iment of Artillery, which is the artillery
element of the Seventh Army Corps, the corps of Besancon and the old
Franche-Comte, under the Jura Mountains, at the corner of Switzerland
and Alsace.

It was, in fact, in the section of Alsace invaded and retaken by the
French army of General Pau--who lost an arm in Alsace in the war of
1870--that Nivelle struck the first of many hard blows which made him
Field Commander of the splendid army of France. He directed the guns of
his Fifth Regiment with such deadly accuracy against a group of German
guns that he first scattered their gunners in flight and put them out of
action, and then led them off in triumph, twenty-four guns in all, the
first great trophy won by the arms of France.

In the battle of the Ourcq, fought with superb tenacity and dash by
Manoury and his men, the first decisive blow of the great battle, the
first definite victory, was gained; General von Kluck's right wing was
smashed in and out-flanked, with the result that the whole German line
was dislocated and sent hurtling backward.

In that battle and victory Colonel Nivelle, as he then was, had his
part; but it was on the Aisne, a few days later, that a strikingly
brilliant act brought him into especial prominence. The Seventh Corps
was attacked by exceedingly strong enemy forces and forced backward over
the Aisne. Colonel Nivelle, commanding its artillery, saw his
opportunity, and, himself leading on horseback, brought his batteries
out into the open, right between the retreating Seventh Corps and the
strong German forces that were pursuing them, already sure of victory.

VICTORY TURNED TO SLAUGHTER.

With that calm serenity which is his dominant characteristic in action,
he let the Germans come close up to his guns in serried masses. Then he
opened fire, at short range, with deadly precision, so that the expected
victory was turned into a slaughter. The broken German regiments,
fleeing to the woods beside the Aisne for safety, ran upon the bayonets
of the rallied Seventh Corps, inspired to splendid valor by the
magnificent action of their artillery. Of 6000 Germans who made that
charge few indeed returned to their trenches.

This was on September 16, 1914. Before the New Year the Artillery
Colonel had been made a General of Brigade, and in January, 1915, the
new General distinguished himself by stopping the tremendous and
unforeseen German drive against Soissons. He was forthwith recommended
for f