World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, American
Stepping from the train into the streets of Ancey-le-Franc was verily
performing a miracle--with a single stride we were out of the twentieth
century and into the eighteenth! We were among our contemporary
ancestors, far on the road to yester century. Not a building under at
least one hundred years of age--not a street but trodden by the
Crusaders of St. Louis--the church of St. Sebastian dated 1673; and the
Chateau, founded in 1275, by that hardy old Knight of Malta, Duke de
Clermont Tonnere.
With characteristic good humor, ingenuity and tact, officers and men
adjusted themselves to their unusual surroundings, merging into the
various billets allotted to them, along lines of least resistance. By
nightfall Buddie owned the town! Meriting it by sheer force of good
nature, gentlemanly deportment, and a willingness to follow the adage of
the ancient poet: "Si fueris Romae Romano vivite more."
Mine was the rare good fortune of being assigned to No. 10 Rue de
Belgrade. Here, through many generations, had stood the house of
Barnicault. Michel Barnicault, present head of the family, welcomed me
most cordially. He felt it indeed an honor to have as his guest Monsieur
le Chaplain, Americaine Soldat! In the evening he would sit in front of
his venerable home, smoking his pipe and looking with pride at my
Chaplain flag of blue and white that hung above the door.
Petit garcon Andree, aged six years, had always considered his
Grandfather Michel the greatest man in the world; then I came into his
life; and whether it was I, or the American bon bons I lavished on him,
or the overseas chapeau I let him strut about in now and then, I
completely won his little heart. Darling little Andree in far off
Ancey-le-Franc, now eight going on nine, I salute you!
Monseigneur le Cure of the village church welcomed me cordially. Daily I
said Mass on the altar of St. Anne.
As we might go into the front trenches now any day, the Chaplains'
ministerial work grew apace. "Be ye always ready you know not the day
nor the hour." Father Martin was with the 56th Infantry at Molsme;
Father Trainor with the Machine Gunners at Ceneboy-le-Bas; and I, with
all other Divisional Units, with Headquarters at Ancey-le-Franc. Three
priests among 32,000 men, 48 per cent of whom were Catholic. The other
Chaplains were distributed: Chaplain Cohee, Christian, with the 34th
Infantry. (Mr. Cohee won the Distinguished Service Medal for gallantry
under fire at Vieville-en-Haye.) Chaplain Hockman, Lutheran, 55th
Infantry. Chaplain Webster, Episcopalian, 7th Engineers. Chaplain Rixey,
Methodist, 64th Infantry. Chaplain Evans, Baptist, Sanitary Trains.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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