The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1906-05-18

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| French back upon the river, and before
they could get across strike them on botl
! TANKS. or drive them into the water. Tc
Lowenberg fell the special task Of moving
further up the Marine to Monte PeIier, the
only. other point at which the French
away and the north bank rose IN three
; hills, the center of the trio being really a
small mountain, with a fiat top, which
banks Of the Marine for some distance.
The French fortifcations 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-
4 menis and one OF cavalry we pushed on
reached the Sillery forest, which extended
to the base of the Monte Pelier Here we
encamped TO await the signal to advance
and the arrival Of a regiment OF artillery.
| Early in the afternoon we heard firing
away to the east. The battle had opened.
Hourly it grew. heavier The sharp,
ssnappy bark OF the high-power field guns
! 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 greatfsweve-
inch guns on the high banks cas.le into
play Their booming reports echoed
through the heavens, bespeaking enor-
nous projectiles The din was fearful. /
thanked my stars that was not within
range.
AS the darkness came on we could
catch the flashes or light as the French
guns belched out their tons OF iron and
the mortars their pots of acid fire and
liquid gas. 1t was not until afterward
that learned the full extent OF the devil
lshness 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
OF an aerial proiectile was borne to our
ears. The sparks paled and fell, and from |
their midst foated three blue stars "It /
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 T
artillery had not come--it never came, as
matter OF fact. Some one had blum
dered But we waited not. Here was our
task, and we moved toward 1t with
alacrity.
The woods came to an end. In front OF
US the hill doomed up to the sky, great,
dark. rock-streWn mass, its shadows inky
black In the starlight. Lowenberg,
and | were in advance, and
as we emerged from the woods, the troops
pressing behind, there was a flash directly
N front Of us and sharp report A bull
and report, another and another, each
farther UP the hill. Silence fell broken
Dnly by the tramp OF thousands OF feet.
We saw that our advance was known to
he French, but we pushed on. 1t was no
inc to stop.
We had covered half Of the distance and
4
op of the hill lighted up and a hail of lead 9
descended. The front row OF cavalry went I
Town, struggling mass OF men and G
lorses. Il was no place for cavalry.
again and again came that terrible flash. 4
me crashing report as OF thousands of 6
ines and the song OF lead In our ears was s
The storm was too heavy. Off /
ers and men alike threw themselves on p
he ground and sought shelter behind the r
oulders with which the hill was strewn, q
r In depressions In the ground The fire 4
ecame continuous. And now the French s.
oisted great searchlights that revealed &
ur ranks. The sharp white rays dazzled s.
ur eyes and we could see nothing Some p
lght thousand troops Rugged the ground K
heltered and unsheltered, Men groaned a
Iorses, maddened with pain and fright. r
Eaggered TO their feet and went galloDing A
own the hill, killing and manning many. q
I brief and regular intervals came that L
leet. OF flame and the hail OF bullets. 1t Il
as death to retreat and death to remain.
B we lay until daylight. 81
AS the dawn broke and the sun lit the sc
~ the French continued their destrllc- Oh
on In more diabolical fashion. From ri
10 top of the hill they rolled great balls oil
tough paper, which broke on the rocks 10
I'D scattered burning acids and noxious 81
lree lay there was weil-deflned hum 81
ock which DETECTED these hideous imple- To
ents of warfare, else should not have pc
lrvived that experience. OF those who |
hole side of the hill for half a mile, was gf
lvcrsd with dead and dying. fr
During the night the firing on the east pt
% diminished. but with the dawn It M
,ened again.. and the heavens were rent ha
It'll the crash and roar of mighty guns. tri
hchs continued all day without interrnis- nj
IN. The firing above us ceased how m,
er. and the horrible balls of acid came ca
longer. Lowenberg concluded that tie cr]
'ench ammunition had given out and SD
at an attack was again possible. sin ms