The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1914-09-03
By FRANKLIN P. MERRIck.
international News Service.

4 -
bodies lying on Belgian soil aroun'
Charleroi show the ferecity with which
the allied French and British troops
opposed the wave of German troops
that rolled them over and drove then
! back to France
For ten hours the tide Of battle
ehbed and flowed at Charleroi. the
town being taken and retaken five
times before the allies withdrew.
Part of the city was wrecked, &C
ccrding to reports received by the wal
Office. The villages Of Marchiennes,
Monceau, Chatelet and Landelies were
| burned.
| Citizens Killed.
Though the inhabitants of the peace
| full little villages had been warned
that the conflict was coming, scores
remained in their homes and persisted
in the flames or were killed under the
rain Of shot and she'll that swept the
streets when they were driven from
the-shattered structures.
Fierce hand to hand fighting took
place in Charleroi. The French were
the first to occupy the town, but they
were driven out by bombardment
from the German artillery. The Ger
mans then entered by the left bank
Of the river Sambre, but within a
short time more of the allies troops
arrived and the conflict was renewed.
The Germans sought cover in the
houses in the lower part of the town
and to dislodge them the French
were forced to sweep that section with
their artillery
Wounded Fill Town.
The lower part of the town was soon
in flames and the Germans were
forced into the streets. Back and forth |
through these surged the contesting |
soldiers, fighting desperately for vic
tory. The dead lay thick when the |
French were finally forced to with
draw
For three days wounded soldiers
have been pouring into Maubeuge.
The monastery and nunnery there are
filed. The inhabitants have given
up their homes to the wars victims.
On Sunday the Germans drove the
French troops through the town Of
Charleroi back to the second de-
ensive position on the line defined by
he towns of Avesnes, Rocroi and Me
heres.
Recaptured by French.
The French artillery from the
heights now turned a furious cannon
lding on Charleroi, which had been
'ombarded previously by the Germans /
rom the other side. The German po-
ition was so weakened by the deadly E,
ccuracy of the French gunnery that a
ounter attack by the allies was or :
cred and at daylight on Monday the
ntire line advanced, charged the Ger |
nan position and recaptured Charleroi. {
The conflict probably was unequaled I
n history in severity and casualties.
he Germans must have succeeded in
ringing up reserves, for early on 9
tuesday, they made successful coun- +
7r attack along the whole battle line :
nd retook Charleroi, driving the !
rench back to an intrenched position, .
hich they held until the morning of y
lie second day. =
Retreat In Good Order. Il
The retreat was made in good or r
er, the main forces of the French re- =
aiming intact. $
Both armies suffered terrific losses.
he battle has not yet finished. =
The German catapult is hammering I
the French and British allies again,
ying to batter its relentless way to
arts. There is desperate fighting
ong the Belgian frontier at several [
'ints, and French victories are re- F
'rted at two places, Charleroi and tt
ourtrai, though nothing official has b
'en given out h
Turcos Charge Battery.
At the beginning Of the combat. the | tt
rench made sortie in a medieval
amer, with the object of surprising G
e enemy. The latter were found in t,
mber far exceeding the French ex- W
Citations, and the attempt to rout a.
EN- failed te
Then the Turcos, In the face of a m
thering fire, charged a German bat OF
~ at the point Of the bayonet. Five
ndred of these brave French SOL W
ers from North Africa left on the W
arge. Only 100 returned d1
Their sortie had no effect against al
steady German advance, which tn
to creep step by step
rough the outskirts of Charleroi. "a
Before the railway station the Ger
ms fought for two hours in an effort
capture the bridge Their losses
re enormous, but the bridge was
otured. 70
French Beaten Rapidly. pr
After the Teutonic advance over
elmed the bridge, the Germans of
ned ground rapidly, taking in sue pr
's1on the villages of Marchiennes, Oh
ndelis and Montignies and the coun- TEL
as far as Walcourt. tn
later the French artillery opened GU