Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-05-02

Hellmuth Karl Moltke was born at Neck
lenburg, October IS, 1900. His father soon
afterward left Mecklenburg and acquired an
estate In Holstein. Hellmuth and his brother
were sent to the Military Academy at Copen-
hagen, where iron discipline and military fru.
gality laid the foundation of his later charac-
ter. He entered the Prussian Army in 1922 as
colonel. His parents, in the meantime, had
lost their fortune, and he was compelled TO un-
uergo many hardships, yet he managed to save
enough from his modest pay to take lessons in
modern languages atterward so valuable to
MN. Ills abilities soon procured him place
in the general staff He spent four years 1885
to 1889, in Turkey and Asia Minor, as the
representative of the Prussian government, to
report on the war between that country and
Mehemet Ali. His letters descriptive of the
country and the war attracted attention. After
his return he advanced rapidly through the
various stages TO the rank of general staff. His
wonderful strategcal powers were of immense
service in the wars with Denmark (lS63-64)
Austria (lS66l, and France (1s70-7) bringing
them all to successful issues. At the end OF
the Austrian war he was rewarded with the
order of the Black Eagle; in 1870 he was
created count, and in 1871 he was raised to
the rank of field marshal. He published
work on the Franco-Prussian war. He was
man of great modesty and simplicity, reserved
and little given to talk.
=
mother-from whom he inherited his superior
talents-and Moltke's were notmembers of the
nobility, but simple burghers' daughters, whom
genius and worth alone had distinguished.
Moltke's maternal grandfather was man of
wealth, as was likewise his father, at the time
Of the future field marshal's birth. Won
Moltke's sister married an Englishman, John
Burt a widower with two daughters, who had
settled upon an estate in Holster. The young
daughter, Miss Mary, read Motke's tales Of
Orient with indescribable pleasure, and wor-
SHIPPED the geniusan talent which had created
them. Moltke fell in love with the beautiful
girl and led her to the altar in the following
winter, after his promotion to lie rank of
major. They lived together a quarter of
century, when, on Christmas evening, 1853,
she died, not having lived TO see her husbands
greatest glory, and leaving him q saddened
man. No children were born of the union.
In the immediate years following the wedlock,
as personal adjutant of Prince Henry Fred
crick, William and "Unser Fritz" Moltke
spent some months in Rome, Spain, Russia,
and England. After succeeding to the regency
in 1857, William appointed Motke chief of the
general staff at Manteuifel's suggestion.
The people Of Prussia did not know at the
time that it was MOltke's genius which won
the Danish war, but they learned his value
during the seven days campaign in Austria
and he returned the real hero of the day.
After Sadowa he went to work to plan the
French campaign. He worked so mastery
that soon he had all the maps ready in his
Berlin office. Paris was not more clear to
Moltke than were Metz, Orleans, or other
towns in France, and he knew them all per-
fectly. Unparalleled success followed the in
yasion, and grand days were those which fol-
lowed German victories over the forces of
Louis Napoleon and the French armies, and
on that day in 1871 when the Emperor and his
laurel-crowned soldiers re-entered the Brand
enburg gates, at Berlin, with Bismark and
Moltke at his side, the monarch publicly
showed his appreciation of his chief OF staff.
With the sum of money equal to half million
dollars that he got as his share from the war
debt paid by France, he bought the estate of
kreisatt.
The intrinsic nobility and lofty unsel6sh.
ness of Won Moltke's nature has been likened
unto that which made Mai. Gen. George II.
Thomas of the United States Army such q
great soldier and true patriot. Never in a
jealous ana exclusive spirit did he WELD the
powers intrusted to him by his sovereign.
Famous beyond comparison as a strategist, he
was almost equally eminent as an author,
painter, n musician, and q linguist. He could
paint remarkably we'll play piano and violin
exctllenty, had written successful books, AMI
was the only great man "who knew how to
hold his tongue in eleven languages" If he
had not grown 10 be doughty man Of war he
would probably have become distinguished
man of letters.
In one thing only was Won Moltke weak;
like the late Gen. Grant, he was no talker.
Indeed, the Field Marshal was known at Berlin
by the name of 1.-THE Silent" in the Reichstag
he.was perfectly willing to give the Chancellor
his vote but not his voice, if he could help it.
and very seldom did he do anything to attrac:
notice to himself, Generally the old man sat
impassiyely in his seat, just below that occu-
pied by the Chancellor, looking for all the
world as if absorbed in some reverie or dream
from which he never intended to awaken.
For months he would appear daily in his
place, always being one of the first to enter the
hall, and never leaving it until the body adj
jOurned, and yet he rarely opened his lips in
the debates. If any colleague spoke to him he
confined his greeting to a cold recognition or a
formal shake of the hand, but rarely allowed
any person TO draw him into a conversation.
He had somewhat juvenile air, due to the
tight fit of his uniform and to his wig. This
wig was, until recent years. of light chestnut
color, but later he adopted one in which there
was liberal mixture of silver gray.
His speeches were always very short, hut
wonderfully clear, models of conciseness, and
perfect in style. They could hardly be called
speeches, for they were usually mere state
ments of facts, and devoid of any attempt at
oratorical display or gesture. The moment
they were concluded he would return TO his
seat and at once fall back into his usual
reveIie.