Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-12-26
CALLS ON DEAD MEN
TO RISE AND FIGHT
They Answer Leaders Call and
put Germans to Instant
Flight.
WARS DRAMATIC EPISODE
Seemingly Miraculous Defense of
Trench Touches Imagina-
ton of France.

| I'ARIS, December 25-perhaps The
episode of the whole war which has
most touched the imagination OF France
is the defense OF :, trench hv sorely
wounded men under Lieutenant Peri
card
Dead men. get up shouted Pei
card as the Germans entered the trench.
and a handful of "corpses" drove out
tho Invaders
/ The story OF this incident is retcld
by Maurice Barres in the Echo dc
I Paris
My section. with three others from
different companies. was ordered to
attack Il German trcuch." says Lieuteu-
ant rcricard. "It was Il stiff fight. and
We had many KILLED and wounded.
All night through we kent uD the
action with bombs under "A torrential
! downpour OF rain. which drenched us
. to the skin. but we held the trench and
f! experienced a great eXaltation. dila-
/ ton OF spirit. ON two occasions n tor
pedo Knocked me over. covering me
with earth and wreckagc. and picked
| myself up laughing as II ut a good
! I'm the morning We were relieved so
| that we might have Il rest. and we
I. went into a sccond-line trench and tried
to sleep. Towards midday we woke
| in a hurry. The Germans had lust
counterattacl<cd with an avalanche of
grenadcs and torpcloes They were
! repulsinG us. 1t was panic
| Not only had they rctaken their
own trench. but they were reaching
ours Already our men were pressing
into the communication trenches. shout
| INK. The Bochcs. The Roches.
ONLY MARROW TRENCHES
HOLD BACK FUGIcIVES
Those terrified eyes. those convulsed
faces. those twisted mouths All the
officers were wounded: only the mar
rowness Of the communication trenches
held back the fugitivcs. who were
crowding one on the other
II brushed passage for myself
through the scared ,owd, and. still
making play with my elbows. called
out. No. my friends. no, The Boches
are not there They have gone back
They have taken 10 their heels.
similar words. passing from mouth
to mouth, stopped the retreat bit. A
few volunteers Joined me- leaped for
ward. and my bomb throwers scattered
their missiles among the Boches. who
the French trench. I was as sure OF
my death as was of the sunshine, hut
what serenity was mine!
still throwing bombs, we reached
the enemy trench and recapturcd our
position. Before us, in communica-
ton trench leading from the first to
the second German line. had u sand
bag barrier erected. and enjoyed n
breathing space.
Their artillery RACES. y lieutenant
f, his name escapes ime-who has come
to support me- and who is smoking u
cigarette. laughing at the projectiles.
is struck by n bullet above the temple
lie leans against the parapet. both
hands behind his back, his head slight
| ly bowed.
The blood pours heavily from the
wound. describing a parahola. like wine
from the mouth Of cask. His head
drops more and more then his body
bends and. more sharply, falls. II is
impossible to move step without
treadinE on 4 corpse.
Il am suddenly conscious of the pre-
seriousness OF my fate; my exaltation
abandonS me; I am afraid throw
f, myself behind heap OF slndbags
! Only Il soldier named Bonnet remains
. He is untroubled. and fights on like Il
/ lion. | recover myself, shamed by his
example.
! "A few comrades join us The ,iay
is coming to it's close, and we cannot
f. stay thus. To the right there is still
nobody. Some thirty meters off I no.
! tice an interruption in the trench in
! the form Of an enormous splinter
| shield Shall go to see what is hap
! peninG there? hesitate and than
| sharply decide.
t. F,n IL
there is blood everywhere. At first
I go carefully, with little assurance
| alone with all these dead! Then. little
! by little. pluck up courage. | dare
! TO look at these bodies, and to me il
(! seems that they are looking at mo-
f., From our own trench behind men
| watch me with eyes OF fear, in which
read: lie is going to his death
| IL turn toward the extended corpses
! think: Their sacrifice. then. is to
he of no avail; they will have fallen
/ in vain? Anal the soches are going 10
come back" They will steal our deaf
from u.s.
( CALLS ON DEAD MEN
no ARISE AND FIGHT
"a sacred fury gripped me- have
/ no recollection now OF my exact ac-
! tons or words. All know is that I
shouted something like this: oh there.
f, u with YOU! Get up and kick these
pigs out OF it.'
Get up. dead men" \ touch OF
madness No. for the dead answered
| me. They said 10 me. We follow YOU
And. rising at my cali. their soul
mingled with my soul and made OF IL
Il great incandcscent mass. Il Wide river
OF fused metal
There was nothing now that could
. astonish or stop me- | had the faith
! that moves mountains and the exaitu.
ton OF the thaumaturgc who works
: miracles by his viii.
What happened. then: Az want
to tell YOU only what remember, dts.
regarding what | was afterwards told.
! must frankly admit that don't
know"