The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1918-05-01
CHAPTER v.
100000 . . D . . . . . Z
Copyright by Detroit Free Presa

rear guard stopped again. Four bat
teries of our artillery we're brough
into position and our company, aloni
With machine guns. were ordered Il
protect the artillery. The artillery of
ticers did not think this sufficient pro
lection because the airplanes had dis
covered the presence Of strong French
cavalry attachments and a cavalry at
tack was suspected. However, 6
stronger guard could not be provided
sand there was nothing to be done but
take our position and make the best
| Of the situation. We dug ourselves IL
! 10 the right and left of the batteries
/ in a field of small pine trees. The ma
| chine guns We're set up and supplied
/ with ammunition. We were then given
| instructions as to what to do in the
| went of cavalry attack. An oil
EDajOr of infantry, with white hair,
stcok command. Our unit was placed
with the infantry, but our brave" Of
Ulcers disappeared suddenly. To them
the defense Of the fatherland was the
business of a private. Since we had
fbeen assigned to assist infantry. our
officers considered themselves super
fluous and took French leave.
This state of affairs affects only
"2ioneer" officers who. when their
units are attached to infantry or chas-
seur divisions, scarcely ever take part
In a battle. This was the case with
our officers during my whole war ca
reer. They remained far away from
the gunfire in comfortable security.
This is also the case with many in
fantry captains and almost all higher
officers. Majors. colonies, ETC., never
take part in storming attack, was
told and several times l observed this
myself.
Our instructions were as follows: In
the event of cavalry attack. every
thing must be quiet. The gun must
be pointed but hidden. The machine
gun must not be fred until the major
in command gives the order. Then
there must be lively. quick fire. Our
batteries fired violently at a biplane
flying high over them which gave sig
nails with star shells which were read
only by the observer.
But the expected attack did not
come. the enemy's infantry was not to
be seen. We prepared to resume our
march and were all ready to move
when the order came to bivouac. The
spot where we were to rest was as
usual fixed by the. staff so that they
knew where to find us at any time.
Hardly had we reached the place when
our field kitchen. which we supposed
had been lost, appeared as If 1t had
come out of the ground. Those in
charge Of the field kitchen had re-
ceived no knowledge of our losses Of
the last few days and had cooked for
the old number. They were greatly
surprised on seeing instead of brave
company of strong pioneers" a lot
of ragged. exhausted, crushed human
shadows. We were given soup. bread.
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.
q goblet of wine, and ham. Our cap
tain told us to eat all we could as We
had a 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
it became apparent that we had lost
track of the time entirely. Nobody
knew whether 1t was Monday or
Wednesday or whether it 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 1
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 of piece of meat, still
warm. which was fried in a pot cover
or eaten raw with little salt by
great many Of the soldiers. This kill
ing Of cattle was repeated almost daily
by the soldiers acting without orders
from their superiors. AS 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. II a SOL
der became hungry during a pause in
the marching and found a pig. COW or
lamb he shot 1t. cut out piece for his
own use. and let the rest spoil.
Under a burning midday sun we
on amid clouds of dust along
4 road used by munitions columns and
9th .inits. which never gave the dust
an opportunity to settle. In all the
fields which we passed. fugitives had
set up their camps where the, i'v"'
ike poor homeless gypsies. " . ia.
up 20 us and begged i".