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E, GEORGIA.
THE MILLEDGEVILLE, NEWS.
Confessions of a
Borman Deserter
Written by • PniMlan Officer
Who PtfUdP*** - ta th *
lUvtfloK ® n d PHtagln*
of Belgium
turned around nnd pointed to a ritFS
on the horizon. °
“There we shall make a stand and
wait for the enemy,” he said ”N 0
re-enforcements will arrive today and
In a few days we may send picture
postal cards to your homes
Paris."
from
"SJrrUM M Detroit ri—WW
srSelfiy to our quarters we heard
laying among themselvea
'.Lai trial had been Intended to
f Uie French. This had been the
?° •!
I.IT'V
mu
jgJp’P
I Field Kitchens Were Near By.
pon Milnd the preparations for the
attack which had now been
i off.
adquarters apparently had de-
|l otherwise. Perhaps it was known
that nothing could be nccom-
ed by attacking nnd the order wus
l to begin the retreat which was
i effect the next morning at six
We did not realize then that
? to he our last night In Vltry.
a were sheltered in a shed for the
As we were very tired, we soon
Jlast asleep. We were aroused at
ll’clnek In the morning, everyone
cn a loaf of bread and ordered
tins canteen with water, nfter
lltlie march began. Although we
llgnorant of our destination, the
pitants of Vltry seemed to under-
iwliere we were going and they
I on the streets throwing us slg-
Itt glances,
iMpchere the feverish movement
l on - " v stopped In front of the
Here the captain told us
|beeause of difflculty in the terrain
; he! to vacate their posl-
1 retire to nearby heights and
1 defenses^ With that he
| and i
CHAPTER IX.
I must confess that most of us be
lieved in this st the time, that we
would soon be In Paris. Other bodies
of troops arrived from all sides. We
bad marched several hours when news
came to us that Vltry had been re
taken by the French and that they had
seised a tremendous amount of mili
tary stores, captured the hospitals, to
gether with their medical units and pa
tients, and that the sanitary compa
nies also had been made prisoners At
about two o’clock in the afternoon we
arrived at the heights which had been
pointed out to us early in the march
by our captain.
We now began to understand that
something had gone wrong. Streets
were filled with troops from all
branches of service, trying to use the
road along which we were marching.
Being outnumbered, we were crowded
backward. Empty munition columns
raced by us In no order whatever.
They were followed by canteen and
other supply wagons. The greatest
confusion reigned everywhere. Every
minute added to the congestion until
finally there was a dead halt The
drivers of some wagons left the road
and tried to pnss around the congested
portions hy traversing the fields, which
laid been soaked by heavy rains. Sev
eral wagons turned over and others
became Imbedded In the mud. The
horses were unhitched from these nnd
the wagons left behind. The wagoners
mounted these horses and drove on.
forgetting everything in one wild
panic-stricken race for safety.
An officer rode up nnd hnnded an or
der to our captain. We were halted
at a field close to the road. There we
were permitted to stack our guns nnd
rest. As we lay at this point we
watched the passing columns, field
kitchens, munition trains, sanitary col
umns and field postal wagons racing
by in one grand carnival of confusion.
Every wagon carried wounded men.
Their faces Indicated clearly what tor
tures they were enduring as they were
bumped along over the unspeakable
roads upon heavy trucks. Still they
were auxlous to go ahead at whatever
cost. They feared the fflte which
would befall them should they fall into
the hands of their merciless enemy,
which would show them the same con
sideration which they themselves hud
offered In previous encounters, In
which they took no French wounded
men prisoners.
Evening came on nnd with It tor
rential rain. We lay In the fields,
Weary and chilled through, yet no one
of our unit moved, for we were ut
terly overcome by exhaustion. Artil
lery detachments now began to arrive,
but few of them had their required
number of six guns. Many had only
three, others two, and a few proceeded
with only one fieldplece. At one time
a whole row of about fifty gun car
riages passed without any guns mount
ed upon them whatever. These bat
teries had managed to save their
horses, hut were compelled to abandon
their guns to the French. Some car
riages were drawn by only two to four
horses Instead of the required six.
There now passed before us some
fifteen magnificent automobiles, the np-
IK'nraneo or which won the admiration
* IWJIIMK
many of th« sol-
"the general staff—Duke A>
Drechtof Wurtemberg and his friends."
Discontent and murmurs of rebel
lion went through our ranks. Every
body was mad and the accursed tor
rential rain had no tendency to lighten
our spirits. “They have directed the
slaughter of thousands and now they
motor away,” said one man, while ws
isy here in a morass In the rain. “Ws
are not considered."
What wo were to be assigned to do
had not yet been told us. We were left
lying in our swamp until ten o’clock
that night The troops continued to
flow back In great disorganised con
tingents. Machine gun companies
passed with empty wagons, having loat
their guna. The thundering of the
cannon gradually came nearer from the
west The noise along the highways
became greater and a panic spread,
adding to the horrors of the night Fu
gitives wandered around In the dark
ness through the streaming rain, trying
to lead their wives and children to
safety, only to find death under the
wheels of the wagons. The wounded
were also mangled by scores; piteous
cries for help were heard everywhere.
Under the strain of the traffic the
roads became badly broken up and all
along their sides abandoned vehicles of
every description lay.
We started forward at about three
o’clock In the morning nnd soon we
were with the rear guard. Infantry
regiments, now merely fragments of
their former strength, arrived in a
fearful condition. The soldiers had
thrown away their knapsacks and ev
ery unnecessary article which might
be an impediment to speed.
Before long the first enemy shrap
nel burst over our heads, which re
sulted In an even faster marching.
The road used during the first march
contained deep shell holes, which were
filled with water. In the heavy dark
ness men fell into these water holes.
Thoroughly drenched, we continued
our march. No attention was pnld to
obstacles In the way over which we
were constantly stumbling. Speed was
the only aim. Dead men and horses
lay In the middle of the road, but no
one took pains to remove them.
At dawn we arrived nt a little vil
lage, where we halted. We took pos
session nnd established ns strong n
temporary defense ns possible In the
time permitted. Our position was es
tablished behind a cemetery wall. New
troops continued to arrive, hut all were
badly disorganized. Cavalry, mounted
artillery and mnclilne-gun detachments
followed. These had some sort of
formation and while there was some
disorder the pnnlc, which character
ized the other units, was missing here.
They also showed evidences of having
suffered losses, but nothing In com
parison to ours.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, JUNE 12, 1918.
CHAPTER X.
The enemy’s shelling to reduce our
position gradually grew stronger, hut
without effect. Some houses caught
fire. Enemy cavalry patrols In strong
force appeared and disappeared again.
Everything heenme quiet. Within ten
minutes matters again became lively,
ns large hostile columns approached.
We retired some distance without fir
ing a shot. The artillery took a posi
tion behind a village and began shell
ing the approaching enemy. A cavalry-
patrol galloped across an open field,
the horses covered with foam. We
heard the commander of the patrol tell
a cavalry officer that the euemy were
nppronching from nil sides. We quick
ly left the village. The artillery r®
c.v.v.\v.\v.v-vv.v.v. , .v*v.v.v.\v.v.v.\v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.\
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W. S. MYRICK CO.
*.
mnlned nnd the cavalry detachments
occupied a position while the cannon
were trained on the enemy. Townrd
noon shrapnel shells agnln began
bursting over our heads, but they ex
ploded too high In the air to do us any
damage. \et this served as a serious
reminder to us that the enemy kept
right on our heels, n realization of
which caused our retreat to become a
rout. 1 he numbers who dropped ex
hausted constantly Increased. It was
Impossible to render them any assist
ance, for there were no more wagons.
Many soldiers used their last atom
of strength to drag themselves to the
Bide of the road. Others fell where
they were marching to be crushed soon
afterward under the horses' hoofs or
the wheels of any vehicle that mtght
pass. The road was strewn with
equipment thrown nway by the sol
diers. Our detachments had long since
cast aside all unnecessary Impedi
menta.
In this way we proceeded until we
reached a forest which was filled with
fugitives. Many of these had stretched
some sort of cloth from tree to tree
as a protection from the rain. There
they lay, men. women and children
and old men. some In unspeakable mis
ery. This fugitives’ camp was spread
over the forests to the edge of the
road and as we passed we could see
the furrows woven into their faces hy
the terrible sufferings they had been
through. They looked at us with wenry
nnd saddened eyes. The children
begged for bread, but we hnd none
for ourselves, even though we were
tortured by hunger. The enemy’s
shrapnel continued to accompany us.
Scarcely hnd we passed through the
forest when shrapnel hurst In It. As a
consequence a camp of fugitives, now
exposed to trench fire, was abandoned
anil its numbers sought snfety In the
open fields. Many tried to accompany
us until the order came forbidding
them the road, ns their advance hin
dered troop movements. The fugitives,
therefore, were forced Into the rain-
soaked fields.
Toward evening we ronched a vil
lage which had previously been sacked
and here we found some rest. The
mayor nnd two citizens of this village
hnd been seized by the Germans and
taken nway under cavalry escort. Just
why this hnd been done we were un
able to find nut. We did know, how
ever, that almost every town was
obliged to give hostages. Most of the
cattle were taken along and lnrge
herds were transported to the rear by
cavalry.
We belonged to the rear guards,
which explained why we were unable
to find anything to eat. There was ah
soiutely nothing to the village where
we were now quartered. After half
an hour with our hunger still *:nap-
peased we resumed our march. After
we had marched about three kilome
ters we arrived nt n spot which had
formerly been a bivouac. Advancing
armies had camped here perhaps eight
days tiefore. Bread, which lmd been
plentiful then, lay strewn around on the
ground. In spite of its water-soaked
condition it had been gathered up nnd
eaten with ravenous appetites. Noth
ing mattered how our stomachs were
tilled If only our hunger might be ap
peased.
Night now came, yet no sleep nor
rest was In sight. No one knew how
much farther we would have to retire
before there would he n respite. The
unfamiliar surroundings indicated to
us that we were not returning over the
road which we had traversed when, as
victors, we marched to the Marne.
With this nnd similar thoughts, hour
nfter hour passed. Some of us ran
along, others actually walked In their
sleep. Our boots were filled with wa
ter. yet we had to keep on. Thus the
night passed.
(To He Continued Next Week)
FOR SALE—One pair good
littie mules, cheap. Phone
101 or 168. Oconee Live
Slock and Dairv Farm.
Famous Opera Star Returns to Screen
LINA CAVALIERI.
Admirers of I.lna Cavalier!, cele
brated star of the opera uud cinema,
will again have the opportunity of see-
•ig this beautiful actress on the
reen shortly in nn elaborate photo-
leetncle, “Love's Conquest.” This
reduction mnrks her return to the
bid drama after an absence of o\er
x months. The new film is based on
Vlctorjen Sardou’s famous drama,
“Olsmonde," and was staged by Ed
ward Jose, the noted French producer.
Mine. Cavallerl has Just signed a loti®
term contract to appear In I’aranmun*
pictures following the Surdou piny,
which Is said to bo the most prefer*
lions film ever staged In the Eastern
studios of that organization.
WANTED—We are in the market for
your beef cattle and hogs. Highest
market prices paid. W. H. Montgom
ery's Market.
tftl
For any pain, hum, scald or bruise,
apply Dr. Thomas’ Eclectic 0.1—the
iu..behoid remedy. Two sizes, 30c and
!0c, at all drug ( tores.—Adv.
: m
7 0R SALE—Several young
cows rresh in milk. Phone
101 or 168. Oconee Live
Slock and Dairy farm.
a*
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The 01.1 Standard general atrcngtlieninc tonic,
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SUNDAY
OUT. MFAI,
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UdJIAIMho WUL-AT
4 Av,
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Strength of body, strength of nerves, strength of mind,
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ZIRON
IRON TONIC
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and my health was wretched. I seemed to be unable to
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didn’t think I was ever going to get well. My knees
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9 At All DruggMa ijl|
UwMNIIHNNNMHN
JUST GOT OVER A COLD ?
Look out for kidney troubles and
backache. Golds overtax the kidneys
and often leave them weak. For weak
kidneys—well, read what a Milledge-
ville woman says':
Mrs. W. J. Davis, G04 Wayne St„ S.,
says: "1 had been suffering lor two
years from kidney trouble and every
little cold I contracted was sure to
settle on try kidneys, making me
w :rse. For months at a time I
coi ldn’t do my work, I was so miser
able and my feet and ankles would
swell all out of proportion. 1 had to
wear large slippers and when my feet
touched the ground, it was like pins
and needles running through them.
My kidneys didn't act as they should
either. I had no appetite and took
different remedies hut g t no relief.
Doan's Kidr.ay Pills were exactly what
I needed and I wasn't long in getting
oter the trouble when I used them.’’
Price 60c, at all dealers. Don't
simply ask for a kidney remedy—get
Dan's Kidney Pills—the same that
Mrs. Davis had. Foster-Miiburr. Co.,
Mfgrs., Buffalo, N. Y.—Adv. 47
OUR GRANDFATHERS
trenched horses for colic. That was
Te old way which was uncertain and
unsafe. Farr's' Colic Remedy does
away with drenching—is applied on
the horses tongue vvith a dropper
which co:n?3 packed in each bcttle.
Get it today. We 'nmrantee it.—Adv.
6 BRISCOE WALL.
Hfl
:
ON'WHEA31ESS DAYS
USI HO KEAn CRACKERS,
EASTKSf OIL BREAKFAST
POODS CONTAINING
WHEAT.
•
9
41
*
Used 40 Years
GARDUI
Tin Woman’s Tonic
Sold EvrywKro