The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1918-06-27

| manning battery OF artillery had re-
dueed the city to ashes
The French had made n stand out
side the city and resisted to the ur
most, but they were outnumbered. 1t
was simply impossible to resist the
| pressure of the German war machine
When the German columns. with fixed
bayonets. attacked to the accompani-
ment OF their blood-curdlng Wells
which, like their steel. penetrated to
the bone. they resembled in every re-
spect American Indians going into ac-
ton. finging themselves with blood
curdling yells upon their enem5es
After n three-hour tight many French
men gave themselves up as prisoners
With uplifted hands they sought
mercy.
At last. on the night of August %
and "a. the enemy's ranks We're thrown
into confusion and they retired slowly.
| WAS in the first detachment which
pursued them. To the right and left
OF the road. in the field and bitches.
We're dead and wounded
The red pantaloons of the French
showed brightly on the ground The
field gray of the Germans could hardly
be diseerned
The distance between us and the re-
treating French became greater. our
soldiers became happier over the out
come of the battle and seemed to for.
get their past hardships. The eorpses
which filled the roads and bitches were
forgotten amid the jokes and songs
ON every side The men were already
accustomed To the horrors Of war 10
such an extent that they unconcerned.
~ walked over the corpses. not even
considering II necessary To make a
slight detour.
At noon We Matted and We're served
with dinner from the field kitchens.
We We're surely hungry enough and
our canned soup was eaten with the
utmost relish. Many soldiers set their
dishes on the bodies of dead horses
lying about and ate rs gayly as IL
they We're AZ home at their own tables.
The few human eorpses near our camp
fniled tn disturb us. Only water WAS
lacking. and after the dinner our thirst
became very acute. even torturous
We soon marched on under n hurn-
ing midday sun. the dust of the high
way lying thick on our uniforms and
skin. Now. no more cheerfHlnesS was
evident anywhere. Our thirst became
more unbearahle and we grew weaker
from minute to minute. Many in our
ranks fell. unable In 20 further. Moth
ing remained for our commander eN-
cept To halt. as he did not wish Ia eN-
haust us ALL As result of this halt
we We're left considerably In the rear
and lost our place among those pursu-
Ing the French.
About four o'clock we finally SAW
before us village. In the certain ex
pectation Of getting water there we
quickened our pace, Fugitives and
empty munition columns passed MS
Among them there was u farm wagon
upon which We're several civilian pris
oners, apparently franc-tireurs.
Catholic priest was among them. He
like the others, had his hands tied be-
hind him with rope. To our curious
questions as To what he had done. we
We're told that he had melted the
farmers to poison the water In the
village.
Soon we reached the village and at the
first well at which we might have salts
fled our thirst We found sentinel
posted. He drove us away with
warning that the water WAS poisoned
Disappointed and terribly embit.
tered. the soldiers cursed and CRASHED
their teeth. They hurried ON To the
next well. but everywhere sentnels
forbade our taking refreshment.
In an open space In the center OF
the village was biz we'll from which
there came water clear as crystal that
emptied into big trough, Five sol
diers stood guard here To see that no
one drank. | was Just about TO pro-
eeed with my comrades when large
part If my company threw themselves
like men possessed onto the Well The
guards were completely overcome and,
greedy MS animals, all the men draak
one became III. The priest, as We
learned later, MS punished because,
the officers said. the water In every
village had been poisoned. and we
were told that only by a happy chance
had the lives Of our soldiers been
spared. The God of the Germans had