The weekly Butte record., 1862-11-29
Charles XII of Sweden.


Sweden. In his letter accompanying the do
nation, he says:
4 esteem myself peculiarly favored in being
able in this manner 10 express my admiration
Of the great monarch. The worlds history
does not record q parallel example Of such
courage, resolution and selfcontrol as display
ed by Charles MI, to the wonder aad glory of
his age and nation"
The above we fnd in exchanges. Ericsson
is Swede, BY birth, We believe; which &C
counts for the interest he takes in such mat
ter IS the above mentioned Il is seldom, how
ever that a naturalized citizen of tie Western
Republic feels the disposition TO contribute to
perpetuating the good fame of an Eastern
monarch. Charles the MI, however, was one
whose character electrified the whole Swedish
nation, and caused trembling among her leag-
ued foes. Coming into power an unknown and
despiscd STRIPPING, at moment when powerful
rulers were partitioning his kingdom amongst
themselves, he surprised all Europe by at once
graphing with them-taking personal com
mand of his army and soon astonished the
world and confounded his enemies He would
not be deemed, in some circles, a first rate
strategist, perhaps but q glance at his bril-
liant career may not be quite out of place here ::
" Charles the MI, of Sweden, came to the
throne in A. D. l697, at the age Of ffteen.-
The rulers OF Russia Poland and Denmark,
despised him as a weak boy, and formed a
league for humblng the power of Sweden, and
appropriating many of her best provinces. In
this crisis the young Swedish king showed a
degree of energy and courage that astonished
both friends and foes. He put himself at the
head of his army, invaded Denmark, and be-
sieged Copenhagen. This bold stroke forced
the Danish sovereign to beg for peace, and
abandon the anti i-Swedish confederacy Char
les then turned against his other enemies. On
the 30th Nov, l70l, with 5000 Swedes, he
attacked and entirely routed the Russian army
of 10000 men at Narya. He then marched
across Liyonia and Courland into Poland,
gained repeated victories over the armies of
his enemy Augustus, (who was elector of Sax
ony as well as king Of Poland,) took Cracow.
Warsaw, Dantzig, and other important cities ::
and in 1904 compelled the Poles to depose
Augustus, and choose Stanislaus Lescnski as
their king. Charles then advanced into Saxo-
ony, which he occupied with bis victorious
troops, and forced the elector to beg a peace,
the terms of which Charles dictated, Q707).
Charles fingered for some time in Saxony at
the head Of bis army, which amounted to fifty
thousand veterans. The eyes of all Europe
were now fixed on him His numerous victo-
ries, his daring and resolute spirit, the bearing
and discipline of his troops, filed sovereigns,
generals, and statesmen with admiration and
anxiety. Louis XIV earnestly implored his
and Eugene; and Marlborough himself under
took 4 special embassy to the Swedish camp
in order to battle the attempts of the French
to win over the hero of the North to their al
lance. Charles himself cherished the most
ambitious projects He was bent, in the first
instance, on deposing his enemy, Peter. from
the throne of Russia, as he had deposed his
other enemy, Augustus, from the Polish throne
One year, he thought, would suffice for the
conquest OF Russia. He next designed 10 at
tack the Pope; and he had dispatched officers
privately into Asia and Egypt, to survey the
towns and military resources of those countries,
with the intention Of entering on a career of
Oriental conquest, so soon as he had subdued
his European foes. He marched out of Sax
ony in the Autumn of 1907, and entered the
Russian territory in l70S. He crossed the
Beressina in June, defeated a Russian army
that was intrenched near that river, and ad-
vauced to Smolensko, where be gained another
victory, (28th Sept, l7OS) Instead of march
ing forward to Moscow, Charles now turned to
the Ukraine, trusting to the promises of the
old Cossack chief Mazeppa, who boasted that
he would bring the whole Cossack nation over
to the cause of Charles, but who was only able
to persuade 1000 men to join the invaders
Charles wintered in the Ukraine but he
moved forward upon Moscow in the spring of
1909. and besieged the city of Putowa, where
the Russians had collected large military stores
His army had been iearfully reduced by famine
fatigue, and the fatal frosts of Russia, as well
as by the numerous skirmishes and actions in
which it had been engaged. He had not more
than $4,000 men under him at Pultowa. and
at least half of them were Cossack and Wall
chan recruits. The Russian Gar, Peter the
Great advanced to relieve Pultowa with
wellequipped army, 10000 strong. The deci-
sive battle of Pultowa. fought July s, 1909.
between the sovereigns. ended in the total de-
feat of the Swedes. Charles made his escape
from the field with difficulty and sought refuge
in Turkey where he was Hospitality received
and sheltered. He remained there five years,
during which time bis enemies were conquer