Tombstone epitaph., 1918-09-01

we Hurtneu WitHouI Te>tlnr tiii idte in the evening and at about nine o'clock we approached the city hall of Sommepy. In and around Som mepy a battle had started. We were ordered to take a part of the north west section of the city. IL was al ready dark and once more we halted. The fields ali around us were covered with dead. In the middle of the streets were French batteries and munitiOn columns Horses and drivers had been killed.
 After ten-minute rest we started again and in doubse-Quick step ap- preached a little forest, in which dis mounted cavalry and infantry were engaged with the enemy in desperate hand-to-hand fight.
 As a subterfuge we threw ourselves into the place with hlspd-curdiiug yelIs We succeeded in the darkness in reach ing the enemies rear The surprise attack was success and inc French. startled by our yeiis and ty the at tack. threw up their hands and sur rendered. Mercy was aoi shown them by the infuriaied cavairynen.
 Whenever there appeared to Ice ans letup of the slaughter of the disarmed soldiers by our men new borrors were enacted under the commands of the officers. who kept shouting. No guar ter. slaughter everybody" Such were the orders of our distinguished off cers We pioneers also had to take part in this ccld-blooded murder of un. armed men. who had thrown down their arms when they realized the fu tility of further resistance. Our off cers toos care this time. as in many earlier and later instances, that there should mol he many prisoners taken.
 The pioneer has q sidearIn whlch, according 10 the law of nations. must not he used because the back of this sidearn consists of three mill;aicta- sharp s:ecl saw. In peace times the pioneers are not drilled with The bayo- net because this sidearm should he used only for the special duties which the pioneers perforn-bui the law of nations is nor the law Of Prussian mili- tarism
 We were obliged to use the saw from the beginning of the war. II was fn When an enemy had this saw in his breast and the victim had long since stopped every effort of resistance and an effort was made 10 try and remove the deadly steel from the wound an in sranf and horrible death resulted.
 oftentines this horrible weapon be came embedded in the breast of q vic i'm so firmly that the attacker. whs had to have back his sidearrn again would be obliged to place his foot upon The breast of his victim and use all his force 10 recover the nlurderous instru- ment.
 The dead and wounded in horrible condition lay all around us. The moans of the wounded men would have soft ened stone hut not the heart of Q Prussian soldier.
 Noi all the soldiers approved this senselesS. wanton murder. Some Of those officers who had ordered us to kill the French were themselves Killed by mistake in the darkness ofthe night by their own men. Sucl mistakes are still being repeated almost daily and I could cite many names and places tc bear out this testimony.
 On this particular night a captain and first lieutenant met their fate. A secOnd-year infantryman stabbed the captain in the abdomen and the first Both died in a few minutes. Neither of their slayers felt any remorse and none of us felt inclined to reproach them. We all knew that two murder CTS had received their just deserts.
 Another instance requires me 10 run events. As I talked to a comrade of my company the next day I asked him for a pocketknife and in reaching into his pocket he pulled out three car tridges. was surprised that he should carry cartridges in his trousers pocket and asked him If he had no room in his belt.
 "I have" he said. but these three have a special mission. There are names of the intended victims on these bullets"
 Some tire later after we had be- come good friends I asked him again about the three cartridges. He had only one left. I thought about 1t . great deal and in my mind went over the poncommissioned officers. who. be- fore war was declared had treated us like animals and whom we had hated as only human 1ends can be hated. Two of these had found their grave in France.
 The murder of Frendbpen who had continued as long as an enemy was alive. Then we received orders to determine if the enemies lying on the ground were all dead and unable to fight. If anyone was found death it was ordered that he be killed. But the soldiers had lost | some of the fever which had seized them during the battle and refused te