Evening star., 1914-12-28
EVIDENCE Of WAR FOUND
ON LORRAINE FRONTIER
Alpine Chausseurs, Wiry, Agile and
Enduring Troops, Formidable
Among Allies.
of the Associated Press.

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
NANCY, France, December Civil
lians who seek striking evidence of war
must go several miles out Of Nancy
| toward the Lorraine frontier. The vii
large of b is the center of a division
of French cavalry which participated
in the first marches on Sarreburg at
the beginning of August, in the retreat
which followed, in the operations In
the region of Luneville, then in the
Woevre, to come back finally to the
first theater of it's exploits. At present
this indefatigable division is at rest,
though it sends patrols and recon-
noitering parties every day in all dl-
lrections and makes raids upon the Ger
man lines of communication.
1t is a curious exemplifcation of the
characteristics of modern warfare that
this division, though constantly fight
ing for four months, never has had oc-
casion to charge the German cavalry.
The chief object of the mounted troops
in this region mad been to prevent
troops of the Germans being detached
for use elsewhere.
Alpine Uniform in Evidence.
It is here also that the sight of the deep
blue uniform of the Alpine chasseur is
most familiar. These wiry, agile and en-
during troops have rendered valuable
service in this war. Passing through a
forest Of the Vosges, coming suddenly
into a little clearing, one sometimes sees
a formidable rush of moving mass in
blue, which stops abruptly here and there
and rushes on again. 1t is battalion
of the Alpine Chasseurs camping in the
region, reposing for the moment, but tire
lessly continuing its exercises in order
not to get out of training. The officers
of these troops are very young men, but
well selected, for they are always In the
advance guard, and more often than the
troops coming behind are obliged to re-
sort to an intelligent initiative.
Here within sight of the Hohneck-a
seurs carried at the beginning of the war
by a gallant charge. they are like boys at
play, seemingly unconscious Of the BOOM
ing of the cannon that continues over
the mountains in the direction Of Thanh.
Their losses have been severe. The bat
tallion camping here in the clearing has
left 300 dead, including ten officers, and
700 wounded, including fourteen officers,
on the field Of battle The voids have
been filled with new recruits taken from
them of the class of 1914, but all Of them
made Of the same hardy, wiry stuff that
is required for an Alpine chasseur.
Cover Themselves With Glory.
In the retreat of the French army
from upper Alsace, these troops COW
cred themselves with glory, especially
the 18th and 22d Regiments, supported
by two regiments of cavalry fighting on
foot. These four regiments protected
the retreat of the entire 14th Army
Corps. They had pushed over the crest
of the Vosges at Bonhomme, and at a
critical stage of the operations re-
ceived the order to defend the peak of
Mandray, the possession Of which was
necessary in order to assure the safety
of a retreating army. For five long
days. 1,700 strong, they remained there
under the fire of three German bril-
gades, supported by a brigade of ar
tillery.
The evening of the fifth day, not hav
ing slept an hour in 12o, they still
found the courage to charge with the
bayonet and put to fight a regiment
| OF Pomeranian rifiemen who were adyanc-
ing under the cover of a. terrific ar
tillery fire to force the passage. When
| 1t was over. of the LOO. there re-
manned barely 700. The commanding
officer, Verlet-Hanus, had been killed.
and twenty of his officers died at his
side One of the companies which, on
strict orders. had evacuated Sauzy, was
reduced to fifty men, with one wounded
ohicer and two other dying officers The
| sacrifice had not been useless, for the
stand they made had protected the re-
treat of the bulk of the troops, and the
fomeranians abandoned pursuit.