A correspondent in France described the death of General Neil Douglas Findley of the British Royal Artillery as follows: 

“When at dawn the British advance continued toward Soissons the enemy was fighting an exceptionally fierce rearguard action.  A terrible shell fire was directed against our artillery under General Findley, temporarily situated in a valley by the village of Prise.  It seemed a matter of moments when we should have to spike our guns and General Findley saw the urgency for action.

“‘Boys,’ his voice echoed down the line, ’we are going to get every gun into position,’ Then deliberately the general approached a regimental chaplain kneeling beside a gunner.  ’Here are some of my personal belongings, chaplain.  See that they don’t go astray,’

“One by one our guns began to blaze away and the general had a word of encouragement and advice for every man.  In vain his staff tried to persuade him to leave the danger zone.

“Our range was perfect, the German fire slackened and died away and with a yell our men prepared to advance.  The outburst came too soon, one parting shell exploding in a contact with Findley’s horse, shattering man and beast.”

KILLED FOE IN REVOLVER DUEL

While their men battled on a road near Antwerp, it is said that a Belgian cavalry sergeant and an officer of German Uhlans fought a revolver duel which ended when the Belgian killed his foe, sending a bullet into his neck at close range.

The daring Uhlans had approached close to the Antwerp fortifications on a reconnoitering expedition.  They were seen by a small Belgian force, which immediately went out on the road to give battle.  As they neared each other, the German commander shouted a jibe at the Belgian sergeant.  There was no answer, but the sergeant rode at a gallop straight for the Uhlan.  Miraculously escaping the shots aimed at him, he drew up alongside the officer and informed him that his life was to be forfeited for the insulting words he had uttered.  Both began firing with their revolvers, while at the same time their men clashed.

Only a few of the soldiers witnessed the thrilling duel, for they themselves were fighting desperately.  After their officer’s death the Uhlans withdrew, leaving a number of dead.  Someone carried word of the duel to King Albert, who had just arrived in Antwerp, and he called before him and personally congratulated the sergeant, Henri Pyppes.  The latter was wounded in the arm by one of the Uhlan’s bullets, but he refused to be taken to the hospital and remained on duty in the field.

LITTLE STORIES FROM FRANCE

Count Guerry de Beauregard, a French veteran of the war of 1870, thus announced the death of a son at the front:  “One son already has met the death of the brave beyond the frontier at the head of a squadron of the Seventh Hussars.  Others will avenge him.  Another of my sons, an artilleryman, is with the general staff.  My eldest son is with the Twenty-first Chasseurs.  Long live France!”