Western Kansas world., 1918-08-29

meat, apples and every one received a
cigarette. which was more welcome to
most OF us than food and drink
The next morning we slept until six
O'Clock and even though we were lying
on the bare ground it was very hard
to wake us. Breakfast was excellent.
1t consisted of mutton which had been
reQuisitioned, vegetables. bread. coffee,
a goblet of wine, and ham. Our cap
tain told us to eat all we could as we
had hard days march before us.
We resumed our march at seven
O'Clock. Everybody was in high spirits
and in the course of our conversations
1t became apparent that we had lost
track of the time entirely. Nobody
knew whether it was Monday or
Wednesday or whether 1t was the fifth
or tenth of the month. This condition
became more and more general. Sol
diers never know the day of the week !;
one is just like another, Saturday,
Sunday or Thursday.
We stopped to rest at noon on a
large farm but were obliged to wait
in the rain for the field kitchens. Mean
while we helped ourselves. We shot
one of the cows grazing in the meadow,
cut open the hide without bothering to
drain the blood from the carcass. Then
everybody cut off a piece of meat, still
warm, which was fried in a pot cover
or eaten raw with a little salt by a
great many of the soldiers This kill
ing of cattle was repeated almost daily
by the soldiers acting without orders
from their superiors. AS a consequence
they all got stomach trouble from eat
ing meat which was too fresh without
bread or vegetables. In spite of this
the practice was continued. If a SOL
der became hungry curing a pause in
the marching and found pig, COW or
lamb. he shot 1t. cut out a piece for his
own use, and let the rest spoil.
Under a burning midday sun we
marched on amid clouds of dust, along
a road used by munitions columns and
other units, which never gave the dust
an opportunity to settle. In all the
fields which we passed, fugitives had
set up their camps, where they lived
like poor homeless gypsies. Many came
up to us and begged for scraps of
bread.
We marched without resting till late
in the evening and at about nine
o'clock We approached the city hall
of Sommepy. In and around Som
mepy a battle had started. We were
ordered to take a part of the north
west section of the city. 1t was al
ready dark and once more we halted.
The fields all around us were covered
with dead. In the middle of the streets
were French batteries and munition
columns. Horses and drivers had been
killed.
ffor
again and in double-quick step ap-
preached a little forest. in which dis
mounted cavalry and infantry were
engaged with the enemy in a desperate
hand-to-hand fight.
As a subterfuge we threw ourselves
into the place with blood-curdling yells.
We succeeded in the darkness in reach
ing the enemies rear. The surprise
attack was a success and the French.
startled by our yells and by the at
tack. threw up their hands and sur
rendered Mercy was not shown them
by the infuriated cavalrymen.
Whenever there appeared to be any
1etup of the slaughter of the 1isarmed
soldiers by our men new horrors were
enacted under the commands of the
officers, who kept shouting. mo quar-
ter. slaughter everybody" Such were
the orders of our distinguished off,
GERS We pioneers also had to take
part in this cold-blooded murder of un-
armed men. who had thrown down
their arms when they realized the fII-
tility of further resistance Our off,
GERS took care this time. as in many
earlier and later instances. that there
should not be many prisoners taken :.
The pioneer has a sidearm which,
according to the law Of nations. must
not be used because the back OF this
sidearm consists of a three-mi1limeter
sharp steel saw In peace times the
pioneers are not drilled with the bayo-
net because this sfdearm should be
used only for the special duties which
the pioneers perform-but the law of
nations is not the law of Prussian mill
tarism.
We were obliged to use the saw from
the beginning of the war. 1t was In
opposition to all the laws of humanity.
When an enemy had this saw In his
breast and the victim had long since
stopped every effort OF resistance and
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