Thomas Bugeaud, On March to Austria, 1805

“My Dear Love,

I only rested one day at Strasbourg  we crossed the Rhine, and made forced marches that have wearied us very much. We depart very early every day, and do not stop till night. The entire army marches with the same vigor, and our little man [notre petit homme, i.e. Napoleon] leads the ship with astonishing speed. Good feet are need to keep up with the activity of his mind. You can judge of the speed of our march when you know that we have gone eighty leagues [~400 km] in a week, a great deal for loaded troops; for besides our packs we also carry on our backs all our campaigning kit - kettles, canteens, picks, spades, etc.

I am absolutely tired out, and cannot imagine bow the body can endure such constant fatigue. Again, if we had but a good bed when we get to our quarters; but not a bit of it, we only have a little straw, and even that after three or four hours delay. So we frequently  have to simply lie in the open round a fire. Hunger is another tyrant. You can imagine whether ten thousand men coming into a village can easily find anything to eat. What distresses me more is the annoyance of stealing from the peasantry; their poultry, their bacon, their firewood, taken from them freely or by force. I do not do these things, but when I am very hungry I surreptitiously tolerate them and eat my share of the stolen goods. All this plainly shows that hitherto I have only seen the rosy side [of the war].

But do not suppose that I am wanting in strength and courage to bear these evils, though I do seem to express disgust. On the contrary, I endure them with patience, and try to fill my place honorably. I assure you I will die or distinguish myself. I am most anxious to win the [Legion d’Honneur] – I only want an opportunity… Do not be surprised if I do not write you for a long time, perhaps two months.

Adieu, my dear Sister,

Your brother Thomas, 3rd Company, 4th Battalion, Imperial Guard, Grand Army.

[Thomas Bugeaud to Phillis De La Piconneree, Augsburg, 18 Vendemiaire, 1805, in Le maréchal Bugeaud, d'aprés sa correspondance intime et des documents inédite, ed. Henri Amédée Lelorgne Ideville (Paris, 1881), I, 70-72.]