Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1914-09-23
TITANIC STRUGGLE AROUND CHARLERO|
AND MONS TOLD FROM ALLIES SIDE

NOPSSiGi SdOlC 10 nc S0ICdSO
Tribune from correspondent whose
information was obtained from Brit |
lsh and French sources.)
Boulogne.-When the history OF the |
tremendous struggle in the neighbor- |
hood of Mons and Charleroi-a titanic |!
combat lasting five days-is written !
the historian will pen perhaps the |
most glorious chapter which has ever |!
been or ever will be added to the his |
tory of British and French arms.
When in the course OF time we are |
able to weigh up all the features OF |
that stupendous combat. in which were |
! locked the vast stern forces OF Prus- |
sian military autocracy and the pick of |
| British and French military strength, !
| the forces of freedom. when We know |
the gain and loss the tragedy and hero
ism of it all, there will shine resplen-
IDENTITY forth stirring story of mar
! tial glory which will 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 n 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
that could be brought iLIo action.
Meets the British Wounded.
(Here the correspondent takes up
his story of q meeting with the Brit
! ish wounded) !
II was all so quietly said could not
help casting my eyes again over the
trim. khakiclad figure of the little
soldier who had come through that
ghastly ordeal. come through it TO tell
me in a few short hours afterward
that he was eager to be with the
forces at the front again. And" he
added II shall have to go to England
without n cap. A shrapnel bullet
knocked mine of in the darkness"
turned to his companion. Yes"
he said, that's the story. 1t was the
first time the German artillery really
got at us. AS a rule. their big gun
fire was mighty poor, though they did
go 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 II was
really astounding what they could
miss. / think we can beat everybody
at Workmanship"
and the British artillery" | asked.
Why, it was magnificent. If there
had only been more Of it, Eut there
the Germans got us. AS it was, it
was perhaps good deal more than
they ever expected.
"On one OCCASION think it was
late on MOnday-we held a position
about 500 or 500 yards from the Ger
man lines. We could see them quite
clearly. They were mostly standing
up. Fresh troops, | think they were,
being brought up for another attack.
The order was given us to fix bay
onets. 1t was evidently to be n charge
the thing wo 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
3ayonets flashing. for they went down
on their faces. If there is one thing
they fear it is a bayonet attack There
! developed suddenly a hail OF bullets
and the order to charge did not come.
We retired a 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 It cost us
lot, too
AT one time early next day we
| got within a couple of hundred yards /
OF their dead ! am sure we must
have nearly wiped out those in front /
Of US
Flight RACES Furlously.
From others have gathered how fu- .
| riously for days the 1ght ragged against /
| the French forces ON the right OF the /
/ British. The English soldiers speak /
in highest praise OF Che coclness IN
| der fire Of the French infantry.
/ I'm the end. however. the ferceness .
| Of the successive Onslaughts was too .
/ much for the exhausted French troops /
against whom tine cyer-fresh forces Of /
/ tho enemy were hurled II was here
| indeed that Che long encounter was
really decided Gradually weight told /
J. .t.-T