_The road crosses Marcilly but we do not go beyond the church_, which is a very curious one, with its squat tower and rustic porch (_see following page_). Beside it is the school where a light infantry sergeant, mortally wounded, still found strength enough to write on the blackboard: "The 23rd battalion Light Infantry, the 350th Infantry, and the 361st Infantry have beaten the Prussians here. Vive la France!" The few inhabitants who remained in the village also remember one of the prisoners brought to the Pernet Farm, whose torn tunic gave glimpses of a woman's chemise, trimmed with lace and little blue ribbons. _From the church square we turn back about 100 yards and take, on the left, the road to Étrépilly._ _At the end of the village_ is a +GRAVE+ where foot-soldiers, light infantry and artillerymen lie buried (_see photograph overleaf_). [Illustration: GENERAL DE DARTEIN'S TEMPORARY HEADQUARTERS AT MARCILLY] [Illustration: GRAVES AT MARCILLY (1917)] [Illustration: MARCILLY CHURCH] _We soon arrive at the top of the ridge which dominates Marcilly._ Turning round, the tourist will have a wide view of Barcy, Monthyon, and Penchard; passing to the other side of the ridge he will see, on the left, the prominent farms of Champfleury and Nongloire. The view below was taken during the battles of September in a field on the right of the road. We see a whole section, which thought itself in safety behind a haystack, destroyed by the explosion of a shell. [Illustration: SECTION DECIMATED BY A SHELL] =FROM MARCILLY TO ÉTRÉPILLY= (45 km.) Via +Puisieux+, +Nogeon+, +Acy+, +Étavigny+, +Betz+, +Acy+, +Vincy+ =Étrépilly= is 4 km. from Marcilly by the direct route, but we take the tourist round a loop of 45 km. before reaching Étrépilly, so that he may visit the front of the French left wing. _Arriving at a beetroot factory we come to a fork in the road and take the left branch._ Around this factory desperate battles were fought between the troops of the 56th (Reserve) Division (who, having taken Marcilly, were trying to take Étrépilly) and the Germans, who defended this advance guard of their main position foot by foot. _The road crosses the Thérouanne; 50 yards further on, at the cross-roads, we take the road on the right which rises towards the_ =Farm of Champfleury= (5 km.). From this front, extending from the factory to the Champfleury farm, the 56th Division made many attacks on the strong line formed by Étrépilly and the plateau which spreads out north of the village, being also successful in shattering all the German counter-attacks. [Illustration: CHAMPFLEURY FARM] Champfleury, very important by reason of its dominating position (as shown in the above photograph), was vigorously defended, but after two unsuccessful assaults it was finally carried by the French. There they were subjected for two days to a violent bombardment from Étrépilly, Vincy, and Trocy, which made all their attempts to debouch both difficult and costly.