The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-07-17


"One day | got lost in a 'boyau,' or
communicating trench, and came
near not being here. had been sent
back to the third line to bring food,
and the first thing l knew found my
self in the open country. Immediate
ly shells began to burst about me.
Now, when l was first drilled, l was
instructed that the important thing
about screening oneself was to be
able to take advantage of any acct
dental shelter afforded by a rock. 1t
seems incredible. but a stone six times
as big as ones fist will absolutely hide
your body if you lie behind it, and at
300 meters an observer cannot detect
you. threw myself fiat and began to
cast about for a stone that large. 1t
was remarkable how few rocks we're
On the surface at that point. Finally
l discovered one and dragged myself
behind it.
Safe Behind a Stone.
81 cannot tell you how long l lay
there, but when l 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, invalided me back to
the depot for a f%ortnight's rest.
Then they gave me a job as dis
tr4A,to- 90 -,,D3Nio-a cod n1nfhfn1
and other things meant for the men in
the front line. These things were un-
loaded at a certain distance back. In
that capacity l went to the Argenne,
and was at the battle of Vauquois, at
the end of February. l had come to
know Collignon very we'll. 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 rosette Of the Legion of Hon
or on his breast. He could not wear
the military shoes and most of the
time he wen b~arefooted. 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
let's from machine guns, Collignon
rushed out from such a 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 II
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.
1T was at Vauquois that happened
an incident that l suppose stands
alone in this war, the charge of a regi
mental band at the head of troops
Nowadays the bands are usually KEEP
at the rear. But a critical momen
came. Our men had three times at
tackled the Germans, and thrice ha(
been repulsed. The colonel felt tina
a time for supreme effort had arrived
He summoned the leader of the band
Put your men at the head of thu
regiment, strike up the "Marseillaise,
and lead them to victory he com
manded.
The bandmaster saluted. He callet
his musicians and told them what wa
expected. Then the forty of them tool
their positions. Our line was reformed
The bandmaster waved his baton.
"'Allons, enfants de la Patrie!
rang out, and the men took up tn
t song. France was calling upon then
: to do or die. The band started out o.
the double-quick, as if on rapid parade
: The Germans must have rubbed thei
/ eyes. No musician carried a weapon
: But they were carrying the 'Marsei
3 laise' against the foe. Then came tn
. continuous rattle of the machine guns
: The band marched on, their rank
: thinning at every step. The leade
went down. The cornetists followe
him. The drummers and their instr
ments collapsed in the same volle!
s In less than five minutes every man {
g the forty was lying upon the groun'
0 killed or wounded. that is, with on
exception. That was a trombon
b player.
instrument Shot Away.
5 His whole instrument was she
away except the mouthpiece and tn
g slide. to which his fingers wei
Q fastened. He did not know it II
Q still blew, and worked the slide.
d was only a ghostly 'Marseillaise' /
d was playing. but the spirits of h
e dead comrades played with him. an
Q with that fragment of a trombone
lee the way to victory. The trenc