The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1914-11-05
STORY OF FIRST
GREAT BATTLE
borrors Of War Depicted 10
Fighting on Msusa.
VALLEY CHOKED WITH SLAIN

"A German Victory, but q German
Graveyard" Says One Correspondent
kaissrs Soldiers Laudsd For "Ex-
traordinary Tsnaeity" When Bridges
Wers Blown UP, Cutting on Retreat.
Philip Gibbs OF the New York Times
London Chronicle war service tells
. gripping story OF the French retire
ment when the Germans advanced
from Namur down the valley Of the
Geuse. winning the way at cost OF
human life as great as that Of defeat
This was the first great battle Of the
war.
''In justice TO the Germans" he says
ut must be said they were heroic In
courage and reckless Of their lives.
and the valley of the Mouse was
choked with their corpses. The river
itself was strewn with the dead bodies
of men and horses and literally ran
red with blood.
The most tremendous fighting took
place for the possession Of the bridges,
but the French engineers blew them
up one after another as they retired
southwark
Heroic Stand.
"There was a memorable encounter
mt Marville, which is one OF the most
heroic episodes Of the war. Five thou
sand French soldiers of all arms, with
quickfrers. engaged 10000 German In
fantry. In spite of being outnumber-
ed the French beat back the enemy
from point to point in fight lasting
for twelve hours.
"In accordance with the general plan
which had been decided on by the gen
erals In view of the superior numbers
temporarily pressing upon them, the
Germans succeeded In forcing their
way steadily down the Mouse as far
as Mezieres. divided by a bridge from
Charlevllle on the other side OF the
river This is In the neighborhood OF
Sedan and In the 'trou.' as 1t is called,
which led to the great disaster of 1870,
when the French were caught In a
trap and threatened with humiliation
by the Germans. who had taken pos
session of the surrounding heights.
There was to be no repetition Of
that tragedy. The French were deter
mined that this time the position
should be reversed.
Friehtfu Slaughter.
when the German outposts reached
Charleyillc they were allowed to ride
quietly across the bridges into an APP
4. a
ly their line of retreat was cut Off. the
three bridges were blown up by con
tact mine and the mitrailleuses hidden 7
In the houses were played on the Ger q
man cavalry across the streets. killing
them IN frightful slaughter. 1,
1T was for a little while sheer mas :
sacre, but the Germans fought with
extraordinary tenacity, regardless Of c
the heaped bodies of comrades and ut l
terly reckless of their own lives They,
too, had brought quick tirers across the +
bridges and. taking cover behind
houses, trained their guns upon the
houses from which the French gunners
we're firing. There was no way OF es-
ape for chose heroic men. who volun-
.arily sacrificed themselves, and 1t is
/
probable every man died. because at
'uch time the Germans were not In
he habit OF giving quarter.
The occupation of CharlevIle was
German victory. but was also a
German graveyard. After this historic
pisode In what has been an unending
attic the main body OF French with
rev before the Germans, who were
ow pouring down the valley.
1T was retirement which has had
ne advantage in spite of its acknowl-
dgment Of the enemy's amazing per-
nacity. 1t enabled the allied armies
} draw closer together, its front sweep
~ around in a crescent from Able
ille, around south of Amiens, and
hence in an irregular line to the east
IN frontier"