by Henry Sheahan
To Professor Charles Townsend Copeland of Harvard University
Dear Copey,
At Verdun I thought of you, and the friendly hearth of Hollis 15 seemedvery far away from the deserted, snow-swept streets of the tragic city.Then suddenly I remembered how you had encouraged me and many others togo over and help in any way that we could; I remembered your keenunderstanding of the Epic, and the deep sympathy with human beings whichyou taught those whose privilege it was to be your pupils. And so youdid not seem so far away after all, but closer to the heart of the warthan any other friend I had.
I dedicate this book to you with grateful affection after many years offriendship.
Henry
Topsfield, September, 1916
Preface
I have ventured to call this book A Volunteer Poilu principally becausewe were known to the soldiers of the Bois-le-Prêtre as "les PoilusAméricains." Then, too, it was my ambition to do for my comrades, theFrench private soldiers, what other books have done for the soldiers ofother armies. The title chosen, however, was more than complimentary; itwas but just. In recognition of the work of the Section during thesummer, it was, in October, 1915, formally adopted into the French army;a French officer became its administrative head, and the drivers weregiven the same papers, pay, and discipline as their French comrades.
I wish to thank many of my old friends of Section II, who have aided mein the writing of this book.
Contents
A war-time voyage—The Rochambeau—Loading ammunition and foodsupplies—Personalities on board—The dyestuffs agent—The machinelathes man—The Swede from Minnesota who was on his way to the ForeignLegion—His subsequent history—The talk aboard—The French officer—Hisphilosophy of war—Ernest Psichari—Arrival at Bordeaux—The Arabs atthe docks—The convalescent soldiers— Across La Beauce—The Frenchcountryside in war-time.
Paris, rain, and darkness—The Gardens of the Tuileries—Thedormitory—The hospital at night—Beginning of the Champagneoffensive—The Gare de la Chapelle at two in the morning—Thewounded—The Zouave stretcher-bearers—The Arabs in the abandonedschool—Suburban Paris at dawn—The home of the deaconesses.
Nancy—The porter's story—Getting to the front—What the phrase "thefront" really means—The sense of the front—The shell zone—The zone ofquiet—My quarters in the shelled house—The fire shells—Bombarded atnight—Death of the soldier fireman.
Le Bois-le-Prêtre—Description—History—Les Glycines, "WisteriaVilla"—The Road to the trenches—At the trenches—The painter's idea of"le sinistre dans l'art"—The sign post—The zone of violence—TheQuart-en-Réserve—The village caught in the torment of the lines—Thedead on the barbed wire—"The Road to Metz."
The Trenches—Organization—Nature of the war—Food, shelters, clothing,ammunition, etc.—A typical day in the trenches—Trench shells or"crapouilots"—In the abri—The tunnel—The doctrinaire lieutenant ofengineers.