The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1870-11-19
.chmidt. y vears Of ane,

Schmidt, Il years Of age.
.All Of them had already had "a taste
Of Napolconic humanity as galley slaves
at Toulon and Marseillcs 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 and see how a Prussian officer
dies for his Fatherland.
Arriving at the place designated for
the execution the commanding officer
made an effort to read again to the pris-
oners their sentence of death, but was
emphatically interrupted by the priso-
/ ners who declared they cared nothing
| about hearing it. Leopold John then
stepped forwarward and in a loud and
| firm voice exclaimed: .'The God of
Battles will visit you and your blood
teeming Emperor in Judgment hereafter:
"Not forever will his golden eagle fly on
to victory. Not forever will his star of
success shine rcsplendent, to light him
on through blood to glory. No. There
| is a fall in store for that eagle, and a
| setting in darkness for that star, and
| here upon our graves one day the bans
ner Of our German Fatherland will wave
/ to the breeze, and the black eagle proud
! ly rise to shelter our resting place beneath
his pinions Here our German 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 tar distant when the proud walls
| of your Paris will tremble and crumble
before Prussian cannons." The words
coming like the voice of prophet from
/ the grave, made n painful Impression
upon the soldierv charged with the exe>
cution. A sergent advanced to bindfold
the prisoners, but was disdainfully mo
toned away by Wedell. who informed
him that a Prussian soldier never finches
while looking an enemy IN the face.
You can rob US with life of all we poss-
css, said Wedell, "but. not of dying as
! becomes true Prussian soldier, nor the
/ love we hold in our hearts for our noble
country for which we have offered our
/ life , Entertain no fear that we will tren-
bic or falter only be sure that your nerves
are steady and that your aim is true.
Alter these words they all embraced
each other in q last farewell in life, and
taking off their cravats barred their brests
/ calling out to the soldiers to make sure
/ and hit Prussian's heart. ''Long live
our noble country, our German Father
Z
Fleming, throwing up his cap command
cd '.Fire = 4 volIey of sixty-six musk
! cts ratified forth their murderous lead
upon them, and ten heroic men were no
more The smoke clearing away display
cd the eleventh man still standing mo-
tionless as statue 1t was young We'd
ell, his right arm shattered by his side.
His brother pierced by twelve bullets
lying dead by his side. The command
ing General Lamoine stepped forward
from the ranks and advancing towards
the prisoner said pardon y pardon y
exclaimed young Wedell, 'Pardon |
ask no pardon sir; Prussian asks no
favors from a Frenchman Am [ neaner
than my comrades here welterifig in their
blood :? Cowardly braggarts, l. thought
you better marksmen Here is my heart
shoot like Prussians, and look me in the
eye like men !" \ section Of twelve men
were ordered forward from the reserve.
In IA firm voice Wedell commanded Fire.
and he had joined his comrad.s.