Stanzel Family Tree

13 Jan 2019

Continued from article posted on 9 Jan 2019

'The method of conscription in those days was a bit crude, carried out by the recruiting officer
who came to your home. If you had sons eighteen years and older, they were obliged to reach
into a leather pouch , which contained white and black balls. If you drew a white ball, you
stayed home. If you drew black, you were in the Army. If  the Army was in need of more
recruits, the Officer removed some of the white balls, thereby the chances of staying home were rather slim.
  There was no medical checkup in those days. Joseph was trained in the Infantry and later was
sent on a march into Russia in the fall of 1812. Napoleon's objective was to capture  Moscow
before winter set in. Heavy skirmishes were met along the way delay the advance of the troops.
Rain, snow and freezing temperatures set in causing further delays. In the meantime, seeing
Napoleon was determined to capture Moscow, the Russians adopted a scorch earth policy and
burned Moscow to the ground, leaving nothing but rubble and ashes. [This is probably not true].
By  now it was late fall and winter had set in with heavy snow and sub zero temperatures, which
was a heavy blow to Napoleon's Army as they were now on severe rations. As a result they had
turn back, floundering thru deep snow and bitter temperatures, forced to eat anything to keep
alive, rabbits, squirrels and meat from horses that had died on the road in, anything to keep
body and soul together'.

This is part two of this story and will be continued shortly.

Jim Stanzell      jim.stanzell@sympatico.ca