The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1882-02-18
A wATCHMAN OF ROYAL DESCENT.
The Romantic story Of . Hungarian
soldier.

soldier.
New Haven PaIladium.l
In the city directory of 1881 there occur.
the entry:
Edward c. wratislaw. watchman. BIDS Ss7 Dix
we'll avenue"
The bearer of the name some two week.
since went over to the majority" and
neither his name nor his latest occupation
would imply that after his earthly career
was ended there would be any event OF nis
life which would interest a broader circle
than few family friends and cquaintances
An investigation into the leading features OF
his life, as disclosed by an examination OF
the muititudinous official papers and pri-
vate memoranda left among his effects,
shows that he once took part in movements
that interested the world, that by birth he
was of the nobility, and that in his veins
coursed the blood of royalty. On his
mothers si6e he was descendant of the
King of Pannona, and on his fathers side
from the King of Bohemia. His claimed
connection with royalty was not unwar-
Ianted nor born of fancy, and tie life which
our hero passed through showed that these
claims were tangible, and that about him in
the Hungarian and Austrian armies of
1883 there were officers in high position
who did not refuse to acknowledge him of
their own blood.
Edward c. Wratislaw was born in South
western Hungary. May 81, lSl9 His father
then occupied high position in the Hun
garian army, and two years later the family
moved to Lower Hungary. From the un-
usually complete diary in the Hungarian
language found among the effects of Edward
1T appears that after thirteen years spent in
the best schools of his native land he left
school, and, in company with his mother,
made trip to Essegg. and was made cadet
in the Leichtenden Chevaux-Legers. This
which shOne in future years with brilllancy.
During this year his father died. The fami-
iy was one of military men. On the
death of the father the Government
sent out its proclamations heavily bor-
dered in mourning announcing his death
and the Observances of his funeral. The
titles In this royal mourning proclamation
show the high place to which, no doubt,
the ambitious son aspired. In 1886 Edward
enlisted at Pesth In the Thirty-second In
called on his uncle. Count John Wratislaw,
Major on the Austrian Generals staff. and
was made Corporal. Three years later he
was promoted TO the position of Second
Lieutenant in the Emperor Alexander's In
fantry, and the following year was received
with marked attention by another uncle,
Count Eugene Wra.:.lsw, First General Ad-
iutant to the Emperor. In ls4s he
visits Vienna upon q furlough, but over
staying his time, returns In disgrace. which
is only relieved by the interposition of one
of his uncles. In 1S45 Edwards mother
died, and he applied to his General for a
furlough to attend the last sad rites This
request was at last refused, but Wratislaw
replied that he was first q son, then a SOL
dier. He attended the funeral and saw his
mother laid in the family vault in the royal
cemetery. About this time tie subject of
our sketch seems to have fallen desperately
ih love with number of the court ladies of
his country. Nothing came of it, however,
he penning carefully in bis diary that as
he could marry but one, be would not
make them all mad" September %, l848,
he took command of his ompany and be-
fore the close of the year was made its Cap
tain. -,
We are now in the stirring times of the
Austrian war with Hungary. Although
promoted to . staff position in 1S4a, he still
commanded his company in many decisive
battles. Of the great battle of Kommon he
writes in his diary, 81 cut down three of the
enemies with my saber." After this decisive
battle of the Hungarian rebellion our friend
was sent to the Austrian General to make
terms of surrender. The Austrian General
dictated the terms, that the Hungarian Of
ficers, having fought so we'll, should not be
but might pass out of the town
with side arms and without disgrace, but
the Mayor and civil officers should be taken
and punished. Wntislaw would not agree
to this. He would not accept the terms, but
as he turned to leave, the Austrian General
asked: do you want me to tell
you want to do. Make ell your civil officers
military officers and then they can pass
out" In this battle of Kommon our sub
ject was wounded in the arm, and soon after
he is sent home, and he writes that his mill
tary career has closed. The reason of this
sudden change of plans does not appear, but
his discharge papers are clean.
In 1850 he has an audience with his uncle
Eugene, Count de Wrat;slaw, who advises
him to come to America and gives him $4oO
for expenses, and soon after March 21, 1851,
he arrives in New York, on board the
steamer Eagle. He is now thirty-two
years of age. Soon after he arrives in New
York we trace him in his diary to Norwich,
this State, afterward at Fordham, n j.,
and then in Cuba, where he had charge of
two gangs of men in the building of a rail
road. Leaving Cuba he returns to this
country, arriv ng at New Orleans. His Cuban
experience has given him funds, and he
takes an extensive tour throughout the
country, visiting nearly every State. re-
turning to New York. When the Rebellion
broke out in April, 1851, his military pro-
pensities prompted him to raise q company
of volunteers, and at their head he entered
the Army. While acting Captain of this
company he was elected Colonel of the For
ty-fifth New York Regiment. He subse-
quently lived in various places and engaged
j m various occupations. He engaged with
the Winchester Arms Company, in the en-
plOy of which he was 1t the time of his