Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-09-15
French Newspaper Man at
Front Presents Graphic
Pen Picture of Carnage.
WAS GERMAN VICTORY
Writer Describes Feeling Under Fire
and Sensation OF Being Wounded,
Germans SWarmCd Over
French.


Allies have battled for man. days
against the Germans, are beginning
to reach London in letters from sold
iers at the front. The following ad-
mirable story of actual battle is c5n-
tanned in letter from wounded
Frenehman to an English friend
here:
81 am in the field hospital now,
with a nice little hole in my left
shoulder, through which a bullet or
one of the war lords military Sub
jects has passed. My shoulder feels
much as if some playful Joker has
touched it with lighted cigar. To-
morrow | shall be quite right again,
but the wound had to be washed ana
dressed by a pretty little dress
maker called nurse, who is SO sweet
and lovely and kind-hearted that one
should like to get wounded for the
sole purpose of being nursed by her.
"Bandinage apart, those nurses
have a fearful time. | wonder when
they have any time to rest. Day and
night they are busy, and when you
ask them, Are you not exceedingly
tired?' they just smile, and with
laugh in their eyes they make some
comic reply. They are real heroines,
and it is not merely our physical SUI
ferings which they mitigate. GOO
bless them.
"That wound, or rather the COM
pulsory inaCtiveness which results
from it, affords me a splendid oppor-
tunitv of recording some details Of
the battle. For, although | have
changed my dear Journalistic foun-
tainpen fer :. rifle, which, by the way,
can be as sharp as nib 'quand Jy
NETS la rallonge' (when fix the bay
onet,) the Germans have not yet use
ceeded IN opening my reporters VEN,
and, Queer enough, during the battle,
| was often interested in it, both as
soldier and as a pressman.
Our army marched along broad,
sunny road, bordered on either side
by a vast cultivated plain, on which,
from dtance to distance little groups
CT harvesting peasant girls and old
men were busy, as if they lived in the
most peaceful region OF the most
peaceful Of countries
Here and there the horizon was
bordered by hill ranges, and right In
front of us, and somewhat 10 the left
the wooded crests of other hollis were
discernible. Sometimes when we
reached an elevation of the road
looked backward upon the army.
which was like a huge serpent, cover
inc the road over a distance fmany
miles, 1t was a great view, quite,
rnVlpW and
have never seen anything SO impress
sive. For this was not mere snow,
as military review is, but these men
were to be engaged in part of an ac-
tion on which the fate OF nations
would depend, and the way in which
those men would fulfil their task
might be of the greatest Importance
to the result of the battle and future
movements and designs.
And the felt that these masses OF
men were determined to do their ut
most This was not dull, low
spirited army, going to the front to
fight because they were ordered to,
but because they wanted to. They
were no stern. gray faces, or they
would not be French soldiers; nor
were they boistcrous or Dragging, but
they were bright and lively and happy
and brave, governed by powerful
desire to win, and gifted with an al
most superhuman power of determi-
natiCn. There was such d splendid
enthusiasm.
There was still another important
factor, which adds no little to the eli
ficiency of the army. The commits
sariat is perfect; all these men are
eXccllently equipped, excellntly look
ed after. They have everything they
want, and they have it without delay.
That is what keeps the soldiers
spirits up and makes them conwl-l
Gent. And We are confident.
"Near a crossing halt is made. A
meal is served out to us, and We learn
that another division is going to join
us. They are fast approaching, and
soon after we march on again. lnl
the distance, on our left a viel of dust
hovers above the field, and our ears
are caurt by the noise of moving
troops and the tram cling of horses
feet Every now and again glimpse
may be caught Of the body of an army
marching in what seems to be di-
rection parallel with ours. 1t is re-
INQUIRED that they are British troops,
but nobody knows except the COM
manders, and hey keep silent. ALI
We learn from our officers is that the
distant troops are part of the allied
force, but whether they are British,
French or Belgian is not disclosed to
u.s.
Despatch riders are galloping past
We are ordered to accelerate our
march; the division commanders join
their chief: various orders are pass
ed and instead of keeping to theI
highway part of our army has to,
cross the field in a diagonal direc-
ton. Since some time the rafting of
vcllegs is audible. Then at dis
tance, which seems not so far off. q
heavy detcnatlon of gun is heard
1t takes some time before another