Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1917-09-07

""eau AS we Wcre proceeding toward
We herman reserve trench saw four
OF our men, apparently unwouuded, ly.
Ing In shell hole. stopped to ask
them what they were doing there. AS
| spoke l held my German rifle and
bayonct mt the position OF guard the
tip OF the buyonet advanced. about
shoulder high. didn't get their an.
swer, for before they could reply
teit sensation rs IL some one had
thrown lump of hurl clay nnd struck
me on the hip. nnd forthwith I tum.
bled In on top of tho four, almost
plunging my bnyonet into one of them
a private named Williams.
McClintook Badly Wounded.
well. now you know what's the
matter with u.s." said Williams. eve
didn't fall In. but we crawled in."
They had nll been slightly wounded.
| had twenty-five pieces of shrapnel
anu some shell fragments imbedded IN
my left leg between the hip and thu
knee. 1 followed the usunl custom OF
tho colder who has 'got It," The first
thing did was to light "fng" tcign.
rette). and the noxt thing was to In.
vestigato and determine II | was In
danger OF bleeding to dcuth. Thore
wasn't much doubt about that. Ar.
terinl blood WAS squirting from two OF
the wounds. which wero revealed
when the other men In the hole helped
mo TO cut or my brooches. with their
MD l managed to stop tho hemorrhnge
by improvlsing tourniquets with rags
anu bayonets. Ono l placed as high
up as possible on tho thigh ind the
othor just below tho knee. Then we
all smoked another Gag" and lay there
listening to the big shells going over
ana the shrapnel bursting near us. II
was quite Il COMFORT too. We discussed
what we ought to do. aud finally I
said:
Here. you fellows can walk, md
can't. Furthermore, You're not able To
carry mo because you've got about all
any or you cnn do to navigate alone.
1t doesn't look ns II It's going To hc
any better here very soon You all
proceed to the rear. and IL you can get
some one to come after mo I'll be
Obliged to YOU"
They accepted tho proposition be.
cause II wnB good advice, mud, hesldes,
1t was orders. wRs tholr supcrlor
officer. And what happened right
anpr that confirmed mo forever In my
curly. Kentucky bred conviction that
there Is grcnt deal In luck. They
couldn't hive Travelled moro thnn fifty
yards from the shell holo when the
uhrinlf nf n t,rI,
como right down ont OF the Sky into
my oars, and tho detonation which In
stantly followed shook tho sluntiuG
aides OF tho shell holo until dirt I'm IT.
Ito dusty rivulots cnmo tricbllng down
upon mo. Wounded ns | wus, | drug
ged myself UP ia the edge of tho hole.
There wns no trace anywhere of tho
four men who Ind just left me. They
nave never been heard OF since Their
bodies were never found. Tho big
ahell must hnvo fnllcn right among
them and simply blown them To blts
1t was about II quarter to Z I'm tho
morning when | was hit. luy IN tho
shell hole until Q In tho afternoon. sur.
fering more from thlrst nnd cold and
hunger than from pnln. only hoped
the GerInnns wouldn't drive our men
bnck over me. At o'clock n batch OF
sixty prisoners cnmo along under on.
cort. They were being taken To the
rear under fire. The artillery bonn
bnrdment wnB stu practically undl.
minlshed. asked for four of the
prisoners and nude one of them get
out Ills rubber ground sheet, Carried
QrOtInd hiu wniQt "a
willingly and seemed most ready TO
help mo. Ind revolver (empiy) and
some bombs In my pockets, but l Ind
no need to threaten them. They half
dragged me toward the rem.
Carried to the Rear.
1t was trip which wns not without
Incident. Every now and then wo
would hear the shrIck OF nai nppronch-
Ing "conl box" and then my prisoner
stretcher benrcrs and | would tumble I'm
ono tndiscrimnate group into the near
est shell hole. If wo did TINT onco wo
did 1t half dozen times. After each
dive the four would patiently reorgan-
izo and arrange the improviscd stretch
er again. and we would proceed. Fol.
lowing every tumble. however, would
have to tighten my tourniuuets, and,
despite all | COULD do. tho hemorrhngo
from my wound continued to flow no
profnsely TINT was beginning to feel
very dizzy md weak. On the way In
| sighted our re3lmentnl dressing stu
tlon and signed TO my four bearers to |
carry me toward 1t. couldn't talk |
German. The station wns In an old |
German dugout. MINOR Gilday was at |
the door. He laughed when he saw
me with my own special ambulance
detail.
well. what do you wantf' he asked |
Most OF ALL" said. ~ think 1 wnnt |
q drink of rum"
He produced It for me instantly.
"Now," snid he. my advice to you is |
to keep on travelling. You've got fine |
special detail there to look after YOU |
Make 'em carry you to poZiercs. It's |
only Hva nlilou Dud ynu'u ,nokn ~ oil |