Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-13
BRITISH FORCES
ROBBED OF GOAL
Make Way to Within Ten Miles
of Bagdad, and Are
Driven Back.
TRElR RETREAT IS TERRIBLE
Men Are Under Constant Storm
Of Lead From Turk
ish Guns.
TREIR RETREAT is TERRIBLE

LONDON. February 12.-SoInc de-
tails OF tho dishcartcuinE British re-
treat from before Eag,lad are contained
in letter received here from a soldier
wounded n tho battle Of Ctcsiphcn iIc
writes:
81 seem to have had rather Il near
shave having stopped a bullet with
my head. but. proba bly, owing to tho
tack OF brains therein, II did not touch
81 vital spot. After knocking me clean
out. IL left me on the feld. with shells
and moro bullets striking all round.
and with dead and wounded for com
pany.
And then the real trouble began.
After reaching the first dressing sta
cfon and resting n while. all those who
could got into carts were ordered to do
30. and we had an awful Journey 10
another held hospital. where we al las
lrrived badly bruised and shaken.
This had 10 be done. as I heard after
wards. because the Turks forced our
title force back by superior numbers
about nine TO one. by this time was
minus equipment and rife. and my
worldly goods consisted Of trousers.
.unic and shirt. However. we tried TO
lie down 10 sleep. with the groans and
wounded and dying all around 10 add
is worse than the coldes, night In Eng :
land. And then wc were shelled again,
and the wounded received more wounds.
STILL TURKS COME on.
AND END SEEMS AT HAND
sill the Turks came on, and when
The end seemed 20 have arrived our
,roons ding themselves in and h-,y,..
kep. tho eneuv az ALI nirb, and co
saved the wounded Blu, morning
brought no pcaoc. for as soon as /, vas
daylight they started dishinr i, IN
again, and once more we were ordered
TO clear out. this time TO INC shelter
Of trench "A mile or two aw.y There
We sat, still under r,e until through
the glasses the medical officers saw ,oat
the Turks had again been re-enforccd
and were coming on. with our p.opl,,
slowly retiring: so. putting those who
could no, walk ln,o carts. wc made for
our last camp by the river. where our
boats lay. cigh, miles away.
After going for hours and no sight
O. The river. the truth dawned upon
us that we were hopelesslv los, in he
desert. and then once more darkness
fell. We made a square OF the carts.
ard all lay down inside it. Those who
could use a rifle did sentry The cold
q,
sh:verinE like jellies It was then by
all tho rules OF the desert, that those
beautiful devils. the Arabs. should have
swoopcd down upon US our officers
knew this and served out what brandy
there was. wiz. Tins OF milk and so ve
waited. with Arabs in front OF us and
Turks behind for the dawn
providence must have been on our
side, and the night OF anxious watch
Ing came 10 an end at last When dawn
appeared we could only look ut each
other in dumb surprise that we were
really alive. although still lost. And
then we fell in with some Indian cav
airy, who directed us on to the track
mat at last brought us. after three
hours tramp. 10 our boats-and water
How we drank!-the first for three
days. All this time the wounded had
"ccH suffering awfully. and my old
heau was spinning round and round
of course, did ma know what damage
the bullets had done. hu; the holes In
my helmet which Was covered with
plood inside. made 1t evident that it
was n wonder was still alive.
however on the boats we 9ot-biG
river steameTs-and sank down on TO
mo Injury or blankets. Soon We were
'h our way down the River Tigrir-
y" VINO hau come 40" miles and had got
"'th'' On miles cl our "bJectire-Eag
'ad' onty 10 nave been cheated out of
IN" glory OF taxing II.
we soon arrived at our last base
'it VIZ NV I'll, Nul-ei- y mara, which