The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1918-08-23
CHAPTER Il-continued.

The same evening we were Trans
ported in automobiles and on the eve
ming of August 20, 1914. we reached
our detachment, which was about 30
miles from the Belgian city OF Neuve
Chateau. The regiment to which be-
-.longed did not take part In any opera
lions after the fall of Liege, but was
transported to this part of Belgium.
Now ! learn for the first time now
heavy was the loss in my company IN
the Liege fighting. We lost 1874 men Ia
dead and wounded.
This night we slept In an open neiu'
At five o'clock the next morning we
marched again until four O'Clock III
the afternoon, when we were gwen
rest.
1t was about ten o'clock in the eve
oing when we received orders to al
vance. We we're all ready to proceeu
when another order came for us to re-
main at our bivouac overnight. Dur-
ing the night we heard laundering Vi
cannon which became more vlolent'
The battle Of Neuve Chateau, whch
gust "a, 1914, had begun.
At four o'clock on the .fnorning ol
August % we resumed our march. "a.
Neuve Chateau the French army hau
encountered the Fourth German army.
First there was, as always, minor out
post and patrol fighting. BY ana oy
larger masses Of troops particlpateu'
and as we took our part in the battle
on the evening Of August %, the nght
had developed into one of the most
Sanguinary of the world war.
When we arrived the French occu-
pied almost three-quarters OF the town,
The artillery had set the main part OF
Neuve Chateau on fire and only the
beautiful residence section in the west
ern part of the city escaped at that
time. All night long the house-to-
house fighting continued, but when at
noon of August % the city was In Ger
man hands the enormous cost to the
Germans could finally be determined.
Residences, cellars, streets and sloe'
walks were heaped with dead anu
wounded. The houses were In ruins
empty shells, in which hardly anything
remained unchanged that was OF any
real value. Thousands became peg
CARS In one terrible night. Women ana
children. soldiers and citizens were ly-
ing where the pitiless shells and bull
lets had hurled them from life into
deaths dark void. True importantly
reigned in the killing. There was
Belgian woman lying next to Belgian
baby which she had borne from house
to street. Close by lay a man of I'M
certain years before an empty house.
Both his legs were burned to the
knees. His wife lay on his breast and
sobbed so pitifully that her grief could
not be endured. Most of the dead
were entirely or partly burned. The
cries of agony of the animals fighting
Incineration were mixed with the
groans and sobbing of the wounded.
But no one had time to bother with
them. The French were making an
other stand outside the city in an open
field. AS the enemy vacated the town
the Germans made an error which cost
them hundreds of lives. They had oc-
cupied the entire town so quickly that
the German artillery which shelled a
part of the city did not know of the
change In the situation and threw
shells into the ranks of the infantry.
Finally our soldiers were compelled to
dive up some Of their gains by the
pressure of our own as well as the
French fire. but regained this ground
afterwards. Strangely enough. the
residence section previously mentioned
had not suffered seriously. All the
houses few the Red Cross and were
ased as temporary hospitals
Here IL was reported that Belgians
INITIATED German soldiers Whether
,AIs were true, or only rumor, similar