How French Soldiers fared in German Prisons ... Edited [or rather translated] by Henry Hayward

Front matter

HOW FRENCH SOLDIERS FARED IN GERMAN PRISONS AND HOSPITALS. [Frontispiece. CANON guers. Ibow Jfrencb Solbiers jfarcb in (Serman prisons: BEING THE REMINISCENCES OF A FRENCH ARMY CHAPLAIN DURING AND AFTER THE FRANCO-GERMAN WAR. BY CANON E. GUERS, Army Chaplain to the French Fore EDITED BY HENRY HAYWARD. LONDON : DEAN & SON, i6oa, Fleet Street. The Author is unwilling to allow the English edition of this book to appear without an expression of his heartfelt gratitude to the memory of Lord Loftus, British Ambassador at Berlin in 1870-71, for his lord ship's powerful intervention and assistance, in the name of Great Britain, not only on behalf of the Author himself, but also to the great benefit of the unfortunate French prisoners of war in Germany. The Author would feel grateful to his English readers if they would communicate to him any observations they may think proper to make in reference to the book, in order that they may be taken into account in any future editions.

CHANOINE E. GUERS. Care of Dean & Son, i6o«, Fleet Street, London, E.C. The Author has received the following note (among many others) from the Bishop of Rodez (Aveyron) : — EvJcHE DE RODEZ, July gtli, 1890. Dear Canon, — Thanks for the copy of your Recits et Souvenirs de 1870-71. It is a book which I should describe as bleeding with our defeats and misfortunes. It is impossible to read it without a feeling of deep depression, accompanied, however, at the same time, by a feeling of sad consolation at all the efforts made to attenuate those misfortunes and mitigate the sufferings resulting from them. . . . No one can read the book without feeling himself fortified and encouraged to sacrifice everything for duty, and to do his best for his country and compatriots. * ERNEST, Bishop of Rodez. PAGE CONT E NTS.

Chapter I

State of Rome and its Vicinity at the Declaration of War — Departure for the Army of the Rhine, across Italy and Switzerland — Strasburg Refugees in Switzerland — Entrance into Germany . . . . . -13

Chapter II

In Bavaria — Munich and King Louis II. — Augsburg and the Camp at Lechfeld — The Fortress of Ingolstadt — Execution of Jean Hamel and of Charles Gombauld — The Prophetic Pear-tree of Germany — , The Citadel of Eichstadt — Arrest, Court-martial, Expulsion . . . . . . . . -50

Chapter III

The "Kingdom of Wurtemberg — Ulm and its Hospitals — Stuttgart and its Representation of the Victory of Sedan — The Impregnable Fortress of Hohenasperg — Plot for a Rising of all the Captive Troops— The Heroic Sortie from Prague 10: CONTENTS. 10 PAGE

Chapter IV

The Grand Duchy of Baden — Dream of Napoleon III. at Constance — The Falls of the Rhine — Freiburg — The Baden Bishops — Carlsruhe and its Model Hospital — The Turcos — The Grand Duchess and the Princess Marie — Rastadt — The First Convoy from Metz— The Bastille of Baden — The White Lady — M. du Petit-Thouars 137

Chapter V

Passage of the Rhine — Strasburg in Ashes — the Prussian Mode of utilising Railways — Tomb of General Desaix — Horrible Aspect of the Cemetery of St. Gall — A City in Ruins — The Siege — Strasburg Cathedral after the Siege — The Cathedral Cross outraged and revenged — Trains of Prisoners en route — Germanising of Alsace and Lorraine . . .179

Chapter VI

From the Banks of the Rhine to the Mouth of the Weser — Heidelberg — Mannheim — Darmstadt — Mayence — Frankfort -on -the -Main — Coblentz — Cologne — Prussian Rules for the French Prisoners' Conduct — Aix-la-Chapelle— Bismarck's Unpopularity — Diisseldorf — Neuss — Wesel — Minden — Hanover — Oldenburg—Bremen and the Flag of the ist Regiment of Engineers CONTENTS. 11 PAGE 374

Chapter VII

Napoleon III. at Wilhelmshohe — Bazaine at Cassel — Geneial Meusnier — General Castelnau — Interview with the Emperor — Napoleon III.'s Farewell — His Life at the Castle of the Electors of Hesse — Who is responsible ? 257

Chapter VIII

Prussian Saxony — Magdeburg — The Staff of the Army of the Rhine — Bazaine's Plans — Conspiracy at Metz — Carnot's Tomb — Halberstadt — Wittenberg — Halle — Torgau — Erfurt . 294

Chapter IX

Eastern Prussia — Berlin — Spandau — Stettin — Danzig — Konigsberg — Posen — Gross-Glogau — Graudenz — Breslau — Glatz — Cosel — Dresden and the Kingdom of Saxony — Line of Operations of a Prusso-Russian War — The Struggle to come ..... 328