miles in rear of us, with but two Russian
platoons, and Kitsa, twenty miles further with but one platoon and a few
Russian troops. There were hundreds of trails leading through the
forests from town to town and it would be but a matter of days or even
hours for the enemy to occupy these positions and then strike at
Beresnik, thus cutting off not only our forces at Shenkursk but those at
Toulgas far down the Dvina as well. Already he had begun destroying the
lines of communication behind us.

That afternoon at 3:10 p. m. the last message from Beresnik arrived
ordering us to withdraw if possible. While this message was coming over
the wire and before our signal men had a chance to acknowledge it, the
wires suddenly "went dead," shutting off our last hope of communication
with the outside world. We later learned from a prisoner who was
captured some days later that a strong raiding party had been dispatched
to raid the town of Yemska Gora on the line and to cut the wires.
Fortunately for us they started from their bivouac on a wrong trail
which brought them to their objective several hours later, during which
time the battle of Spasskoe had been fought and we had been forced to
retire, all of which information reached Beresnik in time for the
general in command there to wire back his order of withdrawal, just as
the wires were being cut away.

With this hopeless situation before us, and the certain possibility of a
starvation siege eventually forcing us to surrender, the council decided
that retreat we must if possible and without further delay. All the
principal roads or trails were already in the hands of the enemy.
However, there was a single, little used, winter trail leading straight
back into the forest in rear of us which, with devious turns and
windings, would finally bring us back to the river trail leading to
Shegovari, about twenty miles further down the river. Mounted Cossacks
were instantly dispatched along this trail and after several hours of
hard riding returned with word that, due to the difficulty of travel and
heavy snows, the enemy had not yet given serious consideration to this
trail, and as a consequence was unoccupied by them.

Without further delay English Headquarters immediately decided upon
total evacuation of Shenkursk. Orders were at once issued that all
equipment, supplies, rations, horses, and all else should be left just
as it stood and each man to take on that perilous march only what he