The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-10-19
IRISH SOLDIERS
IN WAR DESCRIBED
BY VIM. REDMOND
BY ASSOCIATED PRESS

Dublin. Oct. 18.-A series of vivid
pen pictures of the life of Irish SOL
diers in France, written by the late
Major William Redmond, the distin-
guished Irish leader, shortly before
his death at the front, have been col
lected by Mrs. Redmond, and are to
be published shortly in the form of
small memorial volume. Extracts
from some of the most striking of
these letters have been put at the
disposal Of The Associated Press.
One of Major Redmond's letters
the Irish troops. "a notable feature
of the charge at Ginchy," he says,
twas that the Irishmen sang Irish
patriotic songs, one battalion to the
other, as they charged, and the effect
created was most inspiring" The
scene after the battle he describes as
follows:
"The Germans surrendered very
freely, and in very few instances
waited for the bayonets of the Irish.
When able, the enemy made good his
retreat, but when this was not posi-
BILE, he surrendered and threw down
his arms. In some cases, however,
treachery was attempted.
81 met Munster Fusilier who in
the confusion of the battle had got
separated from his battalion. He
was resting by the road waiting to
find some one who could direct him
to his headquarters. He was COW
cred with mud, but full of genuine
enthusiasm.
"I asked if his battalion had made
many prisoners. He replied Hes
but added that once or twice the
Germans had tried treacherous tricks.
One party advanced as if to surren-
der, shouting "Kamerad! Kamerad'
and when about twenty yards off
opened fire I asked the Munster
man what then took place, and. he re-
Piled, we knocked them over till
further orders
zone prisoner said, we do not
want war-it is the war of the rich
man, and the poor always suffer-
"Nearly all the Irish possessed
some trophies of the fight, and it
was a common sight to see even the
wounded on the stretchers clutching
in their hands German helmets and
bits of enemy equipment.
"Many of our wounded were just
bays, and it was extraordinary how
they bore pain which must have been
intense. Very few murmurings were
heard. One young man said to the
chaplain, ooh, Father, it is hard to
die so far from home in the wiIds OIL
France!' Certainly the fair land of
France just here did seem wild-tne
trees all torn and riven with snot and
the earth on every side plougned
with huge shell holes.
"The Irishmen. while clearly i'm
mensely pleased with themselves.
showed no undue exaltation, and
their demeanor towards their cap
tives was good-humored and even
kind. 1t was pleasant to sep how
tender1y they helped the wounded
Germans along, and down the road
from the dressing station it was a
common sight to see our men helping
along prisoners just as kindly as If
they were their own comrades.
"The losses in the Irish battalions
were naturally heavy, but by no
means very great in view of the work
that had been done.
at is not too much to say that the
whole army has expressed warm adj
miration for the action of the Irish
troops; and the capture of Ginchy,
coming hot-foot on the taking of Gull
lemont, has put, it is safe to say. an
entirely new complexion on the whole
position in this part of the line.
"a captured German officer de-
clared that his people had believed
that Ginchy could not be taken. But,
he added, you attacked us with devils,
not memo one could Withstand
them"