Diary of a Frenchman: A Soldiers Story

I had the pleasure of being invited to Sunday lunch by my proprietaire (landlord), an interesting french gentleman with an impressive collection of books - heirlooms passed down through many generations of family. One such treasure is the diary of a distant relative, exactly how they are related is somewhat ambiguous, probably the great uncle of his grandpére. His name was Pierre Maugin, and he was a Corporal in the 119th Regiment of the French Army when the diary begins in November, 1871. I begged Jean-Michel to read us a story, and listened as eagerly as a child would to Peter Pan being read to her at bedtime. His is a soldiers story, his words vividly bring to the fore a picture of hardship and sacrifice. I would like to share with you selections from the diary of Corporal Pierre Maugin, one entry at a time, over the next few weeks. First, allow me to set the scene. It is a very cold November in 1871. Napoleon III, (nephew of Napoleon I) has been captured by the Prussian Army, who have declared war on France and surrounded Paris. The french are starving, and their soldiers are freezing to death as they sleep. The french army is circling Paris, engaging in skirmishes with the Prussians, looking for inroads to regain control of the city. Complicating matters is a civil war brewing; "La Commune", in the heart of Paris. The french army must contend with the Prussians and a socialist revolution that is rapidly snowballing. From an entry dated December 29, 1871: "The bombshells were falling on us. We were tired and we were hungry. We were cold. We slept along a wall. Our clothes were frozen, some men froze to death during the night. We were departing Bobigny in the village of Gennevilliers. The houses were empty and people had deserted. So we occupied their houses and were less cold. We were on duty for 24 hours outside. It was not very warm and we couldn't make a fire. A couple of houses had burned down, only the walls remained. And even these had holes! At 2:00 in the morning someone came with a kettle of tea. This was truly comforting, and everyone came with their bottles." Note: Much thanks to Jean-Michel for allowing me to share this story, and to his lovely daughter Helen for translating it to english. Coming soon: The high price of rats in 1871!