are very brave and fight to the last
man. One of our companies has lost 130 men out of 240."

The following letter, which refers to the fighting on the Aisne, has
been printed and circulated to the troops:

LETTER FOUND ON GERMAN OFFICER OF SEVENTH RESERVE CORPS:

Cerny, South of Laon, Sept 14, 1914.

My Dear Parents: Our corps has the task of holding the heights
south of Cerny in all circumstances until the Fourteenth Corps on
our left flank can grip the enemy's flank. On our right are other
corps. We are fighting with the English Guards, Highlanders, and
Zouaves. The losses on both sides have been enormous. For the most
part this is due to the too brilliant French artillery.

The English are marvelously trained in making use of ground. One
never sees them, and one is constantly under fire. The French
airmen perform wonderful feats. We cannot get rid of them. As soon
as an airman has flown over us, ten minutes later we get their
shrapnel fire in our positions. We have little artillery in our
corps; without it we cannot get forward.

Three days ago our division took possession of these heights and
dug itself in. Two days ago, early in the morning, we were attacked
by an immensely superior English force, one brigade and two
battalions, and were turned out of our positions. The fellows took
five guns from us. It was a tremendous hand-to-hand fight.

How I escaped myself I am not clear. I then had to bring up
supports on foot. My horse was wounded, and the others were too
far in the rear. Then came up the Guards Jager Battalion, Fourth
Jager, Sixth Regiment, Reserve Regiment Thirteen, and Landwehr
Regiments Thirteen and Sixteen, and with the help of the artillery
we drove the fellows out of the position again. Our machine guns
did excellent work; the English fell in heaps.

In our battalion three Iron Crosses have been given, one to C.O.,
one to Capt. ----, and one to Surgeon ----. [Names probably
deleted.] Let us hope that we shall be the lucky ones next time.

During the first two days of the battle I had only one piece of
bread and no water. I spent the night in the rain without my
overcoat. The rest of my kit was on the horses which had been left
behind with the baggage and which cannot come up into the battle
because as soon as you put your n