the enemy. The Yorks on the right and left
advanced just as gallantly and were also held back by the deep snow and
the severity of the enemy machine gun fire.

The fight continued for five hours. Lovable old Lt. Collins fell
mortally wounded by a Bolo bullet while cheering his men on the
desperate line of battle. At last Lt. Phillips was obliged to report his
ammunition exhausted and appealed for reinforcements and ammunition.
Major Monday passed on the appeal to Col. Lawrie who gave up the attack
and ordered the forces to withdraw under cover of darkness, which they
all did in good order. Losses had not been as heavy as the fury of the
fight promised. One American enlisted man was killed and Lt. Collins
died of hemorrhage on the way to Chekuevo. Eight American enlisted men
were severely wounded. The Yorks lost two officers and two enlisted men
killed, and ten enlisted men wounded. Many of the American and British
soldiers were frostbitten.

During the next week the enemy, we learned later, greatly augmented his
forces and strengthened his defenses of Bolsheozerki with German wire,
machine guns, and artillery. He was evidently bent on exploiting his
patrol action success and aimed to cut the railroad at Obozerskaya and
later deal with the Onega detachment at leisure. Our troops made use of
the lull in the activities to make thorough patrols to discover enemy
positions and to send all wounded and sick to Onega for safety, bringing
up every available man for the next drive to knock the Bolo out of
Bolsheozerki. This was under the command of Lt.-Col. Morrison (British
army).

Meanwhile the Bolo General had launched a vicious drive at the Americans
and Russians who stood between him and his railway objective, encircling
them with three regiments, and on April 2, after two days of continuous
assault was threatening to overpower them. In this extremity Col. Lawrie
answered the appeal of the British officer commanding at Obozerskaya by
ordering another attack on the west by his forces. Captain Ballensinger
reports in substance as follows:

In compliance with orders he detailed April 1, one N. C. O. and ten
privates to man two Stokes mortars, also one N. C. O. and seven privates
for a Vickers gun. Both these details reported to a Russian trench
mortar officer and remained under his command during the engagement. The
balance of the available men at the advance base Usolia was divided into
two platoons, the first under Lt. P