THE DEATH OF KUHN, PARIS.
_June_, 1915.
My concièrge brought me the following letter this morning:
"WITH THE ARMY.
"_June_ 13, 1915.
"My Dear Capart: A sad thing has happened since your departure. Our poor
Kuhn was killed two days ago. This is what occurred:
"You know that the enemy and ourselves have been carrying on mining
warfare; so three days ago the Brigade decided to execute a 'coup de
main' and destroy the work of the boches.
"The 'coup de main' was carried out by volunteers from the 4th Zouaves,
who acted as a covering party for the sappers charged with the
operation. Kuhn asked to lead the volunteers who came forward.
"Everything passed very well at the beginning, the artillery
preparation was perfect and at the given hour they went at it lively.
The sappers captured in the mine twenty-two Germans, all very young,
and an officer. They passed them rapidly back and it was at this moment
enemy reaction was felt. Kuhn remained the last--the mine blew up--we
saw him totter and fall on the parapet of the boche trench, among the
partially cut barbed wire. Whether he was killed by the explosion of
the mine or a German bullet no one knows--we were forced back and it
was very late.
[Illustration: Lieutenant Kuhn's grave.]
"That night there was general consternation: his men cried. A little
sapper went out all by himself to recover the body. He could not endure
to see the body of his lieutenant remain in the hands of the enemy.
"Three times he tried to reach Kuhn's corpse in spite of incessant
enemy fire which remained on the _qui-vive_.
"Finally, crouching, he came close enough to pass a cord under the arms
and started back, rolling the circular wire entanglements in a manner
you can very well imagine.
"At last he cleared the body from the wire, but we thought several
times he would be the victim of his own devotion.
"At sunrise all that remained of Kuhn was in our lines. Captain Perroud
came to see him and I accompanied him. Our poor friend's body was
literally riddled with bullets, he was almost unrecognizable----
"What are you going to say to his mother. He was the only one left.
"He liked you very much and of course you will not fail to write a few
words to the poor woman.
"Come back soon--we miss you!
"Degove."