The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-05-28
From Northern Russia


dents that have marked the Allied
campaign against the Bolsheviks in
Northern Russia are related III the
subjoined letter from The Associated
Press correspondent who has Gov
ered'' the fighting in these near Ar
tic regions from the beginning:
Anarchangel, March %, CORES
pondence of The Associated Press
1t was largely due to the bluff Of a
young Russian naval officer in com
mand of one of the little Allied steam
ers on the Dvina River that the origi-
nal Allied expedition up that river
from Archangel was not wiped out
by the. Bolsheviki in the early phases
of the Northern Russia campaign.
The Dvina expedition, 133 strong
went poking its way nonchantly UP
the broad river aboard Or funny
looking river steamers, on which
field. pieces and machine guns had
been mounted. The Bolsh wiki had
taken the best boats, Mississippi type
Of paddlewheelers with them in their
fight
The famous 133 reached Beresniki
nearly -2GO miles south of Anchan-
gel at the junction of the Vaga river
with Dvina, without firing a shot.
One night. all of a sudden, three or
four BoIshevik side-wheelers mount
ing big guns came around bend In
the river and started trouble. When
we fired our cannon, they fell through
the thin decks into the staterooms
Of our steamers.
A young Russian naval officer, in
command of one of our little ships
with his own gun out of action. stood
pat, with the useless muzzle turned
toward the biggest Of the enemS's
ships, and barred the channel while
our other ships retreated.
Then our river expedition got the
glad news that a British monitor
sent all the way from the Belgian
coast, was on the way to help them.
The monitor crawIed along the sand
bars and got to Beresniki. The
colonel in command of the river land
forces told me about it, q few weeks
later. when / went UP to his sector
of the front. 1t was something of
tragedy this first episode of the mon
itor, but the colonel couldn't help
laughing about it.
ssThe monitor steamed up the col
onel said, "and its captain was row
ed over to my headquarters ship. The
navy was on the job and so, naturally
all was over. He didn't want to stop
a minute.
where, he shouted. is the enc
my fleet and which is the way to
Kotlass'.
And then the monitor chugged off
in the direction Of the Bolsfevik
ship around the bend IN the river. IT
didn't find the enemy fleet. and it
certainly was a long way from hoi-
lass, when a Bolshevik land battery
! masked in the woods ON the river
bank, dropped big shell into the
monitor, putting ii out of commission
and sending it back to Beresniki.
1t was in this episode of the mori-
tor that a young British naval OIL
Ger surgeon performed one of the
| feats of bravery and Self-Cienial tha:
are continually taking place in this
war. With one eye shot out and with
blood nearly binding the other this
young surgeon calmly and success
fully attended 10 the monitors wouaI-
cd until he fell exhausted.
On the river our forces had reach
ed Beresniki on the railroad a little
command Of French had battlcd its
way nearly one hundred miles to
I Ohocerskva and in the SWampV tun-
dra between the railroad and the
river another party. including some
of the American sailors. was lost in
the mud. when reinforcenents. in the
shape of three transports loaded with
American infantrymcn and engineers
steamed into ArchanGel h:.rbor.