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

>
The same evening We were trans
ported In automobiles and on the eve
ming of August 20. 1914. we reached
our detachment. which was about 35
miles from the Belgian city of Neuve
Chateau. The regiment to which be-
longed did not take part In any opera
'tions after the fall of Liege but was
transported to this part of Belgium.
Now ! learn for the first time how
heavy was the loss in my company In
THE Liege fighting, We lost 1877 men In
edead aud wounded
This night we slept In nm open field.
At five o'clock the next morning we
marched agnin until four o'clock in
the afternoon. when we were given a
rest
II WAS about ten O'Clock In the eve
lining when we received orders Ia adj
vance. We were all ready to proceed
when another ortier came for us to re-
snnaIn at cur bisouae overnight, Dur
ting the night we heard laundering of
cannon which became more violent.
The battle OF Neuve Chateau. which
had continued from August - To Au-
gust "a. 1914 had begun.
AT four O'Clock on the morning OF
August - We resumed our march, At
Neuve Chateau the French army had
encountered the Fourth German army.
First there WIS. us always. minor out
post and patrol fighting by and by
larger masses of troops participated
and as We took our part In the battle
on the evening of August "a, the fight
had developed into one of the most
kanguinary of the world war.
When we arrived the French occu.
pied almost three-qaarters Of the town.
The artillery had set the main part of
Neuve Chateau on fire aud only the
beautiful residence section In the west
-ern part OF the city escaped NJ that
time. All night long the house-to-
6,use fighting continued. but when nj
noon of August - the city was in Ger
man hands the enormous cost To the
Germans could finally be determined.
Residences, cellars. streets aud side
walks We're heaped with dead and
r wounded. The houses were in ruins
empty shells. in which hardly anything
remained unchanged tibet Was of any
real value. Thousands became beg
gurs In one terrible night Women and
children. soldiers and citizens were ~
Ing where the pitiless shells aud bul-
lets had hurled them from life into
deaths dark void True mpartiality
reigned In the killing. There was "A
Belgian woman lying next 10 "A Belgian
baby which she had borne from house
TO street. Close by lay man OF un-
certain years before an empty house.
Both his legs Mere burned la the
knees. His wife lay ON his breast and
ssobbed so pitfully that her grief could
not be endured. Most OF the dead
were entirely or partly burned, The
cries of agony of the animals fighting
fncineration were mixed with the
groans and sohbing of the wounded.
But no one had time tn bother with
&frm. The French We're making an
Osher stand outside the city In an open
field. As the enemy vacated the town
4 the Germans made an error which cost
them hundreds of lives. They had oc
cupied the entire town so quickly that
the German artillery which shelled u
part Of the city did not know of the
change In the situation and threw
shells in.o the ranks of the infantry.
Finally our soldiers were compelled TO
give up some of their gains by the
pressure of our own as well AS the
French fire. but regained this ground
afterwards. Strangely enough. the
residence section previously mentioned
had not suffered seriously. All the
houses flew the Red Cross and were
used as temporary hospitals
Here II was reported that Belgians
hutilated German soldiers. Whether
tbs were true. or only a rumor. similar
to oilers being constantly started by
GerHan soldiers. | cannot say. but |
do ynow that ON August -. after the
Freilch had retired. IL MAS made
.kicpwn through an army order that
Erman soldiers Ind been murdered
There. and that the German army could
mot leave the scene of these outrages
without first avenging the victims.
1t WAS ordered by the commander
OF the army 10 level the remainder of
the city and to show no mercy. As we
took short rest from our pursuit of
the enemy and looked backward clouds
Of smoke to the eastward showed that