The Topeka state journal., 1916-11-18
Writes q Letter to His Brother,
Clyde, in Topeka.
HAS KILLED SIX GERMANS
Potted Two of "Fritz's- Men in
One Fight.
DOdges Into Shell Holes to Es-
cape Enemy's Fire.

France, 7. NJ c. A. and Canadian
War Contingent Association" under
date of October 20. has been received
by Clyde NJ. Brown, an employe of the
State Journal, from his brother, who
is at the front with the allies Pri-
vate E. J. Brown tells, among other
things. of a thrilling charge accom-
plished in the face of a terrific bonn
bardment by --Fritz's guns
The letter, in part, follows:
I'VE have moved from the front
where we were and I am one OF the
doctors orderiies- I stay with him at
the first dressing station this side of
the line. On this part of the line
there is trench warfare and very few
shells come from either side 1t
seems as tho we were just holding
here, a1tho Fritz sends some over once
in a while. especially on our front line
and communications trench
Believe me, brother, the country'l
which we covered on the other side
was once Fritzs- The country in
France is more or less rolling and he
(Fritz) tries to hold the ridges. From
the reserve to where we made our
charge, it is all full of shell holes. the
trees are all moved down and the
ground looks as tho a cycline had
struck it It would be safe to say
that it would be hard to find a spot
twenty feet square that hasn't a shell
way of timber and barbwire strung
all over, SO you can imagine how it
looks
Dodging ShrapneI
I'VE had to go over all of this by
certain paths overland, dropping into
old shell holes, old trenches or dug
outs, to dodge the shrapnel and nine
points two of Fritz He also has his
snipers and n lchine guns playing
on US
After we had reached our trench
about 1890 at night, we waited and
kept low until orders were given at
1890 the next day Just at noon our
artillery opened up, starting fifty feet
in front of Fritz's trench, our trench
being $50 yards from his After it
had played on his trench for thirty
minutes-this being 12:3o-aII of US
were standing to with fixed bayonets-
the order came down the trench for
everybody to charge.
Everybody climbed up onto the
parapet- OF course. we were warned
not to go too fast, on account of run
ming into our own artillery fire We
followed right up as quickly as we
could 1 hit four shell holes within
| the distance OF 10 yards. OF course,
the artillery and machine guns were
| playing on US all the time, shells of all
kinds bursting on all sides of me. You
had no time to look out or to stay with
any of your chums You had your
hands full to keep cool and watch out
for Fritz Then 1 hit the fourth shell
| hole, twenty yards from Fritzs line.
/ Killed Two Germans
Before got there, I shot at several
Germans, but by the time 1 was this
close Fritz was jumping out at one
| end of his trench and our bows in at
the other end. and 1 was lying in this
shell hole shooting. 1 killed two there.
\ They were about 100 yards away.
There were about sixty Germans in
the short line and they were fleeing for
their deep dugouts 500 yards away.
| BY this time 1 was in F'ritz's trench
myseIf-that is, as much of it as was
lert- These Germans wouIdn't.have
gotten away If our artillery had had
the right range. These German fell
lows warned their artillery that they
had evacuated and they knew the cor
rect range. They opened more of
their artillery playing it on our re-
serves and from there to the trench
they had evacuated The shells COM
ing too close, we moved up SO yards,
again hitting two more shell holes
Fritz's snipe-s were still pickfng z
at US The hole we were in was very
small, but we managed to lie down on
our stomachs and take our trenching g
tools to make a larger hole We al
ways carry forty-eight hour rations
and bottle of water, so we proceed
ed to nave something to eat and drink
the big shells still laL-ding pretty close
Artillery Hammered Away
The artillery en- either side ham
mered away for three days Just
about dusk, we -mosied' hack to Fritz s
old trench On the way back sniper
hit my rifle butt. I wasn't long Jump
ing into the trench with the rest If
the boys This We held for four days
We got rations and water for every
meal just the same.
We were relieved by another bri-
| gade and went back in reserve, bring
/ ing rations and water f~r four days
doing this after dark We are in six
4 days G--d out six days I won't have
| to go to front line any more or on
| fatigue.
I'VE have a bunk apiece and plenty
I of blankets, SO we will set plenty OF
sleep if Fritz keeps still He's send
ing over few trench motors now
BIT when one was in such battle as
the other. he doesn't mind these un-
/ less they alight too close. So 7 am
fairly safe, or at least better off than
I was. as I can stay in the deep dug
| outs"
postscript affixed to the close OF
the letter incidentally records this:
II got my share of them-killed six
| altogether. For that I have proof
have a Fritz pocketbook and a mirror
| and a manicuring set | took off a
Fritz Could have had a revolver but
gave it to our Lieutenant"