Kelly of the Foreign legion - 1917 by Président AALEME

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KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

RUSSELL A. KELLY

KELLY OF

THE FOREIGN LEGION LETTERS OF LEGIONNAIRE RUSSELL A. KELLY TO WHICH

IS ADDED AN HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE FOR*EIGN LEGION

NEW YORK MITCHELL KENNERLEY 1917

1 COPYRIGHT I917 BY MITCHELL KENNERLEY

r> t"

4.1 OCT 23

PRINTED IN AMERICA

©CU47G685

Dedicated to the

memory of that intrepid and valiant Frenchman,

whose bravery,

love of liberty, generosity,

ship with Washington, his grateful

and friend-

made Americans, for all time,

and devoted admirers

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

LE MAR<;iUIS DE LAFAYETTE

—

CONTENTS CHAPTER

PAGE

Preface I.

11.

III.

Voyage to Bordeaux

Off to the Front

AND Neuville

VIII.

Trenches

Removed to the Arras Secteur

VI. Battle of Artois;

VII.

Training at Depot de Lyon

IV. In the First Line

— Enlistment

At La Targette

St.

Vaast

To the Rear for Recruiting

—

Supplementary Battle of Artois SoucHEZ Hill No. 119

—

IX. Epilogue

X. La Legion Etrangere

104

120 131

ILLLUSTRATIONS Russell A. Kelly

Frontispiece FACING PAGE

Official Postal

Card

for

Use of

Soldiers

French Houses Burned by Germans

Kniffin Yates Rockwell

John Earl Fike

124

PREFACE rr^HE

first

seven chapters of this book are

letters received

from Russell A. Kelly,

age 21, volunteer in the Legion etrangere.

The

letters,

many

of which were published in

New York Evening Sun, were sent to his parents in New York and have been retained the

in exactly their original

form except for the

omission of strictly personal matters.

The

last

communication from him was a

military post card mailed June, 15th, 1915.

After the severe engagement around Souchez

on June 16th

which the Second Regiment

de Marche of the First Regiment of the Legion suffered severely, he was

officially

corded by the French Minister of

War

re-

"missing," with the added statement that his

name would be

carried xi

on the

list

of missing

PREFACE

xil

until a search could be

made

in the internment

camps of Germany. Exhaustive efforts have been made to locate All information that has been obtained

him.

as to his fate

When had

given in Chapter IX.

was learned

enlisted, he

New York

that he

was informed that Germany

had, prior to the war, objected to the Foreign

Legion

as a military body,

Legionnaires

and had stated that

who were not French

would be considered

citizens

as non-combatants

and

not entitled to the rights of the other soldiers of the French army.

was accordingly advised that

the

event of his capture to give no information as to his citizenship; but to

Ambassador Gerard. would follow those

communicate with answered that he

instructions.

Chapter 2534 of the laws passed by Congress

March 2nd,

1907,

makes the taking of

an oath of allegiance to a foreign king or state an act of expatriation for an American citizen.

But

as Russell did not

and was not required to

PREFACE

Xlll

take an oath of allegiance to France, he continued, after enlistment, to be a citizen of the

United States of America.

Acknowledgment Evening Sun letters

made

to the

New York

for permission to print those

which appeared in that paper. J.

New

York, May, 1917.

E. K.

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

VOYAGE TO BORDEAUX

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;ENLISTMENT

Bordeaux, France,

36 Rue Notre Dame,

Wednesday, Nov.

Election

3rd, 1914,

25, 1914.

Day, Tuesday November

left

New

York, from the

South Brooklyn basin, on "the good ship" Orcadian with a cargo of

six

hundred and

horses for the use of the French army.

were twenty-five men, including

fifty

There

my chum

Larney and myself, who had not previously worked on ships nor around horses, and eight

experienced horsemen. sisted of twelve

twenty-five con-

Englishmen, seven 1

Italians,

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

two Greeks, one Spaniard, and three Americans, the third

being a negro.

the ship was out the started to fight,

two messes; were

and

The

first

day

Enghsh and Itahans

this divided the

at every

hostihties.

The

party into

meal thereafter there

third

day out we ran

into

very rough weather, which continued during the following day the vessel rolled :

in a horrible fashion,

severely

from

and pitched

and most of us suffered

sea sickness.

The food furnished to us was very poor. The first nine meals consisted of Irish stew, and I believe it was made on the first day and thereafter heated at meal time.

We went demanded it

was no

The

en masse to the chief steward and

better food ; there

better,

was only

was a change, but different.

horses were fed twice a day, the first

time in the morning from half -past five to eight o'clock.

hoisting feed

and similar

then had breakfast followed by

from the

duties,

in the afternoon

hold, cleaning the stalls

and then dinner.

we gave

three

the horses their sec-

VOYAGE TO BORDEAUX end feeding, which took

until nearly six o'clock

when we had supper. In rough weather

Watering the horses resulted in

much

life

on the boat was

fierce.

as the boat rolled usually

of the water getting on the

men, and the deck was always wet and

slip-

pery.

cabin meant to hold twelve seamen held

thirty-three cattlemen, so conditions can be

The

realized.

ship

was

air

foul.

in the lowest

was

foul; in fact the whole

During the

week I

deck on the hay.

eat the food furnished, palatable,

last

could not

and even had

lacked quantity, so

was not appeased once during the

slept

been

appetite

trip.

I lost

about fifteen pounds during the voyage.

could wash only twice and shave once during the trip.

English warships convoyed us for

the entire voyage, yet there easiness

among

the men.

was much un-

lost eighteen

horses en route.

On November

19th

the Atlantic called the

we were

Bay

in that part of

of Biscay, and en-

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

tering the broad Gironde river proceeded it

for about thirty miles to Pauillac, off which

laid

two days, and then went up the

river

another thirty miles to Bordeaux where

docked at seven in the morning of Saturday

November

21st.

did not seem real

was snowing and the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

city

looked so quaint and

picturesque.

ten o'clock

we were

dressed and went

ashore and were stopped on the wharf by a

Customs

official

who looked

in only

one valise

and that was for tobacco and matches.

The

party then proceeded to a wine shop, where

some bought wine, that they

said

was good, for

fifteen centimes

soon learned

that this

a glass.

was only three cents of American

money. ,

We left

our hand baggage at

went to the British consul, from ceived our discharge.

this

shop and

whom we

then returned for

the bags and sought lodgings, which

tained on

re-

ob-

Rue Notre Dame.

Everything we see

in the city

different

VOYAGE TO BORDEAUX

my chum Larney or

I have seen

from anything in

America: the sidewalks and roadways are

very narrow; the buildings quaint in appearance and generally only two stories in height.

had a good supper although the por-

tions served

were small, but, as

gave three kinds of meat

usual, they

at the meal.

was served

in a small

there being

more milk than

sert nuts

Coffee

bowl with heated milk, coffee.

For

The rooms were

were served.

des-

with-

out heat, and for light a small torch was used.

On Sunday Larney Greeks from the

ship,

and I with the two

went around town, one

of the Greeks being the only

member who

could speak French.

Monday morning

the four of us found the

army and made Foreign Legion. The

station for recruiting for the

application to join the officers

were agreeable but evinced no desire

to urge us to enlist,

and they informed us of

an old rule in the Legion, that an applicant will not

be examined or accepted until the day

following his

application.

So we returned

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

Tuesday morning the

physical

at eight o'clock

examination,

and took

was very

which

thorough and the four of us were accepted.

Twenty other men who meant to join the regular army were examined at the same time,

whom

six of

were rejected, some solely on

ac-

count of poor teeth.

five o'clock in the

afternoon of Tuesday,

November 24th, 1914, we signed articles which made us soldiers in the Army of the Republic of France, in the division

la JLe-

gion etrangere, for service during the war.

were not asked to take any oath of

al-

legiance to France, nor to renounce our allegiance to the United States;

all

that was

required of us was to be over eighteen years of age and to pass the doctor.

were given

spending money,

five francs

(one dollar) as

and a railroad

ticket

Lyon, where one of the depots of the Foreign Legion

station

for

before

located.

to be our training

four or five months, they say,

we can go

to the front.

escort

VOYAGE TO BORDEAUX

was furnished or effort made to

we reported

Lyon and we

the custom even before the cruits for the

their

own

Legion

learned

war

that

was

to trust re-

to reach the depot of

accord.

had time

Bordeaux.

to take a further look

bers everywhere,

same

see

met

around

soldiers in large

num-

and found they were of the

belief as the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;that the

people generally

Germans would be defeated

two months.

All theatres were closed except some moving picture shows, the receipts

given to the

Red

from them were

Cross fund.

December 2, 1914^, We left Bordeaux Wednesday night at nine o'clock, riding second class. The cars are small

and divided

into compartments, each

holding eight persons.

Most

of the passen-

gers were soldiers returning to the front.

was

difficult to sleep as

the train stopped every

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

and the people getting

half hour

made

off

and on

considerable noise.

Thursday was a

and the bright

clear day,

sunlight enabled us to enjoy the magnificent scenery.

The

train

and going

at a

moderate pace.

was climbing mountains construc-

was a great engineering

tion of this railroad

One minute we would

feat.

The

then suddenly emerge onto a

be in a tunnel, frail

bridge over

a magnificent valley.

Nearly vation,

all

the land in sight was under culti-

being divided into small plots of

about half an acre each. closed

by stone walls three

feet thick

eye

These plots were enfeet high

and two

and the walls extended as far

could

see.

The people were

as the

all

friendly but the only one of our party

very

who

could talk to them was our Greek interpreter.

From

our hotel in Bordeaux

roast chicken, bread at noon.

with cause

its

and wine,

The people here head on.

we were wine

we brought a which we ate

roast a chicken

took the wine not be-

drinkers, but because the

VOYAGE TO BORDEAUX landlord put

in as a regular part of every

lunch.

This

a great country for churches; from

window we saw many

the car

as imposing as cathedrals,

that were nearly

and some had only

ten or fifteen cottages around them.

We arrived at Lyon at one in the afternoon and went

direct to the depot or station of the

Legion.

We were

temporarily assigned to the Fifth

company of the Premier or First regiment. Our barrack was a school house before the war. We were located in a room about twenty feet wide and of the same length, the ceiling being about ten feet high.

cards were

still

on the walls, and the desks

and benches were piled

When we

Maps and

in a corner.

arrived there were eight

men

room and newcomers continued to come until we had twenty-five men in the room. Each man was given a straw mattress, a pillow and two blankets. the

found nearly every nationality repre-

;

KEI.LY OF

THE FOREIGN LEGION

sented in this Foreign Legion; there were,

however, no Chinese nor Japanese.

They have a men's

when furnishing

that enables a

outfit,

Each man

some money. outfit

system,

man

the

to realize

given a complete

but should he have some articles of

clothing that could be substituted for the mili-

tary ones he

allowed a fair price for them

and does not get equivalent union

suits

from the

For example, I had two win-

quartermaster. ter

articles

and a heavy sweater for which

I received seventeen francs (three dollars and thirty-five cents )

the army.

and got no underclothes from

One man

received ninety francs

(seventeen dollars and a half) that way.

got a complete outfit and Larney and

I had our pictures taken.

I enclose one of

mine.

By it

looking closely at the cap in the picture

will be seen that

cap

made

has a cover on

The

of red cloth, but that color being

too conspicuous a blue linen cover it.

it.

coat

worn over

blue and reaches to the knees

VOYAGE TO BORDEAUX

buttoned back to allow free movement.

The

trousers are bright red, but were found to

be such a good target at the beginning of the

war, that a sort of blue overall front to hide the red trousers.

issued at the

Patent leather

puttees are generally worn, but in this photo I

wear Douglas

are very heavy;

shoes.

The

regulation ones

by actual count each shoe has

one hundred and sixty-two hobs in the

which

half an inch thick.

I would put

much

less

I never thought

feet into things like them,

wear them.

broad band

waist.

sole,

This

will be noticed

of blue linen and

around

fifteen feet

the positive insignia of our Legion,

long.

and

not worn by any other division of the

French army.

broad leather belt with a

brass buckle supports the bayonet, the hilt of

which

visible at

left

This

side.

murderous weapon, and I do not blame the

Germans

for being afraid of

it.

about

a foot and nine inches long and comes to a

needle point.

It has four grooves,

and each

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

edge

a quarter inch deep and one-eighth

inch wide at the

diameter at the shell is

chamber and one

army gun. form, the one

has an eight

shell in the barrel;

than the present U. S.

With bayonet

formidable weapon.

half an inch in

The gun

hilt.

six inches longer

The

hilt.

This

we appear

attached is

our dress uni-

when on

the street.

fatigue uniform has a cap or beret which

comfortable and handy, a short blouse, dark

blue,

The

coat, the

same pants and puttees.

blue band insignia

we always wear.

TRAINING AT DEPOT DE LYON

LyoUj

December

12, 1914.

T> EVEILLE sounds at half-past five in -^ ^ the morning we are then served with ;

coffee, followed

we have

drill till half-past

ten

when

dinner, consisting of rich soup, meat,

potatoes, etc.

get no sweets whatsoever.

After dinner we peel potatoes, and after that drill till

half -past four, at which time

supper, there being the same dinner. nine,

are free

when we have

from

bill

of fare as

five-thirty until

inspection and then sleep.

hard to get accustomed to the

commands

we have

drill as

are in French, and scarcely

the

any of

the soldiers understand that language, even slightly.

Last Sunday we walked through the 13

city

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

in the

company

from Ceylon

of an Englishman

enlist.

son" and spends

money

it.

At present he is not To the east of Lyon

tains,

who came

a "younger

lavishly

when he has

in funds. is

a range of

moun-

and on one of the highest mountains

a church.

We visited

was being held and the It has the handsomest

while military service edifice

was crowded.

and most costly

interior

decorations of any church I have ever seen. It

called the Chapelle de

Notre

Dame

Fourviere.

The view from the heights was magnificent. Lyon is in a valley and has two rivers running through it very swiftly. They say that Mt. Blanc, in Switzerland, can be seen from this

church on a clear day.

capped mountains

saw many snow-

in the distance, but as the

day was overcast we could not

see the

main

attraction.

Last

Monday we were

transferred to the

2nd company of the same First Regiment etrangere.

This

to be our

permanent com-

TRAINING AT DEPOT DE LYON

pany and before

it is

the

seen service in the Philip-

cavahy, while the other had

served in the navy. after

ar-

Rochelle where they had en-

One had

pines,

The day

in another barracks.

we reached Lyon two Americans

rived from hsted.

So we were not

so lonely

all.

When we

reached the

new

barracks

found four more Americans, one of

whom had

been in the army, another in the navy; one

was a doctor and the other a lawyer. doctor

forty-nine years old; he

at the beginning of the

Cross.

and served

came over

to join the

The ex-army man fought

surrection in Chili, Villa

war

The

Red

in the in-

Mexico under

and he works a machine gun.

has

since left us for the front.

These new barracks are located school house, not quite completed.

new Our room in a

about ninety feet long and thirty feet wide;

has a row of eight windows on each side,

and accommodates one hundred men.

intervals of about a

week volunteers who

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

desire to

go to the front are

the different companies.

it is

from

we volun-

course

were refused because there

teered, but

severe

called for

form of typhoid

man

said, kills

account nobody

in the trenches which,

in four hours.

this

allowed to go until he has

been inoculated four times; we had not been

The volunteers company and drilled

inoculated at

special

all.

are put in separately.

Larney and I with the three other Americans (the doctor not included) are in this

This Legion

company.

the most cosmopolitan or-

ganization in the world.

In one corner of the

room you

will hear

group

be speaking Spanish, then

will

Greek spoken, the next

German

spoken by the Swiss, Polish from another corner and English from our crowd. I

saw a

Greek got

fight

into

through interpreters.

an unintelligible argument

with a Pole and as neither could speak the other's

language nor "parly" French, their

fellow countrymen were called, and they be-

ing slightly acquainted with French, that was

TRAINING AT DEPOT DE LYON

When

the language resorted to.

all

arrange-

ments were completed the combatants proceeded to

pommel

each other, and before long

the mterpreters were also engaged, and

a very lively party

when

was

the officers arrived.

There are many such happenings and they afford

much amusement. have had many sham

siderable

rifle

battles

and con-

I now, five weeks

practice,

after reaching barracks,

make an average

four hits out of eight at a target of a man, size,

yards).

two hundred and

They

fifty

call that fair

meters

of life

(298

shooting for the

time in practice.

The manual

of arms

very different from

that of the Virginia Military Institute, but the training I received there comes in handy.

I cannot understand the

commands but gen-

know what to expect. All the men in our section have

erally

ited

the

same

lim-

knowledge of French, but they are able

understand the orders.

warm; an overcoat

The weather

only necessary at night.

;

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

JLyon^

January

Many

I miss sweets very much.

have longed for a piece of

whole

pie,

but they do not

The pastry

17, 1915,

times I

pie, in fact for

know what

pie

wonder-

fully light but ridiculously expensive,

and our

over here.

in the

shops

pay of one cent a day does not permit ing in

it.

but

seemed

Still

we have indulged

invest-

several times,

I certainly

like eating samples.

miss the sweets. I also missed the Thanksgiving

we had nothing

Day

dinner

extra that day, so while eating

home and the good things they were enjoying. But I missed the Christmas dinner most we received no exmine I thought of the

folks at

;

tra course here, so I contented myself with

philosophizing,

and speculating on the next

Christmas dinner. his in Berlin,

said he will have

but I prefer mine at

had the

morning.

Larney

first fall

It lasted about

stead of cold and

snow

HOME. Lyon

two minutes.

this

In-

snow they have a rainy

TRAINING AT DEPOT DE LYON

There have not been two successive

winter.

days

without

showers

since

arrived

France. Trolley cars, with overhead wires, are used

Lyon and they are run with a trailer. There are many kinds; some are divided into three in

compartments, one-third of the car being devoted to standing room, and the other two divisions being for first

and second

classes.

have seen a car pass with the second class

New York

packed as closely as they are

in the

Subway, while the

was empty.

Srst class fare

The lorn,

car

first class

The

double that of the second.

by a

signal

from a small

and the conductor gives a

receipt as he

collects

started

the fare.

Double deck

trolleys

have

3een in use here for years.

I tried to learn the location at the front of

he First Regiment Strang ere, but nobody

mows.

wo have ers Ifive

There were

six

Americans here and

left for the front.

We received

let-

from them but they were not allowed to their location

and the envelopes had a

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

number Post

in place of the

name

of the post

office.

offices

near the front are no longer

named they

are numbered, and not in consecu-

;

tive order, for

Secteur Postal 6 adjoins 109.

Soldier's letters are sent free in France. ters of prisoners of

war are forwarded

(when they are forwarded) through including the neutrals

tries,

Let-

who

all

free

coun-

are in the

postal union.

We First

learned that

Regiment

it is

very cold where the

and that an Italian who

left

here with the two Americans was given eight

days in prison for eating his reserve rations.

shipment of volunteers from our com-

pany

left for the front three

weeks ago and

week we were assembled and a report read stating that one of the men (giving his name)

last

was executed, having been caught deserting.

Considering these incidents, they

must be near the

in the act of

front.

called at the

American Consulate and

found the Vice Consul in charge.

served in the Philippines during the war.

hadi

TRAINING AT DEPOT DE LYON gave US

New York newspapers

travelling

in,

who was

The paper was

photograph attached. official

disgusted with

His passport had

facilities.

covered with

and treated us

While there an Ameri-

with great kindness.

can doctor came

his

nearly

stamps and he came to the

Consul to get the U. S. stamp on while there

was

still

room, as every Tom, Dick and Harry,

he said, was desirous of spoiling the paper.

When

he saw Larney and I and learned

were from

New York

he became enthusiastic

and gave ten francs to each of

American gentleman and

us.

his wife

Another

came

to the

barracks one evening with the Vice Consul,

and presented each of us with a package containing pipe, cigarettes, tobacco ivrapper.

and a neck

fully appreciated their acts,

rhe gentleman had given Cross and he drives I

his auto to the

it.

Great changes are taking place here. he Legionnaries

Red

who

did not

want

All

to fight the

l^ermans were shipped to Algiers. pall

for volunteers

was made

Another

to all the

com-

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

Those who did not volunteer were

panics.

sent to Valbonne, a off.

town about twenty miles

There are a great many men there and

they will remain,

it is

reported, until spring.

cannot find out when we leave for the

front, but all of us

On December

hope that

will be soon.

31st I was inoculated for the

third time against typhoid;

was the most

severe of the four inoculations.

were

treated at three p. m. and two hours after I

I was sick

thought I would

die.

next day; at

I was troubled

first

headache, followed by

chills

and

all

of the

by a severe fever.

The

fourth and last inoculation had no effect at It

may

be interesting to describe

who

all.

how they

inoculate.

First the doctor,

French,

medecin, asks you about the con-

dition of

called in

your throat, chest and bowels.

they are O. K. he takes the flesh on the shoulder blade

(he used

right he rarely uses, finish)

left

four times, the

and only then toward the

between the thumb and forefinger of

his left hand,

making a ridge of the

flesh.

The

TRAINING AT DEPOT DE LYON hypodermic needle it

felt to

forced into the flesh and

me as though it was pushed just under

The fluid is then injected; it leaves a small lump on the blade until it begins to work on the system. The quantity of serum

the skin.

gradually increased from the

ment; I should judge the

time about a

Thank Heaven

tablespoonful was used. over.

first

treat-

first

it is

am ready to leave at a moment's notice

now.

Larney

likes the life.

was made

overcoat, but

man going first

He was to

exchange

to the front.

issued a it

good

with a

did not like the

overcoat but was in raptures over the

exchange.

When we

first

reached

alive with soldiers

and

Lyon

the city was

was surprising

note the great number of different uniforms

army has. Of late, however, the diminishing number of soldiers on the streets is apparent. Most of the men were sent to

the French

Valbonne or the

Everybody

front.

Lyon seems

to be

working for

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

the army.

Contracts are given to individual

families for uniforms

women and men clothing

are seen carrying military

the

for

and wherever you go

soldiers,

wagons

while

loaded with army clothes are very numerous.

All automobile works and machine shops,

even the smallest, are busily engaged manufacturing shells and the arsenals are working

two

shifts of

men, one night and one day.

It seems to

that our

growing scarcity of

rifles,

issuing to recruits an old It

calibre.

army

feeling a

as they are

model

rifle

now

of fifty

a single shot affair of 1867

model; rather awkward and crude.

I have

seen large motor trucks returning from the front laden

down with

the battle fields.

guns I

will

rifles

picked up from

After an overhauling the

be used again.

struck very forcibly with the great

economy of the French. other day and

did fatigue the

consisted of washing or rather

scrubbing with brush and water the shoes re-

TRAINING AT DEPOT DE LYON turned from the front.

I believe the bodies

are stripped of what can be used again.

Wood

scarce over here ;

must

cost

Concrete workers are very

than concrete.

expert and some finishing work I saw by them

was remarkable. would be

These workmen, however,

useless in the States, as

takes

them

too long to construct a building.

Everything

saved to the smallest item:

even pig skins are saved to grease with. are sold tied lieve, sold

weight,

They

in neat little rolls, and, I be-

by weight.

Everything

even bread, which

bread in the States can equal

sold

by no

excellent;

it.

Last Sunday while we were walking along

I renchman stopped and talked English. He had spent seven years

the street a

us in

London.

was very pleasant and treated

us royally and escorted us back to barracks.

invited us to call on him.

A party of four of us, three Americans and a Spaniard, a few nights ago had a night

march, with manoeuvres to take a

fort.

The

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

sergeant in

command was

Frenchman with

no knowledge of any language except the French, so he had great difficulty in explain-

When we

ing the tactics to us.

returned to

we were given hot wine flavored with lemon; it was good. To-morrow morning we start at three o'clock for a long hike. They believe in work here. barracks

LtyoUy

January

We five

23, 1915.

continue drilling hard; had a twenty-

Started at half-

mile hike the other day.

past six in the morning and returned at six in

the afternoon. certainly

was

fine.

cooked our dinner and

We had

potatoes, cheese, bread

and

such meals at the front

wine, meat, fried

coffee.

we get

will be well satis-

fied.

are having night marches frequently,

and always get hot wine when we return.

Our

section

afternoon.

was put on this

fire

duty Sunday

duty we simply stack arms

TRAINING AT DEPOT DE LYON in the court-yard

of a

fire in

the city

I think the

back.

and wait around.

In case

are to kep the crowd

main object of

fire

duty

men in barracks. When we arrived in Lyon I purchased an Enghsh-French grammar but have had very to

keep the

little

time to study and the light in the bar-

racks at night will

But

too poor to read by.

do the best I can to learn as much French

as possible.

The

censor does not seem to interfere with

our mail; none of the

letters I received has

been tampered with.

We get all newspapers, magazines and other printed matter, without any attempt by the censor to examine them.

Our squad

contains sixteen

vided into two rooms.

men and

Italians,

di-

room are two

Americans (the Greek- American me), two

sailor

with

one German-Swiss, who

an excellent

soldier,

two Spaniards and an

One

of the

Spaniards has been in

Arab.

prison twice and

now

serving his third term,

;

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

fifteen

days

One

this time.

a good soldier; the other

pardonable

sin,

of the Italians

guilty of an un-

He wakes

he snores.

us every

night last night the sailor threw a shoe at him ;

when it struck him he woke with a jump, and was going to take the sailor's life, but his music (?) had so provoked us that we were only waiting for an excuse to rend him limb from limb, so he wisely got under the covers.

All

we have a pretty good room. It is comical when it comes to conversation. One day we talk English, the next Spanish, the next Italian, but we all agree Divine Wisdom was absent when the Arabic language was constructed. When an Arab talks it sounds as though he was choking to death. The lanin all

guage

consists of spits

and coughs, and

regular intervals a sneeze

employed

to give

the proper accent.

Larney (the

in the next

room with John Smith

fourth American), three Spaniards, a

Swiss corporal, a Russian and a Greek. three Spaniards are brothers

These

and inseparable;

TRAINING AT DEPOT DE LYON the youngest

about thirty-five years old.

They came from Argentina, having served

the artillery there; they are three excellent

They were

men.

sent

by the French consul

Argentina.

One

of the Greeks

who came over on

the

steamer with us and enlisted at Bordeaux, has

been reformed to-day, January 26th, and sent

back to Bordeaux as he has consumption. This news completely nonplussed physical examination he showed us.

as at the

up the

best of

was well muscled and looked the

ture of a trained athlete.

intends to go to

Cape Town, South Africa, where he has a tive.

pic-

rela-

a good-hearted chap and I

sorry for him.

Lyon,

January

The number Lyon has been

30, 1015,

of Legionnaries training in steadily diminished until only

one hundred remain.

There are a great many

Frenchmen, however, training

Lyon.

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

Valbonne, twenty miles from here, there are about thirty thousand troops training, among

them

several companies of the Legion.

Nearly

the public buildings are used as

all

while the schools have been con-

hospitals,

verted into barracks.

The people great

are very pleasant and will go a

distance

out of their

stranger in the right direction. eaters

;

it is

bread, wine and cheese are their main-

stays.

way to set a They are light

large

amount of chocolate

eaten;

not as good as our milk chocolate.

The moving picture shows in Lyon are free for soldiers. The people like the western cowboy

pieces.

I saw a string of six push-carts

with advertisements of films in which John

Bunny

appeared. are paid one sou, being the equivalent

of one cent, a day

day.

Our

dissipation on half a franc can be

readily pictured.

thing

and pay-day every tenth

But we

are furnished every-

need, and there are no charges here.

Market days are Tuesdays and Fridays, and

TRAINING AT DEPOT DE LYON

on those days most of the public squares are

thrown open to the farmers who come to town

wHh

drawn

long, narrow, two-wheeled carts,

by everything from a dog

Small

to a horse.

donkeys, about three feet high, are numerous.

One

frequently sees a dog harnessed with a

donkey; I saw an old

dog drawing a

woman teamed

fruit cart.

with a

There are some

fine

draught horses the animals work tandem, and ;

the driver walks.

Four-wheeled carts are very

scarce.

trucks are used for transportation;

Auto-

many

are

of the large, heavy type, but have steel tires.

Pleasure cars are numerous.

have been taken for military are

all built

low and make considerable

I have not as yet seen streets.

The majority purposes. They

Most

many

noise.

asphalt covered

them are paved with stone

number of streets cobble Save in the main streets, the

blocks, while in a great

stones are used.

sidewalks are narrow. are well lighted at night.

a rule the streets

A great many places

of business have signs "English spoken," but

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

we have not

yet

come

English was spoken. Sundays.

Monday

across one store wherein

The

stores are

open on

the poorest business day

in the week.

The

children have school,

soldiers are not

using the building, from nine to noon, and

from two

to four p.

School

Saturdays but closed Thursdays.

in session

Ill

OFF TO THE FRONT

Lyon, February

we have so come; we leave

last the order

awaited has

morrow morning, February

1915.

anxiously-

early to-

6th, for the front.

We were given a complete outfit, which consisted of

one

suit of underclothes,

two pairs of

socks, a white cotton sleeping hat,

of shoes, a

neck muffler and a jacket which

resembles a smoking jacket. are all the

two pairs

same

size,

which

These jackets small, so that a

big fellow has a hard time getting into one.

[There j

no warmth in them, so most of the

fellows did not bother to

pack them.

I left

nine with the underclothes in Lyon, not hav-

ng room

in the sack for them.

Overalls to

go over the red pants. 33

We got blue We also got

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

a pair of mittens, but they are not

much good.

were given a loaf of bread, one can of

sardines, one

and a half cans of

fish paste, a

chunk of cheese and some chocolate for

a reserve ration

beef,

hard tack,

we got two cans

salt,

rations.

of bully

pepper, tea, coffee and

sugar.

We also got one hundred and twenty rounds of ammunition. We packed a blanket, and half of a shelter tent with poles.

The complete

pack weighed nearly seventy pounds;

was

very heavy.

The colonel inspected us thoroughly, and we passed after close scrutiny. The weather is mild and like summer.

Somewhere

in France,

February

left

barracks Saturday morning, Feb-

ruary 6th, in a pouring

Lyon

14, 1915,

rain,

and our train

left

at ten o'clock.

We arrived at Noisy-le-Sec, which

on the

Cette carte doit etre remise au vaguemestre.

y etre

RIEN ne

doit

ajoute, excepts la date et la signature de I'expediteur;

les phrases inutiles peuvent etre biffees. Si quelque cbose Halt ajoute, cette carte ne serait pas transmise.

Je vais bien.

Iblesse malade

en voie de guerison.

)

et suis

)

et j espere etre bienlot retabu.

letlrc. J'ai

recu voire ( lelegramme. paquel.

dernierement.

n*ai

recu aucune nouvelle de vous

depuis longlemps.

Leltre suit h la premiere occasion.

Date [sans indication

d^origine)

Signature (seulementjL

UX^vd^ J^tA^^ ^4c\/y-â&#x201A;Ź^

t4r-titti^\^'^^*^^i^tiCt^

^;^^

OFF TO THE FRONT

eastern outskirts of Paris and about two hun-

dred miles north of Lyon, at ten o'clock Sun-

day morning.

We remained

until ten o'clock

in the

evening and then proceeded to our

road

destination

rail-

which was about seventy

miles to the northeast of Paris, and from there

we had about twenty kilometres (twelve and a half miles to march to this town where we are )

now

located.

Before reaching Noisy-le-Sec we passed a trainload of soldiers

husky

from India.

was a

outfit.

There was a complete Company of two hundred and

fifty.

us,

about

When we reached here

our Section was located in the loft of a barn. It

was cold

our quarters as

we had no

stove

and the weather was cold and rainy.

Upon

reaching this place, the reserve ra-

tions given to us at

Lyons were

collected.

We are all well, and well treated and fed. We have coffee three times a day; wine once. We were divided according to nationalities. Our

Section

contained,

besides

Americans,

;

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

Swedes,

Belgians,

Roumanians,

Italians,

English and a pure-blooded Egyptian, who

very dark. This town it

the quaintest place I have seen

has no sidewalks, and there was no idea of

regularity

when

was

laid out.

There are

only about six stores, and I should judge the place contains about three hundred people.

The butcher comes through

here twice a week

with his stock of trade in a wagon. cipal industry

farming

A there

around here

The

prin-

grape growing;

a side issue.

short distance

from the railroad

station

a small river very near the canal. Over

the canal were once two bridges stroyed, so

we marched

This was the

first

now both

de-

over temporary ones.

sign of destruction I have

seen since I reached France.

They say

the

French destroyed these bridges.

drill

here and the Colonel manoeuvred

us the other day he was well satisfied with us. ;

There

and the

a high mountain range between us

firing line

and from sunrise

until night

OFF TO THE FRONT

we can hear

the rumble of cannon;

sounds

like distant thunder.

The two Americans who

Lyon

left us in

have spent three weeks in the trenches.

met them here during trenches.

The

rifle

and cannon

done while the I miss

New

all

York.

but

fire,

men remain

my am

folka

There little

and would

tion

damage

sailor

the

to the front

I have become at-

feel its loss keenly. is

the

word

person with a lively imagina-

might find some hidden meaning

Our

has

and often think of

the brace supporting the teeth

"Security."

the

a con-

carrying a talisman

door of our apartment. it

in the trenches.

form of a Yale key which belongs tached to

lasts

loss of life in the trenches

been reduced to a minimum. stant

which

They have returned

days.

eight

their rest

in this.

Pavelka formerly entertained us

every night with tales of his trip on the good ship Dirigo

Horn. on

its

from Seattle

England

via

Cape

Jack London made the same voyage previous trip.

It took our sailor one

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

hundred and

fifty-nine days to

supper when

After

changed he usually

when

starts with,

the trip.

being

are

stories

I was on the Dirigo off

make "Now, "

ex-

fellows,

only

gets that far now, because, like most sailors,

very voluble and his tales of the sea have

become monotonous.

However, we are a very

congenial quartette and get along well together.

Dad

says he has a complete

giving small villages, but

map

of France,

are not allowed

to tell our location.

Dad was remember

always good at puzzles: does he

this

one?

Boston Orleans

Utopia

Does he get me? *

Zion

Yapank

We cellent *

take long marches.

are ex-

and have a complete system of

The name

Bouzy.

The roads

direc-

of the place indicated by this puzzle

is^

OFF TO THE FRONT

Just after we started on one of

tion signs.

these hikes I

saw a sign reading "Rheims 24

Kilometres." of a mile, this

a kilometre

five-eighths

was the equivalent of

fifteen

miles.

Somewhere

France (Bouzy),

February

28, 1915.

Things are about the same here the weather ;

mild and we are having

ing

Plough-

less rain.

almost finished and planting will soon

begin.

From

the outskirts of this place to the

summit of the mountain (about three miles) the

ground

rises in a gentle slope

pletely covered

by vineyards.

which It

com-

a great

wine country and from the heights a wonderful

view

obtained of this extensive and fertile

valley.

Mr.

Shortt's son

war, he can do so easily. to

anxious to join the I would advise him

hurry up; by that I do not mean that the

war

will

soon be over I

ing about that.

;

If he

know is

absolutely noth-

not ready to secure

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

passage immediately, he can

slip

horse boat, as I learn they are

still

over on a

importing

horses.

a matter of choice which Regiment he

The Second

joins, the First or Second.

the

tains

most Americans

through Paris;

Regiment

and

con-

recruits

recruits through

the southern ports.

I would strongly advise him to lose no time,

but

sail

immediately.

makes no

whether he knows French or not. told

difference

I have often

you of the great percentage here who do

know the language. Let him bring as much money as he cares to, because one cannot do or see much on the salary they pay here of one cent a day. Former military training not

not necessary, but on the other hand

has any glaring physical defects, he will not be accepted.

I was surprised at the rigidity with

which the examination was conducted.

should bring two suits of good woollen

underclothes and about half a dozen pairs of thick woollen socks.

If he

going to bring a

OFF TO THE FRONT shaving set

as possible.

should be as small and compact

His comb and brush should be

small and he should bring a small mirror.

many

other clothes as they

when he

gets into a uniform.

should not bring will be useless

The army

does not furnish a storeroom, so I

put mine in the Municipal

Lyon.

They allow a very

Pawn Shop

small loan, but

conducted by the government and

it is

used by

many for storage of silver and other valuables. Would advise him to bring a tooth brush in some kind of a

stiff

cover to protect the

bristles.

Above

all,

impress him that he

to be a tourist.

not going

carries everything

his

back and believe me, after an entire day of hiking,

The complete

every ounce counts.

pack with cartridges,

rations,

nearly seventy pounds, so there

no room for junk.

etc., is

weighs

absolutely

would advise him

bring some sort of a leather portfolio (not too big) to

fit

into his inside coat pocket to carry

personal papers,

etc.

need not worry

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

about his outfit of clothes; the

Show him

to that.

in a philosophical

he had better come.

hand he

the other

way

that

has a leave from col-

will

edge of the country, be

almost

should

attends

he cannot lose anything by coming.

lege, so

Army

gain a lot of knowl-

etc.,

and at

compulsory.

his

age

tell

you

candidly,

I was in his shoes I would get

over here

I had to ship on a cattle boat.

Well, here's luck to him and I hope to see him soon.*

Somewhere

France (Bouzy),

March I

received

the

army hand-book

These books are given to each

tain

soldier

1915, to-day.

and con-

identification, list of crimes, penalties,

* The young

man

referred to

Allan Shortt, son of

Hon. William Allaire Shortt of Staten Island, York. ion, tion,

New

subsequently joined the Fifty-ninth Battal-

Canadians, was attached to the machine gun sec-

and became a

lieutenant.

He was

missing follow-

ing an engagement December 10th, 191 6, on the front in France: he

now a

prisoner.

(

OFF TO THE FRONT etc.,

and information about the

case anything should

happen

to me, I give the

following information from the book. simplify the searching of

bearer.

It will

records.

RUSSELL KELLY Ne leâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; 13 Juin 1893. New York.

Canton d-

Signalement.

Departement

New

Cheveux-

York.

Blonde.

Yeux-

Residant a- Bordeaux.

Departement d- Gironde. Profession d- Sans.

Fils de-

l-H

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;

gris bleu.

Front-

Nez-

rectiligne.

Visage-

ovale.

60 Kilos.

Poids-

et de-

Taille-

Domicilies a-

Canton dDepartement d-

Ou Engage^

Sans,

" **

Volontaire; duree guerre, le 24 n'bre 1914,

a Bordeaux, departement de Gironde.

Numero de

mtr-75 cen-

timetres.

la Liste Matricule-997*

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

Translation.

RUSSELL KELLY. Born the 13 June 1893.

New York.

County of Department of

New York.

Resident at Bordeaux.

Department of Gironde.

I-"

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;

Profession of

without.

Description.

O O

Hair

Eyes gray-blue Forehead Nose straight Face oval Weight 1321/^ pounds Height 5 feet 9 inches

Son of and of Dwelling

Blonde

at^ without.

County of Department of

Where engaged; vember

Number on

1914':>

can chain.

list

997.

aluminum tag

left wrist

No-

at Bordeaux_, department of Gironde.

recruiting

A small mine on

volunteer; duration of the war, 24

given us.

fastened by the mess-

inscribed as follows

Russell Kelly

Bordeaux

EV1914

LM997

Front side

I wear

Reverse side

OFF TO THE FRONT

The

other day the Colonel inspected us and

grouped us according to were eighteen groups. the Colonel

We were lined up

was giving

aeroplane appeared, so

shelter.

all

nationalities: there

instructions

and

when an

we promptly sought

watch for an aeroplane and

when one comes we generally are marched to quarters. Quite a number of 'planes are active

but

it is

almost impossible to

nation they belong. ever,

chance

and we quickly get under

which

tell to

taken, how-

cover.

It fre-

quently happens that the sound of the motor located.

Last

Sunday night heavy canonading was

heard.

heard before the 'plane

It continued throughout the night, which

was

remarkably moonlight, and kept us awake the

major part of the

time.

big battle; I never heard

When

must have been a

its

equal before.

small detachments are shipped from

here to join their battalions in the trenches there

a great display of joyous feeling shown

by the men. They house generally.

yell, sing,

dance and rough-

One would imagine

that

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

The New York papers do not exaggerate when they say this they are going to a

Legion

festival.

enough of each nationality try fights another.

The

was an Italian and

up poor

stuff,

so that one coun-

There has been a couple of

scraps here to date. section

There are just

a fighting crowd.

we four got

chief cook for our

as he

sore

was dishing

and told him

he had better improve, but he did not take the

The

located very near the loft

sleep in, so one

day when the meal was

hint.

kitchen

particularly poor

we reached out

and heaved the whole business

of the door

at him.

It al-

most completely demolished the kitchen. plate of

meat and hot

and he jumped

him on the head

into the path of a

bowl of soup.

was a sorry looking dago when the ava-

lanche ceased.

now.

The

other day

when he had

rice hit

are getting good meals

we were

nearly paralyzed

fried potatoes for us.

detachment of about eighty Greeks

yesterday for the trenches. wild crowd and

left

They were a very

when they marched out

OFF TO THE FRONT

town they carried two Greek singing Greek songs. cers.

and were

flags

They had Greek

A number of the men had worked in the One was

States.

New

erbocker,

worked

a waiter in the Hotel Knick-

York, but most of them had

in raih^oad gangs.

I went to mass the other Sunday: served the same as in the States. is

very old: the place for the altar

the

offi-

pew

The main

space.

from the others and

only

Tlie is

altar is

was

Church

wider than is

back

set

railed off.

the space I mentioned as being wider than the

pew

two rows of pews, one on each

section are

side of the

main

aisle.

They run

angles to the altar and, I take

it,

right

are reserved

for the elite of the town, as they are finely

made and

comfortable, not to mention their

isolation.

The

fortable,

being

regular pews are very uncom-

board to kneel on

straight-backed, is

very narrow.

are placed close together which

the

The pews cramps one

The organ is placed almost rafters. The acoustic properties of

considerably.

among

while

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

The

the building are poor.

structure

stone, the walls being very thick.

Immense

stone columns, placed at short intervals, sup-

port the roof.

hand

the

first

side of the aisle, about twelve feet

the floor, a small pulpit

by a

column on the

built

The

circular staircase.

and

floor

left

from

reached

of marble.

Instead of tableaux, cheap pictures show the

Lamps and

Stations of the Cross.

made

for

are of stained glass

and

furnish the light: no provision heat.

The windows

rather artistic.

candles

There was only a scattering

of people, mostly

women

mourning.

A few

soldiers attended.

I have said this

try; vineyards exist in

the

Champagne coun-

abundance and at the

present time they need attention; the ground

around each vine must be loosened. the in

men

Most

are in the army, so nearly every one

town turns out

to work.

Old men, old

women, middle-aged women, young women, boys and girls and even children labor in the yards,

I have seen grey-haired

women

bent

;

OFF TO THE FRONT

almost double over the short three-foot hoe in

Everybody works, they work hard

use here.

and with a

From

will.

their appearance, the

grapes will not suffer from lack of attention.

A few nights ago just as I was on the point of going to

sleep

a soldier

came rushing In two

through our quarters yelling "Fire." shakes of a lamb's

formed

distance off,

fire,

and as

we were soon

local custom, the off

we were

all

downstairs,

and on double time

in ranks

direction of the

tail

was only a short

there.

the

house was set back and shut

from the road by an eighteen-inch brick

and stone wall covered with cement. and

in the

in fact part of the house

came

to,

was the hay shed

some cavalry men were quartered

When we

here.

into the courtyard the shed

and nearest half of the top or second the house were in flames.

floor of

Already some of

the furniture had been carried out from the

ground

floor rooms,

and taking the

hint,

rushed through the doorway to bring out more.

was one of the best houses

town

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

and well furnished.

body

town had

By this time nearly everyarrived, but there

was no

sign of any fire fighting apparatus, and the fire

was quickly destroying the house.

many triumphant

were

cries,

Soon there

and with much

gusto the Fire Department of Bouzy burst

upon with

the scene,

and was greeted by the crowd

many acclamations

The Fire De-

of joy.

partment was carried by eager hands, and

see-

ing a couple of vacant inches, I took hold.

Everybody was the

yelling

Department was

and giving orders,

carried all over the yard

and frequently came near being deposited on

when some one with an extra loud voice would tell of a more advantageous spot, so there the Department would go. This pro-

the ground,

cedure was kept up for about

five

minutes

before the machine was placed. It consisted of a heavy iron tank four feet

long, three feet wide

and two

feet high with

two cylinders and a long two-handled bar for the man-power.

Soon the hose was arranged

and men formed for a bucket-brigade.

Think

OFF TO THE FRONT of

it:

a machine to which the water must be

brought and then 3 blaze.

arrived

pumped through

the hose to

was a long time before the water

and we frequently had

lack of water. Smith

mounted

to suspend for

to the roof of the

Larney was conspicuous on an

building and

adjoining roof. Just as Smith reached the roof a stream from a nearby house started to play,

but lacked force enough to reach the flames

;

landed directly on Smith and continued play-

In a short time he was drenched

ing on him.

and the spray

also

wet Larney through.

Well, to make a long story short, the building was completely destroyed, but no

was done slept in his

any nearby

structure.

damage Smith

wet clothes and the next morning

when he unrolled from steam arose.

his blanket a cloud of

surely

must have had an en-

joyable evening trying to sleep.

The helmets worn by brass

the firemen were of

and resembled the German helmet, only

lacking the spike.

and quite showy.

They were highly

polished

IV IN THE FIRST LINE TRENCHES

Somewhere

France (Bouzy),

March

\\T^ ^ ^

were outfitted unexpectedly

1915, this eve-

ning and are busy packing and getting

rid of excess weight so as to start early to-mor-

row morning

for the trenches.

The men

are

glad at the prospect of getting into the game,

and are making considerable noise and having a high old time.

(Place Unknown),

Wednesday, March

half-past five o'clock last

10,

Monday morn-

we were up and ready to start. We left Bouzy at a quarter to seven by the town clock. After several rests we reached a fair-sized town and had lunch we were served hot coffee ing

FIRST LINE

After a

here.

TRENCHES

spell in the trenches the

men

return to repose in this town.

We were divided here to be placed in different battalions, that

and I was glad

we were lucky enough

talion which

etc.,

left

to learn

to be sent to a bat-

was then occupying the trenches.

town together and proceeded on our

way which

led through the greatest vineyards

I had yet seen. short time

paused in a barn for a

and started off again.

There were

about ten of us; Smith and Larney were with

me; Pavelka we

left in

do not know what it

Bouzy

as he

is sick.

the matter with him, but

does not amount to much, whatever

it is.

We finally arrived in what was once a town. I say once, because as a It

town

had contained, I should

three

hundred houses.

ceases to exist.

say, about

While

two or

New York

I had read of the towns that were destroyed in the war, but the realization exceeded

elaborate ideas. the entire

most

There was not a building

town which had not received

share of destruction.

in its

walked through

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

several streets looking for

somebody to

The

us but could find no one. deserted

;

and what a scene of

direct

place seemed

Here was

ruin.

the church with gaping holes in the roof and

one side with four openings large enough to drive a

The

team through.

other sides were

battered and the steeple was blown

off.

impossible to convey any idea of the ruin

One row

which was everywhere seen.

of four

houses had the connecting walls completely destroyed.

In the

a house with

broken

its

entire

roof

left,

town there was not nor a pane of un-

glass.

We finally located a sentinel who showed us headquarters, where

companies,

we were

assigned to our

After lunch we were to pro-

etc.

ceed to our trench.

While waiting

for the re-

past an occasional shell whistled by and ex-

ploded a short distance beyond. ant, I assure you.

were

ready.

kitchen, to

pleas-

finished the

meal and

short

distance

from the

great surprise,

famous trenches.

Very

Here we were

entered the at last.

FIRST LINE

wish I could express realized

TRENCHES

when

feelings

where I was.

was simply the connecting trench which

allowed the

men from

the line trenches to pro-

ceed to the kitchen and get the meals.

Germans have

and quite a few

accidents have occurred in them.

about

five feet

earth

They curve

are

The

they are

sides, so

in a horrible fashion

was not long before I was

They

deep and very narrow.

thrown up on both

quite deep.

The

a disagreeable habit of shelling

these trenches at meal time

and

Mean-

dizzy.

while an occasional shell went merrily by.

The for

trenches are so narrow that

two men

to pass.

difficult

it is

continued on and

passed the entrance to the second line after a :

while

were?

stopped.

Where do you suppose we

were at

last actually in the first

line of trenches.

were taken to the lieutenant, who

signed us to our squads. did was to place our

The

rifles in

facing the Germans.

first

thing

as-

holes in the trench

I looked over the top

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

of the trench in the direction of the

could not distinguish much, as

They were

ning to get dark. there

was no question

in the 14th.

The to

an occa-

Larney

sides.

into the 15th squad

and Smith

We were assigned to our quarters.

firing line faces the

zag way.

there, however,

An intermittent fire

kept up continually by both

and I were put

was begin-

as to that for

sional bullet whistled by. is

enemy but

There

and back of

Germans

in a zig-

a trench running parallel

it.

They

are connected by

trenches in which are placed the living quarters of the

men.

There are two caves or huts

opposite each other in an alley.

they are underground.

and a half feet deep.

lying

down

They

to four feet high

There are it is

six

course

are about three

and about twelve

men

in ours.

When

impossible to stretch one's legs

out, consequently

you are pretty well cramped

after sleeping.

I was tired after our long march, so pre-

pared to turn

in,

but found that

on guard during the night.

we were

to be

turned out

FIRST LINE

TRENCHES

presently and I was placed with another fellow in a trench

the

main

our

German.

Italian,

tween

one.

shields with

for a

about twenty yards in advance of

The

very cold.

back of

was with was an

fellow I

was

little

conversation be-

We were there two hours and We saw nothing alarming.

exchanged shots occasionally.

sides

steel

loaded and on the watch

rifles

so there

us.

were

was

Both

was

very glad to be relieved, as a cold wind was blowing. it

went

into the

guard room and

was not long before I wished I was on post There was no

again.

ledge wide.

fire in this

cave and the

upon which we sat was about four inches It was also cold in there. Finally we

went out on

patrol.

We put the

bayonets on

our guns and laid down on the earth. in this position

two and a half hours.

I was

Let

here state that I think I have enjoyed two and

a half hours more at other times during career.

This sharp, cold wind continued, so

after a while I

was naturally

chilled.

There

was no danger, however, as I estimated that

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

the nearest bullet which passed us

twenty feet

was

at least

distant.

Nothing happened and

at last

returned.

I was very sleepy and in due time turned

in.

After sleeping about an hour and a half I was

awakened

as the captain wished to inspect the

new men.

After the inspection I had a good

slept

most of the day and

sleep

rather uncomfortable in the

but

sition

it is

possible to keep

the night.

all

cramped po-

warm when

un-

der the blanket.

The meals

are good, but only lukewarm,

as they have to be carried quite a distance.

During

the next

day we

left the trenches

returned to the town to repose.

now

for eight days.

squad; he

very comfortable

from Boston; has been

our

France

years and the Legion five months; in the

trenches three months.

a fine fellow.*

present, things are very quiet.

* Kenneth Weeks of

June

are here

Another American was put

here.

five

and

l6th.

New

Bedford, Mass.

I think Killed

TRENCHES

FIRST LINE

we made

quite a record; from a reserve train-

ing station, put in the

trenches and

first line

the first night there put on patrol and two days after that sent with the Battalion

After

any place

Well, mother, I dier

not be allowed to send

this letter I will

any mail now.

how glad

on repose.

for about a month.

nearly a full fledged sol-

You would be surprised I am to be where I am.

know

Somewhere in France, March 12, 1915, This

where I

a good picture of the actual sights

Whole towns

now.

shown on the other

side.

are like that

All well.

Russell.

Verzenay,

April

On March

1915.

we returned

to the trenches,

and the routine was the same

as before, just

the continual

26th

rifle

and

artillery fire

and very

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

60 close

now and

are dry

the only thing

trenches

fairly comfortable.

tip-top shape

all in

which

The

watching of the enemy.

are

and enjoying ourselves;

we want

some

action.

are located in a place called Verzenay, is

about ten kilometres (six and a quar-

ter miles)

north of Bouzy.

trenches that

we occupy

The

first

line

are about five kilo-

metres (three miles) north of the town. Verze-

nay

on the

side of a high

hill,

the trenches

being in the valley; a grand view of the town is

had from the trenches. I should judge the town has, normally, four

to five

thousand inhabitants.

The Germans

throw ten to

fifteen shells into

they do

damage, and more than half of

little

daily,

but

the civil population has remained here.

We were scheduled to leave town for the third line of defence

made up when

one night

and had our packs

came a fellow who wanted

to see the Americans.

was an American

from the Second Regiment etrangere, and had been transferred at his

own

request,

and

< Pi

w O pa

D O K U

FIRST LINE

TRENCHES

the authorities are following a plan of segre-

gation by nations, he was sent to our squad. I

was agreeably surprised to learn that he had

been at Virginia Military Institute; he Kniffin

Y. Rockwell. His

number up

left

and during the night

They were

reached our destination.

dug

arrival brought our

to five.

In due time we huts

the usual

into the side of a slight terrace sup-

porting the canal.

They

are about four feet

high and six feet wide and long enough to ac-

commodate a squad

of fifteen men.

have been in use since the beginning of

and fresh straw has been put

The

tervals.

into

They the war

them

at in-

old straw, however, has not been

removed and when the men change quarters they leave behind them

all

discarded junk, so

you can imagine the condition they are

When

first

in.

arrived I tried to clean up, but

the deeper I got into the straw the stronger the philosophy impressed itself on

that

"what one doesn't know won't hurt one," so I put back the straw and

let

at that.

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

There are a great number of in the huts

and the

night an energetic rat

first

loosened a mass of earth above fell

directly

start as

upon me. first

Germans on

and mice

rats

gave

head and

a great

thoughts pictured a company

us.

These rodents are a great

nuisance on account of their large numbers

and I have often wished there was a Pied Piper amongst

us.

man

company who does not share my feelings. He is an Italian who is used to a strange diet. Every morning about nine o'clock he sits down and spreads There

one

in the

out his victims of the night: they generally

number is

five or six.

skins these

and

as he

a friend of the cook they are roasted for him.

There cause

no question of

his liking for

them

we always have more than enough

I have seen

many

be-

to eat.

strange things over here, but

the cold-bloodedness of this fairly turns one's

stomach.

There

not any regular schedule pursued

here, but they always

manage

to keep us busy.

TRENCHES

FIRST LINE

During

the second day Pavelka joined us from

the hospital, which

fellow

made

the

number

This

six.

very handy and volunteered to make

For

us a base ball.

the centre of the ball he

used the business end of a cartridge and on this

wound worsted and thread alternately. For a cover he cut up a leather puttee and sewed it on the ball. The complete article was really very good and

League

Old A. G. would have given

Ball.

considerable for

he will never get

heavy lost

for exhibition purposes, but

Home-run

it.

drove

hitter,

it.

rivalled Spalding's Official

into the canal

also broke

the chagrin of the entire

lasted,

and we

much to company who had the game,

gathered around to see us play. while

Scanlan, the

and we intend

We had

fun

make another

one when we go back to the canal.

Aeroplanes are very numerous. so

many

that

became necessary

the aeroplane guard. at this

and

lasts

Each

resume

section takes turns

from sunrise

Every time a German

There are

sunset.

aircraft flies

within

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

range we

fire at

it.

This occurs

and considerable ammunition

times

used but no

These machines warn us of

damage done. their

many

approach before they are located as the

sound of the motor carries a great distance.

Both armies shoot

at the 'planes with

cannon

also.

quite interesting to follow the course

Take a German one, for inmay be cleaning up when the

of an aeroplane.

stance.

faint whir of a

and

motor

proves to be an approaching the probable range

artillery is

ceases

eyes try to locate the machine.

all

When

Work

heard.

opens

fire.

German

'plane.

computed our

The report

of the piece

heard and we look in the vicinity of the aero-

plane for the result. puff of smoke

In a couple of seconds a

seen and shortly after the

noise of the bursting shell reaches us.

almost impossible to hit

number

fired at,

it.

I have seen a great

but as yet, with no

results.

Another thing to be remarked upon intrepidity of the aviators.

They

the

don't seem

TRENCHES

FIRST LINE to

pay any

attention to the

we may call

such)

while I was in the

made

plane

mans saw

One

bombardment

beautiful afternoon

first line,

a French aero-

The Ger-

for the enemies' lines.

coming and opened

three pieces.

The sky was

using

fire,

cloudless,

counted the puffs of smoke: they appeared

around the plane, but

man

out of range behind the guns.

minutes

after,

was

got'

For

fifteen

possible to count the

I have often wondered

puffs.

all

All told there

thrown.

shells

in spite of this the air-

continued on his mission and actually

were sixty-eight

(if

when

the shells

explode near an aeroplane and do not dam-

how it is that the concussion does not in some way injure the delicate parts of the ma-

age

it,

chine. all

We have not seen an aerial combat, but

root for one.

our

first

repose here in town

treated to a bath:

was a great

we were

event.

soldier holds a hose with a sprinkler arrange-

ment on the end and two First

are allowed a

others

little

man the pump.

water to get up a

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

lather, then the

command and

hose bellows a

pump bend

master of ceremonies at the

to their

result that there

into the spray.

for

it.

I had

work with a

hope to bathe daily

with the

rather a crude method,

hot

will,

a free-for-all fight to get

but as the water

the boys at the

are very thankful

second yesterday and at the canal.

This canal reminds

Erie, save for the locks.

greatly of the old

Changing

levels

accomplished by one single lock as against the single

and double locks used on the Erie.

Canal boat

fleets are

unknown

in this country:

the boats travel singly and are towed by horses.

Considering the depth and width of the canal

and the general appearance of the banks, one can almost imagine he

New York

state

travelling through

on the old waterway.

type of boat used

practically the

ours, save that over here they are

larger and with a

The

other night

ner: the meal

The

same

somewhat

more pointed bow.

Weeks took

was served

us out to din-

in the

home

of one

TRENCHES

FIRST LINE

of the native vineyard workers. into the kitchen of the house.

located on the

ground

opening onto the

floor

street.

all filed

This room was

and had a window

It served also as the

pantry, dining room, and was also used for

minor purposes. feet.

common

centre of the

was about ten by twelve

kitchen table occupied the

room under a hanging

oil

There were eight chairs (the majority ety) sill

scattered around,

rick-

and the deep window

would accommodate three persons.

the corner opposite the

lamp.

main door was

Into

fitted a

triangular closet which accommodated odds

and ends; the wine supply was kept

here.

Curtains decorated the window; the floor was<

They used a good range. Weeks was acquainted with the family as he had dined here throughout the winter when on repose. They also did his and other soldiers' washing and the clothes were hung in this room on lines from the walls to dry; con-

bare.

sequently one was uncomfortable until seated. |A.fter

a while our host gave his order and the

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

woman went

to purchase the food.

Mean-

while children of the family were constantly

coming and going. his

After the sixth had made

appearance I grew confused and decided

They

not to try to keep track of them. tainly

cer-

were numerous, and starting from four

feet six they descended in regular intervals of six inches

down

to the

young baby, making a

natural stairway for Father Time.

The food came some

at last;

was a chicken and

The next thing was to prechicken for the pot. The good house-

incidentals.

pare the

wife searched high and low for a knife, and failing to locate one

weapon bazaar). first

borrowed Smith's famous

(he paid six sous for

Ah!

I forgot.

Lyon

She singed the fowl

over the table around which

seated.

at a

we were

This was accomplished by means of

burning newspapers, the ashes of which into the wine.

We did not mind this,

fell

only the

smell of burning hair was rather disagreeable.

I had recovered from chagrin, the

this,

when, picture

good lady started

to butcher the

o o Pi

TRENCHES

FIRST LINE bird

right

under

our

and placidly

noses

strewed the table with the chicken's guts.

think grape picking trains the hands to quick,

vigorous action anyhow, the ;

way

those giblets

and other parts of the chicken's anatomy were flying around caused us to dodge continually,

hand

butcher;

when

and with great foresight I placed over the glass to protect the wine.

The lady was not an expert

members were

she could not locate a joint the

torn apart by main strength. it

was actually ripped

for the flesh,

and the

off in shreds

whole business thrown into a pot.

Smith's

heart was almost broken as the blade of his knife was bent all out of shape

The meal

consisted of rice, soup, fried chicken

and bread, with

coffee at the end.

tasty, indeed.

What

the

way

was ruined.

struck

the children ate.

was very

forcibly

They came

was

in just

long enough to swallow a few mouthfuls.

Through are

not

carelessness I think the

receiving

nourishment.

the

Anyway

proper

young

folks

amount

the children of France

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

do not shape up as being sturdy.

all

en-

joyed the novel incident greatly.

We eventually got to the first line again and occupied the same hut as on our previous stay.

There were seven of us

in there, six

cans and the corporal.

was not wide enough

lie

bed; side

cross ways, so

reminded

of the story of the six

and gave the signal if

any one

we were cramped racket.

tired lying

you

we were

disturbed by a great

Smith forcing Larney It is

might be well

a considerable

talks almost nightly

believe me, back in

Bouzy he

one verse of

"My

was

away, hollow

in a far

on one

an uncomfortable degree.

remark here that Larney

sleeper.

in one

to turn, all turned at

proper location.

his

This was the case here;

It proved to be

back into to

night

men

failed to hear the signal

broke up the party.

first

an angle.

slept at

when a man became

once and

The

Ameri-

and would

actually sang

Country, 'Tis of Thee."

the tune fairly well.

voice,

Some

but he carried

nights

we grow

TRENCHES

FIRST LINE

alarmed over

mumbles

the

night,

first line

are on guard every other

One

running at right angles from

so arranged that the earth

with our eyes.

was not

m. with Larney.

to three a.

in a trench

night I was on guard

main one and about twenty

the

and

groans

and as the weather was cold

from one

so.

very enjoyable.

were

welfare;

his

You would

feet is

from

on a

it.

level

be surprised to

know how hard it is to keep awake. Even as near the enemy as we are, an almost unconquerable desire to sleep overcomes us.

must

be that the constant searching and the straining of the eyes into the darknes hypnotizes one, but be this as

may,

effort to keep awake.

required a great all

complain of

this.

On the night I speak about, to

keep awake when

all

I was struggling

of a sudden

almost stopped beating.

heart

I was thoroughly

wide awake instantly I could have sworn that :

there were

two figures

directly in front of

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

about one hundred and

fifty feet

One

away.

seemed to be standing and the other kneehng,

and

to the

we maintain a

trench running parallel

main one and about one hundred and beyond,

fifty feet

of things.

mind pictured

all

kinds

I watched them intently and they

seemed to be working at something, but

in the

The

large

uncertain light

was maddening.

figure appeared to be motionless but the small

one seemed to

pump. I

rise

and bend

man

at a

This continued for what seemed ages. well aware that at night objects take

strange forms, but I could not account for

Our

these.

rifles

are constantly loaded and

cocked while on guard and I was tempted to take a shot at

it,

but I wanted to see them

move before I fired. I looked over and saw Larney observing the same thing. actually

talked

over and decided that

part of the landscape; the next morning

went into the trench and came sion that

was two

was

to the conclu-

trees.

Another time while on guard

in the second

FIRST LINE line position, I

TRENCHES

was looking out of a small port I had just

hole in the trench.

come

to the

conclusion that guard duty was a waste of

time

when I saw what looked

to he a figure

crawling slowly under the barbed wires in front of the trench. It

was a wretched

and very

I could have sworn that this was really

dark. a

night, raining

man.

I almost pictured him freeing himself

from the barbs. I thought a better view would be gained from over the trench, so I noise-

climbed up until

lessly

the earth, but

head was clear of

was impossible

to see

when

eyes were above the surface of the earth, so

I got back again.

The

object was

Would you

still

in the

same

believe I actually kept

position.

eyes

glued on the thing for nearly two hours.

number of

lights

were sent up by both

sides,

but their positions were such they did not help

me.

Finally, a

German

do you

my eyes and the object. think my creeping German was ?

in a direct line with

What

white light went

;

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

Nothing but a frame to

roll

wire on.

was disgusted when I made

tainly

I cer-

this discov-

ery.

One cannot

help imagining things.

Every-

thing keys the imagination up the steady ;

rifle

the occasional cannon, the bursting mines,

fire,

the flare of the night lights and distant bom-

bardments

all

tend to put one in a condition

to see anything.

interesting to observe the difference of

For

speed between sight and sound.

instance,

a cannon far in our rear will discharge a shell the flash

the shell as it

bursts

visible it

from the

passes

piece, the

whir of

heard, and the flash as

seen, then both reports

sound

al-

most simultaneous, the discharge of the gun

and bursting of the

shell.

This, of course,

only happens when one's position

almost in

the middle of the trajectory.

Another idea of mine which was shattered

by actual experience was the action of a bursting

shell.

From war

ference that at the

pictures I

moment a

drew the

in-

shell bursts it

FIRST LINE

was possible to

see the fragments

report of the piece

of the shell, a puff of

all,

Wide enough

The

so.

seen and finally

there

were

fair.

shell.

line the quarters

for us to stretch out

five feet high.

and about

Each one accommodates a

sec-

condition of the straw was the same

The

tion.

not

but believe

a great deal of power in a

In the second

;

heard, then the whistle

smoke

That's

a loud report. is

TRENCHES

as described before.

One

night

began

rain and in about half an hour the rain soaked

through the earth and dripped on

hung our

shelter-halves

catch the water.

up under

the roof to

These covers performed

duty O. K., but the water leaked in them.

The

the place

first

all

their

around

night was not so bad, although

was wet

the second

us.

in spots.

It rained during

day and things became worse: the

trenches were in an awful condition, the water

being ankle deep in places and the

mud

beat-

ing Cedarhurst's best to a fare-you-well.

That

The

night, however,

rain

was the worst of

was dripping through pretty

all.

steadily

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

and

had begun to get the best of the tent

we emptied

covers in spite of the fact that

We eventually turned in and

them regularly.

an almost steady stream was dropping on

head I put

overcoat over

and grap-

pled with Morpheus.

I had him

back and was about to

rise to the cries of the

when

spectators

subconscious

flat

mind

his

differ-

entiated between the voice of applause and the

Instantly I was awake and

wail of dismay.

poked

head out to see what the fuss was

about, but the steady stream forced

nium under the coat

Out

cra-

again.

of the confusion I gleamed that a tent

cover had fallen with the weight of the water

and drenched a Greek, two fellows down from

me.

was very

cursed a few.

active vocally:

were

all

I was telling myself

able.

I'll

bet he

very uncomfort-

how good

was

be dry when I realized that I was not as dry

might

as I feet I

be.

was awash

shoulders to

in three inches of water.

From my

surely did feel fierce, but

was impossible

FIRST LINE

TRENCHES

was wet.

better the condition as everything

was only two

light.

m. and I prayed for day-

managed

to dry out pretty well

during the day. I wish

we had some

of those

new patented

trench digging machines the World's tells

about, because I have

Advance

dug about one thou-

sand miles of trenches, or nearly that many.

are constantly digging

old trenches, so

now we have an

tem of underground

asinine thing.

repairing

elaborate sys-

streets.

I certainly do feel fine

but there

new and

and enjoy the

no question about

it,

war

life,

y REMOVED TO THE ARRAS SECTEUR (Place Unknown),

May TT^OR many

1915,

we knew something was in -^ the wind, but what or when it would happen was a puzzle to all. Some said we were going back to Lyon for a repose, while others maintained we were bound for the Dardanelles. Finally we got orders to pack all our stuff and be ready to move during the night. About days

midnight, April 24th, a French regiment relieved us

and we marched out of Verzenay.

was a very disagreeable night, and coupled with a

chilly,

forced march,

penetrating fog and the rather

we were more

when we reached a o'clock

the

or less fatigued

small town at about five

morning:

our

escouade

(squad), the 15th, was assigned to a sort of 78

THE ARRAS SECTEUR The ground was

COW

shed.

and

as cold.

were,

turned

was impossible

as hard as a rock

in,

to get

but tired as

much

sleep, al-

though we tried to sleep during the day. afternoon

five in the

what the place was

we went up town

like;

to see

was a small place

with about six stores and overcrowded with soldiers.

When we got back I started to read periodiOutside there cals received from New York. was a small yard with a squad kitchen on one and our quarters on the

side

here a second to say a

other.

word about

I'll

the

stop

men

our squad.

The

corporal could be most anything but

I think he

the

;

them has served

a quiet fellow

fifteen years with

Legion and another about

are naturalized

The

There are four Legionnaires with

and O. K. us; one of

Arab-French he

ten.

Frenchmen and

These two

fast friends.

old-timer has a huge beard and

quaint character.

reminds

a very

I enjoy watching him; he

much

of those

gnomes who used

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

to interest

fellow

me when

short

The other and very brown. The way they

confide in each other

I was small.

one has an imaginary aside

and they get

really ludicrous.

illness

he takes the other

their heads together

sympathize with each other;

When

and

laughable.

they share their sorrows they also share

You buy

their joys.

canteen pair.

and

full,

The

their kind of

believe

joy by the

they are a joyous

old fellow has been joyous for about

fifteen years.

The

other two Legionnaires are Belgians

Then we have two Italians who remind me of brigands. One is a big and unimportant.

husky fellow and the other

a typical dra-

matic villain; good looking, dashing and that stuff.

but he

have an Italian kid with

only a nuisance.

all

us,

The two brigands

take an interest in him to the extent of continually

kicking

and

cuffing

him

around.

Well, as I was reading the magazine I heard a noise in the yard and upon going out found the six-foot corporal slugging the five-foot five

THE AERAS SECTEUR I was glad to see

Legionnaire.

fellow needs a beating.

little

Weeks was

much.

because the

talks too

out there and did not like

the unevenness of the fight so he interfered.

The little

came up and

big brigand then

hit the

Legionnaire a "beaut," knocking him

The

across the yard. in time to be

little

fellow got

up just

knocked back across the yard, and

the big fellow

was going

to repeat the perform-

Weeks interfered again. By this time we were all out in the yard joying the fun. The argument got pretty ance when

and

finally,

as usual, the

wallop in the jaw. acted as

they were

of a second

all hit,

was ever

and

hit.

was the biggest

in or

hope

hot

peacemaker got a

The American

were when one of them was

en-

to be in.

section

in fact they

In a fraction free-for-all I

battled

around the yard to a fare-you-well and

time the guard was on the scene with fixed bayonets, but

In a

lull in

still

kept on.

the action I happened to look

around in time to see the villainous looking

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

up a

bandit picking for

him and

clout on

brick.

made a

bee-line

no time had received a good

bean for

trouble.

The guards

eventually separated us, but the Americans

They

carried the day.

started to take

the lock-up but I landed at the infirmary and

had

my head

They locked Pavelka

bandaged.

up, but he should have come with me, as a

him on the forehead

friend of the bandits hit

with a dish pan.

needed bandaging and

soon was sent back for treatment.

shook hands and called

all

square.

The next day we marched to the railroad and came north. It was a wretched trip as we were packed closely

in freight cars

and

took

twenty-four hours to come two hundred kilometres, being about one hundred and twentyfive miles.

Aubigny, which the village of a

left the cars at is

town nearer the

to the trenches

dangerous;

about six miles due west of

we located in At night we marched

Targette, but front.

and worked

the

a town called

outposts

there.

was very

being about

fifty

THE ARRAS SECTEUR

One

yards apart.

from

night the second fellow

hit in the

work under such

mind from

the is

me was

stomach.

conditions, as

the bullets

;

good

work takes

inaction under fire

a terrible strain on the nerves.

We were all

day and

in the trenches three days,

and

laid

against

at night

mud was

We went back to

the field

down four hours at a stretch, to guard a surprise. To make matters worse it

rained and the

at ten a.

we went out on

worked

a foot deep in places.

a small town, arriving there

have everything in abundance.

I have

seen fellows throw shirts and other articles

away, rather than wash them, as new ones are always given.

There

enough of everything.

actually

more than

are living like

princes.

I was glad to hear that

Bouzy was

letter

was done on a two-by-

four-foot plank, which I straddled,

dangling.

from

Allowance must be made

received.

for the writing as

Americans were

all

feet

interested

84ÂŤ

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

in the statement in the letter to

me, that

has

been said the Germans would treat Foreign Legionnaires

who were not

as irregular soldiers ;

citizens of

France

and the suggestions made

for us to observe in case of capture will be followed.

VI BATTLE OF ARTOIS; AT LA TARGETTE AND NEUVILLE ST. VAAST

Somewhere near Auhigny,

/^~\N Sunday morning,

May 16, 1915, May 9th, we were

routed out at one o'clock and marched

to the trenches, reaching the third line at sunrise,

and

at five o'clock our artillery increased

already very

its

severe

bombardment,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the

continual rumble and vibration being beyond description.

This lasted until ten o'clock and

as soon as

stopped, Battalion

our sec-

tion left the trenches, charging with the bayonet.

They

carried the trenches with great loss.

Germans were panic stricken bombardment and one of their bat-

I understand the

by the

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

was buried as the trenches collapsed

talions

under our heavy

Battalion

many;

there are two Americans in

A, one

Our fire,

and

a great

O. K. while the other was shot

twice, in the shoulder

Battalion

after

followed

lost

them

artillery fire.

the

and left

under a heavy

in the leg.

the trenches

rifle

and machine gun

ground we crossed being well strewn

with dead and dying of Battalions

charged across

and I

ishes,

self

how

fields in

reached the

by our bombardment.

Here hit

a line of skirm-

first

first line

German

battered and destroyed

Soon

after crossing

stop was in the shelter of a road.

the good looking bandit, the fellow

my-

of us got through safely.

we found them

them our

C and A.

will never be able to satisfy

many

When we trenches

right

who

with the brick, got reckless and tried to

survey the landscape; he was killed instantly

by a

bullet through the heart.

convulsive

tossing of the arms one reads about or sees in the movies

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;he just sank down and

was

all

BATTLE OF ARTOIS

Soon

over.

after

this

left

87 position, the

other bandit was shot through the leg.

There

was absolutely no

ill

feeling between us

ac-

count of our scrap.

We then laid down the

on the ground and soon

Germans got our range;

me were

hit; so

The German

six

men

close to

on again.

started

had opened on

artillery

as,

and the suspense of lying there and waiting to be hit

bursting

around

all

me and

close that I actually think a air hit

me on

bruised

the forehead

forehead.

into the hole,

pened lying,

The

indescribable.

was

to be looking

when a

shell

;

shells

were

one rushed by so

chunk of

solidified

anyway, something

I rushed over and got five feet deep.

where four

I hap-

men were

blew the four of them to

dust.

letter

from Lyon I mentioned three

brothers from Argentina; they were inseparable even in death; they were killed side side.

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

finally took the crest of a hill, it

dusk and we dug ourselves

was

in.

I shall never forget the picture displayed as

I looked back across the field in the fading light.

a nightmare: during the entire

wounded rang

night the cries of the

had a pleasant bedfellow,

out.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;a corporal and he He

lay in the trench, only

two

actually fascinated me.

I could not help look-

at his brains

feet

away.

which stuck out of the back

of his neck, exactly like two horns.

During

the next day they gradually melted until at nightfall they

had

slid entirely off his neck.

Grand, grand indeed,

this

butchery they

call

war!

During the night we were on the watch, and at times the fire from the enemy, aided by the

German night-lights, was severe. As day broke Monday we were ready the counter attack, which it

came early and

shelled us in a

men were

killed

come and

Their

artillery

was sure

fierce.

for

most desperate manner, and and wounded

in large

num-

BATTLE OF ARTOIS bers and very close to

me; and again the

pense of expecting to be hit by a

shell

sus-

was

horrible.

Bavarian troops were opposite and they

made a rush

for us,

and I

am bound

to ac-

knowledge that no human beings could have

shown more bravery and determination than they did: but our artillery was most effective,

and we stood firm them.

in our trenches

Their counter attacks

that night

still

and smeared

all

failed

held the trenches

and

we had

dug.

were entirely out of water both Sun-

day and Monday, and as a consequence

suf-

fered very much.

Early the next morning, before daybreak, reserves took our places

and what was

left

our regiment returned to the rear for reorganization.

I laugh

But with

when

all

I try to think of civilization.

we must admit

and I do not regret that I

it is

a great world

here.

KELLY or THE FOREIGN LEGION

Somewhere near Auhigny,

May

20, 1915,

A sergeant was commanding our Company, all

the officers having been killed or wounded.

Our

game man; he

captain was a very

led us

without a sword or any side arms, only using his

swagger

stick.

advanced by

der came

as a shield, ran about

isn't

ground.

killed

sections.

we jumped

talk about

was

Ty Cobb

When

shell.

the or-

up, and carrying a sack

one hundred

feet,

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;and

sliding into second base,

a circumstance to the

And what

by a

a strain

way it

I hit the

was on the

nerves waiting for our turn to advance again, fellows

all

around being

cases I have seen

men

In a couple of

hit.

almost lifted from the

ground, so hard were they struck.

low very near

me was

hit

and began

One

fel-

to squeal,

almost immediately a second bullet hit him and

he made for the rear on a

child.

The

field

But compared nothing: give

was

all

fours crying like

full of

such sights.

to the shells the bullets are

me most

anything but an ar-

BATTLE OF ARTOIS tillery

bombardment.

cannot figure out

how the five of us missed being The prisoners we took were

hit.

well fed and

clothed, but are sick of the war.

After the attack we were quartered St. Eloi,

but as us,

about two miles west of

was

we were

Mont

Targette,

range and the Germans shelled

sent ten miles to the rear to await

recruits.

Our regiment

lost

heavily in killed

wounded, not half coming back.

The

Italian kid I previously mentioned

and little

was too

frightened to leave our trenches.

The

six

Americans of our squad, Larney,

Weeks and myself except Rockwell who

Rockwell, Pavelka, Smith, passed through safely,

was shot for

in the leg.

by our

field

We learned he was cared

ambulance.

VII TO THE REAR FOR RECRUITING (Place Unknown),

June

QJOON ^^

after

we were

10, 1015,

located at the rear to

await recruits the General commanding

our Division reviewed us and distributed

five

military medals.

have a new Captain in the place of the

one who was

killed;

Swede and

military; he has us drilling a great deal,

very

and

works us pretty hard, considering that we have smelt powder in the true sense of the term.

have just learned that Italy has en-

tered the war; also, that an

American mer-

chant-man has been torpedoed. like to see the

war

if it

would

United States keep out of the

can.

On May 29th we

returned to a location near 92

TO THE REAR

and

the front,

have passed

many German prisoners One day as many as eight

lately

us.

hundred went by; they looked

well.

strange coincidence the same Bavarian troops

who here, their

Champagne are against us and yesterday we recognized a man in ranks who deserted from us in Cham-

faced us in

pagne.

I guess

all

over with him;

should be.

May

It seems that our effort of

9th was

The

successful than that of the British.

German artillery

prisoners say they cannot stand our

fire.

don't

French 75 centimeter

blame them, as the

field piece

has proved to

be the wonder of the war.

We in

my I

are

all

well; in fact I never felt better

life.

have just received the packages from

New York

and

thankful for them.

are very desirable as

are on our feet a great

part of the time and I can rest easy I

were

well stocked with them. fine:

Socks

now

that

The soup cubes

we make soup every

night before

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

turning

ken

One

in.

of the tooth brushes was bro-

in transit but the other

the one I brought

comes

from home

handy

about used up.

keeping the combs, but do not use them,

as during the hot weather our hair

Some

close with the machine.

going

This idea of having the hair cut short

too far.

a good one as

cut very

fellows have

their heads shaved, but I think that

it is

warm

very

here now.

spent four days in the trenches to the ones the Legion occupied prior to

left of the

the attack of

I went

all

9th.

Skipper Pavelka and

through the devastated German

I could find scarcely anything as

trenches.

we were

May

there nearly three weeks after the at-

tack and countless French soldiers had searched before us.

I found some envelopes and wrap-

pers for parcel post packages with the

German

postage stamps attached, and I send these to

you;

will be seen the letters bear

Bavarian

postage stamps, and are directed to Bavarian infantry soldiers.

The German

trenches were built

much

bet-

TO THE REAR ter

Some

than ours.

men

lived

of the huts in which the

were twenty feet under ground.

They used a great number

of dirt sacks

must be a shortage of strong material many,

as these sacks

there

Ger-

were made mostly from

cheap, light calico which was hardly strong

enough

to hold the earth.

They had an extensive system of mines and we made the attack just in time as Pavelka and I investigated the saps with the aid of a candle.

They were off.

One

Germans

all

loaded and wired ready to be set

them had been exploded.

The

lost their bearings in digging, be-

cause the hole was actually nearer their lines

than

was

They used

to ours.

own

a tre-

mendous charge and the explosion must have been

terrific for

the result reminded

crater of a volcano;

was

of the

easily thirty feet

deep.

Our bombardment 9th

had

played

trenches; a great

before the attack of

havoc

with

number of

the

May

German

the roofs

on the

huts had fallen during the cannonading bury-

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

ing alive

all

Around

the occupants.

places the stench was horrible. these trenches

and

All through

was evidence of heavy

the part of the

Germans;

legs projected

these

losses

at intervals,

from the walls and

the trenches, and all in all

arms

floor of

was a pretty

gruesome journey.

a result of

May

over two miles, but the

9th our line

Germans hold a danger-

ous position on the side of a large

hard work chasing them

will be

advanced

and

hill

off.

have been out to dig trenches a couple

of times

and

believe

me we

Im-

sure do work.

agine getting up and working on the ground

about two hundred and

fifty

yards from the

German line with them shooting all the time. Work! you bet the men work with a will and it

does not take long to get a good trench dug.

They have

a poor system here.

about seven miles from this town where

now back.

to the first line, dig a trench

walk

are

and walk

leave at six p. m. and get back at

TO THE REAR five a.

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;the idea of walking seven miles

work.

There

not

much

left of the

Legion of

May

9th ; the Italians have been liberated to return

own army.

to their five

and

men

out of a full

fifty,

with the

but

Our company had fiftycompany of two hundred

we expect

to be filled

up again

men from Valbonne and Lyon.

should judge one thousand have already been

up here from those places. Well, this war is a great game. The next person who mentions the glories of war should be jumped on with both feet. Picture the sent

men

charge with the band playing and the singing the

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;what tommy-rot.

instruments

fighting,

and

In the

first

place

never get near the actual

in the second place the

that time don't care a

hang

men

for a song.

We have some fun with the boxing gloves, a new

set

having been sent to us from Paris.

know how many good boxers The other day two there are around here. Zouaves who weighed about one hundred and

surprising to

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

up and were very

eighty pounds each turned

One had boxed

clever.

championship

many

Tunis.

professional

amateur

the

They would a

fighters

Two French

money.

for

give

run for the

cavalrymen had a bout

that resulted in a knockout.

Time months

surely does fly: here since the old

it is

Goddess of Liberty

appeared into the distance in It does not

The

seem

nearly eight

New York

dis-

bay.

possible.

ball that hit Rockwell's leg just missed

the bone, so he

recovering rapidly and hopes

to be back with us soon.

are

plenty to eat. for the

for

the best of health

all in

war

are unanimous in wishing

end soon.

war the most

Those who clamor

in the States are those

know nothing about waste and I take

and getting

it.

War

my hat off to

who

an asinine

President Wil-

son for his level headedness.* * The above was the last letter received the communication on the following page was written on a mili;

tary postal card.

TO THE REAR

(Place

Unknown)

June

15, 1915.

Dear Dad: Received your

All well. 30,

1915.

were there

Love

write later.

letter

right.

all

May Will

all.

Russell.

The

First

Regiment was

Order of the Day,

cited in the official

as follows

Foreign Regiment of the Second regiment de Marclie, ordered May 9th under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Cot to make a bayonet charge on a

"The

strong tack,

First

German

position,

went

into the at-

the officers leading in front of the

men, with a superb gallantry, gaining, with only

brief

stops,

several

kilometres

ground, in spite of an extremely strong resistance of the enemy and a violent fire from his

machine guns."

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

100

Le Figaro

of Paris,

May

13th, 1915, con-

from which the following translation is an extract, under the heading, "Nos succes du 9 mai dans le secteur, Carency an

tains

article

Neuville."

"The attack on La Targette, led by a division of the army corps from the neighborhood, mentioned in the army order, was conducted with a remarkable boldness and was a complete success.

"The

artillery had,

its fire,

demolished

a large part of the barb-wire and other accessories of the defence.

certain

num-

ber of mitrailleuses had escaped destruction,

and the enemy continued

"At

the

first

to hold them.

assault our infantry reached

the border of the woods, but

was stopped

by fire on the flank. The infantry resumed the attack irmnediately and took a

there

part of the trenches at ten o'clock; which held,

and

at a quarter past eleven took all of

Targette and three hundred and

prisoners,

many

pieces of seventy-seven

fifty

and

number of mitrailleuses. "Holding La Targette, they were mas-

a large

TO THE REAR ters of the cross-roads of

Mont

101

Arras-Bethune and

Saint-Eloi-Neuville.

"They reformed rapidly, thanks to the heroic work of the engineer corps, and advanced upon Neuville. "This village presents of a point. it,

It was, as

itself in the

expressed

officer

real bundle of mitrailleuses

lancebombs.'

The

made and about

assault

was,

three o'clock

form

and of

however, attacked

the church.

"From

each loopholed house, from each

cellar organized into a covered trench, the

on our men. They conquered, however, house by house, half of the village, and in spite of all counter-attacks we held the captured ground. It was a tremendous struggle amidst the wreckage and smoke.

enemy

fired

"Every minute augmented the number of prisoners. We saw them rush out from their hiding places, reckless of safety, stupe-

by our bombardment, dumbfounded by our dash, and in a moment, towards the other side of the village some columns were detached, and our cavalry conducted the

fied

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

102

prisoners towards the rear, to the great joy of the population.

"Behold the road of Bethune: a new tack.

The

battalions in the lead scaled the

slope at the east arriving,

at-

killed

and behind them, the others and despatched all whom

they encountered.

"Our

officers fell in

great numbers.

four chiefs of battalions there was not more

One of the colonels is seriously wounded. The general of the brigade who led in advance of his troops, had than one

left.

his chest pierced

"It

made no

a ball.

went on with The men came at a gym-

difference, they

redoubled ardor.

nastic pace, leaped over the trenches, at-

tacked the crest and the very crown of the crest.

"The

courier started, reached the tele-

phonic post and sent in an account. One can hardly believe it. It was done; more than four kilometres gained (two and a half miles )

"Never before

in this

war of

a siege which

has lasted for seven months, has a like success been obtained either

by the Germans or

TO THE REAR

German

103

was taken prisoner at his post of command. Behind our victorious battalions, our forces gathered up and unearthed from their burrows hundreds of Germans. We destroyed or captured, substantially, a whole brigade." US.

colonel

VIII SUPPLEMENTARY

â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Souchezâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Hill

Battle of Artois

No. 119,

IVJO communication has been received from -^ ^ Russell Kelly since his postal card of June

15th,

mentioned

in the foregoing chapter.

took part with his regiment in the battle

on the following day, and since then has been missing, and his

French

name

still

carried on the

War Office Official list of missing. As

the reader

may

be interested in the subsequent

occurrences, the following facts are given.

The

battle of

18, 1815,

and

Waterloo occurred on June its

centenary approached the

public expected an unusual effort would be

made

commemoration of that momentous

event.

Whether or not

the warring powers gave 104

SUPPLEMENTARY any heed

to this circumstance,

but preparations were fore that date, on a

made by

105 is

not known,

the Allies be-

most extensive

scale, for

a formidable effort to break through the Ger-

man

lines in

On June

France. 15th the soldiers of the Legion

were each given one hundred extra rounds of

ammunition; these they carried

meu-

in their

settes or haversacks; their belts contained the

regular allowance of two hundred and fifty

New

rounds.

underclothing and shirts were

furnished to the troops that day, so that those

who might be wounded would

be less liable

to contract the dreaded tetanus.

special

mass was celebrated that day and the Catholic attended

soldiers

religious

their

duties.

made provision for the John Smith left an enve-

JNIany of the soldiers

event of disaster.

lope with instructions that

be opened

did not return from the attack.

opened

was found

was

to contain a statement that

name was John Earl Fike, and it gave mother's name and address, with a request

his real his

When

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

106

that she be notified of his fate.

Scanlan also

Lawrence

left written directions for notify-

ing his mother and Russell Kelly sent the postal card given on page 99.

The extreme northerly end line of battle sition

was then

of the French

at Soiichez

and that po-

was held by one battalion of Zouaves,

about one thousand

men

;

next to them was the

Second regiment de Marche of the First Foreign Regiment, consisting of about four thou-

sand men. our

this last

Americans, the

five

regiment was of course sixth,

Rockwell, being

then in hospital.

Irish

regiment was on the extreme

southerly end of the English line, and thus

joined with the French Zouaves. Pieces of white muslin were pinned to the

backs of

many

of the Legionnaires (they ad-

vanced without knapsacks) so they could be distinguished from the enemy. tion

This precau-

was taken for the reason that

tack on

May

in the at-

9th, a serious delay occurred be-

cause the observers attached to the French 75

SUPPLEMENTARY

107

guns were unable to distinguish the French

from the Germans.

had messages from the

who

despatch bearer officers at the

front

Legion had made a great ad-

stating that the

vance, and directing that the range of the guns

be changed so as to pass over the French troops,

was

ered.

When

killed

and the messages undeliv-

the

soldiers

the

reached this line of range of their

many ran

into the

fire,

Legion

own

guns,

and the others were

compelled to hold back until another messenger

was despatched. After a

man

terrific

trenches for

bombardment of the Gerseveral days, the French

troops left their trenches at eight o'clock in the

morning of June Ladders were

16th, for the attack. in the front line trenches to

enable the soldiers to get out quickly a ladder ;

being provided for every five men. It will be

Battalion

remembered that on

May

led the advance, followed

and then B, but on June 16th B, containing these

five

9th

by A,

was Battalion

Americans, that was

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

108

to leave in

first

severe fire

its

from machine guns,

The men ran forward

nel.

It faced a very

sector.

rifles

in a line, at a dis-

tance of about a yard apart, and fore the

first

German

many

fell

be-

trenches were

These had been destroyed by the

reached.

French

line of

and shrap-

artillery

and vacated by the enemy, and

of the barbed wide defences remained.

little

However, the broken ground where those trenches had been afforded some slight shelter

and advantage was taken of arrange the

to rest

and

re-

line.

They then rushed

for the second line of

trenches, which were strongly defended, hav-

ing

many machine guns

in action; the

French

heavily before reaching these trenches,

lost

those

who

hand

fight with the

that

did safely reach

them had a hand

Germans.

was here

Paul Pavelka received a bayonet wound

in his leg

and Lawrence Scanlan was severely

wounded

in his leg

sell

and foot by

rifle fire,

Rus-

Kelly received what a companion described

as "a clean

wound

in his left shoulder that did

SUPPLEMENTARY

109

All trace of John

not seem to be serious."

Smith and Kenneth Weeks was

Weeks

point.

grenades for

But

carried the

lost at this

supply of hand

his section.

in spite of all resistance the

French

captured those trenches, and pushed on to the next, where they to

had another desperate hand

hand encounter but which they

also captured.

This division of the French army then drove its

way through Cabaret Rouge, which

has

been frequently mentioned in the despatches. It

only a wine shop on the road to Arras and

on the southern outskirts of Souchez.

spite of the

German

artillery

and ma-

gun fire they continued to advance, driving the enemy before them, capturing many,

chine

and taking Hill No. 119 Souchez.

wounded

Pavelka

and

to the southeast of

Scanlan,

who

at the second line of trenches, could

plainly see their comrades, distinguished pieces of white muslin their

way, step by

The

lay

division

step,

by the

their backs, fighting

up Hill

119.

pushed on towards Givenchy,

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

110

which

about a mile east of Souchez; but the

Germans were flank,

able to attack

and the German

them on

their left

artillery established a

curtain of fire and thus cut off reenforcements.

The

rest of the line did not

advance as fast nor

as far as the portion that included this Battalion, so before the

day was over the Germans

had surrounded the men who were

so advanced,

and subjected them to a most severe

and machine gun

fire.

numbered about

five

The men

artillery

so surrounded

hundred and they held

out until the afternoon of the next day, when,

with every

man

hausted from

remaining wounded and ex-

thirst,

they were

all

captured

with the exception of some few

who were

to conceal themselves within the

German

able

lines,

having been since reported that some of the

men

avoided capture in that way.

Every

The

officer

in the

battle that

regiment was

day resulted

the Allies of about

two miles

killed.

in a net gain to

in depth over a

front of about two miles ; which gain

was held

SUPPLEMENTARY for about six months,

when

the

111

Germans

re-

covered nearly one mile.

WAR

OFFICIAL

(night)

COM-

MUNIQUE. FRENCH Paris,

Thursday, June 17, 10

Great activity along the entire front during the last two days patches.

The

reported in to-day's des-

fighting to the north of Arras

has assumed an extremely violent character since yesterday.

Infantry actions have been

numerous and vigorous, while the

artillery duel

has been exceptionally violent and uninterrupted.

have achieved important gains

which were almost

all

rious counter attacks,

maintained despite fu-

which were repeated

to-

day with renewed vigor.

Yesterday and to-day we advanced steadily toward Souchez from the northwest, the south-

112

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION Further to the south we

west and the west.

have gained a footing in the park of the Carleul Chateau, where the

enemy had been

the

moat around the Chateau

as a defensive base.

We captured the Souchez

making use of

cemetery and gained some ground on the slopes to the southeast of Souchez (Hill

No.

119) following several brilliant charges.

The

results achieved yesterday

were extended

to-

day.

After our infantry had delivered some extremely vigorous attacks, which were most efficaciously supported

by the

three hundred thousand shells it

was compelled

Wednesday,

firing of almost

by our

artillery,

to face, during the night of

several violent counter attacks

made by important

hostile forces.

These

at-

tacks were repulsed along the entire front, the

only point evacuated by us being a small wood

which we captured yesterday morning south of Hill No. 119 and which the enemy's artillery

made

impossible for us to hold.

In these engagements the Germans used

SUPPLEMENTARY eleven divisions, which

heavy

losses.

all

113

suffered extremely

our side the losses were also

serious.

The morale of our troops continues to be perfect. The number of prisoners captured by us exceeds six hundred, including more than twenty

officers,

GERMAN Berlin,

Thursday, June 17.

The day

British

and French continued

their attempts to break

yester-

through our

North of La Bassee Canal the

British, over-

fight,

lines.

after

were forced to beat a

speedy retreat into their positions.

South of

Souchez the French succeeded in penetrating into our positions over a width of about

metres, still

and obtained a foothold.

continues.

all

600

Fighting

other points they were

repulsed with sanguinary losses.

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

114

FRENCH Paris,

Saturday, June 19, 10 p,m.

In the

sector to the north of

Arras we have

continued our action and on several points

gathered the fruits of the favorable engage-

ments of the

last

few days.

hold the slopes of Hill 119 where our

troops are maintaining themselves, clinging to the

ground beyond the

last

German

trenches,

notwithstanding counter attacks by the enemy.

the south of these slopes our front has

been carried forward to the northeast of the Labyrinth.

GERMAN Berlin,

Saturday, 3 p.m. Several French attacks on the Lorette Hills,

on both

sides of Neuville

ras broke

down.

sections which

enemies.

we had

and northeast of Ar-

cleared a few trench

previously

lost,

all

SUPPLEMENTARY Account of

battle

American, August

115

New York

from the 1915.

THREE AMERICANS IN LEGION CAPTURED Orderly Describes Brilliant Charge Against

Germans by Squad from U. Ranks

International

News

Service

Paris, It

now seems

certain the three

the famous First

August

Americans of

Regiment of the Foreign

Legion who have been missing fight north of

French

S. in

since the big

Arras on June 16th are prison-

They are Kenneth Weeks, Russell Kelly, and John Smith. The news was brought to Paris by an orers in

Germany.

derly of the regiment's colonel, who, while lying in the field of battle with a shattered leg,

picked up by the

was amputated

German Red

Cross.

in a field hospital

was

His leg

and he was

recently repatriated.

According to the orderly. Battalion B, of

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

116 the

Legion

which these Americans were

June

fighting on

German hnes

16th, broke far through the

left

of Cabaret Rouge.

Germans reformed on both force,

gun

and by the curtain of

made

fire

sides,

shells

The

attacking in

and machine-

reinforcements or retreat im-

possible.

The Legionnaires dug

and throughout the

night of the 16th until the afternoon follow-

ing resisted

all attacks.

wounds and parched with

Then, covered with thirst,

the survivors

surrendered.

The American squad when the first regiment moved north from the Champagne region early in May included Kenneth Weeks, of

New

Bedford; Paul Rockwell, of Atlanta;

Paul Pavelka, of Madison, Conn.; Russell Kelly, of

New York; Frank

New Orleans Scanlan,

;

Musgrave, of

Jack Janz, of Boston Lawrence ;

Cedarhurst,

I.,

John

Smith, of Los Angeles; Neamorin, of Calcutta, a visitor

graduate of Oxford and a frequent

America, and Madji Zennis, of

SUPPLEMENTARY

117

Constantinople, formerly an interpreter for a

New York importing house. The squad was gigantic Moor.

ican in the entire

by Corporal Didier, a

All were volunteers for the

war except Janz.

service,

led

Janz was the only Amer-

Legion that had seen African

having been seven years in Morocco.

was shot through the forehead while

looking out of a trench toward the

German

lines shortly after the arrival of the

regiment

in the north.

During the

fighting around

Neuville-St. Vaast on

May

through the chest with a lay

on the

and

9th Janz was shot

rifle ball.

battlefield a shell

and badly lacerated

La Targette

While he

exploded near him

Later he was

his hips.

carried off the field to a hospital.

ONLY 700 OF 4,000 LEFT After the fighting on

nth

the

May

9th, 10th

Legion was sent to the rear for

Drganization.

Only 700

of the 4,000

^one into action answered the

and re-

who had

roll call.

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

118

In the attack of June 16th, which preceded

by a the

terrific thirty-six-hour

German

lines, the

tion near Souchez

The ally

first line

legion occupied a posi-

and Cabaret Rouge.

German

knocked to pieces by

The advance on

taken.

met by a stream

bombardment of

of lead

trenches was

shell fire

and

liter-

easily

the second line was

from

rifles

and ma-

Whole sections of the attacking party were mowed down. Corporal Didier fell, his left arm literally shot off. Zennis's lower jaw was torn away. Neamorin fell with a ball chme guns.

through

his

abdomen.

Pavelka was the

first

of the American squad

to reach the second line.

just got to the

edge of a trench held by Bavarians when he

was stabbed

in the leg with a bayonet.

GERMANS THROW DOWN ARMS

then the

German

trenches were filled

with a yelling mass of Legionnaires zouaves

and

tirailleurs.

Such of the Germans

as could

climbed out of the trenches and threw

down

SUPPLEMENTARY

They ran

their arms.

119

for the rear, the

French

in hot pursuit.

Pavelka took

bandage Kelly,

his

shelter in a

wound.

who had been

Smith with a After a

ball

rest

German

was joined there by

hit in the shoulder,

through

Pavelka suggested to

Smith were too weak. first

and

his leg.

rades that they crawl to the rear.

alone to a

trench to

his

com-

Kelly and

Pavelka made

his

way

aid ambulance.

The only American positively known to have been killed June 16th was Edwin Hall, of Chicago, who arrived at the front a few days before the battle and was placed in the machine

gun

section.

was

his first time

under

fire

and he exhibited great coolness and bravery. Hall's squad rushed

hold

captured

the machine guns to

position.

The

Germans

counter attacked and killed the entire squad.

IX EPILOGUE

T T may -^

Americans

six

know how

interest the reader to in

the

15th escouade or

squad have since fared, so the following brief statement

given.

Lawrence Scanlan, called Larney rative,

foot

ing

was severely wounded

June

16th.

December

bullets

was not

in his leg

were forwarded to

his

The wounds were still

pital established

until the follow-

his

family near

so deep that in

invalid,

leg.

They

New

York.

November,

being in a hos-

by an American, Mrs. Fitz-

gerald, at Passy-par-Veron, France.

summer

and

that the last of the pieces of

were extracted from

1916, he was

in the nar-

of 1916 he

In the

was awarded the Croix de

Guerre or Military Cross, the 120

citation stat-

EPILOGUE ing that

was awarded because he was a good

and brave

121

soldier

and had been badly wounded.

was attached while he

stood,

aided by

In writing of the ceremony he

crutches.

stated, "I could not help thinking as I stood

there that Russell should be standing beside

me, and that we should be receiving our decorations together."

Paul Pavelka referred

to in the letters as the

"skipper," recovered from the bayonet

wound

he received June 16th, and returned to the front.

and early

was

many

in the year

severe engagements,

1916 was transferred to

the All- American aviation section.

ren-

dered such brave service in this branch of the

army around Verdun

that he was

made

ser-

geant in September, 1916, and the following

month was awarded its

the Croicc de Guerre with

green and red ribbon.

who was in a hosfrom the wound re-

Kniffin Yates Rockwell, pital

June

May 9th, recovered and rejoined the LeHe was transferred to the at the front.

ceived

gion

16th, suffering

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

122

All-American aviation

and was

section,

daring and successful that he became as the Ace.

upon him

Medaille Militaire

the

two-seat

aeroplane

kopf,

May,

1916, he

known

General JoiFre, in person, pinned

yellow ribbon, for bringing

was

down

with

its

a Prussian

near Hartmannsweiller-

1916.

officially

September

9th,

credited with having

brought down four Prussian aeroplanes.

was promoted awarded the

to a lieutenancy.

was

also

CroiiT de Guerre,

September 24th, 1916, he was shot down

while defending a

of bomb-dropping

flotilla

aeroplanes returning to the

an expedition into sians.

Verdun

territories held

suffered

his

fatal

lines

from

by the Prus-

wound

while

above the town of Thann, and dropped into Alsatian territory, retaken from the Prussians.

This was near the spot where he shot first

his

adversary about April, 1916.

way back

down

his

He was on

to the air squadron's base

where

he would have been informed that he had been

123

EPILOGUE

promoted from

first

was buried with

regiment of French

sergeant to lieutenant. full military honors,

territorials

and a battalion

of Alpine chasseurs were the guard of honor.

Lieutenant Rockwell was from Atlanta, Georgia.

He had been a cadet at the Virginia

Military Institute, two classes ahead of Russell

Both were members of the Kappa

Kelly.

Alpha

fraternity.

Kenneth Weeks was reported til

November

25th, 1915,

found between the

when

as missing unhis

of battle.

lines

body was It

was

learned that he had been killed June 16th, or 17th,

and that

months.

his

body had

was buried

tery at Pylones near

lain there for five

in the military

Mont

ceme-

St. Eloi.

He was from Boston, and had attended HarHe was an author of several books and vard. possessed unusual hterary ability.

The ters it

first

states:

reference to

him

in the above let-

one from Verzenay in March, 1915,

124

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

"Another American was put in our squad; he is from Boston, has been in France five years, in the Legion five months and in the trenches three months.

a fine

fel-

low."

John Earl Fike

of Wooster, Ohio, enlisted

under the name of

his grandfather.

Captain

John Smith, who had rendered distinguished services

our

civil

war.

Kelly disappeared during the

and Russell

battle,

and have

not been since heard from.

Many

notices have been in the newspapers,

tending to explain their absence,

on investigation proved

The only

all

of which

incorrect.

authoritative information regard-

ing either of them was that "Russell Kelly was seen in the second line of

with a clean

wound

German

trenches

in his left shoulder that did

not seem serious."

After sometime the names of these two were placed on the

official list

of "missing" and the

War

notified their families

French Minister of that their

names would be carried on that

list

JOHN EARL FIKE

EPILOGUE until a search could be

made

125 in the

internment

camps of Germany.

The State Department special inquiries

made by

Washington had

the

American am-

bassador at Berlin, and on January 3d, 1916,

Ambassador Gerard sent word from Berlin that their

names were not reported among the

prisoners of

war

The German

War

Germany. Office, the

Imperial For-

German Red Cross, as well as International Red Cross at Geneva,

eign Office, the the

Switzerland, reported that their names were

not registered on any

On January

list

16th the

in their possession.

New York Sun

con-

tained the following cable:

news reached the Lyon depot to-day that Kenneth Weeks of Boston was killed on June "Paris,

January

15th.

Official

17th last year near Givenchy.

announcement also is made that John Earl Fike of Wooster, Ohio, was killed The death of Henry Farnsthe same day. worth, another American in the Foreign "Official

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

126

Legion, reported on October 16th officially

last,

confirmed."

January 17th

all

the

New York

dailies

contained the following cable:

January 16th. Five Americans attached to the Foreign Legion, whose names were included in the list of casualties at Givenchy on June 17th, are now officially "Paris,

reported as having been killed in action.

They were Russell Kelly of New York, Harman Edwin Hall of Chicago, John Earl Fike of Wooster, Ohio, and Kenneth Weeks and Henry Farnsworth both of Boston." In view of the discrepancy between these despatches,

well as the

fact

that

seven

months elapsed between the disappearance of Kelly and Fike and the publication of these so-called official notices,

and the death of these two

their authenticity, will

doubt was raised as to

not be conceded until the facts are

closed

upon which

based.

Besides,

dis-

the conclusion of death is

now known

that the

EPILOGUE

French

names

127

War Office has not transferred the two

to the official

The uncertainty

list

of dead.

of his death has been in-

creased in the case of Russell Kelly, by in-

formation given by an English lady.

communicated with in

his family,

She

and stated that

September of 1915 she received a

letter

from

a relative in which he said he and two other

English soldiers together with a French dier,

had been

in hiding since the

previous June, within the

sol-

middle of the

German

lines, east

of Souchez and that French peasants had sup;

plied

them with clothing and food.

that

the

named

French

soldier

was an American

Kelly, and that he was badly

in the head.

The

letter

It stated

wounded

had been surrepti-

tiously passed through the lines.

The high well as

character of the English lady, as

many corroborating circumstances, have

convinced the family of Russell Kelly of the truth of the statements; and there being no other

American

in the

Foreign Legion named

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

128

Kelly, thej^ believe is

still

refers to him,

and that he

alive.

adjutant of the regiment sent word, in

January, 1916, to Lyon, that he had seen Russell

Kelly and two other prisoners in Belgium.

reported that Kelly had lost one of his legs

and that he was careful not

American

citizenship.

to disclose his

The circumstances

nected with this information show

con-

to be con-

sistent with the story of his being in hiding the

previous September.

These rumors appear to be true but they cannot be satisfactorily It

known

verified.

that the French prisoners in

Belgium and northern France are not allowed to

communicate in any way with the outside

world, although prisoners in

Germany

are al-

lowed to send and receive communications

from

relatives

and

friends.

It has been learned that these six after receiving the

Germany

were not

Americans

warning of the opposition

Foreign Legionnaires who

citizens of a

country at war with Ger-

EPILOGUE

many, discussed plans

129

to be followed in the

event of being taken prisoners.

They determined,

captured, to destroy

all

regimental marks on their uniforms, to throw

away

their army-books,

titious

names.

and

assume

fic-

CHRONOLOGICAL MILITARY RECORD OF RUSSELL A. KELLY 1914

November

3, left

New York

on steamship

Orcadian. " "

19, reached Pauillac,

21, Saturday,

France.

docked

Bor-

deaux. " "

23, applied at recruiting station. 24, enlisted in the 26,

Foreign Legion.

began military training pot de Lyon.

De-

1915

February

6, left 8,

barracks for the front.

arrived

Bouzy,

near

the

front.

March

8, left

Bouzy and same day

ar-

rived at Verzenay and entered

first line

trenches.

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

130

1915 April

24, left

Verzenay for region north

of Arras.

Aubigny; again en-

28, reached

tered

May

first line

trenches.

Sunday, in the attack on Targette and Neuville

La St.

Vaast. 5?

10, battle continued.

sition

from the captured poand returned with regi-

ment

to rear for reorganiza-

11, relieved

tion.

29, reentered first line trenches.

June

on Cabaret Rouge near Souchez and at the taking of Hill No. 119.

16, in

the

attack

18, reported as missing.

1917

May

Still

missing.

Is this military record, like the record of

many

another Legionary, forever closed; and

does that youthful

"Heart that once beat high for praise Now feel that pulse no more?"

X LA LEGION ETRANGERE

ALL

the countries of the old world have

"crack" military organizations famous for deeds of valor,

many

of which

came

into

existence long before the time of our revolu-

tionary war. cities

In the United

States,

most large

have at least one regiment with a record

of which the civilians as well as the soldiers

But

are justly proud.

all their histories

and

achievements pale before the extraordinary record,

ancient

membership

and

formation France's

Legion etrangere.

remarkable

famous corps,

That body

easily the

most ancient, unique and widest known

mili-

tary organization in the world.

Here

a Legion numbering, before this

war, eight thousand men, 131

all

whom, except

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

132

the officers, being aliens of the country for

which they give up their

them are able

lives.

Very few

to understand the language of

the country, and very few become citizens of the country even after enlistment in

They

army.

its

when

are not requested to enlist and

they do apply for admission they are told of the hardships to be encountered. plicant

still insists

lowing day before

If the ap-

he must wait until the

his application is considered.

many

Since the beginning of the present war enlisted, is

fol-

no doubt, from love of France but

difficult to

understand how

;

this large

mem-

bership was maintained prior to the war.

None

enlisted for protection of their

or families.

Nor

homes

for glory as scarcely

Legionary has even become a general. for

money; the pay

one cent a day, a

any

Not wage

the meanest outcast in the street would spurn

with scorn.

Not

for comradeship; the ranks

being recruited from the whole world are too

cosmopolitan for lasting friendships. |

Not

for an easy life

;

for they were assigned.

LA LEGION ETRANGERE

133

before this war, to duty in the unhealthy waste places of Africa and Asia.

Answers

to this riddle

would be almost

diversified as the volunteers are

numerous.

weakling can be accepted, for

good physique country.

to fight for his life

For example

tine of the

takes a

to stand the training necessary

man

to develop a

Legion

it is

for each

and the

part of the rou-

company

march

once a week, in full marching equipment, twenty-eight miles within ten hours. Historians cannot agree as to

Legion was that

was

first

organized, but

when

it is

this

conceded

in existence in the time of Clovis

who stands out in history as the founder of a new France, and with whose rule French history begins.

He employed this very organiza-

tion in the year 486

of the sons, less

Roman power

which city

when he defeated in

is still

the last

northern Gaul, at Soisin existence

and stands

than ten miles from the place where their

equally courageous successors gave up their lives for that

same France, but now a glorious

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

134

republic, fourteen

hundred and twenty-nine

years later.

In our country we consider an that

one hundred years old as ancient, our

government

itself

being in existence

a century and a half, yet here tion that

when Columbus

was a thousand years tries for

than

less

an organiza-

discovered America,

old.

Mercenaries, or troops

times.

institution

who

serve alien coun-

pay, were used from the very earliest

Thirteen thousand Greeks fought in

the year 401 B. C. under Cyrus, the Persian,

against his brother Artaxerxes; and even the* all

powerful

Romans

often availed themselves

of the services of foreign soldiers.

The French always employed

large

num-

bers of mercenaries, and in the year 886 their

King, Charles eigners: an

Gros had a bodyguard of

example followed by

the year 1226.

St.

for-

Louis in

In the protracted wars be-

tween France and England

in the thirteenth

and fourteenth centuries these mercenaries formed the major part of both armies.

LA LEGION ETRANGERE

The

last

135

mercenaries used by England were

twenty-two thousand Hessians hired from the landgrave Frederick II of Hesse-Casse, Prussia,

whom

and for

they paid about ÂŁ3,191,000,

or $16,000,000, to assist in the

American that

These were the troops

colonies.

Washington

war against the

decisively

defeated at

Trenton on Christmas night, 1776.

The Foreign Legion continued under French

rulers,

knowledged

and Napoleon frequently

their great

the ac-

worth to him.

After the Napoleonic

known

all

w^ars the

Legion was

The Royal Foreign Legion.

1831 a new law was enacted reorganizing the

Legion and establishing

its

headquarters in

In 1835 the Legion was the subject

Algeria.

of one of the most remarkable transactions in history

;

was sold by King Louis Philippe

Queen Maria

Christina of Spain for a

sum

equal to about one hundred and seventeen

thousand its

dollars,

being the estimated value of

arms, uniforms and equipment.

The Legion proceeded

Spain landing at

;

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

136

Tarragona, four thousand strong; valiantly for four years in the

and when that war ended 1839 only

five

first

fought

Carlist war,

in the early part of

hundred Legionnaires survived.

Within a few weeks

Legion

after the old

landed in Spain, a new Legion was organized

by France and sent most

to Algeria,

where

did

effective work.

In the Crimea war the Legion was part of Canrobert's division at the battle of the

and during the

siege of Sevastopol

peatedly mentioned in reports for successful

Legion

and

efforts.

lost eighteen

as a

this

hundred

its

Alma

was

re-

brave and

campaign the officers

and men,

reward for their gallantry the

Em-

peror gave the Legionnaires the right to be-

come French

citizens should they desire to.

The Legion was part in

of Maximilian's forces

Mexico and on April

village of ficers

and

30th, 1863, near the

Camaron, a detachment of three

of-

sixty-five Legionnaires held at

bay

two thousand Mexican cavalry for ten hours,

when

the survivors

numbering only twenty

LA LEGION ETRANGERE

were captured. aron"

inscribed

a reward the

137

word "Cam-

on the colors of the First

Regiment.

Four thousand two hundred and thirty-seven officers

and men of the Legion died

Mexico.

In the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 the

Legion performed remarkable

services as

rear guard, to cover the retreat of

tbie

French

army.

The Legion

in time of peace consists of

two

regiments, the Premier or First, and Deuocieme or Second, they being kept separate and dis-

The headquarters

tinct.

ment

of the First Regi-

at Sidi-Bel- Abbes which

in the north-

western part of Algeria, forty-eight miles mland by ranean.

ment

rail

from Oran, a port on the Mediter-

The headquarters

of the Second Regi-

at Saida, also in Algeria.

The First Regiment has the great of having had

its

distinction

flag decorated with the Cross

of the Legion of Honor, only ten regiments of

the

three

hundred and odd composing

branches of the French

army having

this

all

great

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

138 honor.

the boast of

its

soldiers that "the

Legion of Honor dwells with

us."

This regiment's flag carries the motto

"Honneur

et Discipline";

the flags in the other regiments of the French

army bear

the motto

"Honneur So

et Patrie."

from

these wanderers

all countries,

after

enlistment are without a country.

the beginning of the present

war

these

two regiments were mobilized, and there being a large number of volunteers, each regi-

ment was divided

into

four regiments and

designated as regiments de Marclie, or march-

ing regiments.

was divided

into

and

A, B,

Each regiment de Marche four battalions, being known

a battalion consisted of

four companies; each

company

of four sec-

tions; each section of four squads,

were sixteen men to a squad.

ment accounts

and there

This arrange-

for four thousand

and ninety-

LA LEGION ETRANGERE six

and

men, and

as there

attaches, a full

139

were additional

officers

Regiment de Marche was

many

frequently composed of as

as four thou-

sand four hundred men.

The four regiments de Marche Regiment etrangere were,

of the First

therefore,

about

seventeen thousand strong.

The Second Regiment etrangere was, same way, divided

into

four regiments de

MarcJie,

and was of the

strength

the

First

when

its

same numerical

Regiment etrangere.

Hence, the Foreign Legion 1915,

in the

ranks were

in April full,

and May,

consisted of

about thirty-four thousand troops.

The

First Regiinent de

Marche

of the First

Regiment etrangere was composed mostly of Garibaldians, the second of Swedes, Spaniards,

Russians, Canadians, English, Americans, and others, while the third

and fourth were mostly

Greeks.

The follows

designation of Russell A. Kelly was as

THE FOREIGN LEGION

KELI.Y OF

140

Soldat

KELLY,

Russell.

Regiment etrangere

Regiment de Marche

Battalion 2

No. 24641

Compagnie

4 Section

15 Escouade

The Legionnaires who survived the battle of June 16th, 1915, being very few in number, were assigned some weeks later to the Second foreign regiment, then located in the

pagne

district, to the east

of Rheims.

September 25th, that regiment took

part in a very severe attack on the lines

Cham-

German

between Souain and Perthes-le-Hurlus,

about twenty-seven miles from Rheims. This attack continued on the 26th, 27th and 28th

and was

entirely successful, for they finally

captured the redoubt of Bois Sabot, but at the cost of

more than

engagement

half of the regiment.

now

Champagne, and

This

designated as the battle of considered one of the most

important battles of the war.

LA LEGION ETRANGERE

The Legion,

after being recruited

141

and gen-

erally strengthened, next took part in the very

severe fighting in

December

Hartmanns-

weilerkopf in the Vosges. It did exceptional

around Verdun

work

in the severe battles

The from Paris March

February and March.

following despatch was sent 7th, 1916:

"The unanimous French is

that the recapture of

military opinion

Douaumont by

the

French infantry line, the Foreign Legion and chasseurs, on Feb. 26th, was one of the finest feats in military annals and equal to Gen. Gallieni's famous charge at Sedan in 1870."

In the summer of 1916 the French govern-

ment revived

the ancient Fourragere decora-

tion; this consists of a braided cord about 34

inches long, terminating in

end

aiguillette;

one

fastened on the soldier's left shoulder,

and then extended under

his left

arm and

fas-

tened on his

left breast so that the aiguillette

hangs below

this

second fastening.

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

142 It is

not awarded for individual merit, but

conferred on a military unit, as a section,

company,

battalion,

regiment;

it is

or sometimes an entire

a reward for two distinct cita-

tions for unusual bravery or heroism.

Almost the tire

award made was

first

to the en-

Second Regiment de Marche of the First

Foreign Regiment. titling the

were,

first,

regiment to for

The two

citations

en-

this revived decoration

extraordinary work during

its

the battle of Artois, which began

May 9th

and

ended June 19th, 1915; and second, for equally meritorious and successful action during the battle of

Champagne, which took place from

September 20th

For the

October 17th, 1915.

several years prior to the present war,

Germans very

bitterly attacked the

Foreign Legion by

articles in their

and magazines, as well

French

newspapers

as pictures in their

mov-

ing picture shows and songs in their cafe concerts.

One very

entitled,

violent attack

was a play

"The Hypocrite," which was

first

LA LEGION ETRANGERE

143

produced February 24th, 1914, at the Kiinstler Theatre, Berlin.

In a ray of green

light a legionary

advanced

toward the front of the stage with a sign

"We

scribed

are the legionnaires of Africa"

written in French;

continued in German,

"All that you behold here

show you what we

The play was although the

suffer

strictly true;

and how we

die."

received with great applause,

critic

had the fairness Legion

in-

of the Berliner Tagehlatt

to write,

"This drama of the

a sluggish and untimely melody of

the boulevard."

Germany's arguments against the Legion were summarized in the Spring of 1914 as follows, viz.:

They deny

First. state to

the right of a

have recourse for

services of foreign subjects

have been confirmed in states,

this

its

modern

defence to the

and they say they

by the

fact that all

except France, have successively re-

nounced the employment of foreign Second.

soldiers.

That the contract on enlistment

144 is

KELLY OF THE FOREIGN LEGION

harsh as the duration of the services

long, the

imposed

pay

insufficient

and the

too

service

excessive.

That France takes advantage of

Third.

the wretchedness of the applicants and secures their enlistment while they are in ignorance of

the severity of the service.

Fourth. That recruiting is carried on by crimps who abuse their victims by getting them di'unk and by sults in

false promises,

and

re-

forming a scandalous mixture of starv-

ing men, adventurers and bandits, devoted to

drunkenness and the most infamous morals.

Fifth.

That

applicable to minors, re-

it is

cruits being taken at the age of eighteen years.

Sixth.

That Germany

has,

more than any

other country, the right to occupy itself with that which

of the great

going on

number

in the

its

Legion, by reason

subjects

who

serve

there.

Mr. Gaston Moch

issued a book in Paris in

1914, before the war, entitled

"The Question

of the Foreign Legion," in which he fully dis-

LA LEGION ETRANGERE cusses these arguments

The Foreign Legion edged to be the

from the French is,

145 side.

therefore, acknowl-

last of the mercenaries, a con-

necting link between the present day and the

days before the beginning of the Christian era.

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