Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1906-05-16
RON N0IESAND 0BSfEysTl0NS
Compiled by wmRMackrin.

ne center would tnen attack. press the
they could get across strike them on both
TANKS. or drive them into the water. To
further up the Marine to Monte Pelier. 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
sommandsd sns Bridge below ae top and h tse
banks OF the Marine for some distance.
this far. and the main danger was In the
possiointy OF an opposing force reaching
the hin before we could get there.
through the night. and before dawn
to the base Of the Monte Peiier. Here we
encamped TO await the signal to advance
Early in the afternoon ' we heard rrins
away away to the east: The battle had opened.
snappy bark Of the siEhepower hs held sn r,I
blended with the roll OF rifles and the
wierd howl Of the new muitipiex ribbon
stream or explosive bullets. bursting on
the slightest impact and tearing their VIC
inch guns on the high banks came into
play Their booming reports echoed
nous projectiles The din was FEARFUL I
thanked my stars that l was not within
AS the darkness came on we could
catch the flashes or light as the French
guns belched out their tons OF iron and
LIQUID gas. 1t was not until afterward
that learned the full extent OF the devil
human life.
Then came our signal High in the air.
to the east, appeared n shower OF golden
sparks. and the mysterious echoing boom
of an aerial projectile was borne to our
their midst floated three blue stars. lit
means me that the French are retreating TO
the river and that Monte Pelier must be
taken, SAID IOWenDerR. He
order and the word was passed on. The
matter Of h faet Some n oGe had sun
dered. But we waited not. Here was our
task. and we moved toward It with
US the hill doomed up to the sky, a great,
black in the starlight. Lowenberg.
Fleischmann and / were i'm advance and
pressing behind. there was a Hash directly
let whistled past my ear, Another flash
farther up the hill. Silence fell broken
only by the tramp OF thousands of feet.
the French, but we pushed on. II 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. struggling mass of men and
horses. It was no place for cavalry.
Again and again came that terrible flash.
.
rifles 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
loisted great searchlights that revealed
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 shrieked in agony
Horses, maddened with pain and fright
staggered to their feet and went galloping
down the hill. killing and manning many.
AT brief and regular intervals came that
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 more diabolical fashion From
the top of the hill they rolled great balls
of tough paper, which broke on the rocks
and scattered burning acids and noxiors
three lay there was a well-defined hum
mock which detected these hideous imple-
ments of warfare, else / should not have
survived that experience. or those who
were not so protected few escaped. The
whole side OF the HILL for half a mile was
covered with dead and dying.
During the night the firing on the east
opened again, and the heavens were rent
with the crash and roar of mighty guns
which continued all day without interrnis-
sion. The firing above 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 sin