New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-07
ICON BARBESSE, STACKER, SOLDIER, HERO
His Arm Is Gone, but He Has
Three Decorations to Per-
Suade Him He Wasn't
Really a Coward

! fear. Afterward found that | could con-
troll it, if there was reason. And then
found that the reason was France.
"Of course, you may say that it was
France that made me volunteer, but / do
not think so. / think it was shame-shams
that l feared to go when others went With
all the good reasons that l had for not
going, with the doctors word, knew,
nevertheless, it was fear that kept ms
back. 1t was because I could not tell tbs
truth to my wife and friends and neighbors
that l went
"Only afterward did I find out that
great duty will take . man any place with
calm mind. I stood against German at
tacks. | was In counter attacks. ! lay
out in shell holes, helping to hold Inns
where there were no trenches. / never
i forgot my fear, but thought Of France,
my country, my duty; and though | shiv-
cred and the cold sweat rolled off me,
held steady.
"Have you ever seen . Hy dc bdr7dgeP
You can walk up 10 1t and draw line with
ia surveyors chain on the ground, marking
exactly the limit where the shells fall, and
all beyond that line will be mass Of boil
ing earth, like waves in storm dashing
on a rocky coast. There is no interval
between the explosions. They are constant,
unremitting, one following 50 closely on
another that their detonations mingle in
steady roar.
| The Tir de Bsrrase
~ came within fifty yards Of the tir de
bcrGgs and stopped to watch it and try to
mark out a path. But no path was pos
sible. No sooner was one chosen than 10
was wiped out, all the little landmarks
gone, the whole face Of the ground changed
by new rain Of shells. Ny heart sank.
Ny stomach went suddenly empty knew
that had reached the limit beyond which
I could not go. l had found the point
where my fear was greater than my duty,
| l lay fat down on the earth. 90 nos
know how long lay. | thought Of Moth
ing. There was only horrible blank fear,
"And then | found that unconsciously,
not knowing it, was digging my fingers
into the ground, clutching the roots OF
grass and dragging myself into the tir ds
barruge might as well have been drag
ging myself the other way, but had lain
down with my face toward my duty.
"When l made that discovery / got 10
my feet and stood upright for a second,
not more, only time to say, 4 must not
give myself time to think and dashed for
ward into the exploding shells. Such
race as that is like the last steps of dying
horse, one that has broken blood vessel,
straining for the wire, and plunges on his
face in the midst Of his stride. | foun-
dered blindly into the raw earth and fell
again on my face. But this time my mind
was working. There was only one thing
for me to do, and knew H. That was 10
60 on. I crawled forward on my hands
and knees. could not stand. Il would
be certain death. Twenty times I was
knocked fiat, my wind gone, by the explo-
sion of shell almost beside me. But
lcrawled on. / did not know II had been
hit. thought had Two hundred yards
I crawled through tho tfr de bcrroge and
then got TO our lines. They gave me tbs
MeddilIe Mihtuirs for that
"You asked me why smiled when you
came up to us in the trench. I was won'
dering what you had TO take you through
the shells. thought Of my own struggles.
! wondered if you had any Of the thoughts
that have crowded In on me under fire.
And | smiled"
And He's Still Afraid
The next time saw him was In a hos
pital back Of the Sonme, one Of the hos
pitfalls where wounded soldiers stay only a
few hours, unless they are too badly hurt
to be moved on. He was one Of those who
could not be moved. He lay with closed
eyes, asleep or exhausted more likely
exhausted propped up little with pill
lows behind his head and shoulders. His
tunic hung beside his cot, and on ii there
was new ribbon, the Legion d'Honneur.
J stopped before him.
"There is little chance for him." the dec
tor said.
what did he do?" asked.
LED his company into the Park OF
Deniecourt, when all the officers were
gone" replied the doctor. "They got
foot;rc, -, tba narL opd gtucL tbora for t,yo