Amador ledger., 1906-05-25
FROM NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS
Compiled by Mm.RMackrln.

The center would then attack, press the
French back upon the river, and before
they could get across aero strike them an on both
f1ankS, 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 a fiat top, which
commanded the bridge below and the
banks of the Marne for some distance.
The French fortifications 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-
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,
blended with the roll of rifles and the
wierd howl of the new multiplex ribbon
Gatlings, which sent out a continuous
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. 1
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
that 1 learned the full extent of the devil
ishness 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 of golden
sparks, and the mysterious echoing boom
OF an aerial projectile was borne to our
ears. The sparks paled and fell, and from
their midst fioated 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
artillery had not comet never came, as
a matter of fact. Some one had blum
dered. But we waited not. Here was our
task, and we moved toward it with
alacrity.
The woods came to an end. In front of
US the mill loomed up to the sky, a great,
black in the starlight. Lowenberg,
Fleischmann and 1 We're in advance, and
as we emerged from the woods. the troops
IN front of us and a sharp report. A bull
let whistled past my ear. Another flash
ana report, another and another. each
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
We had covered half of the distance and
We're 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. 1t was no place for cavalry.
Again and again came that terrible flash |
lShe crashing report as of thousands of
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 searchlghts that revealed |
our ranks. The sharp white rays dazzled |
our eyes and. we could see nothing. Some |
eight thousand troops hugged 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 |
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- |
the top of the hill they rolled great balls |
0f tough paper, which broke on the rocks |
and scattered burning acids and noxious /
gases. Directly above the point where we
three lay there was a well-defined hum
mock which DETECTED these hideous imple-
nents of warfare, else 1 should not have
NlHSu lLdl 6ApeIleICe VI InOS6 VINO
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
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 |
hat an attack was again possible. A sin