Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-03-30
The Arm at Gravelotte
ss&ss-s-r+++l-s-s-s.-,-,-s-s44ss-s-,-s-,
From Life


since five years after the great war,
men said. He had prospered; when
the new war of 1914 broke out he was
The largest land FOLDER for miles
around.
1t was not far from the French Dor.
der, this village of which Hans
Gchmidt was patriarch. 1t had no rail.
way station, but line of rail came
to it and ended in long platforms iu
open fields. Twice, of late years,
trains had rolled up beside these plat
forms, discharging soldiers of the
Fatherland, engaged in maneuvers.
Now, in the first week of August,
there was real use for the platforms.
For three days trains rolled up in a
iCverend:ng procession, discharging
t.Ieir living freight of men in misty,
grey-green uniform" that melted into
the background of grass and shrubs
at a hundred PAGES, with even the
spikes of their helmets covered with
cloth.
Westward moved the soldiers like a
swarm of locusts. But they left some
thing behind, an integral part of thenl-
selves, their collective brain. About
the house of Hans Schmidt sentries
were posted. Mechanics, working quiet
iy, swiftly, as they had known long
since what they must do, laid wires
into his modest parlor, connected IL
ly telephone and telegraph with Ber-
lin, with the ever moving forces to the
west. In Hans Schmidt's bed slept
a. corps commander; the whole house
was given up to the staff. He himself
was allowed a cot in the kitchen lis
house was chosen for headquarters.
From the parlor the general order.
ed the movements of forty thousand
men, playing their part, like a piece
in game of chess, II the plan Of i'll
vasion of the Great Headquarters
Staff. Vastly important were these
movements; each corps must coordin-
ate absolutely with every other. Coz
fusion here might ruin the whole
great plan.
The high born general was very
busy. But on the second day he de-
signed to notice Hans Schmidt, who
had drawn back, his one arm raised
in the salute, as the general passed
him.
"Ach!" said the general. "You have
lost an arm! An old soldier, nicht
wahr?"
Eyes my general. left my arm al
Gravelotte"
$50 l was in that business too.
| got my company that day, when
| Steinmetz lost half his corps. Ach!
| This time we shall finish them even
more quickly! Won Kluck is half WA
| through Belgium; the Crown Prince
IS hammering at verdum! We shall be
in Paris within a MONTH"
Hans Schmidt listened respectfully
as became him. Then general went
to his desk. Hans Schmidt in his
garden, looked at the western sky,
Flying low, nearby, was an aeroplane,
blunt, snubnosed. He knew it for a
Taube, though no monoplanes hao cir.
cled over Gravelotte. 1t turned amt
| flew eastward, out Of sight Still be
peered into the west. High in the
air something flashed gold in the tsys
of the sun, shining upward from he
hind cloud. Hans Schmidt went
slowly into the kitchen.
There hot, smokeless fire of hal 4
coal burned TO roast two sucking pigs
or the dinner of the general and the
| high born officers of the staff. He
sent out maid whose duty It was II
watch the pigs. Hans Schmidt took a
bag from his pocket, emptied it into
,he fire, added a pile of kindIing WOO I
! He went back into the garden
: Thoughtfully he looked at the chin
I ney. from which there rose suddenly
| a thick column Of oily black smoke
| Straight up it went, higher and high
| er.
"In Berlin you would be fined for
that" said young staff officer COM
| ing up beside him.
"The maids are careless" answered
! the patriarch.
The officer saped at the smoke
Hans Schmidt looked TO the west
! Again he caught the gleam of the SUI,
! on metal. From the west a monoplano
! was coming flying like hawk. II
tool, shape. A mile away gun spoke
| another and another. Above, below
! the monoplane hung three fleecy balls
I of white smoke, where shells had
hurst, Followed Yolley. Other of
! ficers came from the house to stare
Upward, On came the monoplane.
"A French flyer!' cried one.
II was over head. 1t paused in It's
I flGht, circled. A tiny black thinp
hurtled down. The side wall of Hans
, Schmdt's house vanished. In a mo
ment more there was no house only
a heap of smoking ruins. Amid fus
ed wires thing that had been a man
in The uniform of general dragged
itself shrieking, till it died.
"'The smole!" cried an officer. 'Tt
was a signal! Headquarters was be