Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-03-28
MISCELLANY,


ANA - 6AAN -
EMPEROR WILLIAM.
His Career a. q Soldier, Prince ,
and King. Il
The Emperor of Germany, William
!, celebrated his SOth birth day on
he 22d. On the first day of the new
year he completed his 10th year as a
soldier, and the event was duly
marked by military jubilee. A brief
synopsis Of the leading events which
have marked the life of one of the
most successful rulers of modern
times, will be of much interest:
King Frederick William Ill, the
father of the Emperor, was a very
and strong man, and gave his
children careful but rigorous edu-
cation. In the education Of the young |
princes, the military character pre-
vailed, and Prince William was only |
a boy, seven years old, when this
training as soldier commenced. His
first masters were Sergeant Bennes-
tcin, of the Gardc Battalion, and Ser
geant Major Clery, of the Regiment
Moellendorf. On the 4th of January,
1907, during the New Years gratula-
ton in KGnigsberg, Prince William,
then ten years of age, was made En-
sign, and on the Christmas Eve of the
same year, he received as Christmas
present the patent as Lieutenant.
Hismilitary instructor was Major Won
Pirch, and the young Prince was very
jealous and diligent in studying and
practicing all the rhetoric and prac-
teal branches of the military cxer-
cises and tactics. In 1918 he followed
the royal family to Breslau, but as in
March of the same year the King,
with the Crown Prince, the late Fred
erick William w., took the field, the
young Prince William had, in conse-
quence of his weak health, to stay at
home, and only after the battle of
Leipsig was he allowed to join the
army. In the month of November,
1913, he entered the field army as
Captain, and participated in all
the military actions of the following
campaigns. In the battle of Bar-snr-
Aubc, February 81, 1914, the young
Prince distinguished himself by per-
sonal bravery; and he received from
the Emperor Alexander, of Russia,
the high order of st. George, and
from his father the order of the Iron
Cross. During the skirmishes around
Paris, the young Prince always was at
the side of his father, and he particle
patcd, as a twice decorated young
Captain of the Guards, in the entrance
of the allies into the French capital.
A few days aftcrward he received his
patent as Major, and participated
afterward, on the 9th OF August, with
his father, the Crown Prince, Bluech-
er. Tauenszien, Bulow, Schonhorst,
and the other heroes of the great
Campaigns of liberty" in the cele-
into Berlin.
In the beginning of the new cam.
paign of 1915, he commanded the
third battalion of the First Regiment
de Garde, and he and his battalion
took part in all the short but bloody
7 actions of that most memorable
campaign. The victorious army en-
tered Paris second time, and Prince
: William stayed there until after thu
/ great festival of victory. on thu
: twenty first day Of October.
Then followed q protracted time o
! peace, and Prince William climbed
. step after step the very long and tie
: dious ladder of the army to the high
. est honors and places, and finally t.
! the top of the ladder, where he nov
stands, the chief commander of tn
! Prussian army, and the ssoberst
! kriegsherr" of all the armies of tn
! German Empire, the greatest an,
: most formidable army of the Who'll
world. In 1888 he was made com
f. mander of the Garde du Corps, an,
> in 1910, after the death of his celebrat
: ed father, he got the title of "Princ
of Prussia" and the GovernOrship o
the province of Pommerania. In tn
. exciting time of the revolution il
! lS4S, he favored very strong meas
:, ures against the revolutionists, and il
consequence of his order to clear tn
! streets of Berlin with grape-shot h
= was called the "Kart9tschen Prinz
!. (the Prince of grape-shot, and tn
population was SO indignant that h
. had to leave the country for awhile
= During the revolution in the Gran,
: Duchy of Baden, in 1S49, he was tn
= chief commander of the Prussial
army of operations, and after the ca
pitulatiOn of the fortress of Rastatt
!, on July 81, 1S49, he got the highes
: military order-the "Ordre pour d
, meritc, land in 1854 the highest mil
|, itary rank as General Colonel of tn
|. Infantry and Field Marshal. Durin,
. the years 1857 to 1861 he had to per
:. form, as Prince Regent, the royal du
ties for his royal brother, and durin
: those years The great reorganization
Of the Prussian army was commenced
and finished under the continnou
control of the Prince Regent ant
since January, 1861, King William L.
!, of Prussia. In ascending the throne
he made the solemn promise that HI
would guarantee and strengthen TIL
Kingdom of Prussia in that position
to which it was entitled in conse
qucncc of its glorious history and TIL
, highly developed organization of it
!, army" The history of the last twelve
: years has confirmed this proud word
! But it ia not necessary to repeat her,
the history of the Prussian and Ger
man army since that time. We men
, ton only the names of Kocniggraet2
! Sadowa, Pardubitz, Woerth, Mars !,
, Tour, Spichcren, Gravelotte, Metz
, Sedan, Strasbourg, Belford, Paris
and add that the Emperor was pres
, ent at most of these battles anc
siegcs.