History of the 151st field artillery, Rainbow Division, by Louis L. Collins, lieutenant governor of Minnesota. Edited by Wayne E. Stevens, PH. D. Pub. by the Minnesota War records commission.

GERMAN RETREAT FROM THE MARNE

91

holes" scooped out near by or, in some cases, on the bare ground,
sheltered only by tarpaulins.
The preceding days had been strenuous, but decidedly interesting, for the ground over which the regiment had marched had
recently been the scene of fierce infantry fighting. The region had
been held by the Germans since May. Hundreds of them still
remained, but not to wage war in the cause of the All Highest.
Along the roads, in open fields, and in the woods they lay, some
covered with shallow mounds of earth marked with wooden crosses,
but many of them left unburied in the haste of their comrades' retreat before the American advance. There were other mounds,
too many of them, on which rested American rifles and American
helmets; for the fight for Epieds, quaint little French city surrounded by hills, and for Beuvardes, on a hillside cut by many
wagon roads, had cost the lives of many American soldiers.
All of the towns along the way had been pommeled by shell
fire when the Germans advanced in May and again during their
retreat. All showed the inevitable signs of enemy occupancywreckage and filth. Curtains were torn down, furniture and dishes
broken, closets and trunks ransacked. Bottles which had contained wine were scattered broadcast, particularly in houses which
had been occupied by officers. In these houses, too, were documents and books of great interest to American soldiers who could
read German. Many of them contained propaganda for the German troops. They told of the close bond between Austrians and
Hungarians and Germans, and included pictures of types of soldiers from different German provinces and from Austria and
Hungary.
German signs and placards were still undisturbed in these
towns, and the Americans apparently took some satisfaction in
allowing them to remain. The number of these signs, giving
directions and announcing the location of town commandanturs,
hospitals, and other military establishments, indicated the thoroughly organized efficiency of the enemy occupation.
The Foret de Fere, extending four kilometers north of Beuvardes, at the north edge of which the guns of the 151st were in
position, had been an immense German arsenal; here, hidden from