ABSTRACT
The only defenders which the town possessed were the force of Baltic Volunteers, a good many of them little more than boys. The German troops of occupation had all been withdrawn. The newly formed Government of the democratic republic of Latvia had fled to Libau a few days earlier. The Volunteers had hurled themselves heroically against the Red hordes, only to be overwhelmed by them, beaten back, and finally forced to retire, having suffered heavy losses, to the west of the town. The Reds were now camped outside the city, preparing to make their entry. Hitherto, the presence of some Inter-Allied Missions and a few British destroyers had reassured them. Many of the fugitives were convinced that they were going to certain death. Their loathing for the Reds, however, was so great that even the most faint-hearted amongst them preferred to entrust themselves to this ship of ill-omen rather than fall into the hands of the Muscovite hordes.
