The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-01-27
SERBIAN TROOPS
SURPRISE ENEMY
And Put an End to the Third
Invasion of gerbia in a
Clever Manner.

Correspondence of Associated Press).
VALJEVO, Serbia, Jan. T.-The
Serbian reoccuoation Of valteyo.
which marked the end OF the third
Austrian invasion OF Serbia, was ac-
comPhshed without extensive fight
ing In the immediate vicinity Of the
town. The Austrians, d is true, had
prepared deliberately for the defense
OF ValJevo, and their artillery COM
mauded all the usual approaches. But
the Serbians presented only small
decoy squad at the main roads, send
ing their principal forces around the
nils by footpaths and secret routes
to the rear, and flank of the Austrian
positions.
They took the Austrlans completely
by surprise, after scattering rear
guard OF Hungarians quietly by the
bayonet The towns defenders, at
tackled from both rear and front.
abandoned trenches and fled. Retreat
changed to rout when the Serbians
turned on them their own cannon
from the heights, shelling the AUS
TRAN rear guard in its flight, and kill
ing hundred of them at one spot,
n
outside the town.
The entry OF the Serbian army was
not imposing. The men were too
much In earnest for much display or
htlarity. Some of the old population
got out faded flags and hung them
aloft in welcome, and there was a
committee of old men representing
the municipality to receive the gem
eral and welcome the returning SOL
diers, but in the main the entry re-
sembled the return to a bereaved
house after funeral. The dead lay
everywhere, Serbian as well as Aus
TRAN, and as for the wounded,-it was
many days before they had all beenl
gathered UP from the fields and hills
of the countryside and placed underi
surgeons care.
Along the roads. there was plenty
to indicate the collapse of the in-l
vaders' plans. Countless cans of food
and pieces Of discarded or broken
equipment lay in the wheel tracks,
and here and there could be seen the
CLEAN OF uniform almost completely
concealed by the mud. At the entrance
to the town was a great heap of brok-I
en- artillery, provisions, baggage,
cartridge cases, and personal effects,
which the Austrians' plan to burn had
been fooled by the pressure OF the in
coming enemy.
The Serbians advanced too hastily
to bring up much of their own ar-I
tillery, but they had no difficulty in
manning the Austrian batteries which
they had captured, guns, horses and
n MN
Austrian guns against their late own
ers added the last incentive to the
hasty departure Of the invaders, for
the Austrian infantry easily recognized
the shots fired toward them from
their own guns, not only by the posi-
ton of the batteries, but also by the
characteristic reddish purple smoke |
of the Austrian powder.
In some Of the trenches the Serbs
gathered up the shove1s left behind
by the Austrians and began at once
completing the defense works.. for it
was generally believed that the Aus
TRANS would soon reform an dreturnl
IN an effort at counter-attack The
Serbs expressed great contempt fori
the novice Notifications erected by
the Austrian recruits, for the Serbs
have been building trenches all
through three wars, until the science
of this mode of defense is as familiar
to them as target practice.
The horses and ponies which the
Austrians left stabbed in Valjevo in
cludef large numbers of Tyrolean
mules, never before seen in these
parts, but excellent, sturdy animals, |
and invaluable for artillery purposes.
In all parts OF the town We're to be
seen coaches and cabs, brought from
Trieste and other cities to do milf
tary duty, and now abandoned, their
shafts pointing deSolately skyward. 4
Close behind the Serbian soldiers
came groups Of refugees hurrying
back to their homes, which they had
left when they fed before the Aus
TRAN advance. Their oxen were yoked
up to every conceivable species OF
wagon, and their wagons were piled
high with every conceivable species |
of household articles.
There was great smashing OF
dishes when the Serbian women got
back into their homes, for these peo-l
pie are almost superstttious as to the
cleanliness of their crockery and
kitchen ware, and 1t seemed to be the |
general opinion among the house
wives that nothing which had been
used by the Austrian invaders was
suitable for use again in preparing
Serbian meals.
Within a day or two the town was
almost swamped with prisoners for
the Serbian troops had spread fam
like over the countryside, and were
sweeping in Austrian stragglers from
everywhere.
CUM rTnD[