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- . Austriana Dead in a Trench, Surprised by a Cossack Charge on the Galician Frontier as Described
in Mme. Kokovtsera't Letter.
Colonel Mme. Alexandra Kokovtseva, Wounded
Twice and Just Decorated by the Czar
for Her Heroism, Tells How It Is Possible
for a Woman to Bear the Horrors of
Trench and Battle Field- and What She
Did to Win Her Cross ?;
TVVICG wounded by Germsn or Austrian
bullets and forced to spend some days in
a field hospital, Mpie. Kokovtseva, who
has suddenly leaped Into fame as tba "Russian
Joan of Arc," found time to write to a member
of her mother's family In Petrorrad. This
letter, vividly describing- her experiences as an
officer of a Cossack regiment which partici
pated in the Russian advance into Oallcla, was
recently forwarded, via Archangel, to another
relative in New York a well-known member
of the Russian colonywho has translated from
It the portions which are printed on this page.
Mme. Kokovtseva is the colonel command'
In the Sixth Ural Cossack Regiment. For
bravery and distinguished ability she has re
cently been awarded the Gross of St. George
a decoration much coveted by Jtusslan army
officers snd listed for a military pension.
Thousands of women, many of them suc
cessfully disguising their eei, are fighting in
'he Russian ranks. Nearly five hundred of
these, who . had been able to escape the
suspicions of recruiting officers, by their
bravery have won their right to go on fighting,
though recognized as wives and daughters, in
some cases as mothers.
Of these Russian amnions, Kokovtseva ap
pears to be the most gifted and capable in a
military sense. As shown by her photograph
reproduced on this pare, she is a handsome,
aln.ost a beautiful, woman, apparently under
thirty. She is of a good family of Cossack
origin. All her life up to mature womanhood
was spent in the bracing open air of the Ural
Mountain region. From early childhood she
hss been an athlete, practically born to the
saddle and riding like a Cossack.
She married a Cossack officer, and when the
present war broke out she successfully dis
guised herself as a Cossack cavalryman and
Rained entrance to her husband's regiment.
Before she had revealed herself even to him
she had gained promotion by her courage and
soldierly Qualities. When she had advanced to
the officer grade equivalent to our lieutenant
her secret was discovered. But she had "made
good" so emphatically that after this her ad
vance was even more rspld.
She is photogrsphed here in the high boots,
belted tunlo and shoulder straps of her rank aa
a Cossack colonel. One of several medals won
by her for gallantry appears on her left breast.
The following paragraphs translated from the
Russian script of Mme. Kokovtseva'a letter
create a vivid Impression that she hss sacrificed
none of her womanliness in winning her high
recognition as a soldier.
3y Mme. Alexandra Kokotseva, the "Russian Joan of Arc"
Translated from a Letter Forwarded from Petrogrsd to Friends In New York.
S Jessaul (Colonel) of my ' dashtnc
Cossack regiment I must be discreet in
my letter writing. Only last week one of
jty officers in fact the Sotnlk (Captain) him
self let himself in for a nice wigging from the
department censor for heading a letter to his
rnother In Moscow with the naraa of the nearest
rt'',egn to our regimental headquarters and the
exr.ct date. All such details are "verboten." as
the Austrian would say whose bullet has given
me this nice little rest in the field hospital.
Do not worry on my account. In a week I
shall sit Just as firmly in my saddle as ever.
Never was a wounded soldier of either set
more petted and coddled than I am. Kvery day
my liute onea (Cosnoks of her regiment) al
most bury me under Bpring flowers.
"Listen, Hatjusrhka," 1 had to ear Just now
to the grimmest and fiercest of them a
'griazled giant who only yesterday captured six
Austrians single-handed "do you wish to see
your Jessaul shedding tears, like a mere
woman? For shame! About face march!"
But the wretch had the audacity to try and
kiss my hsnd he left a tear on it, anyway.
When I'm out 1 shall have to discipline him
severely!
My splendid Cossacks! Who would have
thought that they would consent to be com
manded by a wotuanT Often have I told you
of their superior attitude toward women. They
expect their a omen to work for them, to serve
them sud be always submissive. Evidently my
fierce little onea consider me as a sort of
tiuperwoman. Or, perhaps they do not con
sider me a woman at all except now that I am
wounded and in the hospital and respect
merely my colonel's uniform. Truly it baa little
in common with the Tartar shirt, half-cost and
foot-gear and kerchief of their sisters and
wives. At any rate they obey my slightest wish,
perform the most recklese deeds, gayly court
leath, to win my approval.
It you should be writing to Paul , or
to Anna in America, be sure and tell them to
believe none of those German lies. Not one
of my fire-eating Cossacks hss been guilty of
offering indignities to a woman of the enemy.
Maybe my little onts do some burning and loot
ing if icy back is turned but to act in a
beastly ay to women and children, no!
lo you hear that the Little Father (the Czar)
reriuiti us to ko hungry, or In ragst It is false!
Tie soup boiler runs swiftly on its two w betid.
and with the boiler for the tea it is never far
from the trenches. My little ones, so much of
the time far in advance of the line, well knopr
how to see to their own stomachs, but there la
always the well-stocked and cleanly field
kitchen to fall back upon in case of need.
You have heard of us in the enemy's country.
Ah, there wss fat living! Kgtn by the feurxtred
thousand; egg pancakes to tighten the belts of
a whole army, and mutton and beef without
stint Wo grew fat. Our ragged and gaunt
Austrian prisoners looked upon us with envy.
Boon they also were fat!
You know that we of the Cossack regiments
have little to do with the fighting in trenches.,
For us it Is to make forays, to make whirlwind
attacks upon detachments of the enemy guard
ing their line of communications, and to cap
ture positions badly defended by artillery. I
may be permitted to Instance our usefulness on
the frontier of Oallcla, between the Dniester
and Pruth. It was my Cossacks who surprised
the Austrians at Okna.
The Austrians were Intrenched. Our Infantry
attacked, but were repulsed. Ah, then you
should have beheld my little ones! There were
two Cossack regiments two thousand dashing,
fierce fellows Itching for a hand-to-hand en
counter with the despised Teutona. As the in
fantry were retreating my little ones were given
their chance.
Yelling madly and firing their carbines, they
galloped west and east, covering a long front to
convince the Austrians that they were in large
force. The ruse worked. The enemy started
to retreat to the southwest Before they were
clear of their trenches the Cossacks were riding
them down, plying the cold steel right and
left snd cutting off large bodies for prisoners
finally taking the position.
That Is the work at which my fine fire-eaters
are famous. The Sotnlk (Captain) of my regi
ment sent to me a bloodstained, grlisled victor
in a hundred battles who begged the privilege
of presenting to me seven caps belonging to th
Austrian infantry service uniform, each pierced
through Us crown. Like so many grouse, they
were .skewered upon my brave Cosaack'a
bayonet
"Thank you, Batjuschka. but I am not
hungry," I said, for my little ones do not mind
being teased. "Neither are they hungry who
lately wore them," was the quick answer.
"Where are those seven Austrians T" I asked,
.looking about In pretended stupidity. "With
God," said my gallant Cossack, as he reverently
crossed himself. "Ah," I said, "afterwards you
went back and with your bayonet skewered
each Austrlsn cap where it lay beside its dead
owner." "No," he replied gravely, "with my
bayonet I skewered each cap with the same
thrust that sent its owner to God." And again
he crossed himself. '
It was all true there were -witnesses of the
encounter seven to one, and all the seven now
"with God."
Do yo shudder when I write to you of these
things? Do you say to yourself that "this
terrible war" has robbed me of all my estimable
"woman's weaknesses?" Do you picture me
brazenly calloused to scenes of human agony
and violent deaths for thousands in a single
engsgement which probably has no effect upon
the final outcome?
You would he wrong. It Is simply that If you
are a soldier it is your duty to kill, and perhaps
to be killed, in defense of your country. No
matter bow dreadful the things that happen,
they are Inseparable from war and you. must
get psed to them. Gradually you do get used
to them. If you did not your services to your
country would be of no value. You would not
be a true soldier, who must be able always to
shrug his shoulders and say to himself, "Well,
such things happen," and then go on faithfully
with his soldier's work. -
But believe me, these duties performed as
well as I am able to perform them, promotion?,
honors afterward they will bo as nothlnr
compared with what is dear to me as a woman.
Through all this violence and carnage and
misery I know that I shall have gained in aU
that be-omes a woman in faithfulness, ten
derness, pity for the poor and unfortunate, and
in charity.
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n Mme. Alexandra Kokovotseva, Colonel Commanding the Sixth Ural
Cossack Regiment When this Photograph Was Taken She Had Already Re
ceived Medals for Efficiency as an Officer. Lately the Czar Has Awarded
Her the High Military Honor of the Cross of St. George.
Eat More Fruit and" You'll Need Less Medicine
EVE
CoL Kokovtseva at She Appears Mounted in Active
Command of Her Cossack Regiment.
Cvprrijrkt 101S by tk SUr Coup sr. Grot BrIUIa KihU Iwnii
VERYBODY should eat more fresh fruit
during the Summer, not only because it
so cheap and plentiful, but because it
contains valuable medicinal qualities which
help to ward off all sorts of hot weather ills.
Blackberries, for Instance, contain a great
deal of iron. On this account they sometimes
have a very perceptible effect in making pale
children rosy when they eat freely of them.
Black currants have a great household repu
tation as a remedy for colds and cougha. A
couple of teaspoonfuls of black currant Jam are
put Into a tumblerful of hot water, with a
pinch of salt, and drunk hot at bedtime.
Nature offers us few better tonics than pine
apple, the Juice of which contains the natural
ferments of healthy digestion to a high degree,
A famous specialist on stomach troubles Is
said to have declared: "If you have one foot
in the grave and are a nervoua wreck from
dyspepsia, drink clear pineapple Juice."
Grapea are a wholesome and delightful food.
They are in the class of demulcents and are
highly beneficial to those suffering from vari
ous illnesses. Apples are correctlvea, and are
very useful in overcoming nausea from sea
sickness and other causes. They are also very
cooling and act as stomach sedatives.
Red and white currants, like melons, apples,
oranges, limes, lemons and gooseberries are
also cooling and therefore most acceptable hot
weather foods.
Both raisins and figs, split open, make good
pultlcea for bolls. A split raisin, placed over
the gum, orten gives relief to the toothache
sufferer. Figs are also valuable as a laxatlva,
