Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-10-23
BATTLE OF SCISSORS AS SEEN
BY WRITER ON FIRING LINE
q, JOHN ASHTON.

Paris have Just returned "
Paris to rest up q day or two and get
few ne~cessaries after a week at tho
front OF the left wing Of the allied
armies who are facing General Won
kluck's army.
Farther to the east In q limo eA-
tending from Reims 70 near NerduA
the French are holding their ground
against a fierce onslaught Of the Ger
mans under the prince Of Wurtem-
burg.
will recount what | have Wit
messed during the last few days:
Leaving Meaux. we made u way
through Varennes and Lily. the scene
OF fierce fighting during the battle OF
the Marne, some details Of which
gave In my first letter, All the dead
have now been inferred and inc
wounded removed from the several
deserted villages through which We
passed.
Find Wrecked German Plane.
lefore arriving at Leerte Mllon We
came across a German aeropiane
which had beer brought down by the
British. The English flying squad
have been doing grand work In the
cir not only as scouts but In attacking
hostile air craft. II Is reported that
no less than seventeen German avla-
tors have fallen victims TO the Eng
iish flying men
On approaching VillersC otterets, In
the middle OF the forest OF that name,
We came across several military auto
mobiles, lying by the side OF the route
which tho Germans had abandoned IN
their hurried flight to the north. W
OF these were marked FIELD Post
(ield or military post. A little Tar
Their on We encountered six large Ger
man motor trucks which had evi-
IDENTIFY been destroyed by the Ger
mans; everything was burnt up ex-
cept the iron work. These wagons
had been left in the road to delay
pursuit, but the French had owe
turned them into the ditch on each
side Of the road.
Meet German Prisoners
1t was dark when we arrived al
Villers-C otterets. Before we had time
TO get out OF our auto ! heard n cry;
wolfe les Allemandsl" (here come
the GermansD and, indeed, q moving
gray mass soon came into sight, sur
rounded by a cavalry escort. There
were about 100 Of them, prisoners.
marching In the cold rain. Many or
them wore Red Cross arm bands, and
I noticed q few officers among the
bunch. Their expressionn was o u
and %sullen. but considering their pri-
vations. they looked Mt enough phys
icaliy.
These were men that had got lost
in the forest and failed to catch up
with their columns. Many prisoners
are taken IN q similar way on both
sides. Sometimes they como stras-
Cling In half starved to death.
Pass Night In q Chateau.
We passed the night In an old chat
eau. The town was full OF troops,
and the hotels packed with oflcers.
so we were very lucky to get under
over at all. A few days previously
the Germans had occupied the town,
the staff having made their headquar-
tiers at this same chateau. The cham
Der maid left In charge OF the house
1.-THE owner and his wife having fied)
told US that the Germans had taken
away some valuable Gobelin tapes.
tries; the smaller tapestries had been
left, They had also taken away some
silver plate. but had left behind many
pieces OF considerable value.
We slept on the floor In the H.
brary, In a separate building, one Of
the finest private libraries l have ever
seen, containing several thousand vol
umes. A very elegant secretaire in
the library had been forced up, the
contents ransacked, and the top.
wrenched off and thrown on the floor
] had nothing to cover me with, and
ne II was cold ! slept very little.
We could hear the guns booming
the greater part OF the night.
Approach the Firing Line.
Starting out early In the direction
OF Soissons. We came upon the Thir.
teenth regiment OF French artillery,
ct but five miles from the latter town.
We could hardly believe we we're so
close to the firing line. but there they
were, twelve guns (known as the Sew
enty-6ve), pounding away across the
valley to where the Germans were In
trenched.
We stopped our auto at a respect
able distance and approached the bat.
teries on foot. The ammunition wag-
ons and extra horses and men were
all drawn up silent and motionless
behind a hedge 3 short distance from
the guns. There was no danger then,
as the Germans were replying only to
other French batteries lower down the
valley.
Very soon the men not busy at the
guns began to surround us, begging
tobacco and cigarettes. 1t is an aw-
full thing for these poor soldiers to be
deprived OF the comforting weed.
saw a great deal OF this later, on the
Eeld and at hospitals.
We had intended to go directly into
Scissors by the main road, but the
French officers dissuaded us. saving