Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-27
ALBERT. IS RECAPTURED
AFTER FRENz|ED CHARGE
Falls Before Troops of Allies After
One OF Wars Most Dasl,ing
Attacks.
cHAssEun TELLS THE STORY
Mounted on Little Arab Steeds They
tide Headlong Into Ranks of Inn
perial Prussian Guard and Put
Them to Flight.
ny pAT,ICK DE DATHE.

u nave just obtained further particu-
lars OF the magnificent charge by the
Chasseurs a. Antique. by which the al
lies retained possession of Albert The
Germans attacked Albert time and
again wish great fcroclty. The busy
Industrial town was reduced to a mass
OF ruins by the bombardincnt
In order to dislodge the enemy 1t was
found necessary to have recourse to a
vigorous c0untcrattack. AT the same
time great masses OF German cavalry
wcr" reported to be abou; five miles
from Albert,
The French staff sen: forward "A reg
iment OF chasseurs a. Antique to meet
this cavalry body. which proved to be
the Prussian Dragons of the Guard.
The PruSaians were threatening the
french line OF communication with
Aveluy.
The gallant chasseurs, mounted upon
their little Arab stccds. advanced along
the road to Becoriel. From this point
quote from the words of chasseur
OF the party. now In the hospital:
w" rode through little wood In
+" ditch We saw the figure OF man
lying face downwards in such a natural
position that he looked as though me
wss asleep. Two OF us dismoun;cd
and. on turning him ever, discovnred
him to be uhlan. who had been
shot ia the head at close quarters, and
could not have been dead long W..
were puzzled, none OF our people
had been out ia this direction. How
ever. We left him there. and followed
OH. We all felt as calm possible, and
were eager - measure our strength
against the dragons of the Imperial
Guard. At 4 mile or two, from Las
Basscile we made a halt. Our colonel
held a council OF war with his officers.
Let us Are at them FIRST. before
charging said the captain OF the third
squadron. which was mine.
No replied the colonel. our orders
were exhct.' and. drawing his sword.
lie cried. 'hllons, mes enfants"
The colonel turned In his saddle.
looking ut us all. and. rising in his
stirrups. waved his sword. II was a
gesture which might be regarded as
'banal at nanoeuvres. but on this
casior there seemed nothing out of
place about Il, as he shouted In a voice
OF thunder:
Escrdrons. gardc voas pour
charger. sabre main. au trot-au gnlop
--marchc"
The busies sounded the charge, and
NIL the officers repeated the words OF
command.
The spiri: OF all the men was splen-
did. We all felt this was a supreme
moment. on we went Our dear lit
tie mounts broke into q gallop Of their
own accord. They seemed equally with
L.,
drunkenness Of battle was upon US all.
Rapidly the distance between us
and the foe was diminished; II was
not long before we came we'll In sight
OF the cnemys lines. 1t was "A solid
compact line. apparently motionless.
but which. nevertheless, was advancing
towards US At walb. as II they felt
certain OF victory against our onrush-
ing torrent.
We got close together and had our
Inn n in, GAytr fAnk I'll
our stirrups right up to the heel, our
spurs into the TANKS of our mounts
our swords grasped in our left hand,
our carbines in the right. we approach
cd rapidly a great cry went up:
Charge. Charge:
Who gave that cry?" All of us.
From every throat came the word:
from us all frantic hurrahs were shout
ed as we bore down upon the enemy
on wont our carbines at the same
time; they were soon laid aside, and
We seized swords from our left
hand. At the thrust we charged, side
by side. into the living wall which
confronted us. Indescribable cries. the
ciashing Of steel upon steel. the sQucal-
ing o: horses followed. Then began
the lust for slaughter and the groan-
ing of tho wounded.
I'm my turn I hacked at q breach for
myself and drove into tho struggling,
,S;sWaying mass. cutting right and left.
EicN away ny INC TURMOIL, nelpln8
r'With n mad frenzy my comrades TO
NOV down the enemy like ripened corn.
The drag oons OF the guard fell around
us leaving many rlderiess horse,
which tore here. there and everywhere,
adding to the confusion and panic
amongst the enemy. Like an ava
lanche. we broke through right to the
rear of the German lines; the Imperial
Dragons crumpled up before us. most
of them galIoped OF, tho rest lay upon
the ground dead and wounded. while
many a horse trotted of, his head high
in the air. with bleeding TANKS. carry
ing away the limp figure OF q motion
less rider.
Suddenly n rattle is heard; IL Is the
machine guns OF the enemy opening
fire upon us and the German artillery
is seen coming into action. We imme-
diately broke out into open order.
changing our front. and at the same
time we heard the reply from our own
artillery beginning. whilst to our LETT
and right our infantry attack was de-
veloping so rapidly that the German
artillery. fearing to be outfnnked, re-
tired upon Guillemont.
"Since that day Albert has no longer
been bombarded, and when our 'piou
pious' pass by Labasselle, they say
with enthusiasm:
cts just here we ate UP tho ORA
goons of the Imperial Guard!"