The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-12-06
BATTLES WITH BOCHES
MARION BENEDICT TELLS OF
THE THRILLS OF WAR
Considerably Battered Up. But
He Is BY No Means
PessimistiC

ion Benedict, who is in france:
Base Hospital No. %, ION the Ri
YER Gironde." November 5. 1913
Dear Murray and Betty: Since | am
feeling so we'll today and DR.. Meyers
has strapped my right arm together
so | can use the hand and wrist, I'll
write you letter. / am getting along
Just excellently, and he nurse doesn't
have to feed me any more. l have
hopes of getting to the line again in
a month and a half The shock is
leaving me and | can walk a little
without having everything "come up
to meet me-" Ny face is consid-
erably disrobed / just had two holes
for my eyes and one for my mouth
for awhile. There will likely be a
little permanent damage done to the
end of my nose, but it is healing WELL
and the doctor expresses his hopes
of repairing it so it will scarcely
show at ALL | feel so mighty lucky
TO he alive that | shall not murmur
over a little thing like a nose. Prob
ably my nose was too long anyway.
| Just have dressings on my nose, the
side of my face and my forearm now,
and I'll soon have them all off my
face. There were only two holes of
any consequence there-One over the
temple and one in the cheek.
am reading whatever the Red
Cross sends in, ard the collection Is
rather varied at times. Just now l
am reading "Penelope'S Irish EX-
periences," by Kate Douglas Virgin
The other officers around here have
surely been fine to me. They bring
in all kin,is of things and never Will
let me send for anything and pay for
it. The Red Cross send in quantities
of the most delicious grapes | ever
ate. They are large white ones that
have hung in the vim yards unit! they
are transparent and very sweet or
course they grow in abundance here,
even Just without our gateway is a
huge in-yard.
| had terrible looking beard for
while, and my hair was so tightly mat
ted to my head with blood that must
have been a sight. The nurse said
my hair would be almost clean after
. one more washing and the boys sue
ceeded in removing most OF the
troublesome beard I'll have to raise
a mustache for a little while | guess.
l don't doubt but what it looks funny
enough. .-
When | was put on the litter up
there in the woods | asked them to
leave my despatch case and belt on
me and some one said, That's all
right lieutenant, We'll take care of
Them" and / was going out of con-
foc hot T m
argue, so it will be just luck if / ever
get those things back again. | had
some valuable maps and sketches
and captured German map of con-
siderable value in the case, and
wouldn't have taken a hundred dol
lars for it, | had spent months in
getting the set of maps-including G.
2 and secret maps-which were in it.
The pistol and prismatic compass
were not worth over $40 except that
they were exceptionally good and
was used to them. The only thing |
saved were few things in my cot
pocket-a heavy brass compass. 4
whistle and a few letter - orders.
My clothes We're very muddy and
blood soaked and were cut away, 50
L
but suit of pajamas and about a
hundred francs which were in my
pocket They treat me splendidly
here and feed me well at cost of
only dollar per day. All the hospital
treatment of course, is done free,
but | must pay board the same as
when with the company. don't
think we officers should pay any
board when in the line for We are
lucky to get a bite of coarse French
bread and cup of coffee once day or
sometimes once in two days. l was
cut off from supply for two days once
and had to drink from shell holes
mighty dangerous business, but I
chose large H. E. shell holes upon a
hill and always tried the water first
myself. One can usually tell a gas
shell hole because the sides are often
blackened ESPECIALLY phOsegne) and
the shape and size often indicate it.
i found Germoh dump near where
was that time and there were prob
ably hundred lOaves of black
German bread, but l refused to let
any of my men taste that. 1t may
have been all right and we were
hungry, but / decided not to risk it,
l succeeded in fitting my outfit out
with good new German shoes and
boots there, though, and adopted
several German canteens to help
out the water supply. Most of
us were almost barefooted and those
shoes were welcome. You see, when
{. one gets into a drive, he often goes a
month without seeing any clothing
supplies and sometimes he goes SO
fast that supplies can't follow over
the shell torn battlewrecked country
We are too prone 10 say. well, the
Germans are all done, and they can't
possibly last much longer Finer
equipments and finer stores l never
hope to find than l found in our last
advance before l left. We held a
line of mere shell holes, an embank
ment of a narrow guage railway anO
an elephant shack or two in the
woods in one instance. l was given
about two thirds of the company Sec
tor and told to push my line to a
place of the best advantage with
two platoons. ! established my line
that night under cover of darkness
and went out to find place for ar
advance post and see how far the
boche had gone. 1 went across &
road and came to Il ditch so deep as
to be trench, il the brush on the
other side. / jumped across the