The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-12-13
THAT IS WHAT WALKER DID
ON BATTLE FIELD
Mankato Man Had Some Very
Exciting Experiences While
Performing Duties

Paris, October 20, 191S.-Mr. Will
lam Edwards: l presume you have
wondered why Walker hasn't written.
Well, l have thought of you many
times but l have been on the battle
field most of the time and it's quite
a job to write while there. Now as
l am in Paris for rest am writing
letters every day.
| must say have had some exper-
fence since left home in June while
in New York City and crossing over
the seas, across England, in London
ten days, across France and one week
in Paris and the balance of my time
on two fconts. The first front was
trench warfare, second open warfare
on field and through woods. My, it
was some sight. l was acting as a
hut secretary with a battalion of in
fantry and l put in many days and
nights with the boys tramping from
one front to the other front. We
fought our open warfare north of the
most noted city on the front and
will never forget the night we clean
eG guns and inspected everything and
the boys loaded up with 800 rounds
of shells each and we marched the
last thirteen kilometers to take oul
place on the front line and go over
the top at five O'Clock in the morning
The heavy artillery was blowing ur
the earth as we marched under theil
shell fire and took the line. l stayed
right with my bunch and carried
cigars, cigarettes, tobacco and gum il
sack on my back and the first day
we opened up and drove them bacl
seven kilometers second day clever
kilometers and kept on going. Cap
tured 3271 prisoners the first two
days and killed and wounded prob.
ably that many more. OF course il
cost us some officers and men too
but the Americans don't care fol
life They came over to fight ant
they are doing it. Well, l held ou
for nine days and nights, only lait
GOWN three nights out of the nine
and then in German dugout twent.
! feet underground where it was rot
ten with rats and sick soldiers.
The ninth day they gassed me ane
2l5 soldiers very bad. l crawled il
dugout where thirty soldiers were
md became so sick ard unconsciou.
! for three quarters of an hour tina
the soldiers were very much afrait
| their "Y' man was. going to die
| They got an ambulance and dragged
re out on stretcher and sent m'
back to the line nine kilometers tt
| a gas house for treatment. / onl.
stayaH there two days and then
ole Out and went back to the from
IN a return ambulance with the driv
err l thought l was well, but it re
acted and l was taken back twenty
five miles and didn't get any better
so they sent me into Paris to re
cover and rest.
Say, it's some sight to be on bat
tie field, but it takes nerve to se'
your boys fall dead in an instant ant
many wounded, but the worst il
igh explosives when they light al
round you and tear up the grount
big enough for house basement an,
cut off trees eighteen. inches through
l can't figure out how l escaped, but
did. I was knocked over once bu
| got right up ard next to me was
soldier dead ard one badly wounded
/ never had any fear. / just travel
ed around over the battlefield wait
ing on my boys and attending to m
part of the job, and it seemed every
body else but myself went dowr
It's pretty hard to kill an old nu
like me, guess, but it's all in life
time. l am all right now, only
little weak and poor in flesh. Whe
a fellow is out ON the battlefield h
never gets tired, hungry or sleep!
He just warts to fight day and nigh
Well, 1 will tell you the rest whe
II get home. Yes, / am coming HON
and coming alive too. l told m
family when / left | would come bacl
SO l believe SO as you think it wi
be-
!, We have lost some of our "Y' me
on the battlefield and had some gas
sed ard wounded. l have all kind
of souvenirs that / got from til
prisoners. They thought l was a
, officer and anything l wanted the
; would give it to me, while captain
were searching them.
| l must close row and say good by
) Bill and God be with you till we me-
| again, as He must have been wit
, me or l wouldn't be here. o. Y
: Walker.
I'll l. L