The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-09-23


by heavy horses, AMI great traction
engines pulling siege guns, landaus
and motor cars filed with doctors
and officers whose only distinguish
ing mark is a strip OF color a. the
neck-all advance at the same pace.
Should slight block occur the whole
column would stop as one train, the
drivers passing the message back by
a pumping movement made with the
fist on high. The warnig of a decliv-
ity or bend in the road passed
backward like musketry fire. All
vehicles belonged TO the army. Some
had chalkei on their grey sides
'Berlin-Paris.
Staff Officers in Omnibus
Sometimes the column would let
an enormous grey motor-omuibus
dash by, AMI thru the glass sides 1
saw staff officers bending over maps.
Every driver ana service man carried
his weapons, and the great wagons
simply bristled with rifles
On our way we passed crowds o.
| peasants returning ID their ruined
homes, old women wheeled IN bar
rows, children and women in wagons,
many of the men walking with their
boots in hands. 1t was pitiful 10 see
them humbly raise their hats to the
invaders. We passed many villages
in ruins Locked-up houses were in
stantly broken open and searched, so
that when the owner returned he
found litter OF straw and all his
household goods in the street. The
few people who had had the good
fortune to stay at home lost only
their edibles The better class hous-
es were pillaged for wine, every sol
der marching with bottles sticking
out of his knapsack.
A French aeroplane daringly few
over the column the German shrap-
mel ineffeetively bursting like little
balls of thistledowh underneath. it.
At Camp at Night
Night coming on, detachments of
the, column dropped off and prepared
to bivouac. Sometimes there would
be field of cavalry, the horses teth-
cred in rows dixie streets. Fields of
corn were fiattened by the infantry.
Some dug holes for the fires, while
others hacked at half-fayed bullock
carcasses.
At last, at village near the
7 Il
Uttered marie, where at long table
lighted by the unshaded light of
lamps, staff officers were quietly
writing, giving out orders between
the puffs of cigarets. AT word the
aids-de-camp stood AT attention
clicking their heels AMI their hands
at the side like a statue. Great bun
dies OF detailed maps were brought
in and distributed for the following
days march Then the room was left
to the clerks, who were writing all
night, with a bottle Of wine on the
table Broth from the field kitchen,
with black bread, hard as a brick,
made an excellent supper with a bot
:
| ing in the open hall, the next morn
ing l was given papers 70 return one
! of the staff officers kindly giving me
the used half of his military map.
/ The start of the march was the same
as on the preceding morning first
the infantry, then cavalry and guns
the officers remaining till the very
last leaving only a few guards.
The impression I gathered from
conversation with the officers was
angry surprise that England had
joined with their enemies. One said
he was sorry for, the Belgians and
even for the French, BIZ they would
never forgive England. Even super
Tor officers were under he Illusion
that war had been forceI on them.