Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-01-10
CHAPTER XIX.
German Prison Camps.


A few days after / had been dashed
| German officers came to the barracks,
and one of them who spoke very good
English said "All of the neutraIs who
were on unarmed ships step out. :"
Only few stepped out.
Then he called for all the neutrals,
and the Danes. Swedes, Norwegians,
Brazilians and Spaniards stepped out.
But when did, he said, mo, not
Americans. Americans are not neu-
trail. America supplies our enemies
with food and ammunition" He raised
his fist, and thought he was going to
hit me, but instead he gave me a
shove that caused me to fall and get
a little cut on the head. Then the
sentries pushed me over with the
British and the French.
After that they took the Norwegi-
ans, Swedes and Danes to separate
barracks, and gave them clothes and
beds and the same rations as the Ger
man soldiers. When / saw this /
made kick and said was a neutral,
too, and ought to get the same treat
ment Is the Scandinavians. They took
me to the officers again, kicked me
about and swore at me, and the only
answer got was that America would
suffer for all she had done for the al
lies. Then was sent back to the bar
racks again.
The next day at about one o'clock
they took us from the barracks and
drilled us through the swamps The
men began to fall one by one, some
crying or swearing, but most of them
/ going along without word. Those
who went down were smashed In the
head with rifle butts or belts.
Finally we arrived at little rail-
road station, and had to stand in the
snow for over an hour while the en-
| CINE ran up and down the tracks hook
ing on cars. When we finally got in
the cars we were frozen stiff I could
/ hardly walk, and some of the boys
simply could not move without intense
pain.
They loaded twelve men into each
compartment. and detailed a guard of
six men to each car. The windows in
the cars were all smashed, and every
| thing about the cars was dirty.
Finally the train stopped at town
named Alt-Damm, and there was a
mob Of women and children around,
as usual, ready for us with bricks and
spit. They stoned us through the car
windows, and laughed and jeered at
us, but by this time we were so used
to it that we did not mind much. Only,
every now and then some fellow
would get all he could stand, and
either talk back or make pass at
somebody. Then he would get his
either bayonet through the arm or
leg, or crash on the head with a gun
i butt.
After an eighteen hour ride, with
| out food or drink. we arrived at Neu-
strelitz. 1t was raining as we pulled
in. AS we went up the grade to the
town we could see lights about a mile
| away, and we figured that that was
the camp. The rain stopped and we
remained in the cars for some time.
Then, after while, we knew our new
guards were coming; long before we
could see them. we could hear the
| racket they made. Somehow a Ger
man cannot do anything shipshape
and neatly. but always has to have a
lot of noise, and running around, and
general confusion. Four-footed swine
are more orderly in their habits than
the Huns.
When they came up, we were roust-
/ ed from the cars and drilled up the
road to the camp. When we got near
the German barracks we were halted
and counted again, and made to stand
there for at least an hour after they
had finished counting us, shivering
like leaves. At last they placed us in
barracks, and those who could went
to sleep.
There were about forty h racks in
the Limey group at Neustrelirz and
two large Zeppelin sheds. The bar
racks were inst about like those at