The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-12
TIE SOLDIER KING.

Graphic Picture of The Late Sovereign at the
GraveIotfe CARNAGE and Sedan.
Archibald Forbes in New York HeraId.
NV "reminiscences of Emperor William are
almost wholly military. OF course. like other
people, / have often seen him in PAST times
driving about Berlin in little open carriage or
strollipg along the Linden on foot, with single
aid by his side was not in the Galsrie des
Glaees Of the Versailles Chateau when the
princes and soldiers Of Germany baiied him as
KAISER. and the solitary unwarlike ceremo-
NAL, his participation in which witnessed. was
when in the great hall of the White Schloss of
Berlin he spoke the few simple. earnest words
which constituted the formal inauguration Of
the hrst Parliament of the new German en-
pire.
On n campaign Emperor Williams entcurags
was simple even to plainness, had almost said
TO shabbiness. His headquarters cortegs in it's
meagre utilitarianlsm contrasted strongly with
the elaborate train of luxurious carriages and
ponderous, CANDY fourgons that followed
Napoleon out of Sedan. His travelling carriage
was q plain, strongly. built landau drawn by
four sturdy, useful horses. whose positions
wore plain blue liveries, with hats covered with
nilskin to protect them in bad weather. He
seldom had more than one companion on his
journeys in this vehicle. sometimes Moltke. but
more often his favorits aid-de-camp. Count
Lehndorff. The royal escort consisted of a
dozen huessrs, commanded by lieutenant.
and he chose his time of travel so as not TO
interfere with the march of troops along
crowded roads.
There no fuss about his quarters. AS
often As not he put mp in hotel In the vii
lagos around Sedan, the house OF the cure.
the plain. snug house of local merchant was
rs1fNn yOOd fArh i'm On the Mo alta
Graveotte be slept sofa in wretched little
pothouse OF Rezonville. and would have gone
supperless to bed bat for a chance fowl found
soostine in the back yard. The only Injury
BIO carried with him. If luxury it can be called
his narrow little camp bed, which his old
valet could set MP in five minutes.
The first action of the ranco-German war
which he witnessed was the colossal struggle of
Gravelotte. While Prince Frederick Charles,
with the Third Army Corps, striking hard
at the French right from Verneyills to St. Marie
au-Chene, King William remained all day with
the FIRST Army, which SteInmetz was hurting
against the French left holding the woods
and bare. sopinR plateau of Stubert Late
in the afternoon the fierceness OF the fighting
and the uncertainty Of the issue drew
tween Gravelotte and the plateau Of Stubert-
There he sat among the soldiers, mounted on
bis black horse, watching the fierce and all but
futile efforts made by the stout infantrymen of
Won GIobep and GluIner to make head against
the hurricane of fre-shei fire. mitrailleuse fire.
Chassepot 6re-with which the French swept the
plateau afforded
An of sudden they led through the German
combatants out there in the pandemonium of
slaughter over against rs, q spasm of panic
that impulse to which in the strain of excite |
ment the best troops are liable Panic, like the
IRE on prairie, ran back across the ravine and
caused momentary sauve qui peuc among the
unenRaRed troops about the King. Shells came
crushing into the dislocated ranks. and for the |
moment an outburst of disorder had sway.
William was borne back in the pressure, remon- |
BtratinR vehemeutly with uplifted voice and fat
or sword Bismarck was said to have got out |
Rstride gun. and the royal staff tempo |
rary broken up The panic was over in few |
minutes and order restored, but the French had |
Strengthened their grip on the plateau.
The issue of the battle still in suspense |
when under the last rays of the setting sun the |
last reserve of Germans, the Second Corps, came |
up at double to the brink of the ravins. In /
the lurld glare OF the blazing village King Will
lam stood by the wayside and greeted his stall /
wart Pomeranians High over the bicker of |
drums the blare of buees and the crash of |
cannon rose an eager burst of cheering as the |
soldiers greeted their soldier sovereign and then
followed their chiefs down into the fell depths |
Of the terrible chasm. The strain OF the crisis |
was dreadful AS watched the issue in |
sort of spasn of sombre silence the King sat I
with his back against wall q plank. one end i
of which rested a shattered gun carriage the /
other on a dead horse. Bismarck, with an elah-
orate assumption of indifference made pre-
tense TO be reading letters The roar of close
battle swell sweed t,.ra ana desnsnsd till the
fell ike pail, but the blaze of the adiacant |
conhsgratlon lit up the anxious group here by
the church-yard wall. From out of medley OF
broken troops the littering slope front
came suddenly great shout, winch grew in vol
ume it rolled nearer. Hoofs of galloping /
horses ratified the eauseway. moment /
later Field Marshal Won Moltke, his face for
once quivering with excitement. sprang from
the saddle, and running toward the King, cried
out:
.'It is good for us We have won the plateau
and victory 10 with your Majesty"
The King sprang to bis feet saying, "God be
Bismarck, with deep sigh of relief crushed
his letters in the hollow of his hand and with
simultaneous hurrah greeted the glad tidings.
A suttler VINO CHANGED near improved the occa-
sion in a quiet, practical way. He brought up
wine barrel and dispensed its contents. King
William took hearty drink of thin red wine
ont OF cracked tnmbler, giving the German
Army" for his toast.
On the afternoon of Sedan, kind King Will |
lam and his staff looked down from the hill of
FEenois on the amphitheater OF carnage and
in the heart of which the
doomed French army still fought calamity in
The face of fate. The commanding elevation
gave a view north ward far away be yond the gray
fortress and nearer the combats about Bazeiles
and we were watching the gradual closure of
tie net envelopinR the French army as the Fifth
German Corps from the left and the Guards
from the right drawing nearer and nearer
toward each other, diminished the gap in the en-
vi-onment of blood and iron.
That environment WAS not to be consum-
mated without gallant but despairing protest.
We saw the splendid brigade of French cuiras-
'lers draw out ana form on gentle slope below |
The cavalry OF lily, faeing against the German
nfautrymen. In the hollow below the massive
1orsemen gathered way in headlong charge as
hey rode in glittering steel clad splendor down |
the smooth slope AS gazed and listened we
:ould see the fash of armor and seemed to hear
he thunder OF horse hoofs. The mailed cavalry
II France in their furious eallop were within
,wo hundred yards of the silent, halted infantry
men in blue tuuics and spiked helmets. With
hem It seemed all over How could they stan d
against that swift, strong torrent raging down
lpon them7 Suddenly, from the stsadfast
.anks. flashed a whitening volley, then another
md another. and lol the panoplIed array of
French cavalry writing ia the dust, a
hattered wreck.
a quivering silence had pervaded the group CT
esders and staff officers upon the hill of Frenois.
King William had risen from his camp-chair aud
vas standing with his eye at a great field tele-
cope, mounted a tripod. The strained
lleuce curiously broken the French cut
aasier brigade mat Ite fate bv thasnaD of n clos.