_Follow I.C. 13 beyond St. Baussant to_ =Maizerais= (completely ruined), _seen on the left of the road, and_ =Essey= _on the Rupt-de-Mad stream_. From December, 1916, the village of Essey was close to the front, and occupied by the Germans. The inhabitants and mayor remained during the occupation, but were forbidden, on pain of death, to go more than a short distance from their homes. _In the village, at the corner of the Rue Béquille and the Grand Rue, is_ a concrete blockhouse. The church was partly destroyed. On its north front, protected by the church belfry, were the Kommandantur’s quarters—an important concrete construction with walls five feet thick. _After visiting Essey, take D. 3, which passes in front of the church, and follow it towards_ =Flirey.= [Illustration: SONNARD WOOD _American Cemetery. In the background, at the foot of the larger trees, is the road D. 3._] _To the right and left are_ numerous shelters. _Turn to the right alongside Sonnard Wood, beside which, 50 yards from the road, are_ an American cemetery _and, on the left, Mort-Mare Wood_. =Mort-Mare Wood= is famous for the terrible struggles that took place for its possession. It was while reconnoitring over this wood in an aeroplane that _Senator Reymond_ was killed on October 22, 1914. He was returning from a flight over Mars-la-Tour, Chambley and Thiaucourt, with Pilot Adjutant Clamadieu, and the machine was turning to the right of the southern edge of the wood, when it was seen descending, apparently normally, between the French and German lines. Machine-guns at once opened fire; the Adjutant was killed and Senator Reymond wounded. The French came out of their trenches and a fierce struggle, which lasted until night, took place round the machine. Only then was Reymond able to crawl into the lines, while the French carried back the body of the Adjutant. Reymond was taken to the hospital at Toul, and was able, before he died, to give an exact account of the mission in the fulfilment of which he had met such a glorious end. _On reaching the crest, the road crosses the_ old German first lines (concrete blockhouses). =Flirey= _next comes into sight_. This village, which formed part of the first French lines from 1914, is almost completely in ruins, while the whole country around is laid waste. _On the right are seen_ the ruins of Toul-Thiaucourt railway bridge. _Half a mile from the village, keep along D. 3, to visit the_ famous =Flirey Quarry=, where there are numerous shelters and French graves. The surrounding woods contain the emplacements of several batteries. _Return to Flirey and take, on the right, N. 58 towards_ =Pont-à-Mousson.= [Illustration: RUINS OF FLIREY VILLAGE _N. 58, seen in the photo, passes through the village._] [Illustration: FLIREY QUARRY _In the background: D. 3 and Sonnard Wood._]