Amador ledger., 1906-05-11
SYNOPSIS OF PRECEDING CHAP
TERS.

H1nes adams, graduate Of West Point, and
EnrobeaH REPRESENTATIVE Of 4AnzeyIcaH manu-
factnyers is IN Paris at the opening Of the aUat-
6etzUeen France and Germany. He engages an
an air ship reconnaissance for the French and
nayrozuly escapes capture BY the Germans.
The air ship is znecked at tie Chateau Laez-
nay adams is rescued, and as nHrSed BY tie
Counts daughter, 44fmee, acstA ScAOm he falls
an lone. The Germans aaydHce and take tile
Chateau for Headquarters. adams defendS
Aimee against insult BY Col. GrIesMan and is
knocked d0zUN iy tile Kaiser. Fearing treat
asent as a French sympatHfSey he enters a regz-
1zezt 0, EHSsarS, under his fyiend Col. LoSUeH-
berg. Il spy rs captured and turns ont to be
L1toHy, a Partisan club /yle7d Of AddMS.
A1Y1ngementS are made for AiDzee to be taken
Away TO tie home otfher cousin. The German
army ntoVeS zyeSt, leaving GJ7eSnzan in charge
of tie Chateau, sUlEile AdamS and his regiment
ambush a French column. Report reaches him
tie spy. Gy1eSMaR goes IN pursuit SUith orders
to shoot. adams and a Sergeant F2efScfmans
steal an automobile and go to detend AtDzee.
CHAPTER ".
1 suddenly found myself riding among
great concourse of mounted officers. To
left and to right, through the fields, the
regiments were pushing ahead. At inter
walls groups of officers left the road and
struck out toward the northwest, joining
their troops. And as we settled down to a
steady trOt, Lowenburg explained to me
the movement then under way.
The bulk of the German army lay at this
time between the Meuse and the confluence
of the Aire and the Aisne rivers. These
two streams run in generally northwest
direction, and almost parallel, for some
fifty miles, being nowhere more than ten
miles apart. Between them, and extend
ing for perhaps thirty miles, lies the Forest
OF Argonne, rugged and densely wooded
area, consisting mainly of a single line of
irregular hills, varying in height, and end
ing at the river junction in bold, precipi-
tous headland. On the east the Aire,
rather small but deep stream, has, in the
course of its centuries of flow, cut sharply
into the hillside. On the west, the hills
slope gradually to the Aisne, forming
pleasant valley, from one to three miles
wide, and under high state of cultivation.
At the foot of the hills fine road winds
northward, following generally the course
of the river.
According to the main plan of invasion,
the Germans intended to skirt the nor
thern end of he Argonne Forest, cross the
A1sne at its junction with the Aire, and
proceed west to Reims. The French were
known to be moving slowly north from
their great camp near ChalOns-sur-Marne to
bar the German advance, to assist in which
operation strong detachment, under Cen
eral Messonier, was moving northwest from
Barbecue, following the road through
the Argonne Valley. This latter move was
inleuueu as q coup, Dut so perfect were
the German sources of information that it !
became known on the second day. The
Emperor issued orders for an immediate
advance of the left wing, then resting south |
of the Chateau, and consisting entirely OF
heavy cavalry, to push directly west, cross
the Argonne Forest, and fall upon the
French column.
To Lowenberg, with his magnificent hus-
sars, was assigned this important duty. |
In addition to his own command were three |
regiments of cuirassiers, three of mounted |
infantry, and two of lancers-in all about |
eight thousand men. These were well |
mounted and were armed with sabre, re-
yolver, and new magazine carbine, carry
ing sixteen shells of high power, each |
bullet being so constructed that upon leav-
Ing the barrel it split into five smaller bull
lets. The principal object of the attack, |
however, was panic and dispersal, rather |
than humiliation, as producing a more dis
astrous effect upon the main French army.
An hour after midnight we reached the |
Aisne river which had been bridged some |
hours before by a pontoon corps. In the
shadow of high Argonne hills it was in