The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1914-12-06
FRENCH SOLDIER
WON PROMOTION
Lieutenant and Private Re-
Joined Corps After So Days
IN THE ENEMY'S LINES
Entire Company Reduced to One Of
ficer and One Private by Privafions
and Capture-Lived on Potatoes
Greater Part of the Time

Paris, November 2o.--(Correspondence of
the Associated Press.)-Lieutenant Ber-
nard and Private Morand de Jouffrey, the
former promoted to captain and decorated
with the cross of the Legion of Honor.
the latter promoted to second lieutenant
and decorated with the military medal.
succeeded in rajoining their corps after
passing So days within the enemy's lines.
When the twelfth company of the one
hundred and fortieth regiment of infantry,
commanded by Captain Blandin. found IT.
self isolated from the rest of the regi-
ment and surrounded by the enemy in
the center of wood the evening of Au-
gust 26, 1t numbered about 800 men and
10 officers. They decided that under no
circumstances would they surrender and
at once began an effort to pierce the
German lines.
Tho company made a night attack upon
the village of R August Is and cap
tured two barbados under a heavy fire,
the advance guard losing half of its num-
Der.
Captain Would Not Give Up
Captain Blandin, wounded by a bullet
In the thigh. had to be helped along by
his men but he would not give up. After
scaling the second barricade the men
sisting of wire trellises from behind which
the Germans poured q murderous fire into
them. The advance guard charged against
It twice and was nearly annihilated. The
company now numbered 100 men.
Notwithstanding the defamation of their
ranks these survivors led by Captain
Blandin made another advance of 500
yards. The men besought Captain Blan-
din to allow them to carry him.
THE safety of the company alone
counts" he replied to Lieutenant Ber-
nard. Take command and forward
march!' " The men took a pathetic leave
of the captain, who crawled into thick
ct as the remnant of the company pushed
on. Time passed more and more-the en-
envy growing in numbers hemmed them
in closer and closer. They plunged into
the forest of j with only so men
left.
After vainly attacking a footbridge
over the R they finally forded the
stream, then found g. few hours respite
in the depths of the forest. They re-
sumed their march toward c. and ran
against a new force of the enemy. Ex-
hausted by hunger and fatigue their re-
sistance became less and less vigorous
and here they lost SIS men.
The two officers and 10 men that re-
manned succeeded in fording the P
and bivouacked the 10Th near a potato
Came Back to Field
After two more days wandering they
were obliged to come back to the potato
field. After a rest they started on again,
hiding among the rocks, sleeping in the
damp underground of forests, stiffened
with rheumatism, their feet so swollen
that they were Obliged to rid themselves
of their shoes. As fast as detachments
were sent out to forage all or part were
captured by the Germans.
A month passed in this way and on
September 80 the detachment was reduced
to II men.
Lieutenant Bernard decided to make a
final effort on the night of October 16
to regain the French lines but now there
was only a single soldier really ply
sically capable of following him. The rest
were completely worn out yet some of
them insisted on dragging themselves
along after the lieutenant and Private
de Jouffrey Those that went on and those |
that remained embraced tearfully the
chief of the detachment buried their
arms, and consoled those who remained |
behind with the assurance that they had
saved their honor and If they fell into
the hands of the Germans they had none
the less made heroic effort.
On October 20 Lieutenant Bernard and
Private Morand de Jouffrey were them |
selves worn to the last shred of endur- |
ance and they bivouacked that night with |
the assurance that the Germans would |
either take them in the morning or they /
would be found dead there later on.
The two men moved on again in the
morning and debouching from a thicket |
into clearing October % the morning of
the twenty day of their march fell
weeping for Joy at the sight Of the famil- |
lar red trousers of the French infantry