Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-12-13
Tells How u. S. Marines
Held the Road to Paris

IN the forest; finer one l have neve
seen-deer would scamper ahead an,
we could have e.<nr one raw. At tel
O'Clock that night, without food, w
lay down in a pouring rain to sleep
troops of all kinds passed up in tn
nlght-a shadOwy stream, over a hal
million men. Some French officer!
told us that they had never seen sucl
concentration since Verdun, If then.
The next day, the 18th of July, VIZ
marched ahead through jam OF
troops, trucks, etc., and came at last
10 a ration dump where we fell to an(
ate our heads off for the first time in
nearly two days. When we left there
the men had bread stuck on their bay
onets. l logged ham. All were
loaded down. Here I passed one of
Wass' lieutenants with his hand
wounded. He was pleased as Punch
and told us the drive was on-the first
we knew of it. I then passed a few
men of Hunts company bringing pris-
oners to the rear. They had colonel
and his staff. They were we'll dress
ed, clean and polished, but mighty
glum looking.
I'VE finally stopped at the far end
OF the forest near dressing station,
where HOlcOmb again took command
rms station had been big, fine stone
farmhouse, but was now complete
ruin-wounded and dead lay all about.
Joe Murray came by with his head
all done up his helmet had saved him.
The lines had gone on ahead, so we
were quite safe. Had q fine aero bat
tie right over us. The stunts that
those planes did cannot be described
by me.
Field Covered With Dead.
Late in the afternoon we ad-
vanced again. Our route lay over an
open field covered with dead. We Law
down on hillside for the night, near
some captured German guns, and I'M
til dark I watched the cavalry, some
1000, come up and take positions.
AT 80 the next morning Sitz woke
me up and said we were to attack, The
regiment was soon under way, and we
picked our way under cover of gas
infested valley to town, where we
got our final instructions, and left our
packs. | wished Sumner good luck. and
we parted.
I'VE formed up in q sunken road on
TWO SIDES of valley that was perpen-
dcuiar to the enemy's front; Hughes
right, HolcOmb left, Sibley support. We
now began to get 4 few wounded: one
man, with aShen face, came charging
TO the rear With shell shock. He shook
all over, fOamed at the mouth. could
not speak. put him under tent, and
he acted as if he had a fit.
Il heard Lieutenant Overton call to |
ohe or MS friends to send a certain
pin to his mother if he should get hit. .
AT . 80 We Jumped off with line
d tanks in the lead. For two kilos
the four lines Of marines were as
straight as die. and their advance
over the open plain in the bright sun
lght was picture I shall never for
get. The fire got hotter and hotter.
men fell, bullets sung, shells whizzed-
banged, and the dust of battle got
nick. Overton was hit by big piece
II shell and fell. Afterward I heard
he was hit in the heart, so his death
vas without pain. He was buried
nat night and the pin found.
Lost II Out of 20 Officers.
AL 1O:5O we dug in; the attack
ust died out I found a hole or old
rench, and when I was flat on nv
'ack l got some protection. Hol-
omb was next me; Wilmer some wav
If. We then tried to get reports. Two
ompanies we never could get in
ouch with. Lloyd came in and re-
'orted he was holding some trenches
ear mill with six men. Gates.
With his trousers blown off. said no
ad IT. men of various companies.
mother officer on the right reported
e had and could see some 40 mon
IL told. That, with the Headquarters i
vas all we could find out about tho {
attaliOn Of nearly 500. OF tho On {
officers who went in. three t
anne out, and one, Gates, was SLIGHTLY s
FROM then on to about s D. m. life {
,as Il chance, and mighty uncomfort- {
Die. 1t was hot as q furnace. M 1va. Y
er, and they had our range to IT. {
we had machine gun officer with /