_Pass through the village, leave the church on the left, and take on the
left the road leading to_ =Bouresches=. About 200 yards from the village
there are more American graves.
On the left of the road the southern edge of Belleau Wood is visible.
Shortly before arriving at Bouresches are more American graves on the
left (photo above).
From here the tourist may cross the fields to the wood where there is a
path leading to Hill 181, its highest point. Numerous trenches,
shelters, etc., will be found there. In April, 1919, corpses were still
lying on the ground (photo, p. 53).
_Enter_ =Bouresches=. _Turn to the right in front of the Church, towards
Vaux._
[Illustration: BOURESCHES CHURCH.]
The road in front of the church leads: _on the left_, to Belleau, _on
the right_, to Vaux.
[Illustration: RUINS IN VAUX VILLAGE.]
_On the right_, American graves. _Enter_ =Vaux=. _Cross the National Road_
(N. 3) _and continue straight along the valley_. The ruins here are
particularly impressive (photo above).
Going towards Essommes, the tourist comes to =Monneaux=, whose cemetery is
on the left, at the entrance to the village. The wall nearest Vaux is
pierced with =loop-holes= for machine-guns. Along the left-hand side of
the road, American graves. _Cross the village_, which was much less
damaged than Vaux, _pass through Montcourt, and after leaving the
village cross the river_. _Continue straight along, pass through a
hamlet, after which_ =Essommes= _is reached_. This tiny village is one of
the oldest in the region. Its fine =church= was built in the 13th and 14th
centuries. The choir and transept are especially noteworthy.
[Illustration: THE NAVE AND CHOIR OF ESSOMMES CHURCH, WHOSE VAULTING HAS
FALLEN IN.]
[Illustration: THE CHOIR AND TRANSEPT SEEN FROM ONE OF THE AISLES.]
[Illustration: STAINED-GLASS WINDOW IN ESSOMMES CHURCH.]
Inside are admirable 16th century carved stalls and woodwork. The
keystones of the vaulting, a 16th century font, a monk’s tomb with the
carved figure of a crosiered abbot, and the fine stained-glass windows
are likewise remarkable. According to tradition, Queen Blanche de
Navarre, who was a generous patron of the region of Château-Thierry,
was buried in the Church.
[Illustration: KITCHEN AT NO. 4 AVENUE DU MARÉCHAL FOCH, AS THE GERMANS
LEFT IT.]
The village was damaged by bombardment.
_Pass in front of the Church, leaving it to the left, then turn to the
left into N._ 3, _which leads back to_ =Château-Thierry=, via _the Avenue
du Maréchal Foch_.
The photographs on this page, showing the effects of German plundering,
were taken at No. 4 of this avenue.
From Vaux, the road winds round =Hill 204=, which was so bitterly
disputed. In July, 1918, the Americans set out for the attack from the
various villages seen on the way, and after a week of severe fighting,
succeeded in driving out the Germans.
[Illustration: DINING-ROOM AT NO. 4 AVENUE DU MARÉCHAL FOCH, AS THE
GERMANS LEFT IT.]
[Illustration: ITINERARY OF THE SECOND DAY--70 MILES.]
2nd day.--CHÂTEAU-THIERRY--SOISSONS.
The following itinerary will enable the tourist to follow, step by step,
the course of the battle for the straightening out of the
Château-Thierry salient. It will also enable him to form a correct idea
of the German offensive of May 27, with its alternations of advance and
retreat around Soissons, the northern pivot of the battle.
_Leave by the Avenue du Maréchal Joffre, take the second street on the
right_ (_Rue Gare-des-Chesneaux_), whence there is a =fine view= of the
town and castle. _Do not cross the railway by the level crossing on the
right of the station, but continue straight ahead, leaving on the right
the street which leads to the entrance of the Castle (photo below). Pass
the “Octroi,” turn to the left about 100 yards further on_, under the
ruined bridge. The hospital on the left was badly damaged by shell-fire,
as were also the neighbouring embankment and houses.
[Illustration: ENTRANCE TO THE OLD CASTLE OF CHÂTEAU-THIERRY.
_The itinerary follows_ the road on the left.]
_Follow the G. C. 15_, to the left of which, hollowed out in the sloping
sides, are many ammunition shelters. _Pass under another_ damaged
railway bridge. Near the bridge over the small river which flows in
front of the village of =Verdilly= are numerous shell-holes and large
heaps of ammunition and rubbish.
_Pass through Verdilly, which was not severely damaged._
The Castle and park on the left received numerous shells. In Barbillon
Wood, on the right, huge quantities of abandoned shells were collected.
Further on, opposite the Breteuil Farm, were other ammunition dumps. In
the wood which borders the road, a little further on, are gun limbers
and artillery shelters.
Before coming to Epieds there is an American cemetery on the left of the
road.
=Epieds.=--This village was retaken by the Americans during their advance
in the middle of July, 1918. On July 22 a company of the 26th American
Division entered the village, after fierce hand-to-hand fighting, but
was unable to hold it, as the Germans counter-attacked in force on the
23rd and 24th. After two days’ fighting, the Americans finally captured
the village and Trugny Wood to the south-east, with many prisoners.
During this fighting, Epieds was taken and lost five times by the
Americans.
[Illustration: AMERICAN CEMETERY AT EPIEDS.