The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-12-14

rfrd down stream. Ultimately the enemy
were thrown hack and the Italians held
on until they were relieved the next day.
ny thnn ths eco tattcrcd scarocrows
that I SAW marching hack were all that
remained OF tho three battalions oriEi-
nally sent II hold tho line.
Youthful British Officer Saves Situation
The Italians arc ready To acknowl-
edge theft debt to our men and also 10
our women. II would h. impossible to
,ycruraiSc tn" courage Of some Of our
artillery and nursing detRchmcnts.
From an Italian officer Of high rank
heard the story. told with hatcd breath.
nj 4 british battery under the command
Of 4 youngStcr who had only arrived
from Woolwich the week before.
This battery was engaged in covering
the Italian retreat towards the: Plare
line. The enemy were pressing hard
and the retirement was likely 10 become
Il drhaclr owing I" the fact that the
AuSir!ans had stolen n march on the
Italians and were on the point of turn
ing their flank. Between tho Italians
and disaster there only interposed this
british battery, under It's Inexperienced
commander. for III" rest Of the officers
had brcn killed in the first desperate
fight.
Til" youngSirr went To tho italian
general covering tn. retirement and said
that H. thought there was just sport
in1 rhanc,: III "h"iding up the blight
rr*
The Italian general Looked 1t the
whuld-b"-huId"r-up ut the "hlightcrS''
ana frnwrrd severely on the stripping
who thought Il" rnulI do what had never
been don" before in IN" history Gf any
4, MAJ. IN" stripping stood The scrutiny
uucnnCrrnrd and a. the position was
really desperate. III" Italian romman
der agreed IL thr huI';!ng up
The :"inesl": Ea,I his GINS moved up
. to IN hest available, positions. and with
81 thin screen Vi Italian infantry and cav
airy 10 hidr him from too ubservant en-
rm"s. h. barred the advance OF the en-
envy, who now concentrated every avail
able gun on the British battery.
In the heights of the action thr young
commander WAS wounded. II" had Ills
men move hun into position where he
could observe and give orders with ;hc
minimum al pain IL himself and In the
anAi"us hours that rnll"w"d the wuuud-
ri ynuugstrr Remained ut hts post. ];
WIS in vain That Tn" rn:uy threw their
MASSES against The iniuruvisrd position
The fire from tn" guns directed Ly the
wounded hero. AMI the Remnants IF the
Italian army Wrr withdrawn under thu
eyes of the f"", who h;rd counted on Sc
curing Il browning triumph In This stage
IL the night.
The most desperate phase Of the bat
tie WAS reached whcr"ii became nrcra-
#ary I" NOV" hack III" guns that hal
played such Il great par; In the struGgl.
Tho zoe kept pressing harder thun
ever. and raincd shrll-iirc on he retiring
gun teams. rrupprd up "n Il gun cur
rinEr. supported hy two Of his men, End
smoking Il cigarette. tho young officer
remained In CharSc to the end. giving tho
orders and imprcSSing something OF hla
own sublime GOODNESS on his men. Never
lid the enemy improve their position
They were always kept nj the same dis
tnncr. and every time they tried To get
n"arcr they f"unrl those deadly gums
raining death IN them.
After :, Terrible journey. lighting dag
aud might. III: battery reached the Iia!-
i'm lin" just beyond tn" rngllamcntr
AMI the first uIHu to greet III" virtnr-
iuus commander fthc battery was th,.
Italian general WHO had thought tn"
yuunGStrr So prescriptions in imagining
that Il hHitcry could hold in check p,ir-
suing army. ll,t rushed forward and I'm.
hrnorh thu lad in III" pr',..'ir,." uf hiS
army. and when tn" Huunh-d hero passed
through the Italian lines lie was rhc.r"f
Ivy lhr liG"s AZ enthusiastic men VIII.
realized how much they. owed Ia iirH
splendid courage of this youngstrr at tn:
most critical stage 81 The retreat.
British Nurses Eeroism.
Now for 4 story nf orr brave nurses
There il one girl with whom have Sorv-
ed In Serbia. Shr Is mt yet 20. SIN.
found herself IN charge uf convoy nf
wounded and sick in a critical stage Of
the retreat. The enemy Wore Shtllin:;
tho convoy all the way. and nani: was
inevitable. The girl took command with
Il tlrmncsS that put 10 shame nil who
thought 81 flight. The convoy moved
steadily On. the girl herself bringing up
tho rcar and showing not the slightest
emotion with shells bursting within a