The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-01-24
Closed His Eyes as He Lung
ed at Teutonic
Giant.
THEN A RED HOT POKER
Woke Up on a stretcher
And Spent Weeks in
Hospital.

CThe West VirgInian has obtained
Tor publication the letters from the
trenches Of young American sery.
ing IN the British army. who nae nm.
dergone most thrilling oxneriences al
the front in France. These letters
describe the war at ilrst.hand, as no
reporter possibly could zee It, and
undoubtedly constitute one of the
greatest. Newspaper features on the
whole war. The writer of these let.
ters IS Arthur G. Empey. u Brooklyn
boy and former United States army
private, who entered the wer rs a
private In tho 18TH brigade machine
gun company, 5G;h division. third
army corps. with the British eApedi.
ticnaTy force in France They are
addressed to his CHIN jim. who has
been on the border With tho militia.
The first letter is published herewith:
Others will he sent as received. Edi.
tor.
IN the Fire Trench
Somewhere In France"
Dear Jim:
How does It feel to be In a charge.
you asked in your last letter. Well,
Jem, can answer that now, and
what's moro I can tell you how It feels
10 get stuck with bayonet!
Yes, old top, got mine in the thick
OF some tough bayonet fighting, and
I've been five weeks In hospital. |
had only been out q few weeks, too,
/, when clicked II in that charge. Not
much to It,; Just small local attack.
I'm back In the fire trench now, and
almost forgotten that wound.
Here's how 1t happened:
Our battalion was holding the front
line trench and we got orders that
we'd go over the top at $500 the next
morning.
Even the older men we're down in
the dumps at this news, so you can
imagine how felt, new recruit,
They'd brought scaling ladders into
The trench and leaned them against the
parapet. We'd need them when we
went over in the morning. A working
party of Royal Engineers was out in
front, quietly cutting passages through
our own barbed wire. so we could get
through in the charge.
remember was sitting on the fire
step, smoking" away at an unlight-
ed ctgaret-yoI see how nervous 1
was-and trying to recall what they'd
Taught me about bayonet fighting back
in Blighty (England).
Could only remember that our in.
structor had told us If the bayonet got
fouled in the equipment of a Ger.
man, Just to pull the trigger and the
explosion would free the bayonet.
Cheerful idea, how about 1t? wish.
ed the instructor was there to take
my place and demonstration his the.
Dry. ! felt lonely, and miserable. New
York was a million miles away and
couldn't swim.
It was 1880 on the dot when our ar
tillery opened up. For two hours the
noise was deafening. At $40, word
was passed down the trench, "Ten
minutes more. Ten minutes to live!
was glad it was dark so nobody could
see my face. knew it was chalky-
1t felt that way.
Then came the word, Five minutes
more. First get on, and near the
ladders When the whistle blows over
you go, and good luck to you. Give
them hell!"
As if by magic our bombardment
ceased suddenly. The awful silence
hurt. Sharp whistle blasts up and
down the line pierced the air.
How got up that ladder l don't
know. When I got ON top, l felt all
alone with the whole German army
in front OF me. l was faint and sick
and my knees were wabbling. Over.
head German shrapnel was whistling
and million bullets were singing all
around.
was charging forward of course.
The man on my right shouted some.
thing to me that couldn't catch, then
toppled forward fiat on his face. l
seemed to be running in dream. His