Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-09
PREPARE BURIAL
FOR u. S. TROOPS
SLAIN BY TEUTON
Wounded Men Tell How Large
German Force 0verpOWered
Them in Small Trench Cut
Off by Barrage

WITH THE AMERICAN ARMY AT
THE FRONT IN FRANCE. Nov. g.
They are making ready to bury in the
hallowed soil of France the first Amer
lean soldiers to fight and die to make
the world safe for democracy.
Three of them died. four others sus-
tanned wounds. and thirteen are some
where behind the German lines in this
first encounter-and today every man IS
making ready for the battle line ward
ed TO them the supreme commentator
that in their fight they sustained the
best traditions of the American army.
They were outnumbered. this little
detachment of soldiers. The fact that
they fought against overwhelming odds
and were irretrievably cut off from re-
Inducements did not deter them in strik-
ing back with all their power.
In the narrow trenches, where there
was no room for rifle shots. the Amer
leans fought with their dubbed guns,
their bayonets, their trench knives, their
intrenching spades-even their hands
Flares and the sudden glare of explod-
ing shells showed occasional rapid pic
lures Of struggling groups-one or two
American soldiers surrounded by a solid
mass of Germans. a whirling maelstrom
of arms and hands and kicking feet
flashing bayonets. shouts. muffled yells
and the sound Of pain wrung from the
wounded.
This was the story as survivors told
il. The Americans did not have a chance
against overpOweringly superior masses
of the enemy. The fact that they didn't
have a chance didn't make them stop
fighting, however. until they had liter
ally been smothersd under the Gemans.
The small American detachment was
in a front line trench. Tie usual de-
sultory fire suddenly rolled to an in
tense rumble. The enemy put down a
heavy barrage of shells completely
round the single unit. Then a big par
" of Germans-American wounded es-
innate them at 210 in all-suddenly
swarmed over.
"SHoCK TROOPS" ATTACK.
The German raiding party was com
posed of picked and veteran "shocl
troops"-specialists in attack. They
charged over in a powerful rush. The
American troops had just entered this
particular bit of trench. They fought
back like wild cats until literally
smothered in the weight of the superior
attacking forces. Then the Germans
scurried back to their own lines, drag
gIng their own dead and wounded with
them, together with their American
prisoners.
A young reserve lieutenant with the
detachment attacked was puzzled
Immediately after he brought his mel
into the trench by the sudden acceleral
ton of artillery fire.
He decided to consult his superior of.
ficers. and started carefully weaving
his way back He struck the German
barrage. It knocked him flat, but he
covered, and a second time tried to
press along. Again he was flung down
by exploding shells, and for the third
time he dauntlessly went on. Then he
was completely knocked OUT by a mar.
row shave from a high explosive shell
After the German raiders had returned
TO their lines, the lieutenant was found
unconscious. He was revived later and
told his story. Today he was in the
base hospital recovering from the shell
shock.
The Smelling began darn suddenly
one of the wounded men said today a
few minutes later 1 turned around and
saw a big German standing in the
trench beside me. The next thing
knew he shot me-bang"
The whole American army in France
realizing that the first American army
casualties were those of an ordinary
trench raid, nevertheless was boiling
with impatience today to get revenge or
the Boches.
The American dead will be buried with
military honors in a little American
cemetery near the camp.