Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1918-11-01
CHAPTER TX.


I must confess that most Of us be-
lleved In this Mt the time, that we
would Room be In Paris. Other bodies
Of troops arrived from all sides. We
had marched several hours when new
zane TO US thnt vitry had been re
taken by the French and that they hni
seized a tremendous amount Of mill.
tnry stores. captured the hospitals. to-
gether with their medical units and pm
tlents, and that the sanitary compa'
MES also had been made prisoners. At
about two O'Clock In the afternoon we
arrived nj 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
we're filled with troops from all
branches of service. trying to use the
road along which we were marching.
Being ou~tnumbered, we were crowded
backward. Empty munltion columns
raced by us In no order whatever.
They were followed by cnnteen and
other supply wagons. The greatest
confusion rciIned everywhere. Every
minute added 10 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 trnversing the fields. which
had been soaked by heavy rains. Sew
ernl wagons turned over and others
became lmbedaed In the mud. The
horses we're unhitched from these M
the wagons left behind. The wagoners
mounted these horses and drove on,
forgetting everything In n wild
panlc-strlcken race for safety.
An officer rode up and handed an or
der TO our captain. We we're halted
nj n field clorc TO the road. There we
we're permitted TO stack our guns and
rest. As we lay Mt this point we
watched the passing columns. held
kitchens, munltlon trims, 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 rs they were
bumped along over the u~nspeaknble
roads upon heavy trucks. Stlll they
were anxious to 20 ahead nj Whatever
cost. They feared the fate which
would befall them should they fall into
the hands of their merclless enemy,
which would show them the same con-
slderatlon which they themselves had
offered In previous encounters. In
which they took no French wounded
men prisoners.
Evening cnme 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 were ut
terly overcome by exhaustion. Artil-
lery d~etachments now began to arrive,
hut few Of them had their required
number Of six guns. Many had only
three, others two. and a few proceeded
with only one heldpiece. At one time
a whole row OF about fifty gun car
riages passed without any guns mount
ed upon them whatever. These bat
terles had managed 10 save their
horses. but were compelled to abandon
their guns 10 the French. Some car
rlages were drawn by only two 10 four
horses instead Of the required six.
There now passed before us some
fifteen magnificent automobiles. the ap-
penrance OF which won the admiration
OF everybody.
"Ah," exclaimed many OF the SOL
dlers. "the general staf-Duke Al
brecht Of wurtemberg and h,s friends
D,scontent and murmurs Of rebel
lion went through our ranks. Every
body was mad and the accused tor
rental rain had no tendency to tighten
our spirits. 'sThey have directed the
slaughter OF thousands and now they
motor away" said one man. while We
lay here In n morass In the rain. "We
are not considered"
What we we're to be assigned to do
had not yet been told "a. We we're left
lying In our swamp until ten o'clock
that night. The troops continued 10
now back 10 great d~isorgnnlzed con
tingents. Machine gun companies
passed with empty wagons. having lost
their guns. The laundering Of the
cannon gradually came neareF from the