the enemy realized the powerful threat that was being
made against the flank of his columns moving southeast, and began the
great retreat which opened the battle above referred to.

On the evening of Sept. 6, therefore, the fronts and positions of the
opposing armies were roughly as follows:

Allies.

_Sixth French Army_.--Right on the Marne at Meux, left toward Betz.

_British Forces._--On the line Dagny-Coulommiers-Maison.

_Fifth French Army._--At Courtagon, right on Esternay.

_Conneau's Cavalry Corps._--Between the right of the British and the
left of the French Fifth Army.

Germans.

_Fourth Reserve and Second Corps._--East of the Ourcq and facing
that river.

_Ninth Cavalry Division._--West of Crecy.

_Second Cavalry Division._--North of Coulommiers.

_Fourth Corps._--Rebais.

_Third and Seventh Corps._--Southwest of Montmirail.

All these troops constituted the First German Army, which was directed
against the French Sixth Army on the Ourcq, and the British forces, and
the left of the Fifth French Army south of the Marne.

The Second German Army (IX., X., X.R., and Guard) was moving against the
centre and right of the Fifth French Army and the Ninth French Army.

On Sept. 7 both the Fifth and Sixth French Armies were heavily engaged
on our flank. The Second and Fourth Reserve German Corps on the Ourcq
vigorously opposed the advance of the French toward that river, but did
not prevent the Sixth Army from gaining some headway, the Germans
themselves suffering serious losses. The French Fifth Army threw the
enemy back to the line of the Petit Morin River after inflicting severe
losses upon them, especially about Montceaux, which was carried at the
point of the bayonet.

The enemy retreated before our advance, covered by his Second and Ninth
and Guard Cavalry Divisions, which suffered severely.

Our cavalry acted with great vigor, especially Gen. De Lisle's brigade,
with the Ninth Lancers and Eighteenth Hussars.

On Sept. 8 the enemy continued his retreat northward, and our army was
successfully engaged during the day with strong rearguards of all arms
on the Petit Morin River, thereby materially assisting the progress of
the French armies on our right and left, against whom the enemy was
making his greatest efforts. On both sides the enemy was thrown back
with very heavy loss. The First Army Corps encountered stubborn
resistance at La Tretoi