Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-02-08

formerly the Third Iowa, NOW q parS
many. Lieutenant Ball has been Dc
board which 10 70 prepare histo
Kclburx, Germany-Since last
wrote. In fact, the day after ! wrote
last, we had orders 70 80 into posi-
ton. Then we started hike north
after the boche, which for marching
had 1t all over anything old man Sher-
man ever knew about down in Georgia,
we spread out in thin lines and went
after them, and continued until the
more or less famous Sedan fell TO our
more or less famous division. We sat
ON the heights OF the Mouse for few
days. aAd then suddenly got myster-
ions order to 60 to the rear to NIL up
with replacements Of men, animals,
etc, TO full strength. We went back
about forty kilomsters to the, war-de-
stroyed towns where the lines had run
for about five years and then found
out why I'VE had gone back. The first
papers we got for more than a fort
night broughSus the information that
the armistice had been signed. and as
we knew nothing about any such a
thing going on you can. imagine how
happily surprised We were. especially
so after two weeks OF sleeping in
shell holes filled with mud and water,
and trying to enjoy life Of nights in
one water soaked blanket and shelter
half. with rain pouring on top OF us
all the time and the lower part of our
bodies Except when We turned over
in our semi Inconsistencies, when
generally IL was all below the necR
in a thick mixture Of mud and water.
l., Ava n h-ty
stone in hell, in fact I know there
isn't. It's mud and water. A year ago
l would have called man liar who
would try to tell me that men could
live in such conditions and still he
alive We never felt warmth. except
when we have a particularly steep hill
to go over in the daytime, which. in
view of our need Of heat, was. happily.
often. We ate canned meat and I'D
tack, and drank water from streams.
And generally we could see few dead
horses lying in the stream few yards
above, but there was no use being
fiinfcky because We knew that there
were lot, probably, that We couldn't
see. would have bet anything that
would have been the most rheumatic
bird in the world two weeks later but
that is all six weeks back by now.
and I'm still wearing the same clothes
tunderclothes and alb without launder-
ing and I never felt spryer In my life.
so figure it out for yourself. The only
saving thing about 1t was occasionally
some one would drift along with
bottle OF alcohol and we would mix
up a drink with sugar and water and
burn n little OF the cold out from tie
inside by washing down quinine pills
or something or nothing with it.
Finally we got going so fast
that poor Fritzie didn't get a
chance to destroy everything be-
hind him. and we reached towns with
the French civilians still at home and
all the houses standing, except those
which had been damaged by our own
aviators during the five years of war.
We were moving too fast for artil-
lery, and the roads were blown up and
The mud so deep We generally were
ahead of any support of that kind.
Bst the power had left the boche right
arm. and all we met was an occasional
resistance from machine gun sacrifice
squads" left in particularly strong
positions. But they hadn't the heart
~ stay aAu anu eSASiohs tASs
were gone by the time we reached a
hundred yards Of them.
Passing thru the towns and villages
along the way was the most remark
able experience ever had. The boche
had left, generally just a few minutes
ahead, and the people, after almost five
years OF them. were back in liberia
tion again. 1t was an experience to
he among the soldiers that were first
in the towns. Every plate there were
flags-usually strips Of colored cloth
pinned together to make the correct
alignment Of colors. with occasionally
French flag which had been hidden.
God knows where, for Ave years. The
people were crazy They sang, danced.
kissed our hands. patted our cheeks.
wept, laughed and fed VI anything
they had eatable. which was extra
ordinary. a. they had only ono days
supply left by the Germans. Believe
me. that coffee, made out Of all sorts
of stun. tasted good, tho, after no.
warm coffee for days. We'd give them
French money, which they refused
until We told them "souvenirs," and
then gathered around in groups to feel
and look at it. The money IL different
than what they had ever seen, as French
coins have been changed slightly since
the war. I'll never forget my night in
Haraucourt-my first In bed for
weeks. It was surely some sleep. after
I'd slaughtered most Of the coolies In
my clothes.
Towards the end Of November we
marched into>Luxemburg, crossing the
frontier between Arlon and Eischen.
We spent about q week resting and
cleaning up at Eischen, and 1t was
pleasant week after we had shown the
Luxemburgers that we didn't mean to
tomahawk all Of them.
their attitude towards us was the
coolest thing I have ever ran up
against. being made that way in con-
trast to the attitude Of the towns we
had Just passed thru. However they
warmed up remarkably after they dis
covered. as said before, that Amer
leans aren't barbarians as the boche
had told them They were looking for
a war dance every night. with human
sacrifices. But In reality they were as
glad as the Belgians at getting out
from under the German heel.
The Germans had filled up the Lux
emburgers with all sorts Of tales about
their misfortune in being in the way of
the Americans, and the most Of them
believed it. We were stationed in the
home of the officers Of the Luxembourg
border police. which has had the job
Of watching oyer the actions of the
German soldiers thruOut the war and