Of the population only eighty-two men had remained, twelve of whom were obliged to present themselves each morning at six o’clock before the Kommandantur, as surety for the order and peace of the town. Six men by day and six by night were kept as hostages by the German sentries, first at the Maison Viard, where the Kommandantur was housed, and then at the Hôtel-de-Metz. The Mayor was kept busy by the German requisitions. From Nettancourt, where the Crown Prince was reported to be, came an officer to demand champagne, fine wines, and liqueurs. On the Mayor’s declaring that there was nothing left the officer lost his temper and threatened to have him shot. General von Schaeffendorf, commanding the VIth Artillery Corps, took up his residence at the Château de la Mignonnerie. Headquarters were established in the Maison Géraudel, Rue de la Force, where the Duke of Wurtemberg was erroneously reported to have been housed. The able-bodied men of the town were commandeered for fatigue-duty and for the cleaning of the streets. A day or two before evacuating the town, the Germans requisitioned 6,000 bottles of claret, but left them behind in the hurry of their departure.
On September 13, a cannonade was heard from the south. On the 14th, there was great excitement in the German garrison, regimental baggage-trains passed through the town northwards and the Staff prepared to leave. In the morning the enemy troops streamed along the Verrières and Daucourt roads, soon followed by the garrison and waggon-loads of stolen furniture. The Municipal Buildings, Savings Banks, and Post-office were full of German sick and wounded, only part of whom could be evacuated through lack of ambulances. There was a speeding up of the retreat, resulting in great confusion, the bridge, Faubourg de Verrières and Rue de Vitry being encumbered with German troops on the way to Moiremont and Chaudefontaine. Shortly afterwards an enemy battery of 77’s, which had taken up a position on the Verrières road, withdrew at a gallop through the town, while the last German troops fled along the Rue de Prés towards the Pont des Maures. Almost immediately afterwards the French artillery occupied the ridge of Bel-Air and opened fire on the retreating enemy columns. At about 5.30 p.m. the French advance-guards, cyclists and light cavalry entered St. Menehould. A Prussian laggard was shot in the Avenue Kellermann on his refusal to surrender. At 7 p.m. General Cordonnier arrived in the town, which was occupied by the 51st Regiment of the line, and a continuous stream of French troops passed through, following up the pursuit in the direction of Ville-sur-Tourbe, Vienne-la-Ville and Florent.
SAINTE-MENEHOULD TOWN AND CHÂTEAU (old engraving)
While the trench warfare lasted the headquarters, supply-depôts and hospitals for the Argonne front were centred in St. Menehould, and for four years it was entirely given over to military activities. Frequently bombarded, the first shells were fired at the station at 4.30 a.m. on April 26, 1915, when some houses were struck and two civilians killed. On July 20 of the same year another bombardment was directed by aeroplanes. At 1.30 a.m. on August 28, an aeroplane dropped a few bombs. On September 14, a heavy bombardment set fire to the evacuation hospital, killing two civilians, one of whom, M. Bocquillon, the Deputy Mayor (acting for the Mayor, who was ill), was struck on his way to the Hôtel-de-Ville.
During 1918 the town was frequently bombed by enemy aeroplanes.