Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1915-01-22

seemed, as n slight haze rendered the
| Ilttle group in German field gray in
visible TO the French artillery on the
opposite heights and the infantry in
the valley itself, although nearer. was
700 far below to direct an effective
IRE. The haze also made II jmpos-
slhle TO ascertain to what extent Sois-
sons mad suffered under lombard
ment.
Dead Dot Field.
The battlefield is still dotted with
hundreds of corpses, principally of
french, who fell during their hasty
retirement. Thew had to cross open
Iields under artillery and infantry
Ilre ana death overlook some as they
ran The positions Of the bodies show
that most of the French soldiers re-
tired fighting, although some of them
iell on their faces as they We're stumb-
ing toward the rear. Some lie
spraWllng on their backs, faces TO the
sun, occasionally with heads pillowed
on knapsacks, showing that death
was not instantaneous and that per-
maps last service had been rendered
by fleeing comrades. Three or four
mad managed to draw from pockets
packages Of black French cigarets
Tor final smoke before passing away.
Most of the bodies lie with heads
pointed toward the abandoned French
trenches, rifles by their sides or Of
ten stu clenched in the stiffened
hands.
At the edge Of the plateau. lust
over its brink, lay a long line of dead
men. They had turned for q last
stand against the advancing Germans
and had met their death STUDY of
the situation showed that they had
made no attempt to rush down the
declivity TO temporary safety. The
bayonets on all their rifles were fixed
and in a number Of cases the cham
bers of their pieces still held explod-
ed shells. Two or three rifles were
found, the stocks Of which had been
broken off at the grip. evidence OF
the severity Of the hand-to-han
fighting.
There was little feeling Of horror or
revulsiOn at the sight of these hun
dreds Of cOrpses, their very number
took away the impression Of human
They seemed like figures
in huge panoramic painting Of q
battle The human note. however. Of
ten came out when one was told of
the contents OF the letters found IN
the knapsacks or grasped In the hands
Of these dead French soldiers.
kcau All IcttcrS.
II was the duty OF the intelligence
officers in the party with which the |
correspondent Travelled 10 glance at
such letters for the sake Of the mil |
itary information that they might !
contain
But of this there was little. Far
oftener he found letters from home. |
with sentences about health OF the |
children and references TO little pres |
ents and delicacies on the way to the 1
soldier. Sometime there was home |
gossip, and often expressions of |
anxiety for the safety OF husband or |
father and always the hope for the |
end of this terrible war" and the |
safe return Of the loved one.
1t was necessary TO walk with eau
ton over the battlefield. particularly |
In the vicinity Of the trenches. as |
a abandoned hand grenades were sown |
thiclgly about ready to explode at any
from careless footstep.
German burial parties collected thou
sands Of these weapons, which are
nothing more than square boxes Of |
explosive bound TO wooden handles.
eighteen inches long.
Rewards for CAPTURE.
Most of the captured cannon al
ready has been removed from the bat
.lefield, the German captOrs being
anxious 20 send them i'm and receive
he reward given each unit making a
capture. But in the rayino Of La Mon
,el. on the eastern extremity OF the
there we're still six siege
guns. The French had not been able