Having reached the outskirts of the Koenigs berg forts, however, Rennenkampf was brought to a halt. He had begun to feel the lack of organization in his rear and the difficulty of bringing up supplies of munitions and other military material. There was, to be sure, much food and fodder in this rich agricultural region of highly scientific farming, which stirred the admiration of the Russians. And this food was requisitioned wherever the retreating Ger mans had not been able to set fire to the barns bursting with the recently harvested grain. Nevertheless, to advance beyond Koenigsberg without waiting Tor the organization of rail way support from Russia, Rennenkampf rightly judged would be hazardous. He could not safely move too far in advance of the reserves which would soon be coming up from the mobi lization forces in the intenor of the Russian Empire. He could, moreover, afford to halt, in order to wait for, and link up with, the 2d Army, under Samsonov, coming up from the south.
The first news from Samsonov's anny had been wholly favorable. He crossed the frontier and was advancing slowly but steadily through the Masurian Lake Region. He had even talcen a good many prisoners. By 27 Aust his leading columns had. reached the niain-e rail way at Allenstein, a considerable town of 40,000 inhabitants, with military barracks and machine shops. There he ordered the inhabitants to produce a stated amount of food and provi sions in the market place at 8 o'clock of the follovring morning. Then suddenly all news from him stopped. No' communication could be had either with Samsonov or with any of his staff. After waiting two days in anxiety the commander-in-chief, Thilinsky, sent orders to Gourko's cavalry division, which was attached to Rennenkampf's left flank, to make a dash through the enemy's line toward Allenstein to get evidence of the condition and whereabouts of Samsonov and his army. Though this was an extraordinary order and a very perilous mission, and though his troops were weary from patrol work, Gourko did not hesitate for a moment, Starting long before daylight on the morning of 30 August with three regiments of cavalry and one battery of mounted artillery, he crept through the German lines between Koenigsberg and the eastern end of the Masu rian Lakes, which were still held by the Ger mans. Then he rode for 30 miles behind the Gertnan lines, tearing up railways which he crossed and blowing up bridges. Soon after noon he was able to see with the naked eye the buildings and barracics of Allenstein, and found strong forces in front of him. He called up his battery and opened fire on the German re serves, but speedily became convinced that he was face to face with greatly superior numbers, and that it would be folly to try to force his way into the town of Allenstein. He thought
for a moment of firing a few rounds from his artillery into Allenstein, but unwilling to harm the peaceful civilian inhabitants, he refrained. Had he but known it at the time, the German army headquarters staff was at that moment in the town, and he might have done it incal culable dasnage. But he now decided it was high time to make his way bads and report on what he had learned. He could hear heavy firing to the south. But he could not get into touch with any of Samsonov's troops, though he had expected to find them near Allenstem. His scouts had brought information that several .German dead had been found lying about on the ground, showing that evidently Samsonov's men had been fighting very recently in this neighborhoocL tJnder the circumstances, he felt that he had done all that was possible and that he ought to bring back quickly such information as he had gathered. The Germans were lying in wait for him on his return, but by choosing a slightly different route and under the cover of darkness, he managed to rejoin the Russian lines south of Insterburg, having lost only a few men who were shot in the dark from a Ger man ambush. He found that during his 24 hours' absence Rennenkampfs army had begun to re treat to the east. He learned also that at dawn on 30 August, only a few hours after he had started for Mlenstein, a second message had come from General Ghilinslcy countermanding the order for the dash through the German lines. This counter-order had been sent to overtalce Gourko, but it was impossible to reach him. On 30 August Gourko had ridden over 60 miles, and displayed the same keen judgment, tact, thoughtfulness for others and general ability which were to win him rapid promotion to be commander of the 6th Army in November 1914, chief of the Russian imperial staff in November 1916 and commander-in-chief of the whole Eastern Front in March 1917. No more delightful and informing book on the Eastern Front has appeared in English than his (War and Revolutum in Russia 1914-19171 (London 1919), from which the account in the preceding paragraphs is summarized. The explanation of the two days' silence from Samsonov, of the order to Gourko to dash behind the German lines to Allenstein, of the heavy firing he heard there to the south, followed by the .counter manding of his orders and the eastward retire ment of Rennenlcampf's left flank, all lay in cme tragic word — Tannenberg.