Part 16

The interior of Notre-Dame de l'Épine, which has been completely restored, is very interesting. The most striking parts are the transept and the choir. In the north arm of the transept, visible in the photo opposite, the Renaissance woodwork of the organ is noteworthy. In the sculptured figures with which it is decorated, Greek divinities, Jupiter, Venus, Apollo, etc., are side by side with the apostles.

A well, with fine wrought-iron fittings, seen in the photograph, dates from the origin of the edifice. It is the Virgin's Well, from which pilgrims drink and carry away the water.

The curious rood-loft at the entrance to the choir shelters the miraculous statue. One obtains access from the choir to the rood-loft by two spiral stairways. It was from the upper gallery that in former times the epistle and gospel for the day were read. The name of "Jubé" is derived from the formula by which the reader previously besought the blessing of heaven: "_Jubé, Domine, benedicere_."

The Virgin is in a modern gilded shrine, which may be seen under the first arch in the photograph at the foot of p. 211. The statue has been restored in modern times. The choir is surrounded by a stone cloister whose style varies from Gothic to Renaissance.

On the left side of this cloister is a beautiful Gothic edifice which contained sacred relics. It may be seen in the photograph below.

Five chapels adorn the apse. The first on the right, shut off by a stone balustrade, is used as a sacristy; the next one contains a sixteenth century stone carving representing the Entombment.

_After visiting Notre-Dame de l'Épine, return to Châlons by_ N. 3, _the road along which we came_.

_If it is desired to begin at once the tour of which indications are given on p. 19, turn to the right at Saint-Jean Square, taking the Rue du Général-Compère. Follow the tram-lines which cross the Place des Ursulines, and take Rue Pasteur on the left. Cross the canal, and by the Rue d'Orfeuil reach the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville. Turn to the left, then following the Rue de Marne, leave the town by the Faubourg de Marne._

VISIT TO THE FIELD OF OPERATIONS

OF THE

FOURTH FRENCH ARMY

I--FROM CHÂLONS TO VITRY-LE-FRANÇOIS

(62 km.)

via +Vatry+, +Bussy-Lettrée+, +Dommartin-Lettrée+, +Soudé+, +Sompuis+, +Humbauville+, Huiron, +Courdemanges+, +Frignicourt+.

(See map inserted between pp. 212-213)

_Leave Châlons by the Faubourg de Marne, taken on arrival there. At the end of the Faubourg, turn to the left into the Avenue de Paris, then to the right into_ N. 77 _in the direction of =Vatry= (18 km.). In this village, leave the "route nationale" in order to take, on the left_, G. C. 12 _going towards =Bussy-Lettrée=, reached after having crossed a level-crossing. Enter the village as far as the middle; there, turn to the right, then to the left, leaving the church on the left (20½ km.). The road next leads to =Dommartin-Lettrée= (26 km.)_ and passes before the quaint church reproduced above. Its two doorways are interesting; the western one which faces the road is reproduced on p. 215; the southern one may be remarked under the porch in the general view of the church.

_Continue straight on, arrive at =Soudé=, pass through it, turning to the right in the Square, and come out into_ N. 34 _(30 km.). Turn to the left in it, then leave it almost immediately to take, on the right_, G. C. 12, _which continues as far as =Sompuis= (38 km.), after passing under the railway embankment._ We are entering the field of operations of the extreme left of Langle de Cary's Army. Several graves have been made in the embankment; one of them, visible in the photo on p. 214, marks the place where, on September 10, the same shell killed General Barbade and Colonel Hamon, who were commanding the two Brigades of the 23rd Division, as well as their aides-de-camp. The body of General Barbade is buried in the cemetery.

On the right of the road, closing in the horizon, are the wooded heights on which the Germans had organised strong positions. They were taken from the Saxons on September 9-10 by the 21st Corps.

_Cross straight through =Sompuis=, passing before the church, which is surrounded by a graveyard (see p. 214)._

On the evening of September 6 the Germans entered the village unopposed, a fact which did not prevent them from setting fire to several houses, or from taking a number of hostages under various pretexts. One of them, M. Arnould, was taken because he had set up on the roof of his house a chimney-pot to replace one destroyed during the bombardment. Some soldiers passing at this very moment saw in this humble domestic task an attempt to signal to the French troops.

Abbé Oudin, Rector of Sompuis, aged 73 years, and his servant, aged 67 years, were also arrested, the installation of electric bells in the rectory causing suspicion. They were shut up in their cellar, where several other hostages were soon sent to join them. Here they were left without any food until the afternoon of September 8. The abbé had been taken out for a short period in the morning in order to assist at the celebration of Mass in his church, where Abbé Prince Max of Saxe officiated.

The hostages were led away towards Châlons. "_It was evident_," said one of them in his statement before the Commission of Enquiry, "_that on account of his age and feebleness, Abbé Oudin could not walk far. We were obliged to carry him, so to speak. Near Coole (7 km. to the north of Sompuis) our escort made us halt, and two soldiers who had seen a butcher's cart standing abandoned in a field, dragged it on the road, and said: 'Get in, Curé.' The poor man was so feeble that he was unable to do so. The Germans tipped up the cart, and as the back did not open, they made the old priest sit on the edge, then raised the shafts so quickly that he fell on his back into the bottom of the cart, his feet in the air. The old servant got up beside him, and the Germans made signs to us to put ourselves between the shafts and to drag the cart. As we set out, they all threw their haversacks on the top of the Abbé and his servant, as they would have thrown them on to a bundle of hay._"

The hostages thus traversed Châlons and arrived at Suippes, where, in the rain, they spent the night out of doors, in the playground of the school. "_At Vouziers, during the whole of Sunday, the 13th_," declared a witness, "_Abbé Oudin was unceasingly ill-treated by the German officers, as well as by the soldiers, but principally by the officers. The latter came in large numbers, and each of them, in passing, spat in the Abbé's face or struck him with their riding whips. I saw officers and soldiers kick the poor man with their spurs. He was so weak that he no longer stirred, in spite of all that he must have been suffering. I saw soldiers, too, strike him with the butt-end of their rifles; but I insist that the officers were worse than the men. These atrocities only ended in the evening. Abbé Oudin passed the night lying on the ground like us; we hardly heard him once complain._"

The Abbé's old servant did not escape ill-treatment either. On the Sedan Road, in Tannay Church, four soldiers seized her, threw her into a blanket of which they held the four corners, and tossed her on to the altar steps; then, laying hold of her again, they threw her into the midst of the seats, not troubling about the piercing cries which her many bruises drew from her. Sedan was Abbé Oudin's last stage; there death put an end to his sufferings. His servant, after careful nursing in the hospice, recovered, but another victim, a hostage named Mougeot, aged 72, succumbed to the results of German brutality. He was brought in a hand-cart to Pafert barracks, with four ribs broken by kicks, and thrown on to a bundle of straw, where he soon expired.

While these events were in progress the battle of the Marne had been won. Sompuis was retaken amidst fierce fighting at 5 p.m. on the 10th by the 21st Corps, which freed another victim in the village itself: an old man of 70, named Jacquemin. He had been tied to his bed by a German officer and left there without food for three days. "_Each time that he asked for food or water_," declared his daughter-in-law, "_he was struck_." A shell fell on the house and killed the tormentor on the spot. The corpse of the officer was found in the house of his victim, who died two or three days after his deliverance as the result of the ill-treatment he had received.

_On leaving Sompuis, continue straight along_ G. C. 12 _to =Humbauville=._

On September 8 the heights seen on the right were gallantly defended against Saxon attacks by a detachment of Bretons.

On the 9th the latter were thrown back in disorder by the 13th Division, which had been sent as a reinforcement.

_At the entrance to Humbauville (42 km.) turn to the right, then, at the church, take on the left_ G. C. 14 _in the direction of =Huiron=._ We are now on the battlefield of the 17th Corps. G. C. 14 formed the French position at the beginning of the battle; on the 6th the road was left behind, and the Germans driven back northwards as far as the railway line going from Sompuis to Huiron. But on the 8th the 17th Corps was repulsed in its turn, and G. C. 14 became the German line. The French troops clung to the heights to the south of the road and particularly to Certine Farm, where General Dupuis was killed. The fighting was of a desperate character. The Germans, in their fury, revenged themselves on the wounded; eight badly hurt soldiers of the 88th Infantry Regiment, whom Sub-Lieutenant Baudens had been obliged to leave behind, were afterwards found with hands tied behind their backs, their bodies riddled with bullets and bayonet wounds.

On the 9th and 10th the 17th Corps counter-attacked vigorously and, with the aid of the Goullet Division which had been attached to it, succeeded on the night of the 10-11th in re-crossing the railway line.

We reach =Huiron= (53 km.) which was completely destroyed by the fire kindled by the Germans on September 7, after having taken the village from the 12th Corps. The interesting twelfth century church, and the ruins of the abbey buildings backing up to it, have been ravaged by the flames. The pillars of the nave have crumbled away, and in the photograph opposite fragments of broken columns may be seen scattered about. Huiron was only retaken on the night of the 10-11th.

_400 yards from the church turn to the right into_ G. C. 2; _then after about 700 yards, turn to the left in order to enter the village of =Courdemanges=._ This has suffered much from fire and bombardment. On the right of the street stood the castle, which has been completely destroyed.

Courdemanges, which was occupied on the 6th by the 12th Corps, was attacked with great violence. It was abandoned at 5 p.m., and retaken during the night. Continuously shelled by the Germans on the 7th and 8th, it fell on the latter day into their hands. The 12th Corps counter-attacked energetically, but succeeded only on the 11th in re-entering the village.

_After going as far as the church, return again by the same road to_ G. C. 2 _and cross it in order to go straight towards Frignicourt_. On the right is Mont-Moret which played an important part in the fighting in this region. The batteries of the 12th Corps were installed there on September 6. After heavy shelling and infantry attacks, Mont-Moret fell on the morning of the 8th, but units of the 12th Corps, aided by the Colonial Corps, counter-attacked with determination, and in the evening obtained possession of the ridge, capturing a few machine-guns. They remained there in spite of fierce assaults, which caused heavy losses to the Germans and gave no result.

_The road crosses the railway_ in a low-lying plain often flooded by the Marne, as seen in the photograph on p. 216; Mont-Moret can be distinguished in the background.

100 yards before arriving at Frignicourt, on the right and on the left of G. C. 14, are the graves depicted in the photos on this page. The soldiers who lie buried there are those who gallantly defended the passage of the Marne on September 6. The French troops, overwhelmed by the fire of the German artillery at Vitry, were obliged to fall back on Courdemanges and Mont-Moret. The Germans in their turn were violently shelled by the French guns, but succeeded in holding out in Frignicourt until the 11th.

_After crossing the Marne, enter =Frignicourt= (60 km.)_, whose ruins are being gradually reconstructed. _Turn to the left to reach Vitry-le-François_ (plan p. 218). _Passing through the toll-gate, take the Rue du Passage-Supérieur on the left, then, after crossing the railway, turn again to the left into the Avenue du Colonel-Moll. Cross the Boulevard François I, and take the Petite-Rue de Frignicourt on the left, which leads into the Rue de Frignicourt. Along this main road turn to the right to reach the hotel (62 km.)._

VITRY-LE-FRANÇOIS

ORIGIN AND CHIEF HISTORICAL FACTS

Vitry-le-François dates from the sixteenth century. The town was built in 1545 by order of Francis I. in order to replace Vitry-en-Perthois, burned the year before by Charles V. The ruins of old Vitry were utilised for the construction of the new, which was named after its founder. This complete rebuilding explains the remarkable regularity of the town, plans of which were drawn up by an Italian architect, Marino. Vitry was fortified, but its ramparts were condemned and demolished in the nineteenth century.

VITRY-LE-FRANÇOIS IN 1914

At the beginning of the war, Vitry was the seat of the French General Headquarters Staff. On September 5, almost the whole of the population evacuated the town, together with the civil authorities. Out of a population of 8,500, barely 500 to 600 persons remained. In the morning a rearguard action commenced to the north and east of Vitry. About 5 p.m., German shells began to fall in the suburbs, and in the evening Uhlans entered the town by the Châlons Road. In default of the mayor, the curé, M. Nottin, and his curate were at once arrested as hostages, and M. Nottin was directed to find two more. Two patriotic citizens, M. Paillard and M. Bernat, offered themselves for this onerous duty. Together with M. Foureur, the schoolmaster, they took upon their shoulders the charge of maintaining order, ensuring requisitions, the victualling of the inhabitants, and the treatment of the wounded. MM. Nottin, Paillard and Foureur, were amongst the first civilians to be mentioned in dispatches.

Up to September 10 the battle raged round Vitry. The allied and enemy shells crossed one another over the town: the German batteries established on the heights to the north replying to the French guns on Mont-Moret. The wounded came crowding in. On the third day, they numbered 2,500, of whom 200 were French. The hospital being full the church was then transformed into one, as well as all the teaching establishments and the savings bank.

On the evening of the 10th the evacuation by the Germans began. It took place in an orderly manner. The next evening the French re-entered the town.

Apart from the gas works, which suffered from the shelling, and a few burnt houses, the events of September have left few traces at Vitry. A few houses and shops were pillaged, but, thanks to the influence and activity of Abbé Nottin and his companions, the town was spared the horrors which the surrounding villages experienced.

VISIT TO THE TOWN

(See map p. 218)

_Leaving the hotel, follow the Rue de Frignicourt to the Place d'Armes_ in which is the Church of Notre-Dame, shown above. The first stone of this edifice was laid in 1629. The king gave 300,000 livres (about £12,000) towards the cost of construction, and numerous families in the neighbourhood subscribed also. They bought, by means of a heavy burial duty, the right to be buried in the church itself. The subsoil of Notre-Dame became on this account a veritable ossuary.

When the high altar was moved about twenty skulls were unearthed. In 1850, when the present paving was laid, thirty-two mortuary stones were removed from the nave. The chapels were built by rich parishioners, who placed their tombs there and dedicated the altar to the patron saint of their family. The apse was constructed in 1835, and the work of building finished in 1895.

Notre-Dame recalls Saint-Sulpice in Paris, and its interior is worth visiting. The first chapel on the left has a fine eighteenth century railing. In the last chapel, off the nave on the left, the reredos above the altar should be noted. A bas-relief depicts Saint-Jerome kneeling beside a lion.

In the south branch of the transept is a fine mortuary stone in black marble, showing a knight standing with hands joined, his foot on a greyhound.

The four pillars at the intersection of the choir and of the transept are decorated with sculpture.

_After having visited the church, take on the opposite side of the Square the Rue du Pont leading to the monumental gateway_ reproduced above, which dates from the seventeenth century and formed part of the old enclosure. _Turn to the right along the side of the Marne by the Quai des Fontaines as far as the mills. Turn to the right again, take a few steps from the Place des Moulins alongside the river in order to obtain the picturesque view of the old ramparts shown in the photo below. Take the Rue des Moulins, which is continued by the Rue d'Enfer, and at the barracks turn to the right into the Rue des Minimes, then into the Rue des Sœurs. In the middle of the latter turn to the left, in order to glance at the old wooden market-buildings. Pass round them to the left and regain the Place d'Armes by the street opening on to the market on the opposite side to that by which we entered. Cross the "Place," and take the Rue Domine de Verzet which skirts Notre-Dame on the left. Opposite the town-hall_ (the old monastery of the Récollets, which dates from the end of the seventeenth century and contains the Library and Museum), _turn to the right, into the Petite Rue de l'Hôtel de Ville, then to the left into Boulevard Carnot. Leave this in the middle of the Place Carnot in order to take the Faubourg de Saint-Dizier on the left._

VISIT TO THE FIELD OF OPERATIONS

OF THE

FOURTH AND THIRD FRENCH ARMIES

=II.--FROM VITRY-LE-FRANÇOIS TO BAR-LE-DUC= (82 km.)

Via +Vauclerc+, +Écriennes+, +Favresse+, +Étrepy+, +Heiltz-le-Maurupt+, +Pargny+, +Maurupt+, +Cheminon+, +Trois-Fontaines+, +Sermaize+, +Vassincourt+.

(See map inserted between pp. 212-213)

_After leaving Vitry by N. 4, crossing the Marne and a level-crossing_, =Marolles= (3 km.) is reached. In this village an old man of 70 years, M. Mathieu Coche, was seized by German cavalrymen and led away tied to a horse, with which he was obliged to keep pace. On arriving in the neighbourhood of Vitry-en-Perthois (_nearly 30 km. to the north of Marolles_) the poor old fellow's strength gave out, he fell and was dragged along by the horse until death ensued. His body was then left behind, and could not be buried until after the German retreat.

_N. 4 next passes through =Vauclerc= (6 km.)._ On the left of the road a great number of new roofs are to be seen, although many of the houses are still in the same state as that in which the shelling and the fire left them. During the whole of the battle this village was the objective of the Lejaille Brigade. It was only retaken, by the Colonial Corps, on September 11.

_About 1,300 yards beyond Vauclerc, where graves border the road on either side, is, on the right, a road leading to Écriennes. Before taking it, follow N. 4 for 400 yards further_, in order to see a burying-place of the Colonials, shown in the photo below. The view gives an idea of the immense plain, where furious encounters took place between this crack corps and the troops of the Duke of Wurtemberg.

In that part of the plain which lies to the right of the road, beyond Écriennes, near Matignicourt, there took place in 1891 the famous review of troops by President Carnot. It was the first important military demonstration since the war of 1870. It signalised the resurrection of the national spirit, and because of this fact it produced a very deep impression both in France and in foreign countries. Monuments to the memory of President Carnot have been raised on the field of the review, at Vitry; in the Carnot Square; and at Châlons in the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville.

_Taking the road leading to_ =Écriennes= (10 km.) we arrive at this village, which has been completely devastated, as may be seen in the photos on this page. The church, the upper part of which is of timber-work, was blown in by shells.

Écriennes was hotly disputed from September 6 to 11. It was taken on the 6th by the Germans, in spite of an heroic defence by the 21st Colonials; then retaken only to be lost again by the French on the 8th, and retaken finally on the 11th.

_After passing in front of the church, turn to the left in order to rejoin N. 4, along which turn to the right in the direction of Farémont._ The road is bordered on both sides by graves, for the fighting here was very violent. On the road and to the south of it the Colonial Infantry fought doggedly, sometimes gaining, sometimes losing ground. To the north of N. 4 the Lejaille Brigade tried to push towards Vauclerc.

* * * * *

We enter =Farémont= (12½ km.), some of the houses of which have been burned. _On emerging, leave N. 4 and turn to the left in order to reach_ =Thiéblemont= (13½ km.). This village was also completely devastated by shells and fire, but the church is still standing. _This side of the church, turn to the left into G. C. 60 leading to Favresse._ Graves may be seen along this road. On September 6, that portion of the Colonial Corps which held Favresse followed G. C. 60 in the opposite direction, falling back on Farémont, while the Lejaille Brigade came to take their place at Favresse.

* * * * *

=Favresse= (16½ km) was gallantly defended on the 7th; taken and retaken several times on the 8th, and finally remained in the possession of the Lejaille Brigade, whose chief was wounded by a shell-splinter during the afternoon.

* * * * *

The village, which was violently shelled, suffered heavily, but has been partly rebuilt. The beautiful little church, of which the photos on this page give a general view, as well as a detailed one of the Romanesque doorway, bears traces of numerous shells. As at Écriennes, and in many little country churches in this region, the upper part of the walls of the nave is of timber work.

_Turn to the right alongside the church and leaving it on the left, take G. C. 16 to Haussignémont and Blesmes._

On this ground on September 8 the Eighth German (reserve) Corps tried to break through between Favresse and Blesmes. At one time this effort seemed about to be successful, but, reinforcements having been opportunely sent to Haussignémont, the Lejaille Brigade was able to hold the position.