The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1915-01-09
IN RIDE OF DEATH
MANY Unlans Are Killed in Vic
torious Charge.
Officer Writes Of Heroic Assault
Against Automatic Guns-Of 142
In Squadron, So Replied at
Roll Cal. After Battle.

are being published in many news
papers in Germany. Extracts from
one written by an officer to his wife,
from the infirmary, Dienzei Lothr,
which appeared in the Frankfurter
Zeitung, is given here:
81 was thrown under my horse as
he fell, and thus bruised my left side,
and contracted a hemorrhage in my
thigh. After the exertions of the last
and am we'll taken care of by the SIS
ters.
August IL was a great day for our
regiment, and In due time will be re-
corded in history, as we're Gravelotte
and Mars-la-Tour. 1t was a death
ride in the fullest meaning of that
word: against automatic guns and in
fantry, in which the first, third and
fourth squadrons of my regiment, and
the second squadron of another regi-
ment took part. One thousand pris-
oners, including twelve or eighteen
commanders, cannons and automatic
guns, were captured.
Oui oidNc uiibduS SuHcItu DllttT'
ly; Of the 142 men In my squadron.
only fifty-eight replied when the roll
was called. And l was the only Off
GER! All the rest dead or wounded!
my squadron suffered most, fot
they took part in the worst attack.
Our regiment ought to be spared
little now; at all events, we have the
hardest day of the whole campaign
behind us. The success, particularly
from the moral point of view, is splen.
did. Everybody behaved splendidly
and August IL will, for all time, be
a day of honor for our regiment, ano
this attack Of Lagarde will stand
forth as one of the bravest achieve
ments of the whole campaign.
Never before was l as conscious
of the proximity of my guardian angel
as on that day. l cannot quite ex
plain 1t, but all the while | was not
a bit excited, and had a feeling OF
absolute safety.
THE great moral success of this at
tack / have mentioned already. II
seems quite strange to be counted as
one of the Uhlans Of Lagarde. Moth.
ing else is talked of here. officers
constantly congratulate one and l can,
not suppress a feeling of satisfaction
at having taken an active part in an
important historical event of the can
paign.
How did It all come about? An
The while we had been partly In
France, partly in Lorraine, wandering
about very strenuously, without see
ng or accomplishing anything in par
ticular. On the 18th, bright and early,
as always in good humor, we started
out, realizing less than ever before
all that the day might bring. At $3.50,
The fighting between artillery and in.
fantry broke out, In which we took a
hand at twelve o'clock.
"As we advanced, felt thoroughly
Indifferent; the only thought that pos
sessed me was to whack away. With
remarkable rapidity, one accustoms
ones self to the sight of the dead and
wounded. One becomes so hardened
that the most awful sights seem abso
lutely natural Wherever we rode
there were the French in their red
trousers. Many batteries were de-
stroyed, and the shells burst and the
shots sang constantly about one.
"a French infantry officer who
called pardon hit on the head. What
became of him do not know. AS we
were about to enter Lagarde, my
horse was shot In the chest and fell
under me.
with two of the brave riders OF
my division, I took shelter In a ditch
over which countless shots were
whizzing, till at last 1t quieted down.
In the distance / discerned my regi.
ment gathering together; then, to my
delight, close by found my own in.
fantry. With my riders. who now
numbered eight, put myself under
the command of that captain, and with
this company. with revolver and car.
bine, l went through the rest of the
battle.
with several captured horses.
among which was French artillery
horse. l searched for and eventually
found my regiment, and there | first
Ia n