The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-04-22


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an Internal din. CprOOted saplings
were carried hundred meters away
and thick black smoke covered every
| thing
"Our machine guns began to take
part. Suddenly the voice of Lieuten-
ant S called: Ready. Third COM
pany, forward"
| Without a moments pause | sprang
out Of the trench, shouting:
Come on. boys; forward"
The '75's' had then increased their
range. All the men followed me and.
shouting, we scrambled forward at
double time toward the Boche trench.
had my revolver in my hand. In the
heat of the attack had distanced all
my comrades and found myself thirty
meters ahead OF them. Suddenly | saw
a mound II was the BOche trench,
and at the same moment a bullet
whistled by my ear. leaped forward
found a BOche. his gun still smoking
In his hand. with the Red Cross bras
sard on his arm. He dropped on his
knees. crying:
pardon. kamerad.'
Showing his brassard, he says:
"'Sanitat. Sanitat' (hOspital cOrps).
Il went on with my men. We passed
over the ridge and we stopped at two
hundred meters from the crest, as l
had been ordered to do. The Boches
were boiling on every side. Our artil-
lery fire had so demoralized them that
they had abandoned everything. We
occupied the BoChe positions, picking
up quantities of material, guns, ma
chine guns, tools. Here and there
dead Boches dotted the landscape.
Dig Themselves Into Trench.
But II was no time TO Jest. l get
my men together and tell them:
Go to work and build a trench
there
Il was astonished to find myself so
calm. In front of us so chasseurs
guarded the construction of our trench.
Up to that moment had had one man
y,
right IN front OF us a violent fusillade
began. Bullets whistled on all sides
and | saw the man ahead of me re-
turn, calling:
Lieutenant. they are coming
1T was the cOunter-attack. We
jumped into the trench scarcely yet
outlined, and ! commanded the men
to fire. Two hundred meters in front
of me l saw the Boches coming in
masses, shouting. | even heard the
cry: Vorwarts, vorwarts,' All my
men began to fire. The fusillade re-
sounded. The Boches. throwing them
selves on the ground, returned our
fire Thousands of bullets whistled by
our ears. but paid no attention. Sud
denly the Boches arose and continued
to advance. We continued to fire.
The Boches, in panic, ran away at full
speed, leaving behind them quantities
Of the dead and wounded.
my men continued to work at the
trench. had them place in front of
the trench a barricade of barbed wire
taken from the Boches, and we passed
the first night there. Note that had
with me only a sergeant. | did not
feel very big. The major had sent me
a note IN which he warmly cOngratu-
lated me and expressly forbade me to
give up the position. think that all
my life | shall remember that night.
The Boches were constantly firing on
us, while digging their own trench 60
meters from us. My men were on
edge and | had a hard time to keep
them from firing In the night the
BOches came again, but again were
quickly repulsed. What night!
Frightfully damp, a furry of snow and
terrible cold and overhead the sounds
of the whistling bullets mingled with
the strokes of the spades and picks of
the Boches. The whole thing was i'm
pressive.
Fusillade With the Daylight.
Daylight came. and with it a fright
full fusillade from the Boches. One
OF my men was killed. another wound
ed had in all ten killed and some
thirty wounded We kept on working
at our trench and connected II with
the trench of the neighboring COM
pany. During the morning someone
came through a connecting trench and
told me the major wished to speak to
me. arrived at his headquarters. He
shook my hand. saying:
My boy. | am going TO see what
can do for you. But | promise you,
anyhow, to have you mentioned in the
orders for the day. which will give you
right to the Croix de Guerre All
the officers of the battalion admired
the way that you conducted yourself
during the attack, and | am happy to
con ttllnfn rnn