The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1918-10-03
FIT TO LEAD men
Soldier Tells of Spirit of Ameri.
can Officers.
Marching Soldiers, Near Limit Of Phys
icaI Endurance, Brought Back to
Sense OF Discipline by Act
Of Gameness.

There was none Of the thrill OF
crowded grand stands In the race that
Sergt. Harold Baldwin describes In
Holding the Line" 1t was u by
men SO exhausted that they could
scarcely stand. Yet in that slow, STUN.
bling race there was more self-denial
more heroism, more indomitable cour.
age than could go into the breaking OF
worlds records.
1t was midnight, Sergeant Baldwin
! says, and as hot as Hades when we
started from the banks of the User.
We had been some % days constantly
in action again and again we had been
launched into the line to help our ter
ribly hard-pressed French and British
comrades. Every til lie a tornado of
German artillery fire opened UP, we
stood ready to advance across open
ground to the front line. Judge, then,
of our condition for a 25-mile march.
At the beginning, they sent us at the
double between batteries of roaring
Is and 60-pounders. The awful din
was the finishing touch, and u nerves
went snap. At last we were clear,
and we settled down to a steady hike.
On. ON, we trampedl Would we new
er halt? One after the other exhaust
ed men fell. Men dozed as they walk
ed, fell as they dozed, lay where they
fell.
AT last, as day was breaking, they
took us into a field. Here a drink Of
hot tea, some food and a rest of one
hour revived us somewhat.
/ noticed that one of the officers was
carrying a puppy In his arms. 1t was
only q few days old, and l marveled
at his wonderful heart In forgetting
his W troubles and caring for the
poor little helpless creature.
On again, all through the blazing
heat Of the day we hiked. Tommies
would walk with us, easing our lot
in their rough, kindly manner. They
promised us Fritz should pay dearly
for his dastardly gas attack before
they were through. On, on, till we
entered Bailleul. Thank GodI Rest
we thought. But no, ever On.
And then the men, the limit of en-.
duT6nce reached and mad with disap
pointment, began to get In an ugly
mood. Discipline was sorely strained
ana we openly shouted our opinion OF
the officers to their faces.
And then weS witnessed a thing thai
brings tears to my eyes every time
think of it. Those officers of ours
were In no better shape than our
selves; in fact, owing to their respon
sibility, they were in worse plight. In
stead of marking down the offenders
for future punishment, they inflicted
worse punishment on, us by making
us thoroughly ashamed ef ourselves
Lining up across the road, they bad,
us halt for a space. telling us that the.
had q bet to decide, and 1t must b,
decided at once. They were going t
run a race. Their effort was pitiful II
the extreme. Although they startet
out bravely enough, after a few pace
one, then another staggered and fell
but they struggled to their feet ant
staggered away again. After such al
exhibition of courage, what could W
do or say? Not only was 1t a lesso
to us, but 1t is one of the grandes
memories ! have. There were thos
battle-weary mea, utterly worn out
with nerves on edge, scarcely able t
walk, yet to show that they were gam
to the end they went through the three
fold agony Of that race.-Youth's Con
panicn.