and empties into it at a village
called Ust Vaga, about thirty versts below Beresnik and on which is
located the second largest town or city in the province of Archangel.
This river was strategically of more value than the upper Dvina,
because, as a glance at the map will show, its possession threatened the
rear of both the Dvina and the Kodish columns. Accordingly, on the
fifteenth day of September, accompanied by a river gunboat, the
remaining handful of Company "A", comprising two platoons, under Capt.
Odjard and Lieut. Mead, went on board a so-called fast river steamer en
route to Shenkursk. On the seventeenth day of September this detachment
took possession of Shenkursk without firing a single shot, the
Bolsheviki having fled in disorder upon word of our arrival. The
citizens of this village turned out en masse to welcome us as their
deliverers, and the Slavo-British Allied Legion soon gained a
considerable number of new recruits.

Shenkursk is a village about one hundred and twenty-five versts up the
Vaga River from its junction with the Dvina River. It is by far one of
the most substantial and prosperous in the province of Archangel. It
differs very materially from all the surrounding country in that it is
located on good sandy soil on a high bluff overlooking the river and is
comparatively dry, even in wet weather. It is quite a summer resort
town, has a number of well constructed brick buildings, half a dozen or
more schools, a seminary, monastery, saw mill, and in many others
respects is far above the average Russian village.

Upon their arrival our troops were quartered in an old Cossack garrison,
reminiscent of the days of the Czar. We prepared to settle down very
comfortably for the winter. Our dream of rest and quiet was rudely
shattered, however, for two days later we were notified that the British
command for the Vaga River troops was on its way to Shenkursk, and that
we were to push further on down the river to stir up the enemy. Without
question we were quite willing to leave the enemy rest in peace as long
as he did not molest us, but such was not the fortune nor luck of war,
and therefore, on September 1st, the small detachment of American
troops, reinforced by some thirty or forty S. B. A. L. troops, went
steaming up the Vaga River on the good ship "Tolstoy," a decrepit old
river steamer on which we had mounted a pom pom and converted it into a
"battle cruiser." The troops immediately christened th