The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1917-02-16

ways laugh and joke at the most
dangerous moment. l cannot help
it. If l had not asked to be sent
where l went l would have been a
coward, and it was only natural that
| went. l only did my duty"
We knew he must have done some
thing to win the cross, and, of
course, we wanted to know the
smallest details of his deed After
some persuasion we finally had the
full story.
ave had left the sector of Mort
Homme for Thiaumont in the after
noon. Rain delayed us, and night
came before we reached our new po-
sition. That march in the dark,
blowing through the mud, over un-
known roads, is one of my most I'M
pleasant recollections. The bonn
bardment of the French and Ger
mans was incessant, and but for the
presence of mind of our officers we
would have been caught between the
two curtains of fire. We escaped
with but a few wounded, but we could
not go any further, as day was
breaking, and it was impossible to
move troops in daylight in an open
country. So we had to remain q
full day in the shelter of some old
trenches, to wait for the next night,
when we could continue our journey
with the least risk. Our position was
very uncomfortable, especially for
the wounded. We did not know the
country, our ambulances had gone by
another route, and we could not re-
lieve the sufferers. Something had
to be done. thought l saw a way
out of our difficulty, so l asked and
obtained permission to go to the near
est highroad and see if I could not
find assistance. So | went crawl
ing like a snake to avoid the shells
that were shrieking overhead. l fl
nally reached the road, and had not
waited long when an autoambulance
came rushing toward me. l jumped
into the middle of the road, waving
my arms and shouting. The car
stopped, and l began to explain what
was wanted. | was talking fast,
theeing and thouing him, as the SOL
diers always do, when he answered
me in a language I could not under
stand. He was an American, speak
ing scarcely a word of French, and
all that l could say in English was,
If you please So there we stood
in the middle of the road laughing,
but we did not indulge long in our
merriment-time was too valuable.
He motioned me to seat beside him
and, driving like the devil, we soon
reached a neighboring village. He
led me to the hospital, where l could
explain our need, and he was order.
ed to drive me back to my regiment
and to return with the wounded, which
| was soon done.
"At last the night came, and we
started afresh for our new position,
| The bombbardment did not stop to
let US pass, the boches sending their
305 shells after us. We were lucky
enough to reach our destination
without any casualties, and soon all
our cannon were put to work. And
what a roar! We were deafened by
it. If / ibid not Sbecome crazy
don't think l ever will be. My work
was to go to a post of refuge, and,
no doctor being there, to wait for
the wounded and send them to the
ambulance in the rear. There was
nothing doing, and l became tired Of
the inaction. So, leaving some of
my men on duty there, | went in
search of more action. I found the
doctor of another corps nearby, and
he willingly accepted my services. |
was sent out to pick up the wounded
under fire, and for six days l worked
here, having my usual good luck, the
shells passing me by to find some