Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-09-17
HORRORS OF The RETREAT
Vivid Description By One Who Has
Been There.
INCONTINUOUS TOUCH WITH DEATH
With the Main Body Trying to Get
Aay and the Rear Constantly mar
rassed by the oncomins Enemy. u
Is Terrible Times for the Army That
Is Being Pursued.

Is Terrible Times for the Army 'ha'
Is Being Pursued.
With the German armies III retreat
and likely 10 do littl" NOR" than con-
tInuc to retreat. II "" can trust our
foremost military critics. for IN" rest
nr ,h,. war tn. inner state. tn" suffer-
inss uf AN army in retreat, TAX" on Il
new significance. What tn" French
English, Belgian armies suffered ear
licr i'm the war iS being repaid, IN
some measure TO tn" men responsible
for thos" ngOni"s. As TN" Teut"hS
weaken. and tn" Allies. thanks 10
America. grow in power, the Iarahfi
with the early days will hcr0n" more
ucrfrrt. Germany may bc iat"d. IN duc
,iru,.. 10 experience som" of the nor
rnrs sh" inflicted upon th" armies ana
non -combatants Of her ncighhors In
the fall Of 1914. when her military
pr,.pond"rnncr was as great aS tha'
of the Allies will soon become.
W'h;, the suffcringS of those days
we're. with what hcllish ruthl"ssn"SS
IN. German hord"s poured out IN"
blood Of men. women. children, ana
lr,bics. is told with singular vlvidncSs
,,y a scout in the Black Watch rcgi-
mrnt in a book soon to issue from the
press of Doubleday. Page Go. Joe
cassclls, the narrator. is on" OF the
few survivors of that "contrmpiihi"
little armN" that fought from Mons
10 the Marnc, retreat called the
hloodiest trail of sacrifice in history
Now the same ground is being fought
over. hut In" former cOnqucrorS ait
rrtrcating and suffering in their turn.
We quot" from The BLACK Watch.
lax Scout .Jo.. CasS"lls. this description
of an army in forced retreat:
Most of the tim" whil" "" w"r"
dragging our exhausted. diminishing
numbers ahead of the German wave
M shot and steel. was on scout duty.
For "A while ! was connecting III"
between the Black Watch and TN"
Munster FuSilr"rS. who were In rear "i
us and almost constantly in touch
with the enemy.
ON one occasion the regiment had
been drploycd to beat off flank at
tack. When we resumed the march |
was sent back Ia get in touch with the
Ensilrrrs. My orders were TO 20 10
the rear until | got in touch with them.
was procccdincly cautiously along
the road when suddenly around curve
something appeared before me. My
rifle was at my shoulder ready TO hre.
Then recognized what had been a
>. Uniform of the Fusileers. o.
Have you ever read kipplings Man
VINO Came Back? Ii YOU hav, you
will have Il better idea than can give
Won of what this human bcing looked
like. His face was covered with blood.
One arm hung Imply. just az n"
made toward me. he fell exhausted 10y
the roadside. like a dog that is spent.
Literally his tongue hung from his
mouth His shoes We're cut mp ana MS
clothes danglcd in ribbons. beneath
which red Gashcs showed in his flesh
where he had torn il IN the barh"d-
wire fences he had encountered III
crossing fields.
| asked him what had happened. HIS
Inns moved and his breath came in
more difficult gaSps. hut no word could
ne utter. wiped his face. and then
recognized in him an officer who had
h,rn a crack athlete when the Mum
strrs were i'm India and against whom
had competed more than once.
pr,sscd nv water bottle To his lips
After few moments hr was able TO
speak.
They arr gone" he gasp'd: "all oi
them are gone, Hy God they died lik"
men: but---they-dicd.
Let me understand YOU sir.
begged. Tell mr Just what happen
ed"
Where are You going" hr almost
shouted.
II am going back to get in touch
with the Munster Fusilcrrs." said
You can't make the journey" he
pantcd You'd have to 80 To heaven
or to hell. They caught them in a
pocket. Shrapncl and machine guns
There are no Munster Fusilecrs any
more
He was right. practically. The Ger
mans had caught them between fires
and the regiment was cut 10 pieces.
U'pon reporting to his commanding
officer that ne hadn't been able 10 get
4, NJ l..4rS
Scout CaSsclls was ordered under ar
rest: but hr managed 10 get a reversal
Of the order before he was everlasting
IL disgraccd. and as ne philoSophi
cally comments. many n stern act was
necessary during those early days in
France. Throughout his narrative he
defends the frequent stupidity of his
officers with loyalty. not always. 1t
might seem. deserved 10y them.
However. 10y the time he had got
free again. the Uhlans were attacking.
He writes:
The men ducked through n wire
fence which was at the side Of the
road and sections Of it were torn to
ICl lnt Cpiilbdl NuSOllS liiouSh.
AS we retrcatcd We kept up steady
fire. forcing the Uhlans close to their
cover. hut the artillery continually
SPRAYED over the field.
Thus began for us the battle OF the
Disc.
We had little hope Of any support.
We knew We had to fight it out alone.
and there was little enough ammuni-
tion. was running and ducking for
the next bit of cover from behind
which | could use my rife. when a
shell exploded behind me. II threw
me from my feet. hut | was unhurt,
and as jumped up. heard a crash
ing and splintcrinG few feet away.
One OF the horses on an ammunition
wagon had been struck. He was
plunging on the ground terrifying his
team mate and kicking the wagon To
pieces. The transport officer, c. II.