Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1914-09-10
TITANIC STRUGGLE AROUND CHARLERO|
AND MONS TOLD FROM ALLIES SIDE

ish and French sources.)
Boulogne.-When the history of II
tremendous struggle in the neighbo
hood of Mons and Charleroi-a titani
combat lasting five days-is write
the historian will pen perhaps th
most glorious chapter which has eve
been or ever will be added to the hi.
tory of British and French arms
When in the course of time we ar
able to weigh up all the features O
that stupendous combat, in which wer
locked the vast stern forces of Prus
sian military autocracy and the pick o
British and French military strength
the forces of freedom; when we know
the gain and loss the tragedy and hero
ism Of 1t all, there will shine resplen
IDENTIFY forth a stirring story of mar
tial glory which with make it matter
but little which way the advantage
went
Gathers Story From Soldiers.
From the lips of those who took
part in it, from the wounded out OF
the battle of giants. from the refugees
who fed from their blurred and black
ened homesteads and their villages de-
Voured by fire and shattered by shell.
have during the last two days heard
enough to be able to piece together
The story of struggle which dwarfs
all the decisive battles of the world.
1t was fight against the finest CO.
horts Of the kaiser, endeavoring to
crush their way through the allies
lines by sheer weight of numbers. aid
ed by all the strength of the artillery
hat could be brought into action.
Meets the British Wounded.
(Here the correspondent takes up
his story of a meeting with the Brit
Ssh wounded.)
1t was all SO quietly said could not
nelp casting my eyes again over the
trim. khakiclad figure of the little
soldier who had come through that
shastly ordeal. come through it to tell
me in few short hours afterward
that he was eager to be with the
'orces at the front again And" he
added, Il shall have to go to England
without cap. A shrapnel bullet
Knocked mine off in the darkness"
| turned to his companion. Yes"
ae said, that's the story. 1t was the
drst time the German artillery really
got at us. AS a rule, their big gun
IRE was mighty poor, though they did
30 In for quantity. In the trenches
We used to watch the German gunners
trying to hit conspicuous parts of
Mons. and every time they missed we
gave them a cheer which they could
hear.
Work of the Artillery.
They are not shots, either. 1t was
eally astounding what they could
miss. l think we can beat everybody
1t craftsmanship"
And the British artillery" asked.
why, it was magnificent. II there
had only been more Of it. But there
The Germans got u.s. AS 1t was, it
was perhaps a good deal more than
they ever expected.
On one OCCASION think it was
late on Monday-we held a position
ibout 500 or 900 yards from the Ger
man lines. We could see them quite
clearly. They were mostly standing
mp. Fresh troops, l think they were,
being brought up for another attack.
The order was given us to fix bay
onets. 1t was evidently to be a charge
the thing we especially had been
waiting for. In the sunlight our bay-
onets flashed and we waited for or
ders.
Hail of Bullets Comes.
The Germans must have seen our
bayonets flashing. for they went down
on their faces. If there is one thing
hey fear it Is bayonet attack. There
developed suddenly a hail of bullets
Snd the order to charge did not come.
we retired little way after that
and before night fell advanced to
much the same position again. Just as
darkness came we could see the
ground well in front of us simply lit
tered with German dead 1t cost us
} lot. too.
AT one time early next day we
5ot "ilHln couple or hundred Yards |
Of their dead. / am sure we must
have nearly wiped out those in front
Of u.s.
Fight RACES FurlousIy.
From others l have gathered how fu-
-iously for days the fight ragged against
he French forces on the right of the
British. The English soldiers speak
n highest praise of the GOODNESS un-
Ter fire of the French infantry.
In the end, however. the fierceness
IT the successive onslaughts was too
much for the exhausted French troops.
against whom the ever-fresh forces of
he enemy were hurled 1t was here.
indeed that the long encounter was
eally decided. Gradually weight told
weight of regiments and of artillery.
With magnificent heroism the men
leld their positions. If they gave a
ard the enemy bought it at tremen-
lous cost. But they were ready and
prepared to pay it, and pay it they
lid.
The final order to retire came. Slow
= the French positions on the right
-