, 1873-02-24

amoothly = acntinel would glVo tho atarmi and
1t was noedfu 10 uso tlc, rillo. lfofr IL an OK
cellont marksmat,, l,lt be did NOT liko to wasto
qs s too pe ds @ o 'se as ttoo aS i nrsa nSs
motros Ia q GOOD distance; at 400 a,n sure Of
my aim. I lid bctter tlian TINT once. was
with my Lieutenant In n houao of Nogont. =
On tho TOP Of tho yiatnet upon H. tlie olhor bank
hundred metrea at tho lcast, ono would havo
takon for tho brnnoll of II troo Tl,o Lioutonant
took 1s glasH. 1T iu nmhn,' said, llo. ! looltod
in '.; turn end ssw earo onogl' sblg fine n iellqw
sight ofmy riflo for q range Of 400 notrou, put
over Tho parapot Into tho crooked way which
conducts to tho yiaduct from, oltl1or sido: 1u
moment ono Of his comrades wont to plot him
up. I fred second limo, tho mnn did not falI,
bit, t1ouhtloas, tho ball tlilist havo. beon near
him, for ho i}od and nover returned. I waltod
in vain unit! evening, but thoy did not daro to
romoTo tho body until night"
Noar tho Nogent, tho bed Of tho Marno ia cut
bY Two islands tho Ile dos 11oups and tho 1lo dos
Moullns; both Of which were thon bold by tho
Germans. Hoif had frequently explored tho
tho river anudbauk covered with broom mud q
Bnall boat moorol. uo nwnm acoroBH to it. dis
engaged tho boat With nomo difficulty, mud thon
found two or three comrades, good swimmers
like himso1f; Mt night QUO Of thom divod mud
swam under wator to THO !lo dos LoupB fixing
tho cord by noans Of which tho boat could be
drawn across. Thoy had no oars, and tho loast
noiso would botray thom: From their acrecn
Of broom whoro they lay concealed, Hoff
aud his companions could aee tho sentinel Of
tho ouomy marching to md fro with arr,s IN
roaainess. Proflting by a moment whom hia
back was turned, thoy leaped into tho bark
but were perceived, although too lutte, for tho
shot Of the sentinel, who Immediately frod, took
no OBJECT. Taking occasion Of this incident.
1ftoon mon availod themselves Of tho aholtcr OF
tho arches Of the yiaduct, passed. the, Marno in
boats and spread themselves in the island; they
| Woro soon 1oinod by 900 moro, but tho Germans
had fed. For this feat, and tho onergy and ad-
droRa which Hon dipplayod in holding tho leland
so long as 1t ontered into French tactics to ro-
| tain 1t, no was decorated on tho spot by Con.
Honor, and complmonsed by tho Genoral for hia
| gallant conduct. Thfa was tho first croaB givon
| by the Republic, and 1t WAS we'll earned.
Not long afterward 1t bccau1o sorious quoH-
| tton to eolvo how to send safely dispatches to
Dazaine, who wns Hhut up il Metz. Con. Lie
hearing Of tho proHess Of nof, sont for him,
| and in i few words tho Minister explained his
wish, not Disgusting tho danger of tho ontor-
| priae. Hoif accepted Tho mission, and when as
reward ho was offorcd tho grade Of an officer !:
No" replied 10, NJ am not sufficiently edu-
We now como to tho timo when HoIf dump
peared In tho fierce struggle which took place on
tho plateau Of Champigny, the object of Which
was to bread through the Investing lines Of the
enomy. On tho first day all had gone well, tho
| French had crossed tho Mnrne and tallen pos
session Of Potit-Bry, it is true with heavy loss.
Next morning an armiatico was arranged to COM
snow-coyered plain. Tho strife WAS renewed,
| and tho division with which Hoff fought WAS
finally oyerpoweret, and lie along with many OF
hia comrades was mado prisoner.