A fresh incarceration--Stripping a prisoner naked a more effectual
detainer than chains and padlocks--Hopes of escape prove
delusive--Gaol surgery and gaol diet--A timely loan of books--A
short visit from a Swiss captive--Orders to prepare for a return to
France--A heavy chain and huge padlock--The mob at
Lindau--Leave-taking between a prisoner and the gaoler and gaoler’s
wife--The road to France--Going to bed in chains--Strict
watchings--Chances of a rescue--Anticipations of the horrors of
Bitche--Commiseration of my guards--Crossing the bridge of Kehl--A
surrender to the French _gendarmes_--Captivity in the military gaol
of Strasbourg--A kind gaoler and as kind a wife--His gratitude for
English kindness when a prisoner of war--Examined by the
police--Affectionate leave-taking of the honest gaoler and his
wife--On the road to Bitche, heavily chained to eleven Corsicans
going to suffer military execution--The horrible dungeon of
Niederbronn--A revolting night’s confinement--Dreadful sufferings
of two of the Corsican soldiers--Distant prospects of
Bitche--Anticipations of a cruel confinement--Arrival at the
fortress.
It was on a dreary Sunday night, the 29th of November (1807), that I was
led into this gaol. The gaoler and his keepers placed me in a tolerably
decent, well-furnished apartment, with a bed, stove, table, and chair.
This was ample for the accommodation of unsophisticated man, but
external conveniences are not a substitute for the cravings of hunger. I
therefore pointed out to my keepers the exhausted state of my body, and
begged that I might have some refreshment, however humble or however
small. This they granted; but they previously searched me--stripped
me--took away the whole of my clothes, with all that my pockets
contained--which consisted, however, of nothing but a knife, a razor,
and a few pieces of silver. They assured me that all my _property_
should be returned to me at a proper time. But I entreated them to leave
me at least my pantaloons. With this they at length complied. With
respect to my shirt, as the collar and ragged sleeves were all that
remained, I was indifferent to the comfort of preserving it.
I expostulated with my persecutors, and begged to know the reason of
such cruel treatment. They surlily replied that it was the custom of
their country, and that they would take care to prevent my getting away
again. “People who had a great talent for getting out of gaols ought to
be treated accordingly,” they said, and they added that they would
prevent my escaping from their clutches. Saying this, the morose brutes
swung-to the massy door, and my ears were greeted with the noise of
locks, bars, bolts, and my eyes with the prospect of chains, that seemed
heavy enough to secure the bodies of a regiment or an army.
In this state of nudity and solitude I began, with inexpressible grief
and bitter affliction, to meditate upon my unfortunate destiny. At
length a thought flashed upon my mind. Although my cell in its masonry
seemed as strong as the bomb-proof casemate of a fortress, and my ears
had informed me of the massive strength of the door and its ponderous
securities and fastenings, yet it struck me that there might be some
point of weakness of which I might avail myself to effect my escape. I
even inferred, from their taking away my clothes, in order to prevent
my escape, that they were conscious that the gaol was weak in some
point or other. In this pleasant delusion I waited with anxiety till
daylight, that I might make all the observations in my power, and I felt
determined to be off on the following night, even if I should be stark
naked afterwards.
Except when these hopes and frail calculations passed my mind, I was a
prey to the most cruel torments. I never slept--I merely slumbered; and
in those brief slumbers I was dreadfully agitated. At one time I was
seized with the idea that all my late companions were safe, and that I
was the only unfortunate wretch of the party that was doomed to suffer.
In another paroxysm I was tormented with the thoughts of the ease with
which I could have avoided the fatal gateway, had I been aware that I
was on the road that passed it. With what bitterness did I reproach
myself for want of circumspection: in short, I found myself in a state
of distraction. I endeavoured to tranquillise my mind with the hope of
being able to get out of my present prison, or, at all events, of
escaping from my guards on our march back into France; I had already got
away from the most strict guards in the universe, the French
_gendarmerie_. These ideas proved to be a kind of salutary balsam to my
tortured bosom. But I found myself excessively cold during the night. A
severe frost and snow had set in; and at this season of the year I could
not expect it to be otherwise.
In the morning, at an early hour, an old lady (the gaoler’s wife)
presented me with a cup of coffee, which I eagerly swallowed. The poor
woman felt very much for my distressed situation, and actually shed
tears. I begged she would provide me with materials for writing a letter
to the commandant; her husband brought me them, and I remonstrated with
the Cerberus on his cruelty in having me stripped of my clothes in a
gaol (which, to my grief, I now discovered to be too secure), when he
could have no idea of my being able to get away from it. I begged, at
least, to have a neck-handkerchief and cap returned to me, and desired
he would order the money I had been deprived of to be laid out in
purchasing a coarse shirt and pair of stockings, which I very much
wanted. I also requested I might be allowed one of the military surgeons
to dress my feet, that were still in a very bad state. All these demands
he had the kindness to grant. The secretary came and informed me that I
should be detained until they received orders from the Government at
Ulm,[20] which would be in about twelve days. He expressed great sorrow
for my misfortunes, and retired. Great consolation was this to a poor
devil without clothes!
At length the surgeon came, and humanely dressed my sores; and he
expressed his astonishment at how I could have travelled with my feet in
so sad a condition. When I looked at their lacerated state my
astonishment was not less than his; nor was that astonishment lessened
by the extreme pain that they now gave me. I was amazed at how I could
have walked such an immense distance with feet so swollen and so cut to
pieces.
After the surgeon had quitted me, I went to bed, and I felt a little
more calm in spirit; but vain were all my efforts to close my eyes. Pain
would keep me awake, and busy thought, cheerless of the past, and
hopeless of the future, would crowd into my restless mind.
In this state I lay till noon, when the old lady, the gaoler’s wife,
brought me my dinner. It was a tolerably good meal, considering the
quarters I was in. She informed me that I was allowed nothing but water
to drink. This I considered very inhuman, as my miserable state required
something more stimulating.
In this melancholy condition I received an unexpected consolation. A
Swiss gentleman was confined in an adjacent cell, and he kindly sent me
a few books, amongst which was a _Life of Frederick the Great_, which
interested me very much. I naturally expressed a wish to see my
benefactor, but the old lady told me that there were strict orders to
prevent all intercourse between prisoners. On this point she was
inexorable. I was now supplied with a shirt and a pair of stockings; but
the latter, though large, were totally useless to me, my feet being so
sore, and swollen to such an extraordinary degree.
At seven my kind old hostess brought me supper, made my bed, and took
her leave, exhorting me to patience.
Eleven days passed in the same manner, except that latterly I prevailed
upon my gaoler to deprive me of my breakfast, and to give me in lieu of
it a half-pint of small wine at dinner and at supper, and to allow me a
candle in the evening.
The Swiss gentleman at last managed to see me. He spoke a little
English, and informed me that he had been in the Austrian service, and
had had the honour of serving under His Royal Highness the Duke of York
at Valenciennes, Dunkirk, and other places. He was confined for debt,
had been in gaol eighteen months, and did not expect to be liberated for
six months longer. He appeared to be very much surprised at the
Bavarians using a British officer so cruelly; and after condoling with
me a little, returned to his cell.
On the thirteenth morning, at daybreak, the gaoler appeared with
breakfast and my clothes; and informed me that I was instantly to
prepare for my journey back into France--that my escort would be at the
door in a few minutes. He begged I would keep up my spirits. I assured
him I was well pleased at the information and in being removed from so
solitary a habitation. I certainly cherished the hope of escaping on the
road back, not imagining that I should be treated as a criminal going to
be executed. I had scarcely swallowed my breakfast when two military men
were shown into my apartment; the foremost holding in his hands an
immense iron chain with shackles or fetters, and a large padlock. The
sight of this apparatus destroyed every hope that had before presented
itself with respect to my getting off; however, I pretended to take no
notice of them. This man spoke a little French, saluted me civilly, and
asked, “If I were prepared?” “Yes,” said I, “perfectly so.” “I am
sorry,” resumed he, “to be under the necessity of using these machines.
It is the commandant’s orders; and, as you are an officer yourself, I
need not observe how necessary it is to obey the orders of a superior.
We are members of the volunteer corps of this town, our name is
Schlatter, and we are brothers of the commandant’s secretary, chosen on
purpose to reconduct you into France, lest you might be ill-treated by
soldiers of the line.” I told him they were excessively kind, and
desired them to proceed and do their duty; and added that what I
suffered was no dishonour to me, for the efforts I had made had been for
the sake of serving my country, and I gloried in them. The commandant’s
secretary now joined the party, and expressed his satisfaction at his
brothers being appointed to escort me. I pointed out to him the cruelty
of putting so enormous a chain upon any human creature. He replied, “You
have so often escaped, sir, even from the _gendarmerie_ of France, and
these are volunteers only, that the commandant thinks chaining you very
necessary, and we have no small chains. There is a carriage ordered for
your conveyance, and consequently the inconvenience will not be so very
great.”
A little more palaver followed. I talked of the dishonour and
indignities inflicted upon an officer, and poured forth all the torrents
of eloquence I could call to my aid; but everything was in vain, the
phlegmatic German stuck to his text of the chains; and accordingly my
right arm and left leg were chained together, and the ends were securely
fastened by a huge and clumsy padlock proportioned to the links of the
chain, and both seemed proportioned to the limbs of a Goliath or
Hercules. I was now carried to the gaol door, and putting my head
outside to take a gasp of fresh air, to which I had been so long a
stranger, I beheld an immense concourse of people assembled, to catch a
sight of the unfortunate prisoner whom the commandant had thought proper
thus twice or triply to secure. The wondering crowd came to view what
they thought a monster; for such reports had been spread of my
miraculous escapes, and such exaggerated and fabulous accounts had been
given of what I had achieved, that the ignorant populace believed that I
was some demon, or at least a magician in disguise.
At last the hour of my departure arrived. I took my adieu of my gaoler,
who had not exceeded his office; and then I took a most affectionate
leave of the old woman, who was crying the whole time, and parted from
me as if I had been her son whom she was never to see again. I frankly
own that I was deeply affected at the poor simple old creature’s
kindness. There are cases in which neither old age nor the gaol can
harden the heart.
My guards lifted me into the carriage, and one of them sat on each side,
for they seemed to think that I might yet try to escape--as if the
ponderous chains and huge padlock had been silken bands fastened by some
true-lover’s knot. “God bless you!” cried the gaoler’s kind old wife,
bathed in tears. “God bless you, kind old mother!” I replied. “Drive
on!” roared the guard to the postilion. Whack went the heavy whip over
the shoulders of both horses, and away went our carriage, rattling over
the stones. In every street through which we passed, the windows were
crowded with spectators, all wishing my guards a safe return, as if they
either thought that they were bound to the most remote corner of the
globe, or that they were in the company of some wizard that might play
them an awkward trick on the road. The guards themselves seemed little
at their ease; for although I was so heavily secured, they loaded their
rifles, primed them, and looked significantly at me--a hint of what I
might expect if I became restive.
Although, as I have already observed, one of my guards spoke French,
such was the depressed state of my spirits that I entered into little or
no conversation with him. Sometimes, indeed, I asked him a question
respecting his country, but it was only for the sake of dry information
that I might hereafter turn to advantage. Each question was drily put
and as drily answered, and thus did my journey proceed.
At midnight we halted in a walled town, the name of which my guards
concealed from me,[21] and I was so well watched that I could not ask
the question, immaterial as it was, of anybody else. I, however, was
civilly informed that I might go to bed here for two hours, and I as
civilly or satirically replied, “That a bed was no comfort to a man
encumbered with heavy chains and a ponderous padlock.” If I were
rational in nothing else, I was deemed rational in this; and accordingly
I was unpadlocked, unchained, and unmanacled, and allowed to go to bed;
but so dangerous a character was I thought, that two police officers, in
addition to my two guards, were stationed in my chamber to keep watch
over me whilst I slumbered or lay in bed, seating themselves one on each
side of it. I need scarcely observe that I could not sleep. If an eye
were closed that night, it must have been in the head of one of my
guards or in that of one of their assistants.
The time elapsed, and glad was I at the coming of the cold, damp dawn. I
was again chained, and we were placed in another vehicle, and I
discovered they were taking a more northerly direction towards
Strasbourg. We had three relays before four in the afternoon, when we
arrived at Tütlingen, a small open town in Würtemberg,[22] and stopped,
as usual, at the post-house, which was also a tavern. We found a number
of very genteel people there. I attracted, of course, the notice of
everybody; they appeared desirous and anxious to serve me, and
reprobated very much the conduct of the Bavarians for using a British
officer with such cruelty. I was in great hopes of staying here all
night, as there was at first a difficulty in procuring a carriage.
However, the Bavarians did not deem this prudent, and they got a common
waggon, which was filled with straw, and placed me in the centre between
them. They were not wrong in doing so, for had I remained there that
night I certainly should have been rescued.
At midnight we changed our waggon at Rothweil. At dawn we again changed;
and at four in the afternoon we passed through Gegenbach; and about
midnight arrived at Offenburg, a fortified town in Baden, and only five
or six leagues from Strasbourg. Here we went to bed, my guards having
first placed their bedsteads on each side of mine.
My mind was too much occupied with the misery that awaited me to admit
of sleep. The dungeons, in which I was perhaps inevitably doomed to drag
out a miserable existence, appeared to my imagination with all their
horrors. Bitche was the place that had been originally allotted for me,
and I was of opinion, from the different accounts that I had received of
this wretched place, that a prisoner’s life was prolonged, only to make
his punishment the greater. My depression of spirits became extreme; and
even my guards greatly commiserated my distress, and frequently
expressed their regret at its being their lot to deliver me again into
the hands of my enemies.
In justice to these, my conductors, I must say that they used their
authority with as much mercy as possible. They anticipated as well as
they could all my wants; and, in fact, in every respect they made me as
comfortable as possible under our relative circumstances and positions.
When I reflect on these and many similar facts, and, above all, when I
reflect on the kind old wife of the gaoler of Lindau, I am bound to say
that I found the Germans generally honest and kind-hearted, and the
females of that country particularly so.
At eight the next morning we quitted Offenburg for Strasbourg, and at
eleven we breakfasted at Kehl. This was our last stage, and here we
procured our last change of horses. We crossed the bridge at one, and
were most strictly searched by custom-house officers. All they found
upon me was the heavy chains and the as heavy padlock. Would to heavens
they had deemed those contraband goods, and had deprived me of them!
These fellows, as well as the sentries, were enraged when I told them
that they had not been so very particular a few mornings before, when I
had passed the bridge without their deigning to speak to me. I put the
latter into a most furious passion when I quizzed them upon their
muffling themselves up in their warm cloaks, and keeping themselves in
their sentry-boxes, whilst I was slipping by them amidst the cattle. How
mad they were!--but the joke now was all against myself, for in
half-an-hour I found myself securely lodged in the military gaol of
Strasbourg. Thus ended all my hopes.
The keeper of this prison was, thank God, excessively civil and kind;
and civility and kindness are by no means common qualities amongst the
gaolers of this most civilised and polite nation. He showed me into an
apartment where there was a tolerably good bed, and even asked me if I
wished to have a fire. A good fire in a damp room of a gaol, on a
bitterly frosty day of December, was certainly a great addition to a
poor prisoner’s comforts, and I frankly replied that there was nothing,
under his roof at least, that I should like so much to see as a blazing
hearth; but I as honestly added that I had not one farthing to pay for
it. The little money that I had possessed had been almost all spent by
the Bavarians in getting me a shirt and a pair of stockings, and I saw
them give the remainder, which was a mere trifle, to the French
_gendarmes_ when they handed me over to their custody. “In that case,”
replied the feeling gaoler, “you shall go to my apartment and warm
yourself, and you shall want for nothing that I can help you to.” This
was a very different reception from what I had anticipated. It is
astonishing what an effect kindness has upon the heart, and especially
upon the heart of the afflicted and miserable. This man’s charity quite
disarmed me from any thoughts of escape. Nothing could have induced me,
by any misconduct, to have brought so good a man under rebuke or
punishment from the authorities above him.
Shivering with cold, I left my dark, damp room, and soon found myself in
a very comfortable apartment, and my eyes were greeted with the sight of
a blazing fire, whilst the crackling of the burning logs “discoursed
sweet music to my ears.”
My frank and charitable Samaritan soon gave me a reason why the
benevolence of his nature was now poured forth so cordially towards me.
He was an old soldier, and had twice been made a prisoner by the English
during the last war. He had been captured up the Mediterranean, and on
both occasions the English, he said, had treated him kindly; and he
conceived that he was only paying off a debt of gratitude in availing
himself of an opportunity to be kind to an English officer in distress.
Never was logic more conclusive to my mind, or never did a debtor and
creditor account of favours received and returned sound more
delightfully to my ears.
He introduced me to his wife, a German woman, who insisted on my taking
a seat near the fire; and the frank, hospitable creature seemed to vie
with her husband in mitigating my sufferings. After the very many hours
I had been almost perishing with the cold, and cramped and numbed with
my chains, I need not say how comfortable I found myself. I supped with
my worthy host and hostess, and next day I breakfasted and dined at
their table.
This day the lieutenant of the _gendarmerie_ of the Strasbourg district,
with another officer, came to interrogate me with respect to my escape,
the direction I had taken, and all the other circumstances of my flight.
I was frank and communicative, and they both were very much astonished
at the sufferings I had endured, and expressed their wonder at my having
been able to cross the bridge of Kehl without detection. They informed
me, to my grief, that Bitche was the place of my destination; and that
at daylight the next morning I should be escorted to that fortress, in
company with eleven Corsican soldiers who had lately deserted from their
regiment at Deuxponts, carrying with them their arms, accoutrements, and
knapsacks. These unfortunate fellows, they added, were all to be shot. I
must confess that I by no means liked to travel in such company; but my
informants assured me, that although they were sensible of the
indignity, and sorry for it, it was out of their power to prevent it,
and that I must submit with patience to my fate. I had only to express
my resignation with the best grace I could assume.
The gaoler, being well aware of what sort of dungeons I should be placed
in during my journey to Bitche, told me he had received only nine
livres--about seven shillings and sixpence sterling,--which was all that
had been handed over to the _gendarmes_ as my property by the Bavarians;
and as my funds were so very low he would demand only two shillings and
sixpence for everything I had received at his table; and he gave the
remainder of my money to my guard, to advance as I might have occasion
for it. I felt grateful for this man’s generosity and disinterestedness.
His was, indeed, the most reasonable bill I ever had paid in France, and
I requested he would take more, as I was certain it must be in
consequence of my reduced finances that his demands were so moderate;
however, he resolutely refused, so I took my leave of him and his
wife,[23] and got into my place, which was by the eleventh Corsican’s
side, to whom I was chained and handcuffed, whilst another chain was
also passed through the whole of the party, which completely linked us
all together. About noon our guards were changed. The brigade that now
escorted us consisted of the most cruel scoundrels I ever beheld. They
placed the chain round my neck, under my handkerchief; and on my
observing to them that it must certainly be their design to strangle me
by putting the chain on so tight, they took in another link, d----d me
for a rascally Englishman, and clapped on an immense padlock, which was
dangling as an ornament under my chin the whole way; they afterwards
screwed on my handcuffs until the skin was literally twisted off the
wrists. They knew my name perfectly, and that I had lately escaped from
my guards.
At night we arrived at Hagenau gaol, and the next morning at daylight
went on our way. We were placed in the same order, with this
exception--the chain was passed over the shoulder and under the arm,
like a soldier’s belt, instead of round the neck. At about five in the
afternoon we arrived at an open town, Niederbronn. The cold was very
intense--snowing hard all day. For our comfort, we were put into one of
the most filthy dungeons that ever mortal beheld, with scarcely room to
turn round, and only a small hole in the door to admit air. The
Corsicans appeared to feel a great deal for my situation; and observed,
“that they ought not to complain, when _a British officer was used in so
horrid a manner_.” They were permitted to go out of the dungeon to get
some refreshments, which the charitable inhabitants sent them; but the
_sacré Anglais_ was not suffered to move; and I had great difficulty to
procure a morsel of food, which was handed me through the air-hole, and
for which they charged double price. This air-hole was so small, and
there was such an abominable smell, that I never expected to survive it.
Two of these unfortunate wretches were seized with an illness, a sort of
cholera, which continued the whole night, and added greatly to the
_mauvaise odeur_ we already had. I never passed a more dreadful night.
At last the cheering moment arrived, which was announced by the usual
sounds--rattling of keys, creaking of doors, bolts, etc. A _gendarme_
presented himself, and, with a gruff, overbearing voice, desired us to
prepare for our march. He had very little difficulty in getting this
summons obeyed; but he told us we must first of all clean out our cell!
“Where is the Englishman?” roared the brute; “let him do that part by
himself!” I was full of disgust and indignation; and advancing boldly
towards him, I resolutely told him that I would not. The fellow was
getting into a furious rage, and I doubted not but that the consequences
would have been serious to me, when, fortunately, the soldiers
interfered, and said that as they had caused the evil, it was but just
that they should clear out the cell. This done, we proceeded on our
journey, in the manner of the preceding day.
The two sick soldiers, though the poor wretches looked extremely ill,
were not exempted from their chains and fetters, although the weather
was excessively inclement, and the heavy snow was drifted in our faces
by a fierce and hard wind. They were evidently in a high state of fever,
and wherever they saw a frozen rivulet they entreated that they might be
allowed to halt, to procure either ice or water; but the flinty-hearted
brutes were deaf to all supplication, and the wretched sufferers were
obliged to eat handfuls of snow in order to allay their raging thirst.
The cruel, savage behaviour of these guards exceeded everything I had
witnessed; and yet I had seen and experienced enough to make nature
shudder. They also accused the poor wretches of being traitors to their
countryman, Napoleon.
At about noon, on the 21st of December 1807, the high turrets and
massive towers of the gloomy fortress in which I was going to be
incarcerated presented themselves to my sight. Their very appearance was
sufficient to strike the mind with horror; and I cannot but believe that
the engineer had this object in view when he gave such outward forms to
his structure. The prospect of being shut up in that detestable
fortress, perhaps for the remainder of my days, could only be relieved
by the probability that my length of life would be shortened by the
nature of my imprisonment. Death itself was preferable to protracted
persecution, and I sometimes devoutly wished to be at rest. In this
train of thought and feeling I proceeded; and so absorbed was I by my
affliction, that I was almost unconscious of any objects or
circumstances around me, until I was roughly awakened from my stupor and
found myself in the centre of the fortress of Bitche.