ich rapidly increased in volume and intensity. We
afterward learned that our Cossack friends had fired the village before
departing in order that the enemy could not obtain further stores and
supplies which we were compelled to abandon.

At midnight of January 26th the exhausted column arrived in Vistavka, a
position about six versts in advance from Kitsa, and we again made ready
to defend this new position.

The next day we made a hasty reconnaissance of the place and soon
realized that of all the positions we had chosen, as later events
conclusively proved, this was the most hopeless of all. Vistavka,
itself, stood on a high bluff on the right bank of the Vaga. Immediately
in front of us was the forest, to our left was the forest, and on the
opposite bank of the river more forest. The river wound in and around at
this point and at the larger bends were several villages--one about five
versts straight across the river called Yeveevskaya--and another further
in a direct line called Ust Suma. About six or seven versts to our rear
was Kitsa and Ignatevskaya lying on opposite sides of the river--Kitsa
being the only one of all these villages with any kind of prepared
defenses at all. However, we at once set to work stringing up barbed
wire and trying to dig into the frozen snow and ground, which, however,
proved adamant to our shovels and picks. To add further to the
difficulty of this task the enemy snipers lying in wait in the woods
would pick off our men, so that we finally contented ourselves with snow
trenches, and thus began the defense of Vistavka, which lasted for about
two months, during which time thousands upon thousands of shells were
poured into the little village, and attack after attack was repulsed.

Within two days after our occupation of this place the enemy had gotten
his light artillery in place and with his observers posted in the trees
of the surrounding forest he soon had our range, and all through the
following month of February he continued his intermittent shelling and
sniping. Night after night we could hear the ring of axes in the
surrounding woods informing us that the Bolo was establishing his
defenses, but our numbers were so small that we could not send out
patrols enough to prevent this. Our casualties during this period were
comparatively light and with various reliefs by the Royal Scots, Kings
Liverpools, "C" and "D" Companies, American Infantry, we held this place
with success until th