Kaysersberg 1793

Extract from the diary of Lieutenant Marc Leydet, citizen-officer of the Army of the Rhine.

13 Floréal Year I - This morning, after battalion drill, I received word that the colonel wished to see me in the afternoon. During this meeting, he advised me that he had received orders to detach a junior officer of the regiment to the town of Kaysersberg in the Bas-Rhin, in order to take charge of a small detachement responsable for keeping order in the area. It was only to be a temporary appointement (2 days at the most) whilst the designated officer was on his way from Paris.

Naturally I would have preferred to stay at the camp in Strasbourg for a while long in order to get more familiar with my new military trade, but I believed that this first mission might be the opporunity to get some much needed practical experience, so I accepted the offer. The colonel seemed happy and gave me my written orders as well as some money for my journey.
I now have to prepare my luggage. Seeing that this is a short-term mission, I believe that I would only need a bag and a couple of good blankets. In the former, I place two pairs of woollen stockings and a pair in silk, a linen shirt, my shaving and cleaning kits as well as my diary and writing equipement which I take carry to store in some small linen bags. As for my blankets, I decided to roll them up and carry them over the left shoulder.

From what Hausmann (a brother officer from this region) told me, I would have to go to the market at Strasbourg tomorrow morning and find a wine merchant that would accept to take me with him to the south. I decide to follow his advice as it would certainly be more enjoyable than walking and I would thus be able to sleep alittle longer tonight.

14 Floréal Year I - This morning, I went to the market at Strasbourg in the early hours and managed to find a peasant with a small cart that was heading to Kaysersberg! I was happy to be transported thus, despite the fact that there was very little room and I had to site at the back of the cart with my legs dangling in the air, which was midly uncomfortable when the cart went over a bump or changed direction suddenly. I almost lost my bag on several occasions and, which would have been worse still, was nearly ejected from the cart onto the side of the road.

After going past Illkirch-Graffenstden, Fegersheim, Matzenheim, Benfeld, Sermersheim, Ebersheim, Sélestat, Bergheim, Ribeauvillé and Riquewihr, I finally reached Kaysersberg by the end of the afternoon. I went to the town hall and was made aware of where my troop was bivouacing, which happened to be within a small barn on the heights facing the town. Whilst climbing up the road the mayor told me take to get to my new posting, I remarked that the weather, which had been sunny all day, was now starting to darken and the humidity in the air was such as a storm must surely be on it's way.

And once I saw the barn coming into view, I could distinguish the soldiers that were busy taking care of the fire and of the evening meal. I got closer and instantly took command of the troop, which I immediately called out: The detachement was composed of a corporal and 8 soldiers of the Jemappes Federal Battalion, 3 soldiers of the 7th Infantry Regiment (previously the Champagne Regiment) and a soldier of the 4th Battalion of Volunteers of the Haut-Rhin. Before settling down for the night, I ordered the coporal to make sure the men were ready for a patrol tomorrow morning as I had the intent of patrolling the Crows's Mount, which was known as being a hide-out for contreband in the region.