THE BEGINNING OF THE REVOLUTION

The government of Kerensky was restlessly looking for refuge, now one
way, now another. Two new cyclist battalions, and the Zenith Battery
were called back from the front, and an attempt was made to call back
some companies of cavalry.... The cyclists telegraphed while on the road
to the Petrograd Soviet: "We are led to Petrograd without knowing the
reasons. Request explanations." We ordered them to stop and send a
delegation to Petrograd. Their representatives arrived and declared at a
meeting of the Soviet that the battalion was entirely with us. This was
greeted by enthusiastic cheers. The battalion received orders to enter
the city immediately.

The number of delegates from the front was increasing every day. They
came to get information about the situation. They gathered our
literature and went to bring the message to the front that the Petrograd
Soviet was conducting a struggle for the power of the workers, soldiers
and peasants. "The men in the trenches will support you," they told us.
All the old army committees which had not been reelected for the last
four or five months, sent threatening telegrams to us, which, however,
made no impression. We knew that these committees were no less out of
touch with the rank and file of the soldiers than the Central Executive
Committee with the local Soviets.

The Military Revolutionary Committee appointed commissaries to all
railroad depots. These commissaries kept a watchful eye upon all the
arriving and departing trains and especially upon the movements of