The Hayti herald. (Hayti, Mo.) 1908-1922, 1914-09-17


the graphic account by Field Marshal
Sir John French of the heroic fight
made by the British expeditionary
force to keep from being annihilated.
Like wildcat pursued by hounds, the
British force backed stubbornly to-
ward the River Disc, constantly show
ing its teeth, but realizing that 1t must
attain the river or perish.
Text of the Report.
The report is published in the Lon
don Gazette, the official organ. 1t is
as follows:
"The transportation Of the troops
from England by rail and sea was ef-
fected in the best order and without
check. Concentration was practi-
'cally completed on the evening of Fri
day, August 21, and I was able to
make dispositions to move the force
during Saturday to positions l con-
sidered most favorable from which to
commence the operations which Cen
eral Joffre requested me to under
take"
General French then described in
detail the position taken up by his
forces at and on the, east and west
of Mons, and the retirement of the
center behind Mons on Sunday, Au-
! gust %. He continues:
Surprised by Joffre's Message.
Meanwhile, about five in the after
noon, l received a most unexpected
message from General Joffre by tele-
graph, telling me that at least three
German corps were moying on my
position in front and that another
corps was engaged in turning move
ment from the direction Of Journal.
He also informed me that the two re-
serve French divisions and the Fifth
French army corps on my right were
retiring, the Germans having on the
previous day gained possession of the
passage of the Sambre between
Charleroi and Namur.
Had Reserve Position Ready.
''In view of the possibility of my
being driven from the Mons position
I had previously ordered position in
the rear to be reconnoitered.
"When the news of the retirement
of the French and the heavy German
threatening on my front reached me
endeavored to confirm it by aeroplane
reconnaissance and as a result of this
determined to effect retirement tC
the Maubeuge position at daybre&k or
the oath.
Fighting on the oath.
"a certain amount of fighting con
tiued along the whole line Throughout
the night and at daybreak the 24tt
the second division from the neigh
borhood of Harmignies made :. power
} full demonstration as If to retak'
; Binche. Under cover of this demon
: stration the Second corps retired ol
the line of Dour, Quarouble ant
, right of the corps suffered consider
, able loss in this operation from th
) enemy who had retaken Mons.
"Tne Second corps halte. on thi
: line, where they intrenched them
t selves, enabling Sir Douglas Haig wit
: the First corps to withdraw to tn
t new position and he effected this with
: out much further loss. reaching tn
line from Bavay to Maubeuge abou
, seven IN lne evening.
e about 1880 in the morning Genera
n Allenby received message from 81
G Charles Ferguson, commanding th
r fifth division, saying he was very har
G pressed and in urgent need Of SUI
t port On receipt of this message Gel
!. eral Allenby drew in his cavalry an
y end favored to bring direct support
the fifth division.
l. Re-Enforcements Brought UE
t. "The Nineteenth infantry brigad
II which had been guarding the line
n communications, was brought by ra
ir to Valenciennes on the 22d and 23
On the morning of the oath they wei
of moved out to position south
Quarouble to support the left far
I'd of the Second corps.
le with the assistance Of cavall
Is Sir Horace Smith Dorrien was e
n abled to effect his retreat to ne
TO position, although having two cor
of the enemy on his front and ol
r. threatening his flank. He suffer-
ir great losses in doing So.
n "At nightfall position was occ
to of Bavay, the First corps to the rigl
ell The right was protected by the fl
tress of Maubeuge, the left by t
Nineteenth brigade in positions
Ia tween Jenlain and Bruay and by ca
al airy on the outer flank. The Fren
at were still retiring and / had no 81
n port except such as was afforded
on the fortress of Maubeuge. and det
ID mined efforts of the enemy to {
he around my flank assured me that
ct. was his intention to hem me agaiI
to that place and surround me.
OF Not Moment to Be Lost.
We 81 felt that not a moment must
he lost in returning to another positi
OK The retirement was resumed in [
he early morning of the 25th to pc
he ton in the neighborhood of LeCate
ck, and the rear guard was ordered to
as clear of Maubeuge and Bavay by 8