The Nevada County picayune., 1918-08-29

meat, apples and every one received 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. It 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 coaid aS we had q 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 ar Wednesday or whether it was the fifth or tenth of the month. This condition became more md 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 a 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 tho hide without bothering to drain the blood from the carcass. Then everybody cut of q piece Of meat, still warm. which was fried in q pot cover or eaten raw with q little salt by a great many of the soldiers, This kill ing of cattle was repeated almost daily by the soldiers acting without orders from their superiors. As a 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. If sol dier became hungry during pause in the marching and found pig, COW or lamb. he shot 1t, cut out piece for his own use, and let the rest spoil.
 Under Il burning midday sun we marched on amid clouds of dust, along a road used by munitions columns and other units. which never gave the dust an opportunity to settle. In all the fields which we passed, fugitiyes had 
 like poor homeless gypsies. Many came up to us and begged for scraps of bread.
 We marched without resting till late in the evening and at about nine o'clock We approached the city hall of Sommepy. In and around Som mepy a battle had started. We were ordered to take part of the north west section of the city. It was al- ready dark and once more We halted. The fields all around Us were covered with dead. In the middle of the streets were French batteries and munition columns. Horses and drivers had been killed.
 After a ten.minute rest We started again and in doubIe-quiek step ap- preached little forest, in which dis mounted cavalry and infantry were engaged with the enemy in desperate handto-hand fight.
 A a sHbterfuge we threw ourselves into the place with blood-curdlins yelis. We sueceeded in the darkness in reach ing the enemies rear. The surprise attack was a success and the French, startled by our yells and by the at- tack. threw up their hands and sur rendered. Mercy was not shown them by the infuriated cayalrymen.
 Whenever there appeared to be any l-tnp of the slaughter of the dtsarmed soldiers by our men new horrors were enacted under the commands of the officers. who kept shouting, No Gnar- Tor. slaughter everybody" Such were the orders of our distinguished off cers We pioneers also had to take part in this cold -blooded murder of un- armed men, who had thrown down their arms when they realized the fu- t!laty of further resistance. Our oth- cers took care ths time, as in many earlier and later instances. that there should not be many prisoners taken.
 The pioneer has a sidearm which, according to the law of nations, must not be- used because the back of this sldearm consists of three millimeter sharp steel saw. In peace times the pioneers are not drilled with the hayo- net because this sldearm should be used only for the special duties which the pioneers perform-but the law of nations is not the law of Prussian mill tarism.
 We were obliged to use the saw from the beginning of the war. Ii was in opposition to all the laws Of humanity. When an enemy had this saw in his sreast and the victim had long since
 topped every effort of resistance and