The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-19
BIDDING DEAD ARISE
HE LED TO VICTORY
Wounded Heard French Of
ficer's Call in Trench. and
Drove Enemy Out.
CRIED I'VE FOLLOW your
Spseia, corresposdenee to Tsr SUI.

dc Porss.
Tho episode referred to was briefly as
follows: The Germans had swarmed
into q certain French trench and broker
down tho resistance of the defenders.
whose bodies covered the ground. Sud-
denly q man rose and SELLING a sack OF
srenades shouted. "Debout les morris! !"
(Up with you, dead men y Al his
summons the wounded In the trench
made a supreme effort and staggering
to their feet drove the enemy out.
Tho hero Of the affair. who a been
mentioned In the army orders. IL Lieut..
Peefcard, a nan of IS. but whose hair
10 white. He told NJ. Barres the follow
ing story Of what occurred:
NY section. with three others from
different companies. was ordered to at.
tack q German trench. 1t was a stiR
nght and We had many killed and
wounded all night through we kept up
the action with bombs under n torrendal
doWnpour Of rain which drenched us to
The skin. but We held the trench and 1
experienced a great exaltation OF spirit
1 felt that life was extraordinarily in
-ensined and l had a laugh on my lips.
On two occasions a torpedo knocked me
oveP. covering mo with earth n wreck
age and I picked myself up laughing az
Il q = good Joke.
Panic In Trench.
'1n the morning we were relieved 10
that we might have a rest. and VIC went
into q second lin trench and tried to
sleep. Toward midday we woke In q
hurry. The Germans had Just counter
attacked with an avalanche OF g~renades
and torpedoes. They were repulsing us.
II was panic. Not only had they retaken
'rheir own trench but they were reaching
ours.
ALREADY our men were pressing into
the communication trenches. shouting,
The Boches! The Boches!' All the off,
GERS were wounded: only the narrowness
Of the communication trenches held back
the fugitives, who were crowding one on
the other. l had a moments hesitation.
After all. II was not my turn to attack,
and, then, my men werc very fatigued.
Then l pulled myself together. IN
my sacrifice and decided TO die to stop
the Boches. -
~ brushed a passage for myself
through the scared crowd n called
out: NO. my friends! The Boches are
mot there. They have gone back. hey
have taken to their heels.' and similar
words, which. passing from mouth TO
mouth. stopped the retreat IA bit. A Few
volunteers Joined me. ] lcaped forward
and my bomb throwers scattered their
: missiles among the Boches. who fell
hack. I was the first man out Of the
, French trench. ! WAS as sure of my
death as 7 was of the sunshine. hut
what serenity was mine!
"Stiti throwing bombs, We reached the
snen,y trenc and recaptured u por-
ton. Before ns. in a communication
trench leading from the first to the sec
ond German line. I had n sandbag bar
~ier erected and enjoyed a breathing
space. But IN our left the Germans
were still lighting in our own lines and
on our right the trench was empty-our
own men gone. the Boches not yet ar
rived. We were Just n handful of men,
completely isolated. with n rain OF
bombs on our heads coming from in
front of Us. II the Germans knew the
smallness Of our numbcrs!
Their artillery RACES. A Lieutenan,
who has come TO support me. and who
Is smoking a cigarette. laughing at the
projectiles. is struck by n bullet above
the temple. lie leans against the para
pet, both hands behind his back. hij
head slightly bowed. His head droops
more and more, then his body bends,
and, more sharply. falls. The grief Of
his men. who brow themselves weeping
on his body. IL terrible.
Unable TO move Il step without tread
ing on a corpse. ] am suddenly cons
sc!ous OF the precariousness Of my fate
my exaltltion abandons me ! am afraid.
and throw himself behind a heap OF
.~sandbags Only a soldier named Bonnet
!remains. lie fights on like n lion. one
against how many? | recover myself
shamed by his example. and a few com
rades Join MS.
Some thirty yards off I notice an
interruption In the trench in the form
Of an enormous splinter shield. Shall
] 60 to see what is happening there? ]
hesitate. and then sharply decide. The
trench Is full of French dead there IL
blood everywhere. From our " trench
behind men watch me with eyes or fear
Sheltered in their retiring trenches. the
Boches are rebuilding their efforts
their bombs are tunbling down.. and the
avalanche Is rapidly approaching.
81 turn toward the extended corpses
I think. Their sacrifice, then, Is to bt
OF no avail they will have fallen ir
vain? And the Boches are going tc
come back. They will steal our deat
from us. \ second fury gripped me.
have no recollection now OF my exac'
actions or words. All I know IN that
shouted something like this. oh. there
I'D with you. What are you doing or
the ground there? Debout les morris
4 touch OF madness" No. for the deao
answered me, They said to me. w,
follow YOU And, rising at my call
tnelT SOULS IIliu6ieu WIN hS "c"' "'
made OF 1t a great ncaidescent mass.
Did Dead Bring BOmbsf
what happened then" There is a gal
IN my recollection: action swallowed u
memory. ] have simply a vague impress
sion Of a disorderly offensive In which
always In the front rank, Bonnet stand
out. One of the men of my section
wounded in the arm, continued to hur
ut the enemy bombs spotted with hi
blood.
Twice we ran short OF bombs, AM
twice we found NJ our feet. sacks ~!
of them mingled with the s~andbags. w
had moved about over them all day with
out noticing them. But was II, indeed
h dead that had put them there?
AT last the Boches Gained down; W
were able to consolidate our barrier o
bags In the communication trench. w
again found ourselves masters OF TIL
corner.
"All the evening and during several o
the succeeding DAYS I retained the re
ligious emotion which had seized on m
at the moment OF that summons TO tn
dead. I felt something like that whic
one feels after IL ~fervent communion.
II snow that there is nothing of IN
hero about me, Every time that I hav
had 70 jump over the parapet ! hay
shivered with fear, and the distres
when seized me in the height OF actio
Is not an nccident In my soldering ~
deserve no compliment. II Is the liN
ing who carried me along by their ea
annie and tho icnd ,rbn Iad ma nv tn