Honor and behavior to the civil people

XIXth century art of war was not possible to perform without engaging civil population. mostly it concerned problem of providing food and lodges for soldiers. Even if there were gathered some storages while multi-thousand armies were moving from place to place they could not provide proper amount of food because of distances difficulties in transport. It was the reason why they used storages of the local population, their housings, courts and attached buildings, which were turning into temporal soldiers lodges.
Accordingly to memories of Paweł Fądzielski, the captain of 1st regiment of Polish-Italian Legion: our life is not so expensive for us, because we do not pay to anybody; it is the fashion, that I like very much. Even if the route of march was along territories of friends it was possible to expect some enthusiasm but it was very rare situation because of the fact that it mainly meant lost of food storages, livestock or even material goods. In case of the march along territories of enemy there happened much more difficult cases, when whole population of village was escaping to the wood carrying everything that might had had any value for soldiers. Problem of lodging and supplying food for the army was problem of life or death. Even if soldiers was having food for several days they might left it during the march as difficult to carry. The effect was easy to predict while the route of march lead along regions of poverty and army was faced up with disaster. Officers corps of Army of Duchy of Warsaw was conscious with the problem, that relationships with local population was both the problem of higher rank and it was straightly connected with private interest. As the effect of this fact relationship between the army and local population was treated together among other factors that had influence on sense of honor. In this point the problem had belonged anymore longer to the private understanding of officer but to sense of honor of whole army and at the same time to sense of national honor.
Opinion about Poles was point of interest up to such a level for officers corps that they had not resigned any opportunity either to show understanding of honor or to defend it. While the staying of Polish Lancers of the French Imperial Guard in French village priest was describing to Józef Załuski his sense of being moved with the fact of displaying his holly persons wit. Załuski settled him down into arrest even if his deed was not enough reason to passed sentence. When the harmed person found out about the punishment came to ask about the acquitation for the soldier. Załuski replied: Dear Priest, You was telling me that polish soldier had made annoyance to you, Priest and yours appreciation as you have in the village. This deed is not so small accordingly to my understanding as the polish soldier and catholic at the same time. This made me sure to punish this deed with severity for example to others.
In another situation one of the soldiers of the 7th regiment of lansiers was accused of the rape on one Spanish girl. Colonell Jan Konopka in one moment organized assembly of regiment and asked women do indicate the man that had been responsible for this fact. It turned out that responsibility for this deed did not belong to any Pole but to French. the source of misunderstanding was because of similarity uniforms. French was shot in several whiles. On the other hand colonel Konopka asked to moving his regiment under command of marshal Soult because of the fact that general Sebastiani named Poles as robbers and rappers before the moment of solution of problem.
While the staying of those Polish Lancers of the French Imperial Guard in Bordoux they were also accused of steeling the parsimony of whole life of his host, where they had his lodgment. There was quickly started investigation, that brought solution quickly. Sack with money of French was hidden in dung, which was dig by the horses and the sack moved into another place. The sack was given back publicly to the French, which was asked about how much values he had stored inside. The amount of money inside was much more higher than was ment by the French. So it was the reason that was publicly claimed that Poles added some money in gratitude to the hostage.
All this efforts, which were done around the good name of Pole were done in purpose to gain good opinion among local population. The intention was neither because of the need of lodgment, nor supplying fodder for horses, nor supplying food for troops. While soldier had been either wounded or not ready to service he stayed among local population under their treatment. In case his behavior was good and he left good opinion he could count on the help of local societies. It was not easy to gain good opinion. Memories of Poles are here clear. In first several moments local population treated Poles without any sympathy. The reason of this fact laid in the opinion claimed by the French. Kazimierz Tański reporting the stay of Poles in Rome 1798, when inhabitants were panicky afraid about Poles because of opinions claimed by French people, who had defined Poles as wild and cruel people. Quickly legionnaires were recognized. They were given the estimation and even there were started friendly relationships.
Piotr Wierzbicki recalls similar event on Santo Domingo, where in the beginning polish captives were treated equally as French, that meant very cruelly. The reason was, that French were telling to Negro that Poles are barbarians, who eats human bodies. As it was before and there on Santo Domingo and as well in Spain people recognized Poles as not barbarians but on the contrary in comparison to French their behavior is better and more soft in terms of relationship to local population.
Interesting description of supplying food for the troop and associated with this problem moral dilemmas was left by the Michał Jackowski, lieutenant of cheval artillery. When in campagne 1812 he had reached some rich village, he told: My brother, we were not responsible for because we were to do what we had been told by older man; They also had to maintain the army. We were given orders to take all that we could find of food and fodder in yours village. I did not intend to do so, because all of you with your families had to live. But on the other hand here is sixty homes. I was asking you as Christian .... He was asking about a lot of things, but what he underlined the village was rich. As a consequence of such a request, which was expressed in understandable language for the host and from Christian position, he was given everything even with the blessing of the host. What is interesting, that when the whole food and fodder was brought to the camp chief of battalion Truskowski accused Jackowski of leaving peasants needed goods and took money using this for his private interest. Mister Chef - was telling Jackowski - I had not been in Spain, where many soldiers robbed, but I could not be vile. For this accusation I might have answered in the future. We did not know if the duel was performed. But if we can trust into relation there were lots of effort to treat local population in humanitarian way. But on the other hand there must have happened some other examples of treatment local population without the mercy. We can not say that polish soldier have never robbed nor did bad deeds. But from these relations we can build constant rapport.
After the conquering the stronghold of Gaeta there happened robbery of local population, that was done not only by French but also by the Poles. There was claimed the assembly by the use of horn so that to stop robbery and find responsible persons. There was needed only one look of eye to identify robberies, because Poles were covered with the different kinds of food. Despite to this fact there was performed personal examination. In this moment French soldiers shouted that this might blame soldiers honor(!). It was not possible to persuade to Dąbrowski not to do so. In first French ruck-sak there were found jewelry and liturgical cups, liturgical monstrance and other things.
In other time during the march of Polish Lancers of the French Imperial Guard in France they were accused of theft of all the poultry that belonged to the chef of the place in one of the towns. Personal examination did not bring any solution and Polish Lancers of the French Imperial Guard were released. After the moment there was possible to hear clucking, crowing and cackling. It turned out that some soldiers had hidden poultry under their caps, which was taken so funny as they were not given any punishment. It seemed that some cleverness was some how added feature of soldiers and because of this officers corps was not turning its attention in such a situation only in case if the purpose was to supply food for the troop.
Regular soldiers, that were recruited from lower classes of the society they received as behavior at home moral norms, that were difficult to replace. Marcin Smarzewski, lieutenant of the 8th regiment of infantry recalled some prisoner, who tried to escape from the prison (which was organized in the old powder magazine) by cloak channels to Vistula river. While the escaping prisoner was captured and was asked why he had tried to escape, he told: Obviously the best way to escape was this one, where no one was chasing and the way was the best known from others. - How it is the best known for you? Had you worked in channels? - Yes, I had worked many times. Had not it been dishonor? - How could you villain use honor in discussion? You thief!
There was no place for a flog type punishment, where both soldier was lead by sence of honor and who know by this way his own dignity. In case he blamed his honor he was sentenced by his own troop. Such a court was horrible because soldiers they did not have any mercy in treating colleague. They chose the judges among themselves. While the verdict was given in to chef he must have soften it many times. In case of desertion there was capital punishment while it had happened during the war. While it had happened during times of peace deserter was kept in chains. Transgression against subordination was punished in various ways - from arrest up to the death, what depended on the scale of the deed. Robbery was punished by chains, for a drunkard there was used streaming water on the head of him up to the moment of getting conscience. For smaller acts of crime was either several days of service or several days of guard service or standing for several hours with full armament in a front of guard house or finally march at the back guards. If there was blame for the whole troop he was sentenced either to wear their uniforms converted on the internal side up or to serve instead the others. Nevertheless the most horrible punishment was the court of the troop.
Specific problem in honorable code of officers of Army of Duchy of Warsaw was relationship to the ladies. Clean uniforms, proud soldiers silhouettes and surly some appreciation represented by the officers was gathering a lot of ladies. It made hearts of them to pay attention on the officers. Despite to this fact there was visible among the officers marvelous estimation to ladies, some kind of distance and respect. It was of course made also at the same time by the social status of the officers. If he was associated among upper social classes he could not let to shorten expected distance. It was the reason for some kind of friendly help that was realized by the probation by his friends the possibilities of his private attitude by the side of particular lady. It could be treated as funny situation while Józef Jaszowski took the mission of encouraging beautiful miss Klementyna Kicińska to randez-vous with his friend Józef Bem. Pervasive miss had not given any chance to Józef Bem, but successfully made Jaszowiecki fall in love with her, whom he married. Accordingly to this what was claimed by Jaszowski that however there had been several times probes of "separation him from the Sweety" every it had been executed in friendly way and with lack of effects.
Henryk Brandt recalls certain incident, in which there had take part in mail role two lieutenants: Lasocki and Lewandowski. That last one was trying to imitate his beloved lady and was sending to Lasocki letters, in which he (trying to imitate) informed about feeling to him. Lasocki met this seniorita(the event took place in Spain) and seemed to be idiot (he told about the letters from her, what she did not know). While the truth was relieved to him and authors of joke admitted to theid deeds Lasocki called Lewandowski to a duel. There was quickly made intervention: Lasocki was settled down in arrest and Lewanodowski was moved to Sedan, where was main depot of their regiment. As a humoristic consequent of this solution however there was lodged protest by Lasocki he rejected to shake hand with his interlocutor and told: both we could not live on the earth. Both of them had to promise that without expected permission they would not start the duel.
Women in officers life was certain difficult burden while the service was sending him in various places of Europe and guaranteed only not stable fate. From "beautiful sex" I was escaping with determination because of the fact that fathers who keep daughters, which both were close to become fiancé and who may attract feelings and young man to their homes were trying to gather and they were chasing for future sons-in-low. However it was hard to stay I reached victory. To be young and to serve at the same time in army, and what more get married is big nonsense. However contacts were understood as social events there was nothing against to made military existence much more pleasant. Everything was performed in boundaries of certain fixed by rules of honorable code, which demanded to lead relationships with women with delicacy.
Jaszowski recalls situation from June 1814, while he was standing with his regiment in St. Dizjer at certain married woman. He was rather careful with the problems of feelings, but while he was constantly being attracted he finally fall in love with her and confessed it to her. She was only waiting for such a confession of young officer: We can overcome ourselves. Tomorrow you would leave this place and I would never see you again. We would rather suffer for this several hours than we might have suffer because of blamed conscience by the crime we could have done. I could see you was the man of honor and yours way seemed to be bright. It is reason had my right to ask you to respect honor of the defenseless lady.
Jaszowski was a man of honor, what did not make him express that she understands lady's appeal as love fable. Despite to duty to her husband she left the doors to her bedroom opened and Jaszowski who wanted to met her for farewell was given fair information about possibility of access to the bedroom. In this moment there started mood of depression inside young officer of artillery. however he was both fighting through whole night and several times was close to leave his honor aside, he had honor of married woman before his eyes. He lasted in his trying up to the sun rise. It is necessary to remember, that in this époque Poles they stood in higher levels of opinion among the nations and their currency was one of the highest. So it was the obvious reason why women were in friendly relationships to them. Method of the behavior in relationship to "beautiful sex" seemed to be also the problem that was defined by honorable code and in this meaning there was no possibility to avoid this rules.
Methods of behavior of the officers was quickly spread to regular soldiers. When the town Chatellerault expressed in address to napoleon accusation of the 7th regiment of Duchy of Warsaw of ravishment of misses of that town, who were accompanying to soldiers. It made offended old veteran soldiers and officers for this deed. Napoleon finished this situation by the statement: Women of this town Chatellerault they are guilty of this fact, because honest ladies would have never accompanied to soldiers and gone along their music at night. In other situation regiment of food the Polish Lancers of the French Imperial Guard met a carriage with two women. When they had noticed soldiers faces of Poles with their moustage they were sure of possible lost of jewelry. After the appeal of regular soldier Michał Żwan made him quiet. The only request was of soldiers was .... to kiss them(!).
This approach to local societies created friendly relationships to our soldiers. This fact brought slighter treatment of captives, better supplement in food and fodder, etc. From time to time there were some quarrels, where there was no possibility neither to answer nor to stop offended soldiers. If happened acts of revenge these were not rare events and surely not singular examples. In Spain there was burned more than ten polish infantry convalescents, that were coming back from hospital in Toledo. Lanciers surrounded the village and burned it with all the inhabitants - without any difference because of the age or sex. When nearby to the village Laguna (Spain) there was killed lieutenant Bigucki the troop of food the Polish Lancers of the French Imperial Guard which had discovered the necked and robbed body, they wanted to burn the whole village and punish inhabitants to death. It was slightly close to lack of possibility to calm down the soldiers. Officers they knew that such a solution might have led only to increase of violence and would have not brought anything.
Not only the murders, that were done on the colleagues, made soldiers angry. During the time of collecting the food the Polish Lancers of the French Imperial Guard found out that inhabitants were calling one of the dogs "Napoleon". The blame of beloved chief and blamed honor of the whole army did not allow to leave the place without reaction. They wanted to burn the village, so that to could give. Once again the officers prevented before public murder by claiming that source of blame was liquidated (dog was killed) and the case seemed to be closed. Very well known is the case of distribution of general Krasiński in Cottbus, where public murder was avoided by the order of harmed person.
All this things indicate that honorable code of officers creates in the filed of relationships with local societies some reserve of different use. However there happened cases that bad deeds were treated as "not noticed", the serious cases were treated without mercy as these deeds were blaming name of Poland and Poles, what could not stay without reaction and rightful punishment. Additionally the harm, that was done to defenseless people seemed to be abominable deed. In such cases honorable code was respecting only rights of harmed people. In relationships with women it was necessary to be the most delicate as it was possible so that ot show oneself as person of honor. In other situation there was no chances to gain appreciation of beloved lady, if she was not married. The relationships with married woman was treated only in understanding of accompanying.

<<< Previous    Next >>>