The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1918-09-20

cleaned out. The munltlOn urlVerS
and train columns carried away old
pieces of silk, ladies' dresses, linens,
shoes, dress goods and every other ar
ticle imaginable, and stored them away
in their ammunition cases. They took
children's ana women's shoes. and
everything else they could lay their
hands upon, although many of these
articles had to be thrown away short
ly afterward. Later, when the field
post was developed and gave regular
service, many of these things were sent
| home.
A large chocolate factory was robbed
completely, and chocolate and candy
in heaps were trampled in the ground.
Empty houses were broken into ana
wrecked wine cellars cleaned out and
windows smashed, the latter being
special pastime of the cavalrymen. AS
we had to pass the night In the open,
we tried to find some quilts and en-
tered grocery store and market
place. The store was partly demol-
ished, but the apartment upstairs was
as yet intact with all the rooms locked
It was evident that woman's hand
had worked in this house, for every
/ thing was neat and coZy. But all this
order was still surpassed by the ar
rangement in large room, which ap-
parently had been inhabited by q
! young woman. We were almost
ashamed to enter the sanctuary. 10
our establishment we saw hanging on
the wall opposite the door picture
burned in wood and under it German
verse: "Honor the women, they weave
a braid of heavenly roses in their
earthly life" (Schiller). The owner
apparently was young bride, for in
the wardrobe was trousseau, ued
with neat blue ribbons, carefully put
away. All the wardrobe drawers lay
open. Nothing was touched here.
When we visited the same place the
next morning, impelled by some I'M
pulse, we found everything in that
house destroyed Barbarians had gone
through this home, and with bitter
rpthlessness had devastated every
thing, with every evidence of having
utterly cast off the ethics and stand
ards of civilized races.
The entire trousseau had been torn
from the drawers and thrown partly
on the floor. Pictures, photographs
mirrors, everything was Ia pieces. Inc
three of us who had entered the room
clenched our fists with impotent wrath.
We received orders to remain In
Suippes until further notice and the
next day witnessed the return Of many
fugitives. They came in great throngs
from the direction of Chalons-sur-
Marine, They found instead of the
peaceful homes they had left a wretch
ed and deserted ruin. A furniture
dealer returned to his store, as we
stood in front of his house. He broke
down when he viewed the remains of
his enterprise. Everything had been
taken away. We approached the man.
He was a Jew and spoke German.
When he Gained down little he told
us that his store had contained mer-
chandise worth more than 5000 francs.
"Had the soldiers only taken what
they needed for themselves" he said,
81 would be satisfied, for l did not ex-
pect anything else. But never would
have believed of the Germans that
they would have destroyed everything"
Not even q cup and saucer were
left in this mans house. He had
wife and five children, but had no idea
of what had become of them. And
there were many more like him.
The following night, remaining in
Suippes, we were again obliged to camp
in the open because it swarmed with
frank tireurs." Such were our instruc-
ctons. In reality nothing was seen of
frank tireurs, but by this method the
enmity toward the people living in the
towns along our line Of march was
maintained The Germans practiced
the theory that the soldiers fight bet
ter and are more amenable to dis
cipline when filled with hatred of their
enemies.
The next day we were obliged to
march to Chalons-sur-Marne. This