The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1906-05-25
compiled by wmRMackrill.


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 Peller, 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
commanded the bridge below and the
banks of the Marine for some distance:
The French Notifications did not extend
this far, and the main danger was in the
the hill before we could get there.
With detachment Of ten infantry regi-
ments and one Of cavalry we pushed on
reached the silery 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,
snappy bark of the high-power field guns
blended with the roll of rifles and the
wierd howl of the new multiplex ribbon
Cuttings, 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
nous projectiles. The din was fearful: l
thanked my stars tnat was Hol "lliilil
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. It was not until afterWar ,
that 1 learned the full extent of the devil
lshness of mans inventive ingenuity IN
providing, means for the destruction OF
human life.
Then came our signal High in the air,
to the east, appeared a shower or golden
sparks, and the mysterious echoing, boom
of an aerial projectile, was borne to our
their midst floated 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
artillery had not comet 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 lnky
black in the, starlight. LoWenbe en
as we emerged from the woods, the troops
pressing behind, there was flash directly
in front of us and a sharp report. A pull
let whstled past my ear An9tner aash
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. It was no place for. cavalry.
Again and again came that terrible Iash:
The crashing report as OF thousands or
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 depressons in the, ground; The ire
became continuous And now the French
loisted great searchlights that revealed
our ranks. The sharp white rays dazzled
eight thousand troops Rugged the ground
sheltered and unsheltered. Men groaned
and cursed and shrieked in, agony
Horses, maddened with pain and fright,
down the hill, killing and manning many:
At brief and regular intervals came that
sheet of flame and the hail Of bullets. IL
was death to retreat and death 10 remain.
AS the dawn broke and the sun, ut the
sky the French continued their destruc-
ton in a more diabolical fashion From
the top of the hill they rolled great Pals
and scattered burning acids and noxious
gases Directly above the point where we
three lay there was well-defned num-
mock which detected these, hideous impe-
ments of warfare, else I should not have
survived that experience. OF those who
were not SO protected few escaped. The
whole side of the HILL for half a mile, was
covered with dead and dying. 49,. -.
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 SIN