Grand Forks daily herald., 1914-12-28

conflict Our troops had to retreat.
The Russian loss was enormous. We
retreated across little river. blew
up the bridges, and held them on the
other side with constant battle day
and night Their loss again was
heavy, because they were attacking
and we were using shrapnel from the
cannons.
eight corps, 245,OO0 men, was in the
southern part of Ost Preussen trying
to march upwards to Koenigsberg,
but in the meantime we got a new
commanding general. Won Hindenburg
whose name will never be forgotten.
he, with five army corps, completely
annihilated the Russian 102 900
prisoners. 100000 dead and wounded.
The poor men got lost and got be-
tween lake and swamp on each side
with the German artillery in front
and rear and Zeppelins above. Pa
tents told me that their dead were
so thick that they fell against one
another and remained standing, and
in other places they covered the
ground in layers. They captured one
baggage train of wagons filled with
provisions which was forty miles long.
Just think of it.
From here our troops hurried up
north and hailed fire into the East
army. with loss that caused them to
retreat in such haste that they left
their cannons and provisions. The
poor men were on the run for three
days and nights with our army pump
ing lead into them from cannon and
machine guns. Their loss. again, was
enormous. We chased them about
80 miles over the Russian border into
their forts where our army Is at pres
ent still firing away at them.
We figure that during the last
month Russia has lost in round num-
oers 100000 men and about 1900
officers.
Yesterday l received a patient who
with six others. stormed a trench in
which were forty-five Russians. They
struck everyone of them to death and
lost only one man. The Russians are
afraid OF the bayonet and when they
see them coming on rush they SIM
ply lose their senses and do not know
what to do. The Russians are only
strong when in great majority and
have to deal with women and chill
dren. These they can kill and then
burn UP the houses.
You may have heard of the term
Cossack. Theyeare Il sort of cavalry
troops.& They are trained horsemen
and good shooters. They arc an en-
tlreiy separate organization from the
infantry. We always distinguish be-
tween Cossack and Russian, because
the latter are volunteer soldiers, and
as whole are fairly decent. but the
Cossacks are a murderous band. All
they GO is to murder women and old
men ,and burn their homes. and then
90 all the mean things possible, such
as cutting Oft the right forearm of
young boys so they cannot serve in
the army, and torturing old people.
| In one instance they caught a young
boy, punched out his eyes, bound him
on a horse and sent him home. This
gang of Is Cossacks were caught the
next day and identified. All were
given the death sentence. They were
maze TO dig their own graves, stand
IN front Of them, and then the order
was given to shoot, and they .tumbled
into their graves. There is a stand
ing order not to capture q Cossack
put that every one must be shot. I
nave some men who had a bunch of
90 and 800 Cossacks were. going to
storm them. They were in trenches
and let them approach until within
5o yards and then shot off the whole
iot OF them. Our chaps shoot TO
| XIII and make no mistake. The Rus
trained.
The public spirit Of the people is
great. The soldiers are ali anxious
to get back into field and get another
shot at the Russians, although dur
ing the battle they got nothing to eat
but bread, coffee water and what they
could snatch and fight day aud night.
| have been over the entire battle
| neld OF Ost Preussen and on a short
trip irto Russia. had one trim in
an auto, OF three days duration, I
saw many very interesting sights. The
| weather was disagreeable, but we got
through just the same.
Rave made frequent auto trips Of
~ and 80 miles to operate on severe
| cases which the attending doctor
could not handle; in this way have
had the opportunity to see quite a
Last night 1900 wounded arrived
in koenigsberg from Russia. We
| nave places for 5000 wounded in the
clty.- At-present our hospital is not
full, but We have enough to do. I
have received very good care from
the Germans. I have a raise in nav
already. but now I am getting the
maximum,
II have no idea how long this war
will last, nor how long l shall stay.
l snail stay as long as I continue to
learn new things, and until I can
speak German fluently.
Il wish you would make a news
paper article out Of portions of this
letter and send it on home SO thew
can read 1t and then send me the ar,
ticle. Your brother,
Hans.