Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 43

[cahn]

Still going! Still clearing Fritz's valet/chamberlain Fredersdorf's name from the calumny enshrined in wikipedia that he was dismissed for financial irregularities!

Comments

Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 15

[mildred_of_midgard]

Last Leining letter!

Monsieur, et tres cher compere!

Ich hoffe daß mein letztes Schreiben von 8§ dieses werde an-
gekommen seyn. Zü gegenwärtigem ver[an]laßet mich meine
gegen mon cher compere hegende aüfrichtige freündschaft, ünd
nach derselben kann ich ihnen nicht verhehlen, daß mir vo[n]
güter hand aus Potsdam gemeldet wurde, daß der He[rr] von
A[ss]eburg bey seinem letzen daßigen gantz kürtzen Aüffenthalt
von Ihnen mit gantz aüsnehmenden höflichkeiten beehret wur-
den, ünd ünter andren aüch in dem Wagen nach Haüse ge-
fahren worden. Ich glaübe daß derselbe Ihnen so wie vielen
andern ehrlichen Leüten viel Windbeuteleien wird vorgesagt
haben, ich zweifele aber aüch nicht, daß die nunmehro [eines]
andern uberz[e]ugt seyn und wißen werden, was fur eine
niederträchtigte Rolle dieser Herr bey der letzten Bataille gespielet.
W[ir]d es dahero nicht nöthig sein, daß Sie Ihnen Wag[en] aüf
alle nür möglich [Ar?]t [r]einigen ünd aüs[r]aüchern laßen, da-
mit selbigen von der Poltronnerie, wovon ich ihn gantz inficirt
zü seyn glaübe, gesaübert werde? Den Spaß bey Seite gesetzt,
müß ich Ihnen melden, daß gedachten Asseburg in der letzten
Schlacht bey [P?]lanian seinen Posten verlassen, sich ünter de[m]
Vorgeben, daß er blessiret, hinter den Bagage versticket, ünd nicht
eher wieder züm Vorschein gekommen, bis Gefahr völlig [vor]
über war. Diese schändliche Aufführüng hat dem Könige nicht
verborgen bleiben können, und Sr. May§. haben ihn, ob er wohl
eine härtere Bestrafüng verdient, von der Armee weggejagt.
Ich hätte gewünscht, daß ich mon cher compere von diesem Um-
stand eher hätte benachrichtigen können. Ich bin versichert, daß
Sie ihn nicht wurden haben uber Ihre Thür-Schwelle treten
noch weniger ihn in der Wagen zü Haüse bringen laßen.
Ich empfele mich zü beharrlicher freündschaft, ünd verbliebe mit
der aüfrichtigsten Hochachtüng,

Monsieur et tres-cher compere,
Votre tres humble et
fidele Serviteur
Leining

Haüpt-Qüart. zü Leitmeritz
der 15te Julii 1757

Notes: "Aüffenthalt" is (sic), he really does spell it with two 'f's.

This is an interesting letter! I'll leave the translation to Selena, but to summarize my reading of it: Leining has heard that Fredersdorf has received a Herr von Asseburg recently, and had him driven home in his (Fredersdorf's) carriage. Leining says he's sure Fredersdorf, like many honest people, have been deceived by this guy's windbaggery, but that the truth will out and everyone will know what a despicable role he played in the last battle. I think he's saying Fredersdorf might have to have his carriage cleaned and purified with smoke to cleanse it of the cowardice with which Leining thinks this guy is infected. All joking aside, Leining says, he has to report that in the last battle, Asseburg hid with the baggage under the pretext that he was wounded, and didn't come out again until the danger was over. Fritz found out and kicked him out of the army, although he deserved a worse punishment.

"Really wish I could have told you this sooner," says Leining, "because I know you would never have let him cross your doorstep, much less given him a ride home in your carriage. Sincerest friendship, etc."

Meanwhile, in the Academy, Formey: "Peter went to England because of reasons!!"

Off to finish up letter 5! This correspondence has been a treasure trove of information, as well as good training for those of us who have stacks of papers we want to read in the future.

Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 15 - Translation

[selenak]

And the translator uses the last part of the flight to finish the Leining letters as well:

Monsieur et tres cher compere!

I hope my last letter from the 8th has arrived by now. The current one is caused by the sincere friendship I feel for mon cher compere, and I cannot hide from you that I was told from a reliable Potsdam source that Herr von Asseburg has been treated by you with the most extraordinary courtesy during his last very brief stay, including his being driven home by carriage. I believe that he has pulled wool over your ear as he did with many another honest people, but I also don’t doubt that everyone by now knows better and is aware of the indecent role this gentleman has played during the last battle. Won’t it therefore be necessary to clean up your carriage in all possible ways and have it purified by smoke so all the stench of chicken which I believe to cling to him will be gone away? All joking aside, I have to inform you that the said Asseburg left his post in the recent battle near (P)anian, has hid behind the baggage train under the pretense of being wounded, and hasn’t shown up again until all the danger was over. This shameful behaviour has not been hidden to the King, and HIs Majesty has kicked him out of the army, though he surely has deserved an even harsher punishment. I only wish I could have told mon cher compere about this circumstance sooner. I am sure that you wouldn’t have let him cross your doorstep then, let alone let him being driven home by your carriage. I reccomend myself in steady friendship, and remain in the most sincere respect,
Monsieur et tres-cher compere, etc.

I have no idea who Herr von Asseburg is; if he made it into Henckel von Donnersmarck‘s diary, I don‘t remember. But I think someone is just a bit jealous, not just miffed because Asseburg is undeserving. Anyway, all these letters come across as vivid and personal, bureaucratic matters and Rokoko German not withstanding, and I‘m still full of excitement we found this treasure.


Meanwhile, in the Academy, Formey: "Peter went to England because of reasons!!"

:)

Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 15 - Translation

[mildred_of_midgard]

I have no idea who Herr von Asseburg is; if he made it into Henckel von Donnersmarck‘s diary, I don‘t remember.

Yeah, I had searched for Asseburg through salon history, and all I found was a Rittmeister von Asseburg and a Major Asseburg. Because the royal detective was on hiatus, I couldn't research whether they might be the same person.

Rittmeister was Christoph Werner von Asseburg, he's still alive in 1757.

Wait! The royal detective is easily distracted (that's how being a detective works). Separate post coming, I might come back to Herr von Asseburg later. For now, he is second priority, and you will soon see why.

Anyway, all these letters come across as vivid and personal, bureaucratic matters and Rokoko German not withstanding, and I‘m still full of excitement we found this treasure.

SAME. Same, same, same!!! Thank you (and felis) for your collaboration in rendering these comprehensible.

Various Katte findings

[mildred_of_midgard]

Asseburg: There's a Johann Ludwig von Asseburg, who is probably the Major in the Gens d'armes that Nicolai refers to, for the Sachsen-Anhalt archive has:

- Schreiben des Johann Ludwig von der Asseburg an Hans Hermann von Katte d. Ä., 1730
- Anzeige des Tods des Hans Hermann von Katte d. J. durch Hans Hermann von Katte d. Ä. an Johann Ludwig von der Asseburg, 1730-1914

Did I mention I found facsimiles of Katte's last letters tonight? Not the Puncta, but the letters to FW, Grandpa Wartensleben, his father, and Grumbkow. And the one to his father contains the last requests that include "please make sure my younger brother gets a good theological education at Halle" that selenak found a reference to in Hans Heinrich's letter and that prinzsorgenfrei and I were just chatting about in email 2 days ago! Prinzsorgenfrei wrote, "It would also be interesting to know if Hans Hermann's original letter to the family survived somewhere since the last letter we know from different publications doesn't include the line about Albrecht or the line about asking his father to pay his debts "so nobody will sigh about him".

I haven't seen the debts mentioned, but as I said to Prinzsorgenfrei, I haven't had time to do a careful transcription yet, and my sight-reading of Kurrent is not great (although whoever wrote these documents has lovely handwriting, which is why I'm able to do any sight-reading at all).

It looks like this letter was dictated in the 3rd person as bullet points (I assume to Pastor Müller), and there's also a sermon that I think Katte wants preached to the Gens d'armes after his death. I don't remember if we ran into this; I do remember that he had a sermon (probably a similar one) that he wanted preached to the garrison church in Küstrin, and Pastor Müller asked FW if it was okay, and FW vetoed it. The one that was meant for the Gens d'armes is ringing a faint bell, but I could be just conflating the two.

[ETA: I am transcribing it, and it looks like Katte specifically asked Müller to give the sermon to the Gens d'Armes, which reminds me that Müller was the preacher in Berlin, not in Küstrin (that was Besser). Right. So this is one and the same sermon, and thus I think Selena's speculation that Katte meant to smuggle out a message to Fritz in Küstrin was the result of confusion. Also, this has to be Müller taking dictation; he writes, "that I, on my return to Berlin, in the first sermon to the Gens d'Armes regiment..."]

Oh, hey, there's a "Gesuche der verwitweten Frau Generalfeldmarschall Gräfin von Katte, geborene von Bredow, in Sachen der Erbschaft ihrer Söhne." 1748-1752. I wonder if it has more details on the fraternal duel! Or the marriage to Lehndorff's one who got away! *adds to wishlist*

Huh, so in 1733, FW is writing to Hans Heinrich's brother, in his capacity as chamber president at Magdeburg, concerning an estate purchased for Prince August Ferdinand, who I might remind you is 3 years old right now.

Okay, if I can ever stop getting sidetracked by Keiths and Kattes, I might go back to looking up this Asseburg guy. Posting what I have for now.

Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 15 - Translation

[cahn]

But I think someone is just a bit jealous, not just miffed because Asseburg is undeserving.

Ha! My takes-things-at-face-value self did not realize that, though it makes perfect sense :)

Won’t it therefore be necessary to clean up your carriage in all possible ways and have it purified by smoke so all the stench of chicken which I believe to cling to him will be gone away?

Lol! Does "chicken" have the connotation of coward at all? (which it does in English)

Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 15 - Translation

[mildred_of_midgard]

Quick note on my phone: chicken is Selena's loose translation, which btw I love because of course chicken has a smell! The original is Poltronnerie (which of course means cowardice).

Re: Leining to Fredersdorf: Letter 15 - Translation

[cahn]

ahahaha that's awesome!