d dangerous problem
presented itself. At the outset of the expedition it had been planned
that the troops on the railroad front were to push well down the
railroad to or beyond Plesetskaya. The Vaga Column was to go as far as
Velsk and there establish a line of communication across to the railroad
front. Unfortunately, their well-laid plans fell through and perhaps
fortunately so. The forces of the railroad had been checked near Emtsa,
far above Plesetskaya. The other troops on the Dvina had by this time
retired to Toulgas and as a consequence the smallest force in the
expedition, the Vaga Column, was now in the most advanced position of
these three fronts, a very dangerous and poorly chosen military
position.

[Illustration: Soldier standing next a 50 ft. observation tower.]
WAGNER
Artillery "O. P.," Kodish

[Illustration: Windmill.]
LANMAN
Mill for Grinding Grain

[Illustration: Soldiers cutting down trees.]
U. S. OFFICIAL PHOTO
Pioneer Platoon Clearing Fire Lane

[Illustration: Several soldiers watching the operation of a machine gun.]
U. S OFFICIAL PHOTO
Testing a Vickers Machine Gun

[Illustration: Soldier on sentry duty.]
U. S. OFFICIAL PHOTO
Doughboy Observing Bolo in Pagosta--Near Ust Padenga

[Illustration: Russian cossack being bandaged.]
U S OFFICIAL PHOTO
Cossack Receiving First Aid, Vistavka

[Illustration: Two Russian women with a horse and wagon.]
LANMAN
Ready for Day's Work

[Illustration: Flax hanging from a fence.]
DOUD
Flax Hung Up to Dry

[Illustration: Several soldiers with horses and ropes attached to a barge.]
WAGNER
310th Engineers at Beresnik

To make matters still worse, from the village of Nyandoma on the Vologda
railroad, there is a well defined winter trail, running straight across
country to the village of Ust Padenga, located on the Vaga River, about
half way between Shenkursk and Rovdinskaya. Rumors were constantly
coming in that the Bolo was occupying the villages all along this trail
in order to launch a big drive on Shenkursk as soon as winter set in. On
these frozen, packed trails, troops, artillery, etc., could be moved as
easily and readily as by rail.

In order then to withdraw our lines and to add greater safety to the
columns, it was finally decided to withdraw from Rovdinskaya to Ust
Padenga.

At one o'clock on the morning of October 18th, as we lay shivering and
shaking in the cold and dismal marshes, which we chose to call our fron