Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-03-03

Butchkareff tried to hold 60
~ Sill, % 49, a Cossack Woman Soldier of
60, o,,n an.;i1o, 49, the Second Battalion, the
to spater into the wire. 49,. n.. w" ono MUG ,
strewn open space through ~ e. sl ~, .1vA, '"e
which the Germans were ep'e' ~ D'i'S''
pungng but the ignored them. With a scream
that pierced the rumble of rifle fire and gun the
whole battalion went the top laundering, surg
ing They lost control of themselves and emptied
their guns, grenade belts and revovers with suicidal
abandon.
The Germans recognized the sign of green troops and
instantly concentrated upon this reckless battalion.
Madame Butchkare got her soldiers in hand by heroic
efforts, while troops from the right and left
thrown to their assistance. The Germans driven
back by the mpetuosy of the Russian troops that
Russian gallantry which wiped out every score held
against their men comrades by the women who had suf
long hours Of the eventless nights.
When the attack subsidized and the Russians knew
their trench SAFE the roll of the Womens Battalion
was called. Sixtythree missing Some of these
could see, motoness, strewn about in No Mans Land
Many, we knew had been carried back into the German
trench.
We expected the Germans to repeat their attack i'm
mediatcly after they learned that soldiers
opposed them They satisfied themselves however by
sending out scouting parties at night learn how many
soldiers there along the front One Of these
scouting parties yielded three prisoners young blond
boys they to the women whose snpes had detected
them These were the first prisoners captured by the
battalion
Some Of the peasant camored to be allowed to
kill the three captives outright wrought they
by the fate of their comrades who had been captured
The officers restrained the however, but the prisoners
were hurried into the hands Of the fast
possible. They souchcd along the trench they
being marched off, with their heads hung in shame at
having been captured by women.
On the ninth day the battalion ordered to the
line Tor rest They remained to the rear ten days,
moving up in threeday stages until their turn in the
firing trench came again, on July II.
1t the day this first battalion wiped out,
with only four of its members left alive Even these four
were wounded Madame Butchsareff among the in:
jured survivors. The other three Svea Marinof
the prettest" soldier in the battalion; Teka Krownof
who had been deserted by pet cat almost the
battalion occupied its TRENCH and Sergeant Marsha
Kowsky.
The members of the battalion had deliberately planned
their suicide. They determined avenge the fate
of their captured sisters When the Germans attacked
that morning they knew the women had again 'taken
over although they did not know at just what section
The women were determined not to make the mistake
they had made in the previous attack The line generals
order was to meet the enemy in the open all along the
line and hold him until delayed renforccments had been
rushed up The women waited, however, until the Ger
had detected the lack of response in their section Of
the line and concentrated their thrust upon Then at
the piercing shrek with which Major Dutchkare gave
the command to Go over! the battalion went over the
top in one unbroken line
The reckless desperation with which they threw them
selves at the Germans bent the enemy back with rebound
But the Germans faced the three to one. The
the ground covered with German bodies but one by
one they went down themselves, until soldier
was left her feet BY that time the had rushedn
and drove the staggering enemy back to its hole.
AS soon as darkness came the Russians went out to
hunt for the living. I went with them With some
ronca consideration the Germans did modest us to
any great extent But search discovered only
in whose bodies there was spark Of life.
These four recovered, and the nucleus of the
second Battalion Of Death that legion of two thousand
women who in their spectacular career at the front fully
avenged the massacre of the pioneers.