Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1906-05-25
ROM N0TESAND OBSERVATIONS
Compiled by wmRMackrill.

The center would then attack, press the
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 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 fiat top which
commanded the bridge below and the
| banks of the Marine for some distance
The French fOrtihcatlOns 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-
ments and one of cavalry we pushed on
reached the Sillery forest, which extended
to the base Of the Monte Peler. Here we
encamped to await the signal to advance
and the arrival of 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
| 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 belcbed 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
human life.
l.. II
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 floated three blue stars. 1T
means that the French are retreating to
the river and that Monte Peler must be
taken" said Lowenberg. He gave an
order and the word was passed on. The
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, a great.
dark, rock-strewn mass, its shadows inky
black in the starlight. Lowenberg,
Fleischmann and / were in advance. and
as we emerged from the woods, the troops
pressing behind, there was flash directly
in front of us and a sharp report. A bull
let whistled past my ear. Another flash
and report another and another, each
only by the tramp Of thousands of feet.
We saw that our advance was known 10
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
idown, a struggling mass Of men and
EAgain and again came that terrible fash
VINE crashing report as of thousands of
Irities'and the song of lead in our ears was
terrible. The storm was too heavy. Off
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 unshetered 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-
ton in more diabolcal fashion. From
the top of the hill they rolled great balls
of tough paper, which broke on the rocks
ana scattered burning aclds ana noXlous
gases. Directly above the point where we
three lay there was well-deined hum
mock which DETECTED these hideous imple-
ments of warfare, else l should not have
survived that experience. OF those who
were not so protected few escaped. The
whole side of the hill, for half 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
that an attack was again possible A sin