Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-02-24


tier. II is almost without roads and
troops attempting to use the cross coun-
try trails became almost hopelessly bog
ged. The correspondent saw columns Of
infantry many of whom passed through
mires more than ankle deep. Detach-
ments of soldiers assisting in dragging
the guns forward through the mud.
but their progress was extremely slow.
Nature Aided Russians
Mature said the commander Of ona
of the German corps. engaged, to une
correspondent, always helped the Rus
slams. Two days hard frost and we
should have had every man
The correspondent accompanied tho
right wings of the army engaged and it
is to these troops that the hardest fight
ing fell. The left wing sweeping from
the north was called mostly tor leg
work 10 accomplish marches 80 miles
daily in pursuit OF the Russians who
fed after the four days engagement on
the Mazurian lakes and thereafter tho
soldiers Of the German left army were
chiefly interested in getting away. The
battle in the south was of an unequal
character. Again nature aided the Rus
| slams: 1t was fought in driving snow
storm, a fierce cutting wind, driving the
fakes into the faces and eyes of the ad-
vancing Germans until they could scarce
ly see.
Saved BY Artillery
When the Germans came to grips
with the Russians. they found their
rifles so covered with ice and the mux-
zles so choked with snow that the
weapons could not be fired. The troops,
and these were young troops, we're left
only with their bayonets. but they
stuck to their work despite heavy losses.
The Russians were assuming the o-ten-
sive when artillery which hitherto mad
been unable TO get up through the for
ests to the south of the Ma1urian lakes,
arrived just IN time and turned the scale.
The troops of this column pressed for
ward along the tairway. only dozen
miles wide. between the MaZurian lakes
and the Russian frontier, driving the
Russians before them, but they were
forced to turn three times TO beat on the
flank attacks from the south
Attempt Reinforeements
The Russian comnander-in-chief made
desperate efforts to come to the help OF
this army whose plight by now was
recognized. He sent in a column OF
troops from the fortress of Loulza and
from kolno and from the fort at Osso-
wetz.
Each time the German leader faced a
part of the troops to the south, defeated
the relief Russian columns and then con-
, tinued his march. The retreat of the
| Russians on this part OF the field of op-
erations could be made in only one di-
rection; namely the northeast, as the
swamp belt prevented their escape TO
the east or south.
| The troops from the center and the
northern flank Of the Russian position
were by this time in full retreat east
ward and sontheastward under pressure
| from the pursuing German forces con-
verging on the Russian column all aim
| ing for the only remaining egress from
the circle to the eastward of Suwalki.
| The Russians apparently became des-
csrately damned and on Feb. 16 when
the correspondent arrived at Grajevo, On
the heels of the German troops. the Ger
man commander was almost confident
/
came the delay IN getting the fanking
! column across the swamps to close the
hole in the ring and Gen. Sievers with
| all his higher officers and the remnant
| of his army got away. That the Rus
| sian commander was able, under such
road conditions. to bring of as much ar
tillery and transport as he did is, in the
opinion of German experts most laud-
| able achievement. The roads are very
narrow and INSTRUCTED with deep drifts
of snow. Each drift usually is indicated
! by a cannon standing on its end or by
freight automobile which has been over
t turned in a ditch.
| Eusustowe to Suwalki
| A picturesque scene, reminding one Of
a canvas by the Russian painter Yer
setchagin was witnessed on the trip be-
tween Augustowo and Suwalki The
road is cut like canon for 20 miles
through a dense Russian pine forest.
Along this 20 miles of road was a solid
stream of German infantry. artillery and
wagon trains. usually IN three columns,
moving southwark. The roadway was
high-pitched and slippery with ice.
snooth-shod horses were continually go
I ing DOWN. Inc lnIanIryrnen picked thelf
way along the side of the road. Almost
| every man was equipped with a staff
which seemed to have been copied from
1 Versetchagin's soldiers. There was no
stop or pause. The soldiers ate as they
marched. The horses were kept moving
until they were through the woods as
there was no place to turn out and halt.
For many miles before Augustowo was
reached the same ceaseless moving COL
umn Of men, horses and guns had been
encountered-an army 80 miles long was
| on the march.
The funeral Of the late Capt Horace
=. Chapman, proprietor Of the Bangor