Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-02-17

parent that few were taken, the anlm0sl-
ty of the complaints causing them neither
to give nor take quarter.
Though the imperialists had been beaten
and driven in disorder from the field with
great loss of officers, soldiers, and artil-
lerv, the death of Gustavus Adolphus in
volved such grave consequences to the
Swedish army and the Protestant cause
that the supporters of the emperor con-
sidered their own defeat compensated by
the misfortune which their enemies
bad suffered. In Vienna, Madrid, and
Brussels there we're great rejoicings,
the TIE Deum was sung in honor OF
the victory. and these tokens of trl-
umph were echoed among the Catholics
throughout Austria and Spain. But the
Duke OF Friedland acknowledged his de-
feat by speedily abandoning Leipsic and
Saxony, leaving the swedish army undis-
puted master Of the advantages it had
gained. Soon after, he marched to Bohe-
mia, his army now reduced to twenty
thousand men; and the Swedes and their
German allies under command of Duke
Bernhard took possession of Leipsic.
But the grief of Protestant Europe at
the loss of its brave and gifted champion
was pIOlOutlu IL tIlC IOlCSlbuUo VI NCl
many and to the Swedes it was over
whelming. The future with its uncer-
tainties and its dangers, was covered with
gloom. The desperate resolution with
which his army had been nerved on the
field of Lutzen at the intelligence that the
king had fallen, and which yielded not
until the enemy was hurled back in de-
feat and disorder, was followed by those
evidences of sorrow and sadness which
the loss of such leader inevitably pro-
duced. The lifeless body of the king was
found stripped. trampled, and dis6gured
by blood and wounds. In the night after
the battle it was borne in an ammunition
wagon from the field to the little village
of Meuchen, in rear of the Swedish lines,
and deposited in the church, where a
Swedish officer made a funeral address,
and the schoolmaster of the place per-
formed divine service. The body, being
found too much mangled to remain in the
village church, was carried to a private
dwelling. where it was enclosed in plain
coffin of boards constructed by the school
master, who was likewise a Joiner. On
the following morning it was taken to
Weissenfels, where it was embalmed by
siiS oPOlhOSoiy SdSPoiuos tHO hlhH
was known to have expressed strong aver
sion to the practice. From Weissenfels
it was conveyed to Wittenberg, guarded
by 400 Smoland cavalry,-all that re-
manned of the brave regiment of his
countrymen, at the head of whom he had
fallen in his last charge. From Saxony
it was borne to the Baltic. tokens of grief
and respect being strongly expressed in
all the cities and towns through which
the mourntul cortege passed. 1t was con-
Quoted to Wolgast, where it remained I'M
til the following summer, when it was
taken to Sweden by the fleet in command
of the admiral of the kingdom, Gyllen-
helm. 1t was brought to Nvkoping,
where it remained until the solemn burial,
in June, 1884, when 1t was deposited in
the tomb at Riddarholm church, Stockholm,
which had been selected and prepared by
Gustavus Adolphus himself The funeral
honors paid him by his people were such
as were then accustomed to be given to
royal personsges of great distinction and
the sincerity of them illustrated their
strong attachment to his memory. and
their profound grief at their great loss.