The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-05-31
French Unable to Learn Identity
of Soldier Who Gave Life
for Country.
REFUSES TO Save HIMSELF
With Pipe In Mouth He tranquil.
Picks Off German After German
Until He Falls, Riddied With
Bullets.

With the French Armies.-To the
Seventy-ninth French regiment Of in
fantry belongs the honor of the only
citation In the present war to IAN I'm
known Soldier"
The croix de guerre, which the cita-
ton merited, and which In view of the
hero's death would ordinarily be given
by the French government to the sol
dier's nearest relatives, lies unclaimed
at the ministry of war at Paris. All
that Is known of the man is the man.
ner 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 thous-
ands of other French heroes in the ear
ly days of the war before means of
Identification of the dead had been es-
tablished and when regiments were
hurriedly formed, thrown into action
and decimated before a soldier knew
the name Of the co'1rade fighting at
his side.
Story Of Heroism.
The only difference Is that this sun
known soldier" received a citation for
his life's sacrifice and the others did
not.
This Is the story:
On August 20, 1914. during the fore
noon, the First battalion of the Seven
ty-ninth regiment of infantry, which
had been decimated at Morhange, was
hastily reformed in the vicinity of
Rosieeres-Aux-S alines from a contin-
gent 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 "a engaged
by the Germans In a violent surprise
attack on the heights of the farm of
Saint-Eypre, near Luneville.
About five In the afternoon the adj
vanced line of the battalion took shell
ter back of a little ridge, which pro-
tected Ii from the Germans, who were
only 100 yards ahead. A veritable
storm, both Of rifle and artillery fire,
widstled constantly owe the heads of
the sheltered French battalion.
Suddenly, from out of the ranks of
the Third company. an unknown re-
s~ervist, 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 a 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 ranks.
Refused to Save Sell.
But the latter, without ceasing for
an instant his firing and without even
dropping his pipe from his mouth, bel
lowed back:
leave me alone. Tn an expert
marksman and I want to do something
for my country while I have such q
fine chance to do It."
From the very first instant of his ap-
pearance on the summit of the ridge the
rifle fire of the entire regiment of Ger
mans was conferred on him. Yet for q
full FIVE minutes he continued tran
GULLY to fire with sure aim into their
ranks before he finally fell riddled
with bullets, the stock Of his rifle shat
tered into splinters and his pipe
knocked from his mouth rs he rolled
over on the ground.
A moment afterward, the Seventy
ninth leaped again to the assault and
drove the Germans down the ridge.
That night the S~eventy-ninth buried
their hero on the summit of the ridge
where he had fallen. There was moth
ing about his person to indicate his
identity. His deed of heroism was sig
nailed to the ministry of war. The min
istry Of war did everything In its pow
er to identify the soldier, but without
results. Unwilling that the sacrifice
should 60 ~unrecorded, the citation wa:
granted In the name of "An Unknown
Soldier"