es was
heavily attacked by troops of the Ninth German Army Corps, who were
coming through the forest on the north of the town. This brigade fought
most gallantly, and caused the enemy to suffer tremendous loss in
issuing from the forest into the narrow streets of the town. This loss
has been estimated from reliable sources at from 700 to 1,000. At the
same time information reached me from Sir Douglas Haig that his First
Division was also heavily engaged south and east of Maroilles. I sent
urgent messages to the commander of the two French reserve divisions on
my right to come up to the assistance of the First Corps, which they
eventually did. Partly owing to this assistance, but mainly to the
skillful manner in which Sir Douglas Haig extricated his corps from an
exceptionally difficult position in the darkness of the night, they were
able at dawn to resume their march south toward Wassigny on Guise.

By about 6 P.M. the Second Corps had got into position with their right
on Le Cateau, their left in the neighborhood of Caudry, and the line of
defense was continued thence by the Fourth Division toward Seranvillers,
the left being thrown back.

During the fighting on the 24th and 25th the cavalry became a good deal
scattered, but by the early morning of the 26th Gen, Allenby had
succeeded in concentrating two brigades to the south of Cambrai.

The Fourth Division was placed under the orders of the general officer
commanding the Second Army Corps.

On the 24th the French cavalry corps, consisting of three divisions
under Gen. Sordet, had been in billets north of Avesnes. On my way back
from Bavai, which was my "Poste de Commandement" during the fighting of
the 23d and 24th, I visited Gen. Sordet, and earnestly requested his
co-operation and support. He promised to obtain sanction from his army
commander to act on my left flank, but said that his horses were too
tired to move before the next day. Although he rendered me valuable
assistance later on in the course of the retirement, he was unable for
the reasons given to afford me any support on the most critical day of
all, viz., the 26th.

At daybreak it became apparent that the enemy was throwing the bulk of
his strength against the left of the position occupied by the Second
Corps and the Fourth Division.

At this time the guns of four German army corps were in position against
them, and Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien reported to me that he judged it
impossible to continu