The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-08-05
PICTURESQUE FIGHTERS.

In the days when it was esteemed
almost h only general trade, soldiers
Of fortune were common enough, for
they could fill their pockets while wear
ing a sword. But in these degenerate
times, when war is considered a bore,
and fighting bad form, these enterpris,
ing gentlemen have but n solitary
representative left at the end of the
c~entury-and his name will be presently
given.
The Latins have produced most Of
these long-headed swashbucklers; the
Anglo-Saxons and the Teutons have
made only a few, though brilliant on
tributions to the list. And even if
these aspiring persons did fill their
pockets, it can not be denied that they
had a true and gentlemanlike taste
for fighting m took actual pleasure
in %uprooting governments, knocking
down dynasties n slashing around
generally. Pizarro and Cortez, the best
examples of their tribe-and who shall
say they were not considerable fellows?
as big a man as any in his business Of
fighting for owe Of it, n incidentally
feathering his nest with gold and hon-
ors. He was a perfect beauty of a
man, irresistible among the ladies, n
Frederick the Great said of him: This
general could teach all h generals
in Europe"
Perhaps this count, afterward Mar
shall Sake, did not himself exactly know
where his allegiance belonged When he
first drew his sword. The son Of the
beautiful Auprora Won Konigsmark n
Augustus, elector Of Saxony and aft
erward king Of Poland, his original ma
tionality was very much mixed. He
was but 2 years aid when, in 170S, he
ran away to join Marlborough's army,
and had a fine time in Flanders for a
year or two. Things, however, not go
ing to suit him, in I'LL he transferred
himself to the united armies of Russia
and Poland, then fighting Charles XII.
of Sweden. AS long as there was fight
ing to be done the Count Maurice en-
joyed himself very much. Things, how
ever, quieting down, he returned to Po-
land, where he fought CALAMITY in civil
wars until 1920. BY that time being "a
years old, he was a veteran not only
in war, but in love, and having dis1n-
numbered himself Of a wife whom he
had taken in a moment Of rashness, he
went to Paris, where he belonged. For
smashing hearts and studying what
remained for him to learn in the art Of
war.
Six years Of Paris peace having bored
him, however, in 1925 he got himself
elected Duke of CORTLAND. He had
the pleasure Of Sighting both the Poles
and Russians a whole year. They were
too many for him, though, and he res
turned to Paris, where he Joined the
army of that other gallant ~adventurer,
the Duke of Berwick, natural son of
James H., of England. From that on
the life Of Marshal SAKE was one long
carnival Of Joy in victory. He was
equally great in fighting and maneuver-
ing. He beat his enemies in the field,
and when they locked themselves up in
fortified cities he sat down in front OF
them, and before they know it were
forced to capitulate. He had the ex-
quisite pleasure OF beating the DUKE
Of Cumberland with his English, Dutch
and Austrians at the battle Of Fon-
tenoy, that amous battle where the
French politely requested the gentle
men Of the guard to fire first. BY that
time he was q marshal of France, and
having led a very gay life, with much
eating and drinking, he was so far gone
in dropsy that he could net mount a
horse, but had to be carried about in
a litter. This did not prevent him,
though, from beating all the generals
who opposed him, and taking all the
towns which resisted him. until the
peace of Aix-la-Chapelle placed Franc
on a pinnacle Of glory. He lived until
1850, enjoying himself tolerably,' after
his days Of active service were over. He
had accumulated a handsome fortune
and had received all the honors kings
and people could show i'm. Although
the worst speller that eve lived until
Andrew Jackson came to dispute the
honor, Marshal Sake wrote a very fine
book, for which the French Academy
proposed to elect him a member. This,
however, he declined in a letter full
Of bad grammar, worse spelling and
extreme good sense. Marshal SAKE was
an ornament to the profession Of SOL
diers of fortune.
The greatest Englishman in the busi-
ness was undoubtedly Lord Give, Baron
of Plassey-the man that the elder Pitt
described as a "heaven-born general
and of whom Macaulay says no nan
except Napoleon Bonaparte ever dis
played such military sagacity at the
age Of Is. He a. an English country
boy, rather dull at his books, but of a
fighting and predatory disposition al
ways. In 1744 his family shipped him to
India to get rid of him. For three
years he was chained to a clerks desk.
This man, born to fight n conquer
the mighty empire of India n to ad-
minister to governments greater in ter
TilOIy dlu pOpuidIAoA IAoA IdAOPS
Then he was given a comets commits
sion in the handful of English troops
employed by the East Idnia com
pany. At that time-1748-51-it looked
as if the English were about to be
driven out of India and the French
were to dominate in the east. The, ma
tives were up in arms against the Eng
lish. They were almost as far removed
from England as if they had been on
another planet; their case al so des-
perate that only a transcendent man
like young Give would nave seriously
expected to conquer. He, however, con-
ceived an original scheme of marching
against Arcot, a city of 1,500 men, a
few of them Frenchmen, but mostly
natives. Gives originality consisted in
Undertaking this with about 200 British