Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1870-08-24
The Execution of the Officers of
Schill's Crops.
[rranslated from the aermnn.l

from
The history of the German war for in.
dependence from French rule. passes 81,
Iently by the shameful event which took
place in the Fortress of Wesel, which
cost the lives of eleven as brave young
soldiers rs ever breathed. Up to th S
time but few particulars have come before
the public relative to this bloody tragedy.
An old veteran Of S:hilrs Crops, DR..
Purch, RegimentaI Physician at Potsdam,
perhaps the only now living eye witness
of the bloody drama at Vessel, decribes
the execution of those young officers as
follows:
Early on a deary Autumn day, Oeto
Der Is, 1868, orders were received from
Napoleon, ordering the immediate execu-
ton of the eleven young Prussian men,
bers of Schi's Corps, then held as pris
oners of wsr in the fortress of Vessel
Preparations were Immediately made for
the carrying into effect the orders received
and the execution took place at one
O'Clock on the same afternoon. Early in
the morning the gates leading to the city
were closed, the guard reinforced and
orders issued prohibiting all gatherings
of citizens in the streets. With drums
beating. a large detachment of troops took
up lis line of march from the citadel 10
the place of execution. Tue van guard
was formed by troop of mounted men
armed with carbines and ready to make
use of their arms at any moment. Fol
lowing these came q detachment of gren
adiers, and then sixty six cannoneers for
the execution, in whose midst the eleven
prisoners marched with firm and steady
pace. the irons still on, clash:ng and
grating at every step. Their names
were:
Leopold John, 81 years of age; Fer
dinand Schmidt, % years of age; Fer
dinand Gale, q years of age; Carl de
Wedell. % years of age; Albert de
Wedell, l8 years of age; Constantine
Goban, 25 years of age; Ernst de Flem.
ing, 25 years of age; Carl de Kuffen
brink. l6 years of age; Fred'k FeIge-
man, % years of age; Fredk de Trsch
euberg, "a years of age.
All of them had already had a taste
of Napoleonic humanity as galley slaves
at Toulon and Marseiles. On the way
to the place Of execution they called to
citizens who were looking mournfully on
this murderous procession, to come along
with them aud see how Prussian Off
Ger dies for bis Fatherland.
Arriving at the place designed for the
execution the commanding officer made
an effort to read again to the prisoners
the sentence of death, but was emphati
cally interrupted by the prisoners who
declared they cared nothing about hear
it. Leopold John then stepped forward
and in loud and firm voice exclaimed /:
"The God of Battles will visit you and
your blood teeming Emperor in Judge
ment hereafterl Not forever will his
golden eagle fly on to victory Not for.
ever will bis star of success shine respien-
dent, to light him through blood of glory !!
No! There is fall in store for that
eagle, and setting in darkness for that
star, and here upon our graves one day
the banner of our German Fatherland
will wave to the breeze, and the black
eagle proudly rise to shelter our resting
place beneath his pinions. Here our Ger
man brethren will one day plant our
triumphant flag and with sword in hand
drive back your naughty hosts over the
Rhine. The time is not far distant when
| the proud walls of your Paris will trem-