The Natchitoches enterprise. (Natchitoches, La.) 1888-1965, 1918-11-07
LOUISIANA SOLDIERS
PRAISED FOR BRAVERY
2
PAYNE Brazeale of Baton Rouge Re-
counts Heroic Conduct in st.
Mihiel Fight.
New Orleans Item.

New Orleans Item.
Payne Breazeale, formerly president
of the Chamber of Commerce of Bat.
ton Rouge, now with the army in
France, has apparently been having an
active time Here are some extracts
from letter received from him by his
wife, under date of September Is. 1t
isinteresting not only for MIR Breazeale's
wide acquaintance, but also personal
illusions it contains OF Louisiana boys
in the same command:
"This Is my third start of letter
to you, none of which have been able
to do more than start, but III try and
finish this one and give it to the Y. M.
c. A. man to mail to you. I'm deep in
German dugout, writing on Boche
paper, and more tired, exhausted and
broken in heart than ever imagined
could be. We've been thru hell, grille
but the 358th can go down in history,
those who will be left, if any are left, and
ever relieved. We started atthe jump
off last week at the st. Mihiel drive,
went over the top after our seven days
in the trenches. We are still in the
front line praying to be relieved, so we
can rest and reorganize. We've fought
and advanced-taken every objective,
either on or ahead os time, but at fear
full cost. God help and keep those he
roes who are gone. Our casualties
have been tremendous counting every
thing-we have less than so cent of
men left.
WOUNDED OR GAssED.
aMost of them are wounded or
gassed, but many, many of them are
gone. Our battalion has nine officers
out of twenty four left, so far-and
the rest are as bad. Poor Capt. Sam
Craig "a Co.. was blown to pieces
by shell. His first sergeant, also.
and old A. j. Sergeant standing next
to him, badly shell shocked. Tom
Powell, from Lake Providence who
was my bunkie at training camp and
who you remember played with Nita
Simss chat morning at the 18th o. 4. c.,
was killed going over. the top the first
morning, also Houser Capt. Horton
and of C Co, were both badly
wounded today BY shell was n
ten feet of thena. Capt. Gregg wound
ed, May and Bates gassed (only enough
to put them out Of business) and in the
hospital.
Major Ashburn, wounded in the
neck the first morning left the first
aid station and went back into the
fight and was wounded in the leg
again. Major Allen. ten wounds. Oh
--all of the poor devils. B Co., so far,
has been remarkable mo officer wound
ed yet in spite of hundreds Of escapes.
Gutcher was unhurt and many of my
good men are gone--but gone like men.
'sYET We MUST GO ON"
Elm sick, sick, honey, and yet we
must 20 on. The Lord is watching
me for my girls. I've had men Killed
on every side of me--today was taking
can Of coffee to my company-a shell
burst overhead. wounded all four of
my carriers-broke my helmet and
knocked me Overland yet didn't touch
me. We haven't so men left in B, yet
those who are left, with no sleep, in
all the rain-eat only every twenty
four hours or thirty six hours are
marvellous. We have done everything
they asked-and more-captured Ger
mans by the hundreds. killed ten Ger
mans to every one captured and yet
have not, been relieved. Our men can
do anything. In one drive on this hill
we captured 40 machine guns in con-
crete emplacements and got every
man.
''The Boches are using only machine
guns or snipers. Capt. Don is marvel
GUS; SO are Divine and Wadley wild
men, brave, neryy, wonders. God
bless theml ] was called by the Ma
jor just after we went over the top and
detailed to handle all supplies for the
battalion ammunition and food as
our supply officer and adjutant were
put out Of business the first half hour.
have fed the four companies, ma
chine gun and headquarters and medical
at least one meal q day. Today we
have one cook and FIVE carriers wound
ed. captured German horse to
ride II couldn't walk another step) and
an airplane flew over and shot him
while was on him. I'm charmed,
. dear, for my girls-I hope.
DUGoUTs ELECTRIC LIGHTED.
|" How we took the hill, | don't know.
The Boches have held it four years.
They have rock and concrete trenches
and machine gun emplacements and
shipper posts. Their dugouts are snmp-
tuous. electric lights. rugs, mirrors,
piano in this one. Our men captured
every. every thing. They all have Ger
man boots, Ieggings, pistols, field
classes, watches, cigars, food, every-
thing they couk find--lots Of 1t. In
this ten days thyy have lost everything
they owned and hold on only to their
rifles. bayonetS and belts. But they
nre fighting things. Don'tever believe
anything but that they are wonders,
wonders. God bless and keep them!
We've done our part.
"The papers, which the X N. g. a.