personal memoirs-2-第58节

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the　sight　that　met　our　eyes　as　we　entered　the　village　was　truly

dreadful　to　look　upon。　　Most　of　the　houses　had　been　knocked　down　or

burned　the　day　before；　but　such　as　had　been　left　standing　were　now　in

flames；　the　torch　having　been　applied　because；　as　it　was　claimed；

Frenchmen　concealed　in　them　had　fired　on　the　wounded。　　The　streets

were　still　encumbered　with　both　German　and　French　dead；　and　it　was

evident　that　of　those　killed　in　the　houses　the　bodies　had　not　been

removed；　for　the　air　was　loaded　with　odors　of　burning　flesh。　　From

Bazeille　we　rode　on　toward　the　north　about　two　miles；　along　where　the

fight　had　been　largely　an　artillery　duel；　to　learn　what　we　could　of

the　effectiveness　of　the　Krupp　gun。　　Counting　all　the　French　dead　we

came　across　killed　by　artillery；　they　figured　up　about　three　hundred…

…a　ridiculously　small　number；　in　fact；　not　much　more　than　one　dead

man　for　each　Krupp　gun　on　that　part　of　the　line。　　Although　the　number

of　dead　was　in　utter　disproportion　to　the　terrific　six…hour

cannonade；　yet　small　as　it　was　the　torn　and　mangled　bodies　made　such

a　horrible　sight　that　we　turned　back　toward　Bazeilles　without　having

gone　further　than　Givonne。



At　Bazeilles　we　met　the　King；　accompanied　by　Bismarck　and　several　of

the　staff。　　They　too　had　been　riding　over　the　field；　the　King　making

this　a　practice；　to　see　that　the　wounded　were　not　neglected。　　As　I

drew　up　by　the　party；　Bismarck　accosted　me　with；　〃Well；　General；

aren't　you　hungry？　　This　is　just　the　place　to　whet　one's　appetite

these　burning　FrenchmenUgh！〃　and　shrugging　his　shoulders　in　evident

disgust；　he　turned　away　to　join　his　Majesty　in　further　explorations；

Forsyth　and　I　continuing　on　to　Chevenges。　　Here　we　got　the　first

inkling　of　what　had　become　of　our　carriage　since　leaving　it　two　days

before：　it　had　been　pressed　into　service　to　carry　wounded　officers

from　the　field　during　the　battle；　but　afterward　released；　and　was　now

safe　at　the　house　in　Vendresse　where　we　had　been　quartered　the　night

of　the　31st；　so；　on　hearing　this；　we　settled　to　go　there　again　to

lodge；　but　our　good　friend；　the　cure'；　insisting　that　we　should　stay

with　him；　we　remained　in　Chevenges　till　next　morning。



On　September　3　the　King　removed　from　Vendresse　to　Rethel；　where　he

remained　two　days；　in　the　mean　while　the　Germans；　240；000　strong；

beginning　their　direct　march　to　Paris。　　The　French　had　little　with

which　to　oppose　this　enormous　force；　not　more；　perhaps；　than　50；000

regular　troops；　the　rest　of　their　splendid　army　had　been　lost　or

captured　in　battle；　or　was　cooped　up　in　the　fortifications　of　Metz；

Strasburg；　and　other　places；　in　consequence　of　blunders　without

parallel　in　history；　for　which　Napoleon　and　the　Regency　in　Paris　must

be　held　accountable。　　The　first　of　these　gross　faults　was　the　fight

at　Worth；　where　MacMahon；　before　his　army　was　mobilized；　accepted

battle　with　the　Crown　Prince；　pitting　50；000　men　against　175；000；　the

next　was　Bazaine's　fixing　upon　Metz　as　his　base；　and　stupidly　putting

himself　in　position　to　be　driven　back　to　it；　when　there　was　no

possible　obstacle　to　his　joining　forces　with　MacMahon　at　Chalons；

while　the　third　and　greatest　blunder　of　all　was　MacMahon's　move　to

relieve　Metz；　trying　to　slip　140；000　men　along　the　Belgian　frontier。

Indeed；　it　is　exasperating　and　sickening　to　think　of　all　this；　to

think　that　Bazaine　carried　into　Metza　place　that　should　have　been

held；　if　at　all；　with　not　over　25；000　menan　army　of　180；000；

because　it　contained；　the　excuse　was；　〃an　accumulation　of　stores。〃

With　all　the　resources　of　rich　France　to　draw　upon；　I　cannot　conceive

that　this　excuse　was　sincere；　on　the　contrary；　I　think　that　the

movement　of　Bazaine　must　have　been　inspired　by　Napoleon　with　a　view

to　the　maintenance　of　his　dynasty　rather　than　for　the　good　of　France。



As　previously　stated；　Bismarck　did　not　approve　of　the　German　army's

moving　on　Paris　after　the　battle　of　Sedan。　　Indeed；　I　think　he

foresaw　and　dreaded　the　establishment　of　a　Republic；　his　idea　being

that　if　peace　was　made　then；　the　Empire　could　be　continued　in　the

person　of　the　Prince　Imperial　who；　coming　to　the　throne　under

German　influences；　would　be　pliable　in　his　hands。　　These　views　found

frequent　expression　in　private；　and　in　public　too；　I　myself

particularly　remember　the　Chancellor's　speaking　thus　most　unguardedly

at　a　dinner　in　Rheims。　　But　he　could　not　prevent　the　march　to　Paris；

it　was　impossible　to　stop　the　Germans；　flushed　with　success。　　〃On　to

Paris〃　was　written　by　the　soldiers　on　every　door；　and　every　fence…

board　along　the　route　to　the　capital；　and　the　thought　of　a　triumphant

march　down　the　Champs　Elysees　was　uppermost　with　every　German；　from

the　highest　to　the　lowest　grade。



The　5th　of　September　we　set　out　for　Rheims。　　There　it　was　said　the

Germans　would　meet　with　strong　resistance；　for　the　French　intended　to

die　to　the　last　man　before　giving　up　that　city。　　But　this　proved　all

fudge；　as　is　usual　with　these　〃last　ditch〃　promises；　the　garrison

decamping　immediately　at　the　approach　of　a　few　Uhlans。　　So　far　as　I

could　learn；　but　a　single　casualty　happened；　this　occurred　to　an

Uhlan；　wounded　by　a　shot　which　it　was　reported　was　fired　from　a　house

after　the　town　was　taken；　so；　to　punish　this　breach　of　faith；　a　levy

of　several　hundred　bottles　of　champagne　was　made；　and　the　wine

divided　about　headquarters；　being　the　only　seizure　made　in　the　city；

I　believe；　for　though　Rheims；　the　centre　of　the　champagne　district；

had　its　cellars　well　stocked；　yet　most　of　them　being　owned　by　German

firms；　they　received　every　protection。



The　land　about　Rheims　is　of　a　white；　chalky　character；　and　very　poor；

but　having　been　terraced　and　enriched　with　fertilizers；　it　produces

the　champagne　grape　in　such　abundance　that　the　region；　once

considered　valueless；　and　named　by　the　peasantry　the　〃land　of　the

louse；〃　now　supports　a　dense　population。　　We　remained　in　Rheims　eight

days；　and　through　the　politeness　of　the　American　ConsulMr。　Adolph

Gillhad　the　pleasure　of　seeing　all　the　famous　wine　cellars；　and

inspecting　the　processes　followed　in　champagne　making；　from　the　step

of　pressing　the　juice　from　the　grape　to　that　which　shows　the　wine

ready　for　the　market。　　Mr。　Gill　also　took　us　to　see　everything　else

of　special　interest　about　the　city；　and　there　being　much　to　look　at

fine　old　churches；　ancient　fortifications；　a　Roman　gateway；　etc。the

days　slipped　by　very　quickly；　though　the　incessant　rains　somewhat

interfered　with　our　enjoyment。



For　three　or　four　days　all　sorts　of　rumors　were　rife　as　to　what　was

doing　in　Paris；　but　nothing　definite　was　learned　till　about　the　9th；

then　Count　Bismarck　informed　me　that　the　Regency　had　been　overthrown

on　the　4th；　and　that　the　Empress　Eugenie　had　escaped　to　Belgium。　　The

King　of　Prussia　offered　her　an　asylum　with　the　Emperor　at

Wilhelmshohe；　〃where　she　ought　to　go；〃　said　the　Chancellor；　〃for　her

proper　place　is　with　her　husband；〃　but　he　feared　she　would　not。　　On

the　same　occasion　he　also　told　me　that　Jules　Favrethe　head　of　the

Provisional　Governmenthad　sent　him　the　suggestion　that；　the　Empire

being　gone；　peace　should　be　made　and　the　Germans　withdrawn；　but　that

he　（Bismarck）　was　now　compelled　to　recognize　the　impossibility　of

doing　this　till　Paris　was　taken；　for　although　immediately　after　the

surrender　of　Sedan　he　desired　peace；　the　past　few　days　had　made　it

plain　that　the　troops　would　not　be　satisfied　with　anything　short　of

Paris；　no　matter　what　form　of　Government　the　French　should　ultimately

adopt。



The　German　army　having　met　with　no　resistance　whatever　in　its　march

on　Paris；　its　advance　approached　the　capital　rapidly；　and　by　the　14th

of　September　the　royal　headquarters　moved　by　a　fine　macadamized　road

to　the　Chateau　Thierry；　and　on　the　5th　reached　Meaux；　about　twenty…

eight　miles　from　Paris；　where　we　remained　four　days　awaiting　the

reconstruction　of　some　railroad　and　canal　bridges。　　The　town　of　Meaux

has　a　busy　population　of　about　10；000　souls；　in　peaceable　times

principally　occupied　in　manufacturing　flour　for　the　Paris　market；

having　a　fine　waterpower　for　the　many　mills。　　These　were　kept　going

day　and　night　to　supply　the　German　army；　and　it　was　strange　to　see

with　what　zeal　Frenchmen　toiled　to　fill　the　stomachs　of　their

inveterate　enemies；　and　with　what　alacrity　the　mayor　and　other。

officials　filled　requisitions　for　wine；　cheese；　suits　of　livery；

riding…whips；　and　even　squab　pigeons。



During　our　stay　at　Meaux　the　British　Minister　Lord　Lyons；　endeavored

to　bring　about　a　cessation　of　hostilities；　to　this　end　sending　his

secretary　out　from　Paris　with　a　letter　to　Count　Bismarck；　offering　to

serve　as　mediator。　　The　Chancellor　would　not　agree　to　this；　however；

for　he　conjectured　that　the　action　of　the　British　Minister　had　been

inspired　by　Jules　Favre；　who；　he　thought；　was　trying　to　draw　the

Germans　into　negotiations　through　the　medium　of　a　third　party　only

for　purposes　of　delay。　　So　the　next　mornin