the field artillery journal - Fort Sill - U.S. Army

PURSUIT AFTER BATTLE IN LORRAINE
rear guard batteries had lasted on and off, including pauses,
about two hours, during which time I had directed my left flank
battery to make a change of position to the low ground near the
Rhine and Marne Canal in order to be able to cover more
effectively the low foreground near Moussey. But on account
of the heavy hostile fire on the crossing at Porte St. Marie, this
battery never got a chance to unlimber, for in the meantime the
French had also taken under fire the premises of Porte St.
Marie, so that the Division Commander without apprising us of
the fact, had to leave this place. Until way late in the afternoon,
the canal was nowhere crossed by any strong force of cavalry,
and thus the French were able to withdraw to the west and
south quite unmolested. An eskadron of cavalry had been
assigned for the protection of my left flank and took up a
position along the woods. This eskadron was also unable to get
cover against the hostile artillery fire and sought a more
favorable position a little farther to the rear. Upon the
complaint of the C. O. of the left flank battery, I was several
times compelled to interfere in order to assure the absolutely
necessary guarding of my flanks. Artillery which is already in
position and firing has an absolute right to demand that the
other arms of the service protect the front and flanks of its
position, and, when such protection is once ordered the arms
which it is supporting are not authorized or justified in
abandoning this support of their own accord or without urgent
cause which in this case did not exist. In other words, they have
no right to leave the artillery in the lurch. We were very much
relieved when toward evening a company of infantry was sent to
our support. But later on toward dark when the hostile artillery
fire again set in with great intensity, compelling us to seek the
shelter of our shields, the infantry also withdrew to the protection
of the woods. The task assigned to the hostile batteries, namely
to prevent under all circumstances the pursuit by our strong
cavalry forces across the Rhine-Marne Canal in the directions
of Avricourt-Amenoncourt, was accomplished by them in a
23