The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-11-04
FOUGHT LIKE MAD
Major Salisbury of Burlington
Tells of kansans.
s'They Were Heroes, Every One
of Them," He, Says.

That the Hun is not improving with
the lessons in humanity being admin
istered to him by the American, Brit
ish and French armies is the view of
Major Henry T. Salisbury, Sanitary
Train ITO. 140th field hospital. Ma
jor Salisbury lives at Burlington and
is the Democratic candidate for secre-
tary of state. In a letter received by
r.. Neill Rain, Major Salisbury said:
a Il suppose you've heard that our
outfit was in a little scrap and got our
nose bloodied a bit. Our boys fought
beautifully. Made every objective they
were told to make and held them. Inc
only trouble or criticism that could be
offered was that they did not rely
enough upon their artillery and ad-
vanced too fast. Our field hospitals
and the sanitary train worked splen-
didly and there were many acts OF
heroism We received a letter from
our division commander, commenting
us for the work of the train Many we
both know passed thru my hospital
and 1 saw them myself. 1t was sure a
great pleasure to be able to admins
ter to the old boys. They were heroes
every one of them. l never heard
groan or word of COMPLAINT. Our
outfit was in action five days and 1
assure you at the end of that time we
were all very tired. We had very little
# any sleep and the weather was hor-
rible-rainy and cold. The only sat
isfaction We got out of 1t was that the
Dutch were getting the worst of it.
We opened up with artillery barrage
about two and went over the top at
daylight The artillery was some
thing terrible. You couldn't distin-
guish between the explosives. 1t was
q constant roar and the heavens as
light as day.
1.-The works we took were a wonder,
dugouts, thirty to forty feet deep. Of
ficers' quarters deliberately fitted out
They have been here since 1914. They
evidently expected to stay. We were
opposed by the Prussian Guards and
assure you there were plenty of dead
ones left behind. Many wounded
passed thru our hospital. They took
their fate in a stolid, Indifferent way
and told us the war would be over
soon as the people at home were starv-
ing, altho they themselves had plenty
to eat. drink and wear.
There were several kegs of beer
and whisky found in the dugouts. also
a quarter of beef. Their bread was
black and sour smelling. They con-
sumed our wheat bread with great
relish. Our coffee was also highly ap-
preciated as they told us they had had
none for three years. We have taken
a great number of prisoners. The
ones here seem to be mostly PrussianS.
They have committed all kinds of
atrocious acts-firing on our advanced
uTcSslHB SldllOu5 Iepedtedly
ing them with anes, but we now
have air supremacy and they are I'M
able to get back of the lines very far
SO the field hospitals up to date have
not been bombed. One outfit had
their advanced dressing station blown
up three times during the fight and
half of their hospital men wounded
so don't let any one tell you that the
Hun is getting any better.
Tell my Democratic friends thank
them very much for my candidacy.
but it is a long ways from here. Just
the same I am highly appreciatfve OF
their efforts.
LAS soon as 1 get to town I will
send you a cap. We are lying in the
back area now, getting rid of coolies
washing our clothing and getting
ready to hit the Hun another whack
Hemmel is well and so are all the
boys. 1t is rainy and cold but it lis
remarkable how little sickness there
is among the troops. I see Jim Going
often. He is making good and look
ing we'll"