No. 176.
Baron Gerolt to Mr. Fish.
Legation of the North German
Union,
Washington, August 26, 1870. (Received August
26.)
Sir: I have the honor to present to you the
inclosed copy of a telegram just received from the secretary of state at
Berlin, referring to a
[Page 222]
former
telegram, a copy of which is also inclosed, and which has been published
in the American newspapers.
I have the honor to be, with the highest consideration, your obedient
servant,
Hon. Hamilton Fish,
Secretary of State of the United States, Washington, D. C.
[Telegram.—Received at Washington 1.40
p. m., August 26, 1870.]
Mr. Von Thiele to Baron Gerolt.
Minister of North German Union,
Washington, D. C.:
The incident mentioned in telegram of 22d has recurred twice since.
Captain Rochow, sent by General Alvensleben to Toul with a flag of
truce, has been received with shots, and a trumpeter accompanying
another flag of truce has been killed. You will lodge a protest with
the United States Government against these repeated violations of
international law, and declare that we shall be henceforth in the
impossibility of sending flags of truce to a nation whose soldiers
have lost in Africa, China, and Mexico all recollections of usages
of civilized warfare.
[Telegram.—Received at Washington
August 22, 1870.]
Mr. Von Thiele to Baron Gerolt.
North German Legation at Washington:
The bearer of a flag of truce, carrying a white flag, accompanied by
a trumpeter sounding his trumpet, who, at a slow pace, approached
the French outposts, to deliver messages from French surgeons in
behalf of wounded Frenchmen, on the 19th of this month, has been
fired at by all the French patrols he met, so that he was obliged to
return after his trumpeter had been severely wounded. We solemnly
protest against this breach of international law.
