The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-02-09
AMERICAN Y WORKERS
In BATTALION OF DEATH
Thrilling Narrative of Woman Who
Passed Through Russian Revolu-
ton.
By WILLIAM j. BUTLER.

London, Feb. SIN the famous
Eagle Y. 81. G. A. hut--there's q
quiet. unasuming American girl
worker. who was once member OF
Russia's famous battalion OF death.
She has. lived through scenes of riot.
murder, pillage and terrorism. such
MS few OF Uncle Sans soldiers ever
dreamed of.
She Is Mrs. Carrie Lou Thompson.
of Philadelphia. Two and a half
years ago she went to Russia as q
goveTness and arrived In Pctrograd
Just as that city began to fermenr
with the revolution. Food was al
most impossible to get. and diseases
were spreading with alarming
rapidly.
She went to kiev and fell victim
TO the spotted ferver. On recovery
she became goyernness In the family
OF CAPTAIN Lossien. and went with
them u near the front where she
lived two months under the roar OF
shell fire
She returned with the family to
Petrograd Just before the revolution
broke. On the historic night Mrs.
Thompson received a. warning to fee
and she and Nine. Lossieff were pack
ing when firing began in the streets
and soon pitched battle was on
Revolutionary soldiers broke into
our room and robbed us of nearly
everything except our money, which
we had time TO hide" she said.
I'VE were both placed under guard.
hut Prince I.voff had us released. Nine.
I4osieff became i'll with fever and
was charged with taking the children
fria A~ tv, LCharhng The trains
were stopped. however. and no auto
mobiles were allowed.
We SAT att one night In the station
while soldiers abused and robbed us
and other rioters drank and fought
and shot each other before our eyes
in the lawlessness that reigned. For
three days the hring was constant
and we saw sights of horror such -
beggar description.
when we finally reached kharhov
We found that our friends had been
robbed of everything and to get food
we had to arrange to have Captain
Lossief arrange to bring us to Duhno.
In this town the border OF Poland we
lived In battered nunnery under
costant shell fire.
Here ! saw the upheaval Of the
Russian army following the forma-
ton OF the soldiers and workers
committees. I saw kerensky come
to the front and haranguc the men.
saw them swear allegiance to him
and then march over and swear al,egi-
ance 10 his enemies. / saw officers
and soldiers. accused of loyalty to
the old regime taken out and shot
or hacked to pieces in cold blood.
Then In order to do my bit l join
cd a detachment OF the lannon's bat
talon OF death. with them l drilled
and would have gone to the front
had not Nine. Lossieff. still weak ana
helpless from fever, come to me and
begged me to get the children away
from constant danger and into Eng
land.
Dressed as Red Cross nurses we
started. We were stopped for num-
Der of days at Kiev during tho bloody
pogrom and saw Jews slaughtered In
the streets bv the thousands and their
homes ransacked and burned. Star
walton faced the whole population.
Bread cards were issued and VIC stood
In Nne twenty-four hours to get one
pound OF bread each for Christmas
day"
Finally they took up their journey
again and were stopped by battle
between Bolshevists and Ukrainians.
They slept on the floor OF farm
house with shells bursting all around
them and the cries OF the wounded
! and dying ringing In their ears.
They found most avenues Of escape
cut off and wandered to Petrograd.
Perm voiogda ana by boat TO Baku,
nearly all the time literally through
rivers OF blood. They reached
Archangel the day after the last boat
had left and lived in the railroad sta
ton there three weeks. They finally
got boat to Murmansk across the
White sea, from which they were able
to escape to England.
Here she took up American r. NJ
! G.. A. work.