Joseph A. Wright to Count Bismarck, April 16, 1866

Mr. Wright to Count Bismarck.

The United States minister, Mr. Wright, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Baron Thile’s note of the 14th instant, in reference to the case of Simon Israel, an American citizen, at this time serving in the Prussian army at Stettin. He deems it his imperative duty to immediately call the attention of his Majesty’s government to a reconsideration, as it is most manifest the real condition and facts, as applicable to Mr. Israel’s case, are misapprehended.

The brother of said Israel and others have informed the undersigned that Simon Israel went to America in the spring of 1853, and did not return to Prussia in the year 1862, but in the fall of 1863, and consequently was absent from Prussia over ten years. The undersigned has received the following information in relation to the treatment, condition, and health of Mr. Israel from the United States consul at Stettin.

These are principally the statements of the said Israel, yet the consul has been acquainted with the individual from the time he entered the army till the present time.

I consider it to be my duty to give his Majesty’s government the information thus communicated. The consul says: “Pitiful as was his first tale of how he had been dragged away from his relatives, to whom he was on a visit, after an absence of more than ten years in the United States, the treatment he received in the regiment nearly drove the tears into my eyes. It is now over two years that he has been held in compulsory service, and he has thereby been made a cripple perhaps for the whole of his life, having been compelled to exercise which his body could not endure. By some gymnastical evolutions and jumping feats both of his loins were dislodged in some way, and he now wears a truss or bandage all around his body to prevent their swelling. First, he says the jumping caused him pain in one side, when he complained, but was answered by the instructing officer that he must ‘jump or go to hell.’ Continuing to complain, however, he was examined by the surgeon and a truss applied to the side injured. Then he had to take up the evolutions again, and was kept at jumping until the other side got hurt in like way, and he now wears the bandages above stated. Being now pronounced unable to drill any longer, any other man, he says, would have been mustered out and allowed a pension, but when he asked for his release he was answered that he must serve the whole time (namely, three years) as a punishment for having gone to America to evade the military service. He was seventeen when he left for America. His situation was such he could not drill, and he was ordered to learn tailoring so as to mend the company’s clothing. Unused to this kind of work, at which he was kept constantly for several months, his eyesight became impaired and he was placed in the hospital, where he was treated for nine weeks, the physicians expressing fears that he would lose the use of his eyes altogether. He has now been out of the hospital seven weeks, but says his eyes are so weak that he can scarcely read. Notwithstanding his limbs disable him from drilling and exercising, and his eyesight does not allow him to work at tailoring, he is still kept in a soldier’s garb and his name is retained on the roll, and is subjected to all the rules of the military service and barracks, and the rest of the time he is permitted to run about the streets doing nothing. Such is the sad statement of his case, and which I have no reason to disbelieve. I looked at his limbs and eyes and saw plainly how they had been affected and weakened since he called on me in 1864.”

From the above statement of his condition, in fact upon that stated as to his health by the minister of war, it is most difficult to imagine what service this unfortunate man can render the Prussian army.

The undersigned cannot for a moment doubt that upon a reconsideration of this case his Majesty’s government will at once restore him to his adopted country, friends, and business, thus giving additional evidence of the earnest desire of his Majesty’s government to strengthen the long-cherished friendship and good will which have so happily existed between the government, of Prussia and the United States.

In submitting this case I beg you, dear count, to receive the renewed assurance of my distinguished consideration.