'Neath Verdun, August-October, 1914Genevoix, Maurice
History
'Neath Verdun, August-October, 1914
Genevoix, Maurice
Verdun, Battle of, Verdun, France, 1914
I march onwards and onwards exhausted and stumbling. I take a long
gulp of the water that remains in my flask. Since yesterday evening I
have eaten nothing.
When we reach the edge of the stream, the men halt and throw
themselves down and commence to lap the muddied waters like dogs.
It must be seven o'clock now; the sun is sinking into a bed of virgin
gold. The sky above us is a pale and transparent emerald. The earth
darkens, colours vanish. It is quite dark by the time we leave
Sommaisne. We become mere shadows trailing along the road.
We halt for the first time at Rembercourt. Nothing but sleep seems to
matter now, and I fling myself down on the bare earth, calling upon
it. Before it descends upon me I hear the rolling over all the roads
of the wagons and ambulance vans filled with the wounded; and further
away, back in Sommaisne, the smashing of rifle butts against closed
doors and the harsh savage cries of the looting Teutons.
_Monday, September 7th._
The morning mist awakens me. My clothes are drenched and drops of
water glisten on the mica of my map case. Before us and a little to
the left is Rembercourt, whose large church dominates the village in
its shadow. From where we are, we can see one side of it in all its
length. Towards the left there is a little road which disappears
between two slopes.
It is along that road that the Captain and Porchon appear towards ten
o'clock accompanied by a handful of men. It appears that they found
themselves cut off from the rest of the regiment and passed the night
in a wood in advance of the French line. I was able to identify the
Captain while he was still some distance off by means of a lance which
he carried; it was an Uhlan's lance, captured at Gibercy, and with
which nothing could induce him to part. I made my report to him.
As at Cuisy, we dig trenches. Are we going to wait here for the
Germans this time? We no longer have the advantage of a valley before
us as at Dannevoux, but in the course of the five hundred yards or so
which intervene between our new position and Rembercourt, I estimate
that should the Germans elect to advance along this road many of them
will fall before they reach us.
Towards Beauzée the fight is still in progress. Unendingly little
groups of wounded men appear over the last crest and march slowly
towards us. Those with arms in slings move more quickly; others drag
along, helping themselves with sticks cut in some small wood or other;
many halt, then drag themselves a few yards further, then pause again.
During the afternoon I went down into the village. It was full of
soldiers ... (Censored) ...
(Censored)
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