Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-27

day when we were on the front line
we drove them for seven kilometers.
! Had quite a number of killed and
wounded that day. We were con-
graduated by generals (French and
.American) for the good work we
did. In the marines they get crosses
for things that our fellows do every
day.
Unbelievable things happen every
day over here. Right now a battle
between airplanes is gong on over
our heads. They are shooting at one
another with machine guns. dodging
and iucking one another. at the
same time taking dives straight
down to dodge. while machine guns
' and cannon are shooting at the Ger
mans all the time.
During the drive the kitchens of
our battalion could not keep up with
US and the whole battalion was with
out a meal for siXty-siX hours. Never
thought men could go that long
without food and very little sleep,
but they did some good fighting be-
sides. Here is another hard one to
believe. l have not had my clothes
| or shoes off from July to July 80,
except on July 10 and July 80 At
night we always sleep with our boots
| on.
| Meet All Dangers
I'VE have faced all kinds of dan
gers: On the fifteenth we were gass
ed for about eight or nine hours;
besides thar, they threw more than a
! that morning. We were hit rather
| hard. Lieutenant Orr was instantly
! Killed. Several days later we got
another lieutenant to take his place,
and on the twenty-titth, he went the
same way.
Just before we came here it rain
| ed for three days, so you can imagine
| how mucn mud is here. The roads
! were awful. The Germans retreated
over these reads, tried to get their
cannon, etc. along, and many one
was stuck in the road and blocked
our way. Shell-holes of immense
size were all over, especially at cross
roads. Then we went through that
mud, with all cur wagons, etc. Never
saw so much n I'D IN my life.
Bud Ryan and | were together
| most of the time during the last
month, and BY the grace of God We
are still here and are hoping and
, praying that we get through the
war. Bud like every man in the
| company, reads his Testament regu-
larly. One OF the most impressive
sights is to see our battalion at pray
er service JusI before we go over the
| top. Every battalion has chaplain
| a &c. ii NJ tnn hn nv
| Mr.. Mann from Augusta, Ga, stays
with us where the bullets and shells
are the thickest. When we have nc
| doctor handy 1 bandage the men
and he consoles them. But the song
services and prayers the night oefole t
will never be forgotten"
With three shrapnel wounds, Cor
| poral William j. Boland, of West
Hamlin, is in a base hospital. lie
writes 10 his parents:
Il suppose you get all the news in
the paper about how the Americans
are chasing Fritz. I'm sorry
couldn't stay in the game longer
! The Americans are surprising the
world, and from what | saw, L think
one American is as good as two
| Boches."
Lieutenant Robert L. Butler, OF
Bethlehem, with a machine gun bat
talon, writes of gallant defense by
the Yankees on July % and 20:
The Bochc had a notion that he
I was going to put over heavy bar
rage, follow iC up with his shock
| troops to clean up the remnants, aTtG
then there would be nothing left but
| to march through.
! Instead of the Americans retreat
| ing, they came back at the Boche
| traN
him hell. German prisoners say that
they have never had to stand such
terrific artillery fire before. Our
! doughboys went forward, met strong
resistance, but they kept on going
| forward arc are still going"
Private Robert Hunters, of Beaver
| writes:
IF those IN the states who don't
! think the An orleans are doing any
thing over here could see what We
have seen i know they would change
! their tune. We are tight on she
; Boche'S heels all the time, and where
| we are American artillerymen are
manning German guns"
Anothe: lrcn division soldier, Pri.
vate Kilnber Whary. of the 109th
infantry, writes that his unit is back
in rest camp.
Expect War Over by Christmas
The way the Boche is getting
beaten, he writes, makes me think
the war will be over before | &c
| in again. l guess you all have read
| In the papers how the American
| boys have beaten the Germans, and
they sure dia beat them bad. If the
Germans keep on running like they
are, we will all be sailing home by
| Christmas"
| Harry Af CoaI D,-
| recently reported missing, is in. a
hospital in France, where wounds
made it necessary to amputate one
of his legs above the knee. From the
| hospital lie writes to his young bri lie,
whom he married last Christmas.
Il brought down at least six Ger
mas with my gun. But when they
got me, they stole my revolver and /
was sad, as loyed it, 1t was an old
| friend
Drafaed boys from western Penn
sylvania have been in action. Word
has been received that Frank Rey.
nolds. of Brownsville. of the 319th
/ infantry. has been wounded.
William Adams, of Hawley draft
| ed last June, transferred to the 146th
infantry. and John Brown, of the
same town, with the First Engineers
| have been wounded.
Recent dispatches indicate that
several Harrisburg soldiers are fight
ing with the famous Western Penn
| sylvania regiment-the 10th In
fantry, formerly the "Fighting
| Tenth"
Captain E. j. Stackpole. Jr.. OF
this city is in command of Company
NJ of the 10th and for several
months at Camp Hancock was