"Here we stopped, just as we were; everyone was hungry and thirsty. We officers made the citizens fetch us something to drink, and stood looking at and questioning one another. The snow was lying on the ground, and our men began to be impatient. I went to the inn where the Lieutenant-Colonel was in consultation with his officers; they were deliberating, and I could not speak with them. The citizens were already beginning to kindle their lights, and it did not appear how the affair was to end.
"At last the Lieutenant-Colonel came and sent forthwith to the councillors, who were already assembled in their council-room, deliberating what report they should make to Meiningen concerning the hewing down of their gates. But the president of the council had got scent of it, so he kept apart, and left the others to themselves, for all men could see that we could not go any further, as it was night. Now as the president was away, no one would go to the Lieutenant-Colonel, and each kept calling upon the other to go. At last one consented, and said: 'Some one must go, let what will happen.' When therefore he came to the Lieutenant-Colonel, it was represented to him that the town must provide us with accommodation for the night, whether they liked or not. The Lieutenant-Colonel also added, that we should march very early on the morrow; that the citizens were not bound to give the smallest thing to the soldiers, who had to live on their pay; therefore he need not deliberate any more about it. The councillor begged to be excused, but said he could do nothing himself, he must lay the matter before his colleagues, and see what they were disposed to do.
"Hereupon I marched forth again with the good councillor to the Schlundhouse, where the other councillors were sitting. When I entered the room with the plenipotentiary, he delivered the Lieutenant-Colonel's message to them, in his own words: 'That the Commander desired to have night-quarters for his men, and that on the morrow at sunrise, they would again march; that he could not help the citizens; they must do so whether they chose or not; if they would not do it, they must tell Lieutenant Rauch; in which case, he would quarter the soldiers in houses according to the custom with troops; they would get what they wanted, for soldiers must live on their pay. No citizen was bound to give them anything but a warm room and a place of rest.'
"Now every one shall hear what passed amongst these councillors. The first who began, said: 'I do not assent to this. Who asked them to wait so long here? they might long ere now have marched away, if they had chosen.' Another said: 'You are right, cousin Kurtz; I would rather tear myself in pieces than consent.' The third then said: 'So, ho! first they hew down our gates, and then, forsooth, they cannot go further, and expect us to give them quarters: most decidedly not!' The fourth now spoke: 'The honourable Commander seems to be an honest man, but let him say what he will, there is no doubt that we must provide food for them, for truly they bring nothing with them.' The fifth then began: 'That is right, cousin Hopf: do you not remember how it fared with us when the Imperial cavalry came? they behaved in like manner; and afterwards we could not get rid of them, but were obliged to keep them with a good grace.' The sixth said: 'This will never do; we cannot provide them with quarters till we have received orders from our government, otherwise we shall be punished.' The seventh spoke thus: 'Did I not tell you, gentlemen, what would happen, by keeping these people so long outside? Truly the President, Herr Läufer, has made off, and slips his head out of the noose, leaving us to bear the brunt. Take heed; they say they will be off to-morrow, but they have been marching yesterday and to-day, and to-morrow they will make a day of rest, as they will need repose. Rest assured that I am right; what think you, gentlemen? suppose we were to send a messenger on horseback to Meiningen?'
"I had listened to all the discussions of the councillors, and now I began, and said: 'Gentlemen, you come to no conclusion; I will inform my Commander of it, let it fare with you as it may.' But he who had gone with me to the Lieutenant-Colonel, begged me to wait but a little, and they would just send to the treasurer and city clerk to confer with them. Here the strife began again, none would go thither. At last one of them allowed himself to be persuaded, but soon returned again, saying they had both ridden off when we hewed down the gates. Then I said, 'Now, gentlemen, do what you like; I will not wait a moment longer.'
"Thereupon the eighth and last began to speak, he who had accompanied me to the Lieutenant: 'Gentlemen, what shall we do; here they are, and you have heard what the Commander says: if we will allot them no quarters, he will let his soldiers go into whatsoever houses they please; if they fill your houses it is no fault of mine. I go home to close mine. As many as come to my share I will take; the others I will show to your houses. You have heard of to-day's misfortunes. At Smalkalden, friend Böhler's brother-in-law, Lieutenant Zimmermann, is dead; our gates have been hewn down; below are the soldiers thundering out curses. Gentlemen, let us billet them. The soldiers in the market-place say they only wish they had shot the peasants who were with the Lieutenant. What a calamity that would have been! They say also that more shall be shot; that one shall not be the last. Thus you see that the same misfortune might come upon us also. Ah! gentlemen, if we had but such a prince as he of Gotha is! but ours troubles himself not about us; he lives comfortably at Frankfort, and let what will come to us, he cares not. And who knows wherefore this has begun? These soldiers assuredly have not come for a pastime. One can learn nothing from them. And how soon one night will pass, or even two! They are our border neighbours too; why should we not give them a night's lodging?'
"They all agreed to this and sought for their old rate of tax; whereupon I had to tell them the whole strength of our division.
"After that, I received an order to enjoin upon the soldiers, when they received their billets, that they were not to undress themselves, but were each of them to place his weapon by his bedside, and soon as a call was heard, every soldier was instantly to join his commanding officer fully armed, and if any one was found in a state of drunkenness, he was to be punished by running the gauntlet of the whole division; therefore an order was to be given directly to the assistant executioner, to cut this very evening six hundred rods.
"None of the officers undressed themselves; for the most part they remained in company together, in order to be alert on the morrow. When morning approached, the citizens as well as the officers were listening for the beating of the drum. They also had probably passed an unquiet night; wherefore? because they were badly provided with beds, and had given them up perhaps to the soldiers for a douceur. This one might conclude, as in all the houses lights were to be seen throughout the night. In the morning, instead of the call from the staff of the grenadier guards, the reveille was beaten. Now, every soldier knows well, that beating the reveille signifies remaining quiet, or a day of rest; so we put our heads together to guess what this might mean. The citizens, also, when they saw that the soldiers did not break up, and prepare to march, laid their heads together likewise, and there was a great amount of whispering among them. My host, himself a councillor, came and asked me what was the meaning of our not marching further? I could give him no information.
"Now the misery began; there was only food for him who had brought bread. The citizens quarrelled with the soldiers, and asked why they had not marched away yesterday or early to-day, and whither we had intended to go? They told them the truth. It was such an uproar as is impossible to describe. The poor citizens who possessed no goods or houses, fled, and their dwellings were broken open by the soldiers, and one excess was committed after another.