The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-04-19
HONOR IS BESTOWED
UNKNOWN SOLDIER
One of the French Heroes in
Early War Days
BURIED where HE FELL
He Was An Expert Marksman;
Wanted Chance To Do
Something
HENRY WOOD

With the French armies, March s.
[By Mail]-To the Seventy ninth
French regiment of Infantry belongs
the honor of the only citation in the
present war to can Unknown Soldier"
The Croix de Guerre, which the
citation merited, and which in view
of the heros death, would ordinarily
be given by the French government
to the soldiers nearest relatives, lies
unclaimed at the ministry of war at
Paris Ali that is known OF the man
is the manner of his death and the
fact that he is buried where he fell
on the heights of Saint Epvre.
The story of this Unknown
Soldier" is unquestionably the story
of thousands of other French heroes
in the early days of the war before
means of identification of the dead
had been established and when regi-
ments were hurriedly formed, thrown
into action and decimated before a
soldier knew the name of the COM
rade fighting at his side.
The unknown Soldier"
The only difference is that this
unknown Soldier received cita-
ton for his life's sacrifice and the
others did not.
This is the story.
On August 26, 1914, during the
forenoon, the First Battalion of the
Seventy ninth regiment of infantry,
which had been decimated at Nor
hange was hastily reformed in the
vicinity of Rosieeres- aux Salnes
from contingent Of reserves which
had been rushed up.
That evening before the original
members of the battalion had had
time even to get acquainted with
their new comrades, the battalion was
engaged by the Germans in a violent
surprise attack on the heights of
the Farm of Saint-Epvre near Lune-
Vile
About five in the afternoon, the
advanced line of the battalion took
shelter back OF little ridge which
protected it from the Germans who
were only 100 yards ahead. A verit
able storm both of rifle and artillery
fire whistled constantly over the
heads of the sheltered French battal
ion.
Reservist Leaped Out
Suddenly, from out of the ranks of
the Third company, an unknown
reservist who had just arrived that
morning, leaped to the summit of the
little ridge under which the battalion
was resting.
Dropping to his knees, with pipe
hanging from his mouth, he began
TRANQUILITY to fire shot after shot into
the ranks of the Germans just 100
yards ahead.
CONSERVATION reigned in the ranks
of the First battalion of the Seventy
ninth. Then the officers recovering
from their surprise, loudly ordered
the man back into the ranks.
But the latter, without ceasing for
an instant his firing and without
even dropping his pipe from his
mouth beloved back:
Leave me alone. I'm an expert
marksman and want to do some
thing for my country while l have
such fine chance to do it,"
Rifle Fire Centered On Him
From the very first instant of his
apparition on the summit of the
ridge the rifle fire of the entire
regiment of Germans was centered
on him. Yet for a full five minutes
he continued TRANQUILITY to fire with
sure aim into their ranks before he
finally fell riddled with bullets, the
stock of his rifle shattered into
splinters and his pipe knocked from
his mouth as he rolled oyer on the
ground
A moment afterwards, the Seventy
ninth leaped again to the assault and
drove the Germans down the ridge.
That night the Seventy ninth
buried their hero on the summit of
the ridge where he had fallen. There