The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-11-09
WAR DAIRY Of
GERMAN SOLDIER
Little Book Found in Pocket Of Dead
Man Tells Of the Hardships
Of Men In the
Trenches.
WAS ALWAYS HUNGRY
This Poor Fellow Had Kept Record
Of tho Daily Suffering While
Fighting In Northern
France.
WAS ALWAYS HUNGRY
Thy United Press Staff Covespon.
dent

[By a United Press Staff Corespon.
dent.l
PARIS. Oct 15.-(By mail to New
York Upon the body OF German
soldier named Fritz Smiths OF the
166th infantry, found dead in trench
was discovered a war diary setting
forth the daily life OF the man behind
the gun, during the battle OF the
Aisne. The style III which 1t Is writ
ten indicated that the man was far
above the average educated person.
Tht most notable entries are as fol-
lows:
Sept. 5.-we are In the presence OF
the enemy and in front Of us the can
mons Of the French artillery are being
discharged furiously. The forests be-
fore US may be occupied by the enc
my. Yesterday great victories were
announced and were received with in
tense enthusiasm. After hattie last
ing ten days in Russia we have
triumph to report. Our main army
Is before Paris. The French are re-
pulsed and division sent out against
them from Marchon which is In ruins
for Bossuet to take the road to San
,Quintin where we pass the night. 1t
IL said that mororrow We must cross
the Marine.
Sept. ,6.-We have occupied the
heights above vitry. We, must cross
the Marne. The 10th division is al
ready in action since nine o'clock. We
are in the midst Of the battle. 1t is
a question OF taking the village OF
Marchon We are approaching the
enemy and repulsing the French. At
Marchon the fire OF artillery beseiges
JUS. Our positions cannot b. maintain
ed and we are forced to retreat. We
are saved with our flag and our COM
mander. About the bridge over the
Marne the fighting is terrible. Our
losses are very grave but they are in
ferior to those OF the enemy. The
battle continues for the greater part
Of the night but It g not. decisive.
Sept. I'm the darkness- we dig
trenches under the deadly fire OF the
French artillery. In the morning the
French aeroplanes watch us without
interruption. We try to dislodge the
artillery from its position, then we re-
main sitting in our trenches awaiting
the attack Of the infantry which
comes true enough from the left flank.
The troops which occupy the bridge
over the Marine have fallen beneath
the fire of the French artillery. We
come out Of the trenches at night to-
ward nine O'Clock and hunt potatoes
to revive ourselves-for we are starv-
ing.
Sept s.-Our trenches are enlarged
under fire. The French artillery Is es-
tablished in strong position but
they neither advance nor retreat. The
French aeroplanes hover above us
without cessation.
Sept. "A grand battle is announ-
ced today. For four days we have
lived and fought in the trenches. We
try to accustom ourselves to this exist
ence but the bodies Of the dead are
So far advanced in decomposition that
it is impossible.
Sept. 10.-During the entire night
we remained in our trenches under q
torrent Of rain. We are wet to the
bone but in spite Of this we do not
move. From our position we can see
the enemy's trenches. We are told
that they are the most important
forces Of the enemy. but that We will
not suffer any harm from them be-
cause we are so we'll entnenched. At
the right the battle RACES furiously. 1t
seems that the French army is in a
bad condition.
Sept. 11.-At two we receive orders
to depart. We hoped to attack but
instead We have to retreat It Is said
that two regiments of the enemy's
army have beaten down our lines. We
proceed rapidly on our march. We
have our only meal at ten o'clock and
then begin marching again. All night
we march until eight in the morning.
Sept. 1--we are suffering terrible
and are weakened. 1t is reported we
are making a detour and that we are
not retreating At 4:3o we start out
for the trenches and without rest start
excavating the earth. From time to
time grenade and French shraDnels
penetrate into our very midst and we
are forced to retreat because our
trenches are not finished
Sept. 14.-At an early hour we were
attacked simultaneously on two sides
by battalion Of infantry reinforced
by artillery. In our trenches we were
inundated by the fire of the artillery.
do not know how long this lasted.
At two o'clock we were given scant
rat,ons
Sept. 15.-Seated in our trenches
we are undergoing an intense fire from
the ensmy's artillery. The fire finally
slackened and for the remainder OF