al German staff
officers arrived in motor cars. Everything that had been stolen from
the Chateau, especially plate, hats, and silk dresses, was loaded on
the motor cars. On the 21st of October the Lieutenant Colonel
commanding the ---- French Infantry Regiment took possession of this
chateau. He found it in a state of disorder and revolting filth. The
drawers of most of the furniture had been broken into and left open,
and the floor of the billiard room was in a filthy condition. There
was a disgusting smell in the bedroom occupied by the German General
commanding the Seventh Reserve Division. The cupboard at the head of
the bed contained body linen and muslin curtains full of excrements.
At Baccarat the enemy did not massacre anybody, but on the 25th of
August they carried out a systematic pillage, and in order to be able
to do this undisturbed they had ordered the population to assemble at
the railway station. The pillage was carried out under the supervision
of the officers. Clocks and various articles of furniture and objets
d'art were carried off. When the inhabitants returned home they were
ordered out again an hour later and informed that the town was to be
burned. Indeed, the centre of the town was ablaze. The conflagration,
which was started by torches and pastilles, destroyed 112 houses; only
four or five were burned by shells. After the fire sentinels were
placed, who prevented the owners from approaching the ruins of their
houses, and when the blaze had abated the Germans ransacked the ruins
themselves in order to gain access to the cellars. After this
operation Gen. Fabricius, commanding the artillery of the Fourteenth
Baden Corps, said to M. Renaud, the Acting Mayor: "I did not think
that Baccaret contained such a quantity of fine wine. We found more
than 100,000 bottles." One must, however, add that at the glass works
the enemy really displayed comparative honesty, inasmuch as they only
exacted, at the revolver's point, a reduction of 60 to 75 per cent. on
the goods which they bought.
At Jolivet, on the 22d of August, M. Villemin was leaving M. Cohan's
house with the latter and a M. Richard when German soldiers fell upon
M. Richard. Struck on the head by the butt of a rifle, Richard fell.
Cohan rushed back to his house. Villemin went to look after his
cattle, after having followed Richard for a short distance as the
latter was being led away by his aggressors. At about 5 o'clock in the
evening he went
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