The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1914-12-18

HHo Will LItlI ltdSufu
ltself-fortunately always for a day
or hours only-another foe: Hunger.
1t is still a question where we
nrst went under fire. AT any rate,
1t was an easterly suburb of Lille.
We were marching down a
long. barren, suburban street, with
a pair of uhlans from Ulm in ad-
vance, then a battalion of infantry OF
M~ecklenburg, then my train of how
ltzers with ammunition wagons, and
as rear guard a company of Bavarian
pioneers. This was the composition
or the advance guard; the bulk of the
detachment followed in one body.
We were hungry and f~atigued after a
long march, and were counting upon
a peaceful entry, a quiet evening, and
peaceful quarters for the night. On
the left sid of the street were halted
the motors of the commander of the
X division of cavalry to which we
were assigned: the commander him
self stood in conversation with our
general on the walk, with the mem
bers Of the staff near by. They were
summing lhtll NlSdl5 DEdttlullN anu
watching the entry of the detachment.
We marched well in step behind our
way-weary infantrymen. and turned
before a great public building, half
blind in the narrow streets. of one of
the older portions of the city.
Ahead at the railroad e~mbankment
there came a shot. Then two; then a
1A,4~ W. at,l.Al 1,..I. 1920,
lance to the slight firing, expecting
that it would at once cease, and
marched calmly on. Then suddenly
there came a rafting fire Of weapons
from all sides. From the houses be-
fore us, behind us, at both sides Of
the street, and in nearby streets. hun
dreds of guns spat forth deadly lead.
There was an instant of fearful con-
fusion, a second of panic. The in
fantry before us flooded back, pressed
against the house walls in order to
have cover for their backs. retired
into d%oorways. Men and horses
writhed wounded on the ground; indi-
vidual teams rushed in wild flight
along the streets. For n moment it
had a look as if all was lost.
Discipline In a Panic.
only one moment! Then the Off
GERS took hold. And how they did
take hold-it was truly a joy. One
witnessed a triumph of discipline. The
infantry began to return the fire;
small troops Of brave men gathered
about the leaders, In the mob of men
and beasts, flooding backward, came
calm and order. The best of the
praise-I cannot restrain myself from
declaring tiny field artillerymen Of
the first train earned. Numbered at
once, the W guns stood-an unex-
celled mark for the enemy-absolute-
ny alone for a time. without any cover
ing of infantry, in the middle Of the
crossing of the streets; the bullets
whistled by hundreds about our ears,
splashed roundabout like a shower OF
hail against the plaster walls, at
once rendered two ~cannoneers with
the first gun unable to fight, tore %
shot-holes in the iron body of the first
gun carriage. and the first Timber
and still these heroes did their duty
with a calm and an impassivity as II
1t was simply a matter of peaceful
drill ON the artillery field. o.
I'VE shot into the fire-spitting side
streets and houses. The defamation
was earsplitting between the narrow
! walls; thick smoke lay over the street,
forced the infantry fire to go wide
, on both sides, and concealed from the
enemy hidden in the houses their tar
! gets. In the houses which had been
: struck yawned wide breaches; in two
places flames broke out; out of the
t houses in the side streets hostile
: sharpshooters. apparently Belgians
: and ~Frenchmen, were to be seen flee
: ing singly and in small groups. Again
and again hating and firing, our ad
vance guard withdrew in perfect or
}. der, taking with it most of the dead
s and wounded and all equipment fol-
g guns and wagons, out of the smoking
r witch's caldron to reassemble before
the gates Of the city. Our company
d which had been cut off united itsel
g later with the troop. The expected
dlltl-dltdNh " NAC NithAs was ~ -
9 livered.
r 1.-THE infantry that attacked us haC
l. just come in in two transport trains a
a the moment of VI marching in, ant
S, had been concealed in the houses o
1t the suburb. One sting remains, to b'
q sure: We retreated before an enem,
n in numbers probably inferior and Ger
S. tainly only little superior. But let !
p be clear what it means, when
Is marching column a kilometer loni
o fights against an almost entirely in
% visible enemy. shooting from roof
e. and windows and cellar holes, and
ID treacherous population; and the de
er cision of our leader to yield such no
lie ground viii be found COMPREHENSIVE
III and sensible.
IS Spirit Of Men Under Fire.
"The pole-rider of the FIRST canno