Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-22
Plateau Carried

IRON posts which were screwed into
the ground.
Plateau Carried
The attackers, however. succeeded in
sweeping across the plateau, carving
trench after trench by storm in an m
interrupted and Irresistaable attack BY
nighIfan Of Jan. a they had cleared the
French from the plateau and the valley
below and drove them across the river.
the victory was completed by an ad-
vance through the valley on that same
day
Tie correspondent reached the battle
field over the turnpike leading from
SCISSORS, approaching by automobile as
lar as the village Of Crouy. The road
Is cut into the side Of the Hill between
the plateau and the valley The mar
row margin OF roadside OIL one hand be-
fore the drop into the valley had become
one long cemetery. The Germans had
inferred the other dead of past months
il long rows of trenches surmounted by
q stone or wooden cross. On the oppc-
site side of the road were entrances to
numerous tunnels TO stone quarries driv-
en- several hundred feet into the hill
side Within the Quarries had been lodg-
ed German troops. the number in each
cavern VARYING from d company 10 a
regiment.
The village OF Crouy itself presented
the familiar picture of she'll wrought de-
struction.
Heavy French Losses
The battlefield is stin dotted with
French soldiers who fell during their
hasty retirement from the trenches They
had TO cross open fields under artillery
and infantry fire, and death overlook
them as they ran. The positions of the
bodies show that most of the French
soldiers retired lighting. although some
of them fell on their faces as they Were
stumbling toward the rear. Some lay
SPRAYING on their backs, faces TO the
sun, occasionally with heads plllowed on
knapsacks, showing that death was not
instantaneous and that perhaps a last
service had been rendered TO them by
their fleeing comrades Three or four
had managed to draw from their peck
cts packages of black French cigarettes
for a hnal smoke before passing away.
Most OF the bodies lie with heads point
ed toward the abandoned French trench
es, rifles by their sides. or often still
Clenched in the stiffened hands.
AT the edge of the plateau, Just over
It's brink. lay long line of dead men.
They had turned for a last stand against
the advancing Germans and had met
their death. A study Of the situation
showed that they had made no attemnt
to rush down the incline to temporary
safety. The bayoners on all their rifles
We're fixed and in a number of cases the
chambers of their pieces still held eA-
ploded shells Two or three rifles were
FOUND the stock of which had been
broken off at the grip, evidence of the
severity of the hand to hand 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
slaughter They seemed hike figures
in a huge panoramic painting Of a
battle. The human note often came
after one was told of the letters found
III the knapsacks or grasped in the
hands Of these dead French soldiers.
1t was the duty Of the intelligence Of
QCST III the pal ~ Win NiilS4A tllS Sou
respondent Travelled TO glance at such
letters for the sake Of the military in
formation that they might contain
But of this there was little. Far off,
ener he found letters from home with
sentences about the health of the
children and references TO little pres
ents and delicacies on the way TO the
soldier. Sometimes there was home
gossip and often expressions of anx-
iety for the safety Of husband OF ia
Their, and always the hope for the end
of this terrible war and the safe re-
turn of the loved one.
Il was necessary TO walk with pre-
caution over the battlefield. particu-
lsrly in the vicinity of the trenches, as
abandoned hand grenades were sown
,hickly about, ready 10 explode al any
moment from q careless footstep.