The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-03-06

tues; for the great general was rot less
estimable as a nan than illustrious as a |
soldier.
1t was the summer of 1870 when the |
Franco German war brought conspicu- |
ously before the world three of the most |
remarkable and interesting men ever seen
in group together, King WILLIAM, OF
Prussia-subsequentiy the first Emperor
of reunited Germany-Prince Won BIS |
MARCK, his prime minister and state ad
wiser afterwards chancellor of the empire
and Count Won MoLTKE, his chief of stafT
and military adviser. In the dispute that
brought on the Schleswig- II olstein war be-
tween Prussia and Denmark, the world
had heard something of BISMARCK, and
still more about him in the war
with Austria that followed. In both
these affairs Won MoLTkE had been brought
into notice in Europe. But war with
France, then the leading military power of
Europe, was a far more serious business
than war with Denmark and Austria. Now
the king himself took the field; taking his
prime minister and chief of staff along
with him, and prepared to personally
direct every movement in a contest of such
mortal character. 1t was this campaign
which first made US, on this side of the
Atlantic familiar with Won MoLTKE.
The history of that campaign is short
but eventful one. 1t lasted three months
only, and was triumphal march or the
Prussian army from the Rhine to the
Seine, from Worth to Paris-a march
marked by nine great battles and nine great
victories for the German arms. The fight
ing was desperate on both sides. The
French fought quite as we'll as their
enemy, but they were outgeneraled and
outmanpuvred from the first TO the last,
and military men everywhere watched the
business with frank and open admiration
for the faultless strategy that directed the
movements OF the Germon arm les upon the
u Key positions, the massing OF them at the
: right time for attack, aud the tactical skill
S with which they were handled in action.
e 1t was not long before it was learned
g who was the author of these movements
n and before the war was ended Won MoLTKI
e was recognized as the foremost strategis
! and military adviser in the universe. III
10 and BISMARCK and the King knew that tht
IL war with their powerful and arrogan
l. neighbor across the Rhine must come some
+, day, and when it came it found them ready
s Won MoLTKE knew every road, bridge
, town and stream between the frontier an
"a the French capital, and had marked GU
h the very route of march with uuerriu
Il, precision. He was three years younge
d, than the old King andsffteen years olde
n than BISMARCK. They had got along i
D. perfect harmony, and when they took tn
lg field together in the war against France
at was such a trio of great men as have rarel
IN been seen together in the same camp.
re Won MoLTKE, as he himself had said, ha
st very little to do with the organization {
ID the Prussian army into the fOrmidab
power it proved Itself to be in the thre
as wars with Denmark, Austria and France
nd That was the work chiefly of still anoths
to able general, Won RooN, minister {
to war But the direction of II
n forces On the field was the task of tt
ng Kings chief of staff-and never was ia.
he better performed. The old Emperor WI
to accustomed to say that Won Room sharl
it, ened his sword, and Won MoLTKE directt
'rt it against the enemy.
e. The old soldier was an aristocrat ar
I'd, thorough practitioner and his erect al
re- graceful form, thin nostrils, and quie
tie gentle bearing. betrayed his high breedir
res and courtly spirit. His habits were simp
TO. aud unaffected, and large, old-fashiont
os- red silk handkerchief, which he used, was
le- familiar to his countrymen as the red ba
le- dana of ex-senator THURMAN, of Ohio,
1t to his