surrendered to the Russians the following morning, with all the rest of
the army. This course was inevitable; another battle would only have
caused new and useless sacrifices of human lives.
A sad fate awaited the Swedes in Russian captivity. Only a few saw
their homes again, after years of suffering. Rehnskiold was among
these. The majority, like Lewenhaupt and Piper, died in captivity.
Considerable information about the experiences of the Swedish prisoners
in Russia is found in their memoirs and note-books, preserved to
this day. It appears that the treatment which they received varied
greatly, according to circumstances. Czar Peter wished to keep the
Swedish captives in the country as long as possible, with the object
of favorably influencing his barbarous subjects by their superior
abilities and culture. He had commanded clemency in their treatment;
but his orders must have been disobeyed, for many Swedish soldiers
are known to have perished in the sulphur mines. In Tobolsk and other
towns of Siberia, Swedish majors and captains were in great numbers
occupied in the humble pursuits of teachers, barbers, tailors, painters
and blacksmiths. Some kept shops and others made articles of the
Swedish sloyd, in which there was no competition in the market. The
pastimes were music and theatricals. There were, among these thousands
of prisoners, 9 generals, 17 colonels, 27 lieutenant-colonels, 38
majors, 494 captains, 975 lieutenants, 67 ministers of the Gospel,
etc. A good many of these were Swedish subjects of German descent,
or foreigners in Swedish service. The prisoners tried their best to
make it as pleasant for themselves as possible. They formed a little
community of their own in Moscow, with Piper and Rehnskiold as their
highest officials. Georg Nordberg, pastor of the body-guards, was made
the president of a chapter-house, which held church conferences, issued
texts for special services, examined and consecrated ministers. Czar
Peter tried to attract some of the ablest officers to him by promises
of liberty and remunerative positions. Many of the captives, seeing
no prospect of freedom, decided to remain in the country, entered the
Greek church and married Russian women. Some who could not endure
captivity made a revolt at Kasan, killing the armed troops, and making
an attempt to reach their own beloved country. The plot was frustrated
and was of sinister consequences, for the Swedish captives commenced
from that time, 1711, to be transported to Siberia in great numbers.
This was only to move the important work of civilization eastward. The
captives, instead of succumbing to the severe climate, unfolded the
great energy of their race, cheerfully accommodating their lives to
the new requirements and devoting their time to travels for scientific
research, or mercantile purposes, in Russian service, or on their
own responsibility. They made accounts and maps of undiscovered and
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