The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-10
WOMEN IN THE FRENCH ARMY.
C~antinferes Who Have Shown Hero.
ism and Received Decorations.

SodITler OeS EIdtS OnlS.
In the list Of decorations given by the
French Minister of War on Jan. / there
appears the name of Nine. Cordier. the
cantiniere OF the Se~venty-second Regiment
military medal. Judged by her heroic acts
she is we'll worthy of it. She DISTINGUISHES
herself during the war of 1901 and after
the capitulation of Sedan she saved several
officers by hiding them in her wagon. Be-
fore that she followed her regiment to
arpaea and M tHoe p @ordi IN more n ent than IN one one
Oldest cantinferes. The Oldest of all is Nine.
Vialard. She served thirty-seven years,
two medals. She is a Lorraine woman and
commenced her military career in the
Crimea-
One of the most celebrated cantinieres
was Mother Joay. She was in the Crimean
the Italian and the Mexican campaigns.
Generally she went ON foot and supported
all the fatigues Of the march like a man.
She was the cantiniere of the Third
Zouaves and died at Blidah at the age of
military medal.
Nine. Vialard, whom we have mentioned
above. received the military medal in 1866.
Before her, Nine. Madeleine Trimoreau, the
cantiniere of the Second Regiment Of
Zuaves, received the same decoration for
her conduct at the battle of Magenta. AS
long as she had any cognac in her little
cask she went from rank to rank reviv-
ing the ounde and exhausted soldiers
bullets, which sometimes tore her short
dress. When her last drop of cognac was
ElDen n out s she took and up the gun OF a
Zouaves in their bayonet charge without
receiving a scratch.
Since the month Of August, 1880, an or
dinance from the War Ministry has forbid
den the distinctive costume Of the canti-
nleres, and. in addition to this, the Minister
parade with the troops. but should remain
in their wagons. Consequently, we were
obliged to bid farewell to the pretty tri-
color uniform, the red and blue dress and
white apron SO often made famous on the
field of battle, and which more than one
military painter has immortalized in his
In old engravings the vivandieres are rep
resented as old women, with energetic faces
fact, such they very often were. .Mingling
with the conscripts, speaking Familiarity
line habits. But in some regiments. and es-
pecially in the cavalry regiments, the can
tiniere was the pride Of the regiment, and
we might cite one regiment of dragons,
for example, in which there were Seven
that had the reputation of being extremely
beautiful girls. Their green uniform and
In addition, they were excellent horsewom-
en-. for they were obliged to ride on horse
We're attached were called to arms.
The history of the ~vivandieres. if it were
written, would contain more than one
thrilling chapter and many amusing pages.
On more than one occasion they dis
tinguished themselves by their courage.
the number of their regiment, and their
wagon was often used as an ambulance.
Under fire they followed their battalion,
their thirst, and often consoling the dying.
As one can easily imagine, under such
conditions the life of the cantiniere is not
without danger. Many of them were not
spared by the bullets. Nine. Rajan. the
received four wounds during the last
Franco-German war, and another canti-
Mere, Nine. Massey, was also wounded. In
regard to this latter. there is one act of
heroism that is worth mentioning. The
mother of a soldier in her battalion asked
her to watch over him.. He was killed.
Nine. Massey ran up to him, kissed him,
took up his rifle and cartridge box. and,
crying out, You shall be avengedH, rushed
to the front rank in the place of the dead
soldier. and was among the last to fire a
shot.
of the Zouaves,. Nine. Rossini, had her
shoulder broken by a rifle ball. She had a
worthy colleague in the person of Nine.
Perrine eros. the cantiniere of the battalion
OF the Guard. She was not only wounded
at Palestro, but also at Magenta, Nine.
ceiyed the military medal. Nine vermelin,
Of the Thirty-first Regiment of the line, was
at Sedan. where, in the midst of a cross
fire, aided by a member of the ambulance
corps, she picked up the wounded and
brought them to her wagon.
Regiment of Algerian Rifles, has eight cam
paigns to her credit. Nine. Pettitiean, the
cantiniere of the One-hundred-and-twenty-
seventh Battalion of the National Guard,
at Paris, distinguished herself by her brav.
cry on the plain of AKRON and was deco
rated for bravery on the field.
Nine. Bonnemere was all through the
campaign of 1S70-71, as cantiniere of the
Twenty-f1rst OF the line. She was intrusted
with a dispatch, but was captured by q
detachment Of Prussians. The moment she
saw that escape was impossible, she swal
lowed the dispatch at the risk of beine
shot. She not only wears the. military media
but also the cross of Medjidie, the Crimear
medal and the italian medal.
Nine lehman, cantiniere of the Second
Regiment of Zouaves at Reichshofen, liftee
up Colonel Detrie, who was badly wounded
and did so under the very lances of thu
Chlans. She took part in a memorable de
Tense Of Bitchie. The poor woman is nov
blind.
Finally, we have Nine Bondu, of tn.
Thirty-fourth Regiment OF the line, wht
distinguished herself in the combats O
Patay' and Coulmiers.
A few days after these battles, in which
she displayed the most remarkable courage
she gave birth to a son. Speaking Of tn,
baby, she said: There is a chap that vii
never be afraid of the rattle of artillery"
There are also eantinieres who are dec
GRATED with the Legion of Honor, anon,
them Nine Jarrethout. the cantiniere Of thl
Free Shooters of Chateaudun. :
Souls for Music.