Memoirs of the Foreign Legion by Maurice Magnus

THE mail department of the Legion was a most irritating institution. All letters received and posted were subject to the censor of the Regiment. I never found out who the censor was, or who wrote "opened by military censor." I heard that Count de R------, on account of his perfect knowledge of English, was called in to interpret my letters for them. The contents of the letters was not treated confidentially, as was evident from all sorts of curious point-blank questions asked me by different officers, which showed me that parts of my letters were not clear to them and they wanted elucidation. The outgoing letters underwent the same inspection. There was a military envelope, which could be had for the asking, in which letters could be posted without a stamp, but then the letter or card had to be put in the letter-box in the precincts of the barracks. I never used the envelope, nor posted my letters in that box, but preferred to pay the regular postage. Even then I heard my letters were not safe, since the small post office was entirely subject to the Legion, so that when my handwriting became known they picked out my letters, and sent them over to the Legion, to have them read before sending them off.

The letters were given out twice a day in the courtyard at the _rapport_, in the morning and in the afternoon. One of the sergeants distributed the mail by calling out the names, and woe to the man who did not rush out immediately at _pas gymnastique_, salute properly, when his name was called, salute again on receipt of his missive, and disappear quickly at _pas gymnastique_. For registered letters and money orders it was different. The name of the recipient was called and ordered to appear at 5 p.m. at the Waguemestre (obviously a corruption of the German word _Wachmeister_). That worthy took his time. Five o'clock was the hour for going out, and so he seemed to delight in being late in his office. If a soldier was willing to wait until the next day, because he had an engagement at that hour, the Waguemestre would get very furious and have the man reprimanded next day at the _rapport_, make him stand in line, and take him by force to his office. But that was not all--in order to receive a registered letter or money order the soldier had to ask his sergeant to come with him and sign for him first, then only could the soldier sign himself. The whole performance took place in a small room, where the other soldiers and sergeants were waiting for their money. The sums paid were called out loud enough to be heard at the other end of the barracks. The annoying part was that not only every one knew what you received, but every one speculated as to how much they could borrow. And woe to the man who did not lend to the sergeant when that individual needed it. He had the best knowledge as to how much you received --and the sums he would borrow were in accordance. Life would have been made unbearable both in barracks and on the _champ de tir_ if you refused him. The power of a sergeant over a soldier is tremendous, and he can create thousands of petty difficulties and annoyances which can break up a man completely. The torture that a man of that stamp can invent is incredible in its baseness and fiendish cruelty.