The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1919-04-09
Blount Countian
With Our Army
In Germany
RHINE CITY HAS MANY INTER
ESTING TALES OF ANCIENT
ORIGIN CONNECTED WITH
HISTORY

u. n. MlZe OF MaryvIlle, Who is with
the American Army of occupation has
sent a copy of the Watch On The
Rhine, soldiers paper, containing
the following description of
Andernarch, the headquarters town
of the Third Division:
There are few towns of its size in
Europe SO rich in historical associa-
tons of well-preserved historical
monuments as Andernach, the head
quarters town of the Third Division.
Situated at what might be called
strategic point of the Rhine valley,
which has,, from earliest times, been
a highly civilized region, Andernach
has for nearly twenty centuries been
an historical storm center. 1t was
founded by the Romans shortly after
the birth of Christ, and soon became
one of the fifty fortified towns by
which the Roman emperor, Drusus,
protected his mighty empire from the
Huns-the ancient variety. Many
interesting relics of this previous
occupation, the Roman occupation,
may be found in the museum at the
Rathaus, or city hail.
A later but scarcely less interest
ing historical epoch in which the town
played an important part, was that
of the Franks. For several centuries
it was the capital of the Merovin-
gians, royal house which ruled the
Frankish kingdom during the early
part of the Middle Ages. Most of
the historical monuments which we
see in Andernach date from this
period.
The Rheintor, or Rhine Gate, is
one of the most imposing of these
early edifces.. and one Of the best
= :. reserved. Situated in the center
of town and in close proximity to the
building now occupied by the Third
Division Headquarters, it presents a
grim reminder that we are but an
incident in a chain of historical
events which link the town with the
remotest past. In effect its notified
brown stones say: Occupations
may come and occupations may go
latter considerable period of time)
but I go on somewhat the worse for
wear) forever"
The observant soldier-tourist will
note two stone statues above the
inner gateway. An interesting story
is told in connection with those
statues, story which shows that the
fraulein of the Middle Ages differed
from the fraulein of today only in
that she was more given to the bad
habit of fralernizing.
In the days when the gate was
young and capable of keeping out
intruders, so the story runs, the
Rhine valley was given over to civil
warfare, in which each feudal baron
sought to despoil his neighDor
Thanks to the strong walls of Ander-
mach, which may be traced today by
their remains, the city had always
resisted it's enemies. Two guards
were always stationed at the Rhine
gate in order to insure the city from
a surprise attack. They watched
that portion of the Rhine bank where
the 7th now does tours east and west,
and gave the alarm in time to prevent
an enemy from effecting landing.
One of these guards, bakers son,
loved the daugter of the burgomeis-
ter but the burgomeister considered
him beneath his daughter in social
standing and frowned upon the union.
One night, however, the fraulein
slipped out after taps and, donning a
guards uniform, went on post with
her lover.
So far, so good. If they had walk
ed their post, all might have gone
well, but they didn't. In their pre-
occupation they did not notice the
approach of the forces of the power
full chieftain from across the river.
The enemy landed on the Andernach
bank, crossed the open space before
the town, and succeeded in breaking
down the outer gate before the
fraulein and her bakers boy were at
last awakened to their M. P. duties
1t was too late to give an alarm then,
and the town would have been lost,
with the probable result that the
Divisional headquarters would now
be located at-well, Mayen, for in
stance-if it had not been for the
presence of mind of the bakers boy.
He climbed to the top of the gateway
and and threw down several large
bee-hiNes containing bees, which put
IN such lively offensive that the
enemy fed across the Rhine. In this
way was the city saved from an In
vasion which might have resulted in
it's destruction. The stone figures
were erected in commentator OF
the event. Incidentally, it may be
mentioned that he got the girl.
Further down the river is tower
which has also played quite an I'M