The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-05-06
CHAPTER TX.

HSF6u III ills at bHe blLHc, LlluI VIC
would soon be in Paris. Other bodies
of troops arrived from all Sides We
had marched several hours when news
came to us that yitry had been re-
taken by the French and that they had
seized a tremendous amount of mill
tary stores. captured the hospitals, to-
gether with their medical units and pa
tlents, and that the sanitary compa.
MES also had been made prisoners. AT
about two O'Clock in the afternoon we
arrived at the heights which had been
pointed out to us early in the march
by our captain.
We now began to understand that
something had gone wrong. Streets
were filed with troops from all
branches of service, trying to use the
road along which we were marching.
Being outnumbered, we were crowded
backward. Empty munitlon columns
raced by us in no order whatever.
They were followed by canteen and
other supply wagons The greatest
confusion reigned everywhere. Every
minute added to the congestion until
finally there was a dead halt. The
drivers of some wagons left the road
and tried to pass around the congested
portions by traversing the fields, which
had been soaked by heavy rains. Sew
eral wagons turned over and others
became imbedded In the mud. The
horses were unhltched from these and
the wagons left behind. The wagoners
mounted these horses and drove on,
forgetting everything In one wild
panic-stricken race for safety.
An officer rode up and handed an or
der to our captain. We were halted
at field close to the road. There we
were permitted to stack our guns and
rest. AS we lay at this point we
watched the passing columns, field
kitchens, munitiOn trains, sanitary col
umns and field postal wagons racing
by In one grand carnival Of confusion.
Every wagon carried wounded men.
Their faces Indicated clearly what tor
lures they were enduring as they were
bumped along over the unspeakable
roads upon heavy trucks. Still they
were anxious to 60 ahead at whatever
cost. They feared the fate which
would befall them should they fall into
the hands of their merciless enemy,
which would show them the same con-
alteration which they themselves had
offered In previous encounters, in
which they took no French wounded
men prisoners.
Evening came on and with II tor
rental rain. We lay in the fields,
weary and chilled through, yet no one
OF our unit moved, for we we're ut
terly overcome by exhaustion. Artil-
lery detachments now began to arrive,
but few of them had their required
number Of six guns. Many had only
three, others two, and few proceeded
with only one fleldplece. At one time
whole row Of about fifty gun car
riages passed without any guns mount
ed upon them whatever. These bat
terles had managed to save their
horses but were compelled to abandon
their guns to the French. Some car
riages were drawn by only two to four
horses instead Of the required six.
There now passed before us some
fifteen magnificent automobiles, the APP
pearance of which won the admiration
Of everybody.
"Ah," exclaimed many of the sol
diers, "the general staff-Duke AL
brecht of Wurtemberg and his friends"
Discomfort and murmurs of rebel
lion went through our ranks. Every
body was mad and the accursed tor
rental rain had no tendency to tighten
our spirits. "They have directed the
slaughter of thousands and now they
motor away" said one man, while we
lay here In morass in the rain. I'VE
are not considered"
What we were to be assigned to do
had not yet been told us. We were left
lying in our swamp until ten o'clock
that night. The troops continued to
flow back in great disorganized con-
tingents. Machine gun companies
passed with empty wagons, having lost
their guns. The laundering of the
cannon gradually came nearer from the
west. The noise along the highways
became greater and q panic spread,
adding to the horrors of the night. Flu
gitlves wandered around in the dark
ness through the streaming rain, trying
TO lead their wives and children to
safety, only to find death under the
wheels Of the wagons. The wounded
we're also mangled by scores; pIteous
cries for help were heard everywhere.
Under the strain Of the traffic the
roads became badly broken up and all
along their sides abandoned vehicles Of
every description lay.
We started forward at about three
o'clock In the morning and soon we
were with the rear guard. Infantry
regiments, now merely fragments Of
their former strength, arrived in
fearful condition The soldiers had
thrown away their knapsacks and ey-
cry unnecessary article which might
be an impeachment to speed.
Before long the first enemy shrap-
mel burst over our heads, which re-
suited in an even faster marching.
The road used during the first march
contained deep shell holes, which were