Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-17
TALES OF BRAVERY
BY ALLIES WILL Be
PRECIOUS HERITAGE
Uounded Private Tells of
Queens Bays Daring in
Meeting German Attack.
Engineers Sacrificed at
Bridge,
Ru A. j. RoRKE

A,o that the details OF the WonuerIul ano
,..t,o endurance of the troops Of the
-u,es, forces in the present campaign will
,.or he properly written, but they will
,ir In the hearts of the French and
Iii he handed down from father to son
:. ,hs villages and towns around which
onr men are battling for the freedom OF
Europe.
Nost Of the regiments will be able to
.r,broder into their coors the names OF
n.,v historic fights, but hardly any will
~ obIe to hand down such stoties as the
socond Dragon Guards and the Queens
p0vs will transmit to their future re-
oruts
1ters IL the story that was told to me
Nv Private Bryant as he lay wounded in
the hospital ship:
"r don't lust remember the date. We
h,ye not had time to think of dates lately.
Dat II was lust over a week ago. We
,rsre somewhere in the neighborhood of
G, onentin. We had been fighting all
dow We had picketed and watered our
horses and late that night thought we
hod seen the last Of the Germans for a
time. ,.-.
"In the morning, however. the Colonel
ssve orders to saddle. We jumped on
mir horses and at the same moment
sbells began to burst overhead. Our
horses s,arnpeded. The enemy's sharp
sbooters were already in position, and
while we were recapturing our horses
shrapnel canister shots and bullets we're
making the air sing around us.
FIELD ARTILLERY IS DELAYED.
1.-THE German artillery fire Increased in
Intensity We began to wait anxiously
for our own Royal Field Artillery to get
into position. 1t was delayed by the fact
that the battery horses were being wa
tered.
Something had to be done, so we got
the Maxims up, despite the whitening
fre Our boys soon got busy. 1t would
have done YOU good to see how calmly
and quietly they went about their work.
our men realized the meaning Of their
lob. It was to hold on until the artillery
came up. In other words, 1t was to save
the regiment from annhilaton. Within
A few minutes they were sending some
5000 shots in so many seconds among the
Germans.
Then the artillery arrived We had
four guns against II for the Germans,
but some Of those II were silenced.
1T was not IOnB DeIOTe tne Bays were
itching to charge. Almost before they
expected It the bugle sounded and they
we're off, hell for leather at the enemy's
guns.
THE net result Of that little scrap was
the capture of II Krupp guns and many
prisoners"
Unfortunately, Bryant was left wounded
on the field and was made a prisoner
by the Germans. He lived for five days
~ ~
would supply him. On the fifth day a
detachment Of French cavalry arrived,
rescued the prisoners and captured the
German troopers who were guarding
them.
THE Brltishers were taken to Peronne,
where they were cared for by the
French"
BRITISH BATTERY WIPED OUT.
Bryant told me that In the action OF
st. Quentin of an entire British battery
engaged but II men were left alive.
CASTOR Bossier, a private in the Sixth
Curasslers, who Is known In civil life
as Darlno, a lyric artist at the Coincide
Franchise and a favorite of the Parish
ennes, tells the following story, which
seems almost an eclipse of the blowing
up OF the Delhi Gates.
Bosser, lying wounded in Normany,
with gestures, but falls back Eroanng:
by shrapnel, tells the story in true Gallic
manner. He tries to rise and illustrate
with gestures, but falls back groaning.
We were together. the Cuiraissiers of
france and the English Royal Engineers,
as We retreated across the Aisne at Sois-
sons, The Germans advanced rapidly,
irving to rush masses of soldiers across.
Bridge after bridge had to be blown
up, The German sharpshooters were
nrlhg at us from n clump of trees and the
lUallleuses were working havoc among
the allies.
Suddenly a party of English engineers
tushcd toward the bridge. They lost
heavily, but succeeded In landing powder
,S,uncient to destroy 1t. Before they could
Hgnt 1t all Of them were killed. We waited
while another party OF your brave engi-
neers crent near the bridge. They took
10 cover, but the Germans got their range |
ana continued deadly fire.
ENGINEERS OFFER UP LIVES.
Then We Frenchmen watched what we
must remember to our dying day. One
engineer suddenly dashed at one OF the |
'uses' He was killed before half way |
'"ere' second followed and fell almost
upon the body of his comrade. A third,
s1a1tess ,neiCIiess German fire and met the same
SSsa'n' In the same way each followed
''s 49,, comrades until II had been killed.
t"e Ierman fire seemed to slacken
roa ru an instant and In that time the bridge
.,'u "as Dlown up, for the 18th man, dashing
.s'oss az the space lined with the bodies
4. ~ hls friends, reached the fuse and
.snled It, The bridge exploded with a
,Oe ,Oar as the engineer fell before the Ger
man rife shots"
,ou n0ssler was prisoner OF the Germans
n H. noihe time but was rescued by the
-T;"slsh' TasIi He told me shocking details of
Ii,nn nah cruelties which he personally
r'asssed !, as He himself. although wounded
n .,,,t sne leg was dragged on his knees
IN Ans ms hands tied behind him while
5scI egr thrust his lance against his
M, Drivers OF transport wagons often
n y. a. MIN with their whips as he passed.
,bat.@ was thrown into cellar at Neuf-
1asrd ana was almost starved when he
,nsat', nshIlns on the streets and voices
.Boran English He was Just strong
notsh ma TO call "Au secours" and was res