Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1918-08-28
1ANK TELLS Of
SOLDIERS LIFE
IN THE TRENCHES
SERGEANT WOUNDED In FRANCE
IND lNVALDED HOME, GIVES
AZ sc COUNT OF THE TRIP OF
fHE FIRST AMERICAN CONTTN-
CENT.

France and invaded home to Fort
McHenry hospital, told the story Of the
men General Pershing led to France as
the vanguard Of the American expedi-
tionary force.
Il enlisted at Fort Slocum. New
York, and in June, 1914, l went down
to Galveston and was signed in with
the Twenty-second infantry. It was
on the way down that 1 got acQuaint-
ed with Duck Smith. He's on the
books now as Sergt. Merle G. Smith,
from Dubois, Pa, which is out near
Pittsburgh. But he's got such short
legs that we just natcheralIy called
him duck He's the best pal man
ever had. He's got heart of gold
and from the very first off we've shared
and shared alike. And he is sure some
talented. He's natcheral born musi-
clan. Boy, you should hear Duck
blow bloody cornet. He can play
any instrument he can pick up. It don't
make any difference what the instru-
ment is, give him five minutes and he
begins to get real music out of it.
Hes always got guitar with him
and he knows all the music there is,
all them deep Spanish songs you hear
down on the border and whole string
of Blues By the time he gets through
with the Fritzies he'll know all the
music in Europe, too.
"Along in 1919 they organized the
Thirty-ffth regiment and 20 of US were
taken from each company of the Twen-
ty-second, to help make it up. Then,
in the spring Of 1917, we were trans
ferred to the Eighteenth regiment and
went in the headquarters company.
was made a sergeant just before we
started across. Q
''In May the word went around that
we were at war strength and from
that time on we were getting the hot
news every day that we were going
across, or that we were going to be
moved North, or were going to- San
Francisco or some other place.
Goes "OVer ThereS
"But nothing happened until the
first week in June, when we got the
order to pack up. The dope was that
we were going into camp at Gettys-
burg or at Syracuse. Nobody I knew
had hint that we were going across.
OF course, everybody wanted to go
across, but If they had let out where
we were going it would have got
around in no time.
eve had a fine train with Pullman
cars, they sure gave us fine trip.
In France you're lucky to get ride
In a freight car. We went along easy
and stopped in a lot Of small towns.
They, never stopped in the big places;
we went through most Of them at
night. Finally, we got to Hornell, N.
Y. And that was where we got the
real dope. The word came around
that orders had come to hold up the
trains because the ships had not reach
ed their docks. Then we knew we
were going over, and, boy, I'm telling
you there was some cheering.
1--WE went on board about eleven
o'clock at night, and that same night
we started out, but were later held up
for several days. I don't know what
we were waiting for. but when we
started out we had convoy Of war
ships. In our company we had Dan
ish lad whose father was sea cap
tain. This Dane kid had been in ev-
cry port in the world. Just as soon
as he saw the port he says: we are
going into the port Of -. That
didn't mean much to US, but he told
us it was in France.
"Well, boy, 1 want to tell you 1t is
the prettiest place in the world. 1t
looks just like a picture, handpainted
picture. 1t is the prettiest town /
ever want to see.
"We were at that camp fourteen
day and while we did quite a lot of
drilling, we got liberty to go back to
the town, and we began to learn their
lingo. They wouldn't let us spend
much money and at that time they
didn't know how much money we got,
so prices were cheap.
Into the Trenches.
"Well, we got the kinks out of our
selves during the two weeks we stayed
at that camp. 1 guess there must of
been more men coming over, because
one night we gets the word to be
ready to move on the next day. They
moved US in box cars. We were two
days and two nights on the road and
must have gone about $50 miles; it
was a swell trip. The country looked
great at that time Of the year and we
were loaded down with flowers all the
time.
"We went into camp at -, which
is about four miles behind the front
line trenches. We were billeted in
barns and stables from Saturday until
Monday night, when we took our first
trick in the trenches. Our division
was feeling fine and they all wanted to
get a chance at fighting right away.
"There were four regiments in our
crowd and one battalion from each reg