CLARA BARTON
DIARIES AND JOURNALS
Aug 26-29, 1870JOURNAL: AUG
1870.
ALSACE, FRA
B
1870Alsace France. Ville de Brumalte August 15th 1870.

death with no [?een?g ????] to admiration, and many doubts
of the truth of the story or of the General's courage.

Chalons, where the Emperor now has his headquarters,
is about eighty miles in the rear of the line of the Moselle,
and ninety miles in a straight line from Paris. Metz and Nancy
are thirty miles apart, and each one hundred and seventy miles
in a straight line from Paris. By railroad, however, their distance
from the capital is much greater. The Strasbourg trunk
line (Chemin de fer de l' Est) passes through Nancy and Chalons,
the distance of the former place from Paris being by rail about 
two hundred and twenty miles. Metz is situated on a branch
of the same road, which forks a few miles northwest of Nancy, 
and its distance from the capital by rail is about two hundred 
and forty miles.

When the cable reported some time ago the Ger-
[?] demanded as her ultimatum the dethronement of [th?]Alsace, France - Ville de Brumath August 26, 1870

These days wear very hard. It is not like me nor like my
past to be sitting quietly where I can just watch the sky reddening
with the fires of a bombarded city, and neither have anything to
do in or with it, nor be able to go near enough to see the shells which
set the fires. I never more needed, and missed the presence of
some good brave friend, who had enough of interest and
character to accompany me to the places where I would be.
It seems to me so often that I must return to Berne and
go perhaps from there to Paris - or somewhere where I could
meet one of my own countrymen who has left about
him a little of the old time spirit, and who knows of me.
A little crushed, and a good deal goaded by these desires
I determined yesterday to make such an attempt as
I could to go a few miles nearer the front, - if only for
a night. I know how difficult I will be for two women
strangers, and not speaking the language of the soldiers
they must meet, nor the peasantry either, to go and
pass even one night, near enough to witness anything
of a bombardment, - but in a walk day 
before yesterday. Antoinette and I met the Swiss 
cocher, who was our driver at Hagernau - and
whom we liked very much - he is still driving
his own team, of a carriage very comfortable andone good here which he took with him when he left
a circus company at the breaking out of the war. he had
been the trepearian of the company, and had been
with a verandier through the battle of Hagernau -
Yesterday while attempting to find some one who had
courage enough to go ten miles nearer to Strasbourg
(perhaps I should say eight miles for I think ten would
take one nearly to the guns) Antoinette from the window discovered
our Swiss cocher again. It took her but a moment 
to bring him up to our room, and we engaged him to come
and drive us some days, staying where we would, and going
from point to point as we could; returning to Brumath
at night if we chose . he engaged to come next morning
at 7 o clock and with joyful hearts we made ourselves ready.
I had only one misgiving, viz, that it seemed too good
to be true. at night we settled our Bills with our friend
M. Lapp and this morning at seven are ready to
take our departure. The impression however was strong
with me that our cocher would not come - others 
might over persuade him, or he might dread to go
in the direction of the bombardment  - we waited
until 10 --11 -- and gave up all hope of seeing him. Still we
could at least walk a few miles in that direction and
if we found an opportunity to ride we could accept it.

and if we found an opportunity to remain any where all 
night we could do so. it seemed our duty to make what
effort we could to learn what was being transacted, and
the manner. still we dreaded the Prussian Officer & soldiers
At 12, we packed our little hand satchels, took a meal
of cold meat & bread and a few hard? boiled eggs and
set out for our walk. The wind was strong, and the day
cold, for summer. it was a good October day for New
England - we walked on perhaps 3 1/2 or 4 miles, and sat
down for a little rest and lunch-- this over we went on to
the Village of Vendenhime which must be between five
and six miles from Brumath. it being nearly half way to Strassbourg.
 Here we called on Surgeon Schoerer, a relative of
the Mr. Crafts of Hagernau who posted my letter -  he spoke no
English, but desired us not to go farther, as we should soon find
it dangerous, and it would be perhaps impossible for us to get any
farther. We had a pass from the Mayor of Brumath. The
Doctor advised us to ask lodgings at a cafe across the street
we did ask at two cafes but everything was full. there were
4000 soldiers in the village. we walked on through the town
and commenced to ask at private houses if we could be
lodged for the night but every house had its quota of
Soldiers. - finally we turned onto a smaller street, and
made one or two inquiries, and decided if we could getlodgings soon. to return to Brumath, before dark - but
just at this moment the clouds grew dark and drip
of rain commenced to fall.  - a little ahead of us we
saw a middle aged German woman half way out
of her window looking at us. We approached and
as well as we could asked her if we could remain
in her house overnight. She shook her head. She had
but one room and two children; The rain began
 to come in larger drops - and in an instant the wind
commenced to sweep all before it. fortunately the house
was directly between us and the wind and we were quite
sheltered. The one door of the house was on the side
and the rain was dashing at it, and in an instant 
the gutters were full and the water was rushing out of the 
path which lead to the door. As if the rain were not
sufficient to satisfy the fury of the elemental rage,
the hale commenced to rattle as pitilessly as the rain.
It was not to be thought of, attempting to reach the door -
and the good woman reached a little wooden stool
down from  her window which was half a foot above
our heads, or rather our eyes. and stepping upon this I
made a spring and landed upon the sill of the 
window and was soon in and had drawn
Antoinette in after me. The rain was not of

long duration, but the streets were flowing with'
water which would have rendered them almost impassible
for the next hour - The woman still explained
 that she had no other room, but should be glad
 to have us stay. As her husband was somewhere in the work
of the Army. Our arrival was soon known through
all the neighborhood, and the women, each with a
baby in her arms, and two or three children following her
commenced to flock in until the one room was
almost as densely crowded, as the "East Room" at 
a levee. Among them was one rather young woman -
(with a baby) who said she had a room for us which
had a bed in it, -we could stay there - and she had
called a girl who spoke french to tell us so, but in
the mean while a man who spoke French had also
 entered, and he made known to us that the woman  
in whose house we were would share her two beds
with us. which in any case was a relief. for we were
 both frightened with a very reasonable fright I think
at the eyes of the woman who was anxious to have us
stay in her house - The expression of her face was
 something wonderful - She might perhaps if well
dressed have been called handsome - but such eyesthey were larger and darker than any eyes I had ever 
seen, and at times there was a fire in them which was 
little less than the redness of a flame, her hair was 
black. and hung neglected about her shoulders, her 
head had some kind of cover, but her body had 
only a thin cover of calico, revealing a chest as broad
and deep as that of any man.  That woman was
altogether too powerful to be trusted, by unarmed strangers -
and at once we accepted the offer of the woman who had taken
us in from the storm, we could see that the woman with
us Antoinette designates her "with the bad eyes" was not
at all satisfied with our decision, and the fire grew brighter
and redder - finally she turned and left, and returned
again, the others looked us over and over as if we were
beasts escaped from a [?], or rather confined
still and could not harm them.  But one by one
they left and this gave us an opportunity to look
about our quarters, which until this time we could
not see any more than "Jonathan" could the "town
of Boston" and for the same reason -
    The room was probably sixteen feet square, with the
window at which we had entered, and another on
the side which the door was, which door did not
open directly into this room but into a sizable entry

beyond it;  There of course were French windows
upon hinges, swinging each way like folding doors -
and fastened by little buttons to the [?] center
piece.  Under each was a long narrow wooden
bench perhaps eight feet.  There were two other short
benches, one which had assisted us in and another
a little longer.  These constituted all the chairs and
sofas of the house - on the side which had neither door
nor window stood two beds - one a real bedstead with
calico curtains straying about it - the other a board
box, filled with straw and an apology for a linen
sheet spread over it, with more holes than sheet,
a checked blue sock filled with straw for a pillow and
a couple of bundles of feathers which answered to the
name of the European "duvet", no other covering of
any description, and such filthy rags, one could
scarce find in the streets of a clean city - The other
bed was no more clean, but perhaps a little
more like a bed, a little to one side of the
center of the floor stood a large high box
stove with an oven in one side.  There was in
in the corner between the windows a table two feet
square, "a light stand" in reality; in the corner
where the two long benches came together were a fewjars and cups & bottles, and on a shelf over the
head of the straw bed was a short-shelf with a few 
dirty dust-covered bottles & jars; This comprised 
every article of use & comfort in the room; there was 
neither cupboard nor chest, nor drawer of any description, 
the few rags which were not in use were thrown 
with a few old shoes under the long benches, 
We had not been long in the house before Antoinette 
whispered, I begin to feel the "piece", "I too" was my reply -
there was a fire in the stove, the woman set into her 
stove oven an earthen pan with a cover containing some 
rice & water and left it to cook - in an hour or
 less she took it out and setting it upon the little 
stand, uncovered it for their supper. It was 
partially cooked, risen up like a custard and
white. The woman, her little girl of ten, and
her boy of 13, I should think, drew around the
stand which to accommodate them with seats
must stand in the corner of the benches. The 
little girl took the exact corner. The woman 
one side the boy the other, both having to reach 
a little awkwardly to come at the table. The little 
girl in a loud draulery and yet hurried manner
made the lesson of the evening devotion, a repetition

of perhaps two minutes in length. this ended 
each took a knife and commenced the supper
 from the dish in the center of the table, they said
little but eat all, leaving the table when there
was no more for them. No one removed the empty
dish. The children went out to look at the fires
of Strassbourg, and the mother leaned out of her 
window and fell asleep. She then sat down by 
the fire and dozed, meanwhile the woman with
the bad eyes came and glared in at the window &
had with her a young peasant-lad. who also looked 
at us, and then exchanged significant glances
with her. They continued their investigations for
some moments and left; her house was directly
opposite ours and had curtains, ours had none-
I scarce need add, that our suspicions were fully
aroused, and that one felt that robbery if not - 
murder was abroad, We felt the full danger of
our position, we could be brought to almost any
harm, and no one be the wiser, and there was no
one to care, or to look for us, and with all these
soldiers, constantly changing, and the village
in utter confusion, no one would be held 
responsible. I saw it all in a moment. I hadwitnessed the interchange of expression and seen
but not heard the private conversation of which I knew
we were the subject.  It was too late to trust ourselves
to the road to walk towards Brumath, there was no
one to apply to, there was no way but to do the best we
could, and meet whatever should arrive as well as
possible, we saw that the window could be no security,
and especially as the front one had a broken
pane just by the side of the battens, a hand could
open it as well from the outside as the in. - Our
resolution was soon taken, to not upon any account
sleep at the same moment, but watch alternately
the night through:  we knew that there would come
a moment when both of us must be awake -
- we could not quite make up our minds in
relation to our hostess, what she knew, and
what she did not know, what she would do
and what she would not do - she still dozed
in her chair; at length she roused up, and
in reply to Atoinetts inquiry, which bed we
should occupy, pointed to the box of straw. 
We had taken our satchels across to it and 
were standing by it, when five or six rough looking
soldiers entered, and approaching us demanded

in rough tones of German, which we could only
imperfectly understand, "What we were doing there"
We informed them that we could not speak "Dutch"
and asked for some one who could speak French - 
one replied, and then the burden of the conversation
fell upon Antoinette, who with all her native grace
gentleness and sweetness informed them how we
came to be there, that the rain had caught us, and
that we were to return to Brumath next morning
This "being interpreted," meant nothing at all
to the stiff Dutch corporal, who insisted that we
could speak German, and that we were spies
and demanded our pass.  I gave him the pass
of the Mayor, had we other papers, Oh yes, &
we handed the papers of the International Committee -
had we others - "Yes" and I handed him my
American Passport - this was in English and 
no one could read it, but that big spread
Eagle looked as if it meant something, and
he gathered them up and informed us that he
should take all the papers to his captain.  The
uncurtained windows revealing that something
was going on drew a crowd of neighbors andother soldiers to see what it might be.  I demanded
my right to be taken to the commanding General
as a suspected person, this they would not do only
after reference to the Captain, who in their opinion was
little less than the Grand Duke of Baden himself - so
I permitted the taking of my papers and waited in
sullen silence, on the long bench with the little table
in front of me with on which was still the supper
dish, and one tumbler in which poor Antoinette who
was half sick had taken some water, not the most
efficient remedy perhaps for cramp in the stomach -
but it was the best she had, -  While things were thus
a sixfoot two inch, 250 pound bully of a soldier
entered, much more than half drunk - he had
a large cloak thrown over his shoulders in the
Spanish style, and wore a sword heavy enough
for William Wallace - which dragged and clanked
upon the floor, and with boots above his knees
he advanced directly to me, evidently in his
drunkenness taking me for the mistress of 
the saloon - as he could divine no other attractn
for so many soldiers, - Stopping in front of me
he extended his hand, which I was not in a


frame of mind to take, and declined the honor
appearing not to see it - he then shook hands with
the soldiers around and turned again to me - addressing
something I could not comprehend -
but he picked up the empty glass, flourished
it pushed it toward my face, and set it down -
- talked a great deal of bully lingo if I might
judge by the tone among his comrades and
then approached the 'Old Gal" again, picked
up the glass and pushed it again towards me
- this time I put away both the glass and the
hand in a way that he understood, and I
think they must have explained to him that
I was not the 'Gal" of the house - and could not
fill his glass, - He stood and looked at me a
moment, placed his hand upon his sword, drew
it with a quick angry motion, gave it a little
whirl in the air, brought it into position with
the palm of the hand or inside of the wrist uppermost -
pointed it directly at me and advanced, he brought
it up until the point of it rested just in the center
of the chest perhaps four inches below the chin
and held it there pinning me to the wall, as my back
was already against the side of the room - I madeno motion whatever, did not raise a hand, but
after noticing the position of the point of the sword
I looked him directly in the eye, he returned my
look, still keeping the sword against my heart
no one in the room moved, or appeared to breath
it was still as death, of some ten armed soldiers
not one had the courage or care to sieze the sword
arm of this villian, I did not look at them.  I
only heard that they were still, finally after the
space of about half a minute of this tableau the
performer slowly drew back his sword, looked at
it and at me, and at length returned it to the
scabbard with a clash which could have been
heard across the street.  I then looked at the
faces of those standing by, they were like so many
ghosts - ashy white, and poor Antoinette, seemed
like a peace of paper, her lips precisely like the lips
of a marble statue.  She could say nothing, but
rose to her feet, and fell back again, at length
the silence was broken, and after a few minites
the occasion growing too grave, and quiet for the
tastes of the brave chaevalier he threw the folds of
his tiara over his shoulder and strode out of
the room, with all the grace of a drunken Knight.

Shortly after this the corporal returned with
the astonishing piece of information that my
"papers were all right", and that I was free. -
Antoinette showed them her badge from the International
Committee", in French of course, which they
did not at all recognise, and it was worse than
nothing, still they concluded to relinquish the
claim upon her, and we were both left to ourseles
- Our old landlady had meanwhile lain down
herself and put her children to bed.  We were
weary, and Antoinette was half sick, and we decided
to betake ourselves to our box of straw bad as it seemed.
We had drawn a breath of relief upon the departure
of the soldiers from whom I did not expect further
interruption, and hoped that their entrance and
prolonged visit might have so far consumed the
night, and directed so much attention to us as to
render us safe from the mal intentions of "Bad Eyes"
and her accomplices.  Still we were by no means
certain of this, and would watch our windows as
intended.  We had been lying down perhaps 20 m.
when Antoinette whispered me in a fright, "There
is a face at the window.  I sprang up and there sure
enough it was, a man's face close against the glassWe waited quietly an instant, and another appeared
with a segar, the red end of which gleamed out in the
darkness  in an instant I struck a light, and
awakened the old woman from her almost dead
Slumber.  But the light revealed that the battens 
had been turned through the broken pane, and
the window was wide open.  I sprang to it in tine
to see three men, and recognized them as soldiers -
- Soon the woman approached the window and spoke
to them, when to our disgust the fellow who had been
our interpreter, the French speaker appeared at the window
and asked what was the matter.  Antoinette explained
to him that our window had been opened
by some one.  he volunteered his protection - could
not however think it could have been anyone
but proposed to come in and lie on the floor
to protect us.  Poor frightened Antoinette caught
at the idea and revealed it to me in grateful exultation
but to her astonishment, I replied that
we could dispense with his protection, and
that if he attempted to enter that room I would
kill him if I could - he looked puzzled and
astonished, tried to laugh, and asked what we

intended to do.  I replied "stand there all night
and defend ourselves as well as we could," if any
one attempted to enter some one would be hurt. - 
He saw that we were in earnest, and then the rascal
raised up the shutters from the ground and hung
them in place on the windows, and said very
respectfully, "Close these ladies and you will be safe"
We remembered then that while we were waiting
for the return of our papers, he had left the room
for some five minutes and returned, the miserable
scamp had in the meantime dislodged the shutters
and placed them on the ground, knowing that
the old mother was to much asleep to miss
them, we did close them, but expected each
moment to see them raise off the hinges and open on
the wrong side.  But we had done our work better
than we expected, and succeeded in instilling into
the minds of these brutes something like a feeling
of respect, which compelled them to keep their distance,
and although we watched until the day streaked
the horizon we were not further disturbed.  The old
mother was an honest friend to us and having
made all her bolts do their work at her doors
laid down in her cloths to be ready to come to our aidAt 5 o'clock a succession of loud knocks were heard
at the shutter, and after a time the old mother did
what neither of us would deign to do, she rose and
threw one of them open, and here stood our French
Protector:  We had seated ourselves at the table by our still
burning candle, and sat in full dress as he had left us the
first time, the previous night:  his first glance was one of astonishment -
the next, of shame, and regret - "You have
not sat there all night sure":  no reply -  Is it possible
you were afraid of us."  "No, not afraid of you, nor a whole
regiment of paltroons like you, but prudent, and determined
to protect ourselves."  He was mortified, came creeping
in like a sneaking dog, tried to talk.  Antoinette spoke with
him enough to hear and reply severely to his regrets.  I
would not deign a look at him.  The others followed one by
one, all ashamed, but when they came in and seated, I
left the room, with my best air of contempt, and remained
at the door, while Antoinette arranged for our departure with
our Frenchman, who insisted upon seeing us out of the
village, it was necessary to learn if a pass would be necessary,
and Antoinette accepted his services, he was
completely saddened and nonplussed by our reserve, and
evidently felt that he had terribly mistaken his customers -
- the others wore the same look, and when we were ready to

leave, and I returned to the room where they sat looking at
each other, while the old mother took her coffee which we
utterly refused to partake, and dropped franc after franc with
her hand, while she persisted in having nothing, they all instinctively
rose to their feet, with a manifestation of surprise which
fell little short of fear.  they would have undone the night
before if possible for their own safety.  And if I had been mistress
of German, they would have had good ground for all their fears.
I shook hands with the old woman,  kissed her little girl -
and looked at the band of cowards who stood before me as
I would have looked at so many blocks of wood, and when
they raised their hats, I turned on my heel and left them
without a nod.  We passed on with our Frenchman for a guide
- passed some office which assured us that we were free to return
to Brumath, when I left him as I had left the others -
but meanwhile he had exhausted his French in regrets to
Antoinette for all the proceedings of the evening previous -
and said they had all been so frightened by the drunken
sword, that they had never dared to speak of it, but they
did speak of it the night before, for one of them related it
to the corporal on his return, repeating with his [swor] cane
the position of the sword at my breast.
      We found the same cold drizzling weather of the dayBrunath:  August 27 - Saturday

before, stopped at a house for a shower to pass, and soon
after resuming our walk, a wagon with a driver and a
Prussian Soldier passing, stopped and asked us to ride
we accepted and were returned safely to Brumath at 10am
We found here as usual the wildest rumors, one that the
French Army was nearly destroyed before Metz, and the Prussi[?]s
were within a day of Paris - which city was being deserted and
left for a fortress.
My observations of the people, and my acquaintance
with the military as it came upon me, one thing after another, in the
place of raising my interest in the success of the cause - or the especial
termination it might find, diminished it, I had less love for them
all, and cared less what happened to them.  I contrasted so
vividly in my mind the [manly] character of our intelligent troop
manly, resolute, and chivalrous, with these trained paltroons -
who fight because they are commanded to, and dare not do
otherwise, but without a particle of personal honor or humanity
and no moral courage, and the more I reflected, the less respect
I felt for the Army, and the less love for the individuals.
How will I recollect the moment that I sat with the long
sword at my heart the thought that paused my brain -
That there was a land where a hundred thousand
soldiers, as much braver than he as he was braver than

Brumath. August 27-28. --

a baby, if they could see that tableau would spring to their
feet to fell him to the earth, there were soldiers who would
not suffer harm or insult to come to me, and here I
blessed God for the good true love he had placed our
hearts one for the other, and that of four years of unarmed
unprotected life among them in their wildest and most
irresponsible manner of [life] living there was never one moment or
one circumstance of which this miserable conduct of
these Prussians at Vandenheim was a reminder.
I remember a few acts on the part of the upstart officers
which were not agreeable, but God be praised that of all
those vast armies of Soldiers there is not today in my memory
(and I remember all,) one that is not sweet as the odor of the
lilly in the dewy summer night, and beautiful as the
rich red roses of June modestly hiding themselves in the tall
green grass at the garden door of the old childhood home - and
the tears that will come, and will fall as here in this strange
land I think, and write are not bitter, not regretful,
but the ever swelling tribute of my heart, to the thousands
who sleep in their little green beds - and the thousands
who live to guard still the land they love.
With all these memories I can richly afford
the night at Vendenhime, and that something like
sympathy return for the miserables about me.-Brumath August -29- Monday -

Having covered so many pages with complaints
of soldiers, it would seem well to change the subject -
but this day opened with something more in the same
line.  Madame Rang, one of the German Americans
from Detroit who are here, was accosted and most rudely
assailed with disgusting language by a Prussian Soldier -
while standing on the steps at M. Lapp's house.  She is
of Prussian birth herself, and could not remain quiet
under the insult, and with hot blood struck the half
drunken creature in the face, he returned the blow -
- when she drew her slipper from her foot and struck
him between the eyes.  A comrade of his made complaint
that a woman had beaten a soldier, immediately
a guard fully armed arrived, and arrested Mrs Rang
who accompanied them to the city Hall.- All her American
friends, her husband Mr. Lapp, &c &c - were also in the
train, the case was heard, decided in her favor, &
the soldier remanded for punishment of some kind - 
His miserable apology was that he didn't know
that she was a married woman, if he had known
she had a husband he should not have presumed to
insult her.  This is a beautiful specimen of that very moral or
even physical courage of which I have before spoken, if the

wretch had known that she had any one equal in
strength to himself to protect her, or resent her wrongs, he
would "not have presumed to insult her."  There is
manliness and courage to the hearts content, beautiful::
I thanked God that the woman had lived in a free country
long enough to dare defend herself -  "Woman needs no
rights - man is her natural protector."  Heaven save
the mark - and hasten the good work in America, that
a little of the leaven fall into this dead old lump of
European dough.  If that woman had been raised in
Europe she would no more have dared to resent the insult
of that miserable drunken soldier - than she would have
dared to fly in the face of the Almighty - and only the
American citizen ship of the Rang's enabled them to
achieve anything like a success in the Military court - 
to which they were summoned - if she had been a woman
of Brumath, she would have been punished, and her
husband sent to the trenches, and the soldier sustained
in his outrage.-  Ah: Europe, you are not yet out of
the shadow of your dark ages. - grope away at your
art in the darkness - mend up the broken arms & heads
of the old burried sculptures - worship a marble goddess
of some unnumbered century ye classic Lords of creation -
while your living women do the work of horses, and receive in silence and withoutredress the insults of your drunken braggarts in the streets-


names prepared for the Record to send specimen papers to
Mary E. Norton
Vera Stone
Judge Hale-
Edmund E Barten
James S Nason
Mary E Woodworth
Rev. Wm. Ferguson
Samuel R Barten
Col. J.R. Hinton
James S. Terry
Jerry Larned.First CAB Journal
Edmund & [Barton]
[Mrs.] Sarah B. Earle
Hon. RS. Hale
A.N. [Bertram]
Mrs. [J.D. Cage]
B.N. Childs
[Chass Wortin]
Hen. E.B. Ward
[Sent.] J.J. [Edwell]
Rev. ? Ferguson
John B Cough
Frank B. Brown
Frank Barton