Thinking
of their eleven comrades killed in this advance and of the thirty-one
wounded and of the many sick from exposure, the Americans on the Kodish
force as well as the English marines and Scots who also had lost
severely, were loath to stop with so easy a victory in sight.

Of course General Ironside's main idea was right, but its application at
that time and place seemed to work hardship on the Kodish force. And the
sequel proves it. To add to their discomfort, the very size of this
force which had struggled so valiantly this little distance, was now
reduced by the withdrawal of the English marines and of "L" Company, and
by the ordering of the Canadian artillery guns to the Dvina front. The
remaining force with Captain Donoghue totalled one hundred and eighty
men, which seemed very small to them, in view of the fact that a mere
reconnoitering patrol from the Bolos now returning to activity always
showed anywhere from seventy-five to one hundred rifles and a machine
gun or two. However, they made the best of their remaining days in
October to fortify the Kodish-Avda front sector of the road. The Yanks
were to be prepared for the worst. And they got it. Let us take a look
at the position held by these Americans. It is typical of the positions
in which many of the far-flung detachments found themselves.

At the seventeenth verst pole was a four-man outpost. At the sixteenth
verst pole Lieut. Ballard had two of his machine guns, a Lewis gun crew
and some forty-six men from "K" Company. Four versts behind him on the
densely wooded road Lieut. Gardner with forty men and a Vickers gun was
occupying the old Bolo dugouts. One verst further back in the big
clearing was Kodish village, a place which by all the rules of field
strategy was absolutely untenable. Here with four Vickers guns were the
remainder of "K" Company along with the sick and the lame and the halt,
scarce forty men really able to do active duty, but obliged to stay on
to support their comrades. The nearest friendly troops, including their
artillery, were back at Seletskoe, thirty versts away. On October 29th
the Reds returned to Avda. The noise from that village and reports
brought by patrols indicated that this enemy who erstwhile was on the
run, and whom our high command now held lightly, was determined to
regain Kodish. And while striking heavily at their enemy on the railroad
as we have seen, the Red Guards now fell upon this single company of
American