A Reminiscence [pp. 535-538]

SOUTHERN LITERARY MESSENGER.
frequently did I look from my lower regions at the'
patches of blue sky which now and then appeared
above the heads of my taller equals, with a longing
desire for some pure air and free breathing. After
much tossing and pulling we found a place, where, as
my father believed, I might see the whole procession
from the top of a garden gate; he placed himself beneath me. It seems to me that we waited fully two
hours, when, at length, the rumbling sound "he comes,
he comes," rolled toward us from a great distance. The
sound was swelling, the trumpets could be discerned in
the roaring noise of the crowds, and the yelling "vivat
Schill" of the boys. I stretched my neck, I saw the
four hussars, who opened the procession, cutting with
great labor, their way through all the patriotism and
loyalty; they approached, they were close by us, but
with them had also come an irresistible, compact mass.
Where is Schill? There he comes; do'nt you see?and in this moment the wedge-like crowd broke down
the fences, and I tumbled from the place where I had
been envied by thousands of passers by. I fell upon
another crowd, which had conglomerated behind the
fence, and was carried along like an Imperator of old,like a Franconian king after his election. But I did not
remain long in this elevated situation, for the searching
eyes of my father had discovered me. "This is my
boy"-he exclaimed, "this is my boy!" while he was
striving to press through the crowd; but when has a
crowd listened to any thing? On it went, and I floated
on a sea of heads and hats. At last my father, impelled by a parent's anxiety, almost driven by despair,
succeeded in severing this piece of human mosaic. He
grasped my foot, and down I went. My situation wvas
in no way bettered, for the current of men continued to
roll on; as Socrates threw himself over his beloved
Alcibiades or Epaminondas over Pelopidas (I compare
the great to the small) so resolved my father to form a
shield over his urchin. This necessarily soon created
a mountain of tumbling and scrambling individuals
over me, and I should surely have been suffocated, had
not most happily the layer over my father consisted of
a huge grenadier, who, torn or driven flom his line, had
met with this living stumbling block. " Thereis a boy
below," he shouted, with a stentorian voice; " by Ghe sha'nt be killed." I considered this a very sensible
speech, quite to the purpose; and felt happy indeed,
when my Trimn-if he was no sergeant, I would have
given him the cheveron on the spot, had I possessed
the power-succeeded in excavating me. Oh, with
what feeling I drew breath! but Schill was gone; I
heard the music at a distance long past by, while my
father hugged me, his eyes beaming with joyful gratitude for my delivery.
We now mingled with the soldiers, and my father
picked out three or four, to take quarters with us. So
great was the ardor of the citizens of Berlin, to have
some of the followers quartered with them, and in such
a degree was all military order broken into, that it was
impossible for the commanding officer to give any orders
before his followers were dismissed, and he was obliged,
the next morning, to publish the order, where and when
the rendezvous should take place, through the police of
the city. My father had caught an officer and several
privates; we made them tell us of Colberg the whole livelong day, and pestered them with a thousand questions.
I had not seen Schill, the object of our wishes, but,
soon after his arrival at Berlin, I began to make a her.
aldic collection, and it struck me, that it would be a
fine beginning, could I place at the head the seal of
Schill. So I went one day to his quarters and told the
sergeant in waiting that I wished to see Schill. I peremptorily refused to tell him my business, and after
some conversation, was admitted. I foundCol. Schill
in the garden, shooting with the pistol at a target. He
asked me what I wanted. Your seal, sir, said I. And
why my seal? was the reply. Because, said I, I love
you, and wish to begin my collection with your coat of
arms. Does your father love me too? he asked. Yes,
replied I, all the Berlin people do. He seemed much
moved, turned toward the other officers, while he
treated me in the kindest manner, and said something
which I now forget, but the import of which may be
easily surmised. He then asked me to take luncheon
with them, and I remember that he helped me to a
glass of wine, saying-"Boy, be ever true to your
country; here, let's touch our glasses on its welfare."
1 remember nothing of his appearance, except the kind
expression of his large blue eyes. I was a great man
among my school-fellows the next day, and refused to
exchange one of the seals which Col. Schill had given
me, for the arms of the Emperor of Austria. When
the signet of the King of Saxony was added, I parted
with one of Schill's, but still I thought the advantage
of the bargain on the other side.
Schill, you know, marched in S1809, when the Tyrolese had risen under Andrew Hofer, against the French,
to second an insurrection, which had broken out in
Westphalia, under Count D6rnberg. Schill marched,
without order of his government, had several fights
with the French, but could do nothing, as the insurrection in Westphalia was soon put down, after the brilliant success of Napoleon's army in the campaign of
1809 against the Austrians. Schill took Stralsund, and
fortified it in haste; but on May 31 it was taken by
Dutch troops, and Schill fell after a valiant resistance.
His head was sent in spirits of wvine to Holland; the
King of Westphalia had offered ten thousand francs
for it, when yet on his shoulders.
Twelve officers of the corps of Schill were taken
prisoners, and sent to Wesel; a French court-martial
sentenced them to be shot; for they were treated as
common robbers. A maid of honor, at the court of
Jerome, King of Westphalia, obtained, through the
latter, a pardon from NIapoleon for one of the officers
under sentence of death. It arrived before the execution, but he firmly refused it, if it could not be extended to all. He was shot with the rest. Twelve
trees designate to this day the spots where this brotherhood in death sank into the grave.
I have heard a calm and prudent kind of a reasoner,
maintain that the officer had no right to refuse his pardon; that his action approached very closely to suicide.
To me, it approaches rather to that offering of our life
for our friends, which the Scripture designates as so
holy a deed. Yet however that may be, a boy of stern
and noble metal surely he must have been, and he is
worthy to be mentioned together with the brave Van
Spyke, who blew up himself and his crew rather than
see the flag of his country insulted.
When we hear the word Dutch, we generally cons
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