Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-15

The Battalion at the Front
1NHE same morning on which the
i telegram came from Genera!
Polovtzev there also arrived banner
with an inscription that read some
thing like this:
Long Live the Provisional Govern
ment! Let Those Who Can. Advance.
Forward, Brave Women! To the De
fense Of the Bleeding Motherland'
We were to march with this banner
in the demonstration organized IN op'
position to the Bolshevik demonstra-
ton, set for that day. The lnVaiids
were to march in the same parade:
talked matters over with their chief
when we met at Morskaya.
The air was charged with alarming
rumors. The captain of the lnVallds
placed fifty revolvers at my dlsposal =
I distributed them among the instruct
ors and my other officers, leaving a
pair for myself.
The band of the Nolynski Regiment
headed the Battalion of Death as half
the soldiers of that regiment had re-
fused to march against the Bolsheviki:
having already been contaminated
with Rolshevist ideas, although it was
ONLY June.
Mars Field, our destination, was
about five versts from our barracks.
The whole route was lined with enor-
nous crowds which cheered us and the
Invalids of whom there were only
about 500. Many women on the side.
walks wept, mourning the girls that
I was leading into what seemed con-
nict with the Bolsheviki. Everybody
said, something is going to happen
| today"
As we approached the Mars Field
where the opposing demonstration was
held ordered my soldiers to sit down
and rest for fifteen minutes.
"Stroysia!" OForm ranksD 7 ordered
at the end of that time. We were all
more or less nervous, as II OH the eve
of an offensive. I addressed few
words to the battalion. instructing
them to stick by me to the end, not to
Insult anybody, not to run at the
slightest provocation. in order TO AVOID
a panic. They all pledged themselves
to fulfill my Instructions.
Before resuming the march. the cap
tam of The Invalids. several OF his SUD-
ordinate officers anG all my instructors
came forward and asked to march IN
the front row with me. i objected,
but they insisted, and I finally had to
give way. in spite of my desire to show
the Bolsheviki that I was not AFRAID.
The crowds on the Mars Field were
indeed enormous. A stream or march.
ers with Bolshevist banners flowed
into the great square. We stopped
within fifty feet of Bolshevist crowd
and were met promptly by hail OF
Jokes and curses The opponents de.
rided the provisional government and
shouted: Long live the Revolutionary
Democracy! Down with the War!"
Some of the girls could not suppress
their indignation and began to reply
provoking a hot argument!
"When you cry. Down with the
war; you are helping to DESTROY tree
Russia" exclaimed. stepping forward
and addressing myself to the turbulent
neighbors I'VE must beat the Ger
mans first and then there will be no
war"
threatened.
Greatly aroused, I rushed a few
steps nearer to the crowd. My fingers
gripped the two pistols, but in all the
excitement that followed. the idea was
fixed in my mind that must not shoot
at my own people, common workers
and peasants
wake up. you deluded sons of Rus.
sia! Think what you are doing! You
are destroying the Motherland Scoun-
drels!" I concluded as their derision
| continued.
My instructors tried to hold me
back as the throng swarmed around
me, but I tore myself out Of their
arms and plunged into the thick of it.
I worked myself up to such a state
of frenzy that I did not cease talk
ing even when volley of shots was