ise this detachment in the woods, capture it if possible
and make a great demonstration of an attack so as to give the enemy in
the upper village the impression that we were receiving reinforcements
and still fresh and ready for fighting. This maneuver succeeded far
beyond our wildest expectations.

Company "B," under command of Lt. John Cudahy, and one platoon of
Company "D" under Lt. Derham, made the counter attack on the Bolo
trenches. Just before dawn that morning the Americans filed through the
forests and crept upon the enemy's observation posts before they were
aware of any movement on our part. We then proceeded without any warning
upon their main position. Taken as they were, completely by surprise, it
was but a moment before they were in full rout, running panic-stricken
in all directions, thinking that a regiment or division had followed
upon them. We immediately set fire to these huts containing their
ammunition, cartridges, etc., and the subsequent explosion that followed
probably gave the enemy the impression that a terrific attack was
pending. As we emerged from the woods and commenced the attack upon
upper Toulgas we were fully expecting stiff resistance, for we knew that
many of these houses concealed enemy guns. Our plans had succeeded so
well, however, that no supporting fire from the upper village came and
the snipers in the forward part of the village seeing themselves
abandoned, threw their guns and came rushing forward shouting "tovarish,
tovarish," meaning the same as the German "kamerad." As a matter of
fact, in this motley crew of prisoners were a number of Germans and
Austrians, who could scarcely speak a word of German and who were
probably more than thankful to be taken prisoners and thus be relieved
from active warfare.

During this maneuver one of their bravest and ablest commanders, by the
name of Foukes, was killed, which was an irreparable loss to the enemy.
Foukes was without question one of the most competent and aggressive of
the Bolo leaders. He was a very powerful man physically and had long
years of service as a private in the old Russian Army, and was without
question a most able leader of men. During this four days' attack and
counter attack he had led his men by a circuitous route through the
forests, wading in swamps waist deep, carrying machine guns and rations.
The nights were of course miserably cold and considerable snow had
fallen, but Foukes would risk no fire of any ki