Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1914-11-09
OCCUPATION Of
PONT-A-M0USS0N
COMES TO END
Germans Hold Town for While
and Take White = haired
Veteran of 1870 as Hostage
When They Leave,

Bavarian soldier with fixed bayon>et.
Monsieur Bertrand, round should
cred white haired veteran OF the war
of 1879, and deputy mayor OF Pont-a-
Mousson WIS carried from the city
as chief hostage OF the Germans, In
the procession which marked the end
of the occupation by three Havarian
regiments.
Pont-a- Mousson is a quiet town OF
twelve thousand inhabitants. the pos
session OF which was valuable to the
Germans only because of Its bridge
which furnishes a convenient crossing
OF the Moscle on the road from Metz
TO Toul II was attacked carly In the
war partly for this reason and partly
as the result OF the defective vision
Of captive balloon observers, who mis-
took for Notifications the antique
ruins OF Il castle al the village OF
Mousson ON hill to the east OF the
bridge.
The first bombardment OF the town
early in August was not followed up
until the first days of September.
when captive balloon appeared IN
The air across the river and German
acroplanes commenced maneuverins
over the town, They dropped zoo
bombs. killing six and wounding
great number Of civilians. but II was
not until the 9th that the ringing OF
the tocsin announced to the citizen
that the Germans had appeared on'Jhe
other side OF the river in force. The
solemn tones OF the bell were still
heard when terrific dull explosion
shook the windows of every house;
the bridge from which the town de-
rlves its name was no more. and i'm
after blowing II up the
French troops. in too small number to
cope with the enemy, quit the town.
The captive balloon was seen again
to rise In the distance and soon after
the German heavy artillery began to
play on the dilapldated antique cas-
tie on the hill. During thirty-six
hours they showercd great proJeciilcs
on that spot. literally pulvcrizing
walls, occasionally diverting a shell to
the town. after which they crossed
the Moselle on an improvised bridge
and rushed up TO assault the supposed
fortress. which they found as quiet Az
the grave. No French soldiers had
ever occupied 1t. and what the Ger
man soldiers took for guns from their
captive balloon were simply cleverly
disposed tree trunks, and the fire
which replied occasionally to their
guns to complete the illusion came
from behind the hill.
Did Not Last Long.
The story OF the occupation Of this
town is quite the same as has been
so often told Of other towns: hostages,
proclamations and acquisitions. but 1t
did not last long. The morning Of the
9Th the impressive music of the
French 3-inch guns was heard in the
town; at the same time a French ae-
roplane was seen to dart through the
sky In the direction of the captive
balloon, which FASTENED TO descend.
These were the preliminaries OF the
battle of Dieulouard. to which no dis
patches have referred by name. hut
which was one Of the bloodlest in the
action of General CastelnGu's army
Tending Nancy.
A continual procession of impro-
viscd anibulances passed through the
own toward the bridge that night,
ma other wagons with a more grew
some mission turned TO the railroad
station, where inhabitants. retired to
their houses by order, saw loaded into
all kinds Of flatcars, horse cars, cat
lie cars the bodies OF those that fell
that day II Dieulouard. They were
md In the early morning these !
wheeled charncl houses were hauled |
across the frontier toward Metz.
AS for the Sixty seventh Hawaiian
Infantry. not one OF this regiment was |
sver seen again In the streets OF Pont-
,ther troops of occupation left tho
own
september 20 The Germans made
heir last attempt to recapture Pont-
y Mousson. ending in charge on the
ILL of Saint Geneveye. The French
position at The summit had been
'ombarded during the morning, and
~ . o'clock the fire Of the French
eemed to have been definitely ST.
cnced. The order for the assault was
Iiven and to the music of fife and
rum, the Bavarians started up the
lope, meeting no resistance until they
rived within o hundred yards Of the
irst line of trenches. Almost to a
nan the first line went down under
he first volley that received them
here. Others rushing on to take
heir places fell over their comrades.
he ranks came on as If those In the
ear had seen nothing OF this slaugh-
Err and the machine guns and rifles
wcpt them down. In some places II
ias impossible to close the ranks be-
ausc the piles Of bodies separated
hem, and finally these heaps of dead
nd dying became the rampant be-
ind which some of the assailants
hcltered themselves to protect the re-
reat of those that were left. The
amt Genevieve hill was strewn with
odies and the soil saturated with
he blood Of the Bavarians. and all ef-
orts to reach Nancy from that point
Fere definitely abandoned.
The total losses Of that bloody en-
agement are not known because no
ne on this, side of the frontier can
ell how many Bavarians went to the
ssault. but II is quite certain that few
ot back to their camp at Pagny, and
Il the three Bavarian regiments that
Pont-a -Mousson II is proba-