"By midday," says the typed _compte-rendu_ of operations, which, signed by General Gouraud's own left hand, lies before me--"the enemy appeared entirely blocked in all directions--and the battle-position fixed by the General Commanding the Army was intact." Gouraud's army had, in fact, according to the proclamation of its General, broken the attack of fifteen German divisions, supported by ten others.

The success, moreover, was of the greatest strategical importance.

Thus secured on his right, Foch at once transferred troops from the Fourth Army, in support of General Mangin's counter-attack of the 18th, to the other side of the Marne salient, and Gouraud remained firmly on the watch in the position he had so victoriously held, till the moment came for his own advance in September.
I seem still to see him insisting--in spite of his lameness--on bringing the Staff maps himself from his study, marking on them the points where the fighting in the September advance was most critical, and dictating to one of his Staff the itinerary it would be best for us to take if we wished to see part, at least, of the battle-field.
"And you won't forget," he said, looking up suddenly, "to go and see two things--the great cemetery at Chalons, and the little 'Cimetiere du Mont Muret.'" He described to me the latter, lying up in what was the main fighting line, and how they had gathered there many of the "unidentifiables"-- the nameless, shattered heroes of a terrible battle-field, so that they rest in the very ground where they gave their lives.

He might have told me,--but there was never a word of it, and I only knew it later--that it was in that very scene of desolation, from May, 1917, to March, 1918, that he lived among his men, building up the spirit of troops that had suffered much, physically and morally, caring for everything that concerned them, restoring a shaken discipline and forging the army which a year later was to fight with an iron steadiness under its brilliant chief.
To fight both in defence and attack.

From July 15th to September 26th Gouraud remained passive in Champagne.