The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-07-25

'~. ,e,c-,"t'on wore loft IN thoir dam
= .Htli'u in iir Mid eNriir.set |
= victory as we dashed into the heart
ut France. We raced on. hlindly and
thnughfleSSly. thereby tnterruptlng
communication with our bases. ran
directly into the trap set for Us by the
French Before the first ammunition
and other relief supplies reach US we
will all he killed"
Up to this time we had trusted
blindly In the invincible strategy of our
great general staff Now II was brought
home to us on all sides that the
French were fighting at home. close
to their greatest source Of supply. and
had excellent railroad connections at
their disposal. Further than that the
French. maintained terrible artillery
fire from guns of far greater caliher
Than we believed they owned. This led
us to the conclusion that they were Oc.
cupying positions which had been pre-
pared for long time. Yet we believed
that the picture painted by the artil-
Ieryman had been too black. We were
scnn 10 know better.
As we approached the enemy's
trenches. we were met with heavy
machine gun fire. and In dOuhle-quick
step hurried to the temporary protec.
| ton of hastily thrown up dng0uts.
hard rain had Sc, in. The field around
us was covered with dead and wound
4 ed. Even our trench was filed with
wounded. which made its occupation
by the defenders difficult. Many OF
the wounded men were paralyzed from
lying on tI,r shiny ground. All were
without 'rlages. They begged for
bread All, water. but we had none for
ourselves they pleaded piteously. just
for scrap Of bread. Many of them
had lain IN this inferno for two days.
without having eaten anything what
ever.
Il we we're scarcely established when
the French attacked en- masse The Oc.
c,panis Of these trenches, whom we
had REINFORCED had already repulsed
several OF. these attacks. They urged
us to shoot and fired wildly themselves
into the ranks Of the advancing masses
We responded to the exhortations OF
the infantry officers: Sire. fire hard
er. hartlpr!
we fired until the barrels of OuI
guns became retl.hOt. The enem,
turned. The victims of our fire al
ready lying In heaps in No Mans Lane
IL 70
were increased by hundreds. The at
tack was repulse,l.
II is dark. and II rains and rains. Al
about us in the darkness are hear'
the wounded weeping. moaning. I'm
J ploring. Their cries are angmente'
for bansIages. but we had none left. w
tore strips from our muddy shirts an
with. them covered the gaping wounds
Men are dying constantly. There ar
y no doctors. no bandages, nothing. TIL
e wounded must he assisted. hut first tn
French must be repulsed.
The rain falls harder constantly an
Z we are all wet 10 the skin. We shoe
y hlintIly into the night The fuctuatin
fire of musketry- becomes strong. the
= weaker. then strong again.
" We pioneers are scattered among tn
Infantry. My neighlor touches me.
SAY" he calls.
:. What do you want?" ask. wi
!. are your
- Come here" he Missed.
1t is eerie. alone in this devils nigh
s why are you here? Will you mu
'e der me like those over there. Sot
" they will return from over there al
= the run viii be on again. Do you he
!. the others weep?"
4 And he laughed.
q Suddenly lie started again: y
= ways shoot ut them until they ST
weeping. That is fun"
Il And again he laughed. maniacal
. and louder than before.
al realized finally that this man b
lost his reason. man passed brir
Ing ammunition and ] asked him
fetch the commander nj once. The
t,cer arrived, accompanied by an inf
try lieutenant met them AMI repo
ed that my ncigl,i,0r had been firing
In: the wounded. talEin. nonsense, o