The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-10-16

interest stories from the fields
of battle of the warning nations of |
Europe Some of the best of these |
stories are told here.
Particulars have been received at |
] oetrograd Of the heroic action of Lieu
tenant Smirnoff in an engagement ut |
MaZur lakes.
At the end of it his battery was |
flanked on the right by German in
fantry and on the left by machine |
guns. Behind him was a lake. cutting |
off retreat Determined not to sur
render. Lieutenant Smirnoff galloped |
full speed with his battery into the |
lake. in which every man and beast |
was drowned.
SmirnOffs father, learning of his |
sons action, expressed joy at his choice
of death before surrender.
During an assault on the fortress
of Ossowitz a German column got into
bog. The Russians shelled the bog
and the single road crossing it. The
Germans in trying to eXtricate them
selves sank deeper and deeper into
the mire. and hundreds were killed or
wounded. OF the whole column there
We're only about forty survivors.
Had to Call Gunner Off.
An incident of the courage of the
British royal field artillery is related
by Il soldier of the Twentieth hussars
a half battery in rather exposed po-
sition was CALLING the Germans by the
accuracy of its aim. Finally the Ger
mans concentrated several of their bat
teries on it. The result could only be
one thing, as it was a David against
half dozen GOliaths. Finally all the
guns were silenced but one. The men
who had been manning them We're ly-
ing dead and wounded around the
ground.
One man was left. He went about
his work with a dOggedness that be
spoke determination to stick there to
the end. And the end would have
come SOON as the Germans. who had
stopped firing for minute. were about
TO rccommence to silence the lone gun
But an officer interfered. calling the
lone gunner away. And he went away
regretfuly.
Dying, Bids Men Fight On.
A story of the heroism of the late
Captain Haggard. nephew of Rider
Haggard, is told in a letter from Pri-
waite G. Berry of the second batta lion
Welsh regiment Berry says that his
company was being subjected to a Sc
we're German artillery fire when Hag-
gard ordered the men to fix bayonets
and charge.
What an officer! What a soldier!
We were prepared to follow him
anywhere, but were checked by n
storm Of Maxim fire. When MORALLY
wounded he would occasionally open
his eyes and call out: Stick it, Welsh
regiment! Stick it, Welsh!
80 our brave lads stuck at it until
our artillery got into action. We won
out. In that field were strewn thou
sands and thousands of German dead
and wounded Captain Haggard died
that evening. His last words were
Stick it, Welsh"
Has Ninety-seven Wounds.
A French surgeon major now in q
Paris hospital has ninrty-saven official
~ counted wounds. He tells this story
After Il hard days lighting Oh Aug
80 | bandaged my last case and was
remounting my horse when heard q
sound like thunder. and shell burst
over my head. The horse was killed
and | was thrown violently to the
ground. An orderly carried me Il mile
and quarter, when he found a stretch
or. on which he carried me three miles
farther.
NO essential organ was touched
lost an ear and the sense of hearing
the right side of my head was SCARED
my left arm was ripped to the bone
my back was riddled like a colander
my loins were torn and my legs tattoo
ed in highly inartistc designs, but
still live"
Kiss Flag, Rush to Die.
The London News prints the follow
ing dispatch from Petrograd:
1T was necessary to take Orlau iii
Austrian Silesia at all costs" said
wounded Russian colonel. 81 was /
the center vanguard. advancing unde
a hail of shrapnel; whole lines crun
pied like corn before a hailstorm; sti
we advanced
"Of my regiment few remained; tn
officers were nearly all killed or WOUND
ed. and the colors passed from hand {
hand. Soon they were near me. Th
next moment l snatched them from
falling soldier.
Soldiers near me kissed the bloc
stained and tattered colors and the
rushed forward with their faces set I
die for their country"
Carpeted With the Dead.
Fresh from visit to the scene {
the battle of the Marne Lieutenant
Ellicott Brown, Sixteenth infantry. |
s. A.. ut present n military INSTRUCT
ut Rutgers college, New Brunswic
N i SAYS.