The New York Times Current History of the European War | Page 7

3 the enemy appears to have changed his plans and to have
determined to stop his advance south direct upon Paris, for on Sept. 4
air reconnoissances showed that his main columns were moving in a
southeasterly direction generally east of a line drawn through Nanteuil
and Lizy on the Ourcq.
On Sept. 5 several of these columns were observed to have crossed the
Marne, while German troops, which were observed moving southeast
up the left flank of the Ourcq on the 4th, were now reported to be
halted and facing that river. Heads of the enemy's columns were seen
crossing at Changis, La Ferte, Nogent, Château Thierry, and Mezy.

Considerable German columns of all arms were seen to be converging
on Montmirail, while before sunset large bivouacs of the enemy were
located in the neighborhood of Coulommiers, south of Rebais, La
Ferté-Gaucher, and Dagny.
I should conceive it to have been about noon on Sept. 6, after the
British forces had changed their front to the right and occupied the line
Jouy-Le Chatel-Faremoutiers-Villeneuve Le Comte, and the advance of
the Sixth French Army north of the Marne toward the Ourcq became
apparent, that 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 Trétoire, (north of Rabais.) The enemy occupied a
strong position with infantry and guns on the northern bank of the Petit
Morin River; they were dislodged with considerable loss. Several
machine guns and many prisoners were captured, and upward of 200
German dead were left on the ground.
[Illustration: Map 6.--Sept. 9. Forcing the passage of the Marne. This
day the German retreat degenerated into a rout, and many captures
were made.]

The forcing of the Petit Morin at this point was much assisted by the
cavalry and the First Division, which crossed higher up the stream.
Later in the day a counter-attack by the enemy was well repulsed by the
First Army Corps, a great many prisoners and some guns again falling
into our hands.
On this day (Sept. 8) the Second Army Corps encountered considerable
opposition, but drove back the enemy at all points with great loss,
making considerable captures.
The Third Army Corps also drove back considerable bodies of the
enemy's infantry and made some captures.
On Sept. 9 the First and Second Army Corps forced the passage of the
Marne and advanced some miles to the north of it. The Third Corps
encountered considerable opposition, as the bridge at La Ferté was
destroyed and the enemy held the town on the opposite bank in some
strength, and thence persistently obstructed the construction of a bridge;
so the