The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1919-01-16

One morning the sentries picked out
ten men from our barracks, Of which
I was one, and. drilled us over field
near the kuche. There was q large
tank in the field and we had to pump
water into it. It was very cold, ond
we were weak and sick, so we would
fall one after another, not caring
whether we ever got up or not. Fritz
rifle butt. We asked for gloves, be-
cause our hands were freezing, but all
we got was "Nichts."
After we had been there for about
an hour and half, one of our men
became very sick, so that I thought
he was going to die, and when he fell
over, l reported it to sentry. The
sentry came over, saw him lying in
the snow, yelled, "Schwein, NIGHT
krank!" grabbed him by the shoulder,
field to the Office of the camp COM
mander. Then he was placed in the
guard house, where he remained for
two days. The next thing we knew,
the Russians had been ordered to
make a box, and were being marched
to the guard house to put him in it
and bury him.
Another thing at Neustreiitz, that
was pretty hard to stand, was the pref
~ habit the Huns had of coming up
10 lol xx,ip zoo 0Ss
though we were wild animals in a
cage. Sometimes there would be
crowds of people lined along the wire
throwing things at us, and sspitting,
and having great time generally. It
was harder than ever when family
party would arrive, with water and
mutter, and maybe grosvater and
grosmutter, and all the little Boche
kinder, because, as you probably
know, the Germans take food with
them whenever they go on party.
no matter what kind. and they would
stand there and stare at us like the
boobs they were, eating all the time
and we so hungry that we could
have eaten ourselves, almost. Alter
they had stared while, they would
begin to feel more ut home, and then
would start the throwing and splitting
and the "schweinhund" sangerfest, and
they would have great time general
~. Probably, when they got home,
they would strike off medal for
themselves in honor of the visit.
Then. too, there were always Hun
soldiers on leave or off duty, who made
1t point to pay us visit. and though
do not think they were rs bad as the
civvies, especially the women, they
were bad enough.
We had one bucket in each barracks,
and as these buckets were used for
both washing and drinking, they were
always dirty. We boiled the water
when we washed the clothes, to get
rid Of the coolies. and that left a
settling in it that looked just like red
lead. We had to get the water from
a hydrant outside of the barracks, and
for a while we drank it. But after
several of the boys had gone west
and we could not figure out why, q
man told US he thought the water was
poisoned, and a Russian doctor, who
was prisoner, slipped us word about
it Also So, after that, very few of
us drank water from the hydrant.
was scared stiff at first, because had
had some Of the water, but after that
I did not touch hydrant water.
1t was good thing for us that
there was always plenty Of snow In
Germany, and even luckier. that the
Huns did not shoot us for eating it
1t was about the only thing they did
not deprive us Oft was not verboten
I thought knew what tough coolies
We're, in the trenches, but they were
! regular mollycoddles compared to the
pets we had in the prison camps. After
we b;'led our clothes we would be
free from them for not more than two
hours, and then they would come
back, with re-enfOrcements. thirstinl
t for vengeance.
The camp at Neustrelitz was sur
rounded by big dogs, which were KEEP,
| just outside the barbed wire. We had
them going all the time. Every once
in while, some fellow would make
/ an awful racket, and the next thine
! we knew. there was Fritz coming like
shot, with musket at his hip, jus,
AS they carry them in a charge, and
blowing whistles at each other unit
they were blue in the face. When
ever they thought some one was es
Gaping, they ran twice as fast as