The Corpus Christi caller. [volume] (Corpus Christi, Tex.) 1918-1987, 1918-10-26
CAPTAIN JOE SHELDON
DESCRIBES THE THRILL
OF GOING INTO BATTLE
Son OF Ben IA. Sheldon Writes OF the
Experiences 81 Men Of the GOTH o..
vision n Their First Attack Against
the Germans. Captain Sheldon
SLIGHTLY Wounded


cncc in going 'ovel tho top fot tho
FIRST time Captain Sholdon is a son
~ ban NJ sheldon ~ tins city.
In his hotter 10 Mr.. Brlcc Captain
sheldon says
\ have been trNing 10 write 90 you
fof a. long time but my t,me rs pre-
ciuus>, ! can't find timr TO sleep
hardly J hclicvv you had rather hcei
from mo now than before. as ! can
give YOU Il little firrt hand dope about
tho recent big drive.
"You should he over here not that I
think sou wound like to. nus such mon
as son are needed badly hy the Red
Cross aud H., the u A. { A. Hoih or
gAniz.,tionh are doing woadcrfnl work.
rhcy are not siackcrs either take y
from mo. ! have seen these men ~ TO
The trenches when We we're being sheil
Ell. tn carry things 90 the troops.
" can give YOU a little dope ~ the
tcccA drive u YOU care To read IT, WI
was a hummer believe me. and we
said was right.
we had hocn in the trenches u little
over month and. believe me, that isl
very strenuous ne. very little siecp
either day or night but all kinds ot
cNcitemcni. Every night ~ Fourth 81
july in No Mans Land I got 70 the
poini where / could sleep with the biz
shells BURSTING all around me.
( Late in the afternoon before tho big
drive / received ordcrs Tor my com
panN to take another position several
mites distant. and ] was told that out
rcriment and all others would place
4 two companies on the firing line and
tho remainder Of thc regiment would
follow In support.
'rhc tiding was also given me that
my company had heen chosen as one
OF the companies to lead of. Of course
realized that meant good thump-
INK Ter my company ! proceeded toI
start for the jumping poin, and we
marched an night In the mud and rain.
reaching our destination AT 30 "a. M.
and zero hour was "a. m got nay
company In position and notified bat
talon headquarters that was all sci
I for the races. We were wet to the
I skin and standing Ia water in the
trenches knee deep BY this time the
artillery was ringing them down on
i'rtN. and he was sending them back
, TO us.
Very soon a. M. arrived and the
infantry went over the top for the
Z lNFtfrA fllNf ~ lllf VIII II WIS illi
most wonderful sight over saw Il
was raining aud we had no more than
plunged over than another rain started.
a rain OF bullets. The noise from the
artillery was dcafcning ana the sky
was all lighted up from the flash Of
the guns ana the rockets that the
hochcs were sending up. II was a
great sight 60 see the infantry advano-
inl
= thought / would be a little nery-
Gus. but | can truthfully say that
! was moi scared and neither were the
men. We surely did push the Boches
and we gave them striclSiy speaking.
hell We gave them shot and she'll
and hAsano, and everything else.
"Wc captured lots of prisoners and
/ every ihine from German cigars tol
railroad tiaiqs. VIZ oapnrod a train-
load OF gas cylinders. The prisoners
were glad 10 bc captured. They are
not the sam. foxy birds they were a.
few months ago. For the FIRST time.
1 think. their morale Is broken.
Practically an the prisoners. ir
Guiding the officers. admit they are
gone They are scared 10 death 81 the
Americans Their Officers toll them
J 'hHt the Americans TAXI no prisoners
hut kin every one My company cap
tured lots 81 prisoners aud a great
many OF them were so scared they
would drop 10 their knees with their
hands ar. crying kamorad. meaning
'comrado
Il had heard ot the Germans using
nll sorts 81 dirty tactics but ncuially
caught them captured WITH my
{ company men firing machine guns,
e..