332 Ten I'ears of 'my Life. 



me vvhich I could not refuse, though I was in deep mourning, 

 and not in a irame ol mind tp attend festivals. Exceptional 

 circumstances, however, justify exceptions, and make them 

 even necessary. I accepted an invitation to another dinner 

 which was given in the head-quarters of the First Army, which 

 I attended in company with my brother-in-law. 



My activity was not only restricted to Jouy and Ars, I went 

 now and then to Mane-aux-Chenes, and other places around 

 Metz, to distribute supplies, where they were wanted in the 

 difterent hospitals. 



Fighting was meanwhile going on around Metz continually, 

 ana we were by no means secure in Ars, which for that purpose 

 was much too close to Fort St. Quentin. One of the hospitals 

 was right in the line of the shots, but as it lay rather deep all 

 shots passed over it. The wounded in the beds, weak and 

 nervous Irom sickness, were frightened and excited by the 

 noise oi the shells to such an extent that it caused the death 

 ot some oi them. 



Several shells struck buildings belonging to the railroad 

 station and one carried away the funnel of a locomotive. 



^Vhen I was one day in the garden of the house in which 

 Were my stores, and an aide-de-camp of General von Fran- 

 secky with me, taking supp.'ies, a shell struck ten paces from 

 us, but fell fortunately in a ditch. My tailoring ^oldier August 

 dived at once into the house, and was much ashamed when I 

 called him from his hiding-place. But when a short time 

 afterwards another shell tell again in the neighbourhood, we 

 all thought it prudent to retreat until the shower was over. 



At last Metz surrendered, and though the weather was very 

 bad and we all were wet to the skin, I saw the French march 

 out. It was a glorious but also a sad sighi. I shall not 

 describe it, as it has been done frequently, but only mention 

 the general belief in our army that Bazaine was by no means 

 forced to surrender, but that he sold Metz and acted as a 

 tiaitor to his country. 



As Princess Croy had v;ritten to request me to make inqui- 

 ries about some French officers, her relatives, who had been 

 in Metz, after having informed General von Fransecky about it, 

 I drove on October 30, with Dr. Busch and Dr. von Kiihle- 

 wetter to that city. With great trouble I found one of the 

 officers. Count Man. who told me that the two others were 



