Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1918-12-13

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us and at six a runner came up anf
reported that Sumner was .7"led. FL
'. commanded the machine gun Company
with us. He was hit early "a the
fight by bullet, hear can get M
, details. At the start he remarked
This looks easy-they do not seem
to have much art Hughes head
quarters were all shot up. Turner lost
a leg.
well, we just lay there all through
the hot afternoon. 1t was great-a
shell would land near by and Won
would bounce in your hole.
AS twilight came we sent our wa
ter parties for the relief of the
wounded. Then we wondered if we
would get relieved. At nine O'Clock
we got message congratulating us.
and saying the Algerians would take
over at midnight. We then began to
collect our wounded.
Algerians Badly "Shot Up."
The Algerians came up at midnight
and we pushed out. They went over at
daybreak and got all shot up. We made
the relief under German flares and the
light from a burning town.
That night the Germans shelled us,
and got three killed and II wounded.
we moved bit further back to the
crossroads, and after burying a
few Germans, some of whom showed
signs of having been wounded before,
we settled down for short stay.
1T looked like rain, and so Wilmer
ana l went to an old dressing station
10 salvage some cover. We collect
ed lot of bloody shelter Halves and
ponchos that had been tied to poles
TO make stretchers, and were about
to so when we stopped to look at a
| new grave. a rude cross made of two
Stats from box had written on it:
Lester S. Wass, Captain U. s. Ma
rineS, July Is, 1915
THE old crowd at ST. Nazarine and
Bordeaux-Wass and Sumner killed
Baston and Hunt wounded, the latter
on the 18th, clean wound, I near.
through the left shoulder We then
moved farther to the rear and camp
ed Tor the night. Dunlap came to
look us over; his car was driven by
sailor, who got out to talk to a few
Oh the marines, when one of the lat
ter yelled out: Hey, fellows! Anyone
want to see q real live COPYRIGHT this
way The COB held a regular recep-
ton. A carrier pigeon perched on a
tree with message. I've decided to
shoot him. 1t was then quite dark, so
the shot missed. then heard the fol.
lowing remarks as I tried TO sleep:
Hell; he only turned around;' Send
up a flare;;' Call for a barrage,' etc
The next day further to the ,ear still.
a Ford was towed by with it's front
wheels on truck
I'VE are now back in a town for
some rest and to lick our wounds. As
l rode down the battalion where once
companies 25O strong used to march,
now you see 80 men with kid second
lieutenant in command; one company
commander is not yet twenty-one.
First Robbed, Then Burisd.
"After the last attack 1 ca she'd in
the gold you gave me and sent it home
along with my back pay. I have me-
idea of being bumped Off with money
on my person, as if you fall into tha
enemy's hands you are first robbed
then buried perhaps, hrt the first "a
sure.
Baston, the lieutenant that went to
Quant1co with father and myself. and
of whom father took some pictnres
was wounded in both legs in the Bots
de Belleau. It was sore time before
ne was evacuated and gas gangrene
set In. He nearly lost his legs, 1 am
told, but is coming out O. X. Hunt
was wounded in the last attack. got
MS wounds fixed up and went back
again till he had to be sent out. COT.
-enburg was hit in the hand-al near
1m were killed. Talbot was hit
vice but is about again. That ac-
counts for all the officers in the com.
)any that l brought over. In the first
1ght luz Of the men in that outfit were
illied or wounded. The second fight
must have about cleanad out the old
.rowd.
10 picture a fight, mix up lot Of
hungry, dirty, tired, and bloody mer
Win dust, noise, and smoke. Forget
ne clean swords, prancing horses. arf
tapping flags. At night, a gas-flled
woods, falling trees and bright, blin6.
hs Hashes-you can't see your neigl:
is war. In the rear it is al
onfuslon. The general told me s1urry
o such place, all goes Well, we arg
dvancing' His staff, miles away, az
lean-one was shaving, another ea@.
ng hot cakes-we had not had a no, 3
lite for two days. AS I reached nv 4
umping-off place, wounded mer. B
llled men, horses blown to bits-thc
OntraSt!
I'VE advanced ten kilometers. with h
rlsoners and guns, and the bells ran.
New York for the victory, while
7ell-dressed girls and white-shirted