Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-12-06
THESE fRENCHnEN ii.
we're Real HEROES
Sole Survivors Of a Company of
$40 Have Narrowing
Experience.

AASj DSS' |lAlCutCllAllt HSl llAkbu
and Private MorHnd de Jo1ffiey, the
former promoted to captain and dec,
Grated with the cross of the Legion O;
Honor, the latter promoted to second
lieutenant and decorated with the
military medal, succeeded in rejolL.
ing their corps after passing fifty
eight days within the enemy's lines.
When the twelfth company of the
One Hundred and Forticth regiment
of infantry, commanded BY Captain
Blandin, found itself isolated from the
rest Of the regiment and surrou.ldeu,
by the enemy In tile center of a WOOL
the evening Of August rs, it numbered
about 300 men and 40 officers. They
decided that under no circumstances
would they surrender and at once DC.
gan all effort to pierce the Gcrmah,
lines. " .H2& :
{ The company made a night attack
upon the village of b August %
and captured two b%arricades under a
heavy rifle fire, the advance guard
losing half of its number ~ "a
,BIandin Wounded.
Captain Blandin, wounded by a. bu:-
let IN the thigh, had to be helpea
along by his men but he would no.
give UP. After scaling the second
barricade, the me- found themselves
new defenses consisting Of
wire trellises from behind which the
Germans poured a numerous fire into
them. The advance guard charged
against it twice and was nearly an
initiated. The company now mum
bered 100 men. &''
Notwithstanding the defamation of
their ranks these survivors, led Dy
Blandin, made another al
vance Of 500 yards. The men be-
Captaia Blandin to allow them
to carry him. @% ~
"The safety Of the company, alone
counts" he replied to Lieutenant
Bernard. Take command and Fol
ward march," The men took a pa,
Ghetto leave of the captain, who
crawled into a thicket as the: remnant
OF, the company pushed on. Time
pressed more and more-the enemy
growing in numbers 'hemmed them IN
and closer. They plunged into
the forest of = with only 50
men left:
After vainly attacking a footbridge
over the b. they finally fordeo
the stream, then found a few hours
in the depths Of the sfores..
They resumed their march toward
- and rau against anew force
Ol the enemy. Exhausted tiby hunger
and fatigue, their resistance became
less and less vigorous, and here they
Iost SIS men. M t4
The two officers and 80 men that
remained succeeded iii 7fording the
P-- and %bivouacked on the goth
near a potato patch which provided
them ? real meal. ri
A Month Passes.
After two more days wandering.
hey were obliged to come back to
he potato field. After a. rest they
on again, hiding among the
rocks. sleeping in the damp under
OF forests, stiffened with lhen-
natism, their feet so swollen thai
;ehy were obliged to rid themselves
If their shoes. As fast as 'detach.
nents wer sent out to forage all or
part were captured by the Germans.
A month passed in this way, anG
IN September 80 the detachment was
'educed to IS men,. = !7e=>''
Lieutenant Bernard decided to
make a final effort the night of Oc-
.ober 10th to regain the French lines,
lnt~now there was only a single sol
lier really physically capable of fol
him. The rest were complete.
y worn out, yet some Of them in,
sisted ON dragging themselves along
litter the lieutenant and Private dc
Iouffrey. Those that went on and
hose that remained embraced tear
the chief Of the detachment,
buried their arms and consoled those
who remained behind with the assur>
auccs that they had saved their honor