Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-12-31
OLD COUNT HOESE-
LER ASTONISHES ALL
With HIS ACTIVITIES
Went to Front to Find Arm
Lost There in 1870-Tireless
as a Boy and Absolutely Fear
less-The Soldiers Call Him
Bullet Proof-Stories of His
Goodness
ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence

associated Press Correspondence
Berlin, Dec. I5.-Old Count Haeseler,
the retired field marshal, is playing a
unique role in this war. Some 20 years
ago military men, both German and
Foreign, were accustomed to look to
him as leader of Germany's armies in
the event of a war as he had acquired
great reputation as a strategist. But
the war did not come in time to give
him his great opportunity. He had
fought through three wars-against
Denmark in 1864, against Austria in
1866 and against France in 1870, but he
was then too young to attain high
rank, ard when the present war broke
out ne was too old to command an
army. Though he was approaching his
10th year, he went to the Kaiser, it is
said, and begged permission to accom-
pany the troops into France, pleading
humorously that he had lost a rib there
in 1870 which he wanted to find.
Haeseler got the Kaiser's consent,
and for weeks he was following the
German armies, astonishing the sol
oilers with his utter contempt of dam
ger. His former orderly, Arnold Rech-
berg, tells in a German monthly some
interesting stories about his daily life
with the old field marshal. 1t has re-
peatedly occurred, says Rechberg, that
the count has ridden in the firing line
of the infantry while making an at
tack. The men were advancing only
by PUSHES and leaning low to the
ground; but Haeseler would ride calm
| ly forward with his attendant, the tar
get of French rifles; and at times he
was even fired upon by machine guns
and cannon without being hit. In this
way superstitious tradition has found
foothold among the soldiers as to the
old marshal being supernaturally bull
let-proof.
An incident illustrating his cool dar-
ing, occurred in a certain battle when
he was approaching a village in which
the natives were firing upon the Ger
mans from their barred houses. To
the left and the right the German lines
were advancing. Somebody warned
him not to ride through the village
owing to the fsniping" going on there:
but he rode through without getting a
scratch. Arrived at the farther side
he met a patrol under a lieutenant
coming back from reconnaissance,
and remarked 1to him: "Comrade, /
advise You MOTTO ride through this viii
lage. the citizens are firing from their
windows, and you would be in danger"
On another occasion the old general
was watching from the edge os a wood
battle in which the Germans were
trying to dslodge the French from a
village which was strongly occupied.
After time firing from the village
ceased, but ii was still uncertain
whether the French had Withdrawn,
SO it was decided to send forward a
patrol. When the patrol rode into the
village the first man it met was Count
Haese1er, accompanied by his orderly
and a French prisoner. He had anti
cipated the patrol on the guess that
the French had left. Both he and the
orderly were unarmed, but when they
saw French soldier lingering in the
village, Haeseler galloped up to him
and said in threatening tone: You
are my prisoner Whereupon the
Frenchman threw down his rifle, made
military salute, and replied: Yes;
my General"
In another battle he sat under a
walnut tree at the edge of a village
and watched the fighting with group
of officers around him. Suddenly
French shell dropped about 200 yards
ahead of them. and few minutes
later another only 100 yards short. An
officer was calling Haeseler's attention
to this when q third shell fell only 80
yards away; two more, gentlemen,
remarked the old marshal, land they
will hit the walnut tree" As the party
moved away another shell exploded
still nearer, and a moment later the
tree was squarely hit. 1t was soon as
certained that the mayor of the village
was in telephone communication with
the French battery and was directing
it's fire. The story does rot tell what
was the fate of the mayor.
Despite his great age the count still |
has a remarkable endurance. 1t is
said that he has remained in the sad
die as much as IA hours day in some
parts of the present war. He is very
abstemious in food and drink; he lives
chiefly from milk and eggs, eating only
little meat; and he drinks no alcohol /