ega. For weeks it had
looked dubious for the city. Enemy artillery would empty the city of
inhabitants, although his infantry would find it difficult to penetrate
the wire and other fortifications erected by the Americans and Russians
under the able direction of a British officer, Lieut. Augustine of a
Canadian engineer unit. Think of chopping holes in the ice and frozen
ground, pouring in water and freezing posts in for wire supports! Then
came the unexpected. After six days of steady fighting which added many
occupants to our hospital and heavy losses to the enemy, he suddenly
retreated one night, burning the village of Priluk which we had twice
used as field base for our attack on him.

From Pinega we looked at the faint smoke column across the forest deep
with snow and breathed easier than we had for many anxious weeks. Our
pursuing forces came back with forty loads of enemy supplies they left
behind in the various villages we had captured from his forces. Why? Was
it operations in his rear of our forces from Soyla, or the American
platoon that worried his flank near his artillery, or Shaponsnikoff in
the Mezen area threatening his flank, or was it a false story of the
arrival of the forces of Kolchak at Kotlas in his rear? Americans here
at Pinega, like the vastly more desperate and shattered American forces
on the Vaga and at Kodish at the same time, had seen their fate
impending and then seen the Reds unaccountably withhold the final blow.

The withdrawal of the Reds to their stronghold at Trufanagora in the
second week in February disappointed their sympathizers in Pinega and
the Red Leunova area, and from that time on the occupation of the Pinega
Valley by the Americans was marked by the cordial co-operation of the
whole area. During the critical time when the Reds stood almost at the
gates of the city, the Pinega government had yielded to the demands of
the volunteer troops that all citizens be drafted for military service.
This was done even before the Archangel authorities put its decree
forth. Every male citizen between ages of eighteen and forty-five was
drafted, called for examination and assigned to recruit drill or to
service of supply or transportation. There was enthusiastic response of
the people.

The square opposite the cathedral resounded daily to the Russki recruit
sergeant's commands and American platoons drilling, too, for effect on
the Russians, saw the strange new way of turning from line t