The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1915-07-23


A feeling OF human solidarity grew ur
"One day got lost In a b9yau' or
communicating trench, and came
near not being here had been SEN
back to the third line to bring ioaa
and the first thing ! knew / found my
self In the open country. Immediate
Iy shells began to burst about me
Now, when / was first drilled. | WAS
instructed that the important thing
about screening oneself was 10 be
able 70 take advantage of any acci.
dental shelter afforded by a rock IL
seems incredible, but a stone six times
as big as ones fist win absolutely hide
your body if you lie behind il. and at
300 meters an observer cannot detect
YOU. | threw myself fiat and began to
cast about for a stone that large. II
was remarkable how few rocks were
on the surface at that point Finally
! discovered one and dragged myself
behind it.
Safe Behind a Stone.
Il cannot tell you how long | lay
there, but when / discovered | was
still alive l began TO drag myself away
by the elbows, and finally found my
self in a trench again. My comrades
did not recognize me. Exhaustion and
rheumatism, the latter acquired
through lying there wallowing my way
back in the mud inyalided me back TO
the depot for a fortnight's rest
Then they gave me a job as dis.
tributor of munitons food, clothing
and other things meant for the men in
the front line. These things were un-
loaded at a certain distance back. In
that capacity ! went to the ArgOnne,
and was at the battle of Vauquois, at
the end of February | had come TO
know Collignon very well. l know
that Collignon was repeatedly offered
a commission, but he wanted to carry
the colors of the regiment. He was
a splendid figure. with his white beard,
and the Tosette of the Legion of Hon
or on his breast He could not wear
the military shoes and most of the
time he went barefooted Later he
wore sandals 1t was at Vauquois that
he was killed Our men had sought
shelter in the cellars Of ruined houses
in the village. In a heavy rain of bull
lets from machine guns, COllignon
rushed out from such shelter to res
cue a comrade who had fallen wound
ed. A shell burst near him and killed
him.
He was buried at the front, and It
was not until after my reformation,
or honorable discharge, that the me-
mortal service took place at Fontaine-
bleau. l had composed my March
Funebre' between trips from the depot
to the front trenches.
ut was at Vauquois that happened
an incident that ! suppose stands
alone in this war, the charge of a regi-
mental band at the head of troops
the bands are usually kept
at the rear But a critical moment
came. Our men had three times at
tackled the Germans, and thrice had
been repulsed The colonel felt that
a time for supreme effort had arrived.
He summoned the leader of the band.
"'Put your men at the head of the
strike up the "Marseillaise,"
and lead them to victory he com
The bandmaster saluted He called !
MS musicians and told them what was
expected. Then the forty of them took !
heir positions. Our line was reformed /
The bandmaster waved his baton.
"'Allons, enfants de la Patrie!
'ang out, and the men took up the
song. France was calling upon them
o do or die The band started out on
he double-quick, as if on rapid parade. |
The Germans must have rubbed their |
,yes. No musician carried a weapon. |
But they were carrying the Marseil- |
aise' against the foe. Then came the |
continuous rattle of the machine guns. |
The band marched on, their ranks |
aiming at every step. The leader
rent down The cornetists followed |
i'm. The drummers and their instru-
rents collapsed in the same volley.
a less than five minutes every man of
he forty was lying upon the ground,
-illed or wounded, that is, with one
Exception. That was trombone
layer.
instrument Shot Away.
His whole instrument was shot
way except the mouthpiece and the
Hde, TO which his fingers were
astenee. He did not know it. He
till blew, and worked the slide 1t
vas only ghostly 'Marseilaise' he
vas plactiag, but the spirits Of his
cad comrades played with him, and
,ith that fragment of a trombone he
81 the way to victory. The trench
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