The Poor Man of Toggenburg - Autobiography of Ulrich Bräker

When first reading Bräker's account of his escape, I was surprised at the lenient treatment he and other foreign deserters received, considering that they had deserted from the winning side to the losing one. Perhaps the Imperial troops did not consider themselves the losers, since their retreat had been partly a planned one. The soldiers to whom Bräker surrendered spoke German, and so were probably Austrians (Thalheim and Böning endorse this), but the Pandurs to whom he was passed on were unintelligible to him, though not unfriendly. They may have been Croats, or possibly Hungarians, possibly from even further east. (Böning [biog. p 62] says they were from southern Hungary.) Perhaps this lack of a common language explains why no attempt was made to recruit Bräker, or the other foreign deserters from the Prussian army, to serve the Imperial cause. Perhaps they did make him an offer and he refused. Most likely the expense of re-equipping, feeding and retraining foreign deserters was simply too great to be worth while; it was safer and easier just to repatriate them.

On the 5th of October we set out at last on our true journey homeward. It was already evening when we tramped out of Prague. Our way soon led us over some high ground, from which we had an incomparable prospect over the whole of the beautiful royal city of Prague. The lovely sunlight gilded its countless lead-covered spires so that it was a delight to behold. For a while we halted there to enjoy this wonderful sight, sharing with one another in conversation the many different feelings it aroused. Some regretted the fate of this splendid place if it should be bombarded, others would have liked to be there at least while the looting was going on. I could hardly get my fill of gazing at it; yet my only desire was to go home to my family and Anneli.

We went on as far as Schibrack and on the 6th to Pilsen. There our landlord had a daughter, the most beautiful girl I ever saw in my life. My lord Bachmann wanted to pay court to her, and almost entirely for her sake we rested there for the day. But the landlord gave him to understand that his child was not like the women of Berlin! From the 8th to the 12th we went through Stab, Lensch, Kätz and Kien to Regenspurg, where we rested for the second time. Until then we had made only short stages, two to three leagues

a day, but our expenses had been all the higher. My ducat's journey-money had become thin as a leaf, other than this I had not so much as a farthing in my purse, and so I was obliged to beg in the villages. There I often received both pockets full of bread, but never so much as a farthing in ready money. Bachmann, on the other hand, having some of his money left over, went into the taverns and treated himself well; though he would come with me to some of the noblemen's houses, parsonages or monasteries. There we often had to stand for half an hour at a time, telling the gentlefolk all that had passed; Bachmann in particular often found this very vexatious, especially when there came his way, in exchange for the story of a whole battle (in which he had not taken part), only a few pence. He always gave out that he had been at Lobositz, and I had to assist him in polishing this lie, and for this, during the whole of our journey, he never so much as treated me to a single jug of beer. In the monasteries, however, there was soup, often meat as well. In Regensburg, or rather at the Bavarian Arms, our party split up. Bachmann and I received there a passport for Switzerland. The others, namely a Bavarian, two Swabians and a Frenchman, of whom I can say no more than that they were all four fine fellows, and much superior to boors like ourselves, took each his own way.