Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-11-04
ANNAPOLIS YOUTH
TELLS OF SOLDIER LIFE
CONTINUED from Page u

wa ching some of the fellows who
were pen pushers,' in civilian life
cur down a bossy mule. We have
two mules that can kick with all four
feet at the same time.
when we first arrived over here,
it was rather warm and comfortable,
but here of late, we have been hav-
ing rain, and it sure makes Il I'M
comfortable. We all often think
of our dear old Maryland homes, with
those good meals, and feather beds. In
some places we have found water very
scarce, especially in the trenches.
One poor fellow died from mustard
gas las. week. He bathed in a stream
where one of those blamed shells
struck, and was poisoned.
After leaving that town we began
to move on Germany's soil; there we
were not treated so welcome, but so
long as we received at least one meal
day, a cigarette, and a pile of hay
for a bed, we were satisfied. After
stopping over at many other towns for
two days or perhaps until the follow
trenches. Here we were to show the
Huns what nine months training
could no..
I'VE were given our position on a
rather quiet sector and it is my be-
lief that the Huns knew the boys
from Maryland were on hand. We
performed our duties like Yankees
and are now in search for larger
game
During the first five days in the
trenches the Germans remained very
quiet, only occasionally bullet would
plane flew over our trenches, and
fired machine gun on us; no one was
hit After his departure / came out
of the emplacement and only a few
feet from where l stood, at least fifty
bullet holes were plainly seen in
spot about the size of a campagne
hat. During the night hundreds of
Illuminating rockets were sent up by
the Huns, and at times it was as
bright as day. Our last two nights in
the trenches were very exciting.
said they merely gave us loud send
off,
During the first night four machine
gun emplacements were destroyed,
two crews carried their guns into No
Mans Land and sought firing posi-
tons in shell holes behind the Ger
mans wire entanglements, only few
yards from the Germans front line.
We were expecting an attack but the
Huns did not pull it off. They know
by this time that the Stars and
Stripes has men behind her guns.
ION the second night, or the night
of our departure, another German
barrage was opened; this time we
were packed and ready to move. Our
kitchen had only left short time
when a shell struck its former posi-
ton and destroyed it completely.
Lucky for the cooks / say. Our roads
were bombarded, trees cut down by
shells and shrapnel falling every
where. Shell holes about seven feet
in diameter and five feet deep could
be seen in all directions. Bursting
shells looked like bonfires. Then came
a very important moment In the dis
lance could be seen an unwelcomed
signal, and the coy, gas, was sound
ed from the lips of many nervous
souls. We adjusted our masks and
continued our duties without a cas-
ualty.
ut was on that night that we cap
tured three German spies. We have
thrown several barrages and have per-
formed, all of our work excellent. We
are at present doing our second hitch
in the trenches. Two squads just left
to perform a little work tonight.
Life in the trenches is much easier
than that in training camp. I stand
three hours and twenty minutes guard
out of twenty-four. But in action
, am always at the gun. / nearly for
got to tell you of the most important
; creatures in this war, and they are
!; rats Why they are as thick in the
; trenches as flies are around garbage
can, and are large as kitten. Last
i night one crawled across my feet
J while on guard, it was night maneur-
} ing, some of the fellows said.
at is nearly time to go on watch sc
must close for this time. The boys
wish to be remembered to you"