The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-15

a highly nervous state. III admit
that.
1t seemed almost certain death TO
start over in broad daylight, yet, as
it turned out. the crossing OF No Man 8
Land was accomplished rather more
easily than IN our night raids. Our
battalion was on the extreme right OF
the line, and that added materially to
our difficulties, first by compelling us
TO advance through mud so deep that
some of our men sank TO their hips In
1t and. second, By giving us the hottest
little spot in France to hold later.
/ was In charge OF the second
wave" or assault line. This is called
the 4.uopping up" ware, because the
business OF the men composing It is
thoroughly to bomb out a position
crossed by the first wave, 10 capture
or kill ali Of the enemy remaining and
to put the trench In q condition To be
defended against a counterattack by
reversing the fire steps and throwing
up perapets.
Our artillery had given the Germans
such a battering and the curtain fire
which our guns dropped just thirty to
forty yards ahead OF us was 80 pow
erfuI that we lost comparatively few
men going over--only those who were
knocked down by shells which the Ger
mans landed among us through our
barrage. They never caught us with
their machine gun sweeping until we
neared their trenches. Then a good
many OF our men began 10 drop, but
we were In their front trench before
they could cut as up anywhere near
completely Going over was struck
by shell fragments On the hand and
LEG. but the wounds were not severe
enough to stop me. In fact. I did not
know that had been wounded until
felt blood running into my shoe
Then | discovered the cut In my leg
but saw that 1t was quite shallow and
that 10 artery of Importance had been
damaged So / went on.
| had the familiar feeling OF nervous
ness and physical shrinking and nausea
at the beginning of this fight, but by
NAna Land / had my nerve back
After had been hit remember feel
Ing relieved that ! hadn't been hurt
encugh TO keep me from going on with
tbs men. I'm not trying TO make my.
self our l.evo. I'm Just trying TO tell
you how IL ordinary mans mind
works under the stress OF fighting aud
the danger OF sudden death. There
are some queer things In the psychoio.
81 Of battle. For instance, when we
had got into the German trench and
were holding it against the most
vigorous counterattaess the tkoaght
which was perslstently upp~rnost In
my mind was that | had Lost the ad.
dress OF girl In London along with
some papers which had thrown away
Jus. before we started over aud which
should certainly never lie able TO aud
again
Hold Regina Trench at Last.
Tho Regina trench had been taken
ard lost three times by the British.
40 tooA ~ tlal aaS and aeid 1t. We
went into action with 1906 men Of all
ranks and came out with 600
have said that because we were Oh
tho extreme right Of tie line we had
the hottest little spot III France to
h1ad for awhile. You see. We had TO
In6titute a double defensive. as we
Aad the Germans on our front aDd on
or hank, the whole length of tEe
fTouch to the right OF It's being still
- ~ the Germans. There We had
~ Dsfm block. J" massing our bofs1b-
- Aaeias I bsf1taads Which Vas only