American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-07-20
MORGAN PRUSSIA.
The Irishman Who Outwitted a Monarch.
George the Fourth, who was remark

The Irishman Who Outwitted n Monarch.
George the Fourth, who was remark
able for his dexterity in telling a story,
when Prince Regent was fond of collect
ing instances of the wit and humor of the
Irish peasantry. One of those was the
history of Morgan Prussia.
Morgan, the gay and handsome son
of low Irish farmer, tired of home,
went to take the chances of the world
and seek his fortune. By what means
ne traversed England, or made his way
to France, is not told. But he ut length
crossed France, and, probably without
much knowledge or much care whether
he was moving to the North or to the
South Pole, found himself in the Prus-
sian territory. This was in the day of
the first Frederick, father of Frederick
the Great, famous for his tall regiment
of guards, and for nothing else=-cxcept
his being the most dangerous compound
of fool and mailman among the crown
ed heads of the Continent. He had but
one ambition--that of inspecting twice
a day regiment of a thousand grena-
diers, not one of whom was less than
six feet and a half high. Morgan was
an Irish giant, and was instantly seized
by the Prussian recruiting Sergeants,
who forced him to volunteer into the
tall battalion. This turn of fate was
totally out of the Irishman's calcula-
ton, and the prospect of
carrying a musket till his dying
day on the Potsdam parade, after hav-
ing made up his mind to live by his wits
and rove the world, more than once
tempted him to think of leaving his
musket and his honor behind him, and
fairly trying his chance for escape. But
the attempt was always found impracti-
cable; the frontier was too closely
watched, and Morgan still marched up
and down the Potsdam parade with
disconsolate heart, when one evening
Turkish recruit was brought in; but
Frederick looked to nothing but the
thews and sinews of man, and the
Turk was fully seven feet high.
How much did his Majesty give for
catching that heathenP" said Morgan to
his Corporal.
"Four hundred dollars" was the an
swer.
He burst out into an exclamation of
establishment at this waste of Royal
treasure upon Turk.
"Why, they can not be got for less, :"
said the Corporal.
"What a pity my five brothers can
not hear of it," said Morgan. 81 am
a dwarf to any one of them, and the
sound of half the money would bring
them all over Immediately
As the discovery of a tall recruit was
the well known road to favoritism, five
were worth at least pair of colors to
the Corporal. The conversation was
Immediately carried to the Sergeant,
and from him, through the graduation of
officers, to the Colonel, who took the
first opportunity of mentioning it to the
King. The Colonel was instantly Or
dered to question Morgan; but he at
once lost all recollection of the subject.
He had no brother; he had made
the regiment his father and mother and
relations, and there he hoped to live
and die"
But he was still urged more strongly,
and at length confessed that ne had
brothers, even above the regimental
standard, but that nothing on earth
could stir them from their spades.
After some time the King inquired for
the five recruits, and was indignant
when he was told of the imposibility of
enlisting them.
Send the fellow himself" he ex-
claimed, "and let him bring them
back"
The order was given; but Morgan
was broken-hearted sat the idea of so
long an absence from the regiment. ."
He applied to the Colonel to have the Or
der revoked, or at least given to some
one else. But this was out of the gues-
ton, for Frederick's word was always
irrevocable; and Morgan, with a dis
consulate face, prepared to set out upon
his mission. But new difficulty struck
him. "How was he to make his broth
ers come unless he showed them the
recruiting money?'' This objection
was at last obviated by the advance of
sum equal to about $500 sterling, as
first installment for the purchase of
his family. Like loyal grenadier the
Irishman was now ready to attempt
any thing for his Colonel or his King,
and Morgan began his journey. But, as
he was stepping out of the gates at
|
Potsdam, another difficulty occurred
and he returned to tell the Colonel that
of all people existing the Irish were the
most apt to doubt a travellers story, they
being in the habit of a good deal OF
exercise in that style themselves
and that when he should go back to his
own country, and tell them of the CAPT
tai treatment and sure promotion that a
soldier met with in the guards, the pro-
liability was that they would laugh in
his face. AS to the money, "there
were some who would not scruple to say
that he stole it, or tricked some one out
of it. But, undoubtedly, when they
saw him walking back only as COM
mon soldier, he was sure they would not
believe syllable, let him say what he
would about rising in the service.''
The objection was Ineligible enough,
and the Colonel represented it to Fred
erick, who, doubly outrageous at the