Jim’s Commentary
What follows is the conclusion of what we have of Boldewyn Ode Odens’ account of his experiences as a soldier in Napoleon’s Grand Army. Once again, it is evident in the account that an editor’s comments are mixed in with Boldewyn’s actual diary entries. It is possible that this mixture is the reason for the first highly-confusing situation presented here, which is that there seems to be differing accounts of where Boldewyn and his fellow soldiers were on 16-17 January.
You will notice in the third paragraph of this portion of the account, we are told that the prisoners went to Beaugy on 16 January and arrived in Bourges on 17 January. However, in the next paragraph, we read that on 16 January they went to Henrichmont and on 17 January came to Aubignie! Certainly these men could not be in two different places at the same time! Which account should we believe?
One observation to be considered is that the dates of the first itinerary are given to us by the editor of the diary. They are not directly stated by Boldewyn, as is indicated by the fact that the dates in the second paragraph are all in parentheses and the dates in the third paragraph are part of the editor’s summary rather than being quoted from Boldewyn’s diary. On the other hand, the fourth paragraph consists of Boldewyn’s actual report.
An even bigger source of confusion for me is the timing of Boldewyn’s account in light of some of the comments made about the places where he and his fellows visit. For example, in the sixth paragraph the comment is made that they arrived in Montargis on 19 January, and that the Russians had already marched through the city. However, the history of the war tells us that the Allied forces were still about 150 miles to the east, entering Dijon on that day.
The diary entry for 20 January (paragraph 7) tells of the “former” emperor riding through Nemours at 2:00 p.m. On that date in 1814, Napoleon is still on the empire’s throne. He did not abdicate his position until 6 April. Whether he actually rode through Nemours on 20 January, I have not been able to determine.
The ninth paragraph tells of seeing many dead horses from the Prussian cavalry at Fontainebleau on 21 January. Again, the history of the war is clear that the Allied forces were not yet that close to Paris on that date. The battles near Paris were fought in February and March, 1814. So the description in paragraph ten about seeing thousands of Russian soldiers just outside Melun at that time is not credible. Similar observations can be made about comments in the subsequent paragraphs of the diary, as well.
I have come up with two possible explanations. One is that the editor of the diary added comments about these places Boldewyn visited, telling us about events taking place after Boldewyn’s travels. While this may be possible, it seems unlikely to me. The more feasible explanation, in my opinion, is that the dates of the diary are not accurate—whether in the writing or the publication of the diary, I do not know. If the descriptions in the diary of the devastation from battle are actually from Boldewyn’s pen telling what he saw, then he went through those cities and towns weeks or months later than the timeline presented in the diary.
That said, if the account of the diary for 3 January is accurate, Boldewyn was in Langres 13 days before it was taken by the Allied forces of Prussian and Russian soldiers led by Prince Blücher. Boldewyn was in Dijon just 2 weeks before it was occupied by the Allies. When Boldewyn was in Nolay, he was only about 33 miles from the Allied army entering Dôle on 7 January. He was close to the action, although we have no indication he was ever in it.
Lengthy introduction and lengthy diary entry—I hope you can still appreciate it.
Boldewyn’s Diary
In the year 1814, 1 January, we came to Bourmont. On 2 January we stayed in Montigny in a hostel with our ten guardsmen. On 3 January they brought us to Langres, a big city with a beautiful city hall. Here we were again taken to prison. The next day we stayed in a hostel in Honville. On 5 January we came to Dijon, a large and beautiful city, and were imprisoned there for the last time. From Dijon we marched to Beaune. On the following day, 7 January, we went to Nolay, a large patch in the middle of the vineyards. Odens writes in the chronicle: “You see nothing here but vineyards and can buy here for five stubers a bottle of wine.”
On 11 January, the prisoners arrived at Moulins, a large and beautiful city, having gone through various villages. “One hour before this city we rode in punts over the Loire. In Moulins we had a rest day (on 12 January).” Via St. Pierre (13 January) and Nevers (14 January) the prisoners arrived on 15 January at La Charite, a town on the Loire, crossed by two bridges—one built of stone from the city to the suburb which lies in the middle of the Loire, and one made of wood, which leads to the other side. In the city is a large poorhouse, which looks like a palace from a distance.
After Beaugy had been passed on 16 January, the prisoners arrived on the 17th at their destination: Bourges. Odens says: “We were quartered with the townspeople. Bourges is a big and old city. The most notable part of the town is the big main church with a high tower. The ceiling over the altar is very beautiful. The church is on sixty pillars. The windows are entirely made of fired glass. There is another church under the church, deep in the ground. There is also the tomb of Christ, carved in marble, and the life-size cross-descent. Worth seeing is the garden of the Bishop. Apart from vegetables you can buy apples, pears and plums daily. Grain also comes to market, mostly wheat. Outside the city is a beautiful park. A half an hour from the city is a high mountain, from which the inhabitants cut the stones for their houses. The quarry is probably two hundred feet deep and one hour long, so anyone who wants to see them has to bring a lantern with them.” The last pages of the chronicle tell of the return home.
On 15 January we received orders to march the next day. On 16 January, we left our prison place to return to our Fatherland and to our parents. With great pleasure we made a march of seven hours. At 2 o’clock we arrived in Henrichmont, a small town. The people were very friendly to us. On 17 January we came to Aubignie, a fairly big city. Again, the people were very friendly to us. I found good quarters. Near the town there is a beautiful wood. It had been laid out by an Englishman. In the revolution the man had to give up his life – that was his thanks. In the city there is also a glass factory.
On 18 January we marched across a large and desolate countryside to Gien on the Loire. Here, across the Loire, there is a large bridge of stones that could be blown up at any moment. In the middle of the city stands a high mountain and on top of it a church and a large castle, which was built by the King of France.
Noyon arrived at on 19 January. It is a small village, where we could not stay because of the many French soldiers quartered there, who were supposed to take the emperor to the island of Elba. So we moved to Montargis, a beautiful town through which the Russians had already marched. The entrances to the city were protected by palisades. But that had not helped.
On 20 January we reached Nemours, a fairly big city. This area is very pleasant to travel. The path is planted with trees on both sides. Before the city we passed over the Marne, over which a new and very beautiful bridge leads. Here are two windmills, built in the Dutch style. At 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the former Emperor Napoleon drove through here with a train of 15 vehicles. He is led by infantry and cavalry of his Guard to the island of Elba. Also, the queen of Westphalia was in this city. She traveled to Paris with three vehicles.
The last two days we have marched with fear and almost no food. We came to a village where the French troops asked us if we had come here in order to be shot through the head. Some of us were beaten by them. This march lasted for nine hours.
Passing Fontainebleau, a town in the Departement Seine-et-Marne we reached Melun on the 21st. The Emperor resided at Fontainebleau quite frequently. The castle of the Emperor is very beautiful. Most peculiar, however, is the cast iron gate which is almost completely gilded. The stairs in front of the castle are also very beautiful and curve around like a snake. In front of the city there is a large woods with many wild animals. This is where the Emperor used to go hunting. In passing I saw deer. The forest was greatly spoiled by the enemy. Near the city nearly all trees had their tops cut off because they were needed for palisades. In the woods were still many dead horses of the Prussian army.
Just before Melun we met the first Russian troops. In front of the town we crossed the river Seine. On one side of the bridge there stood some French troops at outposts and on the other the Cossacks, of whom about 6,000 may have been in the area. They were very friendly towards us because we were not with the Frenchmen. We had to draw out our marching papers and then marched into the town, which was very quiet. Many rich people had fled and closed their houses. In front of the town the Russians stood in the field with cannons and their tents. Because we could not stay here, we had to march for an hour to the next village.
On the 22nd Moisons was reached, a small and almost devastated village. It is two hours from Paris. This area is very nice. The grain is good. I am lodging in a house from which the owner had fled. This march lasted ten hours. On the 23rd we came to St. Denis, via Paris. This city has changed a lot. Recently it was still commanded by an emperor and now by many powers, but shortly by a king. Today I saw about ten thousand French troops passing before the Emperor Alexander for revue, in front of the palace of the (banished) emperor. The city is full of Russians. Of the houses I have not seen the slightest damage. It all happened very quietly. Presently, the Cossacks are clearing the streets in full gallop. The city is very big and beautiful. We went for a walk in the city for four hours, but saw only a few new things. The Vendome Plaza is very big and beautiful. In the middle of it is a monument. High up on the monument Napoleon was in life size, but now no more. In its place is a white flag. This monument of metal was built in 1805. In the inscriptions the victories of Napoleon were recorded. Around the monument are heroes and weapons of war. Even the palace of the Emperor is very beautiful. In front of it (the palace) stands a beautiful arch of honor, and above it a gilded chariot with fourteen horses in front of it.
On the 24th we came to Saint-Denis, a small town. Here we could not stay because of the many troops, and had to march for another two hours to the next village, which was called Cilie. We had a rest day. I was lodging with a rich farmer. He had such a mean wife as I have never seen before.
Passing Villers-Cutterats, a town on the river Alsne, we went towards Soisson. Because this city had suffered through the war, the outskirts of this city are totally devastated. We had to march on to another village. On the 28th we went via Laon to Marles, a small and beautiful town. On the way there were many dead horses. In this area most of the houses had been burned by the cannon fire. Here the French lost three thousand men.
On the 29th we went via Verrenes to Capel. On this march, we passed the “Chariot of Triumph” which the Emperor Napoleon had stolen in Berlin. On the next day the returnees went through Neufchateau, a beautiful village with houses of blue sandstone, to Beaumont, a small town with a new church on a hill. On the second they passed Brainelecomte and on the third went through Halle on their way to Brussel. On the fourth to Mechelken and on the fifth to Antwerp. From here took the express to Breda, the first town in Holland. On the sixth we went via Rotterdam, Dortrecht and Gouda to Amsterdam.
That same evening Odens took a boat across the Sudersee and, after he reached Groningen, went via Winschoten to Neuschanz. From the border he marched to Gandersum, and from there he drove home in a cart. Unfortunately, Odens does not write on which day he came home. Perhaps the church books of Suurhusen held the date of the return home.
© 2019 by James A. Odens