Bryan daily eagle and pilot. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1918, 1916-01-17
.RUSS|A'S ROUGH
RIDER SCOUTS
Daring Men Who Conduct One Of the
Most Perilous Branches OF
Army Service.
Headquarters Of the Russian Army

VI tit ttutcAs Jan IL AN'iANofouN-
once of the Associated Press One
OF the most perllous branches of army
service In Russia is that OF mounted
scouts. an organization peculiar to
the siberian corps. There are 100 OF
these scouts to each regiment. and a
harder. more daring lot OF rough rid.
ers would be hard TO find. They are
for the most part plainsmen. whose
life has been spent in the open and
ON horseback
This organization played an Inn
portant part In the Japanese war,
where. by their impetuous attacks,
they saved the Russian troops In
many instances from heavy losse.
After the japanese war they were dis.
banded but with the outbreak OF the
present conflict. were reorganlzed by
Captain Benjamin Pesso,sky who be
came their commander During the
recent months while the Russians and
Germans have been facing each other
In the trenches these scouts frequent.
~ have raided the German lines. and
during the last week In November on
the eastern front they bagged Ger
man staff. consisting OF two generals,
n doctor and six non.commissioned or
ficers. A colonel and many soldiers
were killed In the action.
The following Incidents concerning
the scouts activities earlier In the
war were given by an officer at the
front who participated in events re.
lated:
At 3 o'clock on the afternoon OF
Sept. 80 the last companies of the first
division left their positions before
Warsaw to take up others behind the
defences OF the city. The entire de-
fence OF the city was left to the 81.
berian scouts. Commander Pessotsky,
who had remained with the scouts.
took upon himself TO order his men to
spread out and occupy the left wing
OF the positions between Yulanova
Noyo lvitchni. in front of a woods.
The Germans began to advance on
Novo Ivitchni. sending flying col
umn In front. Pessotsky ordered his
men to open fire. The German col
umn to their surprise began to fall
back. firing. Pessotsky got ON top OF
a small house and through his glasses
observed the enemy. ordering changes
In position to give the impression that
the trenches we're fully manned. The
Germans began Smelling the village
and the house where he was. In face
OF this. he sent an officer to the rear,
saying that he was holding the posi-.
ton and asking that achievements
be sent. The enemy began pressing
forward In force, but Pessotsky's he.
roic action had given time for the
whole Russian column to move for.
ward again and by thanking move.
ment. to drive back the Germans.
This was the beginning OF the Ger
man retreat that ended at their
frontier.
II may also be said that during this
war the Russian Red Cross has done
more than ever could have been ex.
pected OF II. The doctors. surgeons
and sisters. on the one hand. and the
volunteer organizations on the other
have worked with marvellous efficiency.
One of the most interesting phases
OF the work Is the operation OF the
flying columns. which move along
with the army and work while en-.
gagements are In progress. In each
flying column there is an officer in
charge with all the rights of a mill
tary commander OF a separate mill.
tary unit. although he may come from
civil life. Besides him there are two
or three aids. The medical side OF
the organization Is represented by
three surgeons. eight students and
two sisters. One hundred and eighty
men to each column are assigned and
trained to the work required OF them,
from the ranks OF enlisted men. The
column has also a large number OF
sanitary carriages. several field kitch.
ems. field operating rooms and in
case OF necessity tents to live In.
During the battle the column is di
vlded into three sections. The com.
mander. either mounted or afoot
moves forward with the sanitars. as
near as possible to the trenches
Sometimes they locate In the trenches
themselves Very often when
trenches or positions change hands
the flying column has to stay on un.
Ill the last, to take away the wounded
In sipte OF the danger OF falling into
the enemy's hands. Two columns
have been entirely destroyed by the