Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-07
eermans Moved Down In streets

Germans Moved Down In Streets
Letter from Private II. p. MuHdney, Of
the Irish Guards, now IN Kings College
Hospital, TO his stoeethedrt:
We barricaded the street by pulling
carts, doors, shutters across II, and then
/ dug up the pavement. We put two
| Maxims in position and let the Germans
| roll up their masses within 20 yards. Then
we let them have II right and left until
they could not advance for their own
dead. It was a terrible sight. They must
| have lost thousands.
Speaking OF the advance from tho neigh
borhood OF Paris, Mullaney said:
| our own guns admit our advance COW
cred, so we were at the mercy of the
enemy. After some time our artillery
came up and let them have IL. l think
| Il was the Scots Greys who dashed up
| and had the pleasure of capturing the
guns the Germans left behind. We were
all filled with JOY at this success and to
know we were advancing A number OF
the enemy got into house and fired
| through the windows and doors. Our boys
soon got the measure of them and let
them have 1t In style. The Germans tried
| short dashes up the hill. They only got
a few yards when they went down to rise
no more. We took about so prisoners.
Later we got the order to n xbayonets
and charge the guns. whilst a great
thunderstorm was raging. You should
have seen the Irish Guards, Third Cold
streamers and Second Greuadiers fly
down like an avalanche, on the Kaiser's
crack reglment-the Prussian Guards. 1t
was all over in ten minutes. They ubso-
lutely stood dumfounded, with white faces
and knees trembling. / shouldn't like to
stand In front of that charge myself.
Our men were drenched to the skin. but
we didn't care; 1t only made up twice
as Wild Such daredevil pluck l was
glad to see.
Back for those guns" roared an of
ficer. "or I'll have every one of you
slaughtered" The men didn't want tell
ing twice. We proceeded to line up the
prisoners and collect the spoils. which
amounted to about $50 prisoners. six
Maxim guns and $500 rounds of ammu-
milton,
"They had snipers UP in the trees to
pick of our officers. That day we, lost
three captains and two wounded had
one bullet through my cap, and was pick
Ing II up when l was wounded in the
leg, / got sight of my man up tree
close by. / knew 1t was either him OF
me for II, so I rolled behind some cover
and took accurate aim at him. When 1
fired he came crashing down through
the trees. / made n crutch of my rife
and got down TO a schoolhouse.
Decampment at o'clock. We march
toward Pasiseul. Today is the great day
We can already hear the thunder OF
cannon. The farther We march the more
clearly we can hear the music OF the
artillery. There has. been a mistake
made here; they should have sent nearer
the battlefield yesterday. We reached
Pasiseul half dead with hunger and
utterly worn out. We received tremen-
dous enthusiasm the Inhabitants bring
us food to still our hunger At noon the
Germans retire toward Maissin. We be-
lieve~this is a victory, On the contrary
however, they appear TO have made a
counter-attack, for the wounded stream
back in great numbers Suddenly, about
8 o'clock, we see the artillery and cavalry
coming back. Every one asks what is
happening. Then comes the command
for leaving the encampment and for -
treat.
What happens now is fearful. All the
columns of the entire army corps, troops
OF all descriptions, flow down the road.
without order. without knowing whittier
they are going or why. Then all seemed
stunned and cannot understand how IL
can be possible. Messengers OF III tidings
fit TO and fro. saying that whole in
fantry regiments have been literally wiped
out; that the Eleventh Corps was COM
pletely destroyed. and they say, too, that
the company which fights next to us is
in flight.
In the middle OF the night, in icy cold.
fOggy weather. we dig the trenches.
But 1t is soon given up. There Is no
more order or discipline. The General
Stan officers have completely lost their
heads. They have not looked out for
anything We pass the night without
closing our eyes. for we think that we
may be sacrificed any minute. One feels
that the crash is coming. It Is already
each one for himselfr'