Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-20

TIE STORY or HIS LIPE.


THE sToRY or HIS LIFE.
xhrevd in D,piemaey and bfase ," D'
Grer Of ,nc Kaiser.
new York Herald
Edwin Hans Charles, Baron avon man,
teufrel. whose death was announced
Wednesday. was born in PoInerania'
February "a. 1909. His father was
president of the Superior Court oil Mag
debourg. When only seventeen nc
volunteered in the regiment OF dragons
Of the Royal Prussian Guard, ana d was
promoted TO the rank Of officer in 1875.
In l4s he was admitted among the
aides-de-camp Of his King. In 1894.
having reached the rank of colonel
IN the Guard he fulfilled several diplo-
matte missions abroad--namely, IN
Austria. which he induced to remain
neutral in the Crimean contest. In
1857 he was made director OF the bu-
reaux at the Ministry Of War. In
1858 he became successfully Lieutenant
General and Adjutant-General oil the
Palace. But his military capacities
were tested on the field for the
first time during the Austro-Prus-
sian war against Denmark, in 1868.
After the famous mouse-trap known
as the Convention OF Gastein," into
which Austria had fallen, Manteuticl
was appointed civil and military Gov
ernor of Keswig, where, according to
Count Bismarck's instructions, he vir-
tually confiscated Austria's part in that
portion of Danish spoils. Vainly did
General Won Gablenz, the Austrian
Governor of Holstein, invoke the afore-
said Convention Of Gastein. Manteufiel
went on, and the rupture between the
two countries was soon complete.
CoMMANDER-IN-CH
In June, 1866, he took command Of
division under Vogel Won Falcken-
stein, who had charge Of conquering
Hanover, and soon after replaced that
general as commander-in-chief Of the
Army Of the Main. In that capacity
Manteuffel supervised the military ope-
rations against the Southern German
States, but his victories were furnished
bv the excessive abuse he made OF
them--namely, at Frankfort, from
which he tried to exact the enormous
war contribution of eighteen millions
of tbalers fabout Sl5.000,0 00).
But the magistrates Of the old impe-
rial city refused to submit to such a
monstrous exaction, and as Manteuiiel
threatened to pillage it, Baron Won
Rothschild interviewed the General and
formally declared to him that if he full
filled his menace the commanding group
of bankers Of whom the Rothschild firm
was the head would Immediately with
draw from Prussian securities, thus
bringing about against Prussia disas-
trous strike Of financiers. This COM
sideration had more effect upon Man.
teufel's mind than any other, and
Frankfort was spared.
HIS MISSION TO RUSSIA.
When the campaign was over Baron
Won Manteufiel was sent to st. Peters
burg on diplomatic mission with re-
gard to the contemplated war with
France. Part Of Manteuiiefs mission
was to appease the Gar on the rapid
extension OF Prussia and uniiication Of
Germany. for the Russian sovereign,
quite taken aback by the revolutionary
dethronement Of the King of Hanover,
the Elector Of Hesse, and the Duke OF
Nassau, was importuned by his wife,
princess of Hesse, and his sister, the
I Queen Of Wurtemburg, not to suffer
the formation Of North German con-
federation that would limit the sovereign
prerogatives Of these two States. Cen
eral Manteufiel, who remained a long
time at the Court of st. Petersburg,
not only efectually succeeded in dis
persing the Emperor AleXander's doubts
on the subject, but even strengthened
the many years friendship between the
monarchs of Prussia and Russia and
frustrated the Emperor Napoleon's at
tempts to form an entente with the st.
Petersburg Cabinet.
For these noted services, the value of
which was clearly obvious in Russia's
neutrality in 1870, Manteuhel was hon
ored by both sovereigns with especial
distinctions.
THE FRANCO-PRUsSIAN WAR.
In the summer Of 1870 he took the
command Of corps d'armee, and
shared with the Saxon General Won
Werder the doubtful honor Of Smelling
large city with petroleum howitzers,
burning private dwellings inhabited by
women and children, and destroying all
the valuable treasures contained in the
public library Of Strasburg--treasures
which the five milliards paid to Ger
many afterward could not replace
namely, the very first wooden types
used by Gutenberg and the first works
ever printed after his immortal inven-
ton.
When the French Rhenish fortress
had surrendered Manteuifel joined the
Prussian army Of the Loire, from which
he was diverted to take the chief COM
mand Of an army destined to operate
in the Valley of the Seine. On the 9Th
of December, 1870, he entered Rouen
without having burned a single cart
ridge, the French general, Briant, hav-
ing retreated to the sea-shore, although
a gallant resistance to the invaders
might have been successful. owing to
the heights which command the old
Norman capital.
Rouen surrendered to a handful of
UhlanS, and Manteuilel occupied it
three hours later with 10000 Germans.
There his rule was fall of moderation
and equity, and apart from few soli-
tary instances of soldierly INSIDE
meanor-immediately punished with
the most extreme seyerity-the Rouen-
nese were spared the crushing yoke
-