The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-07-09
CHAPTER XVI. wR
AM cuiet e, on the western front

At brigade headquarters I happened
10 overhear conversation between our
20. O. q. general officer commanding)
and the divisional commander. From
this conversation learned that we
were to lombard the German lines for
eight days, and on the first OF July the
s'big push" was to commence.
In few days orders were issued to.
that effect. and II was common prop
erty all along the line.
On the afternoon Of the eighth day Of
our 'strafeing." Atwell and I were sit
ting In the front-line trench smoking
flags and making out our reports Of the
previous nights tour OF the trenches,
which we had 10 turn In TO headquar-
tiers the following day, when an order
was passed down the trench that Old
Pepper requested twenty volunteers to
60 over on a trench raid that night to
try and get few German prisoners for
information purposes. / Immediately
volunteered for this Job. and shook
hands with Atwell. and went to the
rear to give my name to the officers In.
charge OF the raiding party.
was accepted, worse luck.
At 9 :45 that night we reported to the
brigade headquarters dugout to receive
Instructions from Old Pepper.
After reaching this dugout we lined
UP Ia senicircle around him, and he
addressed us as follows:
"All want you boys to do is to go
over to the German lines tonight, sur
prise them, secure a couple OF prison
ers. and return Immediately. Our ar
tillery has bombarded that section Of
the line for two days and personally i
! believe that that. part OF the German
trench is unoccupied, so just get a cou-
pie OF prisoners and return as quickly
Is possible
The sergeant on my right, In an I'M
6eFtone, whispered to me:
"Say. Yank. how are we going to get
couple OF prisoners II the old fool
thinks personally that that part OF the
7trench Is unoccupied, sounds kind Of
sshy, doesn't IT mater
had funny sinking sensation In
my stomach, and my tin hat felt as II
X weighed about ton and my enthusi-
lsm was melting away. Old Pepper
must have heard the sergeant speak
because he turned In his direction and
In laundering voice asked:
'sWhat did you say?"
The sergeant with a scarlet look on
his face and his knees trembling,
smartly saluted and answered:
Nothing, sir"
Old Pepper said;
''Well, don't say it so loudly the next
time"
Then Old Pepper continued:
I'm this section OF the German
trenches there are two or three ma
chine guns which our artillery. in the
last two or three days, has been I'M
able to tape. These guns command the
sector where two of our communion
tion trenches join the front line, and
as the brigade is TO go over the top to-
morrow morning want to capture two
or three men from these guns crews,
and from them may be able to obtain
valuable information as to the exact
location of the guns, and our artillery
will therefore be able to demolish them
before the attack, and thus prevent
our losing a lot of men while using
these communication trenches to bring
up re-enforcements."
These were the instructions he gave
as:
Take Off your Identification disks,
strip your uniforms of all numerals,
insignia, etc., leave your papers with
your captains. because don't want the
Roches TO know what regiments are
against them as this would be valuable
information TO them in our attack to-
morrow and don'r want any of Won
10 be taken alive. What ! want is two
prisoners and If get them have a
, way which will make them divulge
eli necessary information as to their