Napoleon and the Queen of Prussia | Page 8

back to Auerstadt in a fainting condition; his wound was
dressed there, and then he was carried by some soldiers to
Blankenburg."
"The duke is not yet dead, then, notwithstanding this terrible wound?"
"No," said Schill, solemnly, "God would not let him die without
reaping the fruit of what he had sown. For his mental blindness God
punished him with physical blindness. The ball destroyed both his
eyes."
"Dreadful!" muttered Count Pückler.
"You pity him?" asked Schill, harshly. "You had better pity the
thousands who are lying on the bloody battle-fields of Jena and
Auerstadt, and accusing the duke of having murdered them! You had
better pity Prussia's misfortunes and disgrace, which have been brought
about by the duke! For, I tell you, the indecision, vacillation, and
timidity of the duke were the sole causes of our terrible disaster. All of
us felt and knew it. None of the younger officers and generals had any
doubt about it; every one knew that those old gentlemen, who had
outlived their own glory, and still believed that they lived in the days of
Frederick the Great, were unequal to the occasion, to the present time,
and to the present war. Because we were aware of this, we made the
utmost efforts to bring about a change of commanders. We elected a
deputation of officers, and sent them to General Kalkreuth, for the
purpose of laying our complaints and prayers before him, and of
imploring him to induce the king to deprive the duke of his command,
and to intrust it to younger and more resolute hands. The deputation
consisted of none but skilful, prominent, and highly-esteemed officers,
who boldly declared it to be their firm conviction that the king was in
danger of losing his crown and his states, if the Duke of Brunswick
should remain at the head of the army."[1]
[Footnote 1: Vide Frederick von Gentz's writings, edited by G.
Schlesier, vol. ii., p. 314.]
"And what did General Kalkreuth reply to them?"

"The general asked, in a harsh tone, for a further explanation of their
words, and the officers gave it to him. They censured the duke's idea of
establishing a camp at Weimar, and dwelt contemptuously on the
reasons that might have induced him to do so. They proved, by
referring to the whole proceedings of the duke, that he knew neither
what he was doing nor what he wanted to do; neither where he was, nor
whither he was going; and they added that, in consequence of this
deplorable state of affairs, the whole army was filled with the most
startling and discouraging rumors.[2]"
[Footnote 2: Ibid., vol. ii., p. 315.]
"But their prayers, their remonstrances, their angry denunciations, and
predictions, were unavailing. General Kalkreuth could not make up his
mind to represent the dangers of the situation to the king, although he
himself was just as well satisfied of its critical character as all the
younger officers of the army. And thus we were defeated, disastrously
defeated and routed, in spite of all warnings of our consciousness of the
danger, and of all predictions. This time it was not the inexperience and
impetuosity of youth, but the antiquated method and slowness of age,
that brought about our ruin."
"Yes, you are right," sighed Count Pückler; "our old generals are the
cause of our misfortunes."
"Do you know, for instance," asked Schill, indignantly, "why we lost
the important defile of Kösen? In consequence of the night-sweat of
General von Schmettau!"
"Ah, you can jest even now!" said Pückler, sadly.
"I do not jest, by any means; on the contrary, I am in dead earnest! The
Duke of Brunswick had ordered the general, on the day before the
battle, to start early next morning with his division, and occupy the
defile of Kösen. His adjutant, Lieutenant von Pfuel, went repeatedly to
his headquarters to remind him of the urgent necessity of setting out,
and to implore him to rise from his bed. 'But, sir,' replied the old
general, 'let me wait at least until my night-sweat is gone; I understand

it is a very chilly morning!'[3] The old general did not rise until nine
o'clock, and started at ten with his division toward Kösen. When he
reached the defile he found that Marshal Davoust had caused it to be
occupied by a regiment of infantry scarcely an hour before. That
night-sweat of the old general has become the death-sweat of many
brave Prussians, and the gray hairs of the old chieftain will now cause
the hair of our youth to turn gray with shame and grief."
[Footnote 3: Vide Förster's "Modern History of Prussia," vol. i., p.
757.]
"Oh, it is a terrible disgrace for us, and I hardly know how we are to
bear it in a manly and