The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-13
CHAPTER 1.

II has struck me that some Of you.
when you have heard me tell those lit
tle adventures of mine. may have gone
away with the impression that 1 was
Conceited. There could not be a great
Or mistake than this. for have always
observed that really fine soldiers are
free from this failing. 1t is true that l
have had to depict myself sometimes
- brave, sometimes as full of resource.
always as Interesting, but then it really
was so, and had to take the facts as
! found them. 1t would be an un-
worthy affectation If were to pretend
that my career has been anything than
q fine one. The incident which 1 will
tell you tonight, however, is one which
you will understand that only a modest
man would describe. After all, when
one has attained such position as
mine, one can afford to speak of that
which an ordinary man would be
tempted to conceal.
You must know, then. that after the
Russian campaign the remains of our
poor army were quartered along the
western bank OF the Elbe, where they
might thaw their frozen blood and try,
with the help Of the good German beer,
to put little between their skin and
their bones. There were some thing
which we could not hope to regain. foi
] dare say that these large commisariat
fourgons would not have sufficed to
carry the fingers and the toes which
the army had shed during that hor-
laI
rs we were, we had much to be thank
4ul for when We thought of our poor
comrades whom We had left behind,
and Of the snow. fields-the horrible,
horrible snow fields. To this day, my
friends, I do not care to see red and
white together. Even my red cap
thrown down upon my white counter
pane has given me dreams in which !
have seen those monstrous plains, the
really tortured army, and the crimson
smears which glared upon the snow be-
hind them. You will coax no story out
of me about that business, for the
thought of 1t is enough to turn my wine
to vinegar and my tobacco to straw.
or the 100000 who crossed the Elbe
In the autumn of the year 12 about
10000 infantry were left in the spring
of 1S. But they were terrible men.
these 40.000-men of iron, caters of
horses, and sleepers in the snow; filled,
too. with rage and bitterness against
the Russians. They would hold the
Elbe until the great army of conscripts
which the emperor was raising in
France should be ready to help them to
cross It once more.
But the cavalry was in n deplorable
condition. My own Hussars We're at
Borna, and when l paraded them first
i burst into tears at the sight of them.
My fine men and my beautiful horses
1t broke my heart to see TIE state to
which they were reduced! But, cour-
age" thought; they have lost much.
but their colonel is still left to them!"
set to work. therefore, t. repair their
disasters, and had already constructed
two good squadrons-when an order
came that all colonies of cavalry should
repair Instantly to the depots of the
regiments in France to organize re-
cruits and the remounts for the coming
campaign.
You will think, doubtless, that ! was
overjoyed at this chance of visiting
home once more. will not deny that
II was pleasure to me to think that I
should see my mother again. and there
were a few girls who would be very glad
at the news; but there were others in
the army who had stronger claim. !
would have given my place to any who
had wives and children whom they
might not see again. However, there
IL no arguing when the blue paper
with the little red seal arrives. so with
in an hour was off upon my great ride
from the Elbe to the Vosges. At last
I was to have a period of quiet. War
lay behind my mares tail and peace in
front of her nostrils. So I thought as
the sound Of the bugles died in the dis
tance, and the long white road curled
away in front Of me through plain and
Forest and mountain, with France some
where beyond the blue haze which lay
upon the horizon.
II ID interesting, but 1t is also fati-
guing to ride in the rear Of an army. In
the harvest time our soldiers could do
without supplies, for they had been
trained to pluck grain in the fields
as they passed, and grind 1t for them
selves In their bivouacs. 1t was at this
time Of year, therefore that those swift
marches were performed which were
the wonder and despair of Europe. But
now the starving men had to be made
robust once more, and was forced to
draw into the ditch continually as the
Coburg sheep and the Bavarian bull
locks came streaming past with wagon
loads of Berlin beer and good French
cognac. Sometimes, too, would hear
the dry rattle of the drums and the
shrill whistle OF the flies, and long COL
umns OF our good little infantrymen
would swing past me with the white
dust lying thick upon their blue tunics.
These were old soldiers drawn from the
garrisons Of our German fortresses, for
Il was not until May that the new con-
scripts began to arrive from France.
Well, was rather tired Of this eter-
nal stopping and lodging. so that was
not sorry when came to Altenburg to
1lnd that the road divided and that !
could take the southern and quieter
branch. There were few wayfarers