The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-05-01

killed.
After a ten-mlnute rest we started
again and In douhIe-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 yels.
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 infatuated cavalrymen.
Whenever there appeared to be any
letup of the slaughter Of the dlsarmed
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-bIooded murder of I'M
armed men, who had thrown down
their arms when they realized the fu-
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
sldearm consists Of a three-mlllimeter
sharp steel saw. In peace times the
pioneers are not drilled with the bayo-
net because this sidearm 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
an effort was made to try and remove
the deadly steel from the wound an In
slant and horrible death resulted.
Oftentimes this horrible weapon be-
came embedded in the breast of vic
tim so firmly that the attacker, who
had to have back his sldearm again
would be obliged to place his foot upon
the breast of his victim and use all his
force to recover the murderous instru-
ment.
The dead and wounded in horrible
condition lay all around us. The means
Of the wounded men would have soft
ened a stone but not the heart Of
Prusslan soldier.
Not all the soldiers approved this
senseless, wanton murder. Some Of
those officers who had ordered US to
kill the French were themselves killed
by mistake in the darkness of the night
by their own men. SUCH mistakes are
still being repeated almost daily and
could cite many names and places to
bear out this testimony.
On this particular night a captain
and a first lieutenant met their fate. A
second-year infantryman stabbed the
captain In the abdomen and the first
lieutenant received stab in the back.
Both died In a few minutes. Neither
Of their slayers felt any remorse and
none of us felt inclined to reproach
them. We all knew that two murder
ers had received their just deserts.
Another instance requires me to run
somewhat ahead Of the sequence OF
events. AS talked to a comrade OF
my company the next day asked him
for a pocketknife and in reaching into
his pocket he pulled out three car
tridges. was surprised that he should
carry cartridges in his trousers pocket
and asked him If he had no room In
his belt.
~ have" he said, "but these three.
have special mission. There are
names of the intended victims on these
bullets"
Some time later after we had be-
come good friends l asked him again
about the three cartridges. He had
only one left | thought about 1t
great deal and in my mind went over
the noncommissioned officers, who, be-
fore war was declared had treated us
like animals and whom we had hated
as only human fiends can be hated.
Two of these had found their grave In
France.
The murder of Frenchmen who had
surrendered continued as long as an
enemy was alive. Then we received
orders to determine IL the enemies
lying on the ground we're all dead and
unable to fight. If anyone was found
Stimulating death it was ordered that
he be killed But the soldiers had lost
some of the fever which had seized
them during the battle and refused to
obey this order. How they felt about
1t was illustrated by the remark of a
member of my company:
I'VE had better look once more and
see If the two officers are really dead
and if not they ought to be killed with
out mercy for a command is COM
mand."
We now advanced quickly but our
part in the battle was over as the en-
tire French line had retired TO make
a fresh stand, two kilometers west Of
Sommepy. The city was mostly In
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