Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-08-23

crazy with fear and horror and rushed
along the wire until I came to our
| lane. l had just turned down this lane
when something inside of me seemed
to say, "Look around" l did so; bull
let caught me on the left shoulder. It
did not hurt much, just felt as if some
one had punched me in the back, and
then my left side went numb. NV arm
was dangling like rag. fell forward
In sitting. position. But all the fear
had left me and I was consumed with
rage and cursed the German trenches.
With my right hand felt in my tunic
for my first-aid or shell dressing. In
feeling over my tunic my hand came
in contact with one of the bombs which
l carried. Gripping it, pulled the pin
out with my teeth and blindly threw it
towards the German trench. l must
have been out of my head, because
was only ten feet from the trench and
took chance of being mangled. If
the bomb had failed to 90 into the
trench / would have been blown to
bits by the explosion of my own bomb,
BY the flare of the explosion of the
bomb, which luckily landed in their
trench, I saw one big Boche throw I'D
his arms and fall backwards, while his
rifle flew into the air. Another one
wilted and fell forward across the
andbags-then blackness.
Realizing what foolhardy and risky
thing I had done, I vas again seized
with horrible fear. I dragged myself
to my feet and ran madly down the
lane through the barbed wire. STUN
bling over cut wires, tearing nv uni
form, and decorating my hands and
legs. Just as 1 was about to reach
NO Mans Land again, that same voice
seemed to say, Turn around" I did
so, when, "crack," another bullet
caught me, this time in the left shout
der about one-half inch away from the
other wound. Then it was taps for me
The lights went out
When came to I was crouchinc in
hole in No Mans Land. This shell
mole was about three feet deep, so that
1t brought my head few inches below
the level Of the ground How reached
this hole l will never know. German
typewriters" were traversing hack
ana forth in No Mans Land, the bull
lets biting the edge of my shell hole
and throwing dirt all over me.
Overhead shrapnel was bursting
| could hear the fragments Sian the
ground. Then l went out once more
When l came to everything was silence
ana darkness in No Mans Land 7
was soaked with blood and big fan
from the wound in my cheek was hang
ing over my mouth. The blood run
hlng from this flap choked me. Ont Of
the corner of my mouth 1 would fry
ana blow it back, but it would not
move. l reached for my shell dressino
ana tried, with one hand, to han1.ro
my face to prevent the flow. had
an awful horror Of bleeding to death
ana was getting very faint. You would
nave laughed if you had seen nv
numerous attempts at bandaging with
one mana. The pains in my wounded
were awful and l was getting
SICK at the stomach. gave nm the
bandaging stunt as a bad iob and +hen
tainted.
"nen l came to, hell was let loose. |
An intense bombardment was on. and
on the whole my position was decided
~ unpleasant. Then, suddenly, our
parrage ceased. The silence almost
hurt but not for long, because Fritz
turned loose with shrapnel, machine
guns ana rifle fire. Then all along orr
llne came cheer and our boys came
over the top in q charge The first
wave was composed of Jocks" They
were magnificent sight, kits, flaming
IN the wind, bare knees showing. and
thelr bayonets glistening. In the first
wave that passed my shell hole. one Of
the JOCKS" an immense fellow. about
SIX feet two inches in height iumned
rlght over me. On the right and left
OF me several soldiers in colored kills
were huddled on the ground, then over
came the second wave, also Jocks"
one young Scottie, when he came
of my shell hole, leaned into
the air, his rifle shooting out of his
hahds, landing about six feet in front
Oh MIN, bayonet first, and stuck in the
ground, the butt trembling. This i'm
pressed me greatly.
(TO BE CONTINUED