Summary of the Book

by Dirk Van Doodewaard (1789-1875)

Previously soldier in the great army,
presently store keeper in Opheusden.

A book originally published by
Het Landbouwkundig Gesticht
Montfoort, The Netherlands
1855

translated by Chris A. Van Doodewaard (1942- ) in 2007

Dirk Van Dodewaerd (Van Doodewaard) born 20th September 1789 in Ochten, The Netherlands
Deceased 6th of March 1875 in Opheusden, The Netherlands.

1) Dirk Van Doodewaerd (Van Doodewaard) was the father of Anthonie Van Doodewaard born in 1824 in Wageningen.
2) Anthonie Van Doodewaard was the father of Gerardus Johannes Van Doodewaard born in 1854 in Pannerden
3) Gerardus Johannes Van Doodewaard was the father of Anne Antoon Johannes Van Doodewaard born in 1916 in Amsterdam
4) Anne Antoon Johannes Van Doodewaard was the father of
5)Christiaan Andries Van Doodewaard born in 1942 in Rotterdam.

A Prisoner of War

Short summary of the history of Dirk Van Doodewaard

The French ruled The Netherlands. It was 1810. Young men, who attained the age of 18 became eligible for military service, except if they would be released by lottery. Dirk Van Doodewaard was chosen to serve. He wasn’t worried about that. His only concern was that he would not go and serve in the navy, since he could not swim. He was, after his medical in Arnhem, assigned to the Army. In September of 1811 his long journey started, fighting for the French against the Russians. His group was sent to St. Omer. There training would take place, and from there they would march to Russia. Every soldier was trained to carry 30 kilos consisting of weapons, clothing, and food. The daily march quota was seven hours, with one day of rest after 5 days. A lot of practice was also included in the schedule. Discipline was very poor, and all soldiers plundered to their hearts content. Especially in Poland they ravaged the towns. Napoleons’ armies did not pay their soldiers. In all his years in the army Van Doodewaard was never paid one cent in wages. Soldiers made their living by plundering.

It became bitterly cold, the Russian winter was upon them with a vengeance. Many soldiers never got to see a Russian, but froze to death en route to the battlefield. The “borrowed” horses also did not last very long. They either froze or were eaten. The lively and hard types survived these conditions. And Dirk Van Doodewaard also belonged to this category. The meek and the soft did not survive. Those who were determined to survive, had to resort to crueler plunder. The survivors also learned to march at the head of the column. The Russians habitually attacked the vanguard, because they would make an encircling movement. At Smolkens, approaching Moscow, this also took place. Half of the company of which Van Doodewaard was part was liquidated. Being ahead they only noticed several days later that half the division was no longer there. They were not afraid of the regular Russian army. The Cossacs were the real enemy.
They were suddenly attacked and captured by a large band of Cossacs. The men were whipped and beaten until they were senseless. Then they were chased, herded, and whipped, for many days so that only the strongest would arrive in the prison camp.

On the way he saw long caravans of civilians who were ordered to evacuate their homes and cities for the nearing French army. When Van Doodewaard attempted to escape, he was whipped into unconsciousness.
A second escape attempt did succeed. With another escapee, a soldier from Koblenz, he ravaged the countryside for weeks on end. Slowly more fugitives banded together and stole and raided wherever they could. Closer to Moscow they saw the battlefields with thousands upon thousands of dead, both French and Russian. Since Napoleon was in Moscow he rejoined the French army. The usual way for the army to stay alive was to plunder. Since Moscow was practically empty of plunder, the armies needed to travel an ever greater swath around the city to obtain sustenance. Poor villagers…… Then again their group was captured by a band of Cossacs and farmers. They were again beaten terribly. Even though it was mid winter, Van Doodewaard, with his Koblenz friend managed to escape another time, and life resumed as pilferer and thief. Fresh snow had covered their tracks. When on another day, they set out for plunder again, their tracks were discovered and they were captured once again. However, they had been looting far to the south, where the population had not had any warfare occur. They were seen as common thieves, and per sled transported to Jaroslawa, where they were incarcerated. They were put to work, and were paid 12 cents per day for their labours, the first pay they had ever received since leaving France years ago. They also assisted in helping the authorities by whipping prisoners who needed punishment. Van Doodewaard was soon released for good behaviour, and took a job at a pharmacy as helper. When his employer noticed that he was an escaped prisoner of war, he was treated as such. Because there was nowhere to go, they enjoyed a measure of freedom. He learned to speak Russian fluently and lived like a Russian. He slept in a warm bed, and visited the sauna every week. After sometime, he became assistant to a captured French officer. He accompanied him to Saratow on the Wolga, which had a milder climate in the winter. When the officer had to return, he stayed and worked as worker in the harbour of Saratow.

After the war, when in 1814 there was a general amnesty, prisoners could return to their own counties. He really wanted to stay in Russia. When the last convoy was leaving, he decided to join them after all. The convoy consisted mostly of weak and sickly men who were being transported on wagons. They were escorted by Russian farmers, who maintained strict discipline. Arriving in Koningsbergen they were issued clean clothes. However, the treatment they received from the Germans was much worse than that of the Russians. The Germans used every opportunity for revenge. On boxing day 1814 Van Doodewaard, after a foot journey of five months, marched through Berlin. On the 20th of January 1815 he reached Arnhem. From there he was transported to a collecting camp in Amersfoort. There he met a Dutchman, who like himself, had been imprisoned in Jaroslawa. This man had just signed up to go to Indonesia. He tried to have Van Doodewaard also do the same. Van Doodewaard had had enough. He decided to walk to Tiel. Wearing the shoes he had worn since Jaroslawa he walked into his home town of Ochten. His arrival caused an uproar. They had been sure he was dead. The whole village ran out to meet him and to hear his experiences. He received a hero’s welcome.
(end of summary)