There are many analysts who believe that Napoleon’s biggest military mistake during his career was the signing of a temporary armistice with his enemies on June 4, 1813. Napoleon gave two reasons for doing so. The first was his need to gather a larger fighting force, especially cavalry, in order to have the military strength to succeed in battle. His forces had been greatly depleted, especially because of the campaign into Russia in 1812.
His second reason for signing the temporary suspension of military conflict was the increasing hostility of Austria against Napoleon. The latest peace treaty between Napoleon and Austria had been signed in March of 1812. However, it was becoming obvious to Napoleon that Austria leaned toward breaking that treaty and rejoining the war against him, and he felt a temporary armistice with his enemies would give him time and opportunity to deal with that situation.
The armistice of June 4 was originally intended to last through the month of June. It was later extended to August 17. This provides the setting for the conscription of Boldewyn Oden Odens into the Grand Army of Napoleon. He was called into the army on June 22, as one of the many thousands of young men with whom Napoleon wanted to bolster his weakened forces before resuming active battle.
The belief that signing the temporary armistice was a huge mistake on Napoleon’s part is because the respite from fighting that it provided gave the Allies against Napoleon the opportunity to strengthen their own forces and develop a strategy as allies which would eventually lead to Napoleon’s defeat, abdication and exile the following year.
Into this picture comes Boldewyn Oden Odens, whose account of his experiences now begins. As you read the account, you will notice some parenthetical comments from time to time. It is my understanding that these comments were added by the editor when this account was first published in Ostfriesland (in German) in 1965.
Auricher in Napoleon’s Army
From the Diary of the Farmer Boldewyn Ode Odens
Born January 22 in the year of the Lord 1790
Died at Groß-Süder-Charlottenpolder
In the year 1813, on June 22, I was drafted in the Honor Guard of the 13th Regiment, to further the honor of our Emperor Napoleon. On the 23rd of June we were required to report to the Prefect at Aurich and receive our uniform and our horses there. On June 26, we set out on our march. My comrades were: Bacmeister, Franzius, Steinhaus, Fridag, Peterssen, Schomerus, Marcher, Lammers, Dupuy, Boomer, Olthoff, Ising, Sutthoff, Hilling, Karsjens, de Pottere, Le Brun, Tammena, Mulder, van Davier, Hammerschmid, Stielfs, van Poelnitz, Scheer, and Oltmanns.
From Aurich we rode on to Großefehn, a beautiful place inhabited by wealthy shipowners, to Bollinghausen, situated in a lovely countryside that contains a beautiful English Garden, and on to Leer. A quarter hour before we reached the village, we were met by a marching band from the village and invited by the residents to dinner. Leer is the furthest and most beautiful place in Ostfriesland, inhabited by many rich people, some of whom are Mennonites. The following morning I bid farewell to my parents. Towards 8 o’clock we were accompanied to “Noord” (Leerort) by a band playing mourning marches, and crossed the river Ems. I rode through Kirchborgum to Weener, which is a beautiful and rich village. From there we rode through some rough countryside to Bunde. Bunde is a big town. From there we continued through a lovely area on to Neuschanz and Winschoten. Winschoten is a large and beautiful town. From there, the Treckfahrts Canal goes to Groningen.
Two hours after we arrived, I was asked by the teacher to stay with him. I accepted this invitation and was well received by him and his two beautiful daughters. On June 28, we went from Winschoten via Suddroek to Hogesand. It is a pleasure to travel there. The two villages are situated at a canal and have many beautiful houses. Next we rode to Groningen. Groningen is a large, beautiful and well-built city with a university. Nearby this town lies Sterenbusch, connected by a beautiful, tree-lined avenue where there are many farms. On June 29, we rode across a large meadow of heather to Assen, which is a small but pretty village that was bestowed city rights by the King of Holland. Here there is a great-looking forest similar to the one of Sterenbusch in Groningen. We left Assen on June 30, riding to Dwingels past a very bad area. Dwingels is a rather large village. I received good lodging from a physician.
On July 1, we rode from Dwingels (Dwingelo) to Meppel, crossing the black lock and black water to Zwolle. Zwolle is a beautiful town with many winding streets; the church yard is daintily decorated with yellow brickwork. In the city there is also a large horse stable. Here I was assigned good accommodation and, while we had a rest day, wrote my first letter home. On July 4th, we rode on over the Yssel and past the very beautiful castle “Loo” to Appeldoorn, a very poor and miserable village.
On July 5, we went from Appeldoorn to Arnheim across high sand hills and through stands of firs. Arnheim is a lovely town amidst a beautiful countryside on the Rhine, where a wooden bridge crosses the river. On July 6, we rode from Arnheim to Nynwegen, crossing the Rhine. Just before the city we crossed the Waal river. Nnywegen is a large and handsome city. The streets are hilly and in places so steep that they are hard to travel by horse and cart. You will also find nice hiking paths there, and at one end of town there is a beautiful and tall tower where one can drink coffee upstairs and enjoy a wonderful view.
On July 7, from Nynwegen we traveled across the Maas on the way to d’Grave, a small and pretty town, but also a strong fortress. On July 8, we entered Hertogenbosch, a beautiful town which is also walled. Here on July 9, we had a day of rest. On July 10, we rode to Tilburg, a big place, and on the 11th we continued to Hoogstraaten. Here I received lodging in a rich gentleman’s house, whose son also was with the Honor Guard. This man refused to give me water to drink. (He may have been begrudging his son for becoming a member of the Honor Guard and a soldier of the Emperor of France. Apparently he did not care for the Honor Guard.)
On July 12, we first rode across a heather field and later on a road (Napoleon built highways in Holland and Germany) paved with sandstone towards Antwerp. The following day was a day of rest. On this day I received the first letter from home. Antwerp is a large and mighty city. The streets of the city are wide but dirty, and the windows are mostly covered with iron grids (probably windows of the warehouses) so that the whole town almost looks like a prison. You see whole gangs of galleyslaves, chained together two and two, walking on the streets. Their clothes are red. There are many warships in the harbor and a lot of cannonballs on the walls.
We left Antwerp on July 14, keeping to the road the whole time. Three hours before Mechelen lies the village of Vilvoorden. Here is a prison with more than 2,000 convicts, among whom is the mistress of Sebin der Haas. We toured the prison. After that we went to Mechelen. Mechelen is a small town surrounded by land with fertile soil. From Mechelen we rode towards Brussels (on July 15) and on July 16, we had a day of rest in Brussels. Brussels is a very beautiful, wealthy and large city and also somewhat hilly. Here is a beautiful park surrounded by magnificent houses.
On the 17th we rode from Brussels to Brainelecomte, a small town, and on the following day to Mons. Mons is situated on a hill. People speak only French here. On July 19 was a day of rest, and on the next morning we left Mons and rode to Maubeuge. The path there went over hills of “Vlinten” (flintstone) and sandstone. Maubeuge is a walled town. We left this little town on July 21, and reached Avesnes and on the following day Vervins. In Vervins on January 1, 1598, Henry IV of France signed the peace agreement with Philip II of Spain. A memorial marker of this event can be found on the gable of a house on the market square.
© 2019 by James A. Odens