Millet to Stoddard: June 24, 1877
Letter 21: Letters of Frank Millet to Charles Warren Stoddard: May 10, 1875 - January 3, 1900
Oltenitza, June 29 [1877][1]
My dear Chummeke: -- A letter from Paris just received tells me that you
prolonged your stay there as, indeed, I hoped you would for a week or two longer
than you named when I left. I wish you were there now – and I also for that
matter for it is rather dull just now. I have seen two battles and thirst for more
and where the Turks send only a half dozen shells this way every day it gets
monotonous. Human nature is incomprehensible, it adapts itself much too easily
to circumstances. Within two days after arriving in [page 2] a bombarded town
one gets discouragingly familiar with the situation and ceases to look up when he
hears a report. We are having a disagreeable species of Guerrilla warefare (sp)
here. The lines are very close and a great number of outposts on each side keep
up an almost continual rifle popping so that it is dangerous to approach the
batteries and even rather unpleasant to stand on the edge of the town and watch
the shooting a quarter of a mile away. I got out of it in a hurry once when I heard
the “zip” too close. The division General a favorite officer here was wounded that
way only two days ago. The Turks potted him in the shoulder.
[Page 3] Success in this kind of journalism is difficult. I was the first to get
through a description of the battle & crossing at Galatz. I hope you read it in the
Daily News. Great fun! I crossed over to Matchie with the soldiers and gobbled
up a whole share of the booty…I am quite warlike now. You wouldn’t know me.
White Russian cap, light grey uniform coat with silver buttons, riding breeches
and tall boots with spurs. Immense get up! On my left arm I have to wear a
gorgeous decoration of the Russian colors in silk (Black, yellow & white) with the
double headed eagle and the word KoRRECNOHAEHTB (correspondent) and
the number of my authorization No 42 worked I silver and gold bullion. Most
stunning effect I assure you.
[Page 4] I am spooning frightfully with a young Greek here – Oltenitza. He is a first rate fellow. I shall leave here tomorrow morning probably for Gingevo
where things are now lively and I shall post this there because there is no mail
from here until the Monday next. Give my regards to Miss Hardy if you see her.
To Wetherbee and all the rest. I am at work some for the Graphic so you may
unwittingly admire some of my illustrations – who knows? Write me, that’s a
good boy and direct care of American Consul Bucharest
With much love
Yours always
Francesco
(In a hurry of course)[2]
Next: Letter 22: Millet to Stoddard: May 7, 1878
Notes
- ↑ Olteniţa is a city in Romania in the Călăraşi County on the left bank of the Argeş River where its waters reach the Danube through a network of streams and marshes. Oltenita stands just across the Danube from the Bulgarian city of Tutrakan.
- ↑ At this point, letters from Millet to Stoddard drop off dramatically and his next letter is more than a year later.