Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-03-12
WARNING IN MEsoPoTAMIA
British Trooper Describes the Cam
paian in Remote Regions.

British Trooper Describes the Cam.
paian in Remote Regions.
Fighting the Turks and Arabs IN
the desert Of Mesopotamia, where In
places even camels cannot go; where
after the Euphrates Is left behind wa
ter Is more precious than powder and
the tribesmen show no quarter to the
wounded, Is described by Sergeant A.
Kingdom, Of the second battalion
| Norfolk regiment, in a letter to his
mother al Thetford, England, says a
correspondent Of the Associated Press.
I'VE came by ship (from India) up
| the river Euphrates," he writes, land
| disembarked on a lovely landing, up
to the waist in mud and water. Not
a tree in sight nor a blade OF grass,
except on the river banks, which are
covered with date palms. We march
ed all the next day through mud. Any
thing with wheels cannot be taken.
and packs Of mules and camels are no
good, because their big feet pick up
too much sand.
1--WE lay in the wet mud on the des-
| ert all night and moved away early
again in the morning, to find the enc
my in position. They consisted of
Turks and Arabs, about 1,400 yards
to our front. The attack was pushed
| home under cover of our mountain
batteries; the field artillery came up
later. The artillery horses were so
completely knocked out that they
could not walk away from the guns
| when unlocked. The troops also were
knocked out; and in the meantime the
enemy's artillery was having it all
their own way.
"Our rifles were absolutely choked
inside with mud. and the bolt action
and sights had to be made to work
before an accurate fire could be ef-
fected. Some Of the men, rather than
drink the muddy slush from their wa
ter bottles, stood and emptied it In
| their bolt action, although water Is
so scarce and slush worth a gold piece
an unce.
II was more fortunate; my socks
had shrunk so small that I was better
able to march without one, so I cut
off the toe and put it over my bolt
action. So my rifle was fairly clean.
We were caked with clay from head
to foot. When the sun did come out
for a time and we saw a chance of
cracking it off a thunderstorm came
over and softened it into a sticky
paste.
"Our only transport is mules with
ammunition, and they frequently fall
down and have to be picked up. Any
how, the enemy were in their trenches
with a decided advantage and were
delivering a murderous fire. But by
a supreme effort after we got the enc
ny's range we kept our fire coolly de-
livered, and within half an hour the
Turks were retiring, leaving the Arabs
to cover their retreat. They remain
ed another quarter Of an hour. and
meanwhile We had fixed our bayonets
for the grand finale-but evidently
they did not wish to prolong their
stay.
Everyone. especially the Indians,
was anxious for a charge, but the
birds flew before we reached their
trenches. 1t is all right fighting the
Turks: but the Arabs use big muzzle
rifles with an enormous lead bullet,
which will smash anything, and not
make a pretty little hole like the
Turks pointed bullet which will heal
in no time. The black powder from
the Arabs rifles also causes so much
smoke that it is impossible to see the
actual firer. They are 2 blood thirsty
lot. these Arabs, and when the men
lay wounded they will shoot you at a
yards distance. A subadar Of the ma
tives was shot in this way. On the
day after the battle we found the
jackals had been at work"