The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-07-18

points wholly invisible 70 the Amer1-
cans, thete burt the shat ticking thun-
der OF field artdIiery. ExpIosive shells
new over and into tie trenches.
EhrapneI screamed at them and burst
IKE sentient things right In their
faces to drive rafting htiletssin all d.
recttons.
At Rocky Hill militia company OF
artillery tried TO move its gun into
better shelter. The plow horses that
had been seized to drag It Wild with
terror, became entahgled In the traces
and fell Cutting them away. the men
Eheeled the cannon into position by
hand. But their arm0ry never had
BEEN fitted for snbcalibers practice. az
IL never had been ntted FOR mounted
Instruction. None OF tKesfnen had been
souaiifed as first class or even as sec
6nd ciass gunI,ers. They fred, md
their shots went wild, serving only TO
tefray their situation to the enemy.
Ttiey did not Know how to place them
selves for protection from indirect ire
So they died.
troop of militia cavalry. trying to
move forward near Hartford, was cut
on by an advance patrol Of enemy cay
airy that had crossed the river to out
flank the defenders from the north
The Americans charged, but they were
mounted on horses never used before
for cavalry work. The enemy riders
were men trained to swordsmanship.
The American: troop had averaged only
thirteen men In mounted drill In q
whole year because they had possessed
neither horses nor nrnory.
The green brutes reared at the sight
of weapons. They pitched into each
other as the enemy cavalry dashed az
them and added their iron hoofs TO the
melee. For one brief moment eyes
stirred into eyes, and It was hack and
thrust. Then the enemy riders We're
through them and whirled like a gale
and swept through them again ana
killed and killed.
..Annihilated,' . reported the scout cav
airy a little later when its squadrons
came up. "Our. loss, one dead. three
slightly wounded.
Annihilated! Yes, gentlemen OF con-
gress. sitting In Washington at that
moment ana passing resolutions and
appropriations and utterfng fine sent-
ments about millions for defense and
not one cent for tribute. there We're
ugly things there ON the Connections
shore that answered you more loudly
in their eternal silence than II they
had spoken with a Thousand angry
tongues.
Less than, thousand men, It was
said afterward, escaped from the mas
sacre. They crawled away down gul-
lies or swan down the river and hid
under weeds and painted and tied up
their wounds with rags from their rag-
ged garments.
1--WE have taught them their iessonm
said the hostile commander. 1--WE shall
have no more trouble"
When the news of the battle of Con-
necticut went through the United
States there was temporary end to
all patience, to all calculations of pro-
dence. There was an end to every
thing except blind passion The Omit
ed States was not patient nation, but
no nation. however patient, could have
remained so ut such time.
Trusted leaders pointed In vain TO
the history OF the United Stntes to
prove that whenever its raw forces had
hurried into battle In obedience to
popular demand the result had been
only to hurry disaster. In vain they
pointed to the civil war and the hid
eous death tolls paid by both sides
without military advantage to either.
No adninistra ton, however deternlin-
ed. could have ignored 1t. Secretly,
special train was made ready in Wash
ington. secretly, In the night, the pres
ident Of the United States, with his
advisers and staff, boarded 1t and were
taken northward.
At JEFFERSON Junction an armored
train with machine guns and a three
inch ride slid In ahead OF them from
4 siding where it had been waiting An
ofacer entered the presidents train and
requested that all shades be kept down.
Thus, fuftIvely, the nation's ruler en-
tered Albany.
Army Headquarters had been a tar
get, like the white House. for mes
saEes that had shnken those to whom
they were addressed. More than once
the commanding general had felt that
1t was more than human men could
bear. More than once. In council, on
Gers, ihfuriafed by the yelled accusa-
lions OF cowardice In the dispatches,
had spoken In favor Of giving the army
the fatal order to 80 into actton.
The PRESIDENT; when he looked at the
generals deeply lined features, knew
that the old soldier had more to gain
from battle. however disastrous, than
from life. eff he does not interpose
between the invader and New York
city, thought the chief magistrate, The
win Hive only to see his name biasted.
There VIII Be d thousand tacticians in
future years who Will assert that he
was a blinderer. II not q traitor"