History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20Carlyle, Thomas
History
History of Friedrich II of Prussia — Volume 20
Carlyle, Thomas
Frederick II, King of Prussia, 1712-1786; Prussia (Germany) -- History -- Frederick II, 1740-1786; Social problems
Readers, even those that know RULHIERE, will doubtless consent to a
little supplementing from Two other Eye-witnesses of credit. The first
and principal is a respectable Ex-Swedish Gentleman, whom readers used
to hear of; the Colonel Hordt above mentioned, once of the Free-Corps
HORDT, but fallen Prisoner latterly;--whose experiences and reports are
all the more interesting to us, as Friedrich himself had specially to
depend on them at present; and doubtless, in times long afterwards, now
and then heard speech of them from Hordt. Our second Eye-witness is the
Reverend Herr Doctor Busching (of the ERDBESCHREIBUNG, of the BEITRAGE,
and many other Works, an invaluable friend to us all along); who, in
his wandering time, had come to be "Pastor of the GERMAN CHURCH AT
PETERSBURG," some years back.
WHAT COLONEL HORDT AND THE OTHERS SAW AT PETERSBURG (January-July,
1762).
Autumn, 1759, in the sequel to KUNERSDORF,--when the Russians and Daun
lay so long torpid, uncertain what to do except keep Friedrich and
Prince Henri well separate, and Friedrich had such watchings, campings
and marchings about on the hither skirt of them (skirt always veiled in
Cossacks, and producing skirmishes as you marched past),--we did mention
Hordt's capture; [Supra, vol. x. p. 315.] not much hoping that readers
could remember it in such a press of things more memorable. It was in,
or as prelude to, one of those skirmishes (one of the earliest, and a
rather sharp one, "at Trebatsch," in Frankfurt-Lieberose Country,
"4th September, 1759"), that Hordt had his misfortune: he had been out
reconnoitring, with an Orderly or two, before the skirmish began, was
suddenly "surrounded by 200 Cossacks," and after desperate plunging into
bogs, desperate firing of pistols and the like, was taken prisoner. Was
carted miserably to Petersburg,--such a journey for dead ennui as Hordt
never knew; and was then tumbled out into solitary confinement in the
Citadel, a place like the Spanish Inquisition; not the least notice
taken of his request for a few Books, for leave to answer his poor
Wife's Letter, merely by the words, "Dear one, I am alive;"--and was
left there, to the company of his own reflections, and a life as if in
vacant Hades, for twenty-five months and three days. After the lapse
of that period, he has something to say to us again, and we transiently
look in upon him there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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