The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-07-25


as large hostile columns approached.
/ We retired some distance without fir
ing a shot. The artillery took n posi-
| tion behind n village and began she'll
Ing the approaching enemy. A cavalry
patrol ealioped across an open field.
! the horses covered with foam. We
heard the commander OF tine patrol tell
cavalry officer that the enemy were
I approaching from all sides. We quick
" left the village. The artillery re-
fnnfncn ana tne cavalry detachmenss
occupied n position while the cannon
were trimmed ON the enemy. Toward
noon shrapnel shells again began
bursting over our heads. but they ex-
ploded too high In the air TO do us any
damage. Yet this served MS serious
reminder To us that the enemy kept
right ON our heels. a realization of
which caused our retreBt 10 become a
rout. The numbers who dropped ex-
hnusted constantly increased. II was
impossible to render them any assist
ance. for there were no more wagons.
siany soldiers used their last atom
OF strength to drag themselves to the
side OF the road. Others fell where
they were marching TO be crushed soon
afterward under the horses boofs or
the wheels of any vehicle that might
pass. The rond wnr rtrewn with
equipment thrown away by the sol
diers. Our detachinents had long since
cast aside all unnecessary iinp~di-
menta.
In this way we proceeded nnfii we
reached n forest which was filled with
fugiuves. Many OF these had stretched
some sort Of cloth from tree 30 tree
ms a protection from the rain. There
they lay, men. women and children
and old men. some In unspeaksbie mis-
cry. This fugltives' camp was spread
over the forests to the edge OF the
road and as we passed we could see
the furrows woven into their faces by
the terrible suffcrings they had been
through. They looked Mt us with weary
and saddened eyes. The children
begged for bread. hut We had none
for ourselves. even though we we're
I tortured by hunger. The enemy's
shrapnel continued TO accompany us.
Scarcely had We passed through the
forest when shrapnel burst In IL. As
consequence camp OF fugitives. now
exposed to trench fire. WIS abandoned
and Its numbers sought safety ib the
open fields. Many tried to accompany
us until the order came forbidding
them the road, as their advance hin
dered troop movements. The fugitives.
therefore. were forced into the rain
soaked neids.
Toward evening we reached a vii.
lage which had previously been sacked
and here we found some rest. The
mayor and two citizens Of this village
had been seized by the Germans and
taken away under cavalry escort Just
why this had beeh done we were un-
able to find out. We did know, how.
ever. that almost every town wns
Obliged to give hostages. Most OF the
cattle were taken along and large
herds were transported to the renr by
cavalry.
We belonged to the rear guards.
which explained why We were unable
to find anything TO eat. There was nb-
solutely nothing to the village where
We were now quartered. After half
nm hour with our hunger still unnp-
| peased we resumed our march. After
we had marched about three kilome-
ters We arrived mt a spot which had
formerly heen a bivounc. Advancing
armies had camped here perhaps eight
days before. Bread. which had been
plentiful then, lay strewn around on the
ground. In spite Of its water-soaked
condition II had becn gathered up and
eaten with ravenous appetites. Moth
Ing m8ttered how our stomnchs were
filled II only our hunger might be mp
peased.
Night now cnme. yet no sleep nor
rest was In sight. No one knew how
much farther We would have to retire
before there would be a respite. The
unfamiliar surroundings indicated TO
rs that we were not returning over the
road which we had trasersed when. ms
victors. we marched to the Marne.
With this and similar thoughts. hour
after Hour passed. Some Of us ran
nlong. others actually walked In their
sleep. Our boots were filed with wa
ter yet we Ind to keep on. Thus tho
night passed.
The next morning troops Of the