THE DRUM-HEAD MARRIAGE
That same day, about four o'clock in the afternoon, the two generals
were bending over a large map of the department of the Lower Rhine.
Charles sat writing at a little distance from them, dressed in a
becoming coat of dark blue, with pale blue facings and collar, and
wearing the red cap of the staff secretaries. This cap was what he had
found in the package referred to by the general.
The two generals had just decided that the following day, the 21st of
December, the troops should pass over the curved line which divides
Dawendorff from the heights of Reichsoffen, Froeschwiller and Woerth,
where the Prussians were intrenched; these heights once carried,
communication with Weissembourg would be cut off, and Haguenau, thus
isolated, would be compelled to surrender. The army was to march in
three columns, two to attack in front, and the third, traversing the
woods and uniting with the artillery, to attack the Prussians on the
flank.
As fast as they arrived at each decision, Charles wrote them down and
Pichegru signed them; then the division commanders, who were waiting in
another room, were called, and each departed to rejoin his regiment, and
to hold himself in readiness to execute the order he had just received.
While they were thus engaged, word was brought to Hoche that the
battalion of the rear-guard, having been unable to find quarters in the
village, refused to bivouac in the fields, and showed signs of
insubordination. Hoche asked the number of the battalion, and learned
that it was the third.
"Very well," he said, "go and tell the third battalion for me that it
will not have the honor of sharing in the first attack," and he calmly
continued to issue his orders.
A quarter of an hour later four soldiers from the mutinous battalion
entered, and, in the name of their comrades, asked the general's pardon,
and requested permission for the battalion, which was about to bivouac
on the spot indicated, to march first against the enemy.
"That cannot be," said Pichegru; "the battalion of the Indre deserves a
reward, and they are to march first, but you shall be second."
The last orders had just been issued when an organ-grinder began to play
the first strains of the "Marseillaise," "Allons enfants de la patrie,"
beneath the general's window.
Hoche paid no attention to the serenade, but Pichegru, at the first
notes of the organ, listened attentively, then went to the window and
opened it. An organ-grinder was persistently turning the handle of a box
which he carried in front of him; but as darkness had set in, he could
not distinguish the man's features. On the other hand, as the courtyard
was full of persons going and coming, Pichegru probably did not care to
run the risk of exchanging a word with him. He therefore drew back, and
closed the window, although the tune still went on. But, turning to his
young secretary, he said: "Charles, run down to the organ-grinder. Say
'Spartacus' to him, and if he replies 'Kosciusko' bring him up here. If
he makes no reply, I have made a mistake, and you can leave him where he
is."
Charles rose and went out without asking any questions.
The organ continued to play the "Marseillaise" perseveringly and
Pichegru listened attentively. Hoche looked at Pichegru, expecting some
explanation of this mystery. Then the organ stopped suddenly in the
midst of a measure.
Pichegru nodded smilingly to Hoche. A moment later the door opened, and
Charles entered, followed by the organ-grinder. Pichegru looked at him
for a moment without speaking; he did not recognize the man.
The person whom Charles had brought into the room was a little below
medium height and wore the Alsatian peasant's costume. His long black
hair hung straight down over his forehead, and he wore a broad-brimmed
hat. He looked about forty-five years old.
"My friend," said Pichegru to the musician, "I think this child has made
a mistake, and that I have no business with you."
"General, there can be no mistake in a watchword, and if you have any
business with Stephan Moinjski, here he is." With these words he raised
his hat, threw back his hair, and drew himself up to his full height;
and, save for the hair and the black beard, Pichegru saw before him the
same man with whom he had talked at Auenheim.
"Well, Stephan?" asked the general.
"Well, general," replied the spy, "I know nearly all that you bade me
find out."
"Then put aside your organ and come here. Listen, Hoche; this is some
information in regard to the enemy. I am afraid," he added, turning to
Stephan, "that you have not taken enough time to make your search very
thorough."
"I do not know about Woerth, because an inhabitant of that town has
agreed to give us information about it when we arrive at Froeschwilier;
but I can tell you all you want to know about Froeschwiller and
Reichsoffen."
"Go on."
"The enemy have abandoned Reichsoffen, in order to concentrate upon
Froeschwiller and Woerth. Having learned that the junction of your two
armies has been effected, they have concentrated upon those two points,
which they intend to defend to the utmost. These two positions, which
have excellent natural fortifications, have been covered with fresh
works; intrenchments have been dug and bastions and redoubts have been
erected. The enemy, both at the bridge of Reichsoffen, which they intend
to defend as well, and on the heights of Froeschwiller and Woerth,
number about twenty-two thousand men, and have thirty pieces of
artillery, five of which have been detached for use at the bridge. And
now," continued Stephan, "as your first attack will probably be made at
Froeschwiller, here is a plan of the ground occupied by the enemy. The
force under the command of the Prince de Condé occupies the village. I
have no grudge against these men, for they are French. Once master of
the heights, you command the city, and consequently it is yours. As for
Woerth, I promise nothing as yet; but I may say I hope to show you how
to take it without a struggle."
The two generals examined the plan, which was made with the accuracy of
a skilled engineer.
"Upon my word, general," said Hoche, "you are fortunate in having spies
who are capable of becoming officers of merit."
"My dear Hoche," said Pichegru, "this citizen is a Pole; he is not a
spy, he is revenging himself." Then, turning to Stephan, he said:
"Thanks! you have kept your word, and amply; but your work is only half
accomplished. Will you engage to find us two guides who know their way
so thoroughly that they could not lose it, even on the darkest night?
You will walk near one of them, and you will kill him on the first sign
of hesitation on his part; I will walk near the other. As you probably
have no pistols, here are two." And the general gave a couple of pistols
to Stephan, who received them with mingled pride and joy.
"I will find guides to be depended upon," he said, with his customary
laconism. "How much time can you give me?"
"Half an hour; three-quarters at the outside."
The pretended musician shouldered his organ, and turned toward the door;
but before he reached it, Faraud, the Parisian, slipped his head through
the opening.
"Oh! I beg your pardon, general; upon the word of a sergeant, I thought
you were alone," he said. "But I will go out again, and knock gently, as
they used to do in the days of the old tyrant, if you wish."
"No," replied Pichegru; "since you are here, never mind; come in." Then,
turning to General Hoche, he said: "General, let me present one of my
braves to you. He is afraid of wolves, it is true, but not of Prussians;
he took two of them prisoners this morning, and it was for that that I
had those stripes put on his sleeve."
"Heavens!" said Faraud. "More generals! I shall have two witnesses
instead of one."
"May I remind you, Faraud," said Pichegru, in that kindly tone he
adopted toward his soldiers when he was in a good humor, "that this is
the second time that I have had the pleasure of seeing you to-day?"
"Yes, general," replied Faraud; "days of happiness do come sometimes,
and days of ill-luck at others; there are times when one simply can't
help turning trumps."
"I suppose," said Pichegru, laughing, "that you did not come here merely
to talk transcendental philosophy."
"General, I came to ask you to be my witness."
"Your witness!" exclaimed Pichegru. "Are you going to fight a duel?"
"Worse than that, general; I am going to be married."
"Good! And to whom?"
"The Goddess of Reason."
"You are in luck, you rascal'," said Pichegru; "she is the prettiest and
the best girl in the army. How did it happen? Come, tell us all about
it."
"Oh! it is very simple, general. I do not need to tell you that I am a
Parisian, do I?"
"No, I know it."
"Well, the Goddess of Reason comes from Paris, too. We are from the same
_quartier_. I loved her, and she did not repulse me when the procession
of the 'Country in Danger' passed with its black flags and its rolling
drums. Then citizen Danton came to our faubourg, saying, 'To arms! The
enemy is only four days' march from Paris.' I was a carpenter's
apprentice, but all this upset me. The enemy only four days' march from
Paris! The country in danger! 'Faraud,' I said, 'you must repulse the
enemy, you must save the country.' I threw away my plane, caught up my
gun, and went off to enlist under the flag of our municipality. The same
day I went to the Goddess of Reason, and told her that, as her sweet
eyes had driven me to desperation, I was going to be a soldier in order
to get finished off quickly; then Rose said to me--her name is Rose
Charleroi--well, then, Rose Charleroi, the same as used to take in fine
washing, said to me: 'As truly as there is but one God, whom they are
going to dethrone also, from what I hear, if my poor mother were not
sick, I should enlist also!'
"'Ah! Rose,' said I, 'women do not enlist'
"'Yes, they do,' she replied, 'as vivandières.'
"'Rose,' I answered, 'I will write you once a fortnight, to let you know
where I am; and if you enlist, enlist in my regiment.'
"'Agreed!' she said.
"We clasped hands, embraced each other, and away went Faraud. After
Jemmapes, where my regiment was cut to pieces, they put us with the
volunteers of the Indre and brought us up the Rhine. Whom did I see six
or eight weeks ago but Rose Charleroi! Her poor mother was dead, and she
had been chosen as the best and most beautiful girl of the _quartier_ to
be the Goddess of Reason in some celebration or other, and after that,
upon my word, she kept her promise to me, and descended from her
pedestal to enlist. I attempted to embrace her. 'Idle, lazy fellow,' she
said to me, 'not even a corporal?'
"'What would you have, Goddess? I said to her; 'I am not ambitious.'
"'Well, I am ambitious,' she said; 'don't come near me until you are a
sergeant, unless it be to get something to drink.'
"'On the day that I am a sergeant will you marry me?' I asked.
"'I swear it on the flag of the regiment.'
"She has kept her word, general. We are to be married in ten minutes."
"Where?"
"In the courtyard, under your windows, general."
"And who is to marry you?"
"The drummer of the regiment."
"What, a drum-head marriage?"
"Yes, general; Rose wants everything to be regular."
"Excellent," said Pichegru, laughing. "I recognize the Goddess of Reason
there! Tell her that, since she has asked me to be her witness, I will
give her a dowry."
"A dowry, general?"
"Yes, a donkey with two barrels of brandy."
"Oh! general, it is your fault that I don't dare ask anything else of
you."
"Tell me what it is, anyway."
"Well, it is for my comrades rather than myself. The day ought to end as
it began, with a ball."
"Well," said Hoche, "as the second witness, I will pay for the ball."
"And the town-hall will do for a ballroom," said Pichegru. "But you must
tell them all that the ball must finish at two o'clock in the morning,
as we are to march at half-past two; we have twelve miles to go before
daybreak. You are warned; those who wish to sleep may sleep, and those
who wish to dance may dance. We will witness the marriage from the
balcony; when all is ready we will know it by the rolling of the drums."
Intoxicated with all these promises, Faraud hastened downstairs, and
soon the buzz of preparations could be heard in the courtyard. The two
generals, once more alone, definitively arranged the plans for the
following day.
One column, which was to start at once, under the orders of Colonel René
Savary, was to make a forced march, so as to reach the village of
Neuwiller, back of Froeschwiller, about noon. On hearing the first
firing they were to march upon Froeschwiller, and attack the Prussians
in the rear. A second column, under Macdonald, was to cross the Zeuzel
at Niederbronn. The two generals were to march with this column. The
third was to make a demonstration at the bridge of Reichsoffen, and
endeavor to carry it. If it was impregnable, the column was merely to
keep the enemy busy while the other two columns turned the enemy's
position. This third column was to be under command of Abatucci.
These arrangements were scarcely completed before the rolling of a drum
informed the generals that they were needed to complete the
wedding-party, and they lost no time in showing themselves upon the
balcony.
As they came out, a tremendous cheer was raised; Faraud saluted in his
own peculiar manner, and the Goddess of Reason became as red as a
cherry. The whole staff surrounded the couple. It was the first time
that this singular ceremony, which was afterward repeated so frequently
during the three revolutionary wars, had taken place in the Army of the
Rhine.
"Come!" said Faraud, "to your post, Spartacus."
The drummer, thus adjured by Faraud, got upon a table, before which the
bride and groom placed themselves.
There was a long rolling of the drum; then Spartacus cried in a loud
voice, so that no one present might lose a word of what was said:
"Listen to the law! Whereas, it is not always possible in the field to
find an official with stamped paper and floating scarf to open the doors
of Hymen, I, Pierre-Antoine Bichonneau, called Spartacus, head drummer
of the battalion of the Indre, proceed lawfully to unite in marriage
Pierre-Claude Faraud and Rose Charleroi, vivandière of the twenty-fourth
regiment."
Spartacus here interrupted himself by rolling his drum, which was
imitated by all the drummers of the battalion of the Indre and the
twenty-fourth regiment.
Then, when the sound had ceased, he said: "Draw near, you who are to be
united in matrimony."
The couple came a step nearer to the table.
"In the presence of the citizen-generals Lazare Hoche and Charles
Pichegru, the battalion of the Indre, the twenty-fourth regiment, and
any one else who happens to be present in the courtyard of the
town-hall, in the name of the Republic, one and indivisible, I unite you
and I bless you!"
Spartacus executed another roll of the drum, while two sergeants of the
battalion of the Indre held a banner, intended to do duty as a canopy,
over the heads of the bride and groom; after which Spartacus resumed:
"Citizen Pierre-Claude Faraud, you promise your wife protection and
love, do you not?"
"The deuce!" said Faraud.
"Citizeness Rose Charleroi, you promise your husband constancy,
fidelity, and a little mouthful to drink now and then, do you not?"
"Yes," replied Rose Charleroi.
"In the name of the law, you are married! The regiment will adopt your
numerous offspring. Wait now; don't go away!"
A rolling of twenty-five drums was heard, which ceased suddenly at a
sign from Spartacus. "Without that you would not have been happy," he
said.
The two generals applauded laughingly, and nothing was heard in the
courtyard except cheers and hurrahs, which gradually gave place to the
clinking of glasses.