The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1918-06-20
CHAPTER III-Continued.

As we were marching we suddenly
received an order to surround certain
house at the left of us. Our captain
declared that a shot fired from tnat
house had killed soldier. None OF
us had heard anything, however. The
house from which the shot was alleged
to have been fired was soon surround
ed and hand grenades thrown into 1t
through the windows. In a minute all
the rooms were af1ame The air pres
sure from the exploding grenades was
so great that doors in the house new
from their hinges and the walls of sew
erai rooms were crushed.
Almost at the same time five civil
EanS ran into the streets with raised
hands. They were seized at once and
led before the officers, who constituted
themselves Immediately into court
martial. Ten minutes later sentence
had been executed, and five men lay
on the ground with eyes bandaged.
k1ddled with bullets.
an each case six of our men were
always called upon to execute one
mans sentence. l am sorry to say
that i was one of the thirty called
upon at this occasion. The condemned
fman who it was our duty to shoot was
about forty years old, tall and straight.
He never blinked as the bandage was
put on. He was led to the garden of
the house near by and his back placed
80 the house. After our captain said
to Ms that it was our duty to aim true
x and end the tragedy quickly, we took
eur positions six PAGES in front Of the
condemned man. The sergeant COM
zmanding us previously gave US instruc-
lions that we we're to shoot the con-
,tdemned men through the breast.
Now we formed into two rows, one
Fbehind the other. The order sounded
to load and aim and we each put five
cartridges into our rifles. prepare to
dre'-the men in the first row knelt
down and the second row took their
places. Our guns were now held SO
that the barrels were forward and
the butts were hip high. "Aim"-and
slowly we aimed, holding our guns
slightly with the butts against our
shoulders and our fingers on the trig-
gers
The sergeant paused a half minute
and then ordered us to fire. 1 do not
know to this day whether our victim
died at once, nor was there ever an
opportunity to learn how many of the
six bullets found their mark. All day
e went around like a man in a trance,
approaching myself bitterly for having
acted the part of executiOner. For a
tong time 1 could not bear to speak
about it to my comrades, for I felt
guilty, and yet what could we soldiers
do other than execute the orders given
as7
In the evening we went into camp
Tn an open field, pitching tents, and the
next day continued our march.
The country through which we
passed was uninteresting and offered
few tiny villages through which we
passed had all been. abandoned, and
the pOor-loOking houses mostly de-
Gfroyed. Long trains Of fugitives
passed US continually. These people
were as a rule those who had escaped
when the French army retreated and
were returning now to find their
homes destroyed by the rough hand of
war.
After a long march, interrupted only
by halts and short bivouacs, we ap-
preached the large Belgian-French Dor
der town of Sugny, located on the Bel
gfan side Of the border. 1t was about
noon, and as the thunder Of cannon
constantly grew stronger, which indi-
Gated that a new battle was develop
ting, we hoped to be able to remain in
the town overnight. About one o'clock
We entered and were billeted in big
barn. Most of the soldiers refused to
Bitfoned eggs, chickens, geese and
Soung pigs. Soon everybody was
cooking. I am sorry to say that most
Of those who foraged had refused to
pay for what they had taken.
Several soldiers now arrived with
barrels of wine and also many bottles,
which were instantly opened and emp
tied. The obvious resulted, and soon
many nOncOmmissfoned officers and
men were helplessly drunk. The owner
Oh our barn had possessed three large
hogs. One of the drunken noncOm-
RniSs1oned officers tried to kill one of
hese hogs with a dull pocket knife.
he had tortured the poor beast almost
TO death when the animal was nerci-
Enl1y killed by bullet A few min
Mfes afterward the officer went to
weep. This was only an example and