Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-15
A CIGAR In BATTLE.
Bismarcks Test Of Won Moltke at the
Battle Of Koniggrats.
AN EPISODE THAT is HISTORIC.
Second Part of Wolseley's Review Of the
Field Marshal's Book.
MANY IMAGINARY COUNCILS OF WAR

4ne second part OF General Niscount
wolseley's review of Field Marshal Count
Won Moltke's book on the Franco-German
war of 1901, which has been secured for
The DISPATCH, appears below:
The most interesting part of this work is
the appendix 1t deals with the War Of
1856, and, therefore, in point of date, should
be considered before the events of the
Franco-German War. 1t contains more new
matter than is to be found elsewhere in the
book, and is as a whole concerned with
those imaginary t'Councils of War" SO often
reported to take place by military corre-
spondents in the field. These reports are
made il the best of good faith, but am
sure they would never be made at all, if the
correspondent fully appreciated how utter
ly damaging they are to the military repu-
tation Of the commander concerned, and how
personally offensive they must always be to
him. The correspondents of pictorial papers
are often the worst sinners in this matter,
and seem to take special pleasure in sketch
ing any ordinary gathering of Generals at
an army headquarters, and describing it in
the letter press, under the high-sounding
title of Council of War"
A Strong Temptation to Correspondents.
There is an ancient importance attached
TO the idea of q solemn council of Generals
assembled to decide some great problem,
some serious point, to fight or not to fight,
to advance or retreat, etc, etc "a Coun-
Gil of War" sounds imposing, especially
when there is dearth of army news. To
speculate on the proceedings of these i'm
sginary councils, on the result arrived at,
affords scope for much writing, and if the
subsequent movements of the army fall in
at all with the ideas propounded in the let
ter from the seat of war;" the writer 10
able to plume himself upon his own
prescience in al military and strategic
matters
A meeting at army headquarters of all
the general officers in the neighborhood is
not very uncommon. Some matter of dis
cipline msy have TO be discussed, or the
commander may wish to expound to them
generally, or in detail, his plans for the ac-
complishment of some movement or object.
He may wish to inquire from them the con-
dition of their several commands; to find
out II the men are strong, healthy and in
good spirit, CT the reverse. But he must,
indeed, be poor creature in command who
would wish to transfer to majority of his
subordinates the responsibility for any great
or important DECISION which it is his prov
ince to announce suo motu
Moltke tells US in this appendix how tried
he had been BY the wild inventions of this
nature which had been given to the world.
In doing so, he gives US most interesting
account of his exact relations with the
King when in the field. He lets US in behind
the scenes more completely than he had
ever done before. At 10 o'clock every
morning, except on marching or battle
6avs he had an audience with his royal
master and laid before him the plans and
schemes-based on the latest reports and
news received-which he had previously
threshed out with his own staff officers
At these interviews he was accompanied by
his own Immediate subordinate, the Quar-
termaster General. The Chief of the Mill
tary Cabinet, who performs duties more or
less analogous to those performed by the
Military Secretary to our Commander in
Chief, was also present; also the Minister of
War
While the headquarters of the Crown
Princes army were at Versailles, His
Roval Highness also attended as a spectator
and listener at these meetings The King
sometimes asked them for information which
they could give, "but do not remember that
be ever asked them for advice in reference to
the operations, or in reference to the pro-
posals submitted BY me.
The King closely examined the schemes |
laid before him by his great chief of the |
staff and pointed out, with military in |
sight, and invariably with correct judg- |
ment of the situation, all the difficulties to
be encountered in carrying them out; but |
since in war every step is attended with |
danger, the final decision was invariably in
favor of the original proposals."
King William Trusted His General
Won Moltke thus describes what we may |
term the inner working of that great head |
quarters, on whose plans and decisions hung |
the fate of nations King William was a 4
wise man, who did not imagine that because |
he was King he understood war and its diff |
cult science better than his great general
While disposing in this appendix OF the |
myths about the councils of war, reported |
in the current newspapers with all circum-
stsntial detail, to have often taken place at
the Kings headquarters, Won Moltke con-
firms the story about the cigar offered to |
him by Prince Bismarck during the fight |
on the Bistrltz, on that now famous day Of
July, 1866. The anecdote illustrates the re-
lstionf then existing between him and the
and enables one to fully realize
and admire his great reasoning GOODNESS DUR
ing the climax of crisis when to others
everything around looked then very black
and unpromising Some readers may have
heard it contradicted on the erroneous as
sertion that "Von Moltke did not smoke"
The Story OF Bismarck's Cigar.
The story appeared originally in one of
the German newspapers, and has been re-
pested in some of the many amusing and
gossiping memoirs of Prince Bismarck
which have appeared from time to time.
The story, and we now know it to be true,
is as follows:
Toward noon, during the battle of Konig-
gratz, fearful fight ragged in the valley of
The Bistritz, and the Prussians could make
no further progress The battle had already
lasted between four and five hours, the out
numbered assailants had suffered most ter
ribly from the overwhelming FIRE of the
Austrian artillery, and were somewhat in
confusion. The men of various battalions,
brigades and divisions we're hope |
Iessly mixed up together. Everything de-
pended on the due arrival of the Crown |
Princes army, but nothing was yet to- be
seen of il anywhere. Anxiety was in every |
mans heart, no matter what the outward
semblance of hope and confidence worn as
disguise upon his countenance. Prince |
like others about the King whose
duties had uot made war calculations their
familiar study, grew profoundly uneasy. To
attempt a retreat back ever the muddy
banks of the Bistritz in face of the greatly |
superior force in front of them, would have
meant disaster. The tate OF Prussia hung in
.he balance.
The Responsibility of Prince Bismarck.
What must have been Prince Bismarck's
at that supreme moment? He |
vas chiefly responsible for the war; be it |
rac u ho had de ihe ratelv forced IL nm NIT