The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1919-01-07

The Return OF Il Thousand American
Prisoners.

The Return OF Il Thousand American
Prisoners.
During October the Huns captured
about ur,c thousand Of our boys III inc
.\rgnnne forest. Taken % miles north
Of The German line. they were put IN
n harbcd-wirc cage. with no tent OF
shelter from the mid-autumn rains.
When November came. the ground DC
nnalh their feet uoZcd water. and their
only shelter and protection was Tor SIX
Young soldiers to huddlc together. with
their arms around each others neck.
and with tho coat of one lying upon me
hcadc al the other five while the siAth
stood in the center. The second week
of November found them wet To the
skin. ShiverinE. half-starrcd. with num-
hers dying daily of pneumnnia.
On November II they were released
from tho barbcd-wirc cnEe and given
one chunk of moldy black bread. and
left without i map. without leader or
guide to make their way through the
forests. south for Is miles. Many of
them died III the woods on their way;
more shortly after they reached the
American lines and found food ana
shelter. So desperate WIS their plight
that ;hc remaining 500 were hurried
| IN automobile. trucks down To Nancy. 20
the soldiers barracks, but help came
too late for scores of these boys. FINER
lads never Should"rcd q muskct. Drawer
men were never reared in American
homes Many went stumbling ana fall-
ing and bleeding through the ArEonnc
woods. burning with fever and weak
rncd by illness and starvation. inc
relief party that was sent out 1ound
heir dead bodies generally al the foo.
Of tree, or with the back hraccd
against 4 log. dead Of sheer exhaustion
and hunger. Meanwhile the German Oh
l!ccrs and soldiers were living in warm
cents. with shcrt-iron stoves, aouh-
dance of food. and though Mr.. Turner
and myself saw perhaps about I'2"o
German privatcs and 50 German Off
Gers brought into il barhcd-wire cage
and all were sleek and we'll kcpt-wtth-
in an hour these prisoners received
their hot coffee. and plans wcr" pre-
rnrcd tn lift The iarpaulin above tho
cage 50 that in the possible event OF
rain the German prisoners might DO
warm. And all. this. despite the gen
rral excitement Of tn" forward push al
ramhrai. but II few miles AWAY.
When The S0n survivors OF those l.0Oo
American prisoners reached Nancy. il
was AZ -NIlSl !Gtlli L VI. ~ "S'''sN''
who had charge Of providing food ana
shelter. P"rShinE WIS ton busy win
his problems and the grca; tasks that
followed. and but for tho y. NJ. G. y.
workers. probably half Of the whole
group would have persisted under IN"
November rains and the cold nights
The soldiers were placed in the halls OF
houses and public school rooms ana
| flurricdly constructed tents. Hot hrcs
we're klndlcd hot coffee and nnuriShln5
foods prepared: nurses and extra work.
rvs clcansnd these boys of their blood
mud and verInln. For days they fought
| with death. and won the victory. anu
! brought many young soldiers back 10
| life There are. however. 100 American
| homes that at this holiday season ara
| surrounded with clouds AMI darkness.
while young wives and mothers weep
not because their sons died far liberty.
| hut at the thought that they foil sby
| the way in tho woods. dying in soil
| Judo and darkness, from hunger and
fever. and III" ICY rain. when they
would have lived had they h>on German
| prisoners freed by American officers.