Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-09-09
TITANIC STRUGGLEAR0UND CHARLERO|
AND MONS TOLD FROM ALLIES SIDE.

utoTn1AIloU wa OpIdsHS0 tIVUl oTtk.
lsh and French sources.o VA,
Boulogne.-When the history Of the
tremendous struggle in the neighbor-
hood of Mons and Charleroi-a titanic
combat lasting five days-is written
the historian will pen perhaps the
most glorious chapter which has ever
been or ever will be added to the his
tory of British and French arms.
When in the course of time we are
able to weigh up all the features of
that ~stupendous combat, in which were
locked the vast stern forces of Prus-
sian military %autocracy and the pick Of
British and French military strength,
the forces of freedom; when we know
the gain and loss the tragedy and hero
ism Of it all, there will shine resplen-
IDENTIFY forth a stirring story of mar
tial glory which will make It matter
but little which way the advantage
went. ~
Gathers Story From Soldiers.
From the lips Of those who took
part in it, from the wounded out of
the battle of giants, from the refugees
who fed from their blurred and black
ened homesteads and their villages de-
voured by fire and shattered by shell,
I have during the last two days heard
enough to be able to piece together
the story OF a struggle which dwarfs
all the decisive battles of the world.
It was a fight against the finest &C
horts OF the kaiser, endeavoring to
crush their way through the allies
lines by sheer weight Of numbers, aid
ed by all the strength of the artillery
that could be brought into action.
Meets the British Wounded.
Il (Here. the correspondent takes up
his story Of a meeting with the Brit
lsh wounded.)
1t was all so quietly said I could not
help casting my eyes again over the
trim, khaki-clad figure Of the little
soldier who had come through that
CHASTITY ordeal, come through it to tell
me in a few short hours afterward
that he was eager to be with the
forces at the front again. "And," he
added, IT shall have to goSto England
without cap. "a shrapnel bullet
Knocked mine OF in the darkness"
l turned to his companion. YES"
he said, that's the story. 1t was the
first time the German artillery&really
got at us. AS a rule, their big gun
fire was mighty poor, though they did
go in for quantity. In the trenches
we used to watch the German gunners
trying to hit conspicuous parts of
Mons, and every time they missed we
gave them a cheer which they could
hear. @ 3,<.
Work Of the Artillery. Ss
"They are not shots, either. It was
really astounding what they could
miss. I think-we can beat everybody
at craftsmanship"
"And the British artillery?"I asked.
3 "tWhy, it vas magnificent. lfthere
had only been more of it. But there
the Germans got JUS. AS it Was,,s 1t
was perhaps a good deal more than
they v e expected. i5G&&5$E !.
ION one OCCASION think it was
late on Monday-we held a position
about 500 or 600 yards from the Ger
man lines. We could see them quite
clearly: They were mostly standing
up. Fresh troops, I think they were,
being brought up for another attack.
''The order was given us to fix bay
onets. 1t was evidently to be a charge
thing we especially had been
waiting for. In the sunlight u bay
onets flashed and we waited for or
ders.
Hail Of Bullets Comes.
THE Germans must have seen our
b~ayonets flashing, for they went down
on their faces. If there is ono thing
they fear it is a bayonet attack There
suddenly a hail Of bullets !
and the order to charge did not come.
I'VE retired a little way after that
and before night fell advanced toll
much the same position again. Just as
darkness came we could see theI
ground well in front OF US simply lit
tered with German dead. It cost us
lot, too.
cat one time early next day we
got within a couple Of hundred yards
Of their dead. I am sure we must
lave nearly wiped out those in front
Of u.s. 81 n
Fight RACES FuriousIy. Il
From others I have gathered how fu-
for days the fight ragged against
the French forces on the right of theI
British. The English soldiers speak
in highest praise Of the GOODNESS un-
der fire OF the French infantry.
In the end, however, the ferceness
Of the successive onslaughts was too
much for the exhausted French troops,
against whom the ever-fresh forces Of
the enemy were hurled. It was here.
indeed that the long encounter was
really decided. Gradually weight told
weight of regiments and OF artillery.
With magnificent heroism the men
held their positions. II they gave a
yard the enemy bought it at tremen-
dous cost. But they we're ready and
prepared to pay it, and pay it they
did. q Il
The final order to retire came. Slow
the French positions or the right
Of the British were given up through
out Tuesday. 4A H. @
200 Hold Back 5000. Il
London.-A British correspondent
from Boulogne writes: II
It has taken the British expeditions
ary force just four days to shatter the
illusion which has been drummed into
every German that the fighting quail
tiles Of British troops arc negligible
beside the mighty race whose bust
ness is a
The uhlan liz at least a wiser man
aala nnlHAlN NEHn L