personal memoirs-2-第54节

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whet　the　appetite；　and　we　both　set　out　on　an　eager　expedition　for

more　food。　　Before　going　far　I　had　the　good　luck　to　meet　a　sutler's

wagon；　and　though　its　stock　was　about　all　sold；　there　were　still　left

four　large　bologna　sausages；　which　I　promptly　purchasedpaying　a

round　sum　for　them　tooand　hastening　back　found　the　Count　already

returned；　though　without　bringing　anything　at　all　to　eat；　but　he　had

secured　a　couple　of　bottles　of　brandy；　and　with　a　little　of　thisit

was　excellent；　tooand　the　sausages；　the　slim　ration　of　eggs　and

coffee　was　amply　reinforced。



Breakfast　over；　the　Chancellor　invited　me　to　accompany　him　in　a　ride

to　the　battle…field；　and　I　gladly　accepted；　as　I　very　much　desired　to

pass　over　the　ground　in　front　of　Gravelotte；　particularly　so　to　see

whether　the　Krupp　guns　had　really　done　the　execution　that　was　claimed

for　them　by　the　German　artillery　officers。　　Going　directly　through

the　village　of　Gravelotte；　following　the　causeway　over　which　the

German　cavalry　had　passed　to　make　its　courageous　but　futile　charge；

we　soon　reached　the　ground　where　the　fighting　had　been　the　most

severe。　　Here　the　field　was　literally　covered　with　evidences　of　the

terrible　strife；　the　dead　and　wounded　strewn　thick　on　every　side。



In　the　sunken　road　the　carnage　had　been　awful；　men　and　horses　having

been　slaughtered　there　by　hundreds；　helpless　before　the　murderous

fire　delivered　from　behind　a　high　stone　wall　impracticable　to　mounted

troops。　　The　sight　was　sickening　to　an　extreme；　and　we　were　not　slow

to　direct　our　course　elsewhere；　going　up　the　glacis　toward　the　French

line；　the　open　ground　over　which　we　crossed　being　covered　with

thousands　of　helmets；　that　had　been　thrown　off　by　the　Germans　during

the　fight　and　were　still　dotting　the　field；　though　details　of

soldiers　from　the　organizations　which　had　been　engaged　here　were

about　to　begin　to　gather　up　their　abandoned　headgear。



When　we　got　inside　the　French　works；　I　was　astonished　to　observe　how

little　harm　had　been　done　the　defenses　by　the　German　artillery；　for

although　I　had　not　that　serene　faith　in　the　effectiveness　of　their

guns　held　by　German　artillerists　generally；　yet　I　thought　their

terrific　cannonade　must　have　left　marked　results。　　All　I　could

perceive；　however；　was　a　disabled　gun；　a　broken　mitrailleuse；　and　two

badly　damaged　caissons。



Everything　else；　except　a　little　ammunition　in　the　trenches；　had　been

carried　away；　and　it　was　plain　to　see；　from　the　good　shape　in　which

the　French　left　wing　had　retired　to　Metz；　that　its　retreat　had　been

predetermined　by　the　disasters　to　the　right　wing。



By　this　hour　the　German　cavalry　having　been　thrown　out　to　the　front

well　over　toward　Metz；　we；　following　it　to　get　a　look　at　the　city；

rode　to　a　neighboring　summit；　supposing　it　would　be　a　safe　point　of

observation；　but　we　shortly　realized　the　contrary；　for　scarcely　had

we　reached　the　crest　when　some　of　the　French　pickets；　lying　concealed

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

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

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

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

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

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

of　Metz　could　be　had。



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

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

discovered　in　a　remote　place　about　twenty　men　dreadfully　wounded。

These　poor　fellows　had　had　no　attention　whatever；　having　been

overlooked　by　the　hospital　corps；　and　their　condition　was　most

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

of　artillerywho；　though　shot　through　the　right　breast；　was

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

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

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

the　signsof　fast　approaching　death。



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

what　we　could　meanwhile　to　alleviate　the　intense　sufferings　of　the

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

principles　of　military　science。



The　French　army　under　Marshal　Bazaine　having　retired　into　the

fortifications　of　Metz；　that　stronghold　was　speedily　invested　by

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

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

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

after　the　battle　of　Gravelottewas　moving　toward　Paris　by　way　of

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

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

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

Prince　of　Saxony。　　In　consequence　of　these　operations　the　King

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

traveling　on　a　broad　macadamized　road　lined　on　both　sides　with

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

thickly　dotted　with　prosperous…looking　villages。



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

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

the　quartermaster　charged　with　the　billeting　of　the　officers　at

headquarters　having　started　out　in　advance　to　perform　this　duty　and

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

course　was　usually　pursued　thereafter；　whenever　the　royal

headquarters　took　up　a　new　location。



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

seen　in　the　armies　of　Prince　Frederick　Charles　and　General　von

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

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

doubt；　for　th