The Sentinel=record., 1914-11-07

spondence of the Associated PressD - Astride the last 3inch gun of a col umn of artillery, flanked on either side by Bayarian soldier with fixed | bayonct Monsieur Bertrand round. shouldered, white haired veteran of the war Of 1870, and deputy mayor of PontaMousson, was carried From the city as chief hostage of the Germans. in the procession which marked the end ol the occupation by toree Bavar- iau regiments.
 fouta Mousson is a quiet little town Of l2,O00 inhabitants, the possession or which was va uable to the Germans only because of it's bridge which fur nishes conyenient crossing of the Mo2elle on the road from Metz to Toul It was attacked early in the war, part. ly for this reason and partly as the re suit of the defective vision of captive balloon observers, who mistook for Qualifications the antique ruins of a castle at the village of Mcusson on dill to the east of the bridge
 The first bombardment of the town early in August was not followed up until the first days of September, when @ captive balloon appeared in the air across the river and German aeroplanes commenced maneuvering over the town They dropped 200 bombs, killing six, and wounding a great number of civilians, but it was not until the 5tn that the ringing of the toscin announced to the citizens that the Germans had appeared on tn other side of the river in force. The solemn tones of the bell were still heard when a terrific dull explosion shook the windows of almost every house; the bridge from which the town derives it's name was no more, and i'm mediately after blowing it up the French troops, in too small number to cope with the enemy, quit the town.
 The captive balloon was seen again to rise in the distance and soon after the German heavy artillery began to play on tine dilapidated antique castle on the hill During thirty-siX hours they showered great projectiles on that spot, literally pulverizing what remained of the walls, occasionally diyerting a shell to the town, after which they crossed the Moselle on an improyised bridge and rushed to the assault of the supposed fortress. which they found as quiet as the grave No French soldiers had eyer occupied if, and what tae Germans mistook for guns from their captive balloon were simply cleyerly disposed tree trunks, and the fire which replied ocCasi iOual- y to their guns to complete. the ilIu- sion, came from behind the hill
 The story of the occupation of this town is quite the sama as has been so often told of other towns. hostag- es. proclamations and acquisitions, but it did not last long. The morning of the 9th the impressive music of the French 3-inch guns was heard in the town. at inc same time a French ae- roplane was seen to dart through the sky in the direction of the captive bal. loon. which hastened to descend. These were the preiiminaries of the hattie of Dieulouatd, to which no dis patches have referred by name, but which was one of the bloodiest in the action of General Castelnau's army defending Nancy.
 A continual procession of impro1ised amhulances passed through the town toward the bridge that night, and oth- CT wagons. with a more gruesome mis- sion turned to the railroad station, where inhabitants retired to their houses by order saw loaded into all kinds of flat ears. horse cars. cattle cars. the bodies of those that fell that day at Dieulouard They were piled as hi4h as they could he packed and iu the early morning these wheeled charuel houses were hauled across the frontier toward Metz
 As for the 67th Bavarian infantry not one of this resiment was ever seen again In the streets of Ponta Monsoon and three lays later tha
 other troops of occupation left the
 town
 September 23rd the Germans made
 their last attempt to recapture Pont-
 a Mousson. ending In a charge on the IHW of Saint Geaeyieye. The French
 position at the sgmmit had been bonn barded during the morning and by
 nine o'clock the fire of the French
 seemed to have been definitely st
 fenced. The order for the assarlt was given, and to the music of the fife and
 drum, the Bavarians started up the
 slope. meeting no resistance until they
 arrived within a hundred yards Of the
 first line of trenches. Almost to a
 man the first line went down under
 the first volley that received them
 there. Others rushing on to take thei1
 places. fell over their comrades. The
 ranks came on as if those in the real
 had seen nothing of this slaughter
 and the machine guns and rifles swept
 them down. In some places it was Impossible to close the ranks because
 the piles of hodies separated them . l al.