The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-11-26
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An INTERVENING LECrunE.

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An INTERFERING LECTURE. Z;
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Wheeling noy's Account oran Adtd rss,
BY Forbes, tho Great English War Cor.
respondent. 7gs m giN'a- IN. % s.-7.
HANOVER, y. II, November %, 1881.
cstrsspondsncs Of the Ia,elllssuce.. -4a
l had the pleasure an evening or two
since OF hearing lecture delivered here by
Archibald Forbes, Of London, the celebrated
war correspondent Of the English news.
papen-a man who has been everywhere
almost and seen vast amour, OF incidents
and accidents by lood and field, including
notable rulers, warriors and statesmen,
The senior class Of the college here each
year gets up course Of lectures, and in
this years course they secured Forbes Az
have seen no mention in the INTEL.
LlGrScEH OF his having been in Wheeling
as yet, ! thought that an outline Of his
lecture might be Of interest to many OF your
readers who llave read his graphic letters
from time to time, copied into the Alneri.
can newspapers from the English journals.
Accordingly ! have prepared the following
synopsis OF what he said here. At first
thought would take some Photographic
notes OF his lecture, but when found my.
sselfseated in Il poor place in the audience
tor writing gave up that idea and fell
oacS on my memory, combining myself to
what struck me rs especially noteworthy,
| ihink l can reproduce you q tolerably
faithful outline, sufficient ut leas, to give
avery fair idea Of the subject matters With
which he dealt : IaTlI
To begin with, nothing surprised me
more than Forbes appearance. He is OF n
ihedium height, rather stout, broad lorid
lace, with heavy light colored mustache,
giving him the exact appearance. of q Ger.
man, and when he speaks it is with such q
strong German accent that il is difficult TO
to realize that an Englishman is addressing
you. His uttenncc is very difficult, Il
suffering why, compelling him sometimes
70 stop entirely, and his manner is very
Stitian uneasy. For instance, he arose,
drew back his chair. put his hands in his
pockets, Immediately took them on. and
thrust them under his coat tail, and then
finally began to speak in Il most ur,com-
lortable way. I,--.,'-.
but the lecture itself, and OF itself, was
grand. 1t was full of the evidences OF his
perseverance and toll, his keen percep-
lions and fine susceptibilities, and II it had
been delivered by an accomplished. elocu-
ZIONIST would have produced much greater
eject on the audience. But people up here
listen to q man for his ideas without SO
much reference TO style us in some local..
ties, and hence they heard Forbes with
great interest.
de was first assigned to the duty Of war
correspondent in 1870, Mt the beginning of
the Franco-German war, and first saw Ean-
pcror William jus. after the army OF Prince
Frederick Charles had won the heights be.
lore Metz. The German Emperor was
standing in the ruins OF little town few
miles from Metz reviewing his troops,
bluff, hearty and square shouldered, with a
kindly expression in his broad face and
blue eyes. Beside him stood Won AIoltke,
SLIM wiry, and looking more OF scholar
thana soldier, OF whom it was said that "he
could be silent in seven languages" And
close behind him was Bismarck, his oppo-
site IN every particular, looking more SOL
dier than statesman. He said that during
his seven comprehensive in Europe, one
IN Asia and one in Airica-in which he
mad seen the armies OF all the great powers,
he had never seen an army equal to this
one OF citizen soldiers which passed before
him that day. Again he saw the Emperor
during the great battle of Gray
elotte, standing calmly, while the
shells we're flying thick and fast
around him. Prince Frederick Charles,
with his red face, brusque and quick Of
speech, was giving orders 10 his generals,
and very short and concise they were.
Here he saw Gen. Phil. Sheridan, who
was on the Emperor's staff During the
night following that battleit was every man
Tor himself US regards quarters. Sheridan
tipped Bismarck a.wiEk and he followed
to small cottage Mt some distance. The
ground floor was full Of soldiers, and the old
dame denied that there WIS any up stairs
to her house. "Sow," said Forbes "Sheri-
dan did not like to call her liar, but he
asked where that staircase before him led.
lou see Sheridan had gone to logic
school in the Shenandoah Valley. lie
CHARMED the bed up stairs with clean sheets
us the right OF discovery, and in considera.
tion OF his being foreigner and guest was
allowed to snaw the only crust OF black
bread. Next morning he exhibited two
eggs which he said the landladv had given
him, and looked supremely innocent, while
Bismarck plucked feather from his arm.
Another day he saw the Emperor's
flushed cheek and sparkling eye when his
troops were cheering him on the battle
field OF Sedan. Early on the following dav
he accompanied Bismarck rs he rode from
the town IN the direction OF the scene OF
the battle. After going half n mile he saw
Bismarck dlsmount and approach n car
rage in which was seated stoop-shoul.
dered, leaden-iaced man, with disheyeled
hair and beard.
TWAS Napoleon III. He (Torbes) accom-
panied them TO the memorable little
Chateau where the treaty was signed, and
from whence, on the next day, Napoleon
departed into captivity at Wilhelmshr.
While writing dispatch in this same
Chateau in the evening, companion
threw down ham bone and spilled his
INK A few months later he was informed
by guide that this very ink spot was
caused by Napoleon upsetting the INFUSED
IN signing the capitalization in his agitation.
In the winter OF lS73-'74 Forbes was in
London, and there got wind OF certain
secret proceedings which we're going on,
looking toward the establishment OF
Alfonso, who was then boy attending an
English Military Academy, upon the
throne OF Spain. On New Years tlav, 1875,
all the newspapers contained sensational
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