The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1846-03-03 00:00:00

THE PRiNCE WALDEMAR OF PRUSSIA

As the official despatches respecting the late great
events on the Satlej mention the name of Count Ravens-
burg, and allude t.o a fact personal to him, it may be in-
teresting to the public to know that Count Ravenshurg is
the incognito name of his Royal Highness Prince Walde-
mar of Prussia, the son of Prince William (the late King's
brother), and therefore fist cousin to Frederick William
IV. This distingulshed personage, now in his 29Th year,
and Colonel in the Dragoons of the Prussian Guards, de-
sirous of seeing foreign military institutions, and possibly
falling in with some military enterprise during these times
of peace in Europe, demaneed and obtained, in 1841, the
King's permission to proceed to the East, and to visit,
for his instruction, the British empire in India. The king
ordered his Royal Highness to be arcomparied by two
distinguished officers, both mentioned in the late de-
spatches. The ooe of them Count Groeben, is Lieutenant
in the Guards, the Prince's personal friend, and son of
one of the most illustrious and popular Generals in the
Prussian army; the other, Count Oriole, is a Major on
the Staff of the same. Dr. Hoffmeister, mentioned in the
report, followed the Prince as medical attendant. The
Prince has since travelled through the greatest part of
the Indian empire, and the Universal Prussian Gazette
(Atlgenzeine Preussiche Zeilung) and other German pa-
pers have given extracts from his letters, proving the
Prince's power of observatiin, and the high estimate he
had formed of the military state and of the civil adminis-
tration of that vast empire. As soon as a war with La-
hore seemed inevitable, the Prince proceeded towards the
Indus, and in his progress, and lastly at Umballah, re-
viewed the English troops he fell in with. His last let-
ters, dated the 17th of December, from the neighbour-
hood of Moodkee, were written on the very eve of the
battle at that place. They are, as may be expected, lull
of enthusiasm at the thoughts of his first combat. Ile
fought in those ever memorable days by the side of the
Governor-General, and on the 21st saw his medical at-
tendant killed at his side by grape-shot. The following
private letter has been received by the Chevalier Bunsen
from the Governor-General, relative to the Prince's
share in the late actions, and will be read with interest.
" ('amp, Ferozepore, Jan. 1, 1846.
_

"My dear Chevalier,--I wish your Excellency a very
happy new year, and many congratulations on the perso-
nal safety of Prince Waldemar, who, with the character-
istic gallantry of his illustrious race, and the national love
of enterprise of his countrymen, was present with me in
the recent action of Moodkee, on the 18th of December,
and atFtrczeshah, on the 21st and 22d of December.

" His Royal Highness intended to proceed to Bombay
by Scliinde, and left Ferozepore on the 23d of December
last, quite well.
" It was impossible for any soldier to show more cool-
ness, intrepidity, and energy than did his Royal Highness
and the noblemen of his suite on these occasions.
" The Prince's surgeon was struck off his horse by a
grape-shot, when I saw his Royal Highness instantly
alight to his assistance. The humanity of this act was of
no avail. The unfortunate gentleman had already ceased
to exist.

" In the morning of the 22,1 I felt it to be my duty to
request his Royal highness to retire. The action threat-
ened to be very severe, and I could not reconcile it with
the respect I bear towards the Prussian royal family, that
one of its Princes, having already witnessed an Asiatic
battle, and greatly distinguished himself, should run a
risk to which there was no necessity that his Royal High-
ness should be exposed.

" With great reluctance his Royal Highness consented
to proceed to Ferozepore.
" I beg further to observe, that his Royal Highness has,
by the amiability of his demeanour, won the respect and
admiration of all the officers, civil and military, of
the East India Company's service, and that our most re-
spectful good wishes attend his Royal Highness where-
ever be may direct his steps.
"These sentiments towards his Royal Highness, so
universally entertained, are grateful to me ; for, from old
recollections and attachment, I take a deep interest in all
that concerns the military officers of your nation.
" I have the honour to remain, youts very sincerely,
"H. HARDINGE, Governor-General.
" His Excellency the Chevalier Bunsen."

The rumour which has lately been circulated that Ma-
dame Castellan had died recently at St. Petersburgh,
turns out to be a fabrication,

Sir H. Hardinge, in anticipation of the worst, arranged
all his worldly affairs previous to the battle of Moodkee,
and to ensure the safety of the sword given him by the
Duke of Wellington, he sent it into Ferozepore.
A report appears in some of the Calcutta papers of the
death of Tharawaddy, King of Burmah. He is reported
to have run a-muck, and in his mad career to have killed
three persons, but was himself arrested by a blow from a
billet of wood, which soon deprived him of life.
STEAM-BOAT EXPLOSION. The steamer Osceola,
from Cheraw to Charleston, with 600 bags of cotton,
burst her boiler on the 26th January, while working
slowly forward, having been aground. No lives were
lost, but three firemen were badly injured. The explo-
sion is supposed to have been occasioned by the quantity
of sand which had got into the machinery.
FATAL DUEL IN AMERICA.—The recent American
papers contain an account o, a fatal duel which took place
in the neighbourhood of Washington. The parties were
a gentleman named Jones, a lawyer, and Dr. Johnson, a
medical praciitioner, both natives of North Carolina.
Both of them had been suitors for the hand of the same
lady, who preferred the lawyer ; but, in the opinion of her
husband, a criminal intercourse had taken place after the
marriage, between her and the doctor. Johnson was shot
in the head, and instantly expired, the parties fighting at
ten paces. _ _

TIIE BRAZILIAN MAlL—Paraguay had at length
openly declared war against Buenos Ayres, and had made
common cause vvith the province of Corrientes. The mer-
chants resident in the country have for some time expected
this union. but they at the same time consider that Gene-
ral Paz will require to proceed with very great caution in
advancing on Buenos Ayres, in consequence of the supe-
rior discipline of the troops of Rosas. Letters from
Monte Video, to the 19th December, are silent respect-
ing the more recent operations up the Parana. There is a
great scarcity of mercantile shipping at the Brezilian ports,
and freights have materially advanced in consequence.
HORRORS OF WAR.—The fatigue and privations of the
Ferozepore Division were extreme, and the want.of water
excessive. On the second day of the battle at Feroseshah,
a well was discoiered. The water was putrid, and par-
tially filled by the Sikhs with their dead ; but, notwith-
standing, it was eagerly drank by all ranks. An officer
in this division, after giving some particulars of the con-
test on Sunday, the 21st, says—" The action raged till
night-fall, and the cannonade lasted all night. The
troops bivouacked ; and, 0, what a night it was ! Dying
and dead all around us ! balls whistling in every direction !
no food, and, above all, no water ! and the cold intense !
May I never spend such a night again."
ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF LUTllER.—Advi-
ces from Berlin state that on the night of the 17th Fe-
bruary, the King and Princes Charles and Albert arrived
at Wittenberg, and were present at the anniversary of Lu-
ther's death, (next day,) which was celebrated with great
solemnity. Divine service was performed at all the
Evangelical churches at six in the evening, and the thea-
tres were closed. A solemn chorus was after% ards
chanted over the tomb in which repose the ashes of the
great reformer. A sermon was also preached in the open
air near Luther's statue. The solemnities concluded by
the singing of Luther's celebrated hymn, of which both
the words and the music were his own composition.
TIIE CANTON OF VAUD.—We lately noticed, at con-
siderable length, the proceedings of M. Druey, the Pre-
sident of the Council of State of the Canton of Vaud, in
the affair of the charg6 de missionaire of that part of
Switzerland. It is now stated, under date Geneva, Feb.
20, that the official documents relating thereto were sent
by Druey to the several governments of Europe, who, it
appears, generally disapprove of his proceedings. Accor-
dingly the Prussian mthister has addressed remonstrances
to Drury, and the King has sent the clergy a donation of
about £5OO. The English minister has hitherto sent no
money, but has forvrardcd a note from Lord Aderdeen, in
which he says that the transmission of the documents in
question to the English- government, leave them no alter-
native but that of expressing their disapprobation and re-
gret at the measures which had been taken by the Council
of State of -Vaud, and which may be of a nature to en•
dangerthe liberty of Switzerland.

FRENCH JEALOUSY.—The Paris journals, referring to
the great battle on the banks of the Sutlej, and to the se-
vere losses sustained by the British, do not fail to remind
their readers that the Sihks owe their military skill to
French officers, such as Atabile, Ventura, &c. This is
some consolation for the gloomy picture presented by
Algeria.

THE INDIAN CONFLICTS.—On Thursday evening, Sir
Robert Peel presented to the House of Commons a
despatch from Sir H. Hardinge, dated, Camp Ferozepore,
Dec. 31,1845, which throws light on Sir Henry's conduct
in reference to the recent disastrous Indian conflicts. It
is manifest from this document that extreme anxiety on
the part of the Governor-General to avoid collision with
the Sikhs, and to give them no ground of offence, governed
his actions up to the very moment of their invasion.
THE POLISH CONSPIRACY.—Accounts from Posen
state that an assemblage of Polish nobility was held at
Posen on the 13th February, to the number of 600. They
had already organised four regiments, and M. de Moro-
lawski had been named major-general. The project was
to poison the Prussian garrison. Poisoned bread has
been found in the barracks and hospitals. It had been
resolved to plunder the houses of the Germans and the
Jews. The 17th instant was the day fixed upon for ac-
tion. M; de Mcrozlawski was arrested, as were also
Count Micielski and M. Maujewski, also known by an
attempt at insurrection. Several other noblemen of
wealth and influence were afterwards arrested at \\Tersetz
on the 16th.

CHRISTI AN UNION AT RAWITCH, &c.—The able
Ronge has addressed a letter to the president of the Chris-
tian Catholic Commune, gladly intimating that Czerski
has joined the other Christian Communes in the manner
Le pursued at Leipsic. Post, preacher at Posen,' had
done the same. They had agreed to labour with the other
communes for the well-being and salvation of humanity.
It was agreed that Czerski and Post should address a let-
ter to all the communes to announce their adhesion, and
explaining the motives and tendencies of the reform.
The letter states that the real Christian spirit, which
knows no condemnation, is extending more and more the
Christian idea, and especially these words :—" They shall
acknowledge you to be my desciples when they shall eee
that you love one another." .