The Western outlook. [volume] (San Francisco, Cal.) 1894-1928, 1915-08-28

1di0 Otuci luluBS Iu6duI lUI tu6 Lu6u IL
the front line. These things were un
loaded at certain distance back. In
that capacity / went to the Argonne
and VAS at the battle pf Vauquois, al
the end OF February. had come to
know Collignon very well I know
that Collignon was repeatedly offered
| commission, but he wanted to carry
the colors Of the regiment. He was
a splendid figure, with his white beard
and the rosette 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 heavy rain of bull
let's from machine gunE, Collignon
| rushed out from such shelter to rec
cue a comrade who had fallen wouno
ed. A shell burst near him and killed
him.
HE was buried at the front, and II
was not until after my reformation,
or honorable discharge, that the me
mortal service took place at Fontaine
bleau. 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 regi
mental band at the head of troops
Nowadays the bands are usually kept
at the rear But a critical moment
CANE. 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
regiment, strike up the "Marseillaise, "
and lead them to victory he com
manded.
1.-THE bandmaster saluted. He called
his musicians and told them what was
expected. Then the forty of them took
their positions Our line was reformed.
The bandmaster waved his baton.
rang out, and the men took up the
song. France was calling upon them
to do or die The band started out on
the double-Quick, as If on rapid parade.
The Germans must have rubbed their
eyes. No musician carried a weapon.
But they were carrying the 'Marseil-
laise' against the foe Then came the
continuous rattle of the machine guns.
The band marched on, their ranks
thinning at every step. The leader
went down. The cornetists followed
him. The drummers and their instru-
ments collapsed in the same volley.
In less than five minutes every man Of
the forty was lying upon the ground,
killed or wounded that is, with one
exception. That was a trombone
player.
instrument Shot Away.
"His whole instrument was shot
away except the mouthpiece and the
slide, to which his fingers were
fastened. He did not know it. He
still blew, and worked the slide. 1t
was only ghostly 'Marseillaise' he
was playing, but the spirits of his
dead comrades played with him, and
with that fragment of trombone he
led the way to victory. The trench
was taken. Half of the band had
died on the field Of honor.
"You have perhaps read statements
that the Germans were dashed to can
non. OF that have no proof, but with
my own eyes I have seen German SOL
diers bound to machine guns with
chains. We took several of these pris-
oners at the battle of Vauquois, and
we found several dead dashed to their
guns. Their officers had dashed them
there, with instructions to keep turn
ing the crank.
mot a Red Cross flag came near
our front but what the Germans fired
at it. This cannot be disproved. We
found the German prisoners we took
In absolute ignorance Of where they
were. They had been told invariably
that they we're within a few miles Of
Paris
Il finally had breakdown, due to
and the doctors sent me
back to Fontainebleau, where, after
thorough examination, / was honorably
disc Aargcd on May T."
NJ. Decreus wears a diamond horse
shoe scarfpin presented to him by his
regiment Indicative of the spirit of
comradeship prevailing between Off.
GERS and men Is a note he carried
from bis colonel NJ Decreus sent the
commander a card of congratulation
when the latter was made an officer
OF the Legion Of Honor, and the COLO
mel wrote an appreciative reply with
his own hand. He also had letter
from General Sasset-Schneider, COM
mandcr Of the first and second subdi-
visions Of the Fifth corps, commend
ing him as good patriot who had
discharged his duties to his country
until his strength had given way" to
all representatives OF France abroad.
FINDS A PETRIFIED FOOT