Bismarck

On the 1st of September Moltke’s chase after the French in the Meuse district was, from all we could hear, evidently approaching its close. I had the good fortune to be present at it next day. After rising very early in order to write up my diary from the hasty notes taken on the previous day in the carriage and by the roadside at Chemery, I went to the house of widow Baudelot. As I entered, a large cavalry detachment, formed of five Prussian hussar regiments, green, brown, black and red, rode past under the Chief’s window. These were to accompany the King to a point near Sedan, whence he could witness the catastrophe which was now confidently expected. When the carriage came and the Chancellor appeared he looked about him. Seeing me he said, “Can you decipher, doctor?” I answered, “Yes,” and he added, “Then get a cipher and come along.” I did not wait to be asked twice. We started soon afterwards, Count Bismarck-Bohlen this time occupying the seat next to the Minister.

We first passed through Chemery and Chehery, halting in a stubble field near a third village which lay in a hollow to the left of the road at foot of a bare hillock. Here the King, with his suite of Princes, generals, and courtiers, got on horseback, as did also the Chief, and the whole party moved towards the crest of the height. The distant roar of the cannon announced that the battle was in full progress. It was a bright sunny day, with a cloudless sky.

Leaving Engel in charge of the carriage I after a while followed the horsemen, whom I found in a ploughed field from which one had an extensive view of the district. Beneath was a deep wide valley, mostly green, with patches of wood on the heights that surrounded it. The blue stream of the Meuse flowed past a town of moderate size, the fortress of Sedan. On the crest of the hill next us, at about the distance of a rifle shot, is a wood, and there are also some trees to the left. To the right in the foreground, which sloped obliquely, in a series of steps as it were, towards the bottom of the valley, was stationed a Bavarian battery, which kept up a sharp fire at and over the town. Behind the battery were dark columns of infantry and cavalry. Still farther to the right, from a hollow, rose a thick column of smoke. It comes, we are told, from the burning village of Bazeilles. We are only about an English mile in a beeline from Sedan, and in the clear atmosphere one can easily distinguish the houses and churches. In the distance, to the left and right, three or four villages, and beyond them all towards the horizon, a range of hills covered throughout with what appears to be a pine forest, serves as a frame for the whole picture. It is the Ardennes, on the Belgian frontier.

The main positions of the French appear to be on the hillocks immediately beyond the fortress, and it looks as if our troops intended to surround them there. For the moment we can only see their advance on the right, as the lines of our artillery, with the exception of the Bavarians, who are posted under us, are lost behind the heights as they slowly move forward. Gradually the smoke of the guns is seen beyond the rising ground already mentioned, with the defile in the middle. The corps that are advancing in half circle to enclose the enemy are steadily endeavouring to complete the circle. To the left all is still. At 11 o’clock a dark grey pillar of smoke with yellow edges rises from the fortress, which has hardly taken any part in the firing. The French troops beyond Sedan deliver an energetic fire, and at the same time, over the wood in the defile, rise numbers of small white clouds from the shells—whether French or German we cannot say. Sometimes, also, we hear the rattle of the mitrailleuse.

There was a brilliant assembly upon the hill. The King, Bismarck, Moltke, Roon, a number of Princes, Prince Charles, their Highnesses of Weimar and Coburg, the Hereditary Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, generals, aides-de-camp, Court officials, Count Hatzfeldt, who disappeared after a while, Kutusow, the Russian, and Colonel Walker, the English Military Plenipotentiary, together with General Sheridan and his aide-de-camp, all in uniform, and all looking through field-glasses. The King stood, while others sat on a ridge at the edge of the field, as did the Chancellor also at times. I hear that the King sent word round that it was better not to gather into large groups, as the French in the fortress might in that case fire at us.

After 11 o’clock our line of attack advanced further on the right bank of the Meuse towards the main position of the French, who were thus more closely invested. In my eagerness I began to express my views to Count Puckler, probably somewhat louder than was necessary or quite fitting in the circumstances, and so attracted the attention of the Chief, who has sharp ears. He turned round and beckoned to me to come to him. “If you have strategic ideas to communicate to the Count it would be well if you managed to do so somewhat more quietly, doctor, as otherwise the King might ask who is speaking, and I should be obliged to present you to him.” Shortly afterwards he received telegrams, six of which he gave me to decipher, so that for the time I had to resign my part as a spectator.

On returning to the carriage I found in Count Hatzfeldt a companion who had also been obliged to combine business with pleasure. The Chief had instructed him to copy out a French letter of four pages which had been intercepted by our troops. I mounted the box and set to work deciphering, while the battle roared like half-a-dozen thunderstorms on the other side of the height. In my eagerness to get done I did not feel the scorching midday sun, which raised blisters on one of my ears.

It was now 1 o’clock. By this time our line of fire encircled the greater part of the enemy’s position on the heights beyond the town. Clouds of smoke rose in a wide arch, while the well-known small puff-balls of the shrapnels appeared for an instant and burst in the air. Only to the left there yet remained a space where all was still. The Chancellor now sat on a chair, studying a document of several pages. I asked if he would like to have something to eat or drink, as we had come provided. He declined, however, saying, “I should be very glad, but the King has also had nothing.”

The opposing forces on the other side of the river must be very near each other, as we hear oftener than before the hateful rattle of the mitrailleuse. Its bark, however, we are told, is worse than its bite. Between 2 and 3 o’clock, according to my watch, the King passed near where I stood. After looking for a while through his glass towards the suburbs of Sedan, he said to those who accompanied him, “There, to the left, they are pushing forward large masses of troops; I think it is a sortie.” It was, as a matter of fact, an advance of some columns of infantry, which, however, soon retired, probably because they found that although this place was quiet it was by no means open. Shortly afterwards, with the assistance of the field-glass, one could see the French cavalry deliver several attacks on the crest of the hill to the left of the wood near the defile, which were repelled by volleys from our side. After these charges it could be seen, even with the naked eye, that the ground was covered with white objects, horses or soldiers’ cloaks. Soon afterwards the artillery fire grew weaker at all points, and there was a general retreat of the French towards the town and its immediate vicinity. As already mentioned, they had for some time past been closed in on the left, where the Würtemberg troops had a couple of batteries not far from our hill, and where, as we were informed, the 5th and 11th Army Corps had cut off all escape, with the exception of a small gap towards the Belgian frontier. After half-past 4 all their guns were silent, and somewhat later ours also ceased firing.

Once again the scene becomes more animated. Suddenly bluish white clouds rise first in one and then in a second part of the town, showing that it is burning in two places. Bazeilles also is still in flames, and is sending up a pillar of dense grey, yellow vapour into the clear evening air. The soft radiance of the declining sun is spreading more and more over the valley at our feet, like burnished gold. The hillocks of the battle-field, the ravine in the midst, the villages, the houses, the towers of the fortress, the suburb of Torcy, and the broken bridge in the distance to the left, stand out in clear relief, from moment to moment more distinct as if seen through stronger and stronger glasses.

Towards 5 o’clock General Hindersin speaks to the King, and I fancy I catch the words, “Bombard the town,” and a “heap of ruins.” A quarter of an hour later a Bavarian officer gallops up the height towards us. General von Bothmer sends word to the King that General Mailinger, who is stationed at Torcy with the chasseurs, reports that the French desire to capitulate, and that their unconditional surrender has been demanded. The King replied, “No one can negotiate this matter except myself. Tell the general that the bearer of the flag of truce must come to me.”

The Bavarian rides back into the valley. The King then speaks to Bismarck, and together they join the Crown Prince (who had arrived a little before), Moltke and Roon. Their Highnesses of Weimar and Coburg are also with them, standing a little to one side. After a while a Prussian aide-de-camp appears, and reports that our losses, so far as they can be ascertained up to the present, are not great—those of the Guards being moderate, of the Saxons somewhat more, while the remaining corps engaged suffered less. Only a small proportion of the French have escaped into the woods in the direction of the Belgian frontier, where search is now being made for them. All the rest have been driven towards Sedan.

“And the Emperor?” questioned the King.

“We do not know,” answered the officer.

Towards 6 o’clock, however, another aide-de-camp appeared, and reported that the Emperor was in the town, and would immediately send out a parlementaire. “That is a grand success!” said the King, turning to the company. “I thank thee (he added to the Crown Prince) for thy share in it.” With these words he gave his hand to his son, and the latter kissed it. He then held out his hand to Moltke, who also kissed it. Finally he likewise shook hands with the Chancellor, and spoke to him alone for some time. This seemed to excite the displeasure of some of their Highnesses.

Towards half-past 6, after a detachment of cuirassiers had been posted near the King as a guard of honour, the French General Reille, Napoleon’s parlementaire, rode slowly up the hill. He dismounted at a distance of some ten paces from the King, and after approaching his Majesty took off his cap and handed over a letter of large size with a red seal. The general is an elderly gentleman of medium height and slender figure, in an unbuttoned black tunic with epaulettes and shoulder straps, black vest, red trousers and polished riding boots. He has no sword, but carries a walking stick in his hand. All the company move away from the King, who opens and reads the letter, afterwards communicating the contents, which are now generally known, to Bismarck, Moltke, the Crown Prince and the other personages. Reille stands a little further off, at first alone, and later in conversation with some Prussian generals. The Crown Prince, Moltke and his Highness of Coburg also speak to him while the King takes counsel with the Chancellor, who then commissions Hatzfeldt to prepare a draft of the answer to the imperial letter. Hatzfeldt brings it in a few minutes and the King copies it, sitting on one chair, while the seat of another, held by Major von Alten, who kneels before him, serves as a desk.

Shortly before 7 o’clock the French general rides back towards Sedan in the twilight, accompanied by an officer and a uhlan trumpeter carrying a white flag. The town is now in flames in three places, and the lurid columns of smoke that rise from Bazeilles shows it to be still burning. The tragedy of Sedan is over, and night lets down the curtain.

There might be an epilogue on the following day, but for the present every one returned home. The King went back to Vendresse, the Chief, Count Bismarck-Bohlen and I drove to the little town of Donchery, where it was quite dark when we arrived. We put up at the house of a Dr. Jeanjot. The town was full of Würtemberg soldiers, who were camped in the market-place. Our reason for coming here was that an arrangement had been made according to which the Chancellor and Moltke were this evening to meet the French plenipotentiary to try to settle the conditions of the capitulation of the four French army corps now confined in Sedan.

I slept here in an alcove near the back room on the first floor, with only the wall between me and the Minister, who had the large front room. Towards 6 o’clock in the morning I was awakened by hasty footsteps, and heard Engel say: “Excellency, Excellency, there is a French general at the door. I cannot understand what he wants.” The Minister would appear to have got up hurriedly and spoken a few words to the French officer, who turned out to be General Reille. The consequence was that he dressed immediately, and without waiting either for breakfast or to have his clothes brushed, mounted his horse and rode rapidly off. I rushed to his window to see in what direction he went. I saw him trot off towards the market-place. In the room everything was lying about in disorder. On the floor lay the “Täglich Losungen und Lehrtexte der Brüdergemeinde für 1870” (Daily Watchwords and Texts of the Moravian Brethren for 1870), and on the toilette stand was another manual of devotion, “Die tägliche Erquickung für gläubige Christen” (Daily Spiritual Refreshment for Believing Christians), which Engel told me the Chancellor was accustomed to read at night.

I now hastily dressed myself also, and after I had informed them downstairs that the Chief had gone off to Sedan to meet the Emperor Napoleon, who had left the fortress, I followed him as fast as I could. Some 800 paces from the bridge across the Meuse at Donchery to the right of the road, planted with poplars, stands a single house, then the residence of a Belgian weaver. It is painted yellow, is but one story high, and has four windows on the front. There are white shutters to the windows on the ground floor; the venetian blinds on those of the first floor are also painted white, and it has a slate roof, like most of the houses at Donchery. Near it to the left is a potato field, now full of white blossoms, while to the right, across the path that leads to the house, stand some bushes. I see here that the Chancellor has already met the Emperor. In front of the house are six French officers of high rank, of whom five have caps with gold trimmings, while that worn by the sixth is black. What appears to be a hackney coach with four seats is waiting on the road. Bismarck and his cousin, Count Bohlen, are standing opposite the Frenchmen, while a little way off is Leverström, as well as two hussars, one brown and one black. At 8 o’clock Moltke arrives with a few officers of the general staff, but leaves again after a short stay. Soon afterwards a short, thick-set man, in a red cap braided with gold lace, and wearing red trousers and a hooded cape lined with red, steps from behind the house and speaks at first to the French officers, some of whom are sitting under the hedge by the potato field. He has white kid gloves, and smokes a cigarette. It is the Emperor. At the short distance at which I stand from him I can clearly distinguish his features. There is something soft and dreamy in the look of his light grey eyes, which resemble those of people who have lived fast. His cap is set a little to the right, in which direction the head is also bent. The short legs do not seem in proportion with the long upper part of the body. His whole appearance has something unmilitary about it. The man is too soft, I am inclined to think too pulpy, for the uniform he wears. One could even fancy that he is capable of becoming sentimental at times. Those ideas, which are mere impressions, force themselves upon one all the more when one glances at the tall, well-set figure of our Chancellor. Napoleon seems fatigued, but not very much depressed. Nor does he look so old as I had expected. He might pass for a tolerably well-preserved man of fifty. After a while he goes over to the Chief, and speaks to him for about three minutes, and then—still smoking and with his hands behind his back—walks up and down by the potato garden. A further short conversation follows between the Chancellor and the Emperor, begun by Bismarck, after which Napoleon once more converses with his French suite. About a quarter to 9 o’clock Bismarck and his cousin leave, going in the direction of Donchery, whither I follow them.

The Minister repeatedly related the occurrences of this morning and the preceding night. In the following paragraphs I unite all these various statements into a connected whole. The sense of what the Chancellor said is faithfully given throughout, and his own words are in great part reproduced.

“After the battle of the 1st of September, Moltke and I went to Donchery, about five kilometres from Sedan, for the purpose of carrying on the negotiations with the French. We spent the night there, the King and his suite returning to Vendresse. The negotiations lasted until midnight, without, however, leading to an understanding. In addition to Moltke and myself, Blumenthal and three or four other officers of the general staff were present. General Wimpffen was the French spokesman. Moltke’s demand was very short. The whole French army must surrender as prisoners of war. Wimpffen considered that too hard. The army had deserved better treatment by the gallantry it had shown in action. We ought to be content to let them go on condition that they took no further part in the war, and removed to some district in France to be fixed upon by us, or to Algiers. Moltke quietly maintained his demand. Wimpffen dwelt upon his own unfortunate position. He had joined the troops two days before on his return from Africa, and only took over the command when MacMahon was wounded towards the close of the battle—and yet he must now put his signature to such a capitulation. He would rather try to hold the fortress or venture a sortie. Moltke regretted that it was impossible for him to make allowance for the position of the general, the hardship of which he appreciated. He recognised the gallantry of the French troops, but they could not possibly hold Sedan, and a sortie was out of the question. He was prepared to allow one of the general’s officers to inspect our positions, in order that he might convince himself of that fact. Wimpffen then urged that from a political standpoint it was advisable to grant better terms. We must desire a speedy and permanent peace, and we could now secure it if we acted generously. A considerate treatment of the army would put both the soldiers and the whole people under an obligation of gratitude, and would inspire friendly feelings towards us. An opposite course would lead to endless war. I intervened at this point, as my trade came into question here. I told Wimpffen it was possible to trust to the gratitude of a Prince but not to that of a people, and least of all to that of the French. They had no permanent institutions, they were constantly changing governments and dynasties, which were not bound by what their predecessors had undertaken. If the Emperor’s throne were secure it would be possible to count upon his gratitude in return for more favourable conditions. As matters stood it would be foolish not to avail themselves to the full of the advantages of our success. The French were an envious, jealous people. They were angry with us for our victory at Sadowa, and could not forgive us for it, although it had not injured them. How then could any generosity on our part prevent them from bearing us a grudge for Sedan? Wimpffen could not agree to that. The French had changed latterly, and had learnt under the Empire to think more of peaceful interests than of the glory of war. They were ready to proclaim the brotherhood of nations, and so on. It was not difficult to prove the contrary, and to show that the acceptance of his proposals would lead rather to a prolongation of the war, than to its termination. I finished by saying that we must maintain our conditions. Castelneau then spoke, explaining on behalf of the Emperor that the latter had only given up his sword on the previous day in the hope of an honourable capitulation. I asked, ‘Whose sword was that? The Emperor’s, or that of France?’ He replied, ‘Merely the Emperor’s.’ ‘Well then,’ interjected Moltke, sharp as lightning—a gleam of satisfaction overspreading his hawk-like features—‘There can be no further question of any other conditions.’ ‘Very well,’ declared Wimpffen, ‘in that case we shall renew the fight to-morrow.’ ‘I will see that our fire commences at 4 o’clock,’ said Moltke, on which the French expressed a wish to retire. I induced them, however, to remain a little longer and to consider the matter once more. The result was that they ultimately begged for an extension of the armistice, in order to consult with their people in Sedan. At first Moltke did not wish to agree to this, but finally consented on my pointing out to him that it could do no harm.

“Towards 6 o’clock on the morning of the 2nd of September, General Reille appeared before my lodging at Donchery, and said the Emperor wished to speak to me. I dressed immediately and got on horseback, dirty, unwashed, and dusty as I was, to ride to Sedan, where I expected to see the Emperor. I met him, however, on the road near Fresnois, three kilometres from Donchery. He sat with three officers in a two-horse carriage, three others accompanying him on horseback. Of these officers I only knew Reille, Castelneau, Moscowa, and Vaubert. I had my revolver buckled round my waist, and as I found myself alone in the presence of the six officers I may have glanced at it involuntarily. I may perhaps even have instinctively laid my hand upon it. Napoleon probably noticed that, as his face turned an ashy grey. Possibly he thought that history might repeat itself—I think it was a Prince de Condé who was murdered while a prisoner after a battle.[6]

“I saluted in military fashion. The Emperor took off his cap, the officers following his example, whereupon I also removed mine, although it was contrary to the regulations to do so. He said, ‘Couvrez-vous, donc.’ I treated him exactly as if we were at Saint Cloud, and asked him what his commands were. He wished to know whether he could speak to the King. I said that was impossible, as his Majesty’s quarters were about two German miles away. I did not wish him to see the King before we had come to an understanding as to the capitulation. He then asked where he could wait, which indicated that he could not return to Sedan, as he had either experienced or apprehended some unpleasantness there. The town was full of drunken soldiers, which was a great hardship for the inhabitants. I offered him my quarters at Donchery, which I was prepared to leave immediately. He accepted the offer, but when we had come within a few hundred yards of the town he asked whether he could not stay in a house which he saw by the road. I sent my cousin, who had followed me, to view the house. On his report I told the Emperor that it was a very poor place. He replied that it did not matter. After he had gone over to the house and come back again, having probably been unable to find the stairs which were at the back, I accompanied him to the first floor, where we entered a small room with one window. It was the best in the house, but its only furniture was a deal table and two rush-bottomed chairs.

“Here I had a conversation with him which lasted for nearly three-quarters of an hour. He complained first of this fatal war, which he had not desired. He was forced into it by the pressure of public opinion. I replied that in Germany nobody had wished for war, and the King least of all. We had regarded the Spanish question as a matter concerning Spain and not Germany, and we were justified in expecting from the good relations between the princely house of Hohenzollern and himself that an understanding could be easily come to with the Hereditary Prince. We then went on to speak of the present situation. He wished above all to obtain more favourable terms of capitulation. I explained that I could not go into that question, as it was a purely military one, with which Moltke would have to deal. On the other hand it was open to us to discuss an eventual peace. He replied that he was a prisoner, and therefore not in a position to decide. On my asking him whom he regarded as competent to treat, he referred me to the Government in Paris. I observed that the situation had therefore not changed since yesterday, and that we must maintain our demand respecting the army in Sedan, as a guarantee that we should not lose the benefits of our victory. Moltke, to whom I had sent word, and who had arrived in the meantime, was of the same opinion, and went to the King in order to tell him so.

“Standing before the house the Emperor praised our army and the manner in which it had been led. On my acknowledging that the French had also fought well, he came back to the conditions of the capitulation, and asked whether we could not allow the troops shut up in Sedan to cross the Belgian frontier, there to be disarmed and held as prisoners. I tried again to make it clear to him that that was a question for the military authorities, and could not be settled without the concurrence of Moltke. Besides, he himself had just declared that as a prisoner he was not able to exercise his authority, and that accordingly negotiations respecting questions of that kind should be carried on with the principal officer in command at Sedan.

“In the meantime a search had been made for a better lodging for the Emperor, and the officers of the general staff found that the little château of Bellevue near Fresnois, where I first met him, was suitable for his reception, and was not yet requisitioned for the wounded. I advised him to remove there, as it would be more comfortable than the weaver’s house, and that possibly he wanted rest. We would let the King know that he was there. He agreed to this, and I rode back to Donchery to change my clothes. I then accompanied him to Bellevue with a squadron of the 1st Cuirassier Regiment as a guard of honour. The Emperor wished the King to be present at the negotiations which began here—doubtless counting on his soft-heartedness and good nature—but he also desired me to take part in them. I had however decided that the soldiers, who were made of sterner stuff, should settle the affair by themselves; and so I whispered to an officer as I went up the stairs to call me in five minutes and say that the King wanted to speak to me. This was accordingly done. Napoleon was informed that he could only see the King after the conclusion of the capitulation. The matter was therefore arranged between Moltke and Wimpffen, much on the lines that were laid down the evening before. Then the two monarchs met. As the Emperor came out after the interview his eyes were filled with heavy tears. In speaking to me he was much less affected, and was perfectly dignified.”

We had no detailed particulars of these events on the forenoon of the 2nd of September; and from the moment when the Chief, in a fresh uniform and cuirassier’s helmet, rode off from Donchery until late at night, we only heard vague rumours of what was going on. About 10.30 A.M. a detachment of Würtemberg artillery drove past our house at a trot. In every direction clouds of dust rose from the hoofs of the cavalry, while the bayonets of long columns of infantry glistened in the sun. The road at our feet was filled with a procession of waggons loaded with baggage and forage. Presently we met Lieutenant von Czernicki, who wanted to go into Sedan, and invited us to drive with him in his little carriage. We had accompanied him nearly as far as Fresnois when, at about 1 o’clock, we met the King with a large suite on horseback, including the Chancellor, coming in the opposite direction. As it was probable that the Chief was going to Donchery we got out and followed him. The party, however, which included Hatzfeldt and Abeken, rode through the town, and we heard that they were viewing the battle-field. As we did not know how long the Minister would remain away we did not venture to leave Donchery.

About 1.30 P.M. some thousands of prisoners marched through the town on their way to Germany. Most of them were on foot, but some of them were in carts. They included about sixty to seventy officers, and a general who was on horseback. Amongst the prisoners were cuirassiers in white helmets, blue hussars with white facings, and infantrymen of the 22nd, 52nd and 58th regiments. They were escorted by Würtemberg infantry. At 2 o’clock followed a second batch of about 2000 prisoners, amongst whom were negroes in Arab costume—tall, broad-shouldered fellows, with savage, ape-like features, and some old soldiers wearing the Crimean and Mexican medals.

A little after 3 o’clock two French guns, with their ammunition waggons and still drawn by French horses, passed through our street. The words “5, Jäger, Görlitz” were written in chalk on one of the guns. Shortly afterwards a fire broke out in one of the streets to the left of our quarters. Würtemberg soldiers had opened a cask of brandy and had imprudently made a fire near it.

Considerable distress prevailed in the town, and even our landlord (he and his wife were good souls) suffered from a scarcity of bread. The place was overcrowded with soldiers, who were quartered on the inhabitants, and with the wounded who were sometimes put up in stables. Some of the people attached to the Court tried to secure our house for the Hereditary Grand Duke of Weimar, but we held out successfully against them. Then an officer wanted to quarter a Prince of Mecklenburg upon us, but we also sent him packing, telling him it was out of the question, as the Chancellor of the Confederation lodged there. After a short absence, however, I found that the Weimar gentlemen had forced themselves into the house. We had reason to be thankful that they did not turn our Chief out of his bed.

The Minister only returned after 11 o’clock and I had supper with him, the party also including the Hereditary Grand Duke of Weimar, in the uniform of the Light Blue Hussars, and Count Solms-Sonnenwalde, formerly attached to the Embassy in Paris, and now properly speaking a member of our staff, although we had seen very little of him recently.

The Chancellor gave us very full particulars of his ride over the battle-field. He had been nearly twelve hours in the saddle, with short intervals. They had been over the whole field, and were received with great enthusiasm in all the camps and bivouacs. It was said that during the battle our troops had taken over 25,000 prisoners, while 40,000 who were in Sedan surrendered under the capitulation, which was concluded about noon.

The Minister told us that Napoleon was to leave for Germany, that is to say for Wilhelmshöhe, on the following morning. “The question is,” said the Chief, “whether he is to go by way of Stenay and Bar le Duc or through Belgium.” “In Belgium he would no longer be a prisoner,” said Solms. “Well, that would not matter,” replied the Chief, “and it would not even do any harm if he took another direction. I was in favour of his going through Belgium, and he seemed also inclined to take that route. If he failed to keep his word it would not injure us. But it would be necessary to communicate beforehand with Brussels, and we could not have an answer in less than two days.”

About 8 o’clock on the following morning, just as I was at breakfast, we heard a noise which sounded like heavy firing. It was only the horses in a neighbouring stable stamping on the wooden floor, probably out of temper that they also should have been put on short commons, as the drivers had only been able to give them half measures of oats. As a matter of fact there was a general scarcity. I heard subsequently that Hatzfeldt had been commissioned by the Chief to go to Brussels. Shortly afterwards the Chancellor called me to his bedside. He had received 500 cigars, and wished me to divide them among the wounded. I accordingly betook myself to the barracks, which had been transformed into a hospital, and to the bedrooms, barns and stables in the street behind our house. At first I only wished to divide my stock amongst the Prussians; but the Frenchmen who were sitting by cast such longing glances at them, and their German neighbours on the straw pleaded so warmly on their behalf—“We can’t let them look on while we are smoking, they too have shared everything with us”—that I regarded it as no robbery to give them some too. They all complained of hunger, and asked how long they were going to be kept there. Later on they were supplied with soup, bread and sausages, and some of those in the barns and stables were even treated to bouillon and chocolate by a Bavarian volunteer hospital attendant.

The morning was cold, dull and rainy. The masses of Prussian and Würtemberg troops who marched through the town seemed however in the best of spirits. They sang to the music of their bands. In all probability the feelings of the prisoners who sat in the long line of carts that passed in the opposite direction at the same time were more in harmony with the disagreeable weather and the clouded sky. About 10 o’clock, as I waded in the drizzling rain through the deep mud of the market-place in fulfilment of my mission to the wounded, I met a long procession of conveyances coming from the Meuse bridge under the escort of the black death’s-head hussars. Most of them were covered coaches, the remainder being baggage and commissariat carts. They were followed by a number of saddle horses. In a closed coupé immediately behind the hussars sat the “Prisoner of Sedan,” the Emperor Napoleon, on his way to Wilhelmshöhe through Belgium. General Castelneau had a seat in his carriage. He was followed in an open waggonette by the infantry general, Adjutant-General von Boyen, who had been selected by the King as the Emperor’s travelling companion, and by Prince Lynar and some of the officers who had been present at Napoleon’s meeting with the Chancellor on the previous day. “Boyen is capitally suited for that mission,” said the Chief to us the night before; “he can be extremely rude in the most polite way.” The Minister was probably thinking of the possibility that some of the officers in the entourage of the august prisoner might take liberties.

We learned afterwards that an indirect route through Donchery had been taken, as the Emperor was particularly anxious not to pass through Sedan. The hussars went as far as the frontier near Bouillon, the nearest Belgian town. The Emperor was not treated with disrespect by the French prisoners whom the party passed on the way. The officers on the other hand had occasionally to listen to some unpleasant remarks. Naturally they were “traitors,” as indeed from this time forward everybody was who lost a battle or suffered any other mishap. It seems to have been a particularly painful moment for these gentlemen when they passed a great number of French field pieces that had fallen into our hands. Boyen related the following anecdote. One of the Emperor’s aides-de-camp, I believe it was the Prince de la Moscowa, thought the guns belonged to us, as they were drawn by our horses, yet was apparently struck by something in their appearance. He asked:—

“Quoi, est-ce que vous avez deux systèmes d’artillerie?”

“Non, monsieur, nous n’avons qu’un seul,” was the reply.

“Mais ces canons-là?”

“Ils ne sont pas les nôtres, monsieur.”