The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1918-10-04

Seventy to eighty men were killed for
nothing.
After an hours fight, all the guns
were once more in our possession. We
were now able to approximate the ter
rible casualties, in the battle for this
battery. Dead and wounded by hum
dreds infantry, cavalry, artillery and
pioneers, covered the narrow strip of
ground.
Once more we received reinforce
ments. This time four regular compa-
MES Of infantry had been taken
away from another detachment. Even
If soldier takes part in everything, he
can get only very restricted view Of
what is going on and has absolutely no.
way of determining how the battle is.
going. 10 q
These re-enforcements had been
taken from all different arms and late
arrivals had been taken from division
which had been threatened exactly like.
ours was. This led us to conclude that
1--WE rOpd5 only Fesist further attacks
provided, fresh troops reached us. !: re
only we could get something to eat.
But there seemed no way to relieve The
hunger and thirst which tortured us.
Now horses galloped mp to remove
the guns we had left, and Mt the same
instant the French artillery opened
tremendous fire from guns of all cali
hers. The shells fell among the 30
teams comprising the column. Confu-
sion reigned. Groups of six horses
comprising each team sprang into the
mir. then ran in all directions, pulling
their carriages with the wheels up be-
hind them. Some of the tern fled ami
mails ran directly into the heaviest fire,
only to be torn to shreds with their
drivers.
The enemy now transferred his fire
TO the battery position which we Occu-
pied. For us 1t was only question of
advance or retreat. Retreat? No! The
order came to retake the positions
which we had lost at the opening of
the battle and which the Frenchmen
presumably had made ready to with
stand new attack. BY This time we
had heen REINFORCED with more cam
non fodder and the insane fight could
begin anew.
We advanced over a wild field COW
cred by thousands upon thousands of
torn human bodies. No shot fell: the
only firing was the hostile artillery
continuing TO shell our battery posi-
tons. Neither the enemy's artillery
nor infantry was turned upon us. This,
made us suspicious and our apprehen-
sion regarding what was to come in
creased as we were permitted to ad-
vance unmolested.
Suddenly there was turned loose
upon us the fire from multitude of
machine guns. We threw ourselves on
the ground and hunted cover. An in
slant later we again sprang up and
continued our march. Once more we
encountered destruction. BY this TIM
we had lost almost n third of our men
and. exhausted, we halted.
Scarcely had we taken a position be-
fore we were attacked from the front
and flank. We NO longer had an ade-
quate force to successfully resist this
double blow, as the enemy. in greatly
superior numbers, had practically
crushed our force. The left wing was
completely cut Off and we saw our men
throw up their hands and surrender.
We who were in the center were I'M
able to come to their assistance; our
ranks were being decimated from min |
ute to minute.
Revenge for Sommepy," sounded in
my ears.
The right wing broke and carried us
with it in a wild flight. Direct retreat |
had been cut off for us. so we ran |
backward across an open field. each |
man for himself. with heart bursting /
with horror and fear as the result Of |
the enemy's murdenUus fire.
After running long time we reached /
a hamlet northwest Of Vitry-le-FraD- |