FLAVIGNY-SUR-OZERAIN
It might be interesting to insert here a brief description of Flavigny,
taken from a letter written home by one of the men:
“To say the least, Flavigny is a town that is somewhat interesting.
There is a bit of history attached to the place in that we are told
that Caesar fought a battle against the Germanic people in this
neighborhood about 55 B. C., using the plateau across the valley as his
base for operations against a town a few miles from here.
“Flavigny was then standing on its present site, although, perhaps,
much smaller than it is today, and there are no evidences that any of
the buildings then existing are now standing. It would hardly seem
possible that they could be. Today, the village stands on the top of a
high plateau, which is reached by a road winding around the mountain.
Although it was a cold dismal day when we came here, we were dripping
with perspiration by the time we reached the top.
“It is a walled village--part of the wall being formed by some of the
buildings--having three entrances large enough for vehicles and a
fourth one large enough for only persons or animals in single file.
The main entrance, ‘La Porte du Bourg,’ opening to the road up which
we came and which seems to have its ending in the centre of the town.
About a quarter of a mile before reaching the town this road branches
off to the left, winding around some farm buildings, and running along
the outside of the wall overlooking the valley, and as it passes the
rear of the village making a steep descent into the valley again.
“Opening into this road at about the centre of the village is the
second entrance, ‘La Porte du Val.’ While this entrance seems to be of
less importance than the others, as it is reached from the inside by a
narrow alley, yet it is well protected, or was considered so as regards
weapons of mediaeval warfare. There are two towers built of heavy
stone, one on either side of the gate, each with peep-holes at the
height of a man’s head. Between the towers and over the gate the wall
is about twelve feet high, so built that soldiers standing on a ledge
running behind the wall and over the gate from tower to tower could
fire down on anyone along the road, or who might be trying to approach
the town up the side of the mountain.
“Everything here is built of stone, of course, but with the exception
of the more modern buildings there is decay everywhere. In many places
the wall is crumbling and the houses are patched and crumbling and the
thatched roofs are covered with moss, mould and dirt collected for
ages. At ‘La Porte du Val,’ one of the gates which is still hanging
being made of wood, worm-eaten and decayed, looks as if a slight puff
of wind would blow it to dust.
“There are a very few new buildings. Some of these are stucco and seem
to be quite modern.
“A large church stands near the centre of the town in whose tower is a
clock which rings out the time every fifteen minutes.
“There is only one or possibly two streets in the town large enough to
be called streets, but there is a great maze of little narrow alleys
running everywhere and crossing, turning sharply around corners,
sometimes leading into a barnyard, and again plumb into the side of a
building and others seem to lead nowhere. Sometimes you will start for
a store just a block down the alley, when suddenly you find you have
chased yourself right back to where you started from, having reached
nowhere, not even the end of the alley. It is one of these that begins
in the centre of the town where the street through ‘La Porte du Bourg’
stops, and after winding and twisting around a bit leads you to the
little entrance at the rear of the village from which a steep, narrow
path leads to the Valley of the Ozerain.
“The village is electrically lighted, gets its current from a little
power-house down by the Ozerain River.
“A convent building and grounds occupies a large portion of the village
extending from near ‘La Porte du Val’ to the extreme lower corner of
the town.
“About half way between ‘La Porte du Bourg’ and ‘La Porte du Val’
is another entrance, just inside of which is a large and very old
abbaye. Both this and the convent are now used for the accommodation of
tourists and travelers.
“Just outside this entrance the Y. M. C. A. building stands. The road
going from this entrance leads to the inevitable wash-house where on
wash-days congregate a large number of women with large bundles of
clothes and plenty of gossip.
“There is a Post and Telegraph Office combined, as is usual in France,
a butcher shop, several grocery stores, a bake shop, drug store,
barber, tailor, milliner, wooden shoe maker, barrel maker, rope maker,
numberless cafes and little shops.
“Inside the majority of homes are neat and well-kept even where one
room has to serve as kitchen, dining room, living room and bed room,
often serving all purposes at one time. There are, of course, more
prosperous homes that are as pleasant and comfortable as those we have
in America.”
This was our home for over five months. That time will be merely
sketched, as it was a monotonous existence punctuated by flurries of
excitement caused by rumors of westward bound ships with which we never
connected. Imaginary Bolsheviki were driven from every hillside; the
Campe de Cesare was the slaughter house for thousands of imaginary
machine gunners; and drills and manuevres of every sort made up the
schedule. Mr. McNab tried (and failed) to get us excited about the
gentle art of rifle shooting. French weather was at its abominable
worst. But through it all, if the writer may insert a personal tribute
into an impersonal history, through it all there was in Company “B”
a bunch of boys whom it was both a pleasure and an inspiration to be
with. Joking at discomforts, chafing, but bearing with as much courage
as it took to face the Hun, the seemingly interminable wait and showing
a spirit, a snap, and a dash which overcame everything, you formed a
body of men which was a privilege to command and a pleasure to serve.
The month of March arrived, bringing with it the news that the 78th
Division would return to the United States in May. The weather was
still unchanged, but notwithstanding that they were slopping around in
the mud and wet from the continual rains, and every “good rumor” that
came floating around was eventually salvaged, the men were still in
fine spirits.
Towards the end of the month it was officially announced that the
Division would begin to move towards a port April 16th, and on April
6th it passed into the command of the S. O. S., but also came the
rather disheartening news that our movement had been postponed for
ten days, and by the time the 26th rolled around it had been further
postponed until May 2nd, causing a downcast of spirits that had not
obtained since our arrival in France. However it was quite evident that
our time of departure was drawing near by the various preparations that
were taking place, and when it finally became definitely known that
we were to go direct to Bordeaux instead of having to pass through
Le Mans, the spirit of the men took a remarkable jump and then, when
it was announced that the movement from Flavigny would begin with
Headquarters company’s departure on Sunday, May 4th, their joy was
unbounded, and this was not noticeably marred by the last days of April
being the bearer of the heaviest and longest snow storm that we had
experienced. Saturday night, May 4th, Taps was blown by a quartette of
cornets from the Regimental Band, and farewell parties were held in
nearly every home in Flavigny.