So I realized I hadn't made the translation of Katte's first interrogation protocol that Mildred had asked me for a post or two ago yet. Here it is. Bear in mind: Katte was threatened by torture if he didn't confess all, and of course he knew the punishment for desertion under FW if this was what it was judged to be and wanted to live, so with that caveat, here's what he said happened:
"It has been probably now a year ago that his highness did for the first time honor me with conversation, and did so repeatedly during the Parade and the parole giving. (...) In Cosdorf, his highness the Crown Prince had me called just after his arrival and told me I should go recruiting-" guys, I am a bit lost, "auf Werbung gehen" could mean going to woo, or going to recruit, or going to advertise, but I'm going with "recruit because when in doubt, assume a military context in Prussia - and then I should do him a favor, which he believed I wouldn't refuse him. Whereupon I replied to him that I had already registered regarding the recruitment, but as for the other, his highness had only to order, if it was within my power and I could do it, he only needed to order and I would be ready to do anything.'I do believe it of you,' he returned.
Sidenote: Fritz here as quoted by Katte uses the most formal personal address from a higher ranking to a lower ranking person, calling Katte "Er" - the literal translation would have been "I do believe it of Him". This is true for the entire document, which never once has him use the more familiar versions of "you". (No "Sie" or "Ihr", and most definitely no "Du".) Continuing with Fritz as quoted by Katte:
"'In the camp I want to talk further with you about this, just come this evening, when I'm returning from the King.' Whereupon he left me and went to dine with his highness. Here I must remind you that before I even knew I'd join the trip to Saxony, his highness the Crown Prince had told me that he wanted to pay a debt to someone he was owing something to, without, however, mentioning who that person was, and had asked me whether I could get him some money. Whereupon I promised to do all I could, and did sent him 1000 Reichstaler, which the Chamberlain Montolieu had lend to me, to Potsdam through his page. The page had met me at Zehlendorf and I had given him the money sealed in a box so he wouldn't know what was inside. (The Prince) duly received this, and wrote to me the next day through one of his servants demanding that I should get him more money after the Saxon journey, which the preserved letter will prove. When his royal highness withdrew for the night at Cosdorf, he told me, oh my God, I can't stand it anymore, my father treats me so harshly, he is always so lacking all mercy towards me, I don't know anymore what I should do.
I was surprised that he thought of this only now, and said he shouldn't be so impatient, besides, one shouldn't be alarmed by what a father said, he should just sleep over it, tomorrow everything would look different, whereupon he said good night to me and fell asleep. Some days later, three or four days after the arrival at the camp, his highness called me one evening and told me he had decided to leave, and I needed to help him in this enterprise.
I then told him that I couldn't believe him to be serious about it, and so I didn't know what to reply. But when he assured me that it was not a joke at all, that he was entirely serious, I couldn't other but tell him that I was very surprised by such thoughts, he should consider what he was planning. Leaving all other considerations aside, this would be a matter not only very difficult to do but something which the entire world would blame him for. I hoped and believed he would change his mind. (...)
The next day, his highness asked me during the exercises why I didn't believe the matter could be accomplished ; once he had horses and a headstart of several hours, he thought that he would not only be able to make a clean getaway but not to be overtaken by anyone. I replied to him that I did believe all this, but that there was the difficulty of getting horses in the first place, and then it would be important to know what plans he had, where he wanted to go to, that wanting to do something wasn't enough but that in order to be sure of a happy ending one needed to know whether the place one had chosen to be one's retreat would be capable of offering safe and sound sanctuary, and as long as he didn't give me any details in this regard, I was bound to see all his designs as empty projects, something he would like to do but would never accomplish.
When he then named France as the place of his refuge to me and assured me intently that he would be accepted with joy there, and that he would not only be offered safety but as much money as he wanted to have. I asked him to tell me on which basis he made this claim, what kind of assurances he had received and how, and discovered it was only based on assumptions because the two courts, the Prussian and the French court, were not having a good relationship right now and thus he would inevitably have credit there. (...)
I did everything in the world to decline this commission, and pointed out what the Duke if he learned of the entire affair would think of the matter, and what kind of opinion he'd hold if he found that one wanted to take his domestic servants away, especially at a time when he needed them. (...) Without furthering his highness the Prince's longing in the slightest and without making the least suggestion, I did reply to his highness that I didn't believe we'd get far with this man who as I noticed was very attached to his lord. The Prince wasn't satisfied with this and told me I should look for him again and investigate whether he couldn't be persuaded, but without talking to the page I brought again the reply that one couldn't do anything with him, that he didn't want to leave his lord, since he'd been raised in the household of the princess his sister. This his highness applauded and said that he hadn't believed this man had it in him, and now had an even higher opinion of him and wanted to have with him all the more. One afternoon, his highness the Crown Prince returned in a very bad mood from his majesty and gave the order to call me as soon as he'd entered his tent. (...)
Meanwhile the prince had called me and said that he couldn't bear it any longer, there had to be evil people who sought to put him in a bad light with his majesty. At just this day, he'd been mortified by the later; among other things, his majesty had told him that he was a coward, that he didn't have heart, and more things like that; he wanted to prove the opposite was true, and when his majesty would see that he was capable of pulling such an enterprise off, then (his majesty) would love him, and would be merciful again. He had no other design to escape his majesty's view but that he didn't want to irritate the later by his presence anymore, and no one should keep him from doing this anymore, I should and must help him, I had to promise him this.
As I didn't want to do this, I now seriously pointed out to him in how tricky and difficult circumstances he'd throw himself, how much he would irritate his majesty the king and sadden her majesty the queen, and moreover, that he didn't know yet where to go to. (...) Meanwhile, I begged him to temper his energy and to await the courier he'd mentioned to me, whereupon he revealed to me that this courier was secretary Guy Dickens, who after his return wanted to bring him definite news as to whether he should come to England or not. He wanted to talk to Count Hoym as well about a journey I should make to Leipzig incognito, which happened the next day in the pavillon, when his highness the prince came to me and told me that he'd talked to the count, it would work out, I should just go to him. However, I'd earlier gone to him already and had asked him that if his highness the crown prince would talk a journey I was to make to Leipzig, he should make as many difficulties as he possibly could. Which I asked for a second time when I approached him at the orders of the prince, with the argument that for various reasons I didn't want to make this journey, nor could I, and couldn't explain this to him any further. He promised me to do this and wanted to indicate to the prince that it wasn't so easy as he imagined it would be, and further say that when one imagined such projects one thought them easy, but when they were to be executed there were not only obstacles one hadn't considered but on most occasions, they were never accomplished at all, which was for the best, especially if they were of a kind to cause more damage and distress than use.
I told the Prince that I'd found much more difficulties with Count Hoym than I had expected to, so it couldn't happen that quickly, and if he could just talk to him himself, he'd find out the truth. Then he gave me the key to his box, I should go to his tent and take his things along with the money which I would find. Instead of doing so, I remained down there at the Pavillon until the exercises were over, and then I made myself known again and said that I couldn't succeed since I had met his servants at the tent and they had stopped me, which I accepted. (...)
He then asked me whether Count Hoym had talked to me about this, and I said yes, he'd indicated to me that his highness had many supervisors. I should ride to him straight away, he said, and ask the Count to reveal who the supervisors were and in which way they were keeping an eye on him. IN order to get away I promised to do this, but instead of going to Count Hoym, I remained in the camp with Colonel Katte - this would be his cousin, who'd later forward the letter to FW - until 8 pm, when I returned to headquarters, with some officers who'd been expecting me there in order to ride to Riesa. Meanwhile, his highness was riding away from his majesty and immediately asked me what answer Count Hoym had given. When I told him that I hadn't met the Count and that his people hadn't known where he was, his highness seemed to be displeased and said that I probably hadn't been there. When I assured him of the contrary, he pretended to believe me, and said nothing further than this, that it was my fault that he didn't get away, that he had had the best opportunity here, but that he didn't know yet whether he wouldn't dare it anyway since it was impossible for him to endure the way he was treated any longer. (...)
Katte - Species Facti 1
"It has been probably now a year ago that his highness did for the first time honor me with conversation, and did so repeatedly during the Parade and the parole giving. (...)
In Cosdorf, his highness the Crown Prince had me called just after his arrival and told me I should go recruiting-" guys, I am a bit lost, "auf Werbung gehen" could mean going to woo, or going to recruit, or going to advertise, but I'm going with "recruit because when in doubt, assume a military context in Prussia - and then I should do him a favor, which he believed I wouldn't refuse him. Whereupon I replied to him that I had already registered regarding the recruitment, but as for the other, his highness had only to order, if it was within my power and I could do it, he only needed to order and I would be ready to do anything.'I do believe it of you,' he returned.
Sidenote: Fritz here as quoted by Katte uses the most formal personal address from a higher ranking to a lower ranking person, calling Katte "Er" - the literal translation would have been "I do believe it of Him". This is true for the entire document, which never once has him use the more familiar versions of "you". (No "Sie" or "Ihr", and most definitely no "Du".) Continuing with Fritz as quoted by Katte:
"'In the camp I want to talk further with you about this, just come this evening, when I'm returning from the King.' Whereupon he left me and went to dine with his highness. Here I must remind you that before I even knew I'd join the trip to Saxony, his highness the Crown Prince had told me that he wanted to pay a debt to someone he was owing something to, without, however, mentioning who that person was, and had asked me whether I could get him some money. Whereupon I promised to do all I could, and did sent him 1000 Reichstaler, which the Chamberlain Montolieu had lend to me, to Potsdam through his page. The page had met me at Zehlendorf and I had given him the money sealed in a box so he wouldn't know what was inside. (The Prince) duly received this, and wrote to me the next day through one of his servants demanding that I should get him more money after the Saxon journey, which the preserved letter will prove. When his royal highness withdrew for the night at Cosdorf, he told me, oh my God, I can't stand it anymore, my father treats me so harshly, he is always so lacking all mercy towards me, I don't know anymore what I should do.
I was surprised that he thought of this only now, and said he shouldn't be so impatient, besides, one shouldn't be alarmed by what a father said, he should just sleep over it, tomorrow everything would look different, whereupon he said good night to me and fell asleep. Some days later, three or four days after the arrival at the camp, his highness called me one evening and told me he had decided to leave, and I needed to help him in this enterprise.
I then told him that I couldn't believe him to be serious about it, and so I didn't know what to reply. But when he assured me that it was not a joke at all, that he was entirely serious, I couldn't other but tell him that I was very surprised by such thoughts, he should consider what he was planning. Leaving all other considerations aside, this would be a matter not only very difficult to do but something which the entire world would blame him for. I hoped and believed he would change his mind. (...)
The next day, his highness asked me during the exercises why I didn't believe the matter could be accomplished ; once he had horses and a headstart of several hours, he thought that he would not only be able to make a clean getaway but not to be overtaken by anyone. I replied to him that I did believe all this, but that there was the difficulty of getting horses in the first place, and then it would be important to know what plans he had, where he wanted to go to, that wanting to do something wasn't enough but that in order to be sure of a happy ending one needed to know whether the place one had chosen to be one's retreat would be capable of offering safe and sound sanctuary, and as long as he didn't give me any details in this regard, I was bound to see all his designs as empty projects, something he would like to do but would never accomplish.
When he then named France as the place of his refuge to me and assured me intently that he would be accepted with joy there, and that he would not only be offered safety but as much money as he wanted to have. I asked him to tell me on which basis he made this claim, what kind of assurances he had received and how, and discovered it was only based on assumptions because the two courts, the Prussian and the French court, were not having a good relationship right now and thus he would inevitably have credit there. (...)
I did everything in the world to decline this commission, and pointed out what the Duke if he learned of the entire affair would think of the matter, and what kind of opinion he'd hold if he found that one wanted to take his domestic servants away, especially at a time when he needed them. (...) Without furthering his highness the Prince's longing in the slightest and without making the least suggestion, I did reply to his highness that I didn't believe we'd get far with this man who as I noticed was very attached to his lord. The Prince wasn't satisfied with this and told me I should look for him again and investigate whether he couldn't be persuaded, but without talking to the page I brought again the reply that one couldn't do anything with him, that he didn't want to leave his lord, since he'd been raised in the household of the princess his sister. This his highness applauded and said that he hadn't believed this man had it in him, and now had an even higher opinion of him and wanted to have with him all the more. One afternoon, his highness the Crown Prince returned in a very bad mood from his majesty and gave the order to call me as soon as he'd entered his tent. (...)
Meanwhile the prince had called me and said that he couldn't bear it any longer, there had to be evil people who sought to put him in a bad light with his majesty. At just this day, he'd been mortified by the later; among other things, his majesty had told him that he was a coward, that he didn't have heart, and more things like that; he wanted to prove the opposite was true, and when his majesty would see that he was capable of pulling such an enterprise off, then (his majesty) would love him, and would be merciful again. He had no other design to escape his majesty's view but that he didn't want to irritate the later by his presence anymore, and no one should keep him from doing this anymore, I should and must help him, I had to promise him this.
As I didn't want to do this, I now seriously pointed out to him in how tricky and difficult circumstances he'd throw himself, how much he would irritate his majesty the king and sadden her majesty the queen, and moreover, that he didn't know yet where to go to. (...) Meanwhile, I begged him to temper his energy and to await the courier he'd mentioned to me, whereupon he revealed to me that this courier was secretary Guy Dickens, who after his return wanted to bring him definite news as to whether he should come to England or not. He wanted to talk to Count Hoym as well about a journey I should make to Leipzig incognito, which happened the next day in the pavillon, when his highness the prince came to me and told me that he'd talked to the count, it would work out, I should just go to him. However, I'd earlier gone to him already and had asked him that if his highness the crown prince would talk a journey I was to make to Leipzig, he should make as many difficulties as he possibly could. Which I asked for a second time when I approached him at the orders of the prince, with the argument that for various reasons I didn't want to make this journey, nor could I, and couldn't explain this to him any further. He promised me to do this and wanted to indicate to the prince that it wasn't so easy as he imagined it would be, and further say that when one imagined such projects one thought them easy, but when they were to be executed there were not only obstacles one hadn't considered but on most occasions, they were never accomplished at all, which was for the best, especially if they were of a kind to cause more damage and distress than use.
I told the Prince that I'd found much more difficulties with Count Hoym than I had expected to, so it couldn't happen that quickly, and if he could just talk to him himself, he'd find out the truth. Then he gave me the key to his box, I should go to his tent and take his things along with the money which I would find. Instead of doing so, I remained down there at the Pavillon until the exercises were over, and then I made myself known again and said that I couldn't succeed since I had met his servants at the tent and they had stopped me, which I accepted. (...)
He then asked me whether Count Hoym had talked to me about this, and I said yes, he'd indicated to me that his highness had many supervisors. I should ride to him straight away, he said, and ask the Count to reveal who the supervisors were and in which way they were keeping an eye on him. IN order to get away I promised to do this, but instead of going to Count Hoym, I remained in the camp with Colonel Katte - this would be his cousin, who'd later forward the letter to FW - until 8 pm, when I returned to headquarters, with some officers who'd been expecting me there in order to ride to Riesa. Meanwhile, his highness was riding away from his majesty and immediately asked me what answer Count Hoym had given. When I told him that I hadn't met the Count and that his people hadn't known where he was, his highness seemed to be displeased and said that I probably hadn't been there. When I assured him of the contrary, he pretended to believe me, and said nothing further than this, that it was my fault that he didn't get away, that he had had the best opportunity here, but that he didn't know yet whether he wouldn't dare it anyway since it was impossible for him to endure the way he was treated any longer. (...)