The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-05-02


corpses, unsheltered under a blazing
sun, were encamped wretched fugi
tives, because they were forbidden the
use of the roads while the armies need
/ ed them. which was practically all the
time.
In the evening, after a long march
we reached the town Of Suippes. Here
our captain told us we would find nu
merous frank-tireurs. We were or
| dered to bivouac, instead Of being as
signed quarters, and all going into the
village were obliged to take guns and
cartridges with them, After a brief
rest we entered the village In search OF
food. Dead civilians lay in the middle
Of the streets. They were citizens OF
the village. We could not learn the
reason for their having been shot. The
only answer to our questions was q
shrug of the shoulder.
The village itself had not suffered
to any noticeable degree as far as
destruction Of buildings was concerned,
but never In the course of the war had
! seen more complete Job Of plumber
Ing than had been done In Suippes.
That we had to live and eat Is true,
and as the inhabitants and merchants
had flown there was'no opportunity to
pay for our necessities. Therefore we
simply entered a store, put on stock
ings, laundry, and left the old things,
then went to another place, took what
ever food looked good to US, and then
proceeded to wine cellar, there to
seize as much as our hearts desired.
| The men Of the ammunition column,
located in the village as we'll as the
sanitary soldiers and cavalry by the
hundreds, searched the houses and took
whatever they liked best. The finest
and largest business places In Suippes
served a very large rural district sur
rounding and therefore were stocked
up on almost everything. Within a
short time these places had been
cleaned out The munition drivers
and train columns carried away old
pieces Of silk, ladies' dresses, linens,
shoes, dress goods and every other ar
| ticle imaginable, and stored them away
in their ammunition cases. They took
children's and women's shoes, and
everything else they could lay their
hands upon, although many of these
articles had to be thrown away short
ly afterward Later, when the fielt
post was developed and gave regular
service. many Of these things we're sent
home.
| A large chocolate factory was robbed
completely, and chocolate and candy
In heaps were trampled In the ground.
Empty houses were broken into and
wrecked, wine cellars cleaned out and
windows smashed, the latter being a
| special pastime Of the cavalrymen. As
we had to pass the night In the open.
we tried to find some quilts and en-
tered grocery store and a market
place. The store was partly demol-
Ished, but the apartment upstairs was
as yet intact with all the rooms locked.
It was evident that woman's hand
had worked in this house, for every
thing was neat and coy. But all this
order was still surpassed by the ar
rangement in large room, which APP
parently had been inhabited by a
young woman. We were almost
ashamed to enter the sanctuary. To
our establishment we saw hanging on
the wall opposite the door picture
burned In wood and under 1t German
verse: Honor the women, they weave
a braid of heavenly roses in their
earthly life." (Schillerl. The owner
apparently was young bride, for 10
| the wardrobe was trousseau, tied
with neat blue ribbons, carefully put
away. All the wardrobe drawers lay
open. Nothing was touched here
When we visited the same place the
next morning, impelled by some i'm.
pulse. we found everything In that
house destroyed. Barbarians had gone
through this home, and with bltteI
| ruthlessness had devastated every
i thing. with every evidence Of having
utterly cast of the ethics and stand
irds of civilized races.
The entire trousseau had been tori
rom the drawers and thrown partly
IN the floor. Pictures, photographs
mirrors, everything was In pieces. This
three of us who had entered the room
s,lenched our fists with impotent wrath
We received orders to remain II
Suippes until further notice and thu
next day Witnessed the return Of many
J fugitives. They came In great throngI
from the direction OF Chalons-sur
. Marine. They found instead Of tn,
peaceful homes they had left wretch
. ed and deserted ruin. A furniture
dealer returned to his store. as WI
stood in front Of his house. He broke
down when he viewed the remains O
bis enterprise. Everything had beer
; taken away. We approached the man
! He was a jew and spoke German
. When he Gained down Z little he toll
Us that his store had contained wer
chandlse worth more than 5000 francs
aHad the soldiers only taken wha
theY needed for themselves" he said
4 would re satisfied. for ! did not ex