Part 15

This morning the First Army resumed the attack. In spite of desperate opposition our troops have forced a crossing of the Meuse at Brieulles and at Cléry-le-Petit. They are now developing a new line in the heavily wooded and very difficult terrain on the heights east of the river between these two points.

On the entire front the enemy is opposing our advance with heavy artillery and machine-gun fire, notwithstanding which we are making excellent progress. The west bank of the Meuse, as far north as opposite Pouilly, lies in our hands.

In the course of several successful raids in the Voivre, detachments of the Second Army have penetrated the enemy’s trenches, destroying material, dugouts, and emplacements, and capturing prisoners.

_Tuesday evening._

The First Army under Lieut.-Gen. Liggett has continued its success. Crossing the river south of Dun-sur-Meuse under a heavy artillery fire which frequently wrecked the new constructed bridges, the troops of Maj.-Gen. Hines’s Corps fought their way up the slopes of the east bank.

Breaking the enemy’s strong resistance, they captured Hills 292, 260, Liny-devant-Dun, and drove him from the Bois de Châtillon.

During the afternoon our gains in this sector were extended northward; Dun-sur-Meuse was captured and our line pushed forward a mile beyond that town, as far as the village of Nièlly. The troops of Maj.-Gen. Sunmerall’s Corps reached the river at Cesse and Luzy and mopped up the forest of Jaulnay.

The important road center of Beaumont fell before our victorious forces, who pushed on to the Bois de l’Hospice, two miles north of that town, capturing in their advance the village of Létanne.

At Beaumont we liberated five hundred French citizens, who welcomed our soldiers as deliverers.

The advance of the past two days has carried our line to points within five miles of the Sedan-Metz railroad, the main line of communications of the German armies. Between Beaumont and Bar Maj.-Gen. Dickman’s Corps, in close liaison with the French Fourth Army on its left, pushed forward under heavy artillery and machine-gun fire through the rugged forest areas beyond Stonne.

The villages of Yoncq, La Basace, and Stonne were taken.

We have taken to-day west of the Meuse 51 additional guns, making a total of more than 150 since November 1st.

Thirty of our bombing planes executed a successful raid on Mouzon and Raucourt this morning, dropping over two tons of bombs with good effect. Reconnaissance and pursuit squadrons carried out many successful missions, machine-gunning enemy troops and greatly assisting the advance of our troops.

Seventeen enemy planes were shot down and two enemy balloons burned. Seven of our planes are missing.

[15] And now let all those come who love Paradise, the place of quiet, the place of safety, the place of eternal happiness, the place where the Barbarian may be feared no more.—ST. AUGUSTINE, _Upon the Barbarian Persecution_.

[16] “S’Strassburger Münster isch s’höschet, s’Friburgers’ dickscht, aver S’Thanner s’fienecht.”

[17] Some of the jokes that were Hansi’s undoing were exceedingly harmless, as, for instance, the domestic revelations of Frau Professor Kugelberg, who answers to the correspondence column the following: “No, I never throw away the old trousers of my husband. I have had great success with cutting them skilfully and employing the least worn parts, in constructing for my young daughters charming and dainty corset-covers, which have the merit also of being very inexpensive. Trimmed with white ribbons, these corset-covers have quite a virginal air, but also with apple-green and cherry-red bows they can be made most attractive.” As for “Professor Knatschke” he is now a classic. The Alsatians have, in a very marked degree, what one might call the wit of border peoples, the tongue often being the only weapon left them.

[18] Gilles Sifferlen, _La Vallée de St.-Amarin_, 1908.

[19] Fairies: kindred to the “green people” of Ireland.

[20] “I will have thee, I will have thee, I will have thee.”

[21] “To play bridge at Limoges” means that an officer is temporarily—or permanently—retired before the age limit. “_Être limogé_,” to be limoged, is another familiar form.

[22] The next morning I learned that Sérin, who had been “ready for anything, _et comment_,” had gathered together, being chief of the Gendarme Service, those of his men who were watching over the slumbers of Masevaux and quite simply “opened wine” for them, drinking solemnly again to “_la Mistie_,” while they as solemnly drank to the health of their respected chief. So do great hours fulfil themselves in little ways.

[23] Victor Hugo, _Alsace et Lorraine_, 1872.

Thy people will live, But thine empire topples, Germany!...

[24] Battery B, 42d Artillery C.A.C.

[25] Edith Wharton.