The Appendix: "On a pretended Council of War in the Wars of William I. of Prussia," was written in 1881. In a book by Fedor von Koppen, "Maenner und Thaten, vaterlaendische Balladen" (_Men and Deeds: Patriotic Songs_), which the poet presented to the Field-Marshal, there is a poem entitled, "_A German Council of War at Versailles_" (with a historical note appended), describing an incident which never occurred, and which, under the conditions by which the relations of the Chief of the Staff to his Majesty were regulated, never could have occurred. To preclude any such mistakes for the future, and to settle once and for all the truth as to the much-discussed question of the Council of War, the Field-Marshal wrote this paper, to which he added a description of his personal experience of the battle of Koeniggraetz. It is this narrative which, shortly after the writer's death, was published in the _Allgemeine Zeitung_ of Munich, in the somewhat abridged and altered form in which the Field-Marshal had placed it at the disposal of Professor von Treitscke, the well-known historian. COUNT HELMUTH VON MOLTKE, Major and Adjutant to his Imperial Majesty. Berlin, June 25th, 1891. CONTENTS. PART I. PAGE Preparations for War 2 Combat of Weissenburg (4th August) 12 Battle of Woerth (6th August) 14 Battle of Spicheren (6th August) 19 Right-wheel of the German Army 26 Battle of Colombey-Nouilly (14th August) 29 Battle of Vionville--Mars la Tour (16th August) 34 Battle of Gravelotte--St. Privat (18th August) 49 New Distribution of the Army 64 The Army of Chalons 66 Battle of Beaumont (30th August) 76 Battle of Sedan (1st September) 87 PART II.