Complaints were without purpose; on the
contrary, the soldiers were praised by their
officers, and it was only regretted that not
one of these democrats was hit. Sometimes
I saw the sentries hid behind some wood
watching the window with their muskets
ready, as if they were sportsmen stalking
deer. Once I heard the report of a musket
very near me, a cry, and then the tramping of
many people, who seemed to be carrying a
heavy burden. I afterwards was told, it
was a poor prisoner employed to whitewash
a cell. He was just about to replace the
window, standing upon a step, when he was
spied by a sentry and shot through the
breast. The poor fellow had yet strength
enough to descend the steps, and to set aside
the window which he held in both his hands.
Then he fell down, and died a few days afterwards.
This atrocity was inexcusable, inasmuch
as the sentry had been warned not
to fire at prisoners who worked as masons
in the cells.

This was not all our trouble. The sentries
running up and down the courtyard, near and
under the windows of the cells, used to call
to one another in the night. Becoming aware
that this calling vexed the prisoners, who
were awakened by it, the sentries amused
themselves by shouting all night, and as loudly
as they could to the greatest vexation of us
all. One night they did so in such a manner
that the house was roused. They roared like
madmen, animated to do so by a lieutenant
who had just been visiting the guards.
Several of the prisoners clambered to the
windows, and one of the sentries shot at them
without effect. At the same time I heard
one of the prisoners angrily exclaim against
the man who fired.

On the day following when all the highest
officers of the prison had left for their dinner,
and only the newly made head-overseers were
present, there appeared in the establishment
the Prussian military officer in command,
accompanied by several officers, corporals, and
a patrol with loaded muskets; two corporals
had sticks in their hands. Major Von E.
demanded, from the head overseer, the
delivery of the inmates of three cells he pointed
out, and whom he accused of having, on the
previous night, insulted the sentries. The
head overseer was perplexed, and did as the
major ordered. By the noise in the courtyard
the prisoners were attracted to the
windows, in spite of the danger. The major,
seeing this, invited them to come all to their
windows, and see what he was about to do.

Three of the prisoners were then brought
into the court-yard and barbarously caned in
presence of the major and his suite. When
the major after this heroic deed passed
beneath my cell, I heard a laugh and my
name: probably one of the officers regretted
that I had not been one of the receivers of a
drubbing. The director resented this
infraction of his authority, and complained of
it to his ministry in the most energetic
manner. The result was that he was
suddenly dismissed on the next excuse that
could be met with.

That head overseer, who delivered the
prisoners to the major, was a living memento
of the tact of the Badish ministry. He had
been a Badish lieutenant in the year eighteen
hundred and forty-eight, and was, in eighteen
hundred and forty-nine, chosen captain. As
such he participated in the revolution, and
was present at most of the fights. Moreover
he had good connections; and, when he was
examined, he said that he had been forced by
the soldiers to stay with his regiment. He
was not only acquitted, but was placed as head
overseer in a house of correction, where he
was the superior of comrades and soldiers,
with whom he had shared in the same crime.
This man was neither a spy nor a bad man;
I did not grudge him his good berth, but it
was base to place him in it.

When my first overseer received promotion
I was removed to another cell, where I
had many overseers at hand, who did all they
could for money, and who would have done
more with a little courage. Through one of
them I received a letter from a young girl of
Bruchsal, Kate Z. the daughter of a butcher
there, who offered me her services. I did not
know her; but she gave herself much trouble
to serve the political prisoners. Several of the
overseers boarded at her father's house, and
she knew how to persuade them.

Without the supply of food which I
received through this channel, I do not know
how I could have lived through the first half-
year. Of the prison diet my stomach tolerated
almost nothing but the soup, bad as it was,
and I was always as hungry as a wolf. Once
on the way to the yard, one of the overseers
found an opportunity to give me a nice piece
of boiled ham, wrapped in paper. I put it
into the breast pocket of my jacket to eat
when I returned into my cell; but this piece
of ham burned more upon my heart than
almost anything I ever had upon it. My
mouth began to water like that of a well-
behaving dog, who is kept long expectant of
a morsel. At last canine appetite overcame
every sense of shame or even caution; I hid
myself as well as I could, and bit into the
ham with an eagerness that would have done
honour to any beast.

By the care of my friend Kate, who was
provided with money by my devoted wife, I was
at this time very well served. I received
every morning coffee or chocolate quite hot
in a flat brandy bottle, and held warm, in the
breast of the overseer, who ran with it from
the town to the prison as fast as he could.
Sometimes I had wine, meat, and even cigars
and newspapers. By one of these people,
whom I paid very well, of course, I received
every morning a written report of everything
that occurred in the house, and what he had
heard of other political prisoners. By this