Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-01-22

little group In German field gray in
visible 10 the French artillery on the
heights on the opposite side OF the
valley and the irfantry in the valley
itself, although nearer was too far be-
low to direct an effective fire The
haze also made u impossible TO ascer-
tain 10 what extent Solssons had sui.
fered under bcmbardment.
StilI Dotted With Corpscs.
The battlefield Is stlll dotted with
corpses by the hundreds principally
OF French soldiers who fell durlnr
their hasty retirement from the
trenches. They had TO cross open
fields under artillery fire and death
overlook some as they ran. The po-
sitions OF the bodies show that most
of the French soldiers retired fight
ing, although some OF them fell on
their faces as they were stumbling to-
ward the rear Some lie sprawlng
on their backs, faces 10 the sun. oc-
caslonally with heads piilowed 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
pockets packages of black French
cigarettes for a final smoke before
passing away. Most Of the bodies lie
with heads pointed toward the aban-
doncd French trenches with rifles by
their sides or often still clonched in
stiffened hands
Long Linc OF Dead Men.
At the edge Of the plateau just over
It's brink. lay long line of dead men
They had turned for last stand
against the advancing Germans and
had met stheir death. Study of the
situation showed that they had nude
10 attempt to rush down the declivin
TO temporary safety. The bayonets on
all their rifles were fixed and IN a
number of cases the chambers of their
pieces still held exploded shells. Two
or three rifles were found, the stocks
of which had been broken off at the
grip, evidence OF the severity OF the
handto-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 like figures
in a huge panoramic painting OF 4
battle. The human note, however, Of
ten came out when one was told OF
the knapsacks or grasped in tine hands
of these dead French soldiers.
Letters From Loved Ones.
II was the duty OF the intelligence
officer In the party with which the
correspondent travelled TO glance at
such letters for the sake of the milf
tary information that they might cen.
tain. 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
soldier. Sometimes there was home
gossip and often expressions OF anx-
iety 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 pre-
caution over the battlefield, partlcu-
larly in the vicinity of the trenches as
abandoned hand grenades were seen
thickly about ready TO explode at
any moment from a careless footstep
German burial p sAles collected thon
and some of these weapons which are
nothing more than square boxes OF
explosives bound to wooden handles
eighteen inches long.
Much Captured Artillery.
Most of the captured cannon al
ready have been removed from the
battlefield, the German captors being
anxious to send them in and receive
the reward given each unit making q
capture. But in the ravine of Lamon-
eel. on the eastern extremity of the
battlefield, there were still six siege
guns. The French had not been able
to remove them In time and now they
were in possession of the Germans.
A detachment of artillery experts was
busy completing the interrupted task
of transferring this heavy artillery 10
wheels for transportation to the rear.
While the artillery captain IN
charge was exhibiting his prizes with
pride and explaining that they were
flfteen centlmeters coast defense wea-
pons, calling the attention at the same
tlne TO the stores of ammunition also
taken by his men, the French suddenly
opened lire on these guns and on the
ROAD 10 the rear of them. Evidently
they had c0njectured that an attempt
would be made to remove them and
knowing their exact location they
were able TO make IL warm for the
herman arfillerymcn engaged I'm this
task. This fire was a signal for the
opening Of further general bonn
bardment all along the line II was
me first activity manifested since the
termination OF the battle three days
before.
The return to the automobile
through the approaches to the
trenches was most difficult and ex-
hausting. The trenches themselves
ana the approaches afforded ronnlotp q