The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-05-16
WHOLE NO., 2S5.

bariaus, and half savage wood peasants
from the interior--40, 900 strong In
November of that year Peter himself
plloted the first merchant ship into his
new harbor. He gave the captain exemp-
tion from customs and also presented
him with 500 ducats He would have
civilization, and it should consist Of or-
der by force. Of commerce and intsrna-
tionality
For several years Charles XII prsss-
cuted his wars in Germany, but in 17O6
he was again ready to turn his attention
to Russia. He made his way TO Vol
hynia. destroyed tie electoral states with
extortions aud acquisitions and made
wide ruin in the country. The car
awaited the coming OF his foemen in the
Ukraine, while King Augustus, his half
treacherous ally, stood on his guard ia
Lithuania. But for the present, Charles
attacked neither the one nor the Other.
He turned rather into Poland and Sax
ony, leaving behind him small force
to hold the conquered territory. II Wa
in the midwinter of 1903 that ho at last
issued from Saxony with an army of
5000 men and marched on the Me
men.
Having crossed tie river, Charles first
encountered the Russians at Grodno aud
came near taking the ear prisoner.
Peter adopted the same tactics pursued
by Alexander with Napoleon 1O4 years
afterward, Hc recedcd into the interior
in the direction Of Moscow, and tho
Swedes came after him. When Peter
made overtures for peace. Charles re-
piled, II will treat with the czar in
Moscow. Peter answered :"My brother
Charles is going to be Alexander. but hs
will not find Darius i'll me-.
Tho next stage OF tho Swedish march
was to the Eerezina. Soon afterward, ~
Golotsvin, Charles attacked and routed
10000 Russians in battle, but their
courage showed him that he was fight
ing rising foe. After tho battle thu
Swedes were almost hopcIessly involved
in the Russian forests and swamps Al
DobrOe he fought second battle, and
the car was again overthrown, but the
Swedes lost heavily, and the fall had
already come before they could resume
the invasion. Meanwhile division Of
10000 men under General Lowenhaupt
was delayed and was intercepted and
defeated by the car in person. Only
wreck Of Lowenhaupt's army succeeded
in reaching the camp of Charles. The
czar for his part returned to Smolensk
as q victor and entered the old town
with salvos Of artillery and other sig
nails Of rejoicing
| Already the king Of Sweden found
himself the victim of his own impru-
dence. He moved into the Ukraine un-
der the persuasions of the celebrated
hetmnn, Mazeppa, immortalized in BY
ron s poem. But The inhabitants Of the
Ukraine did not rise i'll favor Of the
Swedes, and Mazeppa himself became \
fugitive and had great difficulty in get
ting the remnant Of his forces united
with those Of Charles ON the Dnieper in
the dreadful winter of 170S-9. Already
the same scenes were enacted in the
| Swedish camp as were to be witnessed
OH larger scale in the French campaign
OF 1912. The same horrors were repeat
! ed. The Swedes began to freeze to death.
| The crows that would have eaten them
were frozen dead on their bodies
With tho opening Of spring, 1909, the
czar followed his antagonist. 1t was
now the countercharee. Baturin, the
capital Of Mazeppa's hetmanate, was
taken. Charles got himself to the town
| of Poltova and there awaited the arriv-
| al Of tho Turks and Poles, who were
never to come. IN June, 1903, the czar,
with GO, 600 men, protected by intrench-
| ments, offered himself for battle. Tho
Swedes We're by this time reduced to
fewer than 10000, and these were
weakened by suffering and privation to
the point Of exhaustion. Only the fires
of the Morse Sagas still famed in the
breast Of Charles and warmed his SOL
diery Peter had ~ cannon and Charles
only 4. Meanwhile the Swedish king,
wounded in the heel, had been sub
| jected to severe surgical operation,
| SO that he could not ride on horseback
He ordered himself to be put on q litter
on the day Of battle and drawn from
| place to place, according to the exigency
Of the fight.
The battle Of Poltova is one Of the ia
nous conflicts Of history The qualities
of the car came out III his address to
his soldiers He said "The moment is
come The future Of our countryi is to be
decided. You must not say it is for Pc
ter we fight. No. 1t is for the empire
confided to Peter. 1t is for Russia. 1t is
for the orthodox faith, for the church
Of God. AS for Peter, know that he is
ready to sacrifice his life for glorious
and prosperous future for Russia"
The battle was begun by the Swedes
They rushed to the attack with the fury
Of madmen and took two redoubts. The
czar and the king were both in the
midst Of the melee. Peter had his hat
shot through, and Menshikof had three
horses killed under him. The Swedes
fought like the men of Thor, but their
savage onsets could not avail. Men
shikof. in the whirl of the lines, got oa
the Swedish rear and planted himself
between the main body and their camp.
The Russian artillery fire in front swept
down everything. The horses of Charles
litter were killed, and his halberdiera
carried him hither and yon according
to his orders until of the "a all but three
were shot down.
At length disorder ensued. and the
Swedes fled, Charles himself being