THE 35th DIVISION IN THE VOSGES MOUNTAINS 

 By Colonel N. F. McClure, Cavalry 



(Brigadier-General, National Army) 



FOR centuries the Vosges Mountains have been famous in folk- 

 lore, song, and story. They lie in western Alsace and southern 

 Lorraine. From their eastern slopes flow the Thur, the Fecht, the 

 Weiss, and many other tributaries of the 111 and the upper Rhine. In 

 the lakes and springs of the western slopes the Meurthe, the Moselle, 

 the Verouze, and the Montagne find their sources. The whole coun- 

 try is one of splendid grandeur. 



Among these hills the fires of patriotism and personal liberty ear- 

 ly began to burn. Many years before the French Revolution the peo- 

 ple of Alsace had taken steps to establish and guarantee their civil 

 rights. They gave the most loyal support to the government estab- 

 lished by the Directory of the Revolution, and to those of the Con- 

 sulate and the Empire which followed. During this period eighteen 

 Alsatians arose to the rank of general officer, and two, Dumouriez 

 and Hoche, became commanders of armies. 



The sector occupied by the 35th Division was located in one of 

 the most beautiful sections of the Vosges Mountains. In it lay many 

 picturesque villages. Some of these had been destroyed by artillery 

 fire. Division headquarters were first at Wesserling and later at 

 Kriith, both villages in the valley of the Thur. There are many 

 other towns in the same valley, each with a certain wild beauty of its 

 own. 



Kriith was the rail-head for the French troops in this sector. 

 From this town a narrow-gauge railway and a fine automobile road 

 lead westward, through the Col de Boussang, to Le Thillot and Re- 

 miremont. This trip is one of unexcelled beauty for the tourist. Our 

 own sector was replete with wonderful natural features, but the ex- 

 igencies of war did not permit us to fully enjoy them. 



The De Galbert sub-sector, where our line began on the south, 

 lies among the high mountains just north of the "Ballon de Gueb- 

 willer," the highest of all the Alsatian "ballons." The elevation is 

 1426 meters (4700 feet). These ballons will be described more in 



