Peter Henry Bruce - Memoirs of Peter Henry Bruce, Esq., a Military Officer in the Services of Prussia, Russia Great Britain, Containing an Account of His Travels in Germany, Russia, Tartary, Turkey, the West Indies Etc

RUSSIA THROUGH EUROPEAN EYES

No. 9

General Editor : Dr. A. G. CROSS, University of East Anglia

MEMOIRS

OF

PETER HENRY BRUCE, ESQ.

MEMOIRS

OF

PETER HENRY BRUCE, ESQ.

A MILITARY OFFICER

IN THE SERVICES OF

PRUSSIA, RUSSIA, & GREAT BRITAIN

CONTAINING

in

Germany, Russia, Tartary, Turkey, The West Indies, &c.

Several Very Interesting Private Anecdotes of

The Czar, Peter I. of Russia

CONTENTS.

O F

The authors descent. His grandfathers going into the Prussian service. John Bruces marriage and descendants, and the authors birth, &c. His entering intothe Prussian serviceLines on the battle of Ramillies.A remarkable story of the authors landlady. His first campaign. His second campaign. Defeat of the French. Siege of Lisle. A remarkable accident to prince Eugene. Captain Dubois.A sad accident to the enemys cavalry. Bon mot of the duke of Marlborough. Siege of Ghent. Third Campaign. Siege of Tournay. Battle of Malplaquet. Story of a Swiss recruit. Siege of Mons. Fourth campaign. Siege of Doway. Siege of Bethune. A sad misfortune to six Scotch officers. Sieges of Aire and St. Venants.Terrible story of the Jesuits at Tournay.

T HE following journal was originally written in the German, my native language; but as I have lately enjoyed the leisure of a country retirement, I have, in this year 1775, translated it into English (to me a foreign tongue), for the entertainment of my friends, and the information of my family, that they might know their connections in Germany, and the particulars of a life spent in war for a series of years in different parts of the globe.To begin then:

James Bruce and John Bruce, cousins and descendants of the family of Airth, in the county of Stirling, (a branch of the family of Clackmannan) in Scotland, formed a resolution, during the troubles of Oliver Cromwell, to leave their native country, in order to push their fortunes abroad; and, as there were some ships in the port of Leith ready to sail for the Baltic, they agreed to go together to that part of the world: but as there happened to be two of these ship-masters of the same name, by an odd mistake the cousins embarked in different vessels, the one bound to Prussia, the other to Russia, by which accident they never again saw each other.

John Bruce, my grandfather, landed at Konigsberg, in Prussia; from thence he went to Berlin, and entered into the service of the elector of Brandenburgh, and by degrees was advanced to the command of a regiment, which was the highest military preferment he ever obtained, notwithstanding the elector, in other respects, shewed him many favours: amongst the rest the following was no small instance of his regard. My grandfather one day attended the elector in hunting, when his highness, in the eager pursuit of the chace, entered a large wood, and was separated from all his attendants except my grandfather, who kept up with him. Night overtaking them in the wood, they were obliged to dismount, and les d their horses, when, after groping their way f or a considerable time in the dark, they at length perceived a light at a little distance, and upon their getting up to it, they found them selves at the miserable hut of a poor tar-burner, who lived a great way in the wood. Being informed by the poor inhabitant that they were a long way from any town, village, or other habitation, the prince, who by this time was both tired and hungry, asked him what he had got to eat ; upon which the poor man produced a loaf of coarse bread and a piece of cheese, of which the elector ate very heartily, and finished his meal with a draught of water, declaring he had never eat any thing with so good an appetite before. He then enquired how large that wood was, and was told that it bordered on Mecklenburgh Strelitz, and that it was of very great extent. Upon this my grandfather observed, that it was a pity such a large tract of land should lie useless, and if his highness would give him a grant of it, he would undertake to build a village in the middle of it, and another upon the spot where they then were. To this the elector agreed, and soon after confirmed his grant by an ample charter, with great privileges annexed thereto; and my grandfather, according to his engagement, built a village in the middle of the wood, which he called Brucenwold (or Bruce-Wood) ; and another a t the tar-burners hut, which he called Jetzkendorf, its ancient name; for a village of that name had formerly stood there, part of the ruins being then still visible. The elector slept upon some straw till day-break, when he was awakened by the noise of his other attendants, who had been in search of him all night; and on their arrival he departed for Berlin.