Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1915-07-12

edge of it and told them to entrench
themselves, which they set about do
ing at once. We could see where the
bullets came from, on the low ground
in front To our left was a ridge with
trees, along which we could see men
on horseback coming from the direc-
ton Of the enemy. To our right, be-
yond the wood. was a high ridge COW
cred with men. who appeared to be
advancing upon US but did not open
fire.
Suddenly a column Of blue figures
was seen coming up close on our front.
IN what seemed a minute, two of our
machine guns had been moved to this
side. Round some brush-wood 80
yards away came the first rush of the
columns; one caught sight OF line of
pale faces. Our commander shouted
orders; a young officer cIenched his
fist; our guDners ground out q shower
Of bullets, and the Austrian column
disappeared into the wooded valley.
Later in the day. after I had gone
back to headquarters 7 learned that
the little commander had been brought
back into the town wounded in the
head in the last Austrian attack.
In the evening I retreated with the
divisional staff several miles TO new
quarters. All along the road the gen
erai stopped any struggling soldiers
and asked closely what had happened
to their regiments. This was all eX-
tremely well done; he was really
severe only TO one batch who told him
an obvious lie. Altogether the retreat.
for il was that, was unattended by any
panic and everyone seemed anxious to
help his neighbor. Going to a sharp
trot. we reached our new quarters at.
in the morning.
I woke at noon in a farmhouse. in a
village that was filled with the diyi-
sional field train. The divisional gen
eral had gone on early to the front to
rectify the new positions. The news
that came in was uncertain and anX-
ious. The first hut which the general
and his staff had entered had been
made untenable by the enemy's ar
tiIlery. The second hut that he visited
was also set on fire. No further news
Of him came till late in the evening,
and he had barely escaped capture.
Word came that the general staff
must be moved further back. The field
trains were set in motion. and we trav-
eled without any kind Of confusion
across a beautiful range of wooded
hills. We stopped more than once to
see the fight that was going on below
US It was a bIaring line of fire and
smoke, and twin yellow and white
bursts of the Austrian shrapneI being
almost lost in the white or black
smoke of the German artillery. We
Travelled very slowly and for a good
part of the day; officers and men had
a feeling Of great vexation at having to
retire before troops which they felt
themselves capable of beating with any
equal condition.
IN the afternoon we drew up in a
large village full Of field trains. Re
potts came in from all quarters; nearly
ali the regiments had suffered great
losses. The trenches had been left
only when the enemy's artillery had
made them untenabIe. In some parts
the systematic ploughing up of whole
given areas had gone so far behind
our lines that even approach to the
trenches had been made impossible
The game was not lost even on this
q ound, and immediate measures had
been taken for counter-attacks the fol-
lowing day. Meanwhile the town in
which we were was under an inter
mittent but violent bombardment of
aeroplanes, and all the hospitals were
being moved TO the rear.
The railway station was crowded
with wounded, lying close together
anywhere in the family manner of the
Russian peasant. Most were wounded
in the hands or the head, showing that |
they had been under devastating fire |
which hit anything that was at all ex-
posed. There were also many signs Of !
infantry attacks beaten of, in wounds /
of all Kinds all over the body.
The officers lay here like the rest. I
separated only by the silent respect +
shown to them by the men The mum, /
her Of wounded officers is not surpris- t
ing, for, as have explained, they
stand and walk while their men are
ordered 10 crawl but the sacrifice in I
officers is particularly impressive.