Full resolution (TIFF) - On this page / på denna sida - XIII. Reign of Charles XII, 1697–1718 - E. War with Russia Continued
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232 A History of Sweden
So perished the army which at one time ranked first
in the world. Among those who died in captivity were
Count Piper and General Lewenhaupt.
For the officers who knew some handicraft the cap-
tivity was the most tolerable. Some earned their bread
as saddlers, some as blacksmiths, others as carpenters
or turners. Those who knew no trade were most un-
fortunate. Some were sent to St. Petersburg to work
on buildings and fortifications, others to the Ural
mines.
One officer writes in his diary "Our captivity was
a severe school of correction, in which we had painful
lessons to learn. I admit that I had never prayed to
my God so faithfully, so earnestly, so reverently as
during our miserable captivity. It taught us emphat-
ically to turn for refuge to the Lord and seek help and
comfort in our distress."
The greatest force among the Swedes in Moscow was
Count Piper. He became a fatherly helper for the un-
fortunates who with him languished in this thralldom.
He wrote often to his wife and asked her to cash checks
which He had issued to the destitute. As self-sacrificing
as he was to the poor sufferers, so unafraid was he
before his oppressors.
Not until 1721, when peace was concluded, the hour
of freedom struck for the surviving Swedes in Russia.
Everywhere in Russia where Swedes were found
thanksgiving services were held. In the Siberian city
of Tobolsk the sermon was preached on the text : "Be
thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown
of life."
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