The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-09-13
TAKES GOOD AIM
AT LIVING TARGETS
French Soldier Tells How He
Shoots and Watches Effect
of His Bullet.
HIS STORY OF REAL BATTLE
Widest Phantasy Cannot Imag-
inc Such Horrors as Men
Are Forced to Endure.

scriptionn of the terrific nghting in
France. where the British and French
allies have battled for many days
against the Germans. arc beginning 10
reach London In letters from soldiers
AT the front. The following admirable
story OF actual battle Is contained in
a latter from wounded Frcnchmnn
TO an English friend here:
At ah, in the Held hospital nov. with
n nice lIttle hole In my left shoulder.
through which n bullet OF one OF the
War Lords military subjects has
pnssed. NY shoulder feels much rs II
some playful Joker has touched It with
a lighted cigar. Tomorrow / shall
be quite right again. but the wound
had TO be washed and dressed by n
pretty little dress maker called nurse
who is so sweet and lovely and kind
hearted that one should like 10 get
wounded for the sole purpose OF being
nursed By her.
"Badinago apart. those nursex have
fearful time. 1 wonder when they
have timo TO rest. Day and night they
arc busy, and when you ask them:
Arc you not exceedingly tiredY they
just smile. and with a laugh In their
Dyes they make nome comic reply
They are real heroincu. and It is not
merely our physical auncrings which
they mitigate. Cod bless them.
That wound. or rather tho com
pulsory Inactiveness which results
from It. affords me n splendid oppor-
tunity OF recording some details OF
tho battle For. although have
changed NY dear journalistic fountain
pen for rife. which. b. the way. can
be AS sharp ar q nib 'Guand ~ NETS Ia
railonge' twhon TX the hayoneD. the
Germans have not yet succeeded In
opening my reporters vein. and. queer
enough. during the battle was, often
interested in II, both as a soldier and
as "A prcssinaD,
Our army marched along broad.
sunny road. bordered either slde
ny n vast, cultivated plain. on which
from distance to distance little groups
of harvesting peasant girls and old
men were busy, as II they lived IN the
most peaceful region OF the most peace
full OF countries.
Army LIKE HUGE
SERPENT on ROAD
Here and there the horizon was Dor
tcreI BY hill ranges and right in front
of us. and somewhat 20 the left. the
wooded crcsts OF other hills wern dis
cernible Sometimes when we reached
an elevation OF the road looked back
ward upon the army. which was Ike
huge serpent. covering the roed over
distance of many miles. II was q great
view, quite. quite different from e. re-
view and have never seen anything
so impressive For this was not
,ucrc show, as military review is,
but these men were to be engaged IN
part OF an action on which the fate of
nations would depend. and the WAY IN
Mh1cn tnOSe men WOulu lui.ll t94t4E
task might be of the greatest import
ance to the result of the battle and
future movements and des!gnn.
And one felt that these rnosses OF
men were determined 10 do their ut
moot This was not dull. low spirited
army. going to the front 10 aght be
cause they were ordered TO- but be-
cause they wanted 10. They were no
stern, grave faces. or they would not
be French soldiers; nor We're they
bright and lively and happy and brave.
governed by a powerful desire TO win,
and gifted with an almost superhumen
power OF determination. There was
such a splendid enthusiasm.
There was still another important
factor, which adds no little 10 the ef-
nciency OF the army. The commissar.at
1. perfect: all these men are excellenty
equipped; eIcellenity looked after.
They have everything they want, md
they have It without delay. That In
What keeps the soldiers spirits up and
makes them confident. And we are CON
1dent.
Near "A crossing q halt is made =
meal Is served out to us. and We learn
that another division Is going 10 Join
us. They are fast approaching. and
soon after we march on again. IN the
distance. on our left, q veil OF dust
hovere above the field. and Our ears
are caught by tho noise Of moving
feet. Every now and again u glimpse
may be caught of the body of an army
marching In what seems to be n d.
reotion parallel with ours It Is
rumored that :hey are British troops,
but nobody knows except the com
Inanders, and they keep silent. All we
learn from our officers is that the dis
,ant' troops are part OF the allied force,
but whether they are British. French
or Belgian is not disclosed to u.s.
DISPATCH RIDERS
GALLOPISG PAST
Dispatch riders arc gRlloping past.
We ordered to accelerate cur
march: the division commanders Join
their chief; various orders arc passed.
and instead of Keeping TO the highway.
part Of our army has to cross tho field
in diagonal direction. Since come
time the rattling OF volleys is audible
Then at distance. which seems not
50 far or. heavy detonatlon of n gun
is heard, II takes some time before
smother gunshot is fred, but then tho
dctonations arc heard mt intervals OF
about minute from the direction OF
tho hills i'm front OF us. We are me,
by more dispatch riders, and now we
hurry across the field and I'D the
slopes OF the hills.
Arrived on the crest, we drop our
selves. and there, right In front OF us.
on the opposite hills. and making for
the plain between them are the enemy,
= engaged in fight with the division Of
the allied troops. ] can distinctly SEQ
the German artillerymen moving about
the guns on the hilltops and the slopes:
see a mighty fash from ono Of the
guns battles, the heavy report Is re-
echoed by the surrounding hills.
1T Is strange. but In the face OF
death and destruction catch myself
trying to make out where tho shell has
fallen. as if I wore an Interested spec
tator at rifle competition. And 1 was
rot the only one. saw many curious
faces around me. bearin Expressions
full OF interest, just rs if the owners
OF the respective faces formed the au-
ditorium OF highly fascinating thoa-
trical performance, without having TO
do with the play itself. The Impression
crossed my mind In one-thousandth part