Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1886-10-28
"THE GREAT TACITURN."
How Count Won Moltke Lives at
His Quiet Home.

The Silent Soldiers Peaceful Retreat and
Its Military Adornments--Tho Family
Motto: First Weigh, Then Risk
An Amiable Warrior.
! "War is an element in the God-or-
dained order of the world" It was
Count Moltke who wrote these words
to Prof. Bluntschli anent the latter's
invitation to participate in the Interna-
tional Peace Congress at Geneva in
1872. The army is the pride of the
nation. For it the people suffer an al
most unbearable burden of taxation.
Military rigor is enforced in the school
room. No wonder that above all
others Count Moltke is worshiped, for
to him mainly is due the efficient state
of the army and its brilliant victories
The career of this great military genius
is unique IN one respect-there is, per-
haps, in all history no other man who
rose SO high and yet had attained his
sixty-eighth year without attracting the
notice of the world. 1t was not till
after Sadowa that the name of "the
Great Taciturn" became familiar as
household word over the entire globe.
Retiring as the man is his home in
Silesia. Of the great soldiers peaceful
surroundings correspondent of the
Norddeutsche Atigemeine Zeitung re-
Gently gave an interesting description.
Two hours east of Schweidnitz is the
quiet hamlet of Kreisau, he says. Twenty
years ago the name of it was not
known in wider circles. Only after
the wars of 1866 and 1870 had created
powerful, united Germany became
Kreisau, like Varzin, though its owner,
far-famed. Hero in rural uuietness,
Field Marshal Count yon Moltke has
created a tusoulanum, where he rests
from his arduous labors for a few
months of every year. Gathering new
strength for his work and perhaps
shaping plans for another gigantic
campaign, he keeps company only
with his nephew and few of the
Lords of the manor in the vicinity. 1t
is rarely that traveller comes to
Kreisau, for it is far off the great routes
of public travel, even far off the or
dinary country road. Count Moltke' S
home is not proud, feudal castle. 1t
looks more like the plain, unpreten-
tious seat, mellowed by age, of an
English country gentleman than the
abode of man whose present rank
is but the creation of few years
back. 1t is simple. square
structure, one-storied, with high
gables. Broad, iron-bound stairs lead
to the portal over which the coat-of-
arms of the Won Dresky--the former
owners-looks proudly down upon
those who enter. Count Moltke
bought this pleasant country seat with
money from the donation which a
grateful country made him after the
Austro-Pussian war. The entail,
which was granted in 1868 by the
then King William, comprises Krei
sau, Niedergraeditz and Wierisshau.
Moltke loved this quiet home from
the time he first saw it, and so did the
Countess. The latter did not enjoy i
very long She died after a few
months, and was laid to rest on little
promontory in the magnificent park
where the Count built a mausoleum
over the mound of the partner of hi
days. Outwardly stern though he
seems, Moltke has a warm and tender
heart. OF this, his undying affection
for his wife is proof, while innumer
able stories of unobtrusive, thoughtful
acts of Kindness to friends and perfec
strangers still further testify to hi
amiable disposition. Strange that
man with so gentle spirit, so loving
nature, should be utterly devoted t.
profession so cruel and ferocious, re
garding il not merely as a sad tenn
porary necessity, but as divinely-ap
pointed institution.
There is stone bench near tn,
mausoleum, almost hidden by tn
boughs of trees and the foliage of dens,
shrubbery. Here Count Moltke re
mains alone for hours, lookin,
thoughtfully into the wide plain whicl
stretches below to the far-off Silesial
mountains. Count Moltke's wedlocl
was childless, and his nephew, William
Won Moltke, Captain in the genera
staff. is the heir to the estate and title
A younger brother of the Captain live
at Kreisau and attends to the manage
ment of the estate. He receives tn
rare visitors cordially and makes tn
most amiable guide through the wild
halls and spacious rooms Of Kreisau
To both sides of the stone stair-wa
which leads into the hall rest might
cannon-trophies from Mount valerien
the great Partisan bulwark. which tn
Emperor presented to the Count. Tn
silent weapons of war are of bronz
and covered with reliefs and finel
chiselcd ornaments. They bear tn
three lilies of the royal Bourbons, bu
che Inscriptions were destroyed b
howlfng sans culottes long before th
mementoes of a great past came
Kreisau.
We enter the baronial hall. Thre
magnificent equestrian statues, cast i
bronze and placed on mighty pede.
tails. greet us. The one in the cente
represents Emperor William in mil
tary cloak and helmet. 1t is a prese,
of the Emperor anent the sixtieth an
niverssry of the military career Of tn
Count To the right is mastery con
of Rauch's great monument of Frede
IL a.. Cat -.