The Clemens Family collection features several letters
written by Fritz Von Versen to his cousin Mary Clemens, of St. Louis, Missouri
between 1914 and 1919. Von Versen’s mother was Baroness Alice Clemens Von
Versen. Alice was from a very prominent St. Louis family and was a cousin to
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) and granddaughter of John Mullanphy, the
philanthropist. Alice met Fritz’s father, Max Von Versen, a General in the
German Army, while on holiday in Europe. They were married and Alice moved to
Germany where Fritz was born.
Fritz Von Versen was Captain and Eskirmchief in the body
guard Calvary, Husar Regiment. He had command of 140 horses, 70 men, and 13
lieutenants. In the letters, Von Versen described his experiences on the
front lines. The letters are very enlightening and describe the War from a
German’s perspective. It is for this reason that the letters have been selected for
digitization by Over There project staff.
Below are excerpts from a letter dated September 22, 1914.
Dear Cousin! As you
know we are in war. I am in France near
Reims. We are astonished that France and
Russia could begin a war with such troops.
The french artilleries is very well drilled. But that’s all. I was at
first at its german belgium frontier with my squadron to guard the arrival of
the troops and had there heavy fights with the frontireurs. As these reported the french government has
sent man with money, military rifles and munition. The people even wifes shot
from behind out of windows, trees, walls, cellars etc. I saw wife which gave a
glass of milk to a medic and another one cut his throat with a rasor when he drink. So a I could tell you many histories of cruelty. We were obliged to bring all these before a
court martial.
Germany nothing to do on Sunday. We defeated the french army and followed her very quick on the next days. We put to prison many. The french fleeed without order till France. What a fight with french infantries which tried to come out of a village. My men were on a little hill and fired with her caraline. The French lost many men and don’t come out. Later on the same day I helped with to catch a big belgium bagage. The french troops on her flight treated very bad the inhabitants and pillaged them so that on our arrival we were saluted as deliverers. The houses were terrible devastated, You can’t believe how it looked. Not a thing on its place. All drawers on the earth beside with bottles, bread, pictures books, robes etc. ....It is astonishing that in french newspapers the french always are victors and the english and the Russian too, but we everyday come nearer to Paris and into Russia.....
In the letters, Von Versen was very critical of the Allies
– especially their use of African soldiers from their colonies.
However, he was not much kinder to the Russians and Kosacks who he addressed later in the letter:
The Russians have
plenty of men but these are very fearful and stupid. The patrols are never less than 30 men. The Kosacks
are no soldiers, only murders and robbers. They behaved in germany like the soldiers
some hundred years ago. Even the
Russians fear them. In Germany the treated dreadfully the wifes and girls and
killed and burnt all. Therefore they are
killed where we can and we gave them never pardon especial as they kill ever
prisoner cruelly since the begin of the war, theyfore always glad
if they are prisoner. The russian people don’t like the war and to fight....
In his last letter, dated December 8, 1919, Von Versen described his final experiences in the German Army. He had been a commander on the Poland frontier. Von Versen closed the letter by explaining to his cousin Mary that he was no longer interested in war but now was only interested in learning to farm.
Clemens, Mary Cornelia. Clemens family collection (1737-1954). Missouri History Museum.
