Diary of a Frenchman: A Soldiers Story

In honor of Memorial Day I thought it fitting to take a look inside the life of a soldier, an ordinary man making extraordinary sacrifice for his country. The year is 1871. France is mired in war with the Prussian Army, who have invaded the Republic and surrounded Paris. Napoleon III has been captured and is a Prisoner of War. Meanwhile, a new revolution is brewing, "La Commune". The French Army has it's hands full battling both the Prussians, and pockets of French revolutionaries. From the diary of Corporal Pierre Maugin, 119th Regiment dated from May 6th, 1871: "We are guarding the marine battery (shells of 24) and mortars. We are camped in front of a watermill but there is no water, so we were forced to get water to the mills. Near the fort Mt. Valerien near the village of Nanterre." May 9th: "I went to the company 3rd Divison Armée, 2nd Brigade, in Courbevois. We will go to Paris to dig trenches tomorrow." May 22nd: "In front of the barricades and Clichy le Garenne we have dug our trenches to push them (the Prussians) more easily. We are near them, and they cannot hold their position. They are very tired." May 24th: "We took the Butte Monmarte. We were sweating it out, and we had to do it twice to succeed. The third time we climbed with the bayonets, and it was a real massacre. The bodies were piling up. This hill was their fort. Once we took this position, the fort became ours. Soon we would climb the barricades, and we went so fast that they had no time to respond. They fled rapidly, and we were at the corner of the street with machine guns, and when they ran past we shot them in their backs, which caused them to flee faster. Often they couldn't flee, and some of them had to escape their barricades without firing their cannons. And they put fire to all the buildings they could! They put fire to the Tuileries, and the Ministry of Finance, and the Town Hall. They put down the Vendome column which was remarkable, she was made of cannon pieces that Napoleon (the 1st) took during all his wars. They put fire to all the stores destroying all provisions, and the gunpowder stores blew up because they thought we could use these materials". May 28th: "We finished this pitiable war, and we went to the command center at the Palais d'Elysées, commanded by General Lamireault". June 22nd: "I was nominated to have a medal." To Corporal Pierre Maugin, and to the veterans of the United States Armed Forces; I salute you!