The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-10-11

same day her raw C~armngnole levies
fought and won the battle Of Valmy. a
battle which proved TO the doubters-
of whom France herself was one-that
the republican spirit possessed mettle I;
that France could not only declare her
self n republic, but could defend and
maintain herself rs a republic. Naimy,
declares Greasy, set the kings ( Eu-
rope trembling after IL centuries OF
security. Valmy. wrote Goethe, who
watched the battle. Commences n new
era In the worlds history" Valmy de-
creed there should be that republican
France which fights the battle Oh free
dom today.
yaliny was fought In the same re-
gion which has seen some OF the blood
lest encounters OF the presen- war. It
took place In the marshy country or
the Aisne and the Aube, with the for
est of Argonne, then much heavier
and greater In extent than Ii Is now,
as a prominent strategic feature. Its
victor was Kellerman. father Of the
Kcllerman whose brilliant cavalry
charge afterward decided the battle OF
Marengo. Under Napoleon the elder
Kellerman assumed the title OF duke
OF valmy. When he died he desired
that his heart should be buried upon
the battlefield where he had won his
fame.
The army which came against the
crude French republican volunteers in
cluded not only 10000 Prussinns and
$4,000 A~ustrians, but no less than 49,
900 French emigres OF the old royalist
days, most OF them OF noble birth. all
of them skilled In arms and represent
ing the flower of the commissioned
personnel Of the old and formidable
French army. In chief command was
the duke OF Brunswick, second only In
military skill to the Great Frederick,
ms whose lieutenant he had served.
Heading the emigres was Condo.
Against these Dumouriez, the sixty
year-old veteran who held the chief
French command. could oppose only
n total of some $4,000 men badly or
ganized and disciplined, for the most
part worse Offered and s~hockingly
lacking In equipment and supplies.
Eight battallons were so mutinous
that Dumouriez, under pretense OF
reviewing them. posted them with a
strong force Of cavalry In their rear
and cannon on their TANKS, after
which he informed them that they
were not worthy to be called either
soldiers or citizens. They would do
well. he further Informed them, to
do their duty, or the cavalry and the
guns would do duty to them.
The invaders advanced In what
they believed would be only a march
OF JOY and triumph to Paris In three
columns. In the earlier engage
ments the French fed like sheep. ON
one occasion they fed without fir
Ing a shot. On another II division
of 10000 scurried back before the scat
tering fire Of a few Austrian skirmish'
ers. To make matters worse, French
underestimate OF the enemy's sagacity
left weakly defended an important
pass which an Austrian corps, under
Clarifayt, promptly forced after some
sharp fighting.
Misfortune and the necessity OF
covering an extended front rather
than faulty generalship caused the
separation OF DuInOuriez and Keller
man who was trying to Join him by
a wheeling movement from Metz and
gave opportunity for the invadinl
force to attempt the Overwhelming
Of the latter as he stood isolated or
the plateau OF Valmy, at n dangerous
interval from his chief. The yount
king OF Prussia. who vas with
Brunswick's forces, Joined with tn
emigre French princes In urging al
immediate attack. Accordingly tn
right wing OF the invading arm.
moved forward early In the morninl
20 turn Kellerman's left flank AM
cut him OF from retreat to Chalons
Dumouriez, an alert and spry citl
Ten In spite Of his years. ordered u
troops to support Kellerman, but thes
troops were slow In starting.
The same sort Of fog which embar
fassed the opposing forces OF tn
present war when they FLASHED o
the same ground hung over the bal
tlefeld. 1t was ten o'clock when IN
,atterdemalion French army pei
reived emerging from the whit
mlyes the countless Prussian ca
airy and the bristling columns OF II
fantry now close upon them. TIL
French, remembering the runnin
they had found II advisable to do
the preliminary skirmlshing, WEI
nervous. and showed II. However. Ke
herman and the youthful Due de Cha
tres a youngster Of twenty who serve
as a general under him, steadied the
n>a 80 successfully tsat they endure
sfhsndidly the pounding Of the Pru
sian artillery which opened on the
from La Lunr. The French guns r
piled with spirit. after which Kelle
man, believing the enemy fire slacke
Ing. headed n charge. This was near
the undolng of the French for Il
charge landed itself fairly under Il
pieces Of a masked battery which ope
ed with such terrific effect tn
the French broke In wild disord'