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011 - Chapter 6 Part 2 · An Englishman in the French Foreign Legion

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Speaker 1: Chapter six of A Soldier of the Legion by George Mannington.
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Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Chapter six,
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Speaker 1: Part two. One night, shortly after our arrival there, it
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Speaker 1: was the sixteenth January eighteen ninety two. The section was
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Speaker 1: suddenly called out, orders being given for each man to
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Speaker 1: take with him a flannel suit rolled up in his
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Speaker 1: waterproof blanket which was slung across the chest, and provisions
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Speaker 1: for two days. We soon learned that a long night's
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Speaker 1: march lay before us, for a wire had been received
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Speaker 1: from the brigade, to the effect that a portion of
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Speaker 1: Baqui Spand was marching on Chotrang with the intention of
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Speaker 1: rushing that outpost, and our orders were to get there
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Speaker 1: as soon as possible by the nearest way. A guide
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Speaker 1: was supplied by the headman of d'au Quan, who led
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Speaker 1: us away by a track slanting off to the northeast
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Speaker 1: of Baja, across a wild, uncultivated region hitherto little explored
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Speaker 1: and generally considered impracticable. We started off at eleven and
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Speaker 1: it was easy walking for the first mile or so,
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Speaker 1: but once we had left behind us the cultivated district
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Speaker 1: surrounding our fort, the path went from bad to worse.
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Speaker 1: We passed for several miles over a plain covered with jungle,
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Speaker 1: after which the track went into the hills, and though
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Speaker 1: we kept up the pace, it was terrible work as
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Speaker 1: we went now up, now down, then splashing through the
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Speaker 1: icy cold water of the little streams coursing down each valley.
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Speaker 1: Though the night was fairly clear, it was dark and
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Speaker 1: difficult to see ahead in the gullies and dips, and
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Speaker 1: we had to trust to luck sometimes when putting our
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Speaker 1: foot forward. We reached Chofang, a Muong village, at a
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Speaker 1: quarter past three in the morning, and a pedometer which
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Speaker 1: I carried registered eighteen and a half miles. We had
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Speaker 1: now gained the rocky chain of the Nui Duang Nai,
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Speaker 1: and thence the path ran along. At the foot of
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Speaker 1: these heights, we rested a quarter of an hour and
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Speaker 1: then continued our hurried tramp till we reached the Dao
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Speaker 1: Mudfu pass, concerning which I have already written when describing
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Speaker 1: my first journey to Chotrang. We passed through the cleft
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Speaker 1: going due north, and reached our destination at a few
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Speaker 1: minutes past seven. This was the hardest march it has
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Speaker 1: ever been my lot to undertake, and as already stated,
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Speaker 1: we covered close upon thirty two miles in about eight hours.
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Speaker 1: The garrison. They were there, he is for the detachment
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Speaker 1: of the legion had left more than a month before,
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Speaker 1: was on the alert when we arrived, but had seen
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Speaker 1: no sign of brigands. We were all glad to get
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Speaker 1: inside the fort and take a few hours rest. During
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Speaker 1: the morning, a telegram was received stating that the band
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Speaker 1: had taken another direction, and that all danger was desiring
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Speaker 1: no doubt that we should not pass the night in
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Speaker 1: so unhealthy a region. Captain Parah, who had come with us,
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Speaker 1: started us on our way back at two in the afternoon.
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Speaker 1: We went at a moderate speed, passing the night at
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Speaker 1: chou Tuang, where there are some wonderful caves, the entrance
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Speaker 1: to which is some sixty feet from the ground. In
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Speaker 1: these some of us tried to sleep, but were driven
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Speaker 1: away by a host of parasites. Access was gained to
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Speaker 1: these caverns by means of long bamboo ladders. When their village,
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Speaker 1: which is situated at the base of the rock, is
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Speaker 1: attacked by bandits, the Muans take refuge with their women
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Speaker 1: and children in these caves, where after hoisting up the ladders.
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Speaker 1: They are absolutely secure from attack. Strange to say they
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Speaker 1: succeeded in getting their cattle into these shelters in time
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Speaker 1: of danger. But whether they do so by the aid
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Speaker 1: of ropes or through some lower entrance known only to
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Speaker 1: themselves unable to ascertain. We reached Boha at three in
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Speaker 1: the afternoon on the following day. During the next few
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Speaker 1: weeks our detachment was kept very busy preparing things for
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Speaker 1: the troops which were soon to be concentrated at this point,
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Speaker 1: and we spent a considerable part of our time working
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Speaker 1: at the road from the landing stage on the song
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Speaker 1: Tuang up to the fort. This had to be widened
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Speaker 1: and leveled so as to allow of the passage of
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Speaker 1: field artillery. It was very evident that the rebels were
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Speaker 1: alive to the fact that operations against them were intended
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Speaker 1: for their vedets were continually in evidence round Boha and Nanam,
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Speaker 1: and along the road between these forts. No movement could
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Speaker 1: be made by the troops of these two garrisons without
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Speaker 1: it being at once signaled by the enemy's scouts. Their
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Speaker 1: methods for communicating information at a distance were really ingenious.
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Speaker 1: By day they made use of a code of smoke
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Speaker 1: signals to obtain which torches composed most of chopped straw,
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Speaker 1: rosin and gunpowder were used at night. Oil lanterns with
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Speaker 1: a sliding shutter attachment or paper balloons carrying a burning
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Speaker 1: rag soaked in petroleum served the same purpose. Stores and
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Speaker 1: ammunition continued to arrive, so that temporary sheds had to
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Speaker 1: be erected outside the fort for the go down inside
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Speaker 1: were filled to overflowing. On the fifth and sixth March,
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Speaker 1: a company of the legion from Langsong, a battalion of
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Speaker 1: Antentarida mains, one of Tiria's Tonquinois, a company of engineers,
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Speaker 1: a battery of field artillery, one of mountain guns. In all,
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Speaker 1: two thousand, five hundred men and twelve guns and two
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Speaker 1: thousand coolies arrived at Boja. These men, who were lodged
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Speaker 1: in huts constructed of bamboo and macaw palm, composed the
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Speaker 1: first column, destined to march to the northeast and seize
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Speaker 1: the hill which had been the subject of Lipte's discourse
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Speaker 1: to me on my return from kwang Yen. Whence they
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Speaker 1: would be able to attack the enemy from quite an
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Speaker 1: unexpected quarter at Nanam A second column composed of five
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Speaker 1: companies of the Legion, a battalion of Impanthi de Maran,
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Speaker 1: three companies of native troops, a battery of mountain guns
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Speaker 1: and two mortars. Two thousand, eight hundred men and eight
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Speaker 1: guns was concentrated preparatory to advancing in two groups from
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Speaker 1: the southwest along the paths already thoroughly explored by the
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Speaker 1: troops operating against Hutui in the preceding year from Tai Nuin.
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Speaker 1: A third force, consisting of two companies of the Legion,
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Speaker 1: three of Tiree's one thousand fifty men and two mountain guns,
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Speaker 1: was to march from the west, thus striking the rebel's
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Speaker 1: right flank and joining hands with the column from Boha.
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Speaker 1: The loyal Delta provinces supplied about one thousand irregulars armed
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Speaker 1: with rifles, and these, officered by their local military mandarins,
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Speaker 1: had orders to cover the flanks of the different columns,
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Speaker 1: and whenever possible, maintained communication between them. A French officer
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Speaker 1: was detached to control their movements. On the eighth March,
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Speaker 1: General Voyne arrived at Boja with his staff and a
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Speaker 1: council of war was held at which all the commanders
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Speaker 1: of columns and groups were present. When the general had
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Speaker 1: exposed his plan of campaign. Each of the officers present
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Speaker 1: was provided with printed instructions concerning the tactics to be adopted,
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Speaker 1: particular stress being laid on the recommendation to abstain from
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Speaker 1: delivering attacks on fortified positions unless a careful preparation for
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Speaker 1: the assault had been made by artillery fire. Great enthusiasm
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Speaker 1: prevailed among the soldiers of the legion, and all were
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Speaker 1: burning with a desire to be in at the finish,
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Speaker 1: the men of my company being particularly keen, which is
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Speaker 1: easily comprehensible, since for more than a year this unit
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Speaker 1: had been continually oprees with the enemy, and there were
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Speaker 1: comrades to avenge and sleepless nights and long marches to
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Speaker 1: make good. The old soldiers were impressed by the elaborate
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Speaker 1: preparations that had been made and the strength of the
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Speaker 1: force employed, and they were unanimous in the opinion that
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Speaker 1: this time the velorous and invincible battalions, as a detM
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Speaker 1: pompously styled his troops, would be scattered to the four
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Speaker 1: corners of tong Kin, and their lairs would become the
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Speaker 1: haunt of the tiger, the panther, and the bear. It
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Speaker 1: is also probable that a good many of the legionaries
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Speaker 1: secretly cherished the hope of doing a little looting on
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Speaker 1: their own, for wild tales had been circulated concerning vast
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Speaker 1: treasures secreted somewhere within the precincts of the Nam's house,
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Speaker 1: now occupied by his success. Next day, two battalions of
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Speaker 1: infantry and the battery of mountain guns left Boja, and,
9:07
Speaker 1: after a forced march, occupied the hill already mentioned, which,
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Speaker 1: to facilitate orders, was designated as Point A. As soon
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Speaker 1: as its position was securely held, the engineers got to work,
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Speaker 1: prepared the track leading to it, and cut a zigzag
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Speaker 1: road up the flank of the hill to its summit
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Speaker 1: so as to permit of the heavier artillery being brought up.
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Speaker 1: A thousand coolies worked with the sappers, and the task
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Speaker 1: of preparing about six miles of road and cutting a
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Speaker 1: path up the sugar loafed hill was completed in a
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Speaker 1: little over forty eight hours, so that on the evening
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Speaker 1: of the thirteenth a battery of six guns was established
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Speaker 1: on the top of Point A, and the whole of
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Speaker 1: the column, with its reserve of stores and ammunition was
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Speaker 1: entrenched at its base. The light field fortifications necessary to
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Speaker 1: shell to this force were made by the infantry with
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Speaker 1: the aid of the entrenching tools each soldier carried. During
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Speaker 1: these four days, the enemy had not been idle, for
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Speaker 1: their skirmishers maintained a constant fire on the column, the
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Speaker 1: workers on the road, and the passing convoys, and we
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Speaker 1: suffered some casualties in consequence. At night, their snipers claimed
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Speaker 1: a few victims, but up to this phase of the
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Speaker 1: operations the losses on our side were few. At this
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Speaker 1: time my section was chiefly employed in escorting the convoys
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Speaker 1: from Boja to point A or in covering the working
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Speaker 1: parties on the road. We sometimes slept in the fort
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Speaker 1: and sometimes in the camp with the column, this depending
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Speaker 1: on which of these two places was nearest to us.
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Speaker 1: At the end of the day we had several slight
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Speaker 1: brushes with the enemy's scouts, none of which, however, were
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Speaker 1: of any importance. In the camp when not on duty,
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Speaker 1: I was glad to want under around from one bivouac
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Speaker 1: to another. In the French infantry lines, things were generally quiet,
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Speaker 1: and these young soldiers, who had passed most of their
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Speaker 1: time in the colony. In the garrison towns were evidently
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Speaker 1: out of their element. Most of them, when questioned on
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Speaker 1: the subject, openly expressed their desire that the operations might
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Speaker 1: be a very short duration. Though these troops were undoubtedly
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Speaker 1: as brave as their ancestors who fought at Fontenois, Jemappe
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Speaker 1: or Jena, and had the call on their patriotism been
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Speaker 1: made for a supreme effort in Europe, they would have
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Speaker 1: hailed the chance with enthusiasm. As it was, the prospect
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Speaker 1: was one of a violent end by the hand of
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Speaker 1: an unseen foe in some dark corner of the tropical jungle,
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Speaker 1: and this to further a colonial policy in which few
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Speaker 1: of them felt either interest or competence. The ever existing
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Speaker 1: danger from the deadly malaria, the disat separating them from
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Speaker 1: their patrey and their homes, and the thought that their
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Speaker 1: presence was due to the brutal hazard and ill luck
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Speaker 1: attached to conscription. These were reasons hardly conducive to a
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Speaker 1: liking for the hardships and risks of the campaign. Not
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Speaker 1: that the morale or courage of these troops was at
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Speaker 1: the least affected by this state of affairs, but their
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Speaker 1: dislike for the expedition was evident and outspoken. With the legionaries,
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Speaker 1: it was different, and their bivouac echoed with the rollicking
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Speaker 1: choruses sung by the men. As they sat around the fires.
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Speaker 1: Between songs, they would crack jokes at each other's expense
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Speaker 1: and enter into friendly discussions as to who would be
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Speaker 1: the next to eat bananas by the roots, which was
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Speaker 1: their playful way of suggesting a hurried burial in soft soil.
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Speaker 1: These were grown men, vigorous and hardened, and therefore better
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Speaker 1: able to resist fever, fatigue, and privation than the youthful conscripts.
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Speaker 1: Their nameshbors who sat by the blaze and talked in
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Speaker 1: subdued tones of La chaumiere a les vieux in Saintye France.
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Speaker 1: The legionary possesses a rude but kindly nature, and like
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Speaker 1: the soldier of fortune that he is, he revels in
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Speaker 1: the adventurous existence. He has adopted the hazards and dangers
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Speaker 1: of it, being the whine of life to him, without
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Speaker 1: desire for honor or reward, without even the wish that
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Speaker 1: their deeds should receive public attention. These condottie of today
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Speaker 1: perform incredible feats of daring and devotion. Professional soldiers they are,
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Speaker 1: and they will remain unmoved by brilliant discourses concerning the
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Speaker 1: glory and honor of war, except that they will express
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Speaker 1: their contempt for such speeches by an occasional wink and
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Speaker 1: a smile at their neighbour in the ranks, For they
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Speaker 1: love deeds, not words, And when led by an officer
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Speaker 1: who possesses their confidence and whose courage is undisputed, they
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Speaker 1: will be generously, almost foolishly heroic, going to meet death
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Speaker 1: with light hearted gaiety, laying down their lives for him
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Speaker 1: without a murmur. The native troops were not unworthy of interest.
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Speaker 1: Squatting round their fires on various pieces of matting they
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Speaker 1: had procured from no one knew where their turbans removed,
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Speaker 1: and their long hair falling almost to their waists, they
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Speaker 1: agitated the paper fans, which each of them usually carried
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Speaker 1: thrust in his belt, thus driving away the mosquitoes swarming
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Speaker 1: around their small hands, beardless faces and rolling walk as
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Speaker 1: they moved about, and the quiet, singing drawl in which
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Speaker 1: they spoke left on the observer and impression that they
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Speaker 1: were effeminate. It was hard to realize that under this
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Speaker 1: gentle exterior, these natives possessed a talent for cruelty and
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Speaker 1: cunning to a degree attained by few other races. The
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Speaker 1: causes and probable results of the campaign were of small
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Speaker 1: importance to them, if one could judge by the mask
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Speaker 1: of oriental indifference they wore. Though it was hard, indeed,
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Speaker 1: to learn their real sentiments on any subject, for it
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Speaker 1: was rarely that they betrayed their inner thoughts to a European,
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Speaker 1: even though he knew their language and could converse with them.
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Speaker 1: The value of these troops as a military unit is
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Speaker 1: a question that has been treated in a preceding chapter.
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Speaker 1: At six a m. On the fourteenth, the battery on
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Speaker 1: the hill opened a hot fire with a salvo of
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Speaker 1: shrapnel aimed at what was supposed to be the center
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Speaker 1: of the fortified village, the distance given by the range
15:41
Speaker 1: finders being twenty eight hundred meters. The bombardment was kept up,
15:46
Speaker 1: the guns being trained at various distances so as to
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Speaker 1: sweep the position at its surroundings, till nine that morning,
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Speaker 1: when a dense mist rose from the intervening forest and
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Speaker 1: obscured the target. Clouds of damp vapor hung about the
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Speaker 1: trees during the remainder of the day, so that all
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Speaker 1: action of the guns was out of the question. Profiting
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Speaker 1: by the cover offered by the fog, the commander in
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Speaker 1: chief sent out several companies of infantry towards the enemy's
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Speaker 1: position in the hope of ascertaining whether the artillery had
16:21
Speaker 1: succeeded in damaging the fortifications. The passage of these troops
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Speaker 1: through the forest was opposed by the rebel skirmishers, who, however,
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Speaker 1: retired into the fort When the attack was pressed home,
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Speaker 1: the columns pushed forward toward the enemy's defense, the men
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Speaker 1: being instructed to go slowly and take all the cover available,
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Speaker 1: and it was discovered that from this side glimpses of
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Speaker 1: the ramparts could be obtained at a distance of a
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Speaker 1: little under one hundred meters, which was considerably more advantageous
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Speaker 1: to the attacking force than had been the case at Hutwe,
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Speaker 1: where all forward movements were executed in the dark, since
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Speaker 1: the position was not visible until the assaulting troops were
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Speaker 1: right upon it. This important information obtained. The reconnaissance retired without, however,
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Speaker 1: having been able to determine to what extent the fire
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Speaker 1: of the guns had been effective. That same morning, the
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Speaker 1: second column left Nanam in two groups and driving the
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Speaker 1: enemy before them, proceeded slowly and cleared the country up
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Speaker 1: to Lang Tuang and Din Depp, where they halted for
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Speaker 1: the night. The force from Taiinuin also started on its
17:35
Speaker 1: way to find itself opposed. After a march of eighteen
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Speaker 1: miles by Baki's Chinese, who were entrenched in considerable force
17:44
Speaker 1: close to Monoluang, the first position on the road was
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Speaker 1: assaulted and captured by the legion, which suffered several losses
17:52
Speaker 1: but inflicted severe punishment on the enemy. This column camped
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Speaker 1: on the side of its success and passed the night there.
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Speaker 1: Thus the first day of active operations had been a
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Speaker 1: successful one and the advance had been general along the
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Speaker 1: line of attack. On the fifteenth March, the weather being
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Speaker 1: fine and clear, it was found possible to renew the bombardment,
18:14
Speaker 1: and a slow searching fire was kept up all day.
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Speaker 1: In all, about two thousand shells were thrown into the
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Speaker 1: enemy's position. The troops skirmished towards the fortifications, and behind
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Speaker 1: them the engineers and coolies, with the aid of axe
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Speaker 1: and saw, cleared a broad track through the forest dynamite
18:35
Speaker 1: was used to level the big trees giants of the
18:38
Speaker 1: jungle in dealing with which ordinary methods would have been
18:42
Speaker 1: too long and laborious. Towards evening, a position was reached
18:46
Speaker 1: about two hundred yards from the ramparts, whence a good
18:50
Speaker 1: view of the defenses could be obtained and offering to
18:53
Speaker 1: a mountain battery a fair chance of affecting a breach.
18:57
Speaker 1: The column from Nanam made slow but steady progress during
19:01
Speaker 1: the day and succeeded in driving the enemy from several
19:04
Speaker 1: forts and entrenchments. The force from Tai Nuen also effected
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Speaker 1: a cautious and successful advance, shelling and capturing trench after trench.
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Speaker 1: Just before sunset, we could hear their little mountain guns
19:20
Speaker 1: hammering away at the retreating army. Before night fell, a
19:24
Speaker 1: message was flashed from this column stating that it had
19:27
Speaker 1: reached a point on the road leading to our position,
19:30
Speaker 1: about eight miles distant. During the day, the losses on
19:34
Speaker 1: our side had been small compared with the progress made,
19:38
Speaker 1: and since the commencement of the operations, the total casualties
19:42
Speaker 1: of the expedition amounted to ten killed and thirty two wounded.
19:46
Speaker 1: It was certain that the enemy had suffered severely, for
19:49
Speaker 1: more than forty of their dead had been found in
19:52
Speaker 1: and around the different positions captured. My section had been
19:56
Speaker 1: on campguard duty all day, much to the discuss of
20:00
Speaker 1: all of us, and to pass away the time when
20:03
Speaker 1: not on sentry go I climbed up the hill and
20:06
Speaker 1: watched events from this position. The site was a grand one, for,
20:10
Speaker 1: as I have said, a panorama of the whole region
20:13
Speaker 1: could be obtained, crossing the brush covered plain, going to
20:18
Speaker 1: and fro between the forest that hid the enemy and
20:21
Speaker 1: our attacking force and our camp situated at the base
20:25
Speaker 1: of the hill on which I stood was a constant
20:28
Speaker 1: stream of humanity. Now it was a gang of coolies
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Speaker 1: under charge of a sapper, going to relieve some of
20:36
Speaker 1: their comrades who were clearing away for the guns. Then
20:39
Speaker 1: a string of more of these useful but ragged and
20:43
Speaker 1: dirty auxiliaries, trotting along in couples with a long bamboo
20:47
Speaker 1: between them, on which were suspended boxes of rifle ammunition.
20:52
Speaker 1: From the forest came a little convoy of wounded or dead.
20:57
Speaker 1: Who could tell from here, for the naked eye could
21:00
Speaker 1: just distinguish three crumpled, reclining figures, each covered with a
21:04
Speaker 1: brown army blanket, lying on the stretchers, which the ambulance
21:09
Speaker 1: men carried carefully over the obstacles in their path. One
21:13
Speaker 1: of the three groups formed by the stretchers and their
21:16
Speaker 1: bearers suddenly stopped, and the burden was gently lowered to
21:19
Speaker 1: the ground. I saw a man run off to the right,
21:23
Speaker 1: something at the end of a strap swinging from his
21:26
Speaker 1: right hand, and suddenly I realized that this balancing object
21:30
Speaker 1: was a water bottle. A kindly artillery sergeant, whose gun
21:34
Speaker 1: close to where I had been standing had just vomited
21:38
Speaker 1: a shell, handed me his field glasses with a smile,
21:42
Speaker 1: and with a salute. I thanked him for having guessed
21:45
Speaker 1: my eager desire. When I had adjusted the glasses, the
21:49
Speaker 1: soldier was back by the stretcher and kneeling beside it,
21:52
Speaker 1: was supporting his wounded friend's head with one hand, while
21:56
Speaker 1: with the other he held to the poor fellow's lips
21:59
Speaker 1: the flask containing the precious liquid he had been craving for.
22:03
Speaker 1: Only those who have been wounded can form a true
22:06
Speaker 1: idea of the terrible thirst that seizes hold of a
22:09
Speaker 1: man who has been stricken down water is like new
22:14
Speaker 1: life to him. For all his anatomy seems parched up burning,
22:18
Speaker 1: and the friend who can procure it is an angel
22:21
Speaker 1: of mercy. Indeed, I recognized in the wounded Man and
22:26
Speaker 1: his chum, two privates from the third Company of the Legion,
22:29
Speaker 1: dispatched from long Song to assist in the operations the
22:34
Speaker 1: Parakeet Brigade. We laughingly styled them, because they're brave but
22:38
Speaker 1: somewhat eccentric. Captain had seen fit to dress them in
22:43
Speaker 1: green drill, which he declared made his men less visible
22:46
Speaker 1: at a distance than the conventional khaki. One of the men,
22:51
Speaker 1: the stricken one, was op Prussian, his comrade and Alsatian
22:55
Speaker 1: hereditary enemies, if some political historians are to be believed.
23:00
Speaker 1: But here there was no room for race hatred. There
23:04
Speaker 1: was no thought of it in the legion, and surely
23:07
Speaker 1: no better demonstration could be given of the fact than
23:10
Speaker 1: the little incident I have described now. The belated stretcher
23:14
Speaker 1: was moving on towards a big tin situated in a
23:17
Speaker 1: corner of the camp, from the top of which floated
23:20
Speaker 1: a red cross flag. This was the field hospital, in
23:24
Speaker 1: which the head surgeon, Monsieur de Compieure, and his staff
23:29
Speaker 1: of doctors and orderlies were very busy, for besides the wounded,
23:33
Speaker 1: there were numerous cases of fever and disentery to be
23:36
Speaker 1: attended to. With the glasses, I tried to pierce the
23:40
Speaker 1: shadows of the forest, but the foliage was too thick,
23:43
Speaker 1: and the only indications of the struggle that was going
23:46
Speaker 1: on there, under its vast roof of leaves and between
23:49
Speaker 1: its serried tree trunks were the occasional puffs of smoke
23:54
Speaker 1: filtering through the verdure, the distant ratat tat of the rifles,
23:58
Speaker 1: punctuated now and again by a sharp crack of an
24:01
Speaker 1: exploding dynamite cartridge as it splintered the massive bowl of
24:06
Speaker 1: a banion or teak. I handed back the glasses to
24:10
Speaker 1: the kindly non com and watched the artillery men working
24:14
Speaker 1: the guns. They were firing slowly, now one a minute.
24:18
Speaker 1: A captain, standing behind the center of the line of
24:21
Speaker 1: long necked, vicious looking field pieces, gave the command premiere
24:25
Speaker 1: pierz fur bang, howled the ugly war dog as it
24:30
Speaker 1: skidded back a yard on its locked wheels, and from
24:34
Speaker 1: the distant forest came back. The sharp crack of the
24:37
Speaker 1: bursting shell easily distinguished from the other reports arising from
24:41
Speaker 1: the wood. The rebels were not the only sufferers from
24:45
Speaker 1: the guns, for the continued detonations had driven from their
24:49
Speaker 1: usual haunts the herds of deer which frequented that region,
24:54
Speaker 1: and in consequence, tigers missing their prey, were prowling about,
24:58
Speaker 1: empty and in raged. At night, their weird cup cup cup,
25:03
Speaker 1: occasional snarl or gruesome roar would waken the stillness of
25:07
Speaker 1: the jungle as they roamed around our camp, and on
25:11
Speaker 1: several occasions I experienced an uncomfortable icy feeling from the
25:16
Speaker 1: back of the neck downwards when these sounds approached me
25:20
Speaker 1: during my two hours of century ago in the dark,
25:24
Speaker 1: our column lost two coolies and three commissariat bullocks, both
25:29
Speaker 1: men and cattle being carried away by these striped devils,
25:33
Speaker 1: as the natives called them. Peterieur sentry belonging to the
25:37
Speaker 1: Tai nyuen force also fell a victim to their hunger.
25:41
Speaker 1: On the sixteenth a general attack was made by all
25:45
Speaker 1: our columns, and though the result of the day's work
25:48
Speaker 1: were favorable, for we had succeeded in establishing a mountain
25:51
Speaker 1: battery in a sheltered position within a short distance of
25:55
Speaker 1: the rebel ramparts and the force from Tai Nuin, after
25:59
Speaker 1: brushing aside all resistance and capturing a big fort at moutrange,
26:04
Speaker 1: the existence of which was previously unknown, had joined hands
26:08
Speaker 1: with us. Yet this success was marred early in the
26:11
Speaker 1: day by a costly disaster overtaking one of the groups
26:15
Speaker 1: composing the Southeastern Column. This unit, which was commanded by
26:20
Speaker 1: a major, only escaped complete destruction and the loss of
26:24
Speaker 1: its artillery by little short of a miracle. The two
26:28
Speaker 1: guns attached to the group got stuck in a swampy
26:31
Speaker 1: rice field when coming to the assistance of the infantry,
26:34
Speaker 1: who had walked into the close and unexpected fire of
26:38
Speaker 1: an enemy strongly entrenched on a steep hill covered with
26:42
Speaker 1: dense vegetation. For some unknown reason, the commander ordered the
26:46
Speaker 1: surprised and somewhat disorganized troops to assault the position. An
26:51
Speaker 1: attempt was made to execute this order, but it was
26:54
Speaker 1: unsuccessful and the column suffered severe loss, two officers and
26:59
Speaker 1: twenty six as men being killed and one officer and
27:02
Speaker 1: thirty two men wounded. A company of legionaries who were
27:06
Speaker 1: scouting in the neighborhood, fortunately created a diversion by attacking
27:11
Speaker 1: the rear of the enemy's position, and this allowed what
27:14
Speaker 1: remained of the little column principally composed of French infantry
27:18
Speaker 1: interie is, to retire in comparative safety with their guns. Unfortunately,
27:24
Speaker 1: a certain number of the slain were left behind among
27:27
Speaker 1: the trees on the side of the hill, and these,
27:30
Speaker 1: with their rifles and ammunition, fell into the hands of
27:33
Speaker 1: the enemy. The officer responsible for this gross blunder was
27:38
Speaker 1: sent back to Hanoi pending an inquiry, and the incident
27:42
Speaker 1: cast a passing gloom over the operations. Though this parcel
27:47
Speaker 1: success somewhat revived the already ebbing courage of Detom's tried
27:51
Speaker 1: and devoted veterans, large numbers of his less enthusiastic supporters
27:56
Speaker 1: were continually breaking away from his little army and gliding
28:00
Speaker 1: between our outposts, for it was impossible to establish with
28:04
Speaker 1: the troops at the disposal of our leader a complete
28:07
Speaker 1: cordon in a district so vast and offering such good cover.
28:12
Speaker 1: Some of these small bands made their way to the
28:14
Speaker 1: south and found refuge in the friendly village of the
28:17
Speaker 1: Lower Yente. Others went north and obtained security in the
28:22
Speaker 1: territories occupied by the Chinese chief. The following day, saw
28:27
Speaker 1: the downfall of the enemy's central position. For after a
28:31
Speaker 1: bombardment of three hours by the guns on Point A
28:34
Speaker 1: and by the mountain batteries of the different columns, which
28:37
Speaker 1: were now on three sides of it, the defenses were
28:40
Speaker 1: rushed at two points at three in the afternoon. Though
28:44
Speaker 1: I took part in this final assault, it is hardly
28:47
Speaker 1: necessary to describe in detail the fighting, suffice it that
28:51
Speaker 1: the root of that Tom's force was complete. Once inside
28:55
Speaker 1: the fortifications, one and all were struck by the immense
28:59
Speaker 1: amount of labor and skill that had been expended on
29:03
Speaker 1: their construction. The colonel in command of the artillery during
29:06
Speaker 1: the operations stated in his report that it might be
29:10
Speaker 1: roughly estimated that at least fifteen hundred coolies, working continually
29:15
Speaker 1: during nine months, must have been employed to complete these defenses.
29:20
Speaker 1: The superficial area of the interior of the position was
29:23
Speaker 1: about one square mile, and upon it more than one
29:26
Speaker 1: hundred constructions had been erected, consisting of lodgings for the chiefs,
29:32
Speaker 1: barracks for the men, huts for the women and children,
29:35
Speaker 1: two fine pagodas, and a big grain store raised from
29:39
Speaker 1: the ground on stone pillars and containing more than five
29:43
Speaker 1: hundred tons of rice when the position fell into our hands.
29:47
Speaker 1: The ramparts were splendidly constructed, and in some places three
29:52
Speaker 1: lines of marksmen, placed one above the other, could find
29:55
Speaker 1: protection behind them, being sheltered from the artillery fire by casements.
30:01
Speaker 1: On three sides the song Swaw served as a moat
30:04
Speaker 1: to the fort, while on the fourth a canal had
30:07
Speaker 1: been cut for the same purpose. The enemy suffered great
30:10
Speaker 1: loss during the final development of the attack, and numerous
30:14
Speaker 1: were the body strewn all over their position, or hurriedly
30:18
Speaker 1: buried in the banana and areca palm plantations surrounding some
30:22
Speaker 1: of their houses. As an example to all insurgents, and
30:26
Speaker 1: also to put a stop to the dangerous and superstitious
30:29
Speaker 1: legends in circulation concerning the supernatural powers of De Nam,
30:34
Speaker 1: the body of this chief was disinterred and his remains
30:38
Speaker 1: scattered to the four winds. The skull of the famous
30:41
Speaker 1: rebel is now in the possession of a military doctor
30:44
Speaker 1: of high rank. Unfortunately, De Tom, together with a few
30:49
Speaker 1: of his most faithful supporters, succeeded in making good his
30:53
Speaker 1: escape from the fort shortly before the troops entered. Though
30:57
Speaker 1: this chief was never again able to organize rebels on
31:00
Speaker 1: such an elaborate scale. He nevertheless gave great trouble to
31:04
Speaker 1: the French authorities and inflicted severe losses on the troops
31:08
Speaker 1: sent against him. During the next five years. The most
31:12
Speaker 1: important part of the operations against the Yente rebels was
31:16
Speaker 1: now terminated. During the following week, the columns split up
31:20
Speaker 1: into groups, made regular batteaus through the forests and jungle
31:25
Speaker 1: of the region, and many more of the rebels were
31:27
Speaker 1: captured or slain. There can be no doubt that the
31:30
Speaker 1: success of the expedition, the rapid downfall of the numerous
31:34
Speaker 1: strong positions, and the penetration by the French troops into
31:38
Speaker 1: that mysterious region, the soil of which the natives had
31:42
Speaker 1: been led to believe would never be violated by the
31:45
Speaker 1: foot of the western foreigner, produced a lasting and beneficial
31:49
Speaker 1: effect on the minds of the whole of the population
31:52
Speaker 1: of Tonkin, and did more to impress on them the
31:55
Speaker 1: fact that the domination of the country by the French
31:58
Speaker 1: was irrevocable and definite than thousands of printed manifestos bearing
32:04
Speaker 1: the name of a president or a governor general, whose
32:07
Speaker 1: importance was small in the eyes of the Anemese when
32:11
Speaker 1: compared with the luster attached to their exiled monarch. Several
32:16
Speaker 1: of the minor chiefs, recognizing the futility of further resistance,
32:21
Speaker 1: came in with their men and surrendered to the authorities
32:24
Speaker 1: and Nnam and Boja in this way. During the fortnet
32:28
Speaker 1: that followed the capture of their positions, the rebels brought
32:32
Speaker 1: in nearly two hundred rifles. About five hundred of the
32:36
Speaker 1: enemy who had succeeded in getting away to the south,
32:40
Speaker 1: established themselves in several villages near Dapko, and pillaged the
32:45
Speaker 1: surrounding country. Their success was short lived, however, for though
32:50
Speaker 1: the majority of the troops were now being sent back
32:52
Speaker 1: to their respective garrisons, two thousand men and two guns
32:56
Speaker 1: were sent against them under the orders of Lieutenant Colonel Guile,
33:00
Speaker 1: and a fortnight later, owing to the skillful tactics of
33:03
Speaker 1: this officer, the flickering embers of revolt in the Lower
33:07
Speaker 1: Yente were stamped out, and the supporters of the movement
33:11
Speaker 1: scattered or slain. End of Chapter six, Part two