04 - In the Field. In the Field (1914-1915) by Marcel Dupont.

04 - In the Field. In the Field (1914-1915) by Marcel Dupont.  
I have merely tried to make a written record of some of the hours I have lived through during the course of this war. A modest Lieutenant of Chasseurs, I cannot claim to form any opinion as to the operations which have been carried out for the last nine months on an immense front. I only speak of things I have seen with my own eyes, in the little corner of the battlefield occupied by my regiment. 

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter four of In the Field nineteen fourteen nineteen fifteen.
This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by f n H. In
the Field nineteen fourteen, nineteen fifteen by Marsele DuPont, Chapter four,

(00:25):
Chapter four the Dual Gone Affair. On September ninth, at
about eight o'clock in the evening, our advanced scouts entered
Montigney les Conde at the moment when the last dragoons
of the Prussian Guard were leaving it at full speed.
Our pursuit was stopped by the night, which was very dark.
Large threatening clouds were moving across the sky, making it

(00:47):
impossible to see ten paces ahead. Whilst the captains were
hastily posting guards all around the village, whilst the lieutenants
were erecting barricades at all the outlets and setting sentries
over them, the quartermasters had all the buns and stables
thrown open. With the help of the inhabitants, they portioned
out as well as they could. The insufficient accommodation among

(01:08):
the men and the horses of the squadron. In each troop,
camp fires were lighted under the shelter of walls so
that the enemy could not see them. What a dinner
we had that evening. It was in a large room
with a low open roof supported by small beams. The
walls were smoke blackened and dirty. On a chest placed

(01:28):
near the door, I can still see a big pile
of russ and loaves thrown together anyhow, and leaning over
the hearth of the large fireplace lit by the wood fire,
was an unknown man who was stirring something in a pot.
Round the large table, a score of hungry and jaded,
but merry officers were fraternally sharing some pieces of meat,

(01:48):
which the man took out of the pot. The Captain
and I ate off of the same plate and drank
out of the same metal cup, for crockery was scarce.
The poor woman of the house ran round the table,
consumed by our eagerness to make every body comfortable. And
in the farthest corner, away from the light, a very
old peasant with a dazed look and haggard eyes was

(02:09):
watching the unexpected scene. The company heartily cheered Captain C
for his cleverness in finding and bringing to light from
some nook or other a large pitcher of rough wine.
For three days we had been pursuing and fighting the
German army, and we were tired out, but we had
not felt it until the evening. On stopping to give
our poor horses a little rest. Before the last mouthful

(02:33):
had been swallowed, several of us were already snoring with
their heads on their arms upon the table. The rest
were talking about the situation. The enemy was retreating rapidly
on the man he must have crossed it by now,
leaving as cover for his retreat the division of the
Covery of the Guard, which our brigade had been fighting
unceasingly ever since the Battle of September sixth. Would they

(02:55):
have time to blow up all the bridges behind them?
Should we be obliged to wait until as sappers had
built new ones before we could resume our pursuit. We
were particularly anxious about two fine officers that our colonel
had just sent out on a reconnaissance f of the
Chasseurs di Afric and my old friend O of our squadron.

(03:16):
We wandered anxiously whether they would be able to perform
their task to get at all costs as far as
the Marn, and let us know by dawn whether the
river could be crossed either at Mont Saint Pere, Jalgorn,
Passi Summann or Doormains. Nothing could have been more hazardous
than these expeditions made on a dark night across a
district still occupied by the enemy. The night was short

(03:38):
before day dawned. The horses were saddled and ready to mount,
and as soon as the first rays of mourning filtered through,
my squadron, which had been told off as advance guard
for the brigade, rapidly descended the steep slopes which commanded
the small town of Conde A's troop led. My business
was to reconnoiter the eastern part of the town with mine,

(03:59):
whilst f with his troop, was to see to the
western quarters. With sabers drawn, our chasseurs distributed themselves briskly
by squads through the streets of the old city. The
horses hoofs resounded cheerily on the paved streets between the
old gray houses. The inhabitants ventured out upon their doorsteps
in spite of the early hour, with some hesitation at first,

(04:22):
but glad indeed when they saw our light blue uniforms,
they cheered, crying, they are gone, they are gone. But
some old folk replied more calmly to my questions, monsieurle officer,
have a care. They were here an hour ago with
a large number of horses and guns. There was even
a general with his whole staff lodged up at the

(04:43):
great house up there. We would not swear that some
of them are not still there. I collected my troop
and then quickly went to the chateau, which stood at
the northern entrance of Conde. It was a rather fine building,
but I had not the time to notice its architectural star.
Haste was necessary for the brigade behind me was due
to arrive. As far as I remember, the chateau formed

(05:07):
a harmonious hole, and the different parts of it showed
up cheerfully against the dark foliage of the park, which
was still glittering after the night's rain. The building was
in the form of a horseshoe, and in the center
there was a kind of courtyard, bordered by two rows
of orange trees in tubs. I at once posted two guards,
one on the road to provide against any surprise, and

(05:29):
the other at the park entrance to prevent egress in
case any fugitive should attempt to pass. Then, with the
rest of my men, I rode through the large gilded
iron gates. At a trot in the avenue which led
to the house, two men were standing motionless. One of them,
dressed in black and clean shaven, appeared to be some
old servant of the family. The other must have been

(05:51):
one of the gardeners. Their pale faces and red eyes
showed that they had had little sleep that night. Well,
my friend, said I to one of them, is there
anybody left at your place? Sir, he answered, I couldn't
tell you, for I have not set foot in the
house since they left it. What I do know is
that they have feasted all night and got horribly drunk.

(06:13):
They have drunk the whole cellar dry, and I shouldn't
be surprised if some of them are still under the table.
But when I asked him to come in with me
to act as a guide for our visit, he refused
with a look of horror. He trembled all over at
the thought of seeing, perchance one of the guests who
had been forced upon him. As there was no time
to be lost. I told my men to dismount at once,

(06:35):
and gave orders to one corporal to search the right
wing of the building, to another to reconnoiter the left wing.
I myself undertook to see about the central block with
the rest of my troop. We had to make haste,
so I instructed my subordinates to go quickly through the
different rooms and not to inspect them in detail. The
entrance door was wide open. Taking my revolver in my hand,

(06:58):
I entered the hall, which was in an indescribable disorder.
Orderlies had evidently slept and had their meals there, for
the stone floor was littered with straw and empty bottles.
Sardine boxes and pieces of bread were lying about. But
when I opened the door of the dining room, I
could not help pausing for a moment to look at
the strange sight before me. The gray light of that

(07:20):
September morning came in through four large windows and shone
dimly upon the long table. The offices of the Guard
had evidently made their arrangements well. They had levied contribution
upon all the silver plate that could be found, which
was hardly necessary, for as they had arrived too late
to have a proper meal prepared. They had to be
content with what they had brought with them. The contrast

(07:42):
between the rich plate, some of it broken, the empty
silver dishes, and the empty tins of preserved meat was strange, indeed,
But they had solaced themselves in the cellar. Innumerable bottles,
both empty and full, were piled upon the furniture. Costly
glasses of all shapes and sizes, some empty, others still

(08:03):
half full, were standing about in every direction. The white
tablecloth was soiled with large purple stains. The floor was
littered with bits of smashed glass. By the table. The
chairs that had been pushed back or overturned showed the
number of drinkers to have been about ten. An acrid
smell of tobacco and wine hung about the scene of
an overnight orgy. One thing I specially remember the sight

(08:27):
of an officer's cap with a red band hanging from
one of the branches of the large chandelier in the
center of the room. I could not help picturing to
my mind the head of the man it had belonged to,
some writmeister, with an eye glass, fat pink cheeks, and
neck bulging over the collar of his tunic. What a
pity he had been able to DeCamp. That is the

(08:48):
kind of countenance we should so much have liked to
see closer and face to face. But I could not wait.
We rushed hastily through the drawing rooms turned upside down
and bedrooms were. The beds still bore traces of the
summary use by heavy bodies, but we found no forgotten
drunkard in them. My two corporals were already waiting for

(09:09):
us when we returned to the courtyard. They had not
found any one in their search. Quickly we mounted and
passed rapidly out of the gilded gates. The old servant
and the gardener were still on the same spot, standing
silent and depressed. They said not a word to us,
nor did they make any sign. They seemed to be
completely unhinged and incapable of understanding what had happened. I

(09:32):
had hardly returned to the squadron when I saw a
sight I can never forget. At a turn in the road,
three horsemen came towards us, covered in blood. I recognized Ef,
the officer of the Chasseurs de Afric, who had been
sent out to reconnoiter the evening before He had lost
his cap and had his head bound up with a
blood stained handkerchief. His left arm was likewise slung in

(09:56):
an improvised bandage tied round his neck. He was followed
by two men who were also covered with wounds, their
eyes shone bright and resolute in their feverish faces. One
of them, having no scabbard, was still holding his sword,
which was twisted and stained with blood. We pulled up
instinctively and saluted, I haven't been able to reach the Marne,

(10:19):
said f with disappointment in his voice, but being fired
upon by their outposts in the dark, we charged and
got through, and then charged through two villages under a
hail of bullets, and again we had to charge their
outposts to get back. You see, I have brought back
two men out of eight, and all my horses have
been killed. These horses, pointing to his own, are those

(10:43):
of three eulens we killed so as not to have
to come home on foot. Certainly they were not riding
the pretty little animals that make such excellent mounts for
our chasseurs de afric, but were perched upon three big
mares with their heavy German equipment. But f repeated in
a tone of vexation. I wasn't able to get to
the man. There were too many of them for us.

(11:07):
We pressed his unwounded hand firmly. Poor f brave fellow.
Not many days afterwards he was to meet a glorious death,
charging once more with three chasseurs to rescue one of
his men who had been wounded. A more perfect type
of cavalryman, I might say of night, was never seen.
He sleeps now, riddled with lance wounds, in the plains

(11:28):
of Champagne. We had hardly left him when we caught
sight of the reconnoitering party of my comrade Oh, and
were overjoyed to find that he had come back unscathed
with all his men. And yet he had had to
face a fair number of dangers, attacked by cyclists and
pursuit by cavalry. At Krisansey, where he had arrived at

(11:49):
three o'clock in the morning, he found the village occupied
and strongly held. There is only one bridge over the
railway there, and that is at the other end of
the village. By good luck, he was able to get
hold of one of the inhabitants, and he forced him
by holding a revolver to his head to guide him
by all sorts of byways so as to make a
circuit without attracting attention and get to the bridge. There

(12:12):
he set forward at a gallop and passed in spite
of being fired on by the guard. At last he
reached the Marne. The only bridge he found intact for
crossing the river was at the bridge at Chalgorn, a slender,
fragile suspension bridge, but one we should be very glad
to find if there was still time to use it.
He then hurried back through the woods, but not without

(12:34):
having to run the gauntlet of rifle fire several times more.
He brought back information which was to guide our advance.
It was seen at once there was not a minute
to lose. The Captain detached me immediately with my troop
to act as a flank guard along the line of
the woody cress, by which the road on the right
was commanded, whilst f with his troop crossed the Surmelin

(12:55):
and the railway which runs alongside of it, and went
to carry out the same task on the other side
of the valley. My job was difficult enough. In fact,
the heights which look down upon the course of the
Surmelin to the east consists of a series of ridges
separated by narrow ravines at right angles to the river,
and these we had to cross to continue our route
towards the north. The enemy seemed to have withdrawn completely

(13:18):
from this region, and the cannon fire in the distance
towards the east could hardly be heard. At last, at
about seven o'clock in the morning, we debouched upon the
valley of the Marn, whilst I sent some troopers along
the road which winds the Surmelin to keep touch with
my captain. I carefully inspected the right bank of the
Marn with my glasses. The scene would have tempted a painter,

(13:40):
and the labors of war did not prevent one from
enjoying the charm of such delightful pictures. The sun was
gradually dispersing the mists of the sullen morning, and was
beginning to gild the wooded heights which look down upon
the two banks of the river. Everywhere a calm was raining,
which seemed to promise a day of exquisite beauty. We
might have fancied that we were bent on some peaceful

(14:02):
rural work, favoured by a radiant autumn morning. The Marne
in this region winds in graceful curves. It flows limpid
and clear through a narrow valley carpeted with green meadows
and bordered right and left by gentle hills dotted with woods.
At our feet, peeping from the poplars and beaches on
the bank, we saw the white houses of dainty villages Charteves, Jowgon,

(14:27):
Verenz and Bazi. I directed my attention more particularly towards Jaogon,
because it was in that direction that the attempt to
cross the river would be made. The heights immediately above
Jowgon rise steeply on the north bank and almost stand
in the river. On the other hand, to the south
on our side, the left bank of the Marn is

(14:48):
bordered by extensive meadows, crossed by the railway and the
high road to Epinay. The position therefore would have been
very strong for the Germans if they had crossed to
the other side of the river, for we should have
been obliged before we could reach the bridge to traverse
a vast open expanse, which they could have kept under
the fire of their artillery. My chasseurs prompt to grasp

(15:10):
the reason of things scrutinize the opposite bank no less
intently than I. No movement could be seen. Nothing suggested
the presence of troops among the russet thickets which covered
the sides of the silent hill. Could they have already
repaired further north? Could they have abandoned this formidable position
without any attempt to defend it? At that moment one

(15:32):
of my chaseurs appeared, coming by the steep path which
led from the road to the wooded ridge on which
we were. His horse was panting, for the declivity was stiff,
and he had had to hasten. He brought me orders on, Lieutenant,
the Captain has sent me to tell you to join
him as quickly as possible at the other end of
the bridge. The first troop has already crossed, but some

(15:53):
of the enemy's horse have been seen on the other
side of the village. As he said these words, we
heard some firing in the distance, which sounded very distinct
and sharp in the radiant peace of that beautiful September morning.
Come so much the better, thought I we have engaged them.
We shall have a good time. My men had already

(16:13):
begun to joke and to be more alert and abrupt
in their movements. It was a kind of joyous reaction
which always affects troopers when they begin to hear the
guns and look forward to a good, hard ride in
which they, like the rest of us, are always certain
of getting the best of it. In single file, we
went quickly down towards the plain by the stony, slippery path.
We soon reached the high road and then turned to

(16:36):
the left and came upon the long causeway bordered by poplars,
which led to the bridge. Quite close to the bank,
I saw a small group of dismounted cavalrymen and soon
recognized our colonel with his brigade staff. He was giving
his orders to the lieutenant colonel commanding the Chasseurs de Afrique.
I went up to him to report, and learned that
the first squadron had already crossed the river and occupied

(16:58):
the village on the other side. Some parties of German
cavalry had been seen on the neighboring heights. I got
ready to rejoin my comrades at once, but patience was
required if the man was to be crossed. The bridge
appeared to be a delicate sort of toy hovering over
the water. How could they dream of sending thousands of men,
horses and guns over a thing so slender that it

(17:20):
looked as though it were supported by fragile meshes of
Spider's web. Captain D gave me the colonel's precise orders
not to pass more than four troopers at a time,
and these at walking pace. Taking the initiative in the movement,
I started with my first four chisseurs. The bridge rang
strangely under our hoofs and seemed to me to oscillate

(17:42):
in an alarming manner. Fortunately the enemy was not on
the other side. If he had been, our passage would
have cost us deer. As I was making these reflections,
a violent fusillade burst out from the edge of the woods,
overlooking Jargon to the east. It must have been directed
upon the village, for no bullets whistled around us, so
it was probably our first squadron engaging the German cavalry.

(18:05):
When I got to the other end of the bridge,
my impatience increased. It was torture to think of the
time it would take to collect my thirty men and
hurry forward to help the others. And I noticed the
same impatience in my men's looks. Those who were on
the bridge, walking slowly and gently across, seemed to implore
me to let them trot. But I pretended not to understand,

(18:26):
and the horse's feet continued to trample heavily over the
echoing bridge. At last all my men were over. We
fell in and reached chalgon At to trot. On. Passing
through it, we found several of the inhabitants on their doorsteps.
Monsieur le officair, Monsieur le officer, will they come back again? Never?

(18:47):
I shouted with conviction. I stopped an orderly who told
me that the German covery were firing on the exit
from the town. How many of them he could not say,
as they were hidden in the woods. He told me
too that the first squadron was holding all the entrances
to the north and east of the village, except the
one on the river bank, on the road to Marsilly,
where my comrade f had posted his troop. I decided

(19:10):
then to put myself at the disposal of the party
defending the chief exit from the village, the one that
opened on the road to Fismes. It was the most
important one, for it was in that direction that the
Germans were retiring. The village had been prevented from spreading
further to the north by the heights, which formed an
abrupt barrier. It is built astride the road to Fismes,

(19:31):
which thus becomes its principle, if not its only street.
I had then to go right through Jougon before I
could get out of it in the direction of the firing.
I soon did this, and found the horses of the
first squadron massed in the short alleys leading out of
the main street. I ordered my troop to dismount in
a yard much too small and very inconvenient. But the

(19:51):
first thing to do was to clear the causeway and
shelter our horses from the bullets which might enfilade the
street if the fighting bore away towards the left. Then,
whilst a non commissioned officer collected the squads for the
action on foot, I ran as far as the furthest
houses of the village to reconnoiter the ground and get orders.
I spied Major p in a sheltered nook, still mounted,

(20:14):
and he told me of his anxiety about the situation.
The enemy riflemen were invisible and were riddling the outskirts
of the village. While we were unable to reply, and
some guns had been seen which were being got into position.
He advised me to go and see the captain of
the first squadron, who had been ordered to defend that
entrance of the village, and to place myself at his
disposal in case of need. Whilst we were talking, my troop,

(20:38):
led by its non commissioned officer, came to the place
where we were edging along by the walls. The men,
calm and smiling, with their carbines ready, waited in silence
for the signal to advance. I signed to them to
wait a little longer, and then, going round the wall,
I found myself suddenly in the thick of the fray.
I must say the reception I got startled me. The

(21:00):
bullets came rattling in hundreds, chipping the walls and cutting
branches from the trees. On our side. There was absolute silence.
Our men, on their knees or lying flat behind any
cover they could find, did not reply, as they could
see nothing, and waited stoically under the shower of bullets
until their adversaries chose to advance. I looked for Captain D. L.

(21:21):
Who commanded the first squadron. There. He was standing with
his face to the enemy and his hands in his pockets,
quietly giving his orders to a non commissioned officer. On
my asking if he wanted me, he explained the situation.
The enemy, numbers unknown, was occupying the woods overlooking Jalgon
to the east. It was impossible for us to debouch

(21:43):
just yet. The essential thing was to hold the village
and consequently the bridge, until our infantry could come up.
He told me that the first troop of my squadron,
led by Lieutenant d A, had just advanced in extended
order into the vineyards orchards and fields stretching between the
road and the river. He was going to reconnoiter the
woods and see what kind of force was holding it.

(22:06):
You see, dear fellow, For the present, I don't want
the help of your carbines. I have my whole squadron
here and they can't get a shot. So long as
the enemy sticks to the wood, all we can do
is wait and keep our powder dry. I put my
troop under shelter in a small yard and directed my
non commissioned officer to keep in touch with me in
case I might want him. Then I went back to

(22:27):
the outskirts of the village to examine the ground. I
then joined my friend S behind a large heap of faggots.
He commanded the nearest troop of the first squadron, and
we could not help laughing at the curious situation being
formed up for battle, fronting the enemy under a hail
of bullets and not able to see anything. During the campaign,

(22:47):
S had become a philosopher, and he deserves some credit
for it. For the great moral and physical sufferings we
had endured must have even still more insupportable to him
than to any of us in the regiment. S was
considered pre eminently the society officer. He went to all
the receptions, all the afternoon teas, all the bridge parties,

(23:08):
all the dinners. He was an adept at tennis and golf,
and a first rate shot. His elegance was proverbial, and
the beautiful cut of his tunics, breeches, jackets and coats
was universally admired. The ways harness was kept and the
shape of his high boots were a marvel. To say
all this is to give some idea of the change

(23:29):
he suddenly experienced in his habits and in his taste
during these demralizing days of retreat and merciless hours of pursuit.
But in spite of it all he had kept his
good humor and never lost his gay spirits. He still
accompanied his talk with elaborate gestures, and seemed to be
just as much at ease behind the heap of wood

(23:49):
bombarded with bullets as in the best appointed drawing room.
His clothes were stained and patched, his beard had begun
to grow, and yet under this rough exterior, the polished
man of the world could always be divined. He explained
the beginnings of the affair with perfect clearness and self possession.
How the scouts sent up to the ridge by d

(24:10):
A and driven off by the Germans, had fallen back
upon Jalgon, How the first squadron had come to barricade
and defend the village, and in what anxiety they were
wanting to know what had become of d A's troop,
which had started out to reconnoiter the wood. We hoisted
ourselves to the top of the fagot stack and peeped
over carefully. The glaring white road wound up the flank

(24:32):
of the slope between the fields dotted with apple trees.
At a distance of eight hundred yards. In front of
us stretched the dark border of the wood and from
which the fusillade was coming to our right. At the
edge of the water on the road leading to Marsilly.
F must have been able to see the enemy, for
we could distinctly hear the crackle of his carbines. Our

(24:53):
attention was drawn to a man of F's troop running
along under the wall, bending almost double to escape the
attention of the snipe, and endeavoring to screen himself behind
the high grass. As soon as he came near enough,
we called out, what is it? The lieutenant has sent
me to say that the enemy has just placed some
guns in position up there in the opening of the wood,

(25:14):
saying which he pointed vaguely in a direction where we
could see nothing. However, we knew that f would not
have warned us if he had not been quite certain
of the fact. So for some unpleasant minutes we wondered
what the enemy's objective was. We longed to know at
once where the projectiles were going to burst. Would it
be on F's troop, or on the bridge, or on
the infantry which perhaps were beginning to debouch, or perhaps

(25:37):
on that portion of the brigade that had remained dismounted
on the left bank, drawn up for action. The uncertainty
was worse than the danger itself, but we were not
long in doubt. Two shrieks of flying shells, two explosions
about three hundred yards in front of us, two puffs
of white smoke rising above the green fields. This showed

(25:58):
they had an objective we had not considered, namely de
AI's troop, for the shrapnel had burst in the direction
he had just taken with his men. Our anxiety did
not last long. We soon made out our chasseurs coming
back quietly, not running, and in good order. They took
to the ditch, a fairly deep one which ran along
the left side of the road and covered them up

(26:19):
to the middle. The German shells were badly aimed and
exploded either in front of them or higher up on
the hillside. But our anxiety became more intense every minute.
Had a shell fallen on the road or in the ditch,
we should have seen those brave fellows knocked over, mown down,
cut to pieces by the hail of bullets. When we're
fighting ourselves we hardly have time to think about our neighbors.

(26:42):
In this way, we have our own cares, and our
first thought is for the safety of the men who
form our little family, the troop. But when one is safe,
or fairly so, it is torture to watch comrades advancing
under the enemy's fire without any protection. At that moment,
the Germans were concentrated their fire upon the small line
of men we were looking at two hundred yards away

(27:04):
from us. The shells succeeded one another uninterruptedly, but without
any greater precision. We watched our friends coming nearer until
they had almost reached our barricade, and noticed that two
of the chasseurs were being supported by their comrades. In
our anxiety, we got up out of our shelter, but
de Ay shouted, it's nothing, only scratches. At last they

(27:25):
got in, and whilst our good and indicafatible assistant, Sergeant
P took charge of the wounded men, we pressed round
the officer and questioned him as to what he had seen.
Are there many of them? Was there any infantry? We asked?
But his daring reconnaissance had not been very fruitful. He
had had to stop when the artillery had opened fire
on him and had not been able to see how

(27:46):
many adversaries we had to deal with. Acting on the
advice of Major p Our, captain, who had just rejoined
us with their third troop, gave us orders to mount.
We were only in the way here where there were
too many defenders already, so recrossed the bridge to put
ourselves at the colonel's disposal. I led with my troop
and we passed through Joalgon by the main street. The

(28:07):
inhabitants thought we were beating retreat and became uneasy. Some
women uttered cries, begging us not to leave them at
the mercy of the enemy. We had to calm them
by saying that they need not fear, that we were
still holding the Germans, that our infantry would soon arrive,
and that in an hour the foe would have decamped.
To tell the truth, we were not quite so sure

(28:28):
of it ourselves. The enemy were in some force and
he had guns. Our infantry had at least fifteen kilometers
to march before their advance guard could debouch on the
bridge at Jagon. If they had not started before dawn,
they could not arrive before eleven o'clock. And it was
then barely nine. The German artillery was already beginning to

(28:48):
fire upon the village. Suddenly, as we reached the market place,
we saw a group of three dismounted chasseurs emerging from
an alley that run steeply down the marn. They belonged
to F's troop. Two of them were supporting the third,
whom we at once recognized it was Laurent, a fine
fellow and a favorite with the whole squadron. It went
to our hearts to see him. His left eye was

(29:10):
nothing but a red patch from which blood was flowing freely,
drenching his clothing. He was moaning softly, and blinded by
the blood, allowed himself to be led like a child.
The corporal with him explained, a bullet went in just
over his eye. I don't know if the eye itself
was it. The captain sprang off his horse. Cheer up, Laurrent.

(29:31):
It shall be attended to at once. Perhaps it will
be nothing, My man, come with me. We will take
you to the Red Cross ambulance close by. Then, between
his groans, the wounded man said, a thing I shall
not easily forget mont capitin, haven't they taken away their guns,
yet he still had an interest in the battle. I
heard afterwards that f had sighted the German guns and

(29:53):
that the fire of his troop had been directed upon them.
Laurent would have liked to hear that they had been
driven away. He was carried off to the ambulance. I
went on towards the bridge. The cannon and rifle fire
still raged fiercely, but none of the shots reached the
bank where we were. We had to repeat the trying
process of crossing the swaying bridge by fours at walking pace.

(30:14):
I led off with four troopers. It was not so
tedious this time, as my eyes were distracted by the
view of the green meadows on the opposite side. The
colonel had disposed the brigade in such a way that
he could concentrate his fire upon the bridge and the
opposite bank, in case we could not maintain our position there.
A squadron on our left, concealed in the sand quarry,
was directing its fire upon the heights where the German

(30:36):
artillery was posted. Both up and down the stream, the
chasseurs de'afrique lined the river banks, making use of every
scrap of cover, peeping out over the trunks of fallen trees,
banks and ditches. Inquisitive heads could be seen wearing the
khaki tack on it. But my troubles were not yet over.
Just as I was going to step ashore from the bridge,
Captain d brought me the colonel's orders to recross the

(30:58):
river with my whole squadron and occupy a clump of
houses to the left of the bridge. It was evidently
a wise precaution. Although no firing had come from this direction,
it was quite possible that some of the enemy might
have slipped through the woods and come half way down
the slopes. But I did not expect such a bad
time as I was going to have. At the very
moment when I was turning back and was beginning the

(31:21):
hateful passage for a third time, the enemy gunners, changing
their objective, aimed at the bridge, and the shrapnel bullets
began disturbing music. Once more, could any situation be more
excruable than ours. To be upon a bridge as thin
as a thread, hanging as if by a miracle, over
a deep ravine, to see this bridge enfilated by heavy
musketry fire, and to be obliged to walk our horses

(31:44):
over the two hundred yards which separated one bank from
the other. If we'd been on foot, so that we
could have run and expended our strength in getting under cover,
since we could not use it to defend ourselves, we
should not have complained. But to be mounted on good horses,
which in a few galloping strides could have carried us
behind the ramparts of houses, and to be obliged to

(32:05):
hold them back instead of spurring them on, was very
unpleasant and made us feel foolish. I looked at the
four brave chasseurs in front of me. They instinctively put
up their shoulders as high as they could, as if
to hide their heads between them. But not one of
them increased his pace, not one of them looked round
at me to beg me to give his orders for
a quicker advance. And what a concert was going on

(32:29):
all the time. Whilst the horses hoofs were beating out
low and muffled notes, the bullets flew above us and
around us with shrill cracklings and whistlings which were anything
but harmonious. Happily, the firing was distant and disgracefully bad,
for at the pace we were traveling, we must have
offered a very convenient mark another twenty yards ten more.

(32:53):
At last we were safely under cover. I communicated the
colonel's orders to the captain, who came to join us,
and directed us to occupy the little garden of a
fair sized house, situated just on the edge of the
man and most advanced of a small group of buildings
on the left hand side of the bridge. After lodging
the horses in an alley between the house and an

(33:14):
adjoining shanty, I went to reconnoiter my ground. The house
was a rustic restaurant, which, in the summer no doubt
afforded the inhabitants an object for a walk. On passing
along the terrace leading to the river, I found the
disorder usually in places that have been occupied by the Germans, tables,
overturned bottles, broken, the musty smell of empty casks, and

(33:36):
broken crockery. The little garden did not offer much protection
for my men, however, crouching behind a kind of breastwork
of earth which shut it off from the woods, they
were able at least to hide themselves from view. I
at once posted my sharp shooters sent out a patrol
on foot as far as the entrance to the wood,
and then turned my attention to what was happening near

(33:57):
the bridge. Whilst I was busy carrying out the captain's orders,
I had not noticed that the situation had undergone a
decided change, and that our chances of being able to
complete our task thoroughly had increased considerably. The German guns
were no longer aiming at the village. Their fire had
become more rapid, and their shrapnel flew hissing over the barricade.

(34:19):
We could see them bursting much further off on the
other side of the water, in the direction of the
woods crowning the heights. Whence in the morning I had
admired the smiling landscape. I inferred then that the advance
guard of our corps was debouching. In half an hour
it would be there, and the German cavalry, we felt sure,
would not hold out much longer. But our fine infantry

(34:42):
had done more than this. They had, no doubt found
good roads, or perhaps the German gunners, hypnotized by the village,
had not spied them, For I had now the pleasure
of witnessing one of the most exhilarating spectacles I had
seen since the opening of the campaign. From where I
stood on the bank, I could see the thin line
of the bridge above. I did not think that any

(35:03):
one would risk crossing it, now that it was known
to be a mark for the enemy's fire. But suddenly
I saw five men appear and begin to cross it.
I could distinguish them perfectly. They were infantry soldiers, an
officer and four men. The officer walked first, calmly, with
a stick under his right arm and in his left
hand a map which formed a white patch on his

(35:23):
blue coat. And behind him the men in single file,
bending slightly under their knapsacks, their caps pushed back and
holding their rifles, marched firmly and steadily. They might have
been on parade. Their legs could be distinguished for a
moment against the blue sky. Their step was so regular
that I could not help counting one two, one, two

(35:45):
as their feet struck the bridge. But just at that moment,
when the little group had got half way across, a hiss,
followed by a deafening explosion, made our hearts beat, and
we heard the curious noise made by the innumerable bullets
and pieces of a shell striking the water. The Germans
had seen our infantry beginning to cross the river, and
they were now pouring their fire upon the bridge. I

(36:07):
looked again at the men and saw they were there,
all five of them, still marching with the same cool,
resolute step one two, one two, Ah, the brave fellows.
How I wanted to cheer them to shout bravo, but
they were too far off, and the noise of the
fuselaie would have prevented them from hearing me. No sooner
had they reached the bank, than another little group stepped

(36:29):
onto the narrow bridge, and then after them another, and
each was saluted by one or two shells, with the
same heavy rain of bullets falling into the water. But
providence protected our soldiers. The outline of the bridge was
very slight, and the gunners of the German cavalry divisions
were very sorry marksmen. Their projectiles always burst either too
far or too near, too high or too low. And

(36:52):
as soon as a hundred men had got across, and
the first sharpshooters had clambered up the heights that rise
sheer from the river and begun to deboucher on the plateau,
there was a sudden silence the enemy's cavalry had given way,
and our Corps de Army was free to pass the
Marn by the bridge of Jougon. The entire battalion of
the advance guard then began to pour over the bridge

(37:13):
on their way to the plateau. Our brigade was quickly
got together, and our chasseurs hastened to water their horses.
Out came the nose bags from the saddle bags. A
few minutes later. No one would have suspected that fighting
had taken place at this spot. The men hurriedly got
their snack, for we knew the hawk would not last long,
and that the pursuit had to be pushed till daylight failed.

(37:36):
Our troop was in good heart and thankful that the
squadron's losses had been so small. F had just seen Laurent,
the one wounded chasseur of his troop, and said the
doctors hoped to save his eye, so we had no
reason to grumble. Saddle bags were now being buckled and
horses rebridled. I was to go forward to replace the
troop that had led the advance guard. The colonel sent

(37:57):
for me and ordered me to proceed at once along
the road to fismes searched the outskirts of the village
carefully and take up a position on the heights overlooking
the valley. My troop got away quickly, and I rejoiced
again at the sight of my fellows, radiant at the
thought of having a dash at the enemy. We had
to hasten to get ahead of the foremost parties of infantry,
which also halted for a meal. I detached my advanced scouts.

(38:22):
Their eager little horses set off of to gallop along
the white road, and I was delighted to see the
ease and decision with which my chasseurs flashed out their swords.
They seemed to say, come along, come along, we are ready.
As for me, I rode on in quiet confidence, knowing
that I had in front of me eyes keen enough
to prevent any surprise. One squat climbed nimbly up the

(38:44):
ridge to the left. The horses scrambled up the steep ground,
dislodging stones and clods of earth. They struggled with straining
hocks hard to get up, and seemed to challenge each
other for a race to the top. Their riders in
extended order showed as patches of red and blue against
the grid stubble up. They went further and further, and
then disappeared over the crest. Only one was still visible.

(39:07):
But this one was my guarantee that I had good eyes,
keen and alert on my left. Should any danger threaten
from that quarter. I knew well that he would pass
on to me the signal received from his corporal, and
I should only have to gallop to the top to
judge the situation for myself. I could see the man
against the blue sky, the whole outline of his body
and that of his horse, the equipment and harness, the

(39:29):
curved sword, the graceful neck, the sinewy legs, the heavy pack.
I recognized the rider and knew the name of his horse.
They were both of the right sort. Yes, I felt
quite easy about my left. On the right, the ground
dropped sheer to a narrow valley, at the bottom of
which flowed a stream of clear water. Among the green

(39:50):
trees were glittering patches here and there on which the
sun through metallic reflections, and on the other side rose
heights covered by the forest of riz. On the edge
of this forest, I could see the stately ruins of
a splendid country mansion. I questioned a boy who was
standing on the side of the road looking at us,
half timidly, half gladly. Tell me, child, who burnt the

(40:11):
chateau over there, monsieur? They did. They took everything away,
all the beautiful things. They even carried everything off on
big carts, and then they set fire to the house.
But everything isn't burnt. And a lot of them came
back again this morning with some horses, and they went
on looking for things. I sent off another squad towards
the chateau, telling them first to follow the edge of

(40:33):
the wood and to be careful how they approached it.
The men got into the wood by the spaces in
the bank along the road, and scattered in the thickets
that dotted the side of the spur we were turning.
I was thus protected on my right. I went up
at a trot to the place where the road reached
the plateau, and just as I was on the point
of reaching it, we were met by a crowd of
village folk, men, women and children coming along. Looking radiant,

(40:57):
I saw some of them questioning my advanced scouts and
pointing in the direction of the northeast. It was the
whole population of Lichermeil, and they had come out to
meet us. Lichromeil is a small village that stands at
the meeting of two roads, one leading towards Fismes, the
other towards Frere de Tardanoise. It has the appearance of

(41:18):
hanging on to the hill side for whilst the road
to fear de de Hardenois continues to follow, the plateau
that to Fismes dips abruptly at this place and disappears
into the valley. The houses of La Chomel a perch
between these two roads. Thus, the people of the village
had a good view of the enemy's retreat, and everybody
wanted to have his say about it. I turned to

(41:40):
a tall man, lean and tanned, with a grizzled mustache,
who had something still of a military air, and seemed
to be calmer than the others around him. From him,
I was able to get some fairly clear information. One lieutenant,
it was like this. They went off this morning early,
a great number of cannons and horses. The artillery went
straight on towards fisms By the road. The cavalry cut

(42:01):
across the fields and disappeared over the ridge you see
over there on the other side of the valley. Then
towards eight o'clock some of them came back. How many, well,
two or three regiments perhaps, and some guns, and they
went down towards Jolgon. I believe they wanted to destroy
the bridge. Just as they got into the turn of
the hill, Pan Pan, they were fire at. But then,

(42:23):
of course we got back to our houses and shut
them up as the guns began to fire. But when
we heard no more reports, we came out again and
saw them making off a cross the fields like the others,
and in the same direction. But it's quite possible that
some of them stayed in the woods or in the
farms on the other side of the forest of Riz.
He was interrupted by my non commissioned officer on lieutenant.

(42:46):
The scouts they are signaling to you. I galloped up
to them when they pointed out to me at about
fifteen hundred yards distance. On the opposite ridge, a small
group of cavalrymen near a snack, and on the side
of the slope a patrol of German dragos woons, pacing
slowly with lances lowered and stopping every now and then,
and facing in our direction. I took my glasses and

(43:07):
looked carefully at the stack, and then I saw a
sight which sent a shiver of joy through me. The
horsemen had dismounted and put their horses behind the stack.
Three of the men then separated themselves from the rest
and formed a little group. I could not distinguish their uniforms,
but saw very clearly that they were looking through their
glasses at us. Now and again they put their heads

(43:28):
together and consulted the map, as it seemed. A man
then came out from behind the stack on foot, and
could be distinctly seen against the sky, sticking into the
ground by his side a square pennon which flapped gently
in the breeze. As far as I could see, it
was half black and half white. There could be no
doubt that we were confronting a staff, so the division

(43:50):
was not far off. It had halted and perhaps intended
this time to fight at close quarters. I told my
men what I thought, and they were overjoyed at the
idea that, after all there was a hope of realizing
our dream. There was not one of them who doubted
that the Division of the Guards had been kind enough
to stop its flight and that our brave light brigade
would attack it without any hesitation and cut it to pieces.

(44:14):
I dismounted quickly and lost not a moment. In drawing
up my report, I wrote down what I had seen
and what I had learnt from the inhabitants, and then
called one of my chasseurs to the Colonel full gallop.
At the touch of a spur, the little chestnut turned
sharp around and flew down the dusty road like a whirlwind. Meanwhile,
I carefully posted my men, threw out scouts over the

(44:36):
chateau and up to the forest of Fear, and formed
patrols under my non commissioned officers. I then took my
observation post under a large tree, which, to judge by
its venerable look, must have seen many generations pass and
many other wars. The village folk collected around me in
such numbers that I was obliged to have them thrust
back by my men to le Chamel. To console them,

(44:57):
I said, you must go away. The enemy will take
you for armed troops and fire guns at you. I
kept my eye upon my staff and wished my glasses
could help me to distinguish more clearly what men I
had to deal with. I longed to see what they
were like, to examine the faces of these haughty reuters, who,
for the last four days had been fleeing before us

(45:19):
and always refusing a real encounter. I fancied that among
them might be that ritmeister with the bulge in neck
and pink cheeks, who, after the orgy of that night
at the Chateau de Conde, had left behind him the
cap that I had found hanging from the chandelier in
the dining room. How I longed to see the brigade
debouch and to receive instructions from the colonel. I had

(45:41):
not long to wait. My messenger soon came back, trotting
up the road from Jaalgon, But the instructions were not
what I had expected. I was to stay where I
was until further orders, and to continue to observe the
enemy and keep a look out in his direction. I
learned some details from the man. The greater part of
the infantry had already crossed the bridge, and there was

(46:03):
also some artillery on this side of the river. As
he said this, a clatter of wheels and chains caused
me to turn my head, and I saw behind us
in the stubble fields of the plateau. Two batteries of
seventy fives taken up positions. Ah ha, we were going
to send the mag greetings, then a salute to the
pompous general over there, and to his aid to camp,

(46:23):
the stiff and obsequious Rittmeister, whom I imagined to be
at his side. I looked on gaily with my chasseurs
at the laying of the guns. How we all loved
that good little gun, which had so often come up
to lend us the support of its terrible projectiles at
critical moments. And those good fellows the gunners loved it too,
the men we saw jumping nimbly down from their limber,

(46:45):
quickly unhitching their piece and pointing it with tender care
towards the enemy. Standing on a bank with his glasses
to his eyes. The officer in command gave his orders,
which were passed from man to man by the markers,
And then suddenly we heard four loud, sharp reports behind us.
The whistling of the shells, which almost grazed our heads,
was impressive, and though we knew there was no danger,

(47:06):
we instinctively ducked, But we recovered ourselves at once to
see what effect they had produced, what a pity they
had fallen a bit short, we distinctly saw four small
white puffs on this side of the hill, just below
the group of German officers. Ah, they didn't wait for
another I saw them make off in hot haste, whilst
the troopers stationed behind the stack galloped off the horses.

(47:30):
The man with the flag was the last to go,
closing the procession with rather more dignity. But in ten
seconds the whole lot had decamped and the only men
we could see were the dragoons of the patrol, who
rode back to the ridge at full speed. But just
as they reached it, the second battery opened fire, and
this time the sighting was just right. Four white puffs

(47:51):
appeared exactly over the spot where the staff had stood
a minute before, two of the right and two of
the left of the stack, and all we now saw
of the patrol was two rideless horses galloping madly towards
the woods. Then the two batteries pounded away with a will.
When I received orders to resume the forward movement, and
my good chaisseurs had taken up the pursuit again. The

(48:13):
gunners had lengthened their range with mathematical precision, and the
shells burst on the farther side of the ridge. I
took grim pleasure in imagining what must have been happening.
There where no doubt. The division was drawn up, and
whilst I continued to direct my vigilant and expert scouts,
I amused myself by picturing the brilliant troopers of the
Prussian Guard in headlong flight. End of Chapter four recording

(48:38):
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