Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-12-28
CHASSEURS HAVE
DONE GOOD WORK
FOR THE ALLIES
Agile, Wiy Troops, Differed
by Young and Vigorous
Men, Valuable Factor in
War Against Germany.

Nancy, France. Dec. .. - Civilians
who seek striking evidence of war.
must go several miles out of Nancy.
toward the Lorraine frontier. The VII
lage of B. Is the center of a divi-
sion OF French cavalry which particle
pated In the first marches on Sarre-
burg at the beginning of August. In
the retreat which followed. In the op-
erations In the region of Luneville-
then In the Woevre. to come back H.
nally TO the first theater OF its sx-
PLOTS. At present this indefatigihle
division is at rest, though ID sends pa
trolls and accommodating parties ev-
cry day In all directions and makes
raids upon the German lines of COM
municaton.
Never Charged German Cavalry.
1t is a curious exemplification of the
characteristics of modern warfare that
this division. though constantly fight
ing for four months. never has had
occasion to charge the German cav
airy. The chief object of the mounted
troops In the region had been To pre-
vent troops of the Germans being de-
tached for use elsewhere.
1t Is here also that the sight of the
deep blue uniform of the Alpine chas-
seur is most familiar. These wiry
agile and enduring troops have rem
dered valuable service in this war
Passing through a forest Of the Vos-
ges, coming suddenly into a little
clearing. one sometimes sees a for
midable rush of moving mass in blue,
which stops abruptly here and there
and rushes on again. II is a battal-
ion Of the Alpine chasseurs camping
in the region, reposing for the mo-
ment, but tirelessly continuing its ex-
ercises. In order not to get out OF
training
The officers Of these troops are very
young men, but well selected, for they
are always In the advance guard, aud
more often than the troops coming
behind, are obliged TO resort to an
intelligent initiative. Here. within
sight of the Hohneck-a crest of the
Vosges--that these chasseurs carried
at the beginning of the war by gal
liant charge, they are like boys At
play--seemingly unconscious of the
booming of the cannon that continues
over the mountains in the direction
of Thanh. Their losses have been Sc
we're. The battalion camping here in
the clearing has left 300 dead, includ-
ing ten officers, and 700 wounded, in
Guiding fourteen officers, in the field
of battle. The voids have been filled
with new recruits taken from the
bases. young men only and some OF
them of the class of 1914. but all OF
them made OF the same hardy, wiry
stuff that is required for an Alpine
chasseur.
Cover Themselves With Glory.
In the retreat of the French army
from upper Alsace. these troops COW
cred themselves with glory. especially
the Thirteenth and Twenty-second
regiments, supported by two regi
ments of cavalry fighting on foot.
These four regiments protected the
retreat of the entire fourteenth army
corps They had pushed over the
crest of The Vosges at BOnhomme and
at a critical stage of the operations,
received the order to defend the Peak
of Mandray, the possession of which
was necessary in order to assure the
safety of the artillery of the retreat
ing army For five long days, LOO
strong, they remained there under the
fire of three German brigades, sup
ported by a brigade of artillery.
The morning of the filthy day, not
having slept an hour of the l2O, they
still found the courage to charge with
the bayonet and put to flight a regl-
ment of Pomeranian riflemen VINO
were advancing under the cover OF a
terrific artillery fire to force the pas
sage. When it was over, OF the 1,t00
there remained barely 700. The com
manding officer. Violet Hanus, had
been killed and twenty of his OFFICERS
died at his side One of the com
panies. which on strict orders, had
evacuated Sauzy. was reduced to flfty
men, with one wounded officer and
two other dying officers. The sacri-
flee had not been useless, for the
stand they made protected the re-
treat of the bulk of the troops and the
Pomeranians abandoned the pursuit.