Cheyenne record., 1914-10-29

cannot sleep-the men with nerves so
racked by the terrific struggle in the
trenches on the Aisne that they can
not bring themselves to go to bed
is the grimmest spectacle l have met
in this war. l spent night and
day with these men, and left them
rather hysterical myself only a few
hours ago
We parted company and still 1t
seems to me like a bad dream from
which it Is hard to wake. This regi-
ment is made DIP almost entirely or
Welshmen and has one Of the finest
records. 1t was visited and congratu-
lated by Field Marshal French. 1t
has been mentioned in official dis
patchesrfor bravery, and now it is pay
ing the price.
Cool Under Fire.
The men did not begin to break un-
til after the tenseness had passed.
So long as they were under fire they
were cool and in command Of them
selves. But the position they held
was so exposed to fire that they had
never a moments rest, and after
month, when they were ordered back,
they went to pieces.
had spent the night before within
a mile of them. When l turned south
from the Aisne after night In the
trenches took refuge at farm on
rich plateau that borders the river.
1t is a big establishment, employing
dozens of men at ordinary times. and
ho to hrf1t mad
rangle 200 by 800 feet. 1t was almost
big enough to shelter regiment
English Captain Appears.
The owner and his son are In the
army and the only persons there are
two old women, an old man. and
girl. They took me in. gave me a
good dinner, and we were sitting
around an open fire when bell on
the great door to the courtyard rang
We went out to find tall Ensllsh
captain and six sergeants.
The captain explained that he had
been sent ahead to find billets for
his regiment, which had been relieved
by French troops. He spoke in rap
i'd, nervous way. and the six sergeants
seemed strangely fidgety. l acted as
interpreter and assured them that the
farm could shelter three companies
and that farm two kilometers far-
ther on could take care OF the rest.
Leaving three sergeants. the cap
tain and the other three and went
on to the other farm and arranged for
billets. There two sergeants re-
mained. One returned with us and
took the road back into the lines to
show the approaching regiment the
way.
Places for Six Hundred.
All this time I kept noticing how
nervous all these men were; but IL
was not until I went into the COM
Portable hall of the farm again that
I noticed how bad it was. | had ar
ranged for them to go to bed, but l
could not induce them to do so. The
sergeants prepared places for ooo
men, but all night they kept knocking
about with lanterns. There were beds
for all; they admitted they had not
seen beds for six weeks, and they
professed a desire to get into them,
but did not.
The captain was the worst example
1 saw Of a strong man going so
completely to pieces. He stood 6 feet
3 inches and weighed about two nun
dred pounds in bones and sinew-one
of the best types Of Englishmen.
knew by his type that he by habit and
training was reserved, but his tongue
was loosened and he talked for hours.
I was learning astonishing things, but
tried many times to get him to go to
bed. But he would not even take on
his shoes. He said he could sleep
better in an armchair before the hre,
and in the end he never closed his
eyes.
Story Of Leader.
I had not slept the night before, and
about two o'clock in the morning fell
into a heavy sleep. waking at nearly
four o'clock. He was sitting, wide
eyed, staring at the fire, and smoking.
A few minutes later others came in.
The captain said:
"Sleep? How could we sleep, sit
ting tense all night in the trenches,
knowing that the Germans were less
than one hundred yards away and
were watching every moment for an
opportunity to overrun US? Even In,
the day we had to lie just behind our
trenches, always alert, sleeping half
an hour at time, walked by rifles on
either side, and knowing that the
country was filled with spies. telling
ovarvthinp We did