Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-17
TALES OF BRAVERY
BY ALLIES WILL Be
PRECIOUS HERITAGE
Wounded Private Tells of
Queens Bays Daring in
Meeting German Attack.
Engineers Sacrificed at
Bridge.
Ru A. j. RoRKE

tAvRB, France. Sept 17.-It Is prob
,ble that the details of the wonderful and
daring endurance of the troops of the
.,lies' forces in the present campaign will
never be properly written, but thex will
remain in the hearts of the French and
vul be handed down from father to son
II the villages and towns around which
o,r men are battling for the freedom of
Europe.
Most of the regiments will be able to
,r,hroIder into their colors the names of
many historic fights, but hardly any will
,s sblc TO hand down such stories as the
Second Dragon Guards and the Queens
povs will transmit to their future re-
crtlits.
Hero is the story that was told to me
nv Private Bryant as he lay wounded in
the hospital ship:
81 don't Just remember the date. We
have not had time to think of dates lately.
put IL was Just over n week ago. We
wore somewhere in the neighborhood of
O. Quentin We had been lighting all
dav We had piclkcted and watered our
horses and late that night thought we
had seen the last of the Germans for
time.
"1n tho nlOrnlnb, however, I've SOlOutl
rave orders to saddle. We jumped on
our horses and at the same moment
shells began to burst overhead. Our
horses stampcded. The cnemys sharp
shootcrs were already in position, and
while we were recapturing our horses
shrapnel. canister shots and bullets we're
making the air sing around us.
FIELD ARTILLERY Is DELAYED.
"The German artillery fire increased in
Intensity. We began to wait anxlously
for our own Royal Field Artillery to get
into posIfon, II was delayed by the fact
that the battery horses were being wa
tered.
Something had to be done, 30 we got
the MaXilns up, despite the whitening
fire Our boys soon got busy. 1t would
have done You good to see how calmly
and quietly they went about their work
"Our men realized the meaning Of their
fob It was TO hold on until the artillery
came up. In other words il was to save
the regiment from annihiation. Within
few minutes they were sending some
5000 shots in so many seconds among the
Germans.
"Then the artillery arrived. We had
four guns against II for the Germans,
but some Of those II were silenced.
ut was not long before the Bays were
itching to charge. Almost before they
expected it the buEle sounded and they
we're off, hell for leather at the enemy's
guns
"The net result of that little scrap was
the capture Of II krupp guns and many
prisoners"
Unfortunately. Bryant was left wounded \
on the field and was made a prisoner
BY the Germans. He lived for five days
OH bread and water, all that the Germans
would supply him. On the fifth day a
detachment of French cavalry arrived,
rescued the prisoners and captured the
German troopers who were guarding
them.
THE BrItishers were taken to Peronne,
where they were cared for by the
French"
BRITISH BATTERY WIPED OUT.
Bryant told me that in the action OF
st. Quentin of an entire British battery
engaged but II men were left alive.
CASTOR Bossier a private in the Sixth |
Cuirassers, who is known In civil life |
as Darino, lyric artist at the Coincide |
Franchise and favorite of the Parish |
ennes, tells the following story, which |
seems almost an eclipse of the blowing |
up Of the Delhi Gates.
Bosser, lying wounded In Normany, |
With gestures, but falls back groanine:
by shrapnel, tells the story in true Galic !
manner. He tries to rise and illustrate
with gestures. but falls back groaning.
We wore together. the Cuiraiss'ers of |
France and the English Royal Engineers,
as We retreated across the Alsne at Sois-
sons. The Germans advanced rapidly,
irving to rush masses of soldiers across.
Bridge after bridge had to be blown
up. The German sharpshooters were
nring at us from clump of trees and the
mitrallleuses were working havoc among
the allies
Suddenly a party of English engineers
rushed toward the bridge. They lost
heaVily, but succeeded in landing powder
,s,lncient to destroy 1t. Before they could
Hsht II all OF them were killed. We waited
while another party OF your brave engl-
heers crept near the bridge. They took
10 cover but the Germans got their range
and continued a deadly fire.
ENGINEERS OFFER UP LIVES.
Then We Frenchmen watched what we
must remember to our dying day. One
engineer suddenly dashed at one OF the
fuses He was killed before half way
there second followed and fell almost
upon The body of his comrade. A third,
aourtn and NTH ran in the gauntlet OF
SerGHesS Saa,S German fire and met the same
yysath' In the same way each followed
"s comrades until IL had been killed
me German fire seemed to slaclIen |
rot an instant, and In that time the bridge |
@ "as blown up, for the 18th man, dashing
ssFoss the space lined with the bodies
" ~ MS friends. reached the fuse and
nshled IL The bridge exploded with a
@ roar as the engineer fell before the Ger
man rife shots"
noss!er was prisoner of the Germans
EEme IUs some time, but was rescued by the
casLl' cc:"sllsI' lie told me shocking details OF
WitnaaL cFueities which he personally
t%''neSsed T., He himself. although wounded
wi NJ, lhe leg was dragged on his knees
"'Ih MS hands tied behind him while
iahcer thrust his lance against his
cSt cSth' Drivers OF transport wagons often
~ AZ nm with their whips as he passed
cbat was thrown into a cellar at Neuf-
Lbnsteau and was almost starved when he
sneII. hghting on the streets ard voices
,p"Aihg English, lie was Just strong
ogsh Gus to call "Au secours" and was res