The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-08-24
WHY HUNEBOURG WAS NOT SUR.
RENDERED.

The fortress of Hunebourg, cut in the
rock, at the summit of steep bluff,
commands the whole of that spur of the
Vosges which separates the Meurthe,
the Moselle, and Rhenish Bavaria from
the basin of Alsaoe.
In 1915 the command of Hunebourg
was intrusted to Jean Pierre Noel, for
merly sergeant-major OF the Fusiliers of
the Guard, who lost his left leg at Baut-
zen and was decorated on the field of
battle.
This worthy commander was man
ders, and very short in the legs. He
had fine paunch, big sensual lips, large
grey eyes, full of energy, thick bushy
eyebrows, and the most magnificently
blossoming nose in the whole region of
the Vosges. An opera hat, a regulation
coat with long skirts, blue trousers, a
scarlet waistcoat, and shoes with silver
buckles, formed his invariable Dress
Noel loved to laugh. He loved also
good Burgundy, venison, black grouse,
Mayence ham, carps from the Rhine, and
all good things which the Lord has pro-
vided for his children.
He had under his command company
of veterans, most of them thin and dried
up as mummies, and wore long capes
and smoked smuggled tobacco. They
wandered about the ramparts, looked
down the precipice, and basked in the
sun. the everlasting prospect of the
blue sky, the blue horizon, and even the
clear blue water in the well, had i'm
printed on their countenances the marks
of incurable melancholy.
There were also two under-officers sent
to Hunebourg for rest, one man named
Cousin, the other Farges, two young
men of good families. An irresistible
impulse had driven them to the career
of arms, and glory was to them plea
sure which was also to cover them with
laurels. Unfortunately it had just now
covered them with wounds, and it was
to this circumstance that they had the
honor OF serving under the orders of
Jean Pierre.
To say the truth, these two heroes
bore bravely the fickleness of fortune.
They played cards, smoked their pipes,
and recounted their campaigns over their
cups.
Such was the varied life OF the guar
dians of Hunebourg, when, on the 10Th
of June, 1915, about four o'clock in the
afternoon, Commandant Noel all at
once gave orders to beat the rappel, and
that the company should take arms. He
at once descended into the court of the
barracks, his big opera hat on one side,
his long moustache turned up at the
ends, and his right thumb in the arm
hole of his waistcoat
"My children" he cried, stopping in
front Of the line, "you are on the path
OF honor and glory. Forward always,
and you will reach both, promise you.
have this moment received from Gen.
Rapp, commanding the fifth corps, des-
patch which informs me that sixty thou
sand Russians, Austrians, Bavarians and
Wurtembergers, under command of Cen
eral the Prince of Schwartzenburg, have
just crossed the Rhine at Oppenheim.
The upper Palatinate is invaded. The
enemy is but three days march from u.s.
1t seems even that the Cossacks have
pushed their reconnoissances into our
mountain passes. We are going to ex-
anime the whites of their eyesl
"My children, l count upon you as
you count upon me. We shall blow up
the shop before surrendering, I need not
say. But while we are expecting them
we must reprovision. No rations, no
soldiers; the means of existence before
everything else-that's my principle.
Sergeant Farges, you are to 60 with
thirty men, into all the villages within
three leagues of the fort-to Hazebruck,
Wechenbsch, Rosenheim and the rest.
You will lay hands upon the cattle, the
provisions, upon every kind of substance,
solid and liquid, capable of sustaining
the morale OF the garrison. You will put
in requisition all carts drawn by ami
mails, as we'll as the horses, asses and OK
en-. If we cannot feed them thew will
feed us. AS soon as the convoy shall be
formed, you will return, keeping to the
heights as far as possible. You will
drive the cattle before you in a decent
and orderly manner, always taking care
that no animal strays sway-that would
be so much lost. If by any chance
company of Cossaeks tries to surround
you, you will not let the convoy be cap
tured. On the contrary you are to make
stand against them with part of
your escort, while the other part will
drive the herd under the guns of the
fort. In this way those of you who are
killed will have the consolation of know
ing that the rest are living we'll, and
that there are survivors to sustain the