The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-07-20
THE STRUGGLE Is BITTER
Insignificant Hamlet of 475 IN
habitants Before The War.
Village viii Have The Hon.
ors of History; Town Now
Changed Beyond Recogni-
ton

ADDeN1lIe, fTdnCt, July g iiiO
character of the town to town, house
to house struggle that has been going
on north of Arras is shown in nearly
all it's details by the experience OF
Carency. An insignificant hamlet of
about AIS inhabitants before the war,
this village will have the honors of
history. 1t first came into the Zone of
operations when the German move
ment toward the sea was finally
checked there.
The Bavarians, leaving Beaumont
October 1st, secured a footing on the
hills of Vimy and Levin, the 4th they
were at Carency. Givency-en-Gohelle,
Notre Dame de Lorette. Souchez and
Ablain-Saint-NaZaire, all of which
have since mad the honors of frequent
mention in the official c~ommunique.
The French cavalry with the Moroc-
can Mounted Riflemen met them
there and opposed further prOlonga-
ton Of the enemy's front by the val
legs of the Authie and the Canche
forcing them to fortify themselves on
the Hills of Artois n in the coal
fields around Lens, thus saving Bou-
logne, Calais and Dunkirk.
The French took about half Of the
village of Carency on the night Of
October 5, but were stopped at the
most considerable building of the
town, the CarenCy brewery, where the
made their final stand and
where they maintained themselves all
winter Its fall was the prelude to
the conquest of the surrounding hills.
In the meantime the p~hysiognomy,
not only of the hamlet itself, but of
the surrounding country had been so
changed that it is almost impossible
for those who knew it before the war
to recognize it now.
The owner Of the brewery, an officer
in the french artillery, was already at
the front. His wife and children,
driven from their residence by the ap-
preaching German fire, took refuge
there, but had scarcely established
themselves when the place became the
center of a violent conflict. While
hand to hand fighting was going On in
the gardens all round. at one o'clock
in the morning, French soldiers
hitched horses to a conveyance, sent
the family back Of the lines and Their
with fixed ~bayonets returned to the
assault of the brewery. They were
unable to carry it, but succeeded in
organizing the position with loop
holes through the walls so as to hold
the enemy in check.
French Dig Down.
From that day the brewery and the
other buildings on the French lines
became the target for the German g.
inch and 6-inch guns. AS fast, how,
ever, as the shells reduced a build.
ing, the French dug down and main,
tanned themselves. Until the end O
November the French remained in tn,
garnet of the brewery, then wer
obliged to climb dow to the secont
floor. In. December the roof and gar
ret fell into the cellar and New Year
Day saw nothing but two jagged wall
remaining erect, from behind whicl
the French continued their fire. A
Easter there remained but a fragmen
about two feet above ground and tn
French fortress was now entirely du
into the earth. h part of the vii
lage held by the Germans had under
gone the same transformation, an
when the day came for the final as
sault. scarcely anything remained o
either side Of the lines but heaps c
stone and plaster.
Partly moved down, partly dug u
at the roots, the hawthorne hedge
around the houses and fields had 10.
their original ines. The shade tree
stripped, splintered and cut down /
the constant fire are nothing b,
stumps resembling battered and nil
bled hitching posts. From Octob,
TO May a soldiers car or a sapper
shovel appearing above the surfa,
of the earth or around the corner
a uin became instantly a target f,
n volley Of musketry or for machir
gun fire.
Welcome Chance To Attack.
The soldiers who had endured IL
tension of this situation for sew,
months are said to have danced f
pleasure on May 9 when the wo
went round that the moment for t
attack had arrived; they were goia
to meet the face to fa'
with no earthen .fortresses or ruin
walls betwSen them and fight 1t G