Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-12
CHAPTER X (Continued)

A couple of days more march and
we reached the banks of the Moselle.
Here we rested for four or five days
while the troops cleaned UP and rest
ed in three small towns. The regi-
mental band p aged for different UNITS
every day. Everything moved smooth
~. The inhabitants were gentle and
kindly Indeed they We're so effective
in their kinness that that one of the
second hattalian headquarters cooks
called Chops came to grief. First
he drank all of their wine he could
get then in an inspired spirit of gem
crosby, cooked and turned over to
his new friends the turkey which.
with much labor had been secured
for their Thanksgiving dinner. His
generosity was sadly misunderstood
by his commanding officer, for he was
returned to duty with the mule train
from where he had come.
On the 9Th of December we re-
sumed the march and crossed the Mo-
selle into conquered Germany, Fipm
this time on new element was added
to the chances of campaigning. Our
maps were perfectly impossible. You
never cou d tell where bridges were
and where they were simply ferries,
Once we ran our column directly into
a pocket. The map showed what
looked like a bridge, We Were not al
lowed to scout ahead and the interpre-
ter's questions seemed to confirm its
existence When we got there we
found Il fer y that accommodated
only sixteen men at a time and we had
to double on our tracks. On these
maps also, the roads all looked good.
The first days march in Germany we
nearly lost the supply train on ac-
count of this, as a seemingly good
highway ended in a marsh.
In GcrmTn Territory.
That night we b'leted for the first
time in German territory Regimental
headquarters was in the house of a
German officer On lhe news of our
advance he had fled further north.
but with characterize affectation of
his class had telephoned on our ar
rival. saying he regretted that he
would not be there to receive us and
hoped that we would be comfortable.
Next morning he telephoned again
sending a message to the effect that
if any of his servants had not done
everything for our comfort would we
please report the matter to him inn
mediately in order that he might pun
ish the offender
All the next day we moved up the
banks of the winding Moselle through
TTeves. where relics of the old Ro-
man buildings lfowned down on us
as we passed. At night another Ger
men house. From this the German
officer had not fled. He was a lieuten-
ant colonel and had waited to receive
us, prepared to be butler or anything
we demanded.
Terror of Women.
clear indication of the character
of the German soldier was given by
the terror of the women at our APP
proach, 1t was clear that they expect
ed an outrage. on account of this
on arriving in each town / would cal
the burgomaster to give him the in
structions concerning the behavior OF
the townspeople. | would finish uI
by instructing him that he would an.
nounce to all women and children
that they need have no fear concern
ing the actions of any American sol
der; we were Americans not Ger
mans. / had my interpreter see thai
it was given out in this form.
Day after day we followed the river
or made short cuts inland. AS we
marched along on hilltops on either
side. silhouetted against the sky, aus
tere and dtgnified were the crumblins
brown-rock towers of medieval cas-.
ties These castles were destroyed
more than two centuries before by
Louis XIV as he marched through the
same route. On either side Of the river
the slopes rose abruptly They wer,
covered with vineyards, apparently
growing from the trown shale. Once
when passed through the city of Bern
castle in the early morning when this
mist ehoked the valley / looked III
and saw on the peak that overhuns
the town. touched by the morning sun
the old castle framed in the white mis-
like a cameo set in mother of-pearl