Trench and camp. [volume] (Augusta, Ga.) 1917-1919, 1917-11-21

titled, DIARY Of a French Soldier" APP
pearing in the February issue OF Every
body's Magazine, and who contributed
many other articles on the European war
to American publications, is now in Au-
gusta.
Previous to the outbreak OF the war,
Sergeant Sci was a banker, with his Of
fee in Brussels. At the declaration of
war between Austria and Servia, he was
in the city of Belgrade and was com
PEELED to pass through Austria and Ger
many to return to his home in Paris.
On July 18th he left Belgrade and by
August Sd, arrived in Paris, having trav-
eled through Hungary, Austria, Bavaria,
Rhine Promies, Belgium, across to Eng
back to Paris, where, at D. m. of the
same day of his arrival, he was trans
ported in cattle trucks to Chalons sur
Marine, headquarters of his regiment. 1t
took four days to be equipped and by
the nth of August his division received
its baptism of fire at Mars la Tour. Ser
geant Sol claims his division, belonging
TO the Sixth Army Corps, commanded by
General Maunoury, was one of the most
active in this war. From the 18th of
August until the middle of December that
division participated in most of the inn
portant battles fought along the line from
the German frontier to Arras, which
shows how frequently they were called
upon to tackle the Huns.
A month after the battle of the Marne
Sergeant Sol's division moved to Beu-
vralgnes and his section was especially
assigned for accommodating and shipping
The following is an episode of shipping
which should be of great interest to the
men in training:
My lieutenant left me and told me to
choose four men / could rely upon. Each
one. of us made a hole in the roof by
taking one or two tiles away. We took
some oyerlays, pillows, and arranged a
comfortable shelter. We were, each one
OF us, laying down fiat on our stomachS,
each one in front of one of the holes:
observed with eye glasses of great pow
which Lieutenant Broccart had left in
our section when he got wounded. The
afternoon was most pleasant one. 1t
was just like in rif1e-range in the White
city. AS soon as we saw something move
IN the German trenches we fired, and our
first shots were little too low or a lit
tie too high. After a while our shorts
We're correct and we did not miss our
aim.
A very curious thing, however, we had
noticed, was that the two cows in the
meadow We're regularly going to and
fro from the German trenches to a small
building just behind the eight apple trees,
near the German trenches. We soon found
out that the cows were attached to two
long ropes. One rope was held by some
one in the trenches, and the other rope
by some one in the small building or
somewhere near it, we could not very
wen see, because of the apple trees. We
also found out that fresh troops were talk
ing their places in the German trenches.
Every time that one of the cows was
pulled to the trenches three Germans
were sheltering behind in order to leave
the trenches unnoticed. OF course we at
once sentenced the poor cows to death
A few shots and one was down. Not
DEAD, however, as we noticed the ropes
pulling the animal to make it stand on
ITS feet again. In fact. it stood up, but
Few more shots and the first COW was
dead. The other one fell down forever
on our first shot
Now began business. How many have
been wounded, didn't know; but ] can
how ,sfG.a
range without being hurt, A great many
have been killed. This was a gruesome
amusement, but how could have feelings
of pity for the enemy? We have been
playing at this game until dusk, until we
could not see anything more. From
time to time two of us left the loft and
warmed our feet by walking in the yard
of the farm.
We entered the abandoned house of the
farmer and saw h.s clothes on a chair.
We at once imagined to make a dummy
dressed up to hang it in the apple-tree so
as to make the Germans believe it was
an observer in the tree. We found
long rope and we awol1e Leconte in the
trenches. He came UP with us, and from
a hole in the wall just near the apple-tree
he was holding one end of the rope. At
the other end we attached the dummy and
threw the rope over a branch of the tree
in such way that when Leconte pulled
the rope it gave the exact impression as
If the dummy climbed u the tree
After this we found a stove, made some
coffee (Which we always carry with us),
and we had few warm cups, each of u.s.
We had tobacco. military tobacco, which
is very coarse and nearly impossible to
smoke, but we managed it all right, and
felt quite refreshed. The well was in the
yard, and / even had a douche Rather
cold at that time of night.
The moon had disappeared and a mist
was hanging over the landscape We
could hardly see anything, but little by
little it seemed to ME that something was
moving along the German trenches. I
spoke to my chums about it, and they also
observed something without being able to
say what it was. All at once we saw a
dark object moving along the trenches as
If running, and very few minutes later
we We're positive about our observation
The Germans had come out of the trench
es to warm their feet.
One of my men ran to our trenches and
gave to all the sections the result of my
observation. All of our men in the
trenches kept their rifles ready to shoot
all at the same time on my command from
the top of the house. This I did so that
the Germans may not be able TO guess
how. many we were. My signal wassrny
own shot. The men in the trenches count
ed one. and all together fired at the en-
emyis trenches. The noise of one hun
drad fIfTu Yif1pc f3Jad All oh y,,.a