The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-06-10
THO VERY HEROIC FIGURES
Peter the Great and Charles
XII Of Sweden
DUEL OF MORSE AND sLAv
For Time Victory Perched on the
Swedish Banners
Bet the Muscovits Trlumphs 1t the Battle Of
Poftsva--0enius and vaior Of Con.
queror and Conquered
lCopyright, 1896, by John Clark Ridpath.l
XII

rcopyright, 1896. by John Clark Ridpath.l
XII
DUEL WITH CHARLES XII.
The first decade Of the eighteenth CEN
fury witnessed the greatest personal
duel Of modern times. Two really he
roic figures. one Morse and the other
Slav, emerged from medieval barba-
rism, faced each other with their armies
and fought for the mastery Of north
eastern Europe. The men were alike in
personal prowess and hardihood. Mel
Their was acquainted with fear. Each
was susceptible Of the rage Of battle.
Each was supported In the duel with
the whole force Of his own nation, be-
sides allies and contingents.
1t was the manner Of Charles XII of
Sweden to reply to bombshell with a
burst Of laughter. II was Peters style
to answer defeat with a witticism.
When the one was hampered with con-
ditions and threatened with ruin, he
redeemed with the madness Of resist
ance. The other under like conditions
had . twitching Of the muscles that
amounted to q paroxysm. The one had
educated himself BY reading the Sagas
and the stories Of Alexander the Great.
The other had got his culture by prowl-
ing around Moscow III the night with a
band Of foreign outlaws, afterward by
hewing lnasts In the shipyards Of Hol-
land, still later by playing with mon
keys in the library Of Sir John Evelyn.
The genius Of each reached to the verge
Of insanity. The men were alike in
greatness Of stature. Peter was taller
than Lincoln. and Charles was taller
than Peber. Each had the strength and
the build Of giant. Each had conf
dence in his personal power.
Charles was. at the close of the seven
teenth century, IN the eighteenth year Of
his age and the third year Of his reign.
Europe had no opinion Of his capacity.
The old soldiers Of Germany smiled at
the idea Of an invasion of the "Snow
King" az they called him. The league
contrived BY Patkul went on we'll until
in October Of l700. Peter. with large
army Of Rnssians, came on for his part
Of the war against the town Of Narva,
ON the river Of the same name, SO miles
southwest Of where st. Petersburg was
presently to be founded. The young
Charles first threatened the king Of Dem
mark and forced him to sign treaty.
Then the king Of Poland was in like
manner obliged to raise the siege of Riga
and fee away. Charles was thus left
free to give his attention to the czar,
who. had begun the siege of Narva.
=. A few,days after the Poles fed from
Riga, Charles, marching across Livonia,
came by forced stages to that place. His
approach was like that Of q storm. The
like Of it had not been witnessed in
modern Europe. The Swedes, coming ON
under cover Of a snowstorm, fell upon
the outposts, which were held by 5000
Russian cavalry, and swept everything
into rout. Peters forces were composed
Of about 10, 600 men. Part of them were
regular Russian troops, another part o
division Of Strelzui, a third part Co.'S
sacks, and the remainder raw levies Of
no military reputation.
The battle was fought on the 30th Of
November, 100. The Russians could
not see the enemy 30 PAGES away. for
the binding snow. The assailants leap
ed the fosse and climbed the parapet,
and a sudden panic ensued. The German
the old Herzog Won Croi,
was distrusted by the Slavs, and with
the break Of confidence between him and
his men nothing remained but to sur
render. A thousand fugitives were
drowned in attempting to swim the
Narva. The favorite regiments Of Peter
got themselves into an extemporized
fort, but the Russian army was divided
and routed in detail Those who still at
to defend themselves after the
lirst assault capitulated during the
night. The greater number were grant.
ID the privilege Of free retreat, with
arms and standards and baggage. Those
In the fortress had to surrender at dis
erection. The general result was that the
Swedes, under the reckless Charles, no
more than 8. 400 in numbers, utterly
routed and overthrow the czar's army Of
more than 40, 900 men It was doubtless
The most conspicuous victory achieved in
Europe since the dark ages.
Peters activity knew no bounds. In
he three or four years Of 1ull that fol-
lowed Narva he applied himself with
he greatest diligence to the tasks Of en-
pire. The first Of these he conceived to
be the creation Of new capital. The
var believed that he could not modern
ze Russia from Moscow. He according
y determined to get his government to
he sea. Russia must be commercial and
and to this end the CAPT.
Ial must be an emporium. The fatal
mistake was that instead Of looking to
he sea of Azov and the establishment
" that way Of warm water route into
he Mediterranean and thence to all
eas and shores. he looked to the gulf
# Finland, bleak and frozen. Goethe
ays that the place reminded him Of
Amsterdam, or Of Venice, the italian
Amsterdam which was correct If we
ubtract the winter. Peter selected the
lace where the Neva divides into four
rms, and these into others, until the
'olume Of the river is separated into IA |
water courses, besides the lake and the |
annals. The site is subject to inunda-
ions when the bowling black winds out
{ the west drive the Baltic brine in
uge freezing pillows back on the Neva.