It all started with a letter from Colonel Terrisse, commander of field
artillery, to Vice-Admiral de Fierce, commander-in-chief of the Western
Mediterranean, prefect of the Maritime reserve, line-officer, and
governor of the fortress of Toulon. The letter in question came in to
Staff Headquarters by the evening mail of Monday, December 21, 1908.
Notice now! That was the twenty-first of _last_ December. It is now
the 20th of January, 1909. Not quite a month ago! It will be a month
tomorrow, day for day. A month! One single month! Gods of Heaven and
Hell!
The Colonel’s letter reached Headquarters by the evening mail--military
headquarters, you understand, not the naval. At Toulon, as is the
case with similar stations, the vice-admiral in command functions
in a double capacity as maritime prefect and military governor. His
residence is the mansion of the prefecture; while his adjutant occupies
the governor’s house. There are thus separate offices communicating by
telephone. The wire is for obvious reasons a private one, independent
of the city “central.”
I was in the officers’ room when the mail came in; and I opened
the letter. Among my duties was that of reading and sorting
the correspondence of the military commander. I was a captain
of cavalry detailed to the General Staff. I was young--just
thirty-three--thirty-three, mark you! And that was less than a calendar
month ago! Four weeks and two days ago, to be exact.
I opened the letter; and read it. It was a matter of no great interest
that I could see. I am going to transcribe it textually, however, for I
can see it right before me now.
_XVth Army Corps_