Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-11-01


fully, picking your way between shell
holes. some OF them that you could
hide a gooi-sized house in and others
not So large.
Everything bore evidence of the bit
ter struggle, ami the ground was lit
tered with ammunition, unexploded
shells, bits of clothing. guns, bayonets,
letters and papers OF all kinds, sent
by mothers and sweethearts 10 those
brave boys who will never return. as
they now lie in a well-kept cemetery
at the crest OF Hill 2S0.
How they took this hill ! can't un-
derstand. 1t slopes upward for about /
mile and Is absolutely bare, with
ithe exception OF enemy barbed wire
entanglements. and 1t is also bare at
the crest for about a quarter of a
mile, and here large patch OF forest
made shelter Tor. the Germans.
where they had machine guns placed
every three or four feet, and to look
at II you would say that it was I'M
possible for "a bunch of unprotected
men to charge over this open ground,
in the face of whitening machine gun
fre, but the Americans dill it and took
1t, although the cost was heavy.
That night the fireworks were won
derful, the sky all ablaze with fire
from the heayies, punctuated at inter,
walls with star shells and flares"
The din continued all nighC without
interruption, and at dawn it was even
more intense preceding the general
advance that took place that day. We
arose about O'Clock in the morning
and prepared for trip 10 Fismes, as
the Graves registration unit, which
follows the advancing armies. must
work untiringly locating and bury
ing the fallen heroes. We went in
truck up to within about three miles
OF F1smes, stopping to view Lieut.
ROosevelts grave and fallen airplane
tBy the way, the unit | was with
found and registered his grave Of
ficiauy)
We left the truck, donned steel
SderbieS' ana wore gas masks at
alert" and proceeded to walk into the
historical town of Fismes. on the
Vesle River. We could see the heaves
lined up on the side OF the hill be-
yond Fsmes sending their regards to
Fritz" as regularly ana mechanically
as II run by .clockwork. We could
hear the staccato rattle OF the ma
chine gun fire behind the hill, and on
the right wing the sharp, quick fir
ing gave evidence OF a decidedly acute
local action.
As we cautiously picked our way
along the narrow-gauge railway line
which was feeding the hungry batter
les We dipped into low gully, and
the lieutenant who was few yards
In advance, called, Gas masks" and
he was none too soon. as the choking
fumes were upon us moment later
1T was not gas attack, but merely
gas hangover that was lying in the
low places from the night before
We were soon through this and coulC
remove our masks, breathing fresl
air again.
This was my first baptism of rea
shell fire, would hear sort o
a whining screech and automaticall,
my head would drop to level will
my knees. and, believe me. If you eve
go through the same thing yours vii
do the same. Even the shell may b.
q half mile over your head, you vii
duck in spite of all resolutions not t
do it again.
We found about a dozen bodies tina
hadn't been registered, and duly tool
the necessary steps of registering
them and marking the places, whicl
were in yards. along the street, il
cellars and other out of the wa,
places. 1t was getting near noon s.
we proceeded back to the truck an,
returned to Cierges without further III
cident
While in Fsmes | picked up a fey
German helmets, gas masks and othe
souvenirs. | could have brought
train load Ii had been able to carr
them, but as we only had three-to
truck | had to limit myself to it
capacity. The ground is literally co,
cred with the debris, and everythin
gave evidence that the Hun made hi
departure without any impressive ce
emonies.
spent the afternoon exploring Hi
800, Of which | have told yon an
again spent the night in the old hun
ing lodge. 1t was indeed a uniqu
structure, built after the old Frenc
style, and I'll venture that its no.
shell-tom walls could relate many a
Interesting tale il given the power
speech, II was perhaps the most /,
tact building in the village, but It di
not entirely escape punishment Tw
gaping holes In its walls told only to
truly what it had gone through and
streak along its entire side Shove
that a machine gunner had swept hi
deadly weapon in that direction.
the front yard, camoutaged under a
evergreen BUSH was a captured &c
man machine gun, all ready for actor
and 1t was used to welcome Fritz
as he sailed around in the cloud
scarcely a night passing but what Il
paid visit.