Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1915-04-14
N0 ] Z Y'sID0L
Interesting Sli!delights ]. on Career
Of Won Hindenburg. <
Brother Of Great Field Marshal Writes
His RioGraphy-Served In War
Of 1866 and In Franco
u ,ss5$ Prussian War. =; !. r.
I BY STEVEN BURNETT.

international News Service.) y
5s; Berlin.-Some interesting sidelights
Hson the career of Field Marshal vo1
Hindenburg are contained in a biog
raphy of the leader of Germany's
eastern forces just issued by his
brother, who takes the pen name
Bernhard Won Burgdorff. = + AK II 4 s s
The future hero of all Germany
fought through the war of 1856 and
later the Franco Prussian war. In
cluded in the book are letters sent by
Won Hindenburg to his parents from
+ the front. Shortly before the begin
4 ming Of the war Of 1856, Hindenburg
4 wrote: 81 ;;$$S * 3! II Z. II. ~
y: cit is high time for the Einden'
%burgs to smell powder. Our family
has been singularly neglected in that
respect" s.s HIN i X "a
Less than a week later he wrote: b.
+ Sorry as Il am for not having had
an opportunity to- see you once more
before going to the front, I am. happy,
on the other hand, when I look into
1.-The future, So full Of promise and real
: life. For a soldier warts the normal
thing, and / know that God watches
tpver me. II S$$y Ill., & it.,ss35s,54ls s3sS !
.SsNs"If ! die It win be the most .beautil
ful and most honorable death; if I am
wounded I will have, done my best
and IL I return unframed so much
the better!" L ;.,s t.5.q$$.. II, I'D OPT
s$7 In another letter written a few days
later Hindenburg says r K EE5a
" 1. My highest aim has been reached;
]. have smelled powder; I have heard
the bullets whistle, all kinds of them,
grenades, shrapnel, rife bullets. II I
have been slightly wounded and there
fore am an interesting personality!
i captured Ave cannon! Hurrah!
S5ti.t"Above all, however, my beloved
parents, have experienced Gods love
land mercy; to him be glory unto
eternity, Amen!" = + - $.3sS
OK / * Soon after this was written linden
burg came within an inch Of being
killed 4 He describes his experience
as follows: il j.; i i%g5s y, n .
"a bullet pierced the: eagle on my
helmet, struck my head without
wounding me severely and came out
behindathe eagle I fell unconscious;
mysmen gathered around me, thinking
me dead Half an inch deeper and the
bullet would have penetrated into the
brain apd l would be lying on the bat
tlefleld.n% s i 1
A vivid description of the feelings
of soldier during his first battle is
given in another letter as follows:
i IF I had to- describe the feelings
that permeated my soul just before the
battle / would say they. were these:
First, a certain Joy that at last one
is to- smell the powder, then hest
tating timidity and doubt whether, as
young soldier, one will do his duty
sufficiently and come, up. to expecta-
lions. =.
Then if you hear the first bullets
whistle (they are always accompanied
by laundering 'Hurrah!') you are car
ried away by enthusiasm; a short
prayer thought of the loved ones
at home and of the old name-then:
Forward! :
with the increasing number Of
wounded around you the enthusiasm
yields to certain cold-bloode dness
or even Indifference. The real excite
nent3, does not come until after the
battle, when one has to see the, hor-
rors of war in their most CHASTITY form;
to describe this is impossible. My pen
revolts. Later there will be a chance
to tell about this or that striking fea.
ture." el,.4