Chapter III: The Pass of Revigny (2)

G. C. 61 _comes out into =Maurupt= opposite the church (36½ km.); visible in the photo on p. 228._ This fine Romanesque edifice, restored in the fifteenth century, is classed as an historical monument.

It has suffered greatly.

The spire has been smashed, the tower torn open, the roof and the barrel-vaulting have given way. The town-hall, near the church, met with the same fate (view above).

_Turn to the right opposite the church, and then proceed for 800 yards towards the Hill of Le Montois._

Half-way up is to be seen the burial-place reproduced below. Farther along the road other graves are visible on the left, for at this point the 128th Line Regiment put up a splendid resistance against superior German forces.

These attacks on the west, joined to those on the north and east, led as we have seen to the fall of Maurupt.

_Return to the village_, which is in course of reconstruction, _and at the church go straight on, then turn to the right, towards Cheminon, into_ G. C. 16, _which follows the line of telegraph posts_.

_On arriving in =Cheminon= (43 km.), turn to the left to descend the principal street, shown in the photo above_. Cheminon did not experience the German invasion, and, after the desolation of the villages which we have traversed, this little township gives an impression of repose, with its picturesque houses sloping down towards the old thirteenth-sixteenth century church, which is classed as an historical monument.

_We pass under the market (beware of the depression in the ground), then turn to the right towards Trois-Fontaines._

_Reaching the fork in the road, go straight on. Pass through =Le Fays= (47½ km.). 800 yards further on, leaving the road to Saint-Dizier on the right, turn to the left to enter the village of =Trois-Fontaines= (49 km.)._ At the end of it the monumental doorway of the old abbey of Trois-Fontaines is visible, as shown in the photograph on next page.

The Germans did not get as far as Trois-Fontaines, but fighting took place to the north and to the north-east, in the forest.

This region, where the Fourth and Third French Armies linked up, was particularly important. At Trois Fontaines, the Germans would have been 9 km. from Saint-Dizier, from whence they would have been able to outflank the whole of the Army of Langle de Cary. The Second Corps' admirable resistance, and the aid given by the flank attack of the Fifteenth Corps of Sarrail's Army, brought about the German defeat.

The abbey is at the present time the property of the Count of Fontenoy. _After asking permission to visit, cross the court to the left, in order to view the ruins of the church which are still standing in the corner of the park._

The photos on pp. 231, 232 and 233 depict the interior and the exterior.

The abbey was founded in the beginning of the twelfth century by Saint Bernard.

The major portion of the church dates back, however, a century earlier. It was sacked during the Revolution, but the ruins now covered with verdure have an impressive grandeur.

Enter the principal nave by the doorway seen on the left in the view opposite.

After traversing the body of the church, consisting of the central nave and two side aisles, we see enormous fragments of the arches strewn on the ground. As seen in the photographs on p. 232. Nature has resumed her sway, and tall trees rise from what was the choir and the apse of the old church.

_By way of the small but charmingly planned park, we arrive at the abbey buildings proper_ (_see p. 233_), which form the habitation of the proprietor. They are formed of two wings, built in the eighteenth century, and united by a charming arched gallery covered with climbing plants. These buildings were much more extensive before the Revolution, and several hundred monks devoted themselves in the calm of this remote forest-valley to a life of contemplation, interrupted only by rural tasks.

A river traverses the abbey from one end to the other, but the monks made important works in order to render it subterranean for a portion of its length. Thus it passes under the buildings and crosses the centre of the park, flowing through underground arches, so solidly constructed that the passage of centuries has left no apparent weakness.

At the end of the park, the river comes again to the surface in order to form part of a skilfully arranged decorative scheme in which water, trees, and lawns combine to make a harmonious whole.

After this short inroad into the far past, _the tourist takes once more the road to =Cheminon= (55 km.). In this village, pass under the market again, then turn to the right into the road_ (visible in the photograph at the foot of p. 230) _opposite the inn_.

_Cross the river Bruxenelle, then, on reaching the fork, turn to the left towards Sermaize._ The way lies through woods into which part of the extreme right of the Second Corps retreated after abandoning Sermaize. The pursuing Germans began to creep towards Cheminon and Maurupt, and, as we have seen, succeeded in reaching the latter village, but Cheminon did not fall into their hands.

_Affording a fine view of the Valley of the Saulx, the road enters =Sermaize= (61 km.)._

The town was occupied on September 6 by the Fourth Division of the Sixth Corps. Violently attacked on the north and east, and threatened with being cut off from the rest of the French line by the German advance from the west, Sermaize, already set on fire by shells, was evacuated on the 7th by the French troops, who retired towards Maurupt and Cheminon. The Germans entered the little town and completed the work of the shells, but first they pillaged the houses. It was proved to the Enquiry Commission that "German Red-Cross nurses came with carts, in which they piled up the goods which the soldiers passed to them from the drapery and millinery establishment of M. Mathieu, a merchant serving with the colours." 505 houses were completely destroyed; only forty-four remained standing.

Numerous personal outrages were committed. About fifty hostages were taken; some, rigged out in cloaks and casques, were obliged thus to guard the bridges. Here is the declaration of the road-man of the district, Auguste Brocard: "_My son and I, together with my grandson aged 5½ years, were led away on September 6 by the Germans, who shut us into the sugar factory, and kept us there under guard for four days. When they arrested us, my wife and my daughter-in-law, insane with fear, ran to drown themselves in the Saulx. I managed to run after them, and tried three times to rescue the unhappy creatures, but the Germans forced me away, and left the poor women struggling in the water. I ought to add that when we were set free four days afterwards, and went to find the corpses, the French soldiers who helped to bury them pointed out to us that both my wife and my daughter-in-law had bullet wounds in the head._"

_On arriving in the town, turn to the right. The street leads to the central square_, which is adorned by a fountain (see below). The enormous rubbish heap which the town represented after the battle is gradually being cleared. The inhabitants have returned, and bravely set about the rebuilding of their homes. Helped by various organisations, French and foreign, and above all by bodies of Quakers known as the "Society of Friends," who have set up numerous wooden houses throughout the countryside, they are bringing this desolate region back to life.

_Take the Rue Bénard, on the left of the Square_, in order to visit the church, which is in the lower part of the town, near the Saulx. The photo below was taken from the right of this street. In the foreground is the doctor's house, of which only the brass plate remains; in the background is a temporary shanty run up by the chemist.

_We reach the Saulx_, on the opposite side of which stands the church, which was shelled and then burned by the Germans. The Romanesque porch, which stood out from it, has been destroyed; the nave is open to the sky; and the spire has collapsed. The Romanesque vaulting of the transept and of the apse has alone survived.

A fine fifteenth century wooden carving of Christ has been burned, or perhaps more probably taken away by the Germans.

_Retracing our steps, we take, on the left before arriving at the Place, the Rue d'Andernay_, from number 35 of which the central photograph on the following page was taken. _A little further on we rejoin the road (G. C. 15, which becomes G. C. 1 on leaving the county), and follow it out of the town. On the right, two kilometres further, is the_ "Établissement thermal," whose waters are used for drinking purposes, as well as for baths and shower-baths. _Pass through =Andernay= (64½ km.)_, where a few houses were burned down. _Cross over the Saulx, then, without entering Contrisson, turn to the right (66 km.) and follow the railway along the road._

_Two kilometres further take the level-crossing, and then, leaving the railway, which breaks off to the right, follow G. C. 20. Continue straight along G. C. 1._

G. C. 20 follows the Valley of the Saulx, which, gradually narrowing, stretches southwards. The Germans came up the valley, driving in a wedge between the Fourth and Third French Armies. During September 9 and 10 the Fifteenth Corps was working astride this valley, trying to re-establish connection. On the evening of the 10th, the 30th Division of this Corps took =Mognéville= (_2 km. distant along G. C. 20_), and practically reached the spot where the tourist is now standing. The danger of a break through was thus averted.

G. C. 1 _leads the tourist to_ =Vassincourt= (71 km.), which has been entirely destroyed by fire and shells. The photo below depicts the entrance to the village, those of p. 237 the sacked church.

On the evening of September 6 Vassincourt was the extreme left of Sarrail's Army. It was attacked furiously by the German troops which had just carried Revigny, and sought to take possession of the plateau commanding the valleys of the Saulx and the Ornain, by which they hoped to push on towards Bar-le-Duc and Saint Dizier. On the 7th, the 46th Line Regiment was clinging to the edge of the village. Colonel Malleterre, commanding this fine body of men, inspired them with his own indefatigable energy. On the 8th the 57th Brigade of the Fifteenth Corps, attacking from Mognéville tried to free the west of Vassincourt, and to drive back the Germans towards Revigny. Two dashing attempts, resulting in heavy losses to two Light Infantry Battalions of the 57th Brigade, failed before the German resistance, supported by a great superiority of guns. The 46th maintained its positions from Vassincourt to the Ornain. On the 9th the attack began again at dawn, and by the evening the burning village was closely surrounded on the east and to the south by trenches which the French troops had dug hastily. In the course of this day, Colonel Malleterre, who had taken over the command of the 19th Brigade and was directing operations, was seriously wounded. It was only on the 11th that the Plateau of Vassincourt was completely cleared of the German troops who had entrenched themselves there.

_Turn to the left in the middle of the village_, in order to visit the church, of which the spire has been brought down and the interior laid waste, _then return to the road_.

_After Vassincourt, G. C. 1 passes through =Mussey= (74 km.)._ Varney and Fains, further up-stream, constituted with Mussey three passages which were covered by the Fifth French Corps. The Crown Prince had given orders to the Thirteenth German Corps to make themselves masters of the bridges, but the splendid resistance of the French troops did not allow the enemy to cross this part of the waterway, which, however, had been crossed further down, at Revigny.

_After leaving Mussey cross over the canal, which the road follows on a lower level, and pass Varney on the left. At =Fains= (79 km.) the canal has to be crossed again, turning to the right. Then turn to the left, along the canal bank. This leads to the high road to Bar-le-Duc G. C. (D. 4). Follow it, and enter the town by the Boulevard de la Banque, the Rue d'Entre-deux-Ponts, and the Boulevard de La Rochelle, where the hotel will be found (82 km.)._

BAR-LE-DUC

ORIGIN AND CHIEF HISTORICAL FACTS

Bar-le-Duc is of Gallo-Roman origin. The name of Bar is very probably derived from the bar which the Ornain forms at the spot where the Notre-Dame Bridge now stands. The few dwellings erected at the edge of the river were called _Barrivilla_, and occupied the site of the present "faubourg" of Couchot, where the "Rue des Romains" still exists. At a later date, and on the opposite bank of the Ornain, rose a fortified township named _Burgum Barri_, which is to-day the district traversed by the Rue du Bourg. In the middle of the tenth century Frederick I., Count of Bar, built a castle on the hill overlooking the Ornain, to the west, and thus the upper town was created. When Frederick I. became Duke of Haute-Lorraine the name of the town was changed into _Barro Ducis_, whence Bar-au-Duc, then Bar-le-Duc.

In the middle ages Bar-le-Duc experienced the restless life of fortified places. In the twelfth century Henry V., Emperor of Germany, then, in the fourteenth century, the King of France, Philippe le Bel, declared their suzerainty over the Counts of Bar. In the fifteenth century Anne of Beaujeu gave up the district of Bar to the Dukes of Lorraine. During the seventeenth century Bar changed hands ten times. The most celebrated siege was that by Turenne in 1652, the lower town being taken at the end of a fortnight and the upper town succumbing two days later. In 1670 Louis XIV. caused all the fortifications, with the exception of the "Tour de l'Horloge," to be razed to the ground. In 1737 the last hereditary Duke of Lorraine, Francis II., ceded the province to Stanislas Leczinski, the dethroned King of Poland, on whose death it was to return to France. When this occurred in 1766 Bar was definitely incorporated in French territory.

Francis, Duke of Guise, and Marshals Oudinot and Exelmans, were born at Bar.

The town was occupied from 1870 to 1873 by the Germans. In 1914 the Crown Prince thought he would be able to enter it without difficulty, but Sarrail's Army undeceived him very decidedly, and the battle of the Marne spent itself a few kilometres from the gates of the town. During the period of trench warfare there were numerous air raids, although Bar is an unfortified town (photo above).

1. PRÉFECTURE
2. HOTEL DE VILLE
3. TRIBUNAL CIVIL
4. ARCHIVES
5. ST ANTOINE
6. TEMPLE PROTEST.
7. SYNAGOGUE
8. THEATRE
9. BANQUE DE FRANCE
10. CAISSE D'ÉPARGNE
11. HALLES
12. GENDARMERIE
13. TOUR DU BEFFROI
14. ANCIEN CHÂTEAU DES DUCS DE BAR
15. HOSPICE CIVIL ET MILITAIRE
16. -- DES VIEILLARDS
17. COUVENT DES DOMINICAINES
18. ANCIEN COLLÈGE GILLES DE TRÈVES

BAR-LE-DUC]

VISIT TO THE TOWN

(See plan p. 239)

Lower Town.--See +Notre-Dame Bridge+ and Church of Notre-Dame.

Upper Town.--See +The Castle+; +Gilles-de-Trèves College+; +The Clock-Tower+ (tour de l'Horloge); +The Esplanade+; +The Place and Church of Saint Pierre+.

This town is famous for its celebrated red-currant jam; the pips of the fruit being removed one by one before cooking. Also "Vin gris."

THE LOWER TOWN

Notre-Dame Bridge

This was first built of wood, then towards the middle of the fourteenth century, of stone. The Chapel to the Virgin on one of the piles has been in existence since the seventeenth century. It escaped destruction in the troubled times of the Revolution in consequence, it is said, of the prudent substitution of the busts of Marat and Robespierre for the statue of the Virgin.

There is a pretty view of the Ornain from the bridge; but in order to see the bridge itself in its most picturesque aspect, take a few steps along the edge of the south bank, whence the photo below was taken.

Notre-Dame

This church may be seen from the bridge. Parts of it date from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries, whilst one front and one tower belong to the eighteenth. The bas-relief of the façade representing the Assumption belongs to 1750. In the interior, in the right branch of the transept, is an interesting fifteenth century bas-relief representing the Virgin and symbolic figures.

(_Photo L. L._)]

THE UPPER TOWN

The upper town is the most interesting part of Bar-le-Duc.

The two photographs on this page show it as it appears from the lower town.

Motors can reach it easily _by following the Boulevard de la Rochelle, then taking, on the right, the Rue Lapique, which passes before the town-hall and leads to the Avenue du Château_.

_At the top of this avenue after passing, on the left, the Romanesque entrance to the old ducal castle_ (reached by about twenty steps) _by turning to the right one can follow on foot the Rue Gilles-de-Trèves for about one hundred yards, as far as_ the ancient college of the same name, which is classed as an historical monument. It has an interesting Renaissance front looking on to the courtyard.

_Return to the Avenue du Château, which is continued on the left by the Rue du Baile._ It is from there that the photographs on p. 242 were taken, the one looking towards the lower town, along the castle walls, the other towards Old Bar.

At the end of the Rue du Baile, on the left is the Clock Tower shown in the photograph on p. 243.

_Pedestrians need not follow the above itinerary, but can gain the Clock Tower directly by taking the Rue d'Entre-deux-Ponts and the Rue Rousseau, visible in the foreground of the_ photo on p. 241. _The Rue Rousseau after skirting the Place Reggio_ (see page 241), _crosses the Canal des Usines. In doing so_, the little Church of Saint-Anthony may be seen astride the canal. It dates from the fourteenth century. _Turn next to the left into the Rue Oudinot. After about_ 200 yards, _take on the left the Rue Saint-Antoine as far as the bridge over the Canal des Usines_, from whence there is a picturesque view of the old houses which throng this narrow stream of water. _We retrace our steps and go beyond the Rue Rousseau in order to take the Rue de l'Horloge on the left._ This street mounts to the upper town and passes at the foot of the Clock Tower. One rejoins the latter by means of a stair, the beginning of which is seen on the left in the photo at the top of page 243. The fourteenth century Clock Tower is all that remains of the fortifications of Bar, which, as we have seen on p. 238, were destroyed by order of Louis XIV. in 1670. From the top of the stair, to the left of the tower, there is a fine view of the lower town and of the valley. The photo at the foot of p. 243 was taken from this spot. If one wishes to climb the tower, the guardian must be consulted. _Turn to the right on leaving the Clock Tower, in order to reach the Castle Esplanade_, which is planted with ancient trees. From this point there is a view of another part of Bar-le-Duc (see photo p. 244).

To the left of the esplanade are the remains of the old ducal castle. The photo at the foot of p. 244 depicts the Romanesque doorway which is the oldest part of it. We saw this doorway from the other side when ascending the Avenue du Château. It was formerly on the level, but in 1871, when the carriage road was made, it was united to the avenue by steps.

The castle occupied formerly the whole of the plateau. It was built in 964 by Frederick I., Count of Bar, and altered in succeeding centuries. All that remains are a few sixteenth century buildings, seen in the photo at the foot of p. 244, and of which the external view is reproduced at the top of p. 242. The buildings and the chapel seen between the Clock Tower and the esplanade belong to an old Dominican convent built in the nineteenth century.

_After going round the esplanade, return to the Rue du Baile and follow it towards Old Bar. Take, on the right of the Place-de-la Fontaine, Rue des Ducs de Bar_, which has preserved some quaint sixteenth and seventeenth century houses. _Turn to the left in this street in order to enter Place Saint-Pierre_, at the extremity of which stands the church of this name, classed as an historical monument.

The Place has retained its old world aspect. Sixteenth and seventeenth century houses, of which the most beautiful, No. 21, is a museum, form a fitting frame to the old church.

_The museum is open to the public on Sundays, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and at any time to strangers to the town (gratuity)._

It contains collections of painting, sculpture, and natural history.

Saint-Pierre is the oldest church in Bar-le-Duc.

It was begun in the fourteenth century; the front, reproduced on p. 245, dates from the sixteenth century, with the exception of the quadrangular cupola surmounted by a lantern, which crowns the tower.

This portion, which jars with the transitional Gothic of the rest of the edifice, was added in the seventeenth century. The plans for the right hand tower were never executed.

In the interior, in the right branch of the transept, is the masterpiece of the great Lorraine sculptor of the sixteenth century, Ligier-Richier, pupil of Michael Angelo. It is the funeral monument of René of Châlon, Prince of Orange, and is commonly known as "the Skeleton."

René de Châlon, who was killed in 1544 at the siege of Saint-Dizier, is said to have expressed the wish to be impersonated on his tomb as he would be three years after his death. It was in order to conform to his wish that his widow, Louise of Lorraine, ordered Richier to execute the strikingly realistic monument seen in the photo below. The "Skeleton" was carved in stone, then placed in a bath of oil and wax which gave it the appearance of old ivory.

Opposite the pulpit and suspended from the pillars in the nave, is a carving of Christ between the two thieves. This crucifixion-group dates from the sixteenth century and is in walnut wood, but has been repainted in modern times.

It has sometimes been attributed to Ligier-Richier. In a chapel to the left of the choir there is kept a sixteenth century bas-relief representing St.-François d'Assises, patron saint of François Brûlé, rector of Saint-Pierre, between Saint Peter and Saint Max, Abbot of Chinon.

In the right aisle there is a beautiful Renaissance chapel and the baptistry.

_Motors descend again into the lower town by the same road taken in coming up._

Other secondary places of interest

+Monument des Michaux+, at the corner of Rue Rousseau and Rue du Bourg, was erected in 1894. The two Michaux were the carriage-builders who invented the fitting of pedals to bicycles.

+The+ "+Café des Oiseaux+," in the theatre in the Rue Rousseau, the hall of which is surrounded by glass cases containing more than 50,000 natural history specimens.

+The Rue du Bourg+ is famous for its old Renaissance houses.

+The Public Garden+ lies behind the town-hall.

+The Church of Saint-Jean+ at the end of the Boulevard de la Rochelle was begun in 1882 in the Romanesque style.

+The "Porte de la Couronne"+ (Place de la Couronne) dates from 1751.

FIELD OF OPERATIONS OF THE THIRD FRENCH ARMY

=III.--TOUR ROUND BAR-LE-DUC= (66 km.)

(See map inserted between pp. 212-213)

+Via Villers-aux-Vents+, +Brabant-le-Roi+, +Revigny+,
+Nettancourt+, +Sommeilles+, +Laheycourt+, +Louppy-le-Château+,
+Louppy-le-Petit+, +Génicourt+, +Vavincourt+

_Leave by the Boulevard de la Banque. Cross the Canal des Usines, then take on the right the road to Revigny or G. C. D. 4, 1,500 yards further. Cross the railway by a level-crossing and then the Marne-Rhine Canal._

_The road dips down to the left in order to follow the railway, and then crosses the Ornain, of which it follows the right bank. We come to the hamlet of =Venise=, but continue in the direction of =Laimont= (12 km.)._ Half-way thither, on the right, may be seen the woods which constituted the ultimate line of resistance of the Fifth Corps during the violent attacks which it experienced on September 6, and in which it lost about ten kilometres. Snatched from the Tenth Division of the Sixth Corps on the night of the 6th, Laimont was only retaken on the 11th by the Fifteenth Corps. As may be seen in the above photo, the church was damaged by shells. Many houses were destroyed. When they left Laimont the Germans took away seven hostages, among them the rector.

_G. C. D. 4 branches off to the left to cross through Laimont, and passes in front of the church; but instead of following it, leave the village on the left and continue straight along the road which becomes G. C. D. 15._

_2 km. 4 further on, take the "Chemin vicinal" to the right leading to Villers-aux-Vents. After crossing a stream, turn to the left at the entrance to the village, following a winding road which leads to the church._ =Villers-aux-Vents= (16 km.) was completely destroyed by the fire which the Germans kindled before leaving. It was attacked on September 6 by masses of infantry coming up from the north and north-west, and gallantly defended by the Tenth Division, which occupied the village and its neighbourhood. Violent fighting took place to the north of Villers, near the Grand-Morinval Pond, in the course of which General Roques, who was commanding the Division, was mortally wounded. Giving way under force of numbers, the Tenth Division was obliged to evacuate Villers and fall back on Laimont. As we have seen above, this village also was lost during the night, and the line of defence was taken up in the woods to the east.

The Germans took three hostages at Villers, under circumstances of which one of them, M. Vigroux, gave details before the Commission of Enquiry. He was coming out of his house when he perceived another resident, M. Minette, surrounded by soldiers. "_At the same time_," he declared, _"a Prussian came up to me, seized me, and led me away, his revolver pointed at my head, without my having threatened or gesticulated. I next saw the Prussians strike Minette with their fists and with the butt-end of their rifles; they also tore off his clothes, finally leaving him naked._

_"They then secured his hands with an iron chain."_

The hostages were led one kilometre from the village. Minette was separated from the group and made to kneel. He was then shot. As far as his companions were able to understand, the Germans appeared to have found in his house an old and useless revolver. After the death of Minette, the other hostages were set free.

_At the other end of the village from the church, in a field on the left_, is a subterranean shelter, known in the village under the name of the "Crown Prince's Dug-out," the photo at the top of this page shows the entrance to it. This shelter was dug during the German occupation, and the armchairs from the church were placed in it to make it more comfortable. According to local authority, the Crown Prince stayed for a time at Villers, and the shelter was made for his convenience.

_Descend from the plateau on which the village is built, and at the foot of the hill, after having crossed the river, take on the right the "Chemin vicinal" which leads back to G. C. D. 15._ It is the little road which is seen in the above photograph. G. C. D. 15, planted with trees, appears on the horizon.

_At the meeting of the roads, turn to the right towards =Brabant-le-Roi= (20 km.). In this village, turn to the left near the church and continue straight forward to =Revigny= (22 km.) by G. C. 20, which crosses the picture at the foot of p. 247._

It was between Brabant and Revigny, near the railway which follows the road on the right, that the Zeppelin L.Z. 77 was brought down on February 21, 1915, at 9·15 p.m. The carcase of the great air-ship is visible in the above photo; opposite is the photo of the motor-cannon which brought it down. It was under the orders of Adjutant Gramling (on the right in the photo) and was pointed by the Chief-Pointer Pennetier (at his post of observation behind the shield).

Revigny, like Brabant-le-Roi, fell on September 6, in spite of a brilliant defence by the Fifth Corps. On September 12 it was re-occupied by the Fifteenth Corps. _In Revigny, after passing a level-crossing and continuing straight on, turn to the left, in order to reach the church shown in the photograph below._

The Church of Revigny is classed as an historical monument. It is a fifteenth and sixteenth century edifice, the most interesting part of which is the apse. The gargoyles on the buttresses are curious. The steeple was destroyed by the fire lighted by the Germans; the roof fell in and the interior was ravaged by the flames.

_On returning to the street by which we entered, continue towards the centre of the town, then turn to the left into the principal street_, from which, over the ruined houses, the photo (below) of the church was taken. At No. 21, at the corner of the Rue du Four, is the bakery of which we give photographs, both of the interior and the exterior, at the foot of the page. Hundreds of houses are in this state or have completely disappeared.

_We reach next the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville_; the town-hall has been completely destroyed.

The fire was preceded by pillage. Numerous waggons were laden with articles deemed of interest, and sent down the line. The walls of the houses were then sprayed with paraffin from hand syringes. Packets of tablets made of compressed gunpowder, and sticks of inflammable matter thrown into the burning houses, stimulated the flames. During three days the fires which died out were thus relighted. Only the houses where the officers were staying were spared. As they declared to the rector, the Germans did this from no other motive but to spread terror, and they did it systematically.

Brabant-le-Roi
Revigny

PANORAMA OF THE PASS OF REVIGNY.

1,200 yards beyond Brabant may be seen, on the left, the panoramic view of the valley of the Ornain shown in the photographs above. The river, the railway from Bar-le-Duc to Vitry-le-François, and the canal from the Marne to the Rhine pass through it, and take up the south of the depression behind Revigny. On the left beyond Brabant-le-Roi the valley narrows towards Bar-le-Duc; on the right it widens in the direction of Sermaize and meets the Valley of the Saulx. The whole constitutes what is known as the Pass of Revigny, and was the object of furious attacks by the Germans who sought to separate the Third and Fourth French Armies in this region. As early as September 6 under a violent offensive, the Fifth Corps lost Brabant and Revigny, and was thrown back on the plateau in the centre of which is Vassincourt, where the tourist has already passed. The German advance was stayed in the neighbourhood of this village, thanks to the admirable resistance of the Fifth Corps, aided by the Fifteenth.]

_On arriving at the Place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville, we shall retrace our steps as far as the Church of =Brabant-le-Roi=, then turn to the left towards Nettancourt by C. G. D. 15._

_Continue along the road and go over a level-crossing, then follow the valley of the Chée to reach =Nettancourt= (30 km.), and turn to the left to reach the chapel._ The church is not in the village, but on a hill to the west. It dates from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and is classed as an historical monument. It has suffered from fire and from shells.

Nettancourt fell into the hands of the Germans on September 6. _On leaving the village, strike off G. C. D. 15 and take on the right the Sommeilles Road or G. C. 27. Go over a level-crossing and turn immediately to the left. At =Sommeilles= (34 km.), turn to the left to reach the church, then to the right in order to visit the town-hall._ The church is capable of restoration, but of the latter only the front remains. As for the houses, they were completely destroyed by fires lighted by the Germans under the same conditions as at Revigny--by spraying them with paraffin from hand-pumps.

It was on the 6th, when the 51st German Infantry Regiment arrived, that fires broke out in the whole of the village. The inhabitants fled before the flames, but the soldiers seized them and asked for information regarding the movements of the French troops, threatening at the same time to shoot them. Eight hostages were led as far as Brabant-le-Roi, where they were released after having been made to kneel, whilst their captors made a dumb show of firing at them.

The Germans committed still more inexcusable crimes at Sommeilles. On September 12, when the Light Infantry entered the village, the officers and the doctor found in the cellar of the Adnot family's house, seven corpses. Death had taken place under particularly atrocious conditions. The Official Report gives the following details:

"We discovered the body of a man of about sixty (_M. Adnot_) who had been shot, he had two wounds in his chest, and his eyes were still bandaged; that of a woman of about the same age (_Mme. Adnot_) with no visible wounds; another of a woman of about thirty-five years, whose right fore-arm, entirely severed from the rest of her body, had been thrown at some distance. Her clothing had been torn off (this woman appeared to have been violated). Then that of a little girl of about twelve years, who seemed to have met the same fate; those of three children of from five to ten years, two of whose heads had been cut off and thrown near the bodies."

After visiting Sommeilles, _we retrace our steps as far as the cross-roads, which we met on arriving at the village, and continue straight on towards Laheycourt by G. C. 35. In =Laheycourt= (39 km.), through which we pass_, the monumental town-hall on the right, shown in the photo below, is worthy of note. It was burned by the Germans. The church opposite was turned into a hospital, and was spared for this reason. A certain number of houses were burned, or destroyed by shells.

_On leaving Laheycourt, pass a level-crossing, then follow the railway for about 2 km. The railway then leaves the road and goes towards Villotte and Lisle-en-Barrois, while the road continues along the Valley of the Chée towards Louppy-le-Château._

The right wing of the Fifth Corps experienced violent fighting in this region on September 6. After having lost Sommeilles and Laheycourt, it turned to bay at Louppy-le-Château, as also at Villotte on the 8th.

_Traversing_ =Louppy-le-Château= (44 km.), three-quarters destroyed by fire, the church will be noticed on the right, in a piteous condition from shelling, as shown in the photographs on p. 253. It dates from the thirteenth century and was restored in the nineteenth. The steeple was destroyed and the roof has fallen in. The bell, which was recovered from amidst the ruins, has been set up on the ground, and still summons the inhabitants to the services held in the roughly repaired choir.

The Germans committed revolting acts of brutality and immorality at Louppy-le-Château during the night of September 8-9, in a cellar where women and children had taken refuge from shell-fire. Two married women of 74 and 70 years, a spinster of 71 years, and a mother of 44 years and her children were odiously misused. The mother made the following declaration before the Commission of Enquiry:

"_I was in M. Raussin's cellar with my five children and other persons from the village, when three Germans, with revolvers in their hands, entered. One of them commanded me to lie down on the ground. I was obliged to obey.... Meanwhile, I received numerous blows. The Germans left the cellar, but two came back again. I made a dash for the stair and was not again mishandled, but I heard sounds of the scenes of violence to which the women who remained in the cellar were subjected. Among them were my two daughters aged thirteen years and eight years respectively. Both were violated, the latter, who was killed by a shell splinter on the following day, being unable to walk._"

The brother of the little victims, a boy aged eleven, made the following declaration: "_I was sleeping in M. Raussin's cellar, when two Germans woke me, and tore my trousers. I cried out_: '_I am a little boy.' They gave me a sound thrashing and struck my head with their fists._"

_On leaving Louppy-le-Château, turn to the left into I. C. 55 in the direction_. _of Louppy-le-Petit. Cross the Chée, then turn immediately to the right. 2½ km. further on cross a tributary of this river, and thus reach_ =Louppy-le-Petit= (49 km.). The defenders of Louppy-le-Château, subjected to a violent shell-fire, were obliged to abandon the village on September 8, and fall back on Louppy-le-Petit, which they were compelled to abandon likewise on the 9th. The line of defence was removed further east to Génicourt, which the tourist will pass after Louppy.

_In Louppy, turn to the right towards the church_, where the bombardment has caused much havoc. _Descend towards the Chée and, cross it. Immediately afterwards, I. C. 55 turns to the left in the direction of =Génicourt-sous-Condé= (51½ km.)._

_Pass straight through Génicourt, go over a level-crossing, then over the river, and 200 yards beyond, at the entrance to Condé, turn to the right into G. C. 28 leading to =Hargeville= (54½ km.)._

We are leaving the zone of the fighting of September. _Turn to the right in Hargeville to cross the river, then to the left towards the church and continue straight on._

_On leaving Hargeville, cross the railway twice by level-crossings. At =Vavincourt= (58 km.), turn to the right in order to pass the church, and go through the village to the far end. On leaving it, take the road on the right (I. C. 16), which branches off from G. C. 28. I. C. 16 goes through =Behonne= then descends into the valley of the Ornain and =Bar-le-Duc=. At the foot of the slope, cross the railway and the canal, then again the railway. Turn to the left immediately afterwards into the Rue des Romains; then take the Rue Couchot (3rd on right). Leave it to follow the Rue de l'Hospice on the left, which passes Notre-Dame. On arriving at the church, turn to the right towards Notre-Dame Bridge by Rue de Bar-la-Ville. After crossing the bridge take the Rue Notre-Dame which is a continuation, then Rue d'Entre-deux-Ponts on the left. On the left is the Boulevard de la Rochelle, where the hotel will be found (65 km.)._

FIELD OF OPERATIONS

OF THE

THIRD FRENCH ARMY

=IV.--FROM BAR-LE-DUC TO VERDUN= (63 km.)

(See map inserted between pp. 212-213)

Via +Naives+, +Vavincourt+, +Marats+, +Rembercourt-aux-Pots+,
+Vaux-Marie+, +Beauzée+, +Amblaincourt+, +Seraucourt+,
+Issoncourt+, +Heippes+, +Souilly+.

_Leave Bar-le-Duc by the Boulevard de la Rochelle, at the east end of which, before St. John's Church, turn to the left and cross the Pont-Neuf. Then turn to the right into the Rue Ernest Bradfer; 300 yards further on, turn to the left into the Rue du Passage-Inférieur. After crossing the railway, turn to the left into the Rue de Popey. 250 yards farther on the Rue de Saint Mihiel will be found on the right, and this is continued by the G. C. S. 1 bis._

_At =Naives= (5 km.), turn to the left and take G. C. 28, which climbs the plateau, at whose foot we have been travelling since leaving Bar-le-Duc. Pass straight through =Vavincourt= (8 km.) and take I. C. 16, a hilly road, leading to =Marats-la-Grande= (14½ km.). Descend into the village, turn to the left; and on leaving it by its western end, take, on the right, I. C. 48 leading to =Rembercourt-aux-Pots= (18½ km.)._

We are entering the zone of action of the Sixth Corps. Rembercourt was attacked on September 7, but held out, thanks to the defences which had been strongly organised round it. It was abandoned on the 10th and retaken on the 12th.

_The road passes in front of the church, which is classed as an historical monument (photo below)._ It is one of the most remarkable in the Department of the Meuse. It dates from the fifteenth century, but its beautiful front is Renaissance. The roof of the nave and that of the left aisle have been destroyed by German shells, but fortunately the front only suffered slightly. _Take the street on the right on leaving the church; it leads out of Rembercourt by G. C. 35._

_3 km. farther, turn to the left in order to pay a visit to =Vaux-Marie= Farm (22 km.)_, which was one of the most important centres of resistance in this part of the battlefield.

A few yards from the cross-roads, on the right, is a large common grave, of which the photograph is given below. Soldiers belonging to the 132nd Line Regiment and the 26th Battalion Light Infantry are buried there. _The farm stands at a distance of 1,500 yards from the cross-roads._ As shown in the photos on pp 256-257, its buildings have suffered badly from the violent shell-fire to which they were subjected, particularly on September 8. The attacks were fierce, but the defences which the Light Infantry had established round the farm enabled them to hold out until the 10th. The farm was abandoned at the same time as Rembercourt, and retaken on the 12th with the latter village. The whole of the plateau extending from Rembercourt to Vaux-Marie was the scene of combats which were among the most violent of the Battle of the Marne.

_Continuing along the road, after leaving the farm, go over first one level-crossing, then another._ The line runs between embankments, and was utilised as a line of defence. French and German graves (seen in centre of this page) were dug along the slope. On the right of the road is Hill 302, on the left Hill 293, which were comprised in the line of resistance of the Twelfth Division of the Sixth Corps on September 6, and of the 107th Brigade on September 7.

Before descending from the plateau into Beauzée, there is a very fine view. The photograph at the foot of this page shows the valley of Seraucourt, which the tourist will visit after Beauzée. It was there that the 40th Division of the Sixth Corps manœuvred. The photo at the top of p. 258 was taken looking towards Beauzée, whose steeple is visible. The numerous graves on either side of the road recall the violence of the struggle on September 6, when German pressure obliged the Twelfth Division to evacuate Beauzée and fall back on Hills 302 and 293, which the tourist has just passed.

_Before entering =Beauzée=, go over two level-crossings. Follow the principal street, and turn to the right in order to arrive at the church (27 km.)._

The photographs on pp. 258-259 give some idea of the state in which the German bombardment left this fine building. The church dates from the sixteenth century, as is shown by the rich ornamentation of the west front (see at the top of p. 259). This part of it received several shells, and in the photograph the shattered fragments resulting from this may be seen strewn on the ground. The nave, the apse, and the transept suffered most of all. The tower, restored in modern times and crowned by a spire, escaped destruction. It will, perhaps, be possible to save the panellings of the stalls and confessionals, which date from the eighteenth century.

A large number of houses in the village, and particularly around the church, were destroyed by shells.

_Turn to the right in front of the church, into the street shown in the photograph at the foot of p. 259. Then turn to the left towards the river and cross it. There is a very picturesque view of the village from this spot (photograph p. 260)._ Immediately after passing the Aire, turn to the right into I. C. 26, which goes up the valley towards =Amblaincourt= (29 km.).

This little village was destroyed. The view in the centre of p. 260 shows what remains of the town-hall, which was formerly a church. _In Amblaincourt, turn first to the right and then to the left, without crossing the railway. I. C. 26 going to Seraucourt follows the valley which appears on the panorama on p. 257._ A tributary of the Aire and the little railway from Bar-le-Duc to Verdun follow the windings of this valley.

The 40th Division of the Sixth Corps fought on the two heights which command the valley to the north and to the south. The southern one (and especially Chanet Wood, which we can see on the right) served as a place of retreat when the attacks of September 6-10, which aimed at taking the northern crest, failed. On the 10th, in spite of an heroic resistance, the 40th Division was obliged to abandon Chanet Wood and to retire for several kilometres. On the night of the 12-13th the Germans, having been completely beaten on all other points of their front, evacuated their positions, which the French re-occupied the next day.

_Pass straight through =Seraucourt= (31½ km.)._ Part of its houses were destroyed by shell-fire.

From Seraucourt to Lemmes we are going over the battlefield of the reserve divisions placed at the disposal of the Third Army, in order to strengthen and prolong its right wing, and to attempt to outflank the enemy's left.

Tn the neighbourhood of Seraucourt the 65th (reserve) Division linked up with the 40th Division of the Sixth Corps.

_Still following the valley, we reach_ =Rignaucourt= (33½ km.). To the north of the village, on the plateau, is Blandin Wood, which was occupied until September 10 by the 65th (reserve) Division. From there it hurled its daily attacks to the west against the flank of the enemy. On the 10th it was thrown back violently to the south-east, beyond Landlut Wood, which crowns the plateau to the south, and lies to the right of the road. The German retreat took place on the night of the 12th.

_In Rignaucourt, turn to the right in order to pass in front of the church; descend towards the railway, and beyond the level-crossing go over the river, and turn at once to the left towards Issoncourt (35½ km.). At the entrance to the village, turn to the left into G. C. D. 6, which is the main road from Bar-le-Duc to Verdun. After two railway-crossings we arrive at_ =Heippes= (39½ km.). The 65th and 75th (reserve) Divisions fought desperately to the west of this road in Ahaye Wood, until September 10, endeavouring to give relief to the Sixth Corps by an attack on the German flank.

_Leaving Heippes church behind_, I. C. 24 leading to Saint-André comes into view on the left. This road formed the pivot of the attacks of the 75th Division, one part of which was operating to the south, with the 65th Division in Ahaye Woods; the other to the north in the Woods of Châtel and Moinville. After a fierce struggle the reserve divisions were forced to retire. Whilst the 65th Division clung for a time to Hill 342 or the Signal d'Heippes, which commands the village to the south-west beyond the railway, the 75th held out in Heippes, but on the 10th both were driven back to the east of G. C. D. 6.

_After Heippes the road goes towards_ =Souilly= (43½ km.). On the heights to the left of the road the 75th (reserve) Division fought, Souilly was abandoned by it on September 10.

During the great battle of Verdun in 1916 General Pétain had his headquarters at Souilly Castle. The photograph opposite shows the victor of Verdun in company with General Joffre.

_Go straight through Souilly to reach =Lemmes= (48 km.), after twice crossing the railway._ To the west of the road is the battlefield of the 67th (reserve) Division and the mobile defences of the entrenched camp of Verdun which, during the Battle of the Marne, worried the German communications by frequent raids against their flank.

_G. C. D. 6 rejoins N. 3 beyond the hamlet of =Moulin-Brûlé= (54 km.). The railway is again traversed by two level-crossings._

This little line, which comes from Bar-le-Duc, and which we have followed from Beauzée, was at the beginning of the Battle of Verdun the only one possible for victualling the troops. The main line from Châlons to Verdun was under the fire of the German artillery, and that from Bar-le-Duc or from Toul to Verdun was occupied in its centre, at Saint-Mihiel, by the enemy. The capacity of this single branch was so small that all the heroism of the defenders would have been vain, and the Germans would have entered as conquerors into the old city, if, by a remarkable feat, motors had not been able to replace the feeble railway. The road which the tourist followed on leaving Bar-le-Duc, and which he rejoined at Issoncourt, has been known since that epoch as the "Voie Sacrée" (the Holy Way). An average of 1,700 motors transporting troops, ammunition and stores, went by each day in both directions, making one vehicle every twenty-five seconds. The view below gives an idea of this line of cars winding across the country.

_At the junction with N. 3, shortly after passing the spot where the railway crosses the road, turn to the right in the direction of =Verdun= (63 km.)._ This town and its entrenched camp, whose renown has become worldwide, are the subject of a special volume.

INDEX OF NAMES AND LOCALITIES MENTIONED IN THIS WORK

_The figures in heavy type indicate the pages on which there are illustrations._

PAGES

Acy-en-Multien, =99=, =100=, =103=

Allemant, 13, =159=, =161=, =163=, 184

Andernay, =236=

Asquith, =90=, =91=

Barcy, =90=, =93=, 104, 106, 111, 113, 114

=Bar-le-Duc=, 10, 17, 19, 236, =238= to =255=

Baron, =68=

Beaufort (Commandant de), 177, 178, 181

Beauzée, =257= to =260=

Brabant-le-Roi, 247, =248=, 250

Broyes, 13, =159=, 162, 163, 172 to 184

Chambry, =85= to =89=, 92, 107, 108, 113

=Châlons-sur-Marne=, 17, 19, 196, =198= to =209=

Champaubert, 165, 169, 184

Champfleury (Ferme de), =93= to =95=, 103, 106

=Chantilly=, =20= to =37=

Cheminon, 228, =230=, 233

=Coulommiers=, 7, 8, 17, =115= to =126=

Courdemanges, =216=

Crécy-en-Brie, 18, 48, =116= to =121=

Dourlent (Abbé), =46= to =48=

Écury-le-Repos, 189, 190, =194=

Esternay, 9, =150=, =153=, 168

Étrepy, =224=

Étrépilly, 95, 97, 103, 105, =107=, =113=, =114=

Favresse, =222=, =223=

Fère-Champenoise, 19, 162, 163, 170, 185, 189, 193, 194

Ferté-Gaucher (La), 18, 126, 148, 150

Ferté-sous-Jouarre (La), 11

Foch (Général), =7= to =16=, 160, 180, 186, 189

Franchet d'Esperey (Général), =7= to =16=, 161

French, =7= to =16=

Frignicourt, =217=

Gallieni (Général), 5, =6= to 16, 98

Grossetti (Général), =10= to =16=

Guerre (Sergeant-major), 188

Haig, (Douglas) (Général), =8=

Hausen (Von), =7= to =16=

Hauts de Meuse, 11 to 16

Heiltz-le-Maurupt, =224=, =225=

Huiron, =215=, =216=

Humbauville, 215

Humbert (Général), 13 to 16, 159, 175, 181

Joffre, =5= to =16=, 187, 260

Kluck (Von), =5= to =16=

Kronprinz, =7= to =16=, 237, 238, 247

Laimont, =246=

Langle de Cary (Général), =7= to =16=, 213, 231

Lenharrée, =191=, =193=, =194=

Linthes, 14, 163, 185

Louppy-le-Château, =252= to =254=

Louppy-le-Petit, =254=

Magnard (Albéric), 68, 69

Mangin (Général), 149

Marcilly, 93, =94=, =95=, 104 to 107

Maunoury (Général), =5= to =16=

Maurupt, =225= to =233=

=Meaux=, 17, 18, =74= to =80=, 114, 116

Mondement, 13, 14, 159, 162, =171= to =184=

Mont-Août, 162 to 164, 185, =195=

Monthyon, =82= to =86=, 91, 106

Montgivroux, 170, 172, 182, 184

Montmirail, 11

Mont-Chalmont, 14, 162, 163

Morains, 195

Moret (Mont), =216=, 217, 219

Morin (Grand), 10, 18, 117

Morin (Petit), 162 to 167

Nanteuil-le-Haudouin, =102=

Neufmontiers, =80= to =83=

Nogeon (Farm), =98=, 104

Normée, 187, 190, 192, 194

Notre-Dame-de-l'Épine, =210= to =212=

Odent (M.), =48= to =50=, 66

Oudin (Abbé), 214

Oyes, 170 to 173, 181

Pargny, =226= to =229=

Péguy (Ch.), 82

Penchard, 73, =82= to =86=, 106

Pétain (Général), 179, 180, 187, 260

Pleurs, 14, 162, 163

Poirier (Signal du), 13, 168 to 172, 181 to 184

=Provins=, 7, 17, =126= to =146=

Pucelles (Château des), 159, 175 to 178, 184

Puisieux, =96=, 97, 104

Rembercourt-aux-Pots, =255=, =256=

Reuves, 172, =173=

Revigny, 9, 236, 237, =248= to =251=

Rochelle (Plateau de), 179, =187= to =190=, 194

Saint-Gond (Bois de), 170, 182 to 184

Saint-Gond (Prieuré de), 172

Saint-Dizier, 231, 236

Saint-Mihiel, 7

Saint-Prix, 165, =167= to =169=, 172, 184

Sarrail (Général), =10= to =16=, 231, 236, 238

=Senlis=, 17, 18, =36= to =65=