Charlevoix county herald., 1906-05-19
ROM NOHSAND UBaLHYAIiUNS
Compiled by wmRMackrill.

The center would then attack, press the
French back upon the river. and before
they could get across strike them on both
TANKS, or drive them into the water. To
Lowenberg fell the special task of moving
further up the Marine to Monte Pelier, the
only other point at which the French
could cross. Here the south bank fell
away and the north bank rose In three
hills, the center of the trio being really a
small mountain. with fiat top. which
banks OF the Marine for some distance.
The French Notifications did not extend
this far. and the main danger was in the
possibility of an opposing force reaching
the hill before we could get there.
With detachment of ten infantry regi-
ments and one OF cavalry we pushed on
through the night, and before dawn
reached the Sillery forest, which extended
to the base of the Monte Pelier. Here we
encamped to await the signal to advance
Early in the afternoon we heard firing
away. to the east The battle had opened.
Hourly it grew, heavier. The sharp,
snnappy bark of the high-poWer field guns p
wierd howl of the new multiplex ribbon
Gatlings, which sent out a continuous
stream of explosive bullets. bursting on
the slightest impact and tearing their vic
Tins horribly. Presently the great twelve
inch guns on the high banks came into
play. Their booming reports echoed
through the heavens, bespeaking enor-
nous projectiles. The din was fearful. /
thanked my stars that l was not within
range.
AS the darkness came on we could
catch the flashes or light as the French
guns belcbed out their tons of iron and
the .mortars their pots of acid fire and
that learned the full extent OF the devil
ishness of mans inventive ingenuity in
providing means for the destruction of
Then came our signal. High in the air,
to the east, appeared a shower of golden
sparks, and the mysterious echoing boom
ears. The sparks paled and fell. and from
their midst foated three blue stars. 1T
means that the French are retreating to
the river and that Monte Pelier must be
TAKEN, said Lowenberg. He gave an
order and the word was passed on. The
artillery had not comet never came, as
a matter of fact; Some one had blum
task, and we moved toward 1t with
alacrity.
The woods came to an end. In front of
dark, rock-strewn mass, its shadows inky
black in the starlight. Lowenberg,
Fleischmann and L were in advance. and
as we emerged from the woods, the troops
pressing behind there was flash directly
in front of us and a sharp report. A bull
let whistled past my ear. Another flash
farther up the hill. Silence fell, broken
only by the tramp of thousands of feet
We saw that our advance was known to
the French, but we pushed on. 1t was no
time to stop.
We had covered half Of the distance and
were climbing steadily when the whole
top. Of the hill lighted up and hail of lead
descended. The front row Of cavalry went
down, a struggling mass of men and
horses. 1t was no place for cavalry.
again and again came that terrible flash.
IThe crashing report as Of thousands Of
ritles and the song of lead in our ears was
terrible. The storm was too heavy. OFF,
Gers and men alike threw themselves on
the ground and sought shelter behind the
boulders with which the hill was strewn,
or In depressions in the ground. The fire
became continuous. And now the French
our ranks. The sharp white rays dazZled
our eyes and we could see nothing. Some
eight thousand troops Rugged the ground,
sheltered and unsheltered. Men groaned
and cursed and shreked in agony.
Horses, maddened with pain and fright,
to their feet and went galloping
At brief and regular intervals came tina
sheet Of flame and the hail of bullets. 1t
was death to retreat and death to remain.
So we lay until daylight.
AS the dawn broke and the sun lit the
sky the French continued their destruc
ton in a more diabolical fashion. From
of tough paper, which broke on the rocks
and scattered burning acids and noxious
gases. Directly above the point where we
mock Witch detected these hideous nipple
ments of warfare, else / should not have
survived. that experience OF those who
were not SO protected rev escaped. Inc
whole side of the hill, for half a mile, was
covered with dead and dying.
During the night the firing on the east
had diminished but with the dawn it
opened again, and the heavens were rent
with the crash and roar of mighty guns,
which continued all day without intermis-
sion. The firing above us ceased, how
ever, and the horrible balls of acid came
no longer. Lowenberg concluded that the
French ammunition had given out and
that an attack was again possible. A sim