Tombstone epitaph., 1918-09-29
CHAPTER K.
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must confess that most of us he- lieved in this at the time. that we would soon be in Paris. Other bodies of troops arrived from al sides. We had marched several h' ITS when news came to us that vitr, had been re- taken by the French and that they had seized a tremendous ar cunt of mill tary stores captured tn. hospitals. to- gether with their medical units and pa- tients. and that the sanitary compa- nies 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 t.scan to understand that something had gone wrong. Streets were filled with troops from all branches of service. trying to use the road along which we wee marching Being outnumhered we were crowded backward. Empty munit!on columns raced by US in nc order whatever They were followed by canteen and other supply wagons. The greatest confusion rei.ned everywhere Every
 
 finally there was dead halt The drivers of some wagons left the road and tried to pass around the conges,e,i portions hy traverSing the fields. which had been soaked by heavy~rains. Sev- eral wagons turned over and others became undecided in the mud The horses were unhitched from these and the wagons left behind. The wagoners mounted these horses and drove ou. forgetting everything in one wild panicstricken race for safety.
 An officer rode up and handed m or der to our captain. We were halted at field c'Ose to the road. There we were permitted to stack our guns and rest. As we lay at this point we watched ihe passing columns. field kitchens. intuition 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 unspcakable roads upon heavy trucks Still they
 
 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- s;deracion which they themselves had offered In previous encounters. fin which they took no French wounded E,en prisoners.
 .f,p. ss rential rain. We lay Tn the fields. weary and chilled through, yet no one of our unit moved. for we were ut- terly overcome by exhaustion. Ariii- lery attachments now began 10 arrive, but few of them had their required number of six guns. Many had only three. others two. and few proceeded with only one fieldpiece. At one time whole row of about fifty gun car r!:Scs passed without any guns mount ed upon them whatever. These bat teries had managed to save their horses. but were compelled to abandon their guns to the French. Some car riages were drawn hy only two to four horses instead of tie required six.
  fifteen magnificent automobiles. the aIe pearance of which won the admiration of everybody.
 An" exclaimed many of the sol { dicrs. ''the general stafI-Duke AL brecht of Wurtemberg and his friends"
 Discomfort and Elurinurs of rebel lion went through our ranks. Every body was mad and the accursed tor rental rain had no tendency 10 tighten our spirits. They have directed the slaughter of thousands and now they motor away" said one man, while we lay here in inorass In the rain. "We are not considered"
 What we were 10 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 coptinued 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 panic spread. adding to the horrors of the night Flu gitives wandered around in the dark ness through the streaming rain, trying 10 lead their wives and children to safety. only to find death under the wheels of the wagons. The wounded were 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 a fearful condition. The soldiers had thrown away their knapsacks and ev- cry unnecessary article which might be an impeachment to speed,
 Before long the first enemy shrap-
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