Page:Readings in European History Vol 2.djvu/621

 Unification of Germany aiid Italy 583 have arrived since the 3d. If they bring on their southern army, we shall, with God's gracious aid, beat that, too. Con- fidence is everywhere. Our soldiers are dears Unsere Leute sind zum Kicssen~, — every one of them so heroic, quiet, obedient, and decent, though with empty stomachs, wet clothes, wet camp, little sleep, and no soles to their shoes ! They are friendly to all, with no plundering or burning, but paying what they can, and eating moldy bread. There must be a goodly stock of fear of God among our common men, otherwise things could not be as they are. It is hard to get news of acquaintances ; we are scattered miles apart, and do not know where to send, and have no one to send. There are men enough, of course, but no horses. . . . The king exposed himself a great deal on the 3d, and it Conduct of was a good thing that I was with him, for the warnings of William in others did not influence him, and no one else would have dared to talk to him as I did the last time, — and it did the_ job, — when a knot of ten cuirassiers and fifteen horses of the sixth cuirassier regiment were trampling about us in bloody confusion and the shells buzzed around disagreeably near his Majesty. The worst of them happily did not go off. I should, however, rather have had him too venturesome than to have him show himself overprudent. He was de- lighted with his troops, and with good reason, so that he did not seem to notice the whizzing and din about him. He was as composed as if he were on the Kreuzberg, and kept finding a new battalion to thank and say good-night to, until we were nearly within the firing line again. But so much was said to him of his recklessness that he will be more careful in the future, so your mind may be at rest on that score. I can hardly believe yet that the battle has really taken place. . . . Bismarck's fears that the king and his advisers would be intoxicated by the brilliant victory over Austria and would wish to press on, and perhaps lose much in the end, were justified. He tells in his memoirs how, although outvoted in the council, he had his own way after all.