The Dermott news. (Dermott, Ark.) 1910-1977, 1918-07-25
CHAPTER V-Contlnued.

CHAPTER V-Contlnued.
y
Toward one O'Clock the battle south
Of Sommepy reached Its climax. When
the Germans advanced to make storm
Ing attacks on all points the French
gave up their positions and retired In
the direction Of Suippes. Whether our
company was no longer considered ut
- fight or whether we were not needed
ny longer do not know. We received
Fders to go into quarters. But neither
ibarn nor stable could be found so
lat nothing remained but to camp In
70 open. The houses were all filled
ith wounded. Citizens Of the town,
40 had not fed were all gathered In
large barn. Their houses were most
destroyed so that they had to make
e Of what shelter was offered them.
.ere was one exception to this mr.
ngement and that wassa very old lit.
motherly woman sitting. bitterly
wing, by the debris Of her late home
d nobody could induce her to leave.
In the barn. which served as a shell
& to the civilians. were thrown to-
ther men and women. youths. chill
Zen and old men. Many were wound
by shell splinters and cartridges
4 others had suffered burns. Every
ere was the most terrible misery !:
mothers and half-starved infants
whom there was no milk were
sed to perish here :soid people died
n the excitement and fright Of the
vious few days and last Of all men
women In the prime Of life slowly
from wounds because there was
pdy to care for them.
company Of Hcssian reserves.
~. one veteran. passed with
ed heads and tired feet. They must
had q very long march. Their Of
tried to make them move more
v. They ordered that a song be
but the Hessians were not In the
I'd.
VIII you siog, you pigsi" cried an
er and the pitiful-iooking pigs"
to obey this order. Family sound
lfcm the ranks Of the overtircd
4 'Deutschland. Deutschland
hk Allies. Ueber Allies IN Der Welt"
Ste their broken strength. their
feet, Disguised and resentful.
men sang their symphony Of su-
6$crmanism.
ij}eral comrades who like myself
(hsatched this troop pass cnme to
fesd said. .Tct rs go to the camp
'orry to sleep so that we might for
aIll this"
H. were hungry and on the way
be- cnught several chickens. We
them hnlf-rnw and then laid down
Inc open and slept until four o'clock
hhe morning when we had to be
- to march.
lr destination on this day was
g sbes. Before the march started the
wing army order WINS read:
oldiers. his majesty the emperor.
supreme war lord. thanks the SOL
OF the Fourth army aud sends to
his full appreciation. You have
Il our beloved Germany from the
Eion OF hostile hordes. We will lot
until the last enemy lies q the
find and before the leaves fall from
trees we shall return home vic
bus. The enemy Ii In full retreat
the Almighty wifi bless our arms
her"
liter this talk we give three checrA.
,ething which Ind become routine
Us. And then we resumed our
|ch. We now had plenty Of time
opportunity to discuss the grnti-
ic expressed by the supreme war
Il. We could not make out just what
herland we had to defend SO far In
nee. One of tho soldiers expressed
oplnior that the Lord had blessed
arms, to which another replied:
religious man repeating such Silly
tlments Is guilty Of sacrilege. II he
aks seriously"
Everywhere. on the march to SUPP
in the fields and In the bitches.
dead soldiers. most Of them with
looking open wounds. Thou
dsl of huge flies swarmcd on the
psaes, partly decomposed. and Civ.
@assf a fearful stencil. Among these
les, unsheltered under blazing
were encamped wretched fugi-
ause they were forbidden the
A