Russia with the Crown -Prince, he intrusted the entire management of military affairs to him -during his absence. The following year the Prince received a seat and -voice in the ministry of war, thus enabling him to acquire as thorough a -knowledge of army organization and administration as he had already -gained in practical experience. Thereafter he took part in all military -conferences, while special details and commissions of inspection -familiarized him by personal observation with army affairs in general. - -The close family ties between the royal houses of Prussia and Russia, -brought about by the marriage of the Princess Charlotte, William’s -sister, to the Grand Duke Nicholas, afterwards Czar, caused our hero to -be drawn into active intercourse with St. Petersburg. At the time of the -wedding, which took place in Berlin, it fell to his share to accompany -his sister to her future home and represent the Prussian throne at the -festivities there. He was received with great honors in St. Petersburg -and improved the occasion by attending the military manœuvres which were -held there and at Moscow. His personal relations with the Russian court -were very intimate and were the cause of frequent visits thither in the -ensuing years. - -The routine of his professional duties was often varied by journeys and -visits required by the service—such as that to Italy in 1822, and a long -one made in 1826 with his younger brother Charles to the court of -Weimar, from which the two Princes carried away the most delightful -recollections, especially of the Princesses Marie and Augusta, whose -acquaintance they had made on that occasion. Nor was it to end in -memories, for Prince Charles’s betrothal to the Princess Marie was soon -announced, and on May 26, 1827, the young couple were married. As for -William, several visits to the hospitable grand-ducal court convinced -him that no other princess possessed to such a degree the qualities -necessary to his life’s happiness as the modest and amiable Princess -Augusta, and they became betrothed in February, 1829, the marriage -following on June 11 of that year. - -In May Prince William journeyed to St. Petersburg to invite his sister -and her husband to the wedding, and on his return went directly to -Weimar to escort his fair bride to Berlin. On June 7 the Princess -Augusta bade farewell to her beloved home; two days later the bridal -party reached Potsdam, and on the tenth the state entry from -Charlottenburg took place. The Prussian capital had not failed to -prepare a royal welcome for Prince William’s bride, the fame of whose -virtues had preceded her, and all Berlin was agog to see and greet the -lovely Princess and the happy bridegroom. The magnificent wedding lasted -for three days, after which the royal pair took possession of the -so-called Tauenziensche House which had been assigned to the Prince as -his official residence. Later it was bought by him and rebuilt by the -architect Langhaus in substantially the form in which the present palace -at the entrance of the Linden has become familiar to every German as the -residence of the Emperor William First. - -The home life of the Prince and Princess was charmingly simple and -domestic and their marriage a singularly happy one, founded on mutual -love and respect. Both were distinguished for deep religious feeling, a -strong sense of duty and the responsibilities of their position, as well -as a deep-rooted love of the Fatherland. On October 18, 1831, the -anniversary of the battle of Leipzic, the Princess Augusta presented her -husband with a son, afterward the beloved Emperor Frederick, whose -untimely death was so deeply deplored; and on December 3, 1838, she gave -birth to a daughter, Louise Marie Elizabeth, the present Grand Duchess -of Baden. These new joys brought also new duties into the lives of the -royal parents in the education of their children, to which they devoted -themselves with the most loving care. While the father endeavoured to -develop in his son the qualities requisite to make a good soldier, the -clever mother saw to it that his education should not be military only. -She was a constant patroness of art and learning and was determined that -her Fritz should have a thorough knowledge of science and be a lover of -the fine arts, while her daughter Louise was early taught to employ her -time usefully and to become accustomed to serious work under her -mother’s guidance. - -After 1835 the family began to spend the Summer months at the Schloss -Babelsberg on the Havel, the site of which had been discovered by Prince -William at the time of some army manœuvres in that neighborhood in 1821. -After their marriage the artistic young wife had drawn the plans for a -country residence there, which was afterward enlarged considerably, and -thus arose the Babelsberg palace. The surroundings were soon converted -by expert hands into gardens and a magnificent park, and it became the -favorite residence of the Emperor in his later years. He used to spend -much time there, and far from wishing to hide its beauties from his -subjects, he loved to have people come and wander through the beautiful -grounds. The minister of war, Van Roon, indeed, tells how the old -Emperor once left his work to permit his study to be shown to some -visitors who had come a long distance to gaze on the abode of their -beloved sovereign. - - - - - Chapter IV - Troublous Times - - -On June 7, 1840, that sorely tried monarch Frederick William Third, who -had borne so much with and for his people, breathed his last, and the -Crown Prince ascended the throne as Frederick William Fourth, William -receiving the title of Prince of Prussia as had that brother of -Frederick the Great who afterward succeeded him, thus being raised to -the rank and dignity of a Crown Prince, for the marriage of Frederick -William Fourth was childless. - -On June 11 the body of the deceased King was laid to rest in the -mausoleum at Charlottenburg beside that of his noble and much-lamented -Queen. And now began a period of ferment, difficult to understand by -those not directly concerned in it or its after effects. Even at the -time of the War of Liberation a feeling of discontent had begun to show -itself among the people of Germany at the condition of affairs created -by the allies at the so-called Congress of Vienna in 1814-1815. There -was an ever-increasing demand for popular representation in the -legislature, what is now called the Diet or House of Deputies, and also -a closer consolidation of the national strength and resources, such as -would be afforded by a German Confederation for the purpose of restoring -the Empire to its old power and importance. These ideas, as yet but -half-formed and visionary, were agitated, especially by the youth of -Germany, with a spirit and enthusiasm that appeared so dangerous to the -existing order of things as to require suppression. At the time of the -French Revolution of 1830, they began to assume more definite form, -though under the paternal rule of Frederick William Third no general -movement was attempted by his subjects. With the accession of Frederick -William Fourth, however, the time seemed to have come to demand the -exchange of an absolute monarchy for a constitutional form of -government, and also, perhaps, the reëstablishment of the German Empire; -but in both respects their hopes were doomed to disappointment. The -King’s refusal to grant the people a voice in the government was as firm -as his rejection of the offer of an imperial throne. His action aroused -a deep feeling of dissatisfaction throughout the country, which was -increased by several years of bad crops and famine, until at last the -French Revolution of 1848 lighted the torch of insurrection in Germany -also. - -Frederick William Fourth had already assigned to his brother, the Prince -of Prussia, the responsible post of guardian of the Rhine, and at the -outbreak of these disturbances he made him Governor General of the -Rhenish provinces and Westphalia. Before the Prince had left Berlin, -however, the uprising had spread to that city also, so he remained in -close attendance upon the King, taking a leading part in his councils as -first Minister of State. Frederick William Fourth was much disturbed by -such an unheard-of state of affairs in Prussia, and possibly failed to -appreciate the significance of the outbreak, but rather than come to -open conflict with his people he had all the troops sent away from -Berlin. Bitter as the recollection must be, it remains a lasting honor -to the Prussian army that this trying order was obeyed without a murmur -or complaint, and adds another laurel to those since won on many a -hard-fought field. The removal of the troops gave the insurgents free -scope for a time, and the efforts of the leaders to direct the anger of -the deluded populace against the army, that stanch and loyal bulwark of -the throne, resulted in setting the turbulent masses against the Prince -of Prussia likewise, who was well known as the army’s most zealous -friend and patron. They even went so far as to threaten to set fire to -his palace, but a few patriotic citizens succeeded in restraining them -at the critical moment. To avoid any further occasion for such excesses, -the King sent his brother away to England, where he remained until the -storm had subsided, returning in May, 1848, to Babelsberg, where he -spent several months in retirement. The King was finally forced to -recall the troops, then under the command of General von Wrangel, to -quell the tumult in Berlin, and shortly afterwards Prussia was given its -present constitution, by which the people were granted a chamber of -representatives. - -The insurrection of 1848, meanwhile, had spread throughout the country -and led to a revolution in Baden, which overthrew the existing -government and assumed such serious proportions that the Grand Duke -besought the help of King Frederick William Fourth, who at once -despatched his brother, the Prince of Prussia, to Baden with an army. It -was William’s first experience as a commander. - -In June, 1849, he proceeded from Mainz to the Palatinate of Bavaria, -where he was welcomed with open arms by the inhabitants. With the -assistance of his gallant young nephew Frederick Charles, he soon -quickly crushed the insurgents who were besieging the Palatinate and -pushed on across the Rhine to Baden, where in a succession of -engagements he proved an inspiring example of coolness and courage to -his enthusiastic troops. After the fight at Durlach, the townspeople -brought out bread and wine for the victorious Prussians. The Prince was -also offered a piece of bread, which he was about to eat with relish -when he saw a hungry soldier watching him with longing glances. Quickly -breaking it in two he held out half to the man, saying kindly, “Here, -comrade, take some too!” - -It was by such acts as this that he won the devotion of his soldiers. On -June 25 he entered the capital, Carlsruhe, and was hailed with joy by -the citizens, while the leader of the rebellion retired to the castle of -Rastall, where, after a few more unsuccessful resistances, the greater -part of the insurgents also took refuge. The Prince immediately laid -siege to the place, and with such good results that on July 23 it -surrendered at discretion, and the Prussians took possession the same -day. On August 18 the Grand Duke of Baden returned to his capital, -accompanied by the Prince of Prussia, to whom he gave public thanks as -the restorer of order in the country, and soon after William set out on -his return to Berlin, where he was welcomed with enthusiasm by his -family, the populace, and above all by the army. - -His duties as military governor of Westphalia and the provinces of the -Rhine required him to take up his residence at Coblentz, where he -remained till 1857, with occasional journeys made in the interest of the -service or for the government. These were unsettled and not very -pleasant times, for Austria was perpetually seeking to undermine the -power of Prussia and more than once the sword was loosened in its -sheath. But there were bright spots also in the lives of the princely -pair, such as the marriage of their daughter Louise to the Grand Duke of -Baden. Another favorite wish was gratified by the alliance of Prince -Frederick with the Princess Royal, Victoria of England, in 1857. Fresh -troubles occurred in this year also, for on the occasion of some army -manœuvres at Giebichenstein, King Frederick William Fourth was stricken -with apoplexy and his brother was appointed to represent him at the head -of the government. At first it was hoped that the trouble might be -relieved, and the arrangement was made for three months only; but the -apoplectic fits continued at intervals, and at the end of a year, -finding his condition worse rather than improved, the King was forced to -make the Prince of Prussia Regent of the kingdom. Four years later -Frederick William Fourth was released from his sufferings, and his -brother ascended the throne of Prussia as William First. - - - - - Chapter V - In Trust - - -Our hero was nearly sixty-four years old when he was called by -Providence to assume this exalted position, an age at which men usually -begin to look about for a quiet spot wherein to end their days in peace -and freedom from care. But for King William, though already on the -threshold of age, this was out of the question. This Nestor among German -princes had been chosen as an instrument for the restoration of national -unity and power. It was his task, as head of the “Holy German Empire,” -to overthrow all her enemies and crown her arms with victory and fame. -And nobly did the venerable monarch fulfil this trust, keeping a -watchful eye on the interests and welfare of the Fatherland for more -than twenty-seven years. - -The aims and hopes with which he began his reign are set forth in the -proclamation issued to his people at that time. It hints too at the -serious struggle he saw approaching, in which Prussia would have to -fight for her existence against the neighboring countries, jealous of -her growing power. It had been the labor of his life to provide the -country with a strong, well-disciplined army; his task now as sovereign -was to make it equal in size to any demand that might be made upon it. -During his regency he had tried to secure the consent of the Diet to a -large increase in the standing army, and preliminary measures had -already been taken to this effect, but after the Prince’s accession to -the throne the House of Deputies withdrew its consent and absolutely -refused to grant the necessary appropriation. This was a hard blow to -the King, but he felt that his duty to the country required him to -persist in his demands, a decision in which he was loyally upheld by his -recently appointed councillor, Otto von Bismarck, a man of remarkable -talents and ability, to whom might well be applied the poet’s words: - - “He was a man, take him for all in all, - I shall not look upon his like again.” - -For a time, however, their efforts met with no results, the Diet -remaining firm in its refusal, and finally disclaiming any participation -in the policy of the government, domestic or foreign. Not until great -events had occurred, not until splendid proofs had been furnished of the -wisdom of the King’s judgment, were the representatives convinced that -the aims of the government were for the country’s best good. Nor was it -long before an opportunity for such proofs was offered. - -For many years the Kings of Denmark had appropriated to themselves the -title of Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, though more as a matter of form -than of real sovereignty, for the two sea-girt duchies had retained -their own constitution, their laws, and their language. Within the space -of ten years, however, it had become more and more apparent that Denmark -was aiming at complete absorption and suppression of their nationality. -In 1840, and again in 1850, they had struggled to retain their -independence, but in vain, being too weak themselves and meeting with -insufficient support from their German brethren, who at that time had -all they could manage with their own affairs. When, however, on November -15, 1863, King Frederick Seventh of Denmark died and Christian Ninth -ascended the throne, Germany decided to interfere in behalf of the -duchies. As the various States could come to no agreement, Prussia and -Austria, as the two leading powers, took matters into their own hands. -The Danish King was called upon to evacuate Holstein within forty-eight -hours and to withdraw the form of government introduced into Schleswig, -and on his refusal to comply with these demands Schleswig was at once -invaded. The general command of the expedition was given to Von Wrangel, -Prince Frederick Charles leading the Prussian troops, Field Marshal -Lieutenant von Gablenz the Austrians who had come on through Silesia and -Brandenburg. - -On February 1, 1864, Wrangel gave the order to advance “in God’s -name!”—an order which proved the signal for a succession of heroic deeds -that covered the German army with glory, for from the Danish War sprang -that between Prussia and Austria two years later, and in 1870 the -Franco-Prussian War. The first of February, 1864, therefore, surely -deserves a place in the pages of history as the starting point of the -glorious achievements of the German army and the victorious career of -its royal commander. - -King William himself took no active part in the Danish War. Only about -one and a half army corps were mobilized, too small a force to be under -the command of the sovereign of so powerful a nation as Prussia. But -when after a number of victorious engagements Prince Frederick Charles -succeeded in storming Düppel and capturing all the supposedly -impregnable intrenchments, thus proving that Prussia’s old valor still -survived in a younger generation, King William could no longer keep away -from his victorious troops. His arrival in Schleswig was hailed with joy -by the people as well as the army, and at Grevenstein he held a review -of the columns that had fought so brilliantly at the storming of Düppel, -praising and thanking them personally for their bravery. He also visited -the hospitals, encouraging the wounded with his presence and kindly -words of cheer. The people of Schleswig were assured that their affairs -would be brought to a happy issue, and a feeling of confidence in the -speedy liberation of their brethren from the power of Denmark spread -throughout Germany. - -And so it proved, for on June 28 the enemy’s defeat was completed by the -capture of the island of Alsen, used by the Danes as a storehouse for -arms and provisions. A truce was proclaimed, and on October 30, 1864, -the Peace of Vienna was concluded, by which the King of Denmark -renounced all his rights to the duchies of Schleswig, Holstein, and -Lauenburg in favor of the King of Prussia and the Emperor of Austria, -and agreed to recognize whatever disposition the allies should make of -the three States. This treaty, by completely freeing the duchies from -the power of Denmark, realized one of the dearest wishes of the people, -a wish that had long been cherished in the hearts of patriots; while to -Germany it gave a greater increase of territory and influence than had -fallen to her share for many years. - -In spite of this fact, however, the idea of German unity still seemed -far from realization owing to the conflicting interests of the several -States, of which there were more than thirty, each jealous of the -slightest supremacy of the others. When Prussia proposed, therefore, -that the three duchies should be governed by their liberators rather -than be added to the German States, of which there were already too -many, the plan was bitterly opposed by the majority of the -Confederation. But Prussia was determined not to yield, and with the -coöperation of Austria succeeded in carrying her point. By the treaty of -Gastein it was agreed that Austria should assume the provisional -administration of Holstein, and Prussia that of Schleswig, while -Lauenburg was made over to the Prussian government for the sum of seven -and a half million marks. - -It would seem that the army’s splendid achievements might have inclined -the Diet to withdraw its long-standing opposition to the plans and -wishes of the government, but such was not the case. Not only did the -majority of representatives refuse as before to grant any appropriation -for increasing the army, but also failed to make provision for the cost -of the recent victorious campaign, expecting in this way to force the -government to yield. Nothing was farther, however, from the intentions -of King William and his trusty councillor, Bismarck. Firmly convinced -that they were in the right, it would have seemed treachery to the -Fatherland to abandon their purpose. Recognition of their efforts must -come some time, and as it proved, that day was not far distant. - - - - - Chapter VI - The Austro-Prussian War - - -At Gastein, as has already been stated, the Schleswig-Holstein affair -had been brought to a settlement, but it was only a preliminary one. -Fresh disputes soon broke out between the two powers. Austria, already -regretting her compliance, inclined more and more to the side of the -enemies of Prussia, who wished to restore the independence of Schleswig -and Holstein and make them part of the Confederation. The old jealousy -broke forth anew, and, unable to reconcile herself to any real increase -of Prussian power, Austria attempted to force King William to yield to -the wishes of the Confederation. Laying before the Diet the danger of -permitting Prussia to have its way, she succeeded in having a motion -carried to oppose that power. Convinced that war was again inevitable, -King William declared all former negotiations off, and urged Saxony, -Hanover, and electoral Hesse to form an alliance preserving their -neutrality. But here, too, meeting with a repulse, he was forced to put -his whole army in the field and enter the struggle alone. His real -feelings on the subject are evident from his parting words to Prince -Frederick Charles after war had been declared and the march of troops -into the enemy’s country had begun: - -“I am an old man to be making war again, and well know that I must -answer for it to God and to my conscience. Yet I can truthfully declare -that I have done all in my power to avert it. I have made every -concession to the Emperor that is consistent with the honor of Prussia, -but Austria is bent on our humiliation and nothing short of war will -satisfy her.” - -Thus with a firm faith in God’s help and the righteousness of his cause -the aged monarch placed himself at the head of his army, resolved to -perish with it rather than yield in this vital question. Nor did he -trust in vain. By forced marches Generals Vogel von Falkenstein and von -Manteuffel invaded northern Germany, took possession of Hanover, and -forced King George, after a gallant resistance at Langensalza, to -capitulate, abdicate his throne, and abandon the country permanently. -The main army, divided into three parts, commanded respectively by the -Crown Prince, Prince Frederick Charles, and General Herwarth von -Bittenfeld, speedily overran the enemy’s country, and before the King -had left for the seat of war he was informed by telegraph of the -victories of Skalitz and Münchengrätz, of Nachod and Trautenau. The -first decisive results had been accomplished by the Crown Prince, and on -the morning of June 29 the King joyfully shouted to the people from the -open window of the palace: “My son has won a victory—good news from all -quarters! All is well—my brave army!” The next day he left Berlin, and -on July 2 reached Gitschin in Bohemia, where he was welcomed with joy by -Prince Frederick Charles and his victorious troops. On the following day -occurred one of the most famous battles of history—that of Königgrätz. - -The King had just lain down to rest the previous night on the plain iron -camp cot that accompanied him everywhere, when Lieutenant General von -Voigts-Rhetz reached Gitschin with the news that the Austrians were -stationed between the Prussian army and the Elbe. King William at once -summoned his great strategist, General von Moltke, and Adjutant Count -von Finkenstein was hastily despatched to the Crown Prince with orders -to bring up his army, which was then in the mountains of Silesia. The -guns were already booming from the neighboring heights and the smoke of -battle beginning to fill the valleys like a mist when the King mounted -his favorite mare Sadowa at the little village of Kleinitz, early on the -morning of July 3, and dashed into the thick of the fray. The fire was -so sharp that his staff, large enough to have been easily taken for a -regiment of cavalry, was forced to scatter, but finally reached a -position on the Roscoberg, where Count Finkenstein soon appeared with -word that the Crown Prince was already on the march. Hour after hour -passed, however, and nothing was to be seen of him. The issue was -critical, and King William’s anxiety grew more and more intense, until -at last, about two o’clock in the afternoon, the guns of the Crown -Prince were heard in the enemy’s rear and the day was won. The Austrians -were soon in full flight and were pursued as far as the Elbe by the -victorious foe. - -Soon after the Crown Prince’s arrival the King left the Roscoberg and, -followed by his staff, rode down into the battle-field, urging the men -to fresh valor by his inspiring presence, and disregard of danger from -the enemy’s fire. None of his escort dared remonstrate with him, until -at length the faithful Bismarck summoned courage and, riding up beside -the King, begged him not to place his life in such jeopardy. Kindly but -earnestly he answered: “You have done right, my friend. But when these -brave fellows are under fire, the King’s place is with them. How can I -retire?” - -The results of this splendid victory were decisive, but the chief glory -rests with the Crown Prince, whose troops after a long and exhausting -march arrived just in time to save the day. It was a touching moment -when the father and son met upon the field of battle, and all eyes were -wet as the King, embracing Prince Frederick with fatherly pride, pinned -on his breast the Order of Merit. The crushing defeat of Königgrätz -effectually broke the enemy’s resistance, and the Prussians had advanced -almost within sight of Vienna when the announcement of a truce put an -end to hostilities. - -In southern Germany the army of the Main under General Vogel von -Falkenstein had also ended the struggle by a series of successful -engagements, and on August 23 a treaty of peace was signed at Prague, by -which Austria agreed to withdraw from the German Confederation; and -Schleswig-Holstein, Hanover, electoral Hesse, Nassau, and the free city -of Frankfort-on-the-Main were permanently incorporated with Prussia. -Thus were King William’s labors at last crowned with success. Alone and -almost without a friend in Germany he had gone forth to battle against a -powerful enemy, and victory had been his. Beyond the Alps, however, he -had found a friend in need in King Victor Emmanuel of Italy, who had -aided him by attacking Austria at the same time from the south, thus -dividing her forces. Covered with laurels, the victorious troops -returned, meeting with ovations everywhere, but especially in Berlin. -The whole city was _en fête_ to welcome them. Triumphal arches were -erected. Countless wreaths, banners, and garlands of flowers decorated -the streets. Strains of music, pealing of bells, thunder of cannon -proclaimed the arrival of the army, as it entered the city gates, headed -by the heroic monarch and greeted with tumultuous shouts by the -populace. An altar had been erected in the Lustgarten, where a praise -service was held, the troops and people joining in singing “Ein’ feste -Burg ist unser Gott.” The eleventh of November was appointed as a day of -general thanksgiving throughout the country, and trees were planted -everywhere in commemoration of the joyful occasion. - -The results of this war did even more than those of the preceding one -with Denmark to prove the wisdom of the King’s position in regard to the -army, besides the large increase of territory it brought to Prussia. By -far the most important issue of the campaign, however, was the -establishment of the North German Confederation and the conclusion of an -offensive and defensive alliance between this and the South German -States, by which both agreed to respect the inviolability of each -other’s territory and bound themselves in time of war to place their -whole military force at the other’s disposal, the chief command of the -united armies to be intrusted in such case to King William of Prussia. -Thus did our august hero advance slowly but surely toward the -realization of his hopes and aims, and visions of a restoration of the -glories of the ancient holy German Empire already thrilled the hearts of -patriots with a promise of the final fulfilment of their long-cherished -dreams, as the King in his magnificent speech before the Imperial Diet -on February 24, 1867, painted in glowing terms the future of a united -Fatherland. Even the Prussian House of Deputies were weary of the long -contention, and in the face of the universal recognition and admiration -awarded their sovereign’s achievements, it abandoned its opposition to -the government, and the King’s courage and perseverance were at last -rewarded. - - - - - Chapter VII - The Franco-Prussian War - - -The period immediately following the Austro-Prussian War was a -comparatively peaceful one, but the gradual increase of national -strength and power in Germany had long since aroused the jealousy of -France, and there was little hope of bringing about the unification of -the country until the opposition of this hereditary enemy had been ended -by a final and decisive struggle. And for this France herself soon -furnished a pretext, though without any just cause. - -The throne which Napoleon Third had seized by force was weak and -crumbling, and it was only with the greatest difficulty that he was able -to keep up an appearance of the magnificence for which his court had -been famous. Nor was it founded on patriotism and love of liberty, those -firm supports of sovereignty; on the contrary, the present occupant of -the throne of France had aroused much dislike and condemnation among his -subjects, and not without cause. Public dissatisfaction throughout the -country increased daily, and the Emperor, alarmed for the future, -determined at length that the only resource left him was to occupy the -attention of the people by a great war, and give them something else to -think of. Should it prove successful, his sinking star would doubtless -rise once more to dazzling heights, while if defeated, no worse fate -could overtake him than that which now threatened. As to whom the war -should involve in order to make the strongest appeal to the sentiments -and prejudices of the French, there could be no doubt, for from the -earliest times there has been no nation so hated by them as Germany. -Ever since the battle of Königgrätz King William and his ministers had -felt sure that France would not view Prussia’s increase of power without -a protest, though they had been careful to avoid giving her any pretext -for making trouble. But there is an English saying, “Where there is a -will there is a way,” the truth of which was proved by the French. - -After the revolution which had deposed Queen Isabella the Spaniards were -looking about for a King, and of the many candidates who offered -themselves their choice fell on Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern. This was -cause enough for grievance on the part of France, and King William, as -head of the house of Hohenzollern, was requested through the French -ambassador Benedetti to forbid his kinsman’s acceptance of the Spanish -crown. To this our hero replied by refusing to put any constraint on the -Prince’s decision; but Leopold, finding that his acquiescence in the -wishes of Spain was likely to cause serious complications between France -and Prussia, voluntarily withdrew his candidacy, thus, it would seem, -removing any cause for trouble between the two powers. France, however, -whose chief desire was to humiliate Prussia, had no intention of -allowing this opportunity to slip through her fingers. Benedetti was -ordered to obtain from King William, who was then staying at Ems, a -written declaration that he regretted the annoyance this matter had -caused Napoleon and would never again permit Prince Leopold to be a -candidate for the throne of Spain. - -The King’s behavior on receipt of this insulting demand was worthy of so -great a sovereign. Calmly turning his back on the obtrusive Benedetti, -he refused to have anything more to say to him and referred him to the -ministry in Berlin for further discussion of the subject. This was on -the thirteenth of July, 1870, and a stone now marks the spot on the -promenade at Ems where this brief conference took place. - -War was declared on the following day in Paris, and King William -responded by issuing an order for the immediate mobilization of the -entire army. The news was hailed with joy throughout the country. -Napoleon had already brought about the very thing he most wished to -prevent—the unification of all the German-speaking peoples. The whole -nation rose in indignation at the insult that had been offered to the -aged King, and his return to Berlin was like a triumphal progress. -Everywhere crowds assembled to greet him, eager to express their -admiration of the dignified way in which he had met the insolence and -presumption of France. His appearance in the capital was hailed with -wildest enthusiasm by his loyal subjects, and, deeply moved by their -devotion, the King turned to his companions, saying: “This is as it was -in 1813!” What most gratified him, however, was the despatch that -promptly arrived from South Germany, which, but a short time since in -arms against Prussia, now that a common enemy threatened the Fatherland, -hastened to enroll her whole forces under the banner of the -commander-in-chief. Little did France know the people or the spirit of -Germany when she counted on the support of the South German States, -expecting them to hail her with joy as their deliverer from the yoke of -Prussia! Events now crowded fast on one another, yet there was little -commotion in the country. Thanks to King William’s splendid -organization, even this sudden mobilization of the whole army proceeded -quietly and steadily, as if it were no more than the execution of some -long-prepared-for manœuvre,—a state of things that served to calm and -encourage both army and people. The German forces were divided into -three great armies: the first, commanded by General von Steinmetz, -stationed along the Moselle; the second, under Prince Frederick Charles, -at the Rhine Palatinate; while the third, consisting chiefly of the -South German troops under the Crown Prince, occupied the upper Rhine -country. - - [Illustration: _The Two Emperors_] - -The King left Berlin July 31 to take command of the united forces. At -half-past five in the afternoon the iron gates of the side entrance to -the palace were flung open and the King and Queen drove out in an open -carriage drawn by two horses. A roar of welcome greeted the vigorous old -hero, who in military cloak and cap sat bowing acknowledgment to the -rousing cheers of his enthusiastic subjects, while the Queen at his side -seemed deeply affected. The royal carriage could scarcely make its way -through the weeping and rejoicing throngs that swarmed about it all the -way to the railway station, eager to bid farewell to their beloved -sovereign and wish him a happy return. Banners floated from the roofs of -houses and handkerchiefs fluttered from open windows,—a scene which was -only typical of the feeling that pervaded the whole land. At the station -the King’s companions were already awaiting him, his brother Prince -Charles, General of Ordnance, and that great trio who had so ably -assisted him in the previous war, Bismarck, von Moltke, and Minister of -War van Roon, surrounded by a group of other generals. After the Queen -had departed, King William entered the waiting train and moved off -westward toward the seat of war, followed by the unanimous shout “With -God!” - -And truly God was “with King and Fatherland,” for in seemingly endless -succession the telegraph brought news to the astonished people of one -great victory after another. The French were wildly enthusiastic when -with two entire army corps they finally forced a single Prussian -battalion of infantry and three squadrons of uhlans to retreat after the -latter had held out for fourteen days, and then with more than twenty -guns bombarded the unprotected town of Saarbrücken; but it was to be -their only occasion for rejoicing. - -On the fourth of August Queen Augusta received the following message: - - “A splendid but bloody victory won by Fritz at the storming of - Weissenberg. God be praised for this first glorious achievement.” - -The news quickly spread throughout the country, bringing joy and renewed -confidence to all hearts. Two days later word came of a second victory -for the Crown Prince. He had completely defeated the great Marshal -MacMahon at Wörth, August 6, and King William in his despatch to his -wife might with just pride send word to Berlin that “it should be in -love with Victoria!” - -A series of engagements followed, in the neighborhood of Metz, on the -fourteenth, sixteenth, and eighteenth of August, which changed the -general plans of the German army. The French Marshal Bazaine had -attempted to invade the enemy’s territory from that place, but without -success, while MacMahon, who had advanced from Châlons to the borders of -the Palatinate and Baden, had suffered such losses at Weissenberg and -Wörth that he was forced to fall back to his former position. It was -therefore decided that the two French armies should unite in the -neighborhood of Châlons and, thus strengthened, offer battle to the -enemy. To prevent this, the Germans at once attacked Bazaine, cutting -off his retreat to Châlons and occupying him until the arrival of some -of their delayed corps. The manœuvre was successful, and after two days -of hard fighting at Courcelles on the fourteenth, and Mars la Tour on -the sixteenth, the struggle culminated two days later in the great -battle of Gravelotte. It was for life or death; the desperate struggle -of a brave army—the best, perhaps, that France ever sent into the field. -But all in vain. Closer and closer about them drew the iron ring. German -courage and tenacity permitted no escape. - -At nine o’clock that evening King William sent his wife this despatch -from the camp at Rezonville: - - “The French army attacked to-day in strong position west of Metz. - Completely defeated in nine hours’ battle, cut off from communication - with Paris, and driven back towards Metz. - - “William.” - -In the letter that followed he says: - - “It was half-past eight in the evening before the firing ceased.... - Our troops accomplished wonders of bravery against an equally gallant - enemy who disputed every step. I have not dared to ask what our losses - are. I would have camped here, but after several hours found a room - where I could rest. We brought no baggage from Pont-à-Mousson, so I - have not had my clothes off for thirty hours. Thank God for our - victory!” - - - - - Chapter VIII - Sedan - - -Bazaine was now shut up in Metz and closely surrounded by the first, -seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth corps, under the command of Prince -Frederick Charles; MacMahon’s diminished army had retreated to Châlons, -where it was met by the Garde Mobile. Except for this the road to Paris -was open. It was therefore determined by the Germans to mass all their -available forces and advance upon the capital without delay. It was -fully expected at headquarters that MacMahon would dispute their way and -that another battle must first be fought in the neighborhood of Châlons. -Great was the surprise, therefore, when news was brought by scouts that -the enemy had abandoned this important post and retired northward. This -was inexplicable. Why not have gone to the westward in the direction of -Paris? The commander-in-chief was not easily deceived, however, and as -for Moltke, one must indeed rise betimes to get the better of him in -strategy. MacMahon’s purpose soon became apparent. By a wide circuit -from Châlons northeast to the Belgian frontier, and then southward -again, he hoped to annihilate the besieging forces at Metz, release -Bazaine, and thus reinforced to attack the rear of the army that was -advancing on Paris,—a fine plan, but not fine enough to succeed against -King William and his generals. A flank movement by the combined German -forces to the right was ordered and a series of forced marches made to -intercept MacMahon before he could reach Metz. It was a bold and -exciting chase, led by the Crown Prince, Frederick William. - -The French struggled desperately to gain their end, but all in vain; on -the first of September they found themselves completely surrounded at -Sedan, a fortress on the Belgian frontier, and forced to a decisive -battle. King William himself was in command, and what a battle it was! -Prussians, Bavarians, Würtembergers, Saxons vied with one another in -deeds of daring and contempt of death against an enemy who, with the -courage of despair, accomplished marvels of valor; yet when the day was -ended MacMahon’s army had surrendered, and with it the author of all the -trouble,—Napoleon himself. - -Great were the rejoicings over this victory! King William and his -gallant son were hailed on all sides with the wildest enthusiasm, their -praises sounded far and wide. The Crown Prince and his cousin Prince -Frederick Charles were rewarded for their services to the Fatherland by -being made field marshals immediately after the fall of Metz, an event -that had never before occurred in the history of the house of -Hohenzollern. - -The first telegram sent by the King to the Queen after this latest -victory ran as follows: - - “Before Sedan, September 2, 2.30 P.M.: The capitulation of the entire - army in Sedan has just been arranged with General Wimpffen commanding - in place of MacMahon, who was wounded. The Emperor only surrendered - himself to me personally, since he is not in command, and has left - everything to the Regency in Paris. I will decide on his place of - residence after the interview which I am to have with him at once. - What a fortunate turn of affairs has been vouchsafed by Providence!” - -On the third of September this despatch was followed by a letter, from -which we quote: - - “Vendresse, September 3, 1870. - - “By this time you have learned from my telegram the extent of the - great historical event that has just happened. It is like a dream, - even though one has seen it unroll itself hour by hour.” - -Then follows a brief and concise description of the battle and its -results: - - “On the night of the thirty-first the army took up its prearranged - positions about Sedan, and early in the morning firing began in spite - of a dense fog. When I arrived at the front about eight o’clock, the - large batteries had already opened fire on the fortifications, and a - hot fight soon developed at all points, lasting almost the entire day, - during which our side gained ground. A number of deep wooded defiles - hindered the advance of the infantry and favored the defence, but - village after village was captured and a circle of fire gradually - closed in about Sedan. It was a magnificent sight from our position on - a height behind one of the batteries. - - “At last the enemy’s resistance began to weaken, as we could perceive - from the broken battalions that were driven back from the woods and - villages. Gradually their retreat was turned into a flight in many - places, infantry, cavalry, and artillery all crowding together into - the town and its environments; but as they gave no intimation of - relieving their desperate situation by surrendering, there was nothing - left for us but to bombard the town. After twenty minutes it was - burning in several places, and with the flaming villages all about the - field of battle the spectacle was a terrible one. I therefore had the - firing slackened and sent Lieutenant von Bronsart of the general staff - with a flag of truce to demand the surrender of the army and citadel. - On inquiring for the commander-in-chief, he was unexpectedly taken - before the Emperor, who had a letter he wished delivered to me. The - Emperor asked his errand, and on learning it replied that he should - have to refer him to General von Wimpffen, who had assumed command - after MacMahon was wounded, and that he would send his Adjutant - General Reille with the letter to me. It was seven o’clock when the - two officers arrived; Bronsart was a little in advance, and from him - we first learned with certainty that the Emperor was in Sedan. You can - imagine the sensation this news caused! Reille then sprang from his - horse and delivered to me his Emperor’s letter, adding that he had no - other commission. It began as follows: ‘Not having been able to die at - the head of my troops, it only remains for me to place my sword in the - hands of Your Majesty.’ All other details were left to me. - - “My answer was that I regretted the manner of our meeting and - requested him to appoint a commission to arrange for a capitulation. - After I had handed my letter to General Reille, I spoke a few words - with him as an old acquaintance, and he took his departure. On my side - I named Moltke with Bismarck to fall back upon in case any political - questions should arise, then rode to my carriage and came here, - greeted everywhere with thundering shouts by the marching troops that - filled the streets, cheering and singing folk-songs. It was most - thrilling! Many carried lighted candles, so that at times it was like - being escorted by an improvised torchlight procession. I arrived here - about eleven o’clock and drank with my staff to the army which had - achieved such glorious results. The next morning, as I had heard - nothing from Moltke of the negotiations which were to take place at - Donchery, I drove as agreed to the battle-field about eight o’clock - and met Moltke, who was coming to obtain my consent to the proposed - surrender. He told me that the Emperor had left Sedan as early as five - o’clock and had come to Donchery. As he wished to speak to me and - there was a small _château_ in the neighborhood, I chose this for our - meeting. - - “At ten o’clock I arrived on the heights before Sedan; at twelve - Moltke and Bismarck appeared with the signed articles of capitulation, - and at one I started, without Fritz, escorted by the cavalry staff. I - alighted before the _château_, where the Emperor met me. The interview - lasted a quarter of an hour; we were both much moved at meeting again - under such circumstances. What my feelings were, after having seen - Napoleon only three years before at the summit of his power, I cannot - describe. [King William had been in Paris in 1867 on the occasion of - the World’s Exposition there.] - - “After this interview I reviewed all the troops before Sedan; their - welcome to me, the sight of their ranks so terribly thinned—all of - this I cannot write of to-day. I was deeply touched by so many proofs - of loyalty and devotion, and it is with a full heart that I close this - long letter. Farewell.” - -“_Hurrah! du grosse Zeit!_” It was indeed a glorious but also a solemn -and heart-stirring time. Men, women, and children of all classes stood -breathlessly about the public bulletin-boards, and when the news of -Sedan was received, an irrepressible storm of enthusiasm swept over the -country, even to the remotest solitudes. Men whose hearts had long been -hardened by the cares and troubles of life burst into tears of joy; the -hands of enemies were clasped in reconciliation, and mothers rejoiced -that their sons had been so fortunate as to take part in this great -event. Napoleon a captive at Wilhelmshöhe in Cassel, MacMahon’s army -prisoners of war in Germany, Marshal Bazaine shut up in Metz, and -France, imperial France, prostrated at the feet of the foe she had so -wantonly injured! But King William had said to Count Bismarck after the -capture of Sedan, “Great and glorious as is this victory, it will not -bring us peace as yet”; and he was right. It is true that with -Napoleon’s surrender and the subsequent flight from Paris of the Empress -Eugénie, who had been appointed regent, the Empire fell, but hard on its -heels followed the Republic, the “Government for the National Defence,” -headed by General Trochu as Governor of Paris, the most important -members of which were Jules Favre and Gambetta. In what spirit these men -undertook to conduct the government is evident from a circular letter to -the French ambassadors in foreign courts which was full of lies and -calumnies of over-weaning pride and self-deception. Had they really -wanted peace, they might have easily availed themselves of the -opportunity offered by the ensuing negotiations for a truce. But -unwilling to own herself defeated, France would only agree to peace on -terms which were impossible for King William, as guardian of Germany’s -honor, to accept. This high-sounding letter, therefore, had no more -influence with Germany than with the other powers, and the war pursued -its bloody course. - -All the available forces of Germany now advanced on Paris, and soon the -great city was completely invested. Attempt after attempt was made by -the new Republic to place new armies in the field. The imprisoned forces -in Paris, Metz, and Strassburg harassed and struggled against the -encircling enemy, but all in vain. Battle after battle was won by the -invincible Germans. Orleans, Coulmiers, Armiens, Le Mans, St. Quentin, -La Bourget, Belfort, and many others testified to their valor. Fortress -after fortress capitulated,—Strassburg, Toul, Metz, and finally Paris, -after a terrific bombardment. In the midst of all these conquests, -however, a great and solemn act was quietly consummated,—the fulfilment -of the dream of thousands of patriots, the restoration of the glories of -the old Empire in the final unification of Germany. In the palace of -Louis Fourteenth, that Prince whose whole aim and endeavor had been to -bring about the destruction and humiliation of Germany, King William -First of Prussia was proclaimed German Emperor January 18, 1871, the -same day on which, one hundred and seventy years before, his ancestor, -the Elector Frederick Third of Brandenburg, had been crowned King of -Prussia. The grand salon of Versailles was chosen as the scene of the -ceremony, and amid all the splendor that had surrounded the Kings of -France a modest altar was erected, covered with red velvet and adorned -with two lighted golden candelabra. Before it stood a Prussian divine in -his plain black robes, and on either side troops were stationed, -consisting of men chosen from each of the regiments encamped about -Paris. The banners of these regiments, each supported by a -non-commissioned officer, were placed on a dais at the end of the hall, -in which about six hundred officers were assembled, their gay and varied -uniforms making a brilliant scene. - -Just at noon the King entered with the Crown Prince, followed by a train -of royal and noble guests, and took his place before the altar, Bismarck -and von Moltke standing near by. The service opened with the chorale, -“Praise the Lord, all the World,” sung by a chorus of soldiers with -trombone accompaniment; then the liturgy, followed by another hymn, and -a sermon by Rogge, the court chaplain from Potsdam, from the -twenty-first Psalm, concluding with an exultant “Now all thank God.” - -The King then rose and, followed by all the princes and Count Bismarck, -walked over to the dais where the standard-bearers stood, and halted at -the edge of the platform, the Crown Prince on his right, to the left the -Chancellor of the Confederacy, the princes ranging themselves behind the -King. In a voice shaken by emotion the aged monarch declared his -acceptance of the imperial throne that had been offered him by the -unanimous voice of the princes of Germany and the free imperial cities -and representatives of the North German Confederation. Count Bismarck -then read aloud a proclamation prepared by the King for this occasion, -which ran as follows: - - “To the People of Germany: - - “We, William, by God’s grace King of Prussia, hereby announce that the - German princes and Free Towns having addressed to us a unanimous call - to renew and undertake, with the reëstablishment of the German Empire, - the dignity of Emperor, which now for sixty years has been in - abeyance, and the requisite provisions having been inserted in the - constitution of the German Confederation, we regard it as a duty we - owe to the entire Fatherland to comply with this call and to accept - the dignity of Emperor. - - “Accordingly, we and our successors to the crown of Prussia henceforth - shall use the imperial title in all our relations and affairs of the - German Empire; and we hope under God it may be vouchsafed to the - German nation to lead the Fatherland on to a blessed future under the - auspices of its ancient splendor. We undertake the imperial dignity, - conscious of the duty to protect, with German loyalty, the rights of - the Empire and its members, to preserve peace, to maintain the - independence of Germany, and to strengthen the power of the people. We - accept it in the hope that it will be granted to the German people to - enjoy in lasting peace the reward of its arduous and heroic struggles - within boundaries which will give to the Fatherland that security - against renewed French attacks which it has lacked for centuries. - - “May God grant to us and our successors to the imperial crown, that we - may be the defenders of the German Empire at all times, not in martial - conquests, but in works of peace in the sphere of natural prosperity, - freedom, and civilization. - - “Given at Headquarters, Versailles, the eighteenth of January, 1871. - - “William.” - -After the reading of this proclamation the Grand Duke of Baden stepped -forward and cried in a loud voice, “Long live King William, the German -Emperor!” and an exultant shout burst from the great assembly. Tears -rolled down the cheeks of the aged sovereign and his stately form was -visibly shaken with emotion. The Crown Prince was the first to do homage -to the newly made Emperor by kissing his hand, but the father clasped -his son in his arms and kissed him repeatedly. He also embraced his -brother Charles and his cousin, Admiral Adalbert, his brother-in-law, -the Grand Duke of Weimar, and his son-in-law the Grand Duke of Baden, -after which he was saluted in turn by the other princes and the rest of -the assemblage, for each of whom he had a kindly word. As the Emperor -departed from the royal palace of the Bourbons the banner of the -Hohenzollerns was lowered and the German Imperial ensign floated out -upon the breeze. Thus was this great act consummated amid the thunder of -guns that shook the capital of France and woke so mighty an echo in the -heart of the Fatherland. - -The war was continued for a time, but after the destruction of the -armies of the Loire and of the north the guns about Paris were silent, -and on January 29, 1871, the Emperor sent the following telegram to his -wife from Versailles: - - “Last night a three weeks’ truce was signed. All troops in Paris are - prisoners of war. The Provisional Government guarantees to maintain - order. We occupy all forts. Paris remains in a state of siege and must - provide for itself. All arms to be surrendered. A Constituent Assembly - will be elected to meet at Bordeaux in fourteen days. This is the - reward of our people for their patriotism, their sacrifices and heroic - courage. I thank God for all His mercies. May peace soon follow!” - -The Emperor’s prayer was soon to be granted, for on the twenty-fifth of -February the Empress received the following message: - - “With a glad and thankful heart I am able to inform you that the - preliminaries of peace have just been arranged. Now there is only the - consent of the National Assembly at Bordeaux to be obtained. - - “William.” - -In a letter dated March 2, 1871, he writes: - - “I have just ratified the treaty of peace. Thus far the great work is - finished which seven months of victorious warfare has made possible, - thanks to the bravery and endurance of the army in all its branches - and the willing sacrifices of the Fatherland. The Lord of Hosts has - blessed our undertaking and led to this honorable peace. To Him be the - glory! To the army and the Fatherland my deepest and most heart-felt - thanks!” - -It was indeed an honorable peace, won by a series of victories -unparalleled in the world’s history. Alsace and Lorraine, formerly torn -by France from Germany when enfeebled by internal warfare, were restored -to her, Strassburg once more mirrored her cathedral spires in the waters -of a German Rhine, and five milliards of francs were also to be paid by -France as indemnity for the expenses of the war. - -On the sixteenth of June the victorious troops made their entry into -Berlin amid celebrations even more imposing than those of 1866. The -whole length of the Sieges strasse, through which the troops passed, a -distance of almost a mile, was bordered with cannon captured from the -French, while non-commissioned officers from each regiment, decorated -with the Iron Cross, carried eighty-one French eagles and standards. A -continuous ovation greeted the Emperor, his generals, and the troops all -along the line of march. The celebration of the victory found a fitting -climax in the unveiling of the monument to Frederick William Third in -the Lustgarten, at the foot of which his son could lay the trophies of a -glorious and successful war, and as the head of a newly restored and -powerful German Empire consecrate the fulfilment of his trust. - - - - - Chapter IX - Army Anecdotes - - -Innumerable anecdotes are told of the personal relations between the -Emperor William and his soldiers, a few of which may be given as helping -to throw light on the portrait of this great yet kindly sovereign. - -After the battle of Mars-la-Tour, the country all about was strewn with -dead and wounded soldiers. It was only with the greatest difficulty that -a small room was found for the King’s use, containing a bed, a table, -and a chair. As he entered it he asked: - -“Where are Bismarck and Moltke lodged?” - -“Nowhere as yet,” replied the adjutant, well knowing how needful rest -was to them also. - -“Then ask them to come and camp here with me,” said the King. “You may -take away the bed—it will be needed by the wounded—and have some straw -and blankets brought here; they will do very well for us.” - -And so it chanced that the three old comrades spent a rainy night -together on the straw; nor was it the only time during this hard and -cruel war. - - * * * * * * * * - -The day after the victory of Gravelotte, as King William was returning -to Pont-à-Mousson, he passed through the village of Gorze. The -Commander-in-chief was greeted everywhere with the wildest enthusiasm, -even by the wounded, with whom the little town was filled. Among the -latter was Captain von Zedtwitz. He was lodged with an old soldier -Antoine, who had lost a leg at Magenta and who with his little daughter -nursed and cared for the desperately wounded officer as well as he was -able. When the captain heard the shouts outside, and learned that King -William was passing through Gorze, he insisted on sending a greeting to -his sovereign likewise. He asked one of the musicians to deliver to the -Commander-in-chief a pure white rose with the message: “A wounded -officer who can scarcely live through another day, sends this rose to -Your Majesty, in memory of Gravelotte!” The King bade his coachman stop. -Deeply moved, he took the rose and fastened it in his buttonhole. Then, -after asking the name of the thoughtful donor and sending his hearty -thanks with wishes for a speedy recovery, went on his way. After a long -and tedious illness the captain finally recovered, but was no longer fit -for active service. In recognition of his services to the Fatherland he -was given the position of district commander in Halberstadt. He had long -since forgotten the rose of Gorze, but the Emperor had a good memory -where his faithful soldiers were concerned, as Captain von Zedtwitz was -to discover. On Christmas Day, 1871, he received a box containing a -magnificent oil painting depicting a monument on which were inscribed -the words “Gorze, August 19, 1870.” A German flag half covered the -monument, at the foot of which was an infantry helmet decorated with an -Iron Cross and encircled by a laurel leaf. At the top of the heavy gold -frame gleamed a massive silver rose. Accompanying this gift was the -following note in the Emperor’s own handwriting: - - “In grateful remembrance of that never-to-be-forgotten day in Gorze - when you, desperately wounded, sent me a rose from your couch of pain - as I, unknowing, was passing by. May the accompanying picture serve as - a lasting token of your devotion to your sovereign and his gratitude - to you. Christmas, 1871. - - “William I. R. - - “December 22, 1871.” - - * * * * * * * * - -After the battle of Sedan the King’s headquarters were at Clermont, with -a regiment of Bavarian cavalry in guard. The men had had a long, hard -march in the rain that day, and their commanding officer, feeling ill, -despatched his orderly in search of some wine. It was forbidden to ask -for supplies at headquarters, so the colonel gave him a thaler and -charged him to buy it somewhere. On reaching the marketplace the trooper -discovered a large tavern, before the door of which stood two Prussian -staff orderlies who, as he approached, motioned him to pass on. With the -thaler in his hand, however, the Bavarian felt himself as good as any -one, so he marched boldly up to the door of the inn and knocked loudly. -For some time there was no response, but at length it was opened by an -elderly officer, who asked him what he wanted. - -“My colonel is sick and must have a flask of wine,” replied the orderly. - -“In just a moment, my son!” said the old man with a kindly smile, and -disappeared within the house, but soon returned with a flask which he -handed to the other, saying, “Here is what your colonel needs. I hope it -will do him good.” - -The Bavarian took the wine in his left hand, still grasping the thaler -in his right. What should he do? He was not allowed to accept anything -without paying for it, neither could he offer money to an officer. At -length the old man, perceiving his embarrassment, inquired whether his -colonel had given him any other commission. Whereupon the honest fellow -explained his difficulty, at the same time attempting to thrust the -thaler into the old man’s hand. But the latter only waved him away, -saying: - -“Never mind that, my good man, but hurry back to your colonel with the -wine, and say the King of Prussia sends it to him with wishes for a -speedy recovery.” - -“The King of Prussia!” repeated the Bavarian in bewilderment. “Where is -the King of Prussia, then?” - -“I am he,” replied the old man, and shut the door. - -The colonel was anxiously waiting his orderly’s return, but looked very -grave when he laid the thaler on the table beside the flask. - -“You fool!” he cried angrily, “did I not tell you not to make any -requisition?” - -“But I did not, sir,” replied the fellow with a grin. “There was an old -man at the tavern who said he was the King of Prussia; he gave me the -flask and wished you a quick recovery.” - -“What is that!” cried the colonel in great excitement. “From the King of -Prussia, did you say?” and he gazed with astonishment at the good -monarch’s gift. With awe he lifted the first glass to his thirsty lips, -thinking to himself, “This is from the King of Prussia,” but as the last -drop disappeared he shouted aloud in a burst of enthusiasm, “Long live -King William!” - - * * * * * * * * - -One day during the siege of Paris, as the King was visiting the -outposts, he discovered a fusileer deeply absorbed in a letter, his -weapon on the ground at his feet and apparently quite oblivious to his -duties. Roused by the sound of hoofs and recognizing his -commander-in-chief, he hastily dropped the letter, took up his gun, and -presented arms. The King rode up to him and said, smiling: - -“A letter from the sweetheart at home, no doubt, my son!” - -“No, sire,” replied the terrified soldier; “it is from my mother.” - -Somewhat doubtful of the truth of these words, the King looked sternly -at him and asked to see it. - -“Certainly, Your Majesty,” replied the soldier, and quickly picking up -the letter he handed it to his chief. The King read it through, glanced -kindly at the fusileer, and told his adjutant to take the man’s name, -then rode on. The letter _was_ from the man’s mother, telling of his -sister’s approaching marriage and the sorrow of all there that he could -not be present. - -The next day the fusileer was ordered to appear before his captain, and -he obeyed the summons with an anxious heart, thinking to himself, “Now I -am undone! This means at least eight days’ arrest for neglect of duty.” -Great was his surprise, therefore, when the captain informed him that by -the King’s orders he had been granted fourteen days’ leave to attend his -sister’s wedding, and that free transportation there and back would be -furnished him. The overjoyed soldier was soon on the train bound for his -distant home, where a joyous welcome waited his unexpected arrival. When -the wedding guests heard the story of the letter, they all clinked -glasses joyfully and drank to the King’s health with a rousing cheer. - - * * * * * * * * - -A grenadier of the First Regiment of Guards was also one of the -gardeners at Babelsberg. The Emperor arriving there unexpectedly one -day, this man was sent to accompany him about the park to point out the -various improvements. The Emperor was much pleased with his intelligent -conversation, but presently noticed that he began to be very uneasy and -even looked at the time, which was not considered proper in the presence -of the sovereign. - -“What is the matter, young man?” he asked. - -“Well, Your Majesty,” replied the other, “this is my first year of -volunteer service, in the First Regiment of Guards, and my captain is -very strict. I am due at the barracks in three-quarters of an hour, and -it is impossible for me to get there now except with the utmost haste. I -shall be late unless Your Majesty will be so gracious as to release me.” - -Much pleased with his gardener’s punctuality, the Emperor sent him to -don his uniform with all speed and ordered his carriage to be brought -around immediately. Then motioning to the grenadier to take the seat -beside him, they set off for the town with a gallop. The company was -already in line as the carriage drew up at the barracks, but the Emperor -spoke to the captain in person, explaining that it was his fault that -the man was late and asking that he should not be punished. - - * * * * * * * * - -Still another instance of King William’s unfailing kindness and -consideration to all classes is shown in the following incident. At a -grand review held on the field of Tempelhof, the Emperor’s sharp eyes -suddenly discovered a sergeant-major who could scarcely stand upright -and whose deathly pallor betrayed either serious illness or some violent -emotion. He rode up at once to the man and asked what ailed him. - -“It is nothing, Your Majesty, I am better already,” was the answer; but -the tears in the eyes of the bearded soldier belied his words. The -Emperor’s gaze rested on his pale face with fatherly kindness and he -said encouragingly, - -“Do not try to conceal anything from me, sergeant; you too wear the Iron -Cross, so we are brothers in arms, and comrades should have no secrets -from each other.” - -Unable to resist this exhortation, the sergeant responded, - -“Alas, Your Majesty, just now as we were marching out here, my only -child, a promising boy of six, was run over by a wagon, and I do not -know what has become of him.” - -The Emperor immediately sent an adjutant to appropriate one of the -near-by conveyances occupied by spectators for the use of the sergeant, -whom he excused for the rest of the day, and the anxious father with -tears of gratitude in his eyes hastened home to his family. - - * * * * * * * * - -A touching trait of the Emperor’s character is shown in his habit of -making the rounds of the hospitals in time of war to assure himself -personally that his wounded subjects were receiving the necessary care, -and cheer them with a kindly word of encouragement or some slight gift. -In the bloody year of 1866 the Woman’s Aid Society built a private -hospital in Berlin, which King William frequently honored with his -presence. Among the patients was a musketeer who had lost his left arm. - -“Your Majesty,” said this man one day to the King, “I am twenty-four -years old to-day. To have had the happiness of seeing the King on my -birthday—I shall never forget it, sire!” - -“Nor shall I, my brave fellow,” replied the King, giving his hand to the -soldier, who kissed it with deep emotion. The King passed on from bed to -bed, but just as he was about to leave he said to his suite, “I must see -that man again whose birthday it is,” and returning to the musketeer’s -cot he talked with him for some time. That night, after the invalid was -asleep and dreaming of his sovereign, one of the royal huntsmen appeared -with a gold watch and chain, sent by the King as a remembrance of the -day. The lucky man was often asked where he got this fine watch. - -“Guess!” he would always say, and after the inquisitive questioner had -tried in vain to solve the riddle, he would shout with a beaming face: -“It is from my King, my good King William!” - - * * * * * * * * - -Once while the King was visiting the hospital at Versailles with the -Crown Prince and several of his generals, they came to the cot of a -Silesian militiaman who had had his right leg amputated and been shot in -the right shoulder also. When asked what his injuries were, he replied: - -“I have lost my right leg, Your Majesty, which troubles me much, for now -I shall not be able to go on to Paris with the rest of the army. And -besides that the churls have shot me here in the shoulder.” - -Every one laughed, and the King said: “Cheer up, my son! You shall have -a new leg and enter Paris with us yet.” - -“That may be, sire,” declared the simple-hearted Silesian, “but I can -never win the Iron Cross now.” - -Again there was a laugh; but the Crown Prince laid his hand on the brave -fellow’s head, saying, - -“You shall have that too, my man,” and the King quietly nodded assent -and passed on, his eyes moist with tears. - - * * * * * * * * - -On another cot at this same hospital lay a pale young infantryman. The -physician had given him a sleeping potion which had brought temporary -forgetfulness of his sufferings. As the Emperor stood quietly looking -down at him, his eye fell on an album which the invalid had evidently -been reading when sleep overtook him. He picked it up and wrote in -pencil on one of the pages, “My son, always remember your King,” then -laid it back on the bed and passed on. When the wounded man awoke and -found his sovereign’s greeting, tears of joy streamed down his cheeks -and he pressed the precious writing to his lips, sobbing. On the -Emperor’s next visit he saw, by the deathly pallor of the wounded -infantryman, that death was near and the poor fellow was past all aid or -comfort. But the soul had not yet left the body, a gleam of -consciousness still lingered in the fast-glazing eyes, and he recognized -the Emperor standing beside him. The half-closed eyelids opened wide, -and with a last supreme effort the dying man lifted himself and cried -out, - -“Yes, I will remember Your Majesty, even up above!” then fell back -lifeless on his cot. - -“Amen!” murmured the Emperor, and he gently closed the eyes of the young -hero who had died so true a soldier’s death. - - - - - Chapter X - Family Life of the Emperor - - -We have already had glimpses of Emperor William’s domestic affairs at -the time of his marriage and when the birth and education of their -children brought new duties to the august parents. After the wars were -over and our hero had more time and opportunity to enjoy the pleasures -of home, he took the greatest delight in his grandchildren, the sons and -daughters of the Crown Prince. Of these his special favorite was the -eldest, who in turn had the greatest affection and reverence for his -grandfather. In this Prince Frederick William—or William, as he was -called after reaching his majority, by the Emperor’s express command—the -latter beheld the future heir to the throne, and watched over his -education, therefore, with the greatest care; inculcating in him, above -all things, the true German spirit of devotion to the Fatherland, a deep -appreciation of the army, which had been so largely his own creation, -and lastly a boundless faith in that Providence which had so often -proved his best help in time of need. - -On the ninth of February, 1877, he placed his grandson in the First -Regiment of Foot Guards. “Now go on and do your duty!” was the -conclusion of his address to the Prince on that occasion, and these few -words expressed the ruling purpose of his own life,—a career that -offered such a noble example to the young soldiers. Without fear or -hesitation he had always done his duty faithfully, and thereby won fame -and greatness for his house, his people, and all Germany. - -His grandfather’s injunctions proved a powerful incentive to Prince -William. A true Hohenzollern from head to heel, he has devoted himself -heart and soul to the army, following in the footsteps of the two heroic -figures that were so near and dear to him. Both father and grandfather -watched with deepest pride and interest the quick advancement of the -young officer, whose military career must often have reminded the -Emperor of his own youth. - -It was a great satisfaction to the aged monarch that he was spared to -witness his favorite’s marriage to the charming Princess Augusta -Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, which took place February 27, 1881; and -still greater was his happiness when on May 6, 1882, a son was born to -the young couple. This was God’s crowning mercy! Four generations,—the -patriarch whose eighty-five years had indeed bleached his hair and -furrowed his brow, but with bodily and mental vigor still unimpaired; -the noble grandfather, a magnificent figure in the nation’s history, -sound of heart and ripe in experience; the young father, in the first -flush of manly vigor, with a long and brilliant future before him; and -last, the infant son, grandson, and great-grandson just opening his eyes -to a conscious existence. It is not hard to understand the feeling of -exultation in which, at news of the happy event, the Emperor shouted, -“Hurrah! four Kings!” - -But, alas! this bright promise of a smiling future was soon to be -darkened by a cloud so thick and heavy that it threatened to overwhelm -the stanch old hero who had stood fast through so many of the storms of -life. Early in the year 1887 symptoms of an alarming throat trouble -began to show themselves in the Crown Prince. At first it was considered -merely an obstinate attack of hoarseness, but it soon became evident -that a much worse and more dangerous malady was to be reckoned with. All -that was within human power and skill to accomplish was resorted to. The -most celebrated authorities on diseases of the throat were consulted, -the most healthful resorts of Europe tried, but in vain. All possible -measures for relief were powerless. The whole country was -grief-stricken, nor was the public sorrow confined to Germany alone. All -seemed to see the noble figure of the Crown Prince shouting to his men -at Königgrätz, “Forward, in God’s name, or all is lost!” or leading his -army from victory to victory in the war with France, and now stricken -with an insidious disease that slowly but surely sapped away his life. -Nor did they feel less for the afflicted father, waiting anxiously for -news from San Remo of his beloved son and heir. It was indeed a dark -shadow on our hero’s otherwise bright evening of life! - -In these days the Emperor clung more fondly than ever to his daughter, -the Grand Duchess of Baden, and her devoted husband. At least once a -year when visiting the springs at Ems or Gastein he had always been in -the habit of spending a few days with them, and these visits were bright -spots in the old man’s life. Here for a brief time he was “off duty”; -free from the daily burden and pressing cares of state, among his loved -ones, and surrounded by that tender care that only a loving daughter can -bestow. He was always happy at these times, chatting in his friendly way -with great and small, and rejoicing at any opportunity of giving -pleasure to others. - -Once, soon after the war, when he was staying at Ems, a bookseller there -had his show window decorated with pictures of the Emperor. As the -latter was passing the shop one day, he saw a crowd of boys gathered -about the window. Stepping up to them he asked, “What is here, children? -What do you like best of all these pretty things? Which would you rather -have? Tell me.” - -The boys looked at him and at one another in confusion and did not know -what to answer, till at last one lively urchin helped them out of their -dilemma by shouting, “I will buy the German Emperor!” - -“Good!” replied the Emperor, “you shall all have him. How many are there -of you?” He counted the boys, then went into the shop and bought a -number of the pictures, which he distributed among them. - -Another favorite diversion of Emperor William was hunting, and he often -went in the fall or winter to shoot at Letzlingen, Hubertsstock, or -elsewhere. Once at the Count von Stolberg-Wernigerode’s, they had had a -successful day, and the Emperor had distinguished himself, for he was an -excellent marksman. When the game was counted, it was announced that the -sovereign’s share was twenty-eight, whereat His Majesty smiled roguishly -and remarked to his companions: - -“These results remind me of the quotation ‘There are more things in -heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy’—for is it not a -marvel that I should have shot twenty-eight pieces of game and only -fired twenty-five cartridges?” - -All the Emperor’s servants had the deepest respect and affection for -him, and with good reason, for never was there a more kind and generous -master, continually making them presents and never forgetting to bring -back some little gift when he went on a journey. His dependents were -always treated with the greatest kindness and indulgence and never -received a harsh word, yet they never failed to feel that he was the -master. One evening he went to the Victoria Theatre alone, accompanied -only by the coachman and a _jäger_, the latter of whom betook himself to -a restaurant across the street as soon as his master had alighted. -Whether the play did not please His Majesty, or what the reason was, -does not signify, but he left the theatre again after about a quarter of -an hour. The carriage was there, but no _jäger_. The Emperor must wait. -At a sign from the coachman one of the theatre attendants ran to fetch -the delinquent, who, terrified, began to stammer out excuses with -trembling lips. But the Emperor only remarked quietly, “Why make so much -of the matter? You must often have been obliged to wait for me, now for -once I have waited for you; so we are quits. Open the carriage door for -me!” - -At another time, when he was suffering from a severe cold, his -physician, Dr. von Lauer, had carefully prepared, besides the necessary -medicines, a tea for use during the night to allay his cough, and shown -the attendant exactly how much of the liquid should be warmed and given -to the patient at each coughing-spell. When he made his morning visit, -he was joyfully informed by the faithful old servant that his master had -had a quiet night. Much relieved, the physician entered his patient’s -sleeping chamber, but a glance at the worn face and another at the empty -teapot made him doubt the accuracy of the information he had just -received. The Emperor answered the unspoken question himself, however. - -“I have coughed a great deal, doctor,” he said, “and slept but little”; -then added, in answer to the physician’s glance, “I took the tea several -times but did not ring for my valet. The old man needs his sleep, so I -warmed the drink myself over the spirit lamp.” - -It was this same old servant who once declared, “I have been for forty -years with my royal master and have yet to hear him give an order or -speak a harsh word. With His Majesty it is always ‘Please’ and ‘Thank -you,’ never anything else.” - -This very regard and consideration for others may have proved fatal to -himself, for on the night of March 3, 1888, when obliged to leave his -bed for a short time, instead of summoning his servant, as Dr. von Lauer -had repeatedly charged him to do on such occasions, he let the old man -sleep and attempted to get up by himself; but a sudden faintness seized -him and he sank helpless on the floor. By the time the valet had come to -his assistance the Emperor was chilled through and unable, so says the -Berlin “Court Chronicle,” to show himself at the window the following -day. He begged the valet, however, to say nothing of this to the -physician. - -Yet in spite of his leniency, the Emperor was too thorough a soldier not -to be a strict disciplinarian also. His slightest nod was equivalent to -a command with his dependents, and a reproof therefore was seldom -necessary. If anything went wrong he would merely say quietly, “That is -not the way I care to have things done,” and this simple remark was more -effective than a string of oaths would have proved from another. But if -their royal master’s admonition was “This shall not be done,” then the -whole household trembled. - -It was also characteristic of the Emperor that he never remembered a -fault or laid it up against the offender. If the kindly expression gave -place to sternness for the time, it was never long until his usual -cheerful serenity returned; while if he himself had erred or given an -undeserved rebuke, he was quick to acknowledge it and ask pardon. - -Once in the seventies, while staying at the grand-ducal court of -Schwerin, a visit had been planned to the Court Theatre, at that time -under the direction of the Intendant Baron von Wolzogen, and the Grand -Duke had ordered a special armchair to be placed in the royal box for -the august guest. As expected, the Emperor made his appearance that -evening at the theatre. It was devoted to light comedy, of which he was -especially fond; but as he seated himself, sitting down somewhat -heavily, as was his custom, the chair that had been provided for him -gave way, and he found himself for a moment on the floor, though -fortunately unhurt. In the audience the accident was scarcely noticed; -but to the Intendant, who anxiously hastened to the box, His Majesty -said shortly and coldly: - -“In future, when you receive guests, see to it that at least they are -not given disabled chairs,” and turned quickly away without giving the -mortified Intendant any opportunity for excuses. As it chanced, however, -the providing of the chair had not been intrusted to him, but to the -Court Chamberlain. During the next intermission, therefore, the Emperor -sent for the Intendant and greeted him kindly with the words: - -“My dear Baron, I did you an injustice just now; my reprimand was -directed to the wrong address, as I have learned in the meantime. I am -sorry and wanted to tell you so this evening, so we should both sleep -the better.” - - - - - Chapter XI - The Emperor’s Death - - -“The days of our years are threescore and ten years; and if by reason of -strength they be fourscore, yet is their strength labor and sorrow.” So -sings the Psalmist, and thus it was with the life of Emperor William,—a -ceaseless round of toil and weariness, of care and struggle, that -reached its climax in those astounding victories that strengthened the -throne of Prussia and brought about the unification of Germany. Even in -his old age he was not permitted to end his days quietly, as we have -seen, but still devoted his whole time and strength to the welfare of -the Fatherland, nobly striving to maintain peace both at home and -abroad. He had lived to see Germany a free and united Empire once more, -with a position among the nations of the earth she had never before -attained, and might well say with Simeon, “Lord, now lettest thou thy -servant depart in peace,” were it not for the war clouds that still hung -about the horizon, and had the Crown Prince stood beside him in all his -old health and vigor, ready to take the reins of government from his -hands. This was the great sorrow that clouded his declining years and -caused him painful anxiety as to the future in view of his own death, -which could not now be far distant. The Emperor naturally possessed a -powerful constitution, strengthened by the regular life he led and his -freedom from early excesses of all kinds. An occasional cold, or attack -of a painful but not at all serious ailment to which he had been subject -for many years, would confine him to his room or bed for a short time, -but except for this he had enjoyed excellent health. But having reached -an age far beyond that usually allotted to mortals, it was not strange -that during his latter years, whenever it was announced that His Majesty -was ill, the physicians’ daily reports were anxiously awaited, or that -when the aged monarch again appeared at the familiar corner window of -his palace he was greeted with cheers by the assembled crowds, while the -solemn tones of the “Heil Dir, im Siegerkranz,” swelled up into the sky. - -It was on Friday, March 2, 1888, that the Emperor drove out for the last -time. There was an icy north wind blowing in Berlin that day, and he -contracted a cold which, in his already somewhat enfeebled health, he -was unable to throw off. His physical condition was aggravated, too, by -anxiety over the political situation and his son’s illness; and when in -addition to this news was received of the sudden death of a favorite -grandson, Prince Louis of Baden, the shock was too great for the old man -to recover from. On Monday, March 5, his condition was far from -encouraging, and on the following day it became even more critical. A -sleepless night greatly reduced the patient’s strength, and on Thursday, -toward evening, he sank into a death-like stupor, from which, except for -one or two brief intervals of consciousness, he never rallied. At -half-past eight the following morning, March 9, the soul of the aged -hero, the father of the Fatherland, passed quietly away into the land of -eternal peace. - -During the Emperor’s last hours the members of his family, together with -some of the highest court officials, were gathered round his bedside. On -Thursday afternoon, at the suggestion of Prince William, the dying man -was asked if he would like to see the Court Chaplain, Dr. Kögel, and on -his assenting the divine was sent for. After a few words of greeting to -his royal master, in which he expressed the sympathy of the whole -people, he recited some passages of Scripture, and at the sick man’s -request a few verses of some of his favorite hymns, followed by a -prayer, the Emperor now and then responding clearly, with an expression -of satisfaction or assent. From seven till ten o’clock that evening -there seemed a marked improvement, during which the august patient -conversed cheerfully with Prince William. The greater part of the -family, feeling much encouraged, permitted themselves a few hours of -sleep. Toward four o’clock in the morning, however, symptoms of collapse -showed themselves. He became unconscious again, and it was evident that -death was near. The family and watchers were hastily summoned and Dr. -Kögel again sent for. He recited the Lord’s Prayer, Her Majesty the -Empress joining in, and then read the twenty-seventh Psalm, beginning -“The Lord is my light and my salvation.” When he had finished, the Grand -Duchess of Baden, who had hastened to her father’s bedside at the first -news of his illness, leaned over and asked: “Did you understand, Papa?” - -The Emperor answered clearly, “It was beautiful.” - -She then asked: “Do you know that Mamma is sitting here beside you, -holding your hand?” - -The dying man’s eyes opened and he looked long at the Empress, then -closed them for the last time. His parting look was for her, but his -last sigh for the beloved son, stricken unto death and in a foreign -land, as was evident from the touching cry, “Alas, my poor Fritz!” - -When life was extinct, all present knelt while Dr. Kögel offered a -prayer, concluding with the supplication, “O Lord, have mercy on our -royal house, our people, and our country, and in the death of the -Emperor may Thy words be fulfilled, ‘I will bless thee, and thou shalt -prove a blessing.’ Amen.” - -The excitement throughout the country at the news of Emperor William’s -death was tremendous. Bells were tolled from every church spire, flags -hung at half mast or were wrapped in crape, while hundreds of sad-faced -people wandered into the churches to pray or seek comfort in the words -of the priests. - - [Illustration: _The Emperor’s deathbed_] - -On the night of March 11 the earthly remains of the deceased Emperor -were taken from the palace to the cathedral, where they were to lie in -state. In spite of a heavy wind and snowstorm the Unter den Linden was -so thronged with people that progress was impossible, and the police had -hard work to keep the way clear, yet the most solemn stillness -prevailed. At five minutes before twelve the regular tramp of marching -troops was heard and torchbearers were seen issuing from the palace. The -soldiers took their places, Colonel von Bredow with a squadron of the -body-guard being in charge of the arrangements, and formed a solid wall -on both sides of the street from the palace to the cathedral, long crape -streamers falling from the plumes on their helmets. - -At midnight the bells of the cathedral began to toll, and an hour later -the head of the procession appeared, advancing slowly between a double -line of torches, led by the first division of the body-guard under -Colonel von Bredow. Behind these at some distance was a battalion of -foot guards, followed by all the Emperor’s servants in a body, including -his own coachman, _jäger_, and valet. Then came thirty non-commissioned -officers with snow-white plumes, bearing on their shoulders the coffin -of the deceased Emperor, covered with a plain black pall. Immediately -behind it rode the Crown Prince and Prince Henry, followed by all the -generals and foreign military _attachés_, among them Count Moltke. Then -another division of mounted body-guards clattered by, and the procession -ended in a long line of carriages. - -The interior of the cathedral was an impressive sight. The chancel had -been converted into a grove of palms and laurels, in the centre of -which, on a black catafalque, rested the casket of purple velvet heavily -decorated with gold. On either side stood huge candelabra from which -countless tapers shed their soft radiance, while close beside were -placed white satin stools embroidered in gold. At the foot of the coffin -were laid the rarest and costliest wreaths. After it had been lifted on -to the catafalque the Emperor’s own valet, who had always attended to -His Majesty’s personal wants during his lifetime, approached and lifted -the pall. Even in death the monarch’s features wore the same expression -of noble serenity that had characterized them in life. Upon the -venerable head was placed the military forage cap. The body was clothed -in the uniform of the First Foot Guards, the historic gray cloak drawn -carefully about the shoulders. His only decorations were the Star of the -Order of the Black Eagle, the collar of the Order of Merit, and the -Grand Cross of the Order of the Iron Cross. At his feet lay a single -wreath of green laurel. Keeping watch on the right side of the bier -stood two of the palace guards with arms lowered, on the left two -artillerymen with raised arms, this honorary service being shared in -turn by all the guard regiments. From this time until the day of the -funeral the cathedral became the centre of attraction, not only to the -people of Berlin but to the thousands of strangers who thronged the -capital anxious to obtain one more last look at the beloved Emperor. -From early morning till far into the night a vast multitude surrounded -the cathedral, waiting and hoping to gain entrance; but although an -average of seventy-five hundred people passed through the edifice every -hour, there were still hundreds left outside, unable to gratify their -desire. - -Meanwhile Unter den Linden, through which the funeral procession was to -pass on its way to the mausoleum at Charlottenburg, had been transformed -into a street of mourning. Art and patriotism combined to achieve the -highest results of the decorator’s skill, and the wide thoroughfare -presented an appearance of gloomy magnificence impossible to describe -here in detail. All the public buildings were draped in black and -elaborately decorated; the streets were lined with Venetian masts -connected with festoons of black and surmounted by the royal golden -eagle, while many ornamental structures of various kinds had been -erected, some enclosing statues of allegorical figures. The Brandenburg -Gate was most imposing, and well might it be, for the sovereign who had -entered it so often as a conqueror was now to pass out of it for the -last time. All along the Siegesallee also were displayed signs of -mourning, while at Charlottenburg the public grief found touching -expression in the crape-wreathed banners and sable-hung houses and -monuments. - -The funeral obsequies were held on Friday, March 16. On the stroke of -eleven the brazen tongues of the cathedral bells gave the signal, which -was answered by those of all the churches in Berlin tolling at intervals -all during the ceremonies. At the same time the doors of the cathedral -were opened; the various officers took their appointed places at the -head and foot of the coffin. The Minister of State and the Lord -Chamberlain stepped behind the tabourets on which lay the imperial -insignia,—crown, sword, orb, sceptre, etc.,—the generals and military -deputies present grouping themselves on the lower step of the estrade. -The invited guests, knights of the Black Eagle, members of the -diplomatic corps, heads of noble houses, and others who had assembled in -the outer part of the church, were then shown to their places, and last -of all the Empress Victoria, Queen Elizabeth of Roumania, and the royal -princesses entered and took the seats placed for them in a semicircle -before the altar, the other foreign princesses occupying an enclosure to -the left. The foreign ambassadors had places reserved for them in the -body of the church immediately behind the most illustrious guests. - -The funeral services, which at the Emperor’s own request were conducted -by the Court Chaplain, Dr. Kögel, assisted by the cathedral clergy, -began shortly after noon. While the mourners were assembling the -organist had been playing soft preludes into which Emperor William’s -favorite tunes were skilfully woven, but when all had arrived its deep -tones died away and the service began with the reading of portions of -the ninetieth Psalm and of the eleventh chapter of the Epistle of Saint -John. Then came the singing of “I know that my Redeemer liveth” by the -cathedral choir and the funeral sermon by Dr. Kögel. He had chosen as -his text the verses from Saint Luke, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant -depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salvation,” and the -trembling tones of the great preacher betrayed his deep emotion as he -spoke of the dead monarch, to whom, as spiritual adviser, he had stood -so close. After a short prayer, followed by other selections from the -choir, the congregation joined in singing a hymn, and the service -concluded with the pronouncing of a benediction over the departed -Emperor. - -It was a quarter before two when a salvo of artillery announced that the -funeral procession was about to start. First came a squad of mounted -police trotting briskly through the centre of the Linden, followed in a -moment by another. Then through the cold snow-laden air sounded the -strains of Beethoven’s Funeral March and the trumpeters of the First -Hussars appeared on their white horses, leading the musicians. In -seemingly endless array followed squadrons of the First and Second -Dragoons, the First, Second, and Third Uhlans, the body-guard in their -gorgeous uniforms, and cuirassiers; then six battalions of infantry and -regiment after regiment of artillery, all with crape-wound banners and -muffled drums. The mournful strains of the funeral marches with the slow -tramp of the marching columns was unspeakably melancholy and impressive -in its effect, and the vast throng of spectators, held back by a barrier -formed of seventeen thousand members of Berlin guilds and societies, -stood in awed silence, not a voice raised or a sign of impatience -visible all during the hour that the procession required in passing. - -Behind the troops, at a short distance, came a group of twelve divines -headed by Dr. Kögel; then a long line of court officials, -gentlemen-in-waiting, and pages, their brilliant costumes forming a -startling contrast to the prevailing gloom. Following these, and -uniformed in accordance with their military rank, were the Emperor’s two -physicians, Dr. Leutbold and Dr. Tiemann, Dr. von Lauer having been kept -away by illness. The gorgeously embroidered uniforms of the chamberlains -and gentlemen of the bedchamber next appeared, and behind them the -ministers, bearing the imperial insignia on purple velvet cushions, -preceded by four marshals whose hereditary titles recalled the days of -Germany’s ancient splendor,—the Lord High Cup Bearer Prince Hatzfeld, -the Grand Master of the Hunt Prince Pless, the Grand Master of the -Kitchens Prince Putbus, and the Lord High Marshal Prince Salm. - -Then came the imperial hearse, a sort of catafalque on wheels, drawn by -eight horses, each led by a staff officer, and over it a yellow silk -canopy adorned with the eagle and emblems of mourning, supported by -twelve major-generals. The ends of the purple velvet pall that covered -the bier were held by Generals von Blumenthal, von der Goltz, von -Treskow, and von Oberwitz, and on either side of it walked the twelve -officers who served as pallbearers. Immediately following the hearse was -the deceased Emperor’s favorite saddle horse, with bridle and housings -of black, led by an equerry. - -And now appeared an array of princes and dignitaries such as the world -has seldom seen assembled. General Pape, flanked by Count Lehndorff and -Prince Radziwill, bore the imperial standard in advance of the Crown -Prince William, who walked alone, wrapped in a military cloak and deeply -affected. About five paces behind him followed the Kings of Saxony, -Belgium, and Roumania, then Princes Henry, Leopold, George, and -Alexander with the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Meiningen, and after them -fully a hundred illustrious mourners walking four, six, and even eight -abreast, Russian grand dukes, Austrian archdukes, royal representatives -from Italy, England, Portugal, Spain, Greece, Denmark,—princes from all -the sovereign houses of Europe, reigning or deposed, envoys and deputies -from every State and Republic in the world. - -But there was no attempt at display; enveloped for the most part in -cloaks and furs they quietly and humbly followed the earthly remains of -him who in life had been the greatest of them all, and behind them came -the military deputies of foreign powers,—generals from France, pashas -from the Golden Horn, princes from the north and the south, even the -venerable Cardinal Galimberti, representing Pope Leo Thirteen. -Conspicuous by their absence from this assembly, however, were the two -pillars of the Empire, Prince Bismarck and Count von Moltke, whom the -inclement weather and their state of health had kept at home. Following -these personages was a vast number of mourners of all ranks, while two -battalions of infantry brought up the rear. - -On arriving at the Siegesallee, the procession halted while the princes -and dignitaries walking behind the bier entered the equipages that were -waiting to convey them to Charlottenburg, and the royal insignia was -taken back to the palace in Berlin by eight officers under escort of the -bodyguard. The cortege then resumed its march to Charlottenburg, where -from the window of the palace the Emperor Frederick watched with -streaming eyes his beloved father’s last royal progress. - -At the Luisenplatz another halt was made to permit the mourners to -descend from the carriages and escort the remains to the mausoleum, -where the Emperor’s own company of the First Foot Guards was waiting to -receive them. The coffin was borne in and placed temporarily between the -two stone slabs that mark the resting place of Frederick William Third -“The Just,” as he was called by his people, and his wife, Queen Louise -of blessed memory. The court chaplain offered a short prayer, a parting -salute of a hundred and one guns was fired, and the last solemn rites -were ended. Under the cypress boughs that shade the national sanctuary, -at the feet of the parents he had honored all his life with so childlike -a devotion, the remains of the heroic sovereign were laid to their -eternal rest. - - - - - Appendix - - -The following is a chronological statement of the principal events in -German history connected with the narrative: - - 1797 Birth of William First. - 1807 Received officer’s patent. - 1813 Appointed Captain. - 1814-1815 Served in Napoleonic campaign. - 1829 Married Augusta of Saxe-Weimar. - 1840 Heir presumptive. - 1848 German revolution. - 1849 Suppressed the insurrection in Baden and the Palatinate. - 1854 Field Marshal and Governor at Mainz. - 1858 Regency for his brother Frederick William. - 1861 Ascended the throne of Prussia. - 1862 Appointed Bismarck Minister of Foreign Affairs. - 1864 War with Denmark. - 1866 Austro-Prussian War. - 1867 President of the North German Confederation. - 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War. - 1871 Proclaimed German Emperor at Versailles. - 1871 Returned with the army to Berlin. - 1888 Died at Berlin. - - - - - LIFE STORIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE - - _Translated from the German by_ - GEORGE P. UPTON - - 24 Volumes Now Ready - - - _Historical and Biographical_ - - Barbarossa - William of Orange - Maria Theresa - The Maid of Orleans - Frederick the Great - The Little Dauphin - Herman and Thusnelda - The Swiss Heroes - Marie Antoinette’s Youth - The Duke of Brittany - Louise, Queen of Prussia - The Youth of the Great Elector - Emperor William First - Elizabeth, Empress Of Austria - - _Musical Biography_ - - Beethoven - Mozart - Johann Sebastian Bach - Joseph Haydn - - _Legendary_ - - Frithjof Saga - Gudrun - The Nibelungs - William Tell - Arnold of Winkelried - Undine - - Illustrated. Each 60 cents _net_ - A. C. McCLURG & CO., Chicago - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - ---Copyright notice provided as in the original—this e-text is public - domain in the country of publication. - ---In the text versions, delimited italics text in _underscores_ (the - HTML version reproduces the font form of the printed book.) - ---Silently corrected palpable typos; left non-standard spellings and - dialect unchanged. - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Emperor William First, by A. 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