Braving the elements in Poland, 1807 …

In the footsteps of Commander Alexandre Coudreux, through letters written to his brother. We follow the officer during his service in the year 1807 …

At bivouac near Steinberg, [on] 22 March 1807.

My dear friend,

Since my departure from Paris, I have not received a single letter from France. I have however written more than twenty, from Wesel, from Lüneburg, from Anklam, from Posen, from Warsaw, etc. It is true that I have changed corps three times in fifteen days and that our communications with France are often cut off due to the partisans.

We have left the enemy alone since the famous affair of Eylau; the army has moved closer to the Vistula. The Emperor is at Osterode, and we find ourselves at our bivouac and outposts, thirty leagues from Königsberg. We are fired upon every day, but on the other hand we are not short of food; and in this respect we are much better off than the army which is quartered, although the men [there] eat peas and potatoes instead of bread.

Up to this moment, my dear friend, I have been very fortunate: I have always been very well. I have braved the rigours of the season, the bivouac, the hunger, and my health is more robust than ever. On the other hand, my enemies are not particularly skilful, as I have suffered two holes in the collar of my greatcoat during the various affairs in which I have found myself.

The bulletins must have mentioned to you the battle of Prussia-Eylau (sic); I assure you that it was well worth reporting! That of Austerlitz was, it is said, only child’s play when compared with this one! Our corps ‘started the ball’ and fought alone until eleven o’clock in the morning, with more than 50,000 men. You can imagine how we have been treated [by the enemy]. The son of Madame de Caillemer was killed next to me.

At last, come what may, the fine weather is approaching, and we will be saved if we reach the month of May.

I do hope that we will come to grips with the Prussians, Russians and Cossacks, and that I will come back ‘with both my ears’ to recount to you one day all the exploits of III Corps.

Farewell. They are firing on the right bank of the Passarge (Pasłęka); they are beating the rally [call] and I am running to my company.

All yours, your devoted friend.

P.S. – Take care of my business. Visit Madame Callaud and inform me of your tidings. Here is my address: officer in the 15th Light Infantry Regiment, 2nd Division, 3rd Army Corps, at the Grande Armée.

***

Nagladen (sic, Naglady), 8 April 1807.

At last I receive a letter from France, dated 8 December of last year; it pleases me all the more because it is the only one that has reached me in five months.

For eight days we have been occupying miserable villages, where we drink water, and live on potatoes, carrots, kohlrabi, and oxen which we have butchered ourselves. They call them cantonments! But, after all, I am doing wonderfully well. I eat all day, I sleep on straw, and, in the country we occupy, that is all one should desire.

What a difference between this country and our beautiful France! The inhabitants are alike the soil! I have not seen a pretty woman since Warsaw. The Poles are in general disgustingly dirty, and their castles are not worth a single one of our charming country, on the banks of the Loire.

For two months, the two armies have been facing each other without there having been any noticeable action. It is even quiet at the outposts; for eight days I have not heard a cannon shot.

The return of the fine weather will undoubtedly bring about some great events; we are in a position to beat the Russians once again, and everyone desires a battle, for it is the only way to regain the road to Strasbourg.

Until we can drink a few glasses to the health of our exploits, always be so kind as to look after my affairs. The 4,500 francs that Callaud has given you are a great pleasure to me; I hope that what remains will have its return. I do not recommend you, my dear friend, to take care of these funds. I rely too much on your affection for me to take care of them.

Everyone, in general, is bored with staying so long in Prussia and wants peace to be concluded; unfortunately, it seems that there is no such prospect! The Russians are causing us trouble, but woe betide them if we beat them again! They will be sorry for all the hardships we have suffered since the beginning of the winter. These rascals are fighting like madmen and holding firm. However, they are brute beasts whose minds are unrefined and even more repulsive than their bodies, and who are really not capable of displaying the noble bearing that makes us such fine soldiers.

The notorious Cossacks, of whom so much was spoken of at first, are also miserable scoundrels who tremble before our bayonets when they are not drunk on schnapps; they will also be smashed to pieces. As for the Prussians, I don’t know where they are! I have not seen four regiments of them for four months. The remnants of their army are said to be in front of Danzig and Graudentz; it is said that we shall catch up with them soon. Until we have beaten all these blighters, I give you a heartfelt embrace and will always be,

Your best friend.

P.S. – Just now, my friend, I received your letter of 2 March; it reached me quite promptly, although it was addressed to Anklam, which we left on 20 November. Once again, you know better than we do what is going on in the army; nothing transpires and we only have knowledge of the movements of our division.

Farewell. Enjoy good health and prosperity. Embrace my sister, Emile and my little niece. My address: 3rd Corps, 2nd Division, at the Grande Armée.

Source : Lettres du commandant Coudreux à son frère (1804-1815), Librairie Plon, 1908, pp. 75-80.

More of Coudreux’s letters coming soon!