The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-03-04

town. We saw some OF the WlltsnHe
boys darling around among the buliu-
;ngs. and asked them II the allies hao
It. They didn't know. but they saio
they had seen more Germans around
shooting than should be permitted IN
a well captured town. They suggested
that II was a good idea to sneak
around for a while until We found out
who the deuce had the town, anyway.
We had an idea that the allied forces
had the upper hand.
1--WE were concealed at the side OF
deserted building when big, tall Ger
man private came slowly along, look
ing about carefully and with gun ready
for action. We we're going to shoot
him. but he saw us just as we sa"
him, and he stood still undecidedly.
We captured him and then were not
sure what We had better do with him.
He seemed to be altogether too decent
a chap to kill somehow. We asked MIN
who had the town, and he SAID ne
thought the Germans, but that ne
wouldn't bet on it. He spoke perfect
English. and after bit said that ne
was sick of the war. but hated to be
captured.
Anyhow, he allowed that he was
the hungriest man in the German
army We gave him some jelly and
some bread and then decided to go
back to our lines with him. He was
Arthur Knecht OF Elberfeld, railway
clerk and a mighty decent fellow. He
talked of the German outrages and told
us he had nothing to do with the act
of any individuals and that the Ger
man army was as a whole cracker
lack and the best he had seen, bar
none He made us laugh. He surely
thought little of the allied forces but
less of war itself.
Indian Troops Arrive.
"On November 8 the Ghurkas Sikhs
arrived and although they were the
oldest looking set of soldiers | ever
laid eyes on, they were welcome
enough and showed up mighty well in
action.
When we moved up to HODGE we
had our first experience with trench
mortars and hand grenades. ! was
bomb man and it was here | received
my worst wounds We were advanc
ing during a trench action and |. will
a bomb carrier behind me, was follow
,, ing two men with bayonets, who indi
Gated where the bombs were to be
thrown. had just thrown one over
, trench side when a shell burst neal
me and killed two men. 1t opened
great hole in my side and tore striI
. out of my leg. l lay there for eigh
hours and woke up in the Lister in
stitute, at Bethune. where | had beef
: for two days | stayed there montl
. and then returned to London for al
: operation. 1t was the end of Decem
Der and did not get back into actor
;. until the following March.
!, But when | did get back | saw
some of the most terrible warfare
ever hope to know of. We first wen
to KENNEL, and after a brief, but a.
: most pleasant, rest we took part in tn
: fighting at Hill No. GO, and let m
, state that IL was leTrlUIe HShuhe
: When we got to KENNEL, though. W
. found our first trench was less tha
9 thirty yards away from the Germa
= trenches. and the German lads KEEP
throwing things over at us. The
> we're Saxons, and they frequently II
!, quired why Anglo-Saxons and Saxon
). should fight. Then they would shou
:, over and tell us not to get fresh
=, They never took the initiative l
. throwing grenades, but when one wa
"a thrown over from our trenches the
would throw back about ten to answe
1t.
AZ ut was a gruesome place to be, fo
N there had been many charges and hui
% dreds of the dead lay out between tn
N lines"