You may quickly notice the woodenness of the narrative that follows. It is because I have been completely dependent on Google Translate for the English rendering of this part of Boldewyn Ode Odens’ diary! For some reason, the translator who was hired some years ago never worked on this portion of his account.
Another observation you will probably make is Boldewyn’s obvious interest in farming tools and techniques in the places he visits. This is to be expected, since Boldewyn was raised a farmer and spent his life in that occupation.
What is of special interest in this portion of the diary is Boldewyn’s statement at the end of the opening paragraph, in which he declares that he and about 250 other soldiers “rode off to join the army.” Since this journey ends up in Mainz, I presume that the intention was that this contingent of soldiers was intended to fortify Napoleon’s army there. This assumption is supported by the fact that when the diary is resumed in early December, after approximately seven weeks with no known entries, Boldewyn’s account still has him in the Mainz area.
Boldewyn has little to say about Mainz, and what he does relate is not all that complimentary. However, you may want to do a little research on the city. As you do, you will find that it was the city where Johannes Gutenberg, inventor of the printing press, was born, grew up and died. Mainz was also a city in flux during Boldewyn’s lifetime. It bounced back and forth more than once between the control of the French and the Prussians. In fact, within just a few months after Boldewyn left Mainz as part of the French armed forces (1814), Napoleon and his army were forced out of the city and the region. Mainz was an important city for strategic purposes, and it would appear that the initial reason for Boldewyn’s group of soldiers to go there was to bolster its strength as a French stronghold.
With that, here is the next installment of Boldewyn’s diary:
Boldewyn’s Diary – Part 3
On September 18, at three o’clock in the morning, I was awakened by our trumpeter. Since I laid down dressed in bed, I was quickly ready to go into the stable, clean my horse, feed and saddle it. Then I got the weapons and the coat and secured both on the horse. I went back again to see the strangest house and garden, as reveille was already blown. At six o’clock in the morning, we, about 250 men, rode off to join the army.
To the left side we had – as already mentioned – the mountain range with magnificent houses and gardens, to the right the Loire. The dike is used as a path. In some places you can see beautiful cow pastures between the mountains. Often the path leads past vineyards. In the afternoon we were back in Amboise. This city is, as far as I have seen, a country town with some beautiful buildings. The streets are crooked and narrow. On the banks of the Loire is a marketplace planted with trees.
On the 19th of September we rode to Blois, situated in a beautiful area with much farmland and some shrubbery. We saw here many workers busy cutting the grain for the second time. This happens as follows: Once the grain has ripened enough, the ears are cut off and taken home immediately. The stalks stop ripening. Then they are also cut off from the ground and driven home as food for the cattle. I have not seen the slightest bit of iron here on the plows of the peasants. They are lightweight and have two big wheels in front. The harrows are also made of wood and taper sharply at the front. We also rode past various brickyards that looked only mean.
About half an hour before the city we arrived in the department of Loire-et-Cher. Here we came upon some nice country houses. After a ride of seven hours we arrived in Blois. Blois is a large city on both banks of the Loire. Their roads are hilly, so we had to drive our horses by hand into the quarters. On the 20th of September we rode past vineyards. The vines were in poor condition and the grapes are not yet ripe. The Loire deviates here from the path and is no longer visible. The soil here is loamy and calcareous. When it rains, the ground is flat and smooth so you can hardly stand on it. After a march of eight hours, we came in the afternoon to Beaugeney, a large village where the fair is held.
On the 21st of September we traveled to Orleans. The road there led through many vineyards. About half an hour before the city we met a group of boys with cakes, apples and peaches, which they wanted to sell to us. They also had the best Orleans brandy, which is famous throughout France. Orleans is a big and beautiful city on the Loire. The roads are wide and beautiful, especially the Royale, much like the Napoleon road in Tours. The marketplace is large and surrounded by beautiful houses. In the middle of the market square stands a statue of the Virgin of Orleans on a marble block about six feet high. The Virgin carries a sword in her right hand and a flag in her left. On the block are three verses, which refer to the life of the Virgin. Worth seeing also is the main church with its two, about 600-step-high towers.
On the 23rd of September we reached Chateauneuf, a large village with various windmills, and on the 24th to Bellegarde, a small town with a beautiful castle. On the 25th of September we reached Montargis. The 26th of September was a day of rest. Via Courteney, Sens and Villenneuve we went to Troyes, a large and beautiful town with a remarkable main church. On the 30th of September we arrived here and visited the city, especially the beautiful promenades out of the city. Because we had a rest day, the inspection was in full uniform. We had to pay our quatier out of our own pocket. On the 2nd of October we continued the march, via Brienne and Doclevent, to Joinville, a small town between very high mountains. Here we arrived on 4 October and had on 5 October a day off.
Our march continued to Toul, a French fortress in the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. The following day, the 9th of October, we arrived at Pont-a Mousson, a small town with a beautiful market square. On 10 October we arrived in Metz, a very strong fortress on the Mosel. One of the most notable features of the city is the market square, the large church and the barracks and horse stables. In Metz forty thousand men can be barracked. I stayed in a big lodge. On the 11th of October we had a rest day and on the 12th we came to Courcelles, a big village. The following day we reached St. Avold in Germany. This city is small, but the inhabitants were very friendly with us. I stayed with a poor woman. On the 14th of October we arrived in Saarbrucken and on the 15th in Homburg, a small town. Via Kaiserslautern (17 October) and Venelles (18 October) we arrived on 19 October in Alsay, a large city. Here is a big fountain from which we watered our horses. I lived with an old man and his wife—got nothing to eat.
On the 20th of October we came to Mainz, a big city with a lot of winding walking paths. In the palace you can eat, drink, play and dance. If you have a good wallet, you can buy and see whatever you want. The daily visitors are estimated at 50,000.
© 2019 by James A. Odens