The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-10-14
BATTLEFIELD ACTUALITIES
r OF The DAYS BEST CARTOONS

PARIS, October 5.--A photographer
| battleiields. making pictures has writ
ten the following account OF what he
saw;
l arrived at Crecy about 10 O'Clock
On Wednesday night. by bicycle from
iaris. which. with a companion. had
left at 10 O'Clock that morning. The
previous day there had been an adj :
vance guard affair between the British
and the German cavalry. which resulted
In the latter being driven out OF the
town, where the British were In occu-
patton when We arrived.
Next morning very early. me- mount
ed our bicycles again and started off in
the'direction OF la Fcrte- SOUS J ouarre,
IN perfect weather. Half an hours
pedaling brought us to little village,
st. 3landin. where we encountered the
first signs of German warmaking in
France. The village strcst was silent
and deserted. We halted outside the
only cabaret uavcrn) in the place. Tho
shutters were up. Tho door Was closed
and remained closed TO our Knocking
PocrinG through the window, VIC de-
soried woman. standing seemingly
helpless over an old woman on a couch
At our cry Of "Anglaisw the young or
woman opened the door. TO our re-
quest for anything to drink. she made
q, muto gesture of despair. She led the
way into tho house.
A scene of destruction met our eyes
The little narrow room had been ran
sacked. The rows Of bottles on shelves
behind tho long bar had been smashed
Amid this scene of desolation, the wo-
man, wife OF the innkecper, who was
with the French army, told me her sim
pie story:
Three days before squadron OF
German cavalry, with n couple of Of
ficers, arrived I'm the village. They
went to the cabaret The officers or
dcred drinks, and walked out without
paying. and the men followed their
example. After they had drunk up
everything Mt the bar they demanded
champagne, and when there was noIe-
to give-they compelled her. with
leveled revolyers, TO lead the way to
the cellar. She complied In an agony
OF dread. In the cellar the men drank
all the wine In the bottles, and then
turned their attention 10 the wine
casks. They drank as much as they
could from the tasl!s, took away pail
fuis OF the wine they could not drink
and broke up the remainder OF thr
casks, Needless OF the woman's fearful
laments. Not content with this wan
ton destruction, tho soldiers killed all
the fowls the woman kept, cut on her
water supply and finally carried off all
her winter supply of frewood.
a column OF British troops arrived
after the Germans had left. In ac-
cents Of warmest gratitude she told
me how the British officers. finding that
she and her old mother were prac-
ticaIy starving, sent soldiers with
ample supplies OF biscuits and bully
beef, and offered them money which
they would not accept. OF their own
accord the soldiers restored the water
connection and laid in fresh supply
of hrewood
Outside the village we fell in with
two British officers in II motto, car
One OF them had face familiar to
me. Then I remembered where ] had
last seen him. 1t was at the House of
Commons. The officer was Sir Mark
Sykes, NJ. r., who was on the road with
dispatches.
We passed OIL through innumerable
French villages, sad and silent all
showing signs of destruction; here and
there an old man musing at his door or
group of frightened children fleeing
at our approach, with now and then 4
knot of dumb peasants laberionsly
burying dead horses. Towards even
ing We were cycling up the long slope
leading to the village of Signy-Signets,
where roughly constructed cross
caught my eye. 1t surmountcd sim
pie grave dug on the hillside under
the shadow Of a haystack and quite
close to the road. 1t was the first Brit
ish grave we had met There was an
Understandable solemnity about the last
resting place OF this British soldier.
whose name and regimental number a
friendly hand had rudely scrawled on :,
little cross of wood.
Dusk was gathering fast when about
four miles outside La Ferte- sous-
Jouarre the sound of cannon, which
we had heard internationally all day,
became more clearly audible The
Marine runs through, the little town
which lies on either side of the stream
in a valley. AS we reached the out
skirts weird spectacle broke on our
gaze. 1t was perfect picture of war,
I'm all it's horror, In all its majesty, In.
all its picturesqueness From the hills
to the wight the British artillery was
shelling the retreating Germans on tho
other side OF the river. Tho shells
We're bursting with Jets OF flame that
broke orange in the gathering dark
ness; couple Of houses, wreathed In
flame. burned hercely. the light re-
fiected in the peaceful waters of the
Marine; which ran at our feet, past two
bridges, BLOWN up anu shattered, In
state.
When the sounds OF nr:ng had dice
away, we quietly slipped down into the
town, Complete darkness had set &C.
The Germans on retiring had cut off
the water supply and the electric light.
and tho only light In La Ferte that
night was afforded by the lamps carr