SEDAN--BISMARCK AND NAPOLEON AT DONCHERY
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.”