The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1918-12-05
NEWS OF OUR SOL.
DER BOYS
Continued from Page u


drove the enemy ii kilimeters the
first day. That night six Of us Of the
intelligent section were put on an out
post. We were driven out twice by
artillery fire.
The next day just before we went
over the top / received bullet thru
my gas mask. The result was had to
get a new one. We drove the Ger
mans two more kilometers, but had
to retreat that night to a position
on a hill. My partner and myself had
to dig in the hill with bayonets. Be-
lieve me a bayonet is slow work when
you are in hurry. We had to move
during the night on account of artil-
lery fire.
The fourth day was the worst. We
advanced through artillery fire and
captured town. Part of US went IN
the town at night and upon hill
where we dug again with bayonets.
We were practically surrounded by
Germans, but didn't know it. About
a. m. a lieutenant came to our res
cue and by good luck we made our
way back to our own lines.
Well, Vera, 1 haven't time to des-
cribe in detail the rest Of the fight
so will make it short. The other four
days we held the ground we had gain
ed and were under heavy artillery
fire all the time When, relief came
we were a happy bunch of troops. We
were then sent to the rear for four
DAYS and then returned for four more
DAYS of fighting. We had narrow es-
capes, which / will tell about when l
get home. The battle l took part In
in France is known as the battle OF
Argonne Forests.
Every town | have been in for the
last month had been blown to pieces
by artillery fire. l saw great many
air battles, too. have been in England
Scotland and saw the coast of Ireland.
Halloween passed very quietly here;
about the usual stuff that we have
every day, work in the day time and
sleep at night. But some of the more
yenturesome ones couldn't resist GER
tain building that stands in one cor
ner of the hospital grounds, and IN the
morning it was on it's side. But that
was all the damage l saw. The
French celebrate the day in differ
ent manner than we All Saints Day
is big church day with the French,
for practically SO per cent of them are
Catholics, and the day is considered
a big fete day with them. All the
stores were closed and everybody |
seemed to be on the streets, parading
in their Sunday clothes, and visiting.
The day otter Halloween is Memoir
ial Day with the French and one regi-
ment of American soldiers formed a |
BODY guard for the French and Ameri- |
can high officials and they marched
to the French and American ceme-
teries where appropriate services were
held over the graves of the heroes OF
this war. l was unable to attend, but
those that were there say it was a
very beautiful and impressive cere-
mony.
We spend our time in arguing how
soon the war will be over, how long we
will be here after the war is over and
what we will do when we do get back
to the States and in civil life again.
We heard yesterday that Austria had
capitulated, so that only leaves Ger
manv against US. But we have re-
ceived no papers for three days SO
have no way of knowing whether 1t is
true or not.
And of course we had to have bad
news to counteract the good, so there
is a report in circulation that Russia
has come into the field again, this
time on the side of the Hun and has 2
million troops in the field. Of course
it is probably not true, and won't
make much difference if true, but it
shows what fine rumors we get every
day in the army.
Harry Foster leaves tonight with
another boy of this organization with
a convoy of medical troops for the
front. They will deliver the troops to
some officer there and then return to
this station. Harry expects to get a
chance to see his brother on his way
back, and it is probable that they will
also spend day in Paris before re-
turning home. John Carnage will
leave tomorrow night for the coast
with a bunch of patients for base
hospital, the same trip that l took
some time this summer. :