Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-03-15

circumstances, you stand bare-headcd
II little revercntly, and your cnthu-
siasm comes nearer to tears than to
triumphal pacnns.
lie Pulled Up the Barbcd Wire.
Let us tnkc Sergeant Cosgrove
first. His feat was performed ut GAL
lipoli. In reading his story you must
bear in mind that thcrce was no good
need for him to net as he did. He
might have stayed whchc he was and
still done his duty, rs many another
did the same day.
1t happened when the British were
attacking the Turks, that they ran
up against some of those bnrbed- wire
cntanglcmcnts which no instrument
then known seemed TO be able to cut
so close, too, were the trenches at
that time that the artillery could not
he brought into action because of tho
danger Of hitting our own mon. Raid
after raid had been mndc, but all to
no effect. The wirc-cutters failed cv-
cry time. Finally, Sergeant Coagrovo
hit on the plan of his own.
Ordering his men 10 remain in the
trench until such time ns they should
receive his signal TO attack, he him
self stepped coolly over the pnrnpet
ind walked across "Nu Mans Land"
lie was 81 big man, and strong with
the muscle of Munster, or he could
never have accomplished what he did
For, laying hold of the stakes which
held the wires in plncc, he hcaved
them bodily out OF the ground. Fin
ishing one, he ran to another. Tho
Turks were busy "p0tting" him nll
the time. They hit him but still he
went on. Out came more stalker. He
had cleared one hundred yards and
then canc his long-loolicd for signal.
with The ground prepared for them,
his men rushed through, and sue
ceedcd where for days they had fail
cd. by some miracle, their sQrgean.
survived.
Some Engineer Heroes.
But the palm for heroism goes to
the twelve engineers who lost their
lives ut SCISSORS. 1t was Mt this town
that the French and British joined
forces. IL was in the tarly days of
the war. Both armies were on the
retreat. and the Germans were press
ing them close. In mn effort to de-
lay the oncoming of the enemy, it
was decided to blow up u bridge.
The British had crossed. The ex-
plosivc had been laid, and twelve en-
ginccrs remained behind to detonnte
them, once the French weer safely
over. But hardly had our allies got
over the bridge when the Boche mp
penred behind.
Out dashed Engineer No. /. A shot
finished him. Number 2 rushed for
ward. lie was killed. Out came No. 3,
Killed. And so on, one after nnoth-
cr, until it, was No. l2's turn. Hit
again, hut not dead! IIe was lust ten
yards from the electric bnttery. Could
he make it? One he crawled. with
shot riddling his body. He reached it
and pushed the switch and died. Up
went the bridge with half German
army corps. The engineers were
awarded posthumous V. C.'s.
Probably, if your idea of heroes are
derived from the reading of daily pn-
pers, your prejudices run entirely in
favor of the men in the mir. Being q
novelty, they are the dnrlings of the
day. But, with all due respect to
them,-and they deserve u great deal
they are receiving more than their
share of attention.
Compare the work of the average
aviator with that Of the average in
| fantryman, and see where tho bal
ance of bravery lies.
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