Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-12
FIRST AMERICAN IN
TRENCHES BACK HOME
on PAGE FheJ


line
When we We're withdrawn from
Nypres We were sent to St. Julien
about nine miles away. We had +,
march the whole distance carrying .
tull kit. We had to jump hedge,
and bitches and dodge around sbol
holes. II was a long, weary march
TWO days later the Germans attack
ed and we fought for lG hours with
out moments rest.
My regiment was next moved r.
a position about two miles from La
Bassee, where my company. No 4
was detailed to lead an attack. When
the signal was given we rot out over
the top and made for the German
trenches We had mined their posi-.
ton in advance and when we wero
about 40 yards away the minc was
exploded.
4 Officers Shot Down.
/ IL was a fearful sight. There was
a rush of smoke and flame and tho
sky seemed to be filed with masses
OF earth and rock about as big as
Kerosene barrels, and bodies of Ger
man soldiers. As soon as il had sub
sided we went on again under ter.
rite lire All the officers of our com
pany we're shot down, but the men
went on and captured three lines OF
trenches.
didn't get into close quarters
with the Germans myself, for was
shot through the arm and through
the leg, and an exploding shell blow
out three OF my teeth | was order
ed to the rear, and | went vas
crawling back when | saw another
soldier ahead of me lie had been
blinded by shell shock. He nut his
hand on Il wounded man who was W.
ing on the ground
Arc you hurt, matey?' he asked
him Yes, said the man ON tho
ground, I am shot through the bips >
Can you see" he asked Yes. | can
see, but | can't walk We'll. | can
walll, but can't see the other said
and if youll get on my back IN
bring YOU in
"fhe blind soldier got the other
man on his back and was crawling
along with him when lost sight of
them ! learned afterwards at the
dressing station that they had been
crawling for three or four hours he
fore they were picked up by the am
bulance men and brought in
Shock Restores Sight.
THE blind man Il have forgotten
his name, but he was a Nova SEQ
tam was sent back to England with
ne, and the doctors told him that
nothing would ever restore his sleht
except another violent shock He
was with me on the ilesperian when
she went down, and he fell into the
water, which was as cold as ice.
When he came up he yelled, Say. boys.
can see and he struck out for life
boat His sight had come back.
"A lot of us had an escape that
was almost as wonderful as that.
We were in church attending ser
wee when shell struck the side
wall and the point of it came through
There il struck, suspended over our
heads, The church was fun Of people
and il that shall had come through
ana exploded it would have killed d
whole lot Of us.
We used to he in the trenches
four days at time and then we
would be eight days in the rear.
Three hrigadcs were relieving each
other but something the reserve
hri8ades would be needed to rcpa
an attack at some other part of the
line and then we had to stick il out
no matter how long it took
In Trenches IL Days.
'On one occasion we were i'm the
front trenches for II days ana nights
We had plenty of soldiers biscuits
and canned corned beef but our wa
ter ran out And | ten you that
ccrrel beef does make fellow thirs-
ty We dug a hole with our intrench
ing tools and when The water would
soap into it we would dip it out with
. carned beef tim ! could smell q
dead German in it, but il tasted good
When we were relieved we had
TO march II niles back to our quar-
tcrs through a cold nasty rain. The
mud cloeging our feet We were
soaked through and tired out We
found a barn and we used It after
turning out the cattle. We lay down
in the straw the cattle had been y.
ing on and went to sleep.
About being torrcdoed? | am 20.
Ing to tell You about that Thirty
Gy c0f Us wounded men were sent
beck to Canada by the Ilospnriall
but whom we wore l3J miles ont from
Liverpool she was torpcdood II was
on September 4 at S:3l in the evening.
know the time because the warahip
taat picked us IN had registered the
first wireless call
There were $50 women and chill
'lren on board the ship and we were
having concert when we heard Il
crash and a roar ! can hear tie
sound of it yet A u-boat had got
ls There was the widest kind Of