Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1914-09-30
BY GEORGE DRU.
international News Service,


British in the great battle of the
Marne:
The troops had marched since dawn
through country of fields and com
Portable farm houses. AS the after
noon wore on they could see the foe
had been driven back from positions
recently held. On all sides began to
appear stretches of charred waste and
broken, gaunt walls, relics of happy
homes-even church on the edge of
village given to the flames, and tomb
stones trampled under foot
AS the march was renewed the tenn
per of the men exhibited a distinct
change. There was no more whistling,
no more light banter Each mans face
was set and determined. AS night
drew near the rumbling of guns was
audible In the distance. Then came a
galloper on a foam-spattered horse
bearing dispatches to the general. At
ter delivering the dispatches he mount
ed fresh horse and disappeared into
the darkness.
Still the khaki-clad wave marched
on, every mile bringing the sound of
heavy firing nearer. Toward midnight
a squad of cavalry came into touch on
the right, and little later the men
were in what they soon discovered
was to be the firing line.
Trenches Dug at Night.
The army came to halt, but hard
er things than blankets were in store.
Gallopers came flying from nowhere
and were as quickly dispatched into
the darkness. After a wait of no long
duration the men dug trenches and
threw up breastworks to be ready for
the coming fray.
Daylight showed in front of an al
most level stretch of open country,
backed up by belt of growing tim
Der, where the Germans had taken
up their position. Although none of
the foe was visible, the woods were
alive with armed men, and behind The
woods lay artillery in trenches pro-
tected by breastworks. The British
troops waited, backed up by heavy
guns in the rear. Suddenly there was
shooting in the distance, followed by
a long wall as a shell passed over
their heads, to explode with a deafen
ing roar at a safe distance from the
trench. The Germans had opened the
duel
Guns Begin to Answer.
The guns of the British soon began
to answer with greater effect. All at
once little spurts of dust were notice
able rising in front. The men in the
woods were trying to get the range,
but still our men had no orders to
fire.
One of our men, unable to control
his anxiety to use his rifle, rose from
the trenches, fully exposing himself
to the enemy's fire, only to fall back
dead
Finding themselves unable to draw
our fire, the Germans advanced in the
open, only to be met by heavy vol
ley. They quickly sought cover, and
then the fight became vigorous. With
two hours continuous fighting, the foe
returned into the heart of the woods.
German battery, thanks to information
received from a French aeropIane.
They then turned their attention to
the rifiemen in the woods and under
protection of their fire our soldiers
silenced the infantry. If it had
been a parade they could not have
shown more GOODNESS and steadiness.
Enemy Quits Thicket.
After covering most of the inter
vening space at a march they broke in
to the double and soon were in the
vicinity of the thicket. Finding our
retreated.
Our left and right flank cavalry
rounded the edge of the woods while
the infantry passed through the cen
ter of the timber. On reaching the
far side they fell into close formation
missed was not enough to fill a liquor
glass, let alone a tumbler.
Dead Germans, struggling, wounded
horses and broken guns made a thrill
ing but terrible picture. Great gashes
torn in the earth were eloquent
signs of the accuracy of British gun
merry.
At another stage of the great battle
the Germans massed near wood. The
British lay well away from them on
one side, the French under General
Pau on the other. Some desultory
firing took place and the Germans
tried to hide their real strength I'M
der cover of the forest, but the allied
commanders had been well supplied
with information and were on the
alert.
The Germans right asked for an
armistice for the purpose of attending
to their wounded and burying their
dead, but while this request was I'M
der consideration a British aeroplane
discovered the Germans were setting
i trap for the allies. Negotiations at