(_See outline map, p. 39._)
The following itinerary includes practically all the places in the
battle area where the troops of the 1st and 3rd American Army Corps
distinguished themselves.
In May, 1919, deeply moving traces of the fierce fighting were visible
all along the road, and will probably long continue to exist.
The ruined villages are as the shells and bombs left them. Everywhere
are branchless trees and stumps, shell craters roughly filled in,
trenches, barbed wire entanglements, and shelters for men and
ammunition. Thousands of shells, shell casings, rifles, gun-limbers, and
machine-guns lie scattered about.
Corpses are occasionally seen.
Before the War this part of the country was one of the prettiest and
most interesting in France. In nearly every village there was either an
old church, a castle, or ruins of archæological interest.
1st day.--PARIS--CHÂTEAU-THIERRY.
_Leave Paris by the Avenue Jean Jaurès, Pantin Gate, and the National
Road N. 3._
(_At the Toll-Gate ask for a “bon de réintroduction” (free) for the
gasoline in the tank and reserve tins. This will enable the tourist, on
his return, to enter Paris with a similar quantity of gasoline free of
charge._)
N. 3 goes straight ahead and is easy to follow, the “milestones” being
plainly marked “N. 3.”
The localities of Pantin, Bondy, Livry, Villeparisis, and Claye are
successively passed through, =Meaux= being afterwards reached by the Route
de Paris and the Rue du Faubourg St. Remi.
(See the =Michelin Illustrated Guide=, “=The Battle of the Marne, 1914=,”
_for directions for visiting this beautiful, historical city, and for a
detailed description of the fighting in this sector_.)
_Turn to the right, pass under the railway bridge, continue straight
along the Rue St. Remi, skirt the Cathedral, then follow the Rue St.
Nicolas and the Rue du Faubourg St. Nicolas._
The following villages are next passed through without difficulty:
Trilport, St. Jean-les-deux-Jumeaux and Sammeron, after which the
tourist arrives at La Ferté-sous-Jouarre. _Turn to the left into the Rue
de Condé, and again to the left into the Rue du Faubourg, cross the
Marne, and continue straight ahead along the Rue du Pelletier and Rue du
Limon. Crossing over the railway the road turns to the right, rising
above the valley of the Marne._ Montreuil is next passed through.
Just before entering =Le Thiolet= (the first ruined village on the tour),
along the left side of the road, there is an American Cemetery.
Shortly after, =Vaux= is reached, but before coming to it, another
American Cemetery will be seen to the left of the road.
This village, which is situated in a hollow, was literally wiped out
(photo, p. 60). The ruins in the bottom of the valley, to the right of
the road, are most impressive. (_The tourist will visit them on his way
to Essommes, as per the Itinerary._)
The road skirts =Hill 204=, which dominates the surrounding country on the
right, and which was hotly disputed (p. 62).
Before passing under the railway bridge, on the high ground to the
right, will be seen the ruins of what was once the pretty village of
=Courteau=.
Château-Thierry is reached soon afterwards by the Avenue Clemenceau.