THE CAPITULATION OF WILTAU.
The Tyrolese were still asleep, and profound stillness reigned yet
in the streets of Innspruck, although it was already after daybreak,
and the first rays of the rising sun shed a crimson lustre on the
summits of the mountains. All at once this silence was broken by a
strange, loud, and plaintive note which seemed to resound in the
air; it was followed by a second and third note; and, as if
responding to these distant calls, the large bell of the High Church
of Innspruck aroused with its ringing voice the weary sleepers to
renewed efforts.
They raised themselves from the ground; they listened, still drowsy,
to these strange notes in the air. Suddenly two horsemen galloped
through the streets, and their clarion voices struck the ears of the
Tyrolese.
"Up, sleepers!" cried Joseph Speckbacher; "do you not hear the
tossing? Rise, rise, take your rifles! the French and Bavarians are
at the gates of the city, and we must meet them again."
"Rise, Tyrolese!" shouted Major Teimer; "the French and Bavarians
are coming. We must prevent them from penetrating into Innspruck. We
must barricade the gates, and erect barricades in the streets."
The Tyrolese jumped up, fresh, lively, and ready for the fray. Their
sleep had strengthened them, and yesterday's victory had steeled
their courage. The enemy was there, and they were ready to defeat
him the second time.
The bells of all the churches of Innspruck were now rung, and those
of the neighboring village steeples responded to them. They called
upon the able-bodied men to take up arms against the enemy, whose
advanced guard could be seen already on the crests yonder. Yes,
there was no mistake about it: those men were the French and
Bavarians, who were descending the slope and approaching in strong
columns.
A Tyrolese rushed into the city. "The French are coming!" he
exclaimed, panting and breathless. "I have hurried across the
mountains to bring you the news. It is General Bisson with several
thousand French troops, and Lieutenant-Colonel Wreden with a few
hundred Bavarians. We had a hard fight with them yesterday at the
bridge of Laditch and in the Muhlbacher Klause; but they were too
strong, and were joined yesterday by another French column;
therefore, we were unable to capture them, and had to let them march
on. We killed hundreds of their soldiers; but several thousands of
them escaped, and are coming now to Innspruck."
"They will not come to Innspruck, for we are much stronger than they
are, and we will not let them enter the city," exclaimed
Speckbacher, courageously.
"No, we will not, except in the same manner in which you brought the
cavalry into the city yesterday, that is, to imprison them in the
barracks," said Major Teimer.
"Yes, yes, we will do so," shouted the Tyrolese; "we will let the
French come to Innspruck, but only as our prisoners."
"Well, let us be up and doing now, my friends," exclaimed
Speckbacher. "We must fortify the city against the enemy. Having
gone thus far yesterday, we cannot retrace our steps to-day. But we
do not want to retrace them, do we"
"No, we do not!" cried the Tyrolese.
"We have raised the Austrian eagle again," said Major Teimer, "and
the portraits of the emperor and our dear Archduke John are looking
down upon us from the triumphal arch. They shall see that we are
good soldiers and loyal sons of our country. Forward, men, let us be
up and doing! Barricade the city, the streets, and the houses; make
bullets, and put your arms ready. The French are coming Hurrah! Long
live the emperor Francis and the Archduke John!"
Deafening cheers responded to him, and then the Tyrolese rushed
through the streets to barricade the city in accordance with
Teimer's orders.
The gates were immediately barricaded with casks, wagons, carts, and
every thing that could be found for that purpose; and the approaches
to the city were filled with armed men, ready to give the enemy a
warm reception. The doors of the houses were locked and bolted, and
frantic women within them boiled oil and water which they intended
to pour on the heads of the soldiers in case they should succeed in
forcing their way into the city; bullets were made and stones were
carried to the roofs, whence they were to be hurled on the enemy.
Meanwhile the tocsin resounded incessantly, as if to invite the
Tyrolese to redoubled efforts and increased vigilance.
The tocsin, however, had aroused not only the Tyrolese, but also the
Bavarians who were locked up in the barracks; the prisoners
understood full well what the bells were proclaiming. To the
Tyrolese they said: "The enemy, your enemy, is approaching. He will
attack you. Be on your guard!" To the prisoners they proclaimed:
"Your friends are approaching. They will deliver you. Be ready for
them!" And now the Bavarians began to become excited, their eyes
flashed again, the clouds disappeared from their humiliated brows;
and with loud, scornful cheers and fists clinched menacingly, they
stepped before their Tyrolese guards and cried: "Our friends are
coming. They will deliver us and punish you, and we shall wreak
bloody vengeance on you for the disgrace you have heaped upon us.
Hurrah, our friends are coming! We shall soon be free again!"
"No, you will not," shouted a loud, thundering voice; and in the
middle of the large dormitory occupied by the Bavarians appeared
suddenly the tall, herculean form of Joseph Speckbacher. On passing
the barracks, he happened to hear the cheers of the prisoners and
had entered in order to learn what was the matter. "No," he said
once more, "you will not; yon must not suppose that we shall be so
stupid as to allow you to escape. Do not rejoice therefore at the
approach of the French and your countrymen for I tell you, and I
swear by the Holy Mother of God, if the French should enter the city
victoriously, our last step before evacuating it would be to kill
every one of you. Do you hear, Tyrolese guards? If the prisoners do
not keep quiet, if they make any noise, or even threaten you, shoot
down the ringleaders! But if the enemy penetrates into the city,
then shoot them all, and do not spare a single one of them.
[Footnote: Hormayr's "History of Andreas Hofer," vol. i., p. 258. ]
We will not incur the disgrace of re-enforcing the enemy by several
thousand men. The guards at all doors here must be quadrupled, and
at the first symptom of mischief among the prisoners, you will fire
at them. Now you know, Bavarians, what is going to be done. Beware,
therefore!"
And Joseph Speckbacher left the hall with a proud nod of the head.
The listening Bavarians heard him repeating his rigorous
instructions to the sentinels outside; they heard also the
acclamations with which the Tyrolese responded to him. The
prisoners, therefore, became silent; they forced back their hopes
and wishes into the depths of their hearts, and only prayed inwardly
for their approaching friends, and cursed in the same manner their
enemies, the ragged mob of the peasants.
The tocsin was still ringing, and its sinister notes penetrated
likewise into the large guard-house, and spoke to the prisoners
confined there. One of these prisoners was a gloomy, broken-down old
man, General Kinkel; the other was a youth, mortally wounded and
violently delirious. It was Colonel Dittfurt. The bullet of the
Tyrolese had not killed him; he still lived, a prisoner of the
peasants, and, amidst his delirium and his agony, he was fully
conscious of his disgrace. This consciousness rendered him raving
mad; it brought words of wild imprecation to his cold, bloodless
lips; he howled with rage and pain; he called down the vengeance of
Heaven upon "the ragged mob," the peasants, who had dared to lay
hands upon him, the proud, aristocratic colonel, and rob him not
only of his life, but also of his honor. All the night long he had
raved in this manner; and it was truly horrible to hear these words,
full of contempt, hatred, and fury, in the mouth of a dying man; it
was dreadful to see this scarred form on the bloody couch, writhing
in the convulsions of death, and yet unable to die, because anger
and rage revived it again and again. At day-break Major Teimer had
entered the guard-house with a detachment of Tyrolese; and while he
repaired with some of them to General Kinkel, the other Tyrolese had
entered Colonel Dittfurt's room, to see the miracle of a man whose
head had been pierced by a bullet having vitality enough left to
rave, swear, and curse, for twenty-four hours.
Gradually the whole room became crowded with Tyrolese, who yesterday
had been the mortal foes of the colonel, but who gazed to-day with
profound compassion and conciliated hearts at the poor, mutilated
being that disdained even on the brink of the grave to consider a
peasant as entitled to equal rights and as a brother of the
nobleman.
Colonel Dittfurt lay on his couch with his eyes distended to their
utmost, and stared at the Tyrolese assembled round him. For some
minutes the curses and invectives had died away on his lips, and he
seemed to listen attentively to the sinister notes of the alarm-
bells which were calling incessantly upon the Tyrolese to prepare
for the struggle.
"Is that my death-knell?" he asked wearily. "Have I, then, died
already, and is it death that is lying so heavily on my breast?"
"No, sir, you still live," said one of the Tyrolese, in a low,
gentle voice. "You still live; the bells you hear are ringing the
tocsin; they aroused us because the French and Bavarians are
advancing upon the city."
"The Bavarians are coming! Our men are coming!" cried Dittfurt
exultingly, and be lifted his head as if to rise from his couch. But
the iron hand of death had already touched him and kept him
enthralled. His head sank heavily back upon the pillow, and his eyes
became more lustreless and fixed.
"They vanquished me," he said, after a pause; "I know I am a
prisoner of the peasants, and it is they who keep me chained to this
couch and prevent me from going out to participate in the contest.
Oh, oh, how it grieves me! A prisoner of the peasants! But they
fought like men, and their leader must be an able and brave officer.
Who was the leader of the peasants?"
"No one, sir," said the Tyrolese, on whom the dying officer fixed
his eyes. "We had no leader; we fought equally for God, the emperor,
and our native country."
"No, no," said Dittfurt, "that is false; I know better, for I saw
the leader of the peasants pass me often. He was mounted on a white
horse; his face was as radiant as heaven, his eyes twinkled like
stars, and in his hand he held a sword flashing like a sunbeam. I
saw the leader of the peasants, he always rode at their head, he led
them into battle, I--"
He paused, the expression of his eyes became more fixed, the shades
of death descended deeper and deeper on his forehead, which was
covered with cold perspiration.
The Tyrolese minded him no longer. They looked at each other with
exultant and enthusiastic glances. "He saw a leader at our head?"
they asked each other. "A leader mounted on a white horse, and
holding in his hand a sword flashing like a sunbeam? It must have
been St. James, the patron of the city of Innspruck. He was our
leader yesterday. Yes, yes, that is it! St. James combated at our
head, unknown to us; but he showed himself to the enemy and defeated
him. Did you not hear, brethren, what the pious priests told us of
the Spaniards who have likewise risen to fight against Bonaparte,
the enemy of the Pope and all good Christians? St. James placed
himself in Spain likewise at the head of the pious peasants; he led
them against Bonaparte and the French, and made them victorious over
the enemy, who was bent upon stealing their country and their
liberties. And since St. James got through with the Spaniards in
Spain, lie has come to the Tyrol to lend us his assistance. St.
James, our patron saint, is our leader! He assists us and combats at
our head!"
And the Tyrolese, regardless of the colonel, who at this moment was
writhing in the last convulsions of death, rushed out of the room to
communicate the miracle to their brethren outside. The news spread
like wildfire from house to house, from street to street; all
shouted joyously: "St. James, our patron saint, is our leader. He
assists us and combats at our head!" [Footnote: "Gallery of heroes:
Andreas Hofer," p. 41.]
And this belief enhanced the enthusiasm of the Tyrolese, and with
the most intrepid courage they looked upon the enemy, who had by
this time come close up to the city, and was forming in line of
battle on the plain adjoining the village of Wiltau. From the houses
in the neighborhood of the triumphal arch the Tyrolese were able to
survey the whole position of the enemy; they could discern even the
various uniforms of the French and Bavarian soldiers. Up yonder, on
the roof of a house, stood Speckbacher and Teimer, and with their
eyes, which were as keen and flashing as those of the eagle, they
gazed searchingly upon the position of the enemy and that of their
own forces. The line from the village of Wiltau down to the river
Sill was occupied by the French troops under General Bisson; on the
right side of Wiltau to the Inn stood Lieutenant-Colonel Wreden with
the Bavarians, his front turned toward the city.
"Now we must surround them as in a mouse-trap, and leave them no
outlet for escape," said Major Teimer, with a shrewd wink. "Is not
that your opinion too, Speckbacher?"
"Certainly it is," replied Speckbacher. "Mount Isel yonder, in the
rear of the Bavarians, must be occupied by several thousands of our
best sharpshooters, and a cloud of our peasants must constantly
harass their rear and drive them toward Innspruck. Here we will
receive them in fine style, and chase them until they are all dead
or lay down their arms. The only important thing for us is to cut
off their retreat and keep them between two fires."
"You are right, Speckbacher; you are a skilful soldier, and are
better able to be a general than many an officer--for instance,
General Kinkel. Kinkel is an old woman; he wept and swore in one
breath when I was with him just now; he says all the time that he
will commit suicide, and yet he is not courageous enough to do it,
but preferred to comply with my demands."
"And what were your demands, Teimer?"
"I demanded that he should give me an open letter to General Bisson,
urging him to send some confidential person into the town who might
report the state of affairs, and convince him of the immense
superiority and enthusiasm of the Tyrolese, and of the impossibility
of defeating us or forcing his way through our ranks."
"And did old General Kinkel give you such a letter?"
"He did, and I will send it out now to the French camp. We must make
all necessary dispositions, that when the general sends a
confidential envoy into the town he may become fully alive to the
fact that it is impossible for him to defeat us. Above all things,
we must send several thousand sharp-shooters to Mount Isel and the
adjoining heights, in order to cut off the enemy's retreat."
The letter which Major Teimer had extorted from General Kinkel had
really the effect which he had expected from it. General Bisson sent
to Innspruck one of his staff-officers, accompanied by Lieutenant-
Colonel von Wreden, the commander of the Bavarians. A few other
officers followed these two, and repaired with them to Major Teimer,
who received them at the principal guard-house in the presence of
the most prominent Tyrolese.
Meanwhile General Bisson awaited with painful impatience the return
of the two ambassadors whom he had sent into the town; and, his eyes
constantly fixed on Innspruck, he walked uneasily up and down. But
already upward of an hour had elapsed, and the ambassadors had not
yet made their appearance. He had good reason to be uneasy and
anxious, for the situation of the French and Bavarians was now
almost desperate. He had found out at the bridge of the Eisach, on
the plain of the Sterzinger Moos, and at the Muhlbacher Klause, that
the French had to deal with an enemy who was terribly in earnest;
that the whole Tyrol was in insurrection; that Chasteler, with a
body of armed peasants, as well as a few regular troops, was
descending the Brenner, and already menacing his rear; while the
rocks and thickets in his front and flanks were bristling with the
peasants of the Innthal, who--in great strength--obstructed his
advance.
"We shall die here, for we are hemmed in on all sides," said General
Bisson, gloomily, to himself. "There is no hope left, and in the end
we may be obliged to submit to the disgrace of surrendering to the
mob of peasants. But what on earth prevents the officers from
returning to me?"
And Bisson turned his searching eyes again toward Innspruck. Now he
perceived two men approaching at a run.
He recognized them; they were the companions of his staff-officer
and Lieutenant-Colonel Von Wreden, and their pale, dismayed faces
told him that they were bearers of bad tidings.
"Where are the two gentlemen whom I sent to Innspruck?" he asked,
advancing rapidly toward them.
"They were taken into custody at Innspruck," faltered out one of
them.
"Major Teimer said he had taken upon himself no obligation in regard
to these officers, and would retain them as hostages," panted the
other. "He then caused us to be conducted through the whole city,
that we might satisfy ourselves of the tremendous strength of the
Tyrolese and their formidable preparations. Oh, your excellency, the
peasants are much superior to us in strength, for there are at least
twenty thousand able-bodied men in their ranks; they are well armed,
and the most celebrated marksmen and the most daring leaders of the
Tyrol are among them."
"Bah! it would make no difference, even though they were ten to
one!" cried General Bisson; "for ten peasants cannot have as much
courage as one soldier of the grand army of my glorious emperor. We
will prove to them that we are not afraid of them. We will attack
them. A detachment of Tyrolese yonder has ventured to leave the
city. Fire at them! Shoot them down until not one of them is left!"
The shots crashed, the artillery boomed, but not a Tyrolese had
fallen; they had thrown themselves on the ground, so that the
bullets and balls had whistled harmlessly over their heads. But now
they jumped up and responded to the shots of the enemy; and not one
of their bullets missed its aim, but all carried death into the
ranks of the French. At the same time the sharpshooters posted on
Mount Isel, in the rear of the French and Bavarians, commenced
firing, and mowed down whole ranks of the soldiers.
General Bisson turned in dismay toward this new enemy, covered by
the thicket, which, rising almost to the summit of Mount Isel, made
the Tyrolese invisible, and protected them from the missiles of the
soldiers.
"We are between two fires," he murmured to himself, in dismay. "We
are caught, as it were, in a net, and will be annihilated to the
last man."
And this conviction seized all the soldiers, as was plainly to be
seen from their pale faces and terror-stricken looks.
There was a sudden lull in the fire of the Tyrolese, which had
already struck down several hundred French soldiers, and from the
triumphal arch of Innspruck issued several men, waving white
handkerchiefs, and advancing directly toward the French. It was
Major Teimer, accompanied by some officers and citizens of
Innspruck. He sent one of them to General Bisson to invite him to an
interview to be held on the public square of the village of Wiltau.
General Bisson accepted the invitation, and repaired with his staff
and some Bavarian officers to the designated place.
Major Teimer and his companions were already there. Teimer received
the general and his distinguished companions with a proud,
condescending nod.
"General," he said, without waiting for the eminent officer to
address him, "I have come here to ask you to surrender, and order
your soldiers to lay down their arms."
General Bisson looked with a smile of amazement at the peasant who
dared to address to him so unheard-of a demand with so much calmness
and composure.
"My dear sir," he said, "I am convinced that you are not in earnest,
but know full well that we never can or will comply with such a
demand. Moreover, our situation does not by any means compel us to
allow conditions to be dictated to us. Nevertheless, I am ready to
make some concessions to you. Hence, I will pledge you my word of
honor that I will neither attack you, nor injure the city of
Innspruck in the least. But in return I demand that you allow us to
pass without molestation through Innspruck, that we may march to
Augsburg in obedience to the orders of my emperor."
"And you believe we can be so stupid as to grant this demand,
general?" asked Teimer, shrugging his shoulders. "I do not want to
be beaten down, but stick to my first demand. Either you order your
troops to lay down their arms, or you will all be put to the sword."
"No, so help me God! never will I accept so arrogant a demand,"
cried the general, indignantly; "never will I incur the disgrace of
signing so ignominious a capitulation."
"Then, general, you will appear this very day before the throne of
God to account for the lives of the thousands whom you devote to an
unnecessary death. For all of you will and must die; there is no
escape for you. You know it full well, general, for otherwise you,
the proud general of Monsieur Bonaparte, and commander of several
thousand splendid French soldiers, would not have come to negotiate
here with the leader of the peasants, who knows nothing of tactics
and strategy. You know that there are enemies both in your front and
rear. Our men occupy Mount Isel, and the whole country back of Mount
Isel is in insurrection. You cannot retrace your steps, nor can you
advance, for you will never get to Innspruck, and there is no other
road to Augsburg. We have barricaded the city, and have nearly
twenty thousand men in and around Innspruck."
"But I pledged you my word that I would not attack you, nor take any
hostile steps whatever. All I want is to march peaceably through the
city; and, in order to convince you of my pacific intentions, I
promise to continue my march with flints unscrewed from our muskets,
and without ammunition."
"I do not accept your promises, they are not sufficient," said
Teimer, coldly.
"Well, then," cried General Bisson, in a tremulous voice, "hear my
last words. I will march on with my troops without arms; our arms
and ammunition may be sent after us on wagons."
"If that is your last word, general, our negotiations are at an
end," replied Teimer, with perfect sang-froid. "You have rejected my
well-meaning solicitude for your safety; nothing remains for me now
but to surrender you and your troops to the tender mercies of our
infuriated people. Farewell, general."
He turned his back on him and advanced several steps toward
Innspruck. At the same time he waved his arm three times.
Immediately, as had been agreed upon, the Tyrolese on Mount Isel,
and in front of Innspruck, commenced firing, and their close
discharges, admirably directed, thinned the ranks of the French
grenadiers, while the shouts with which the mountains resounded on
all sides were so tremendous that they were completely panic-struck.
General Bisson saw it, and a deadly pallor overspread his face.
Teimer stood still and gazed sneeringly at the disheartened and
terrified soldiers, and then glanced at their general.
Bisson caught this glance. "Sir," he cried, and his cry resembled
almost an outburst of despair, "pray return to me."
"Let us negotiate!"
Teimer did not approach him, he only stood still. "Come to me, if
you have any thing to say to me," he shouted; "come, and--"
The rattle of musketry, and the furious shouts of the Tyrolese, now
pouring down from all the mountains, and advancing upon the French,
drowned his voice.
To render his words intelligible to Teimer, and to hear his replies,
General Bisson was obliged to approach him, and he stepped up to him
with his staff-officers in greater haste perhaps than was compatible
with his dignity.
"What else do you demand?" he asked, in a tremulous voice.
"What I demanded at the outset," said Teimer, firmly. "I want your
troops to lay down their arms and surrender to the Tyrolese. I have
already drawn up a capitulation; it is only necessary for you and
your officers to sign it. The capitulation is brief and to the
point, general. It consists only of four paragraphs. But just listen
to the shouts and cheers of my dear Tyrolese, and see what excellent
marksmen they are!"
Indeed, the bullets of the Tyrolese whistled again at this moment
through the ranks of the enemy, and every bullet hit its man. Loud
shouts of despair burst from the ranks of the French and Bavarians,
who were in the wildest confusion, and did not even dare to flee,
because they knew full well that they were hemmed in on all sides.
General Bisson perceived the despair of his troops, and a groan
escaped from his breast. "Read the capitulation to me, sir," he
said, drying the cold perspiration on his forehead.
Teimer drew a paper from his bosom and unfolded it. He then
commenced reading, in a loud, ringing voice, which drowned even the
rattle of musketry
"In the name of his majesty the Emperor Francis I. of Austria, a
capitulation is entered into at this moment with the French and
Bavarian troops which advanced to-day from Steinach to Wiltau; the
following terms were accepted:"
"FIRST. The French and Bavarian soldiers lay down their arms on the
spot now occupied by them."
"SECONDLY. The members of the whole eighth corps are prisoners of
war; and will be delivered as such to the Austrian troops at
Schwatz, whither they will be conveyed immediately."
"THIRDLY. The Tyrolese patriots in the custody of these troops will
be released on the spot."
"FOURTHLY. The field and staff-officers of the French and Bavarian
troops will retain their baggage, horses, and side-arms, and their
property will be respected."
"You see, sir, it is impossible for me to sign this," cried General
Bisson. "You cannot expect me to subscribe my own disgrace."
"If you refuse to subscribe the capitulation, you sign thereby not
only your own death-warrant, but that of all your soldiers," said
Teimer calmly. "See, general, here is fortunately a table, for this
is the place where the people of Wiltau assemble on Sundays, and
dance and drink. Fate placed this table here for us that we might
use it for signing the capitulation. There is the capitulation; I
have already affixed to it my name and title as commissioner of the
Emperor Francis. I have also brought pen and ink with me, that you
might have no trouble in signing the document. Subscribe it,
therefore, general, and let your staff-officers do so too. Spare the
lives of your poor soldiers for you see every minute's delay costs
you additional losses."
"I cannot sign it, I cannot!" cried Bisson, despairingly. He burst
into tears, and in his boundless grief he struck his forehead with
his fist and tore out his thin gray hair with his trembling hands.
[Footnote: Hormayr's "Andreas Hofer," vol. 1, p. 257.] "I cannot
sign it," he wailed loudly.
"Sign it," cried his officers, thronging round the table.
"You must refuse no longer, for the lives of all our soldiers are at
stake."
"But my honor and good name are likewise at stake," groaned Bisson,
"and if I sign the capitulation, I shall lose both forever."
"But you will thereby preserve to the emperor the lives of upward of
three thousand of his soldiers," exclaimed the officers, urgently.
"Never will the emperor believe that this disaster might not have
been averted," wailed General Bisson. "Even were I merely
unfortunate, he would impute it to me as a crime. He will forgive me
no more than Villeneuve and Dupont. His anger is inexorable, and it
will crush me."
"Then let it crush you, general," said Teimer, calmly. "It is better
that you should be crushed than that several thousand men should now
be crushed by the Tyrolese."
"Sign, sign!" cried the French officers, stepping close up to the
table, taking up the pen, and presenting it to the general.
"Then you are all determined to sign the capitulation after I have
done so?" asked General Bisson, still hesitating.
"We are," cried the officers.
"We are ready to do so," said Major Armance, "and in proof hereof I
affix my name to the capitulation before you have signed it,
general."
He subscribed the paper with a quick but steady hand.
Another staff-officer stepped up, took the pen, and also wrote his
name, "Varin."
"Now, general," he said, presenting the pen to Bisson.
The general took the pen, cast a last despairing glance toward
heaven and then toward his soldiers, bent over the paper to sign it.
The pen dropped from his hand, and he had to lean against the table
in order not to sink to the ground. Major Teimer drew a white
handkerchief from his pocket and waved it in the air. The Tyrolese
ceased firing immediately, and deafening cheers burst forth on all
sides.
"You see, general, you have saved the lives of your soldiers," said
Teimer.
Bisson only sighed, and turned to his officers. "Now, gentlemen," he
faltered out, "give orders to the troops to lay down their arms on
the spot now occupied by them."
The officers hastened away, and General Bisson started to leave
likewise, when Teimer quickly laid his hand on his arm and detained
him.
"General," he said, "pray issue still another order."
"What order, sir?"
"You have of course brought your carriage with you; order your
coachman to drive up with it, and permit me and these gentlemen here
to enter it with you, and ride to Innspruck."
"That is to say, I am your prisoner, and you wish to make your
triumphal entrance into the city with me?"
"That is about my intention. I should like to return to the city
seated by your side; and as the good inhabitants of Innspruck are
very anxious to see a French general, one of Bonaparte's generals,
who does not come with his troops to devastate the city, to rob and
plunder, I request you to let us make our entrance in an open,
uncovered carriage."
"We will do so," said Bisson, casting a sombre glance on Teimer's
shrewd face. "You are merciless to-day, sir. What is your name?"
"My name is Martin Teimer; I hold the rank of major in the Austrian
army, and Archduke John has appointed me commissioner for the
Tyrol."
"Ah, one of the two commissioners who signed the `open order,' with
which the country was instigated to rise in insurrection?"
"Yes, general."
"And Andreas Hofer the Barbone, is the other commissioner, is he
not? I will remember it in case we should meet again."
"You will then take your revenge; that is quite natural. But to-day
WE take our revenge for the long oppressions and insults which we
have endured at the hands of the French. Come, general, let us ride
to Innspruck."
An hour afterward a long and brilliant procession moved through the
triumphal arch. It was headed by the band of the captured Bavarian
regiment, which had to play to glorify its own disgrace to-day; next
came an open carriage in which Martin Teimer sat with a radiant
face, and by his side General Bisson, pale, and hanging his head. In
another carriage followed the staff-officers, escorted by the
municipal authorities and clergy of Innspruck, and afterward
appeared the whole enormous force of the Tyrolese conducting the
disarmed prisoners in their midst. [Footnote: Hormayr's "Life of
Andreas Hofer," vol. i., p. 259.]
All Innspruck had put on its holiday attire; at all the windows were
to be seen gayly-dressed ladies and rejoicing girls, holding in
their hands wreaths, which they threw down on the victors. The bells
of all the churches were ringing, not the tocsin, but peals of joy
and thanksgiving.
For the task was accomplished, the Tyrol was free! In three days
after the insurrection broke out, the Tyrolese, by means solely of
their own valor and patriotism, aided by the natural strength of the
country, had entirely delivered the province from the enemy. The
capitulation of Wiltau crowned the work of deliverance, to the
everlasting glory of the brave Martin Teimer, and to the disgrace of
General Bisson and the French and Bavarians. [Footnote: Major Teimer
was rewarded for this capitulation of Wiltau with the title of Baron
von Wiltau, and with the order of Maria Theresa. The Emperor of
Austria, besides, presented him with valuable estates in Styria.]
There were great rejoicings in Innspruck all the day long; glad
faces were to be met with everywhere, and all shouted
enthusiastically: "We have become Austrians again! We are subjects
of the Emperor of Austria again! Long live the free Tyrol! Long live
the Emperor Francis!"
The streets presented a very lively appearance; all the painters of
the city were occupied in removing the hateful Bavarian colors, blue
and white, from the signs and houses, and putting on them the
Austrian, black and gold; and the Tyrolese marksmen held a regular
target-shooting at the Bavarian lion, which, to the great disgust of
the Tyrolese, had been raised four years ago over the entrance of
the imperial palace. Prizes were awarded for every piece which was
shot from it, and the principal reward was granted to him who
pierced the crown of the lion.
Yes, the northern Tyrol was free; but the South, the Italian Tyrol,
was groaning yet under the yoke of French oppression, and Andreas
Hofer intended to march thither with his forces, as he had concerted
at Vienna with the Archduke John and Hormayr, in order to bring to
the Italian Tyrolese the liberty which the German Tyrolese had
already conquered.
Hence Andreas Hofer, though his heart yearned for it, had refrained
from making his solemn entrance into Innspruck, and had gone on the
17th of April to Meran, where he was to review the Landsturm of that
town and its environs, the brave men who were to accompany him on
his expedition to the Italian Tyrol.
The Tyrolese were drawn up in four lines; at their head was to be
seen Hormayr, surrounded by the priests and civil officers who had
been exiled by the Bavarians, and who were returning now with him
and the Austrian army.
A cloud of dust arose from the neighboring gorges of the Passeyr
valley, and a joyous murmur ran through the ranks of the Tyrolese.
Deafening cheers rent the air then, for Andreas Hofer galloped up on
a fine charger, followed by the men of the Passeyr valley. His face
glowed, his eyes beamed with delight, and his whole bearing breathed
unbounded satisfaction and happiness.
He shook hands with Hormayr, laughing merrily. "We have kept," he
exclaimed, "the promises we made at Vienna, have we not? And our
dear Archduke John, I suppose, will be content with us?"
"He sends the best greetings of his love to his dear Andreas Hofer,"
said Hormayr, "and thanks him for all he has done here."
"He thanks me?" asked Hofer, in surprise. "We have done only what
our hearts longed for, and fulfilled our own wishes. We wished to
become Austrians again, for Austrians means Germans; we wanted no
longer to be Bavarians, for Bavarians meant French; hence, we were
anxious to rid our mountains of the disgrace and make our country
again free and a province of Germany. We have succeeded in doing so,
for the good God blessed our efforts and helped us in our sore
distress. Now we are once more the faithful children of our dear
emperor, and the dear Archduke John will come to us and stay with us
as governor of the Tyrol."
"He certainly will, and I know that he longs to live again in the
midst of his faithful Tyrolese. But for this reason, Andy, we must
help him that he may soon come to us, and aid him in delivering the
Southern Tyrol. I have great news for you, Andy, from the Archduke
John. I wished to communicate it to you first of all. No one was to
hear of it previous to you."
"I hope it is good news, Baron von Hormayr," said Andreas Hofer,
anxiously. "The dear archduke, I trust, has not met with a disaster?
Tell me quick, for my heart throbs as though one of my dear children
were in imminent peril."
"You yourself are a child, Andy. Do you suppose I should look so
cheerful if our dear archduke had met with a disaster? And even
though such were the case, would I then be so stupid as to inform
you of it now, at this joyful hour, when it is all-important that we
should be in high spirits? No, Andy, I bring splendid news. The
Archduke John achieved yesterday glorious victory at Sacile over the
Viceroy of Italy, Eugene Beauharnais; it was a great triumph, for he
took eight thousand prisoners, and captured a great many guns. But
amidst this triumph he thought of his dear Tyrolese, and dispatched
from the battle-field a courier who was to bring to me the news and
his order to tell his dear Tyrolese that he defeated the French
yesterday."
Andreas Hofer, overjoyed and with his countenance full of sunshine
and happiness, galloped down the long line of his sharpshooters.
"Hurrah! my dear friends and brethren," he shouted, "the Archduke
John sends his greetings to you. and informs you that he defeated
the French yesterday at Sacile and took eight thousand prisoners and
a great many guns. Hurrah! long live the Archduke John, the future
governor of the Tyrol!"
And the Tyrolese repeated, with deafening cheers: "Hurrah! long live
the Archduke John, the future governor of the Tyrol!"
"And I have to bring you still another greeting from the Archduke
John," shouted Baron von Hormayr. "But you shall not hear it here in
the plain, but up at the ancient castle of Tyrol. It is true, the
Bavarians and the miserable French have destroyed the fine castle,
but the ruins of the ancient seat of our princes remain to us. We
will now ascend to those ruins, and up there you shall hear the
message which the Archduke John sends to you."
The whole force of the Tyrolese thereupon moved up the mountain-path
leading to the castle of Tyrol, headed by Andreas Hofer and Baron
von Hormayr.
On reaching the crest of the hill, Hofer stopped and alighted from
his horse. He knelt down amidst the ruins of the castle with a
solemn, deeply-moved face, and holding the crucifix on his breast
between his hands, and lifting his eyes to heaven, he exclaimed with
fervent devotion: "Thanks, Lord God, thanks for the aid that thou
halt hitherto vouchsafed to us! Thanks for delivering the country
and permitting us to be Austrians again! O God, grant now stability
to our work--and preserve it from falling to ruin! If Thou art
content with me, let me further serve and be useful to my native
country! I am but a weak instrument in Thy hand, my God, but Thou
hast used it, and I pray Thee not to cast it aside now, but impart
to it strength and durability, that it may last until the enemy has
been driven from the country, and the whole Tyrol is free again for
evermore! I kiss the dear soil where our princes walked in former
times, and where they swore to their Tyrolese that they should be
freemen, and that their free constitution should be sacred for all
time to come!"
He bent down, kissed the moss-grown stones, and encircled them
tenderly with his arms as though they were an altar before which he
was uttering devout vows and prayers. The Tyrolese, who had
gradually reached the summit, had silently knelt down behind Andreas
Hofer, and were praying like him.
One sentiment animated them all and illuminated their faces with the
radiant lustre of joy: the Tyrol was delivered from the foreign
yoke, and they, the sons of the country, had alone liberated their
beloved fatherland.
"Now, men of the Tyrol," shouted Hormayr, "listen to the message
which the Archduke John sends to you."
And amid the solemn silence of the Tyrolese, and the peals of the
Meran church--bells penetrating up to them, Hormayr read to them a
document drawn up by the Archduke John, by virtue of which he
resumed possession of the Tyrol in the name of the emperor, declared
it to be incorporated with the imperial states, and solemnly vowed
that, as a reward of its loyalty, it should remain united with
Austria for all future time. At the same time, the ancient
constitution and the former privileges were restored to the
Tyrolese, and Baron von Hormayr was appointed governor of the Tyrol.