5th March, 1915

35^th letter

My dear Emma,

Forgive me for taking so long to write to you. We changed the village and the result is that we are always busy. These days I am very occupied. You really must say to yourself that I forgot about you, and I do not think of you. Oh! I love you so much darling! I wish I could hold you in my arms and cover you with kisses, and live with you as we did before, but I am far away, in country that became French again only recently. More than ever I feel how much I miss you. Will we meet again someday?

God only knows. I am not going to allow myself to be sad though. It is nice to be able to confide in Him because He is a sure system of support.

I understand that sometimes you have to worry about me, but, as I told you in another letter, it is less dangerous here. So you see that you do not have to stress yourself out as much as you do. I received your letters numbered 40 and 41. What long letters you write to me! You are so kind, but also what trouble you must be giving yourself to do this. In reading your letters it feels like you are right next to me, chatting with me in person. Oh how much I would love to speak with you, but really I do not always have the time and often, during the day, I do not even have an hour to myself. Now it is almost eight o’clock in the night and I will have to go to take care of the Company. Afterwards I will go to sleep thinking about the both of you. Thank you for the treats that you sent to me. I am going to leave you for today and since my letter will not go out tonight, I will try to write you a little more before sealing it.  

Goodbye my darling,

 

I kiss you tenderly,

Reymond

2nd March 1915

8:00 in the night                        same envelope

 

My beloved,

Yesterday I left you suddenly to go to take care of the service. During the day I still did not get the time to hang around as I have to take care of the whole Company in addition to my unit for everything relating to exercise or service. So I do not have much spare time during the day. When I only have half hour available I don’t feel motivated to write. So many times I say to myself that I have abandoned you for too long, but I really have no other choice because of the problems or the inconvenience of being able to write. Today I had great joy. I just received seven letters. Two from you, two from Emma Gourdol from Francillon, one from my sister Emma, a card from Jean Lodie and a letter from Reboulet who is in Villefranche. Your two letters dated the 16^th and 18^th numbered 38 and the one from February 21^st, numbered 39, were real newspapers. I saw so many things in there that I feel incapable of doing the same for you. How happy I am to have so many details about our dear Georges. I can tell that he has grown a lot and that he is getting more intelligent. When it comes to him we both have the same desires. I, too, wish that he gets to know, from an early age, to love the Savior and that he continues to learn how to love him. For now, you are the only one with the responsibility to guide him in that direction. May God give you strength! You told me that you would like to have me there with you, but for the moment I cannot even think about that.

It’s not that I am having any bad thoughts, far from it, but it is just that I have no interest in anything because I see the days going by without there being any change in the world. I know that when God sees fit, He will stop all the killings and all these calamities.

Your last letter cheered me up a bit. You told me that you were sending me lots of mimis, (whatever the railway can carry). Yes darling, you love me very much even if I am far away from you, but where there is love, distance does not exist. Just as it seems to you that you are right here with me, it often seems to me that I am living with you. Sometimes in my thoughts I remember our responsibilities, but often the sound of the cannon shakes off these thoughts from my head and I see myself in the sad reality that I am. I do not want to describe everything that I see to you because it would take too long and would only increase your fears. What I can tell you, though, is that being at war in the mountains breeds fewer deaths than on the flat land. It is a war of surprise. But now we are old warriors, and although this manhunt disgusts me, it opens one’s eye because if we allowed ourselves to get surprised, it would be quite dangerous. To be able to end this, it is necessary to kill if you do not want to be killed. For a few months, the only thing I thought about was this function. This is enough to make anyone long for the coming of the Lord.

But as I told you, I run less risk being here than where I was before. So please do not be too worried about me. Be strong and trust. Recently we were photographed. Soon you will receive my picture I hope. Maybe it will be difficult for you to recognize me. In case any one of us was to fall in battle, we have exchanged addresses so that these photos can be sent to our families.

How happy I would be if I could have you and Georges with me. But I know how difficult it would be for you to give me this pleasure.

You told me that you would be happy to send me something. At the moment I do not needs anything but I thank you very much.

In fact, whenever you send me a package, do not register it because it is no longer taken into account. There is no additional risk of it getting lost if it is not sent as registered mail and it is much cheaper.

If you get a chance you can send me back the box in which I sent you your letters. Fill it only with things that can be well preserved, since it does not always happen that things get to me as quickly as it did the last time.

Even though I am giving you a lot of details, I see that I am unable to fill up my letter.

 

Kiss your parents for me and pass on my greetings to all our friends.

And for you I send lots of hugs and affectionate kisses. I send you lots and lots of them.

Tell Georges to be a very good boy and that one day I will write to him.

Your darling husband,

Reymond

Adjudant-chef 64e Bon de Chasseurs Alpin

7e Cie

Secteur Postal no 141

1st March, 1915

34^th letter 

 

My dearest Emma,

I wrote to you on February 27^th but the letter will surely only leave today. Yesterday I sent you a package containing all the letters that you had sent to me so far. I really do regret having to send them back to you, because then I will not be able to read them again. It was a great pleasure for me to re-read your correspondence, especially when you wrote long letters to me. It is a long time now that I have not received anything, about ten days. I expected as much because whenever we change sector, it always takes a long time to receive the letters and when the mail do arrive I normally have enough for several hours of reading. Since yesterday it has been snowing here and at night it is extremely cold so the snow has been piling up before our eyes. Changing countries also meant a change of climate for us. From time to time we bring out our cantonment to exercise while waiting to go to the trenches, but we have …

… not yet suffered from cold feet, because upon returning we found a good oven and my men do not complain too much neither. Right this minute, as I am writing to you, it is snowing very hard and the stormy wind is howling. I pity those who are in the vanguard[1]. It is true that once in the position then there is always a way to arrange one’s self a bit just to have a little comfort: necessity yields resourcefulness. The purpose of all of this is to know how to act in difficult situations. The landscape of the country is a bit like ours; the mountains are higher and steeper and we do not see a lot of cultivated land. There are virtually pastures, except along the Moselle where there are grasslands. The people are very friendly. One feels that one is surrounded by love. Their dialect is quite similar to ours and with a little added attention, it is understandable. I would like to give you more vivid details about their habits, but I have to leave you for now.

 

I kiss you very strongly,

Reymond

 

[1] Vanguard: Those occupying the foremost position

27th February, 1915

33^rd letter Saturday

 

My dearest Emma,

Having a moment of leisure time I am very happy to devote it to chatting with you. Although there is snow, I do not suffer from the cold. During the day there is just such beautiful weather and at night it freezes so much and the snow almost does not melt.

I am perfectly well, thank God. It is a great blessing, because here those who are sick really cannot be happy. Those who are injured or very sick are evacuated to the back. You have to understand that if they could be easily evacuated, there would be many who would try to do it. You would probably be very happy to know exactly where I am, but it is impossible to specify the location. We can’t give out that kind of information. You must, none-the-less, have some idea of where I am, well more or less.

It is a long time since I have heard from the Orges’ aunt. Did she come to see you? She must be very worried about her farm because her farmer certainly cannot do it alone. If we thought of all these earthly things, we would have a lot of worries. So I beg you, please do not give yourself too much grief over earthly things, but put your trust in the Lord, and He will not forget you.

You see how much we need him, to be grateful to Him for everything that he has done for us. For my part, He allowed me to always emerge unscathed from all the battles which I took part in. Many times I felt like I should have been hit, but it has not happened yet. Then I have always heard from you and that is a great comfort to me. I really hope that you are telling me the truth and that you have never been more seriously ill than what you have told me. You too, you also have to admit that you have been blessed to have always been in contact with me.

May God put an end to this war so that we may all live, once again, in peace. But there is the hope that these hardships are all for the salvation of many and that all Christians may be strengthened.

 

I kiss you strongly,

Reymond

26th February, 1915

32^nd letter          stamp from Le Thillot Vosges

 

My dear Emma,

Yesterday I sent you a very simple card in a hurry to tell you that I changed sector. This sector is now No. 141 instead of 40. I wrote this card in the train. Now we arrived at our destination. We had 27 hours of railways travel in the cars where the cattle are transported. We were packed like sardines. I had never traveled under such bad conditions. We were not cold, but upon getting off the train we realized that we had changed climate. We were surrounded by snow on all sides. There was not much more than 10 to 12 centimeters. The Christmas trees had a magical appearance with their different branches. It was no longer the plain with a sight as far as the eye can see that we had but beautiful mountains covered with trees for the most part. It is the country which, we Alpine, are especially affected by, since during active duty we were trained to climb the mountains. They are not as high as the Alps. We are still far from the line of fire and I do not know if we will stay here long. I am staying with my section of more than 50 men in the hay loft of a small farm. The owner was very kind to me. In exchange of a small fee which I gave to him, he gave me a bed.

I hope that we will stay a few days in this village. Everyone is much nicer to the soldiers wherever we went. The only concern here is cold feet. In the snow it will certainly not be very possible to keep them warm. I hope that I can handle it.

It is almost the end of February, and in a few days spring will return. Can it also bring peace so that everyone can go home? May God’s will be done. With each day comes something new so we should try not to destroy each other. God with His love will take care of us.

As I am writing to you I am in the room of these brave men. They have a large family: seven children, the eldest is a soldier, a young girl of about 17 years, then 5 more which are much younger. The smallest one is one year and two months. When I began my letter he was sleeping in his carriage which also serves as a cradle, but now he is playing with boxes. There is his older sister who is 3 years also playing next to him. This makes me think of my little Georges. Oh! How I would like to see him, if only a few hours, and you also, but alas, that just seems impossible to me. Maybe I will never have that pleasure again here on Earth.

What are you doing up there, are you healthy? I hope that your dad has not relapsed. Is he able to do at least the strictest minimum of work? You must have a lot of work to take care of the cattle and to keep them clean. I ask myself what you are going to be able to do in the spring.

I thought that I had a lot to tell you, and right now I do not know what to say to you. The chatter of these little children reminds me of a lot of things and also brings back distant memories.

For the next few days I will certainly not receive anything from you. Because we changed countries, this will surely delay the mail.

I told you in one of my letters that I would return all the letters that you had sent to me to you. The parcel is ready. I am just waiting for the opportunity to do so. And about the money order, I will not be able to send it before the next 7 or 8 days.

 

I am going to end my letter by kissing you very strongly and squeezing you through my thoughts against my heart. Kiss our Georges many times for me.

 

Your affectionate husband,

Reymond

 

My card from 25/2 is not numbered. I forgot to insert the number, so it is the no. 31

22nd February, 1915

30^th letter   Monday       sector 111

 

My dear wife,

You must be so concerned about receiving so little new for me. Forgive me for not doing it as it was quite impossible for me. Up until this moment we have been in the trenches and guard duty was hard. In six days, I slept eleven hours exactly, and still I did not fall asleep with an easy mind. The neighbors we had in front of us did not give me much confidence.

They had to be watch closely. The first few days, we had a bit of a clearing in front of us which allowed us to see them coming, but at nights it was very dark. This made guarding them very difficult. It was only by listening very carefully that one could monitor their approach. The last few days we were in the brushwood so you could not even see 20 meters ahead of you during the day and, at night, barely the tip of your nose. In front, the trees have been cut down, either with an ax or with shell bombs and it is yet another pitiful thing to see. Branches and trunks are all over the ground. All this formed a complicated network which protected us somewhat against our neighbors in front of us (the Germans). They could be heard moving around on the ground just a short distance from where we were but they could not be seen.

Despite the fatigue and sleepiness, those who were on watch did not fall asleep. Everybody did their duty.

There was as much food available as when we were at rest, but the only inconvenience is that it was not as hot, and sometimes while passing through the trench that connects where we were standing guard and the place where the food is cooked, it gets mingled a little with the earth. You may think that it is impossible to circulate in the open countryside.

The area where the kitchens are is several miles to the back. The trench where it is passed is very narrow with the bottom at about 35 to 40 centimeters, a height of about 0, 55 meters and it is about 2 to 2.30m deep. So you can imagine how hard it is to walk with a pot in each hand. We are forced to walk sideways. Currently, we are resting so you can tell that the bad days are spaced out. We are resting and I have almost caught up on the sleep that I was missing. In a few days we will be heading back to the trenches again to allow the others to get some rest.

I received your last letters: number 37 which is dated 16/2 and a card numbered xx and also dated 16/2. Thank you very much for all your letters. I just regret that I could write you a longer letter as there was not enough time. I feel like I have so much to tell you, but for fear that the letters get opened due to censorship, I hardly know what to say. I do not believe that what I just told you is wrong as it does not indicate the movements of the troops.

My dearest wife, how often I think about you, how I want to see you and chat with you in person. But the Lord has other plans. We do not know his thoughts. We have to trust in Him because he knows everything that we need and He does everything for the good of those who love him.

Do not be discouraged. Maybe soon he will bring us together again.

When you write to me, please write your address in a corner of the envelope so that if something should happen then the letters would be returned to you more easily. Let’s hope that this never happens.

Is your father completely healed? And does your mother suffer at all? Our little Georges must be with them very often. He must be pattering around and having fun. Doesn’t he dislike the cold?

You told me in your last letter that Lydia from Bonnets came to see you and you had a long talk together. So many things you have to tell each other, but surely your conversation could not have been a very happy one. You must both feel the emptiness that we have caused because of our absence.

In a few days, if I am able to, I will still send you a postal order of fifty francs, because I do not want to keep a large amount of money with me. I prefer to send it to you. I am not depriving myself of anything. I am doing wonderfully and I don’t need anything.

Dearest Emma, ​​I do not know anything interesting which I can tell you about. I will do my best to write to you soon. You will also receive a package containing all the letters that you have sent to me. I am very sorry to part with them, but they are starting to pile up on me. Whenever I have the time to reread them, it is a great pleasure for me.

 

Goodbye my darling, I kiss you tenderly and cover you with caresses.

 

Your husband who loves you very much,

Reymond

19th February, 1915

29^th letter 

Dear Emma,

You must be longing to receive news from me. Luckily I had warned you ahead of time that I could not write to you for a few days. We are now at the forefront. Our trenches are pretty good. They are quite resistant to the enemy’s bombs and gun fire and we have very few deaths. On-the-other-hand, our artillery has caused serious loss to the Germans.

You must be wondering how I sleep. Well, we do not sleep much because we are only 150 meters from the Germans so it means that we have to sleep with one eye opened. Don’t think that we risk more here than elsewhere. Between their trenches and ours, there are barricades. There is no way that they can surprise us.

What is really annoying is the mud, but as there are certain trenches that are less in the mud, we exchange between companies. In fact, we will change today. I will tell you more about it one of these days. Our sleeping areas are dug in the ground approximately 2 or 2.50 m deep. These “rooms” are only 1.30m tall, so you see… I have to stoop quite a bit. The roof is made of tree trunks covered with earth. It’s not very dry. In order to move around, there are ditches which are 2m to 2.50 m deep, which means ​​that we never get to go to the surface.

 

Goodbye darling, I am healthy and I kiss all of you tenderly,

Reymond

 

I received your 35^th letter dated February 12^th. Thank you.

16th February, 1915

28^th letter  Muret

My beloved,

I am taking a few moments to send you a couple of words. Yesterday I received two letters from you they were numbered 17 and 19. I thought that number 18 was lost but now I have received your card, number 18, as well as a letter from the Orges’ aunt and a long letter from my brother. What a joy it was for me to have received your poetry and so many details from you. It really comforts me. But I am begging you please do not give so much of yourself for me, you are too good.

I’m very happy that you are not sick. You can believe me when I tell you that I am not either. Now I’m completely recovered from the fatigue that we experienced. I am fairly well housed. I still sleep on the hay, but I can take off my shoes and my weapons; and there we are not afraid of the shell bombs as we are quite far from their reach. We can hear the canons alright, but there is no risk. It seems that we are no longer at war. But alas, it becomes clear quite quickly that we left acquaintances and friends on the battlefield. I am thinking about Durand and Pourret. Oh how their wives will be tested.

I shudder for you that you would receive such news. That is what distresses me the most and not at all on my own account. You spoke to me about Ms. Argaud. I agree with you. If her husband was on the front line he would not have been allowed to go to her. I Hope that God will allow us to see each other again. Oh! It is good to trust in Him and to know Him. Yes, darling, we can see evidence of his goodness. He fills us with his blessings despite our imperfections. May He allow us to walk with Him until the end.

Farewell my dear little wife. I am going to leave you for today and I kiss you very strongly.

Your husband who thinks about you and who loves you very much,

Reymond

P.S. I forgot to tell you that I have been promoted one grade up from today. I am now Chief Warrant Officer. It is a status that did not exist when I was on active duty. In another letter I will tell you about the benefits which I will get from this.

Always use the same address.

14 February, 1915

27^th letter

My darling wife,

I have just received your letter from February 10^th and your package as well. Thank you very much, and thanks to your mom as well for all this trouble that you have put yourselves through. Please thank her for me. It could not have arrived a better time. Tonight we will leave for four days in the trenches and there the food is more or less taken care of, so I am happy to have this. But, on the other hand, it makes my bag heavier. It is already quite heavy just like my back pack. I already have my linen and my food supplies in it. I will be staying four or five days without seeing the food that I would have been able to distribute.

I like having something to eat with me because here you never know what can happen. I will give you the details of what I carry with me.

For my personal belongings in my bag, I have three pairs of socks, a sweater, an underwear, two handkerchiefs, a flannel shirt that you had made ​​for me and another which has a similar form but which is larger and doubled all over, a scarf, a balaclava which I also use as a night cap, a pair of felt soles to put in my shoes, a celluloid false collar, a tie, a towel – the one that I brought with me from home, a clothes brush, a small box where I put grease for my shoes, two pairs of laces, thread, needles, some wool and a large needle to repair my socks as needed, buttons, a toothbrush, a bar of soap and a comb for my beard or hair, because I have a big beard now.

I don’t think that you would recognize me. I have two batteries for my flashlight. Most times I still carry one or two candles with me so that I can have some light in the camps, because there I am not able to use my electric lamp as it would be too expensive. Each battery costs from 1.25 to 1.50 francs and each one lasts for up to 10 hours. I have been using it since I got it which is about one month ago. I normally use it upon arrival in a camp to find my way around, or if I want to get through a difficult passage because you simply press a button and immediately you have light. It serves me very well. In my knapsack I still have paper to write on. Right now, I also have the sausages that you sent to me in there, and I must have nearly one kilogram of chocolate and 3 boxes of pâté (canned). You must think that I am very well stocked up. On the outside, I carry a cloth coat that everyone in the troop wears, a foot cover and my rubber cape.

In addition to that, I have a musette in which I put my bread, a plate with an aluminum fork and spoon, and my quarter (or glass). I have a potbelly, and added to all this I have my weapons and binoculars / telescope.

So you see, being so well equipped, I do not risk being deprived of anything. Once something runs out, I replenish it whenever I have access to my chest, or I simply buy it if I do not have it in my reserve. So far I have always been able to keep a supply for myself, I do not want for anything.

From time to time I receive your kind and long letters. I thank the Lord for all these privileges. Yesterday I received your letter numbered 33 and dated February 7^th and today, number 34 from February 10^th. It was a great pleasure for me to read the poetry that you copied for me. I took note of the verses that you put in parentheses. Oh! Darling, in these times of distress it is good to have a guide who can take us by the hand and lead us. I will move on now to my comrades who are my Company. There’s one that takes care of my needs. Before January 12^th I had another Christian friend, but alas, he remained in combat and I do not know if he was taken prisoner or killed.

It is so great to find someone here with whom one can talk about the things to come, we encouraged each other. I can tell by your letters that sometimes you are worried, but please do not allow yourself to be absorbed by the things of the world. Ask the Lord to help you in everything, and He will give it to you. Maybe one day he will allow us to meet each other again here on Earth.

But if we are not granted this privilege down here, think of the happiness that He reserves for us next to Him. Nothing can compare to this happiness.

My dear Emma, you gave me a lot of details about what you are doing and this makes me happy but do not tire yourself out too much because of me. As you know, you need to take care of yourself.

I am not going to comment on each detail that you have given to me because that would take too long. But as long as you know that I have received all your letters and I always reread them many times, so they do not tire me out as you fear.

Always tell me what is going on with you, if you were sick. As for me, I will not hide anything. I have not had anything serious so far. During the week from February 5^th to 10^th I felt some pain in my knee and in the joints of my left hip. Sometimes it would wake me up two or three times during the night. During the day I felt nothing. Now I do not feel anything anymore and I think that it is completely gone. I never coughed and have not had a cold since I have been here. If I had had something I would have told you so you can be at ease with regards to me.

These days, yesterday and today, there were some raindrops so, once again, we will have mud.

We are so accustomed that we don’t pay attention to it anymore. At the same time that I received your letter, I also got a card from the Baudys dated February 9^th.

When you see them please say hello to them as well as to all our friends.

 

Goodbye darling, I kiss you very strongly on both cheeks and give you many hugs.

Your husband,

Reymond

 

PS I will write to you whenever I get a chance, but it is possible that I will not be able to do so for 3 or 4 days, because it is not very convenient the trenches.

10 February, 1915

26^th letter

My dear Emma,

Today I will not be able to write to you for a long time because it’s already a little bit late. I wrote to my sister Emma and before going to bed I could not help myself but to chat for a few moments with you.

What would I not give to be able to spend some time with you, but alas you are far away. I constantly think of you. I always wonder if you’re sick or not. There are also days when I feel a little discouraged when I see that after all of this we are still in the same position. I remember everything that you did for me and to please me. Also how much do I love you? So much more than you could possibly think. I ask the Lord to bless you and help you to endure all these trials. Yes darling, be very courageous because God can allow us to meet each other again, we are in his hands. He can protect us anywhere. Yesterday I learned that, in the village where we are, there is a Protestant chaplain, but I was not able to see him and, since we are leaving tomorrow, I will certainly not be able to see. I regret that very much. If I am writing to you today it is to tell you that my address has changed a bit. Now you need to include:

Postal Sector No. 40 instead of No. 43.

For the Battalion and the Company it remains the same.

I kiss you tenderly,

Reymond